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In the late 1980s, url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Memorial-service-set-for-Pi-Day-creator-Larry-Shaw-12206726.php#photo-12531763Larry Shaw, a staff physicist, tinkerer and media specialist at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, came up with what may be the world’s nerdiest holiday: Pi Day. Now celebrated globally each March 14, Pi Day salutes the popular mathematical constant pi, an endless decimal representation used in the measurement of a circle whose first three digits are 3.14. What makes pi so intriguing? Divide any circle’s circumference by its diameter and the answer is always pi, no matter the size of the circle. Oh, and to sweeten up the holiday a little more, March 14 is also the birthday of Albert Einstein. Competing for bragging rights on who can recite the most digits is a popular Pi Day activity in many schools. How many digits of p... read more
How many can you do?


How many of you know who Dr. Ann Noble is? She was a U.C. Davis sensory chemist and (retired) Professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology. She is widely credited with the discovery of the Wine Aroma Wheel, which as an official website. Here is the wheel: img=https://cosmicpimg-prod.services.web.outlook.com/proxy/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwinefolly.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F08%2FWine-Aroma-Flavor-Chart-Wheel.jpg&t=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCIsImtpZCI6InhnTVBsQk1oWTVlbCtsWUlYTVA5VGhXM1lTcz0iLCJ4NXQiOiJ4Z01QbEJNaFk1ZWwrbFlJWE1QOVRoVzNZU3M9IiwiaXNzbG9jIjoiU0ExUFI4NE1CMzU0MyIsInNyc24iOjYzODQ1MzEwMjU5OTE0Njk1MX0.eyJ1dGkiOiI0OTFlMzBiOS1mZTE0LTQyNTctOWYyZS01OWU4NTU4MzNiNTIiLCJpYXQiOjE3MDk5NTIzMjAsInZlciI6IlNUSS5Vc2VyLlYxIiwic2FwLXZlcnNpb24iOiI4IiwiYXBwaWQiOiJmMjA0MTUwNC0yZjgxLTQ5M2QtYWY4ZC1iNGIzNTBjZWZlNTciLCJpc3NyaW5nIjoiV1ciLCJhcHBpZGFjciI6IjIiLCJ0aWQiOiI4NGRmOWU3ZmU5... read more
5 reasons
Some of the best?


When people are headed to Monterey, most of us really mean Carmel, or Pebble Beach. Hardly anyone goes to Monterey. Even fewer actually stay in Monterey, where the charm is definitely lacking compared to her more elegant big sisters, Carmel and Pebble Beach. Yes, Monterey is an ugly duckling of sorts, but perhaps it deserves a closer look. Monterey is home to the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf, and the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. It also hosts the famous Monterey Jazz Festival, known the world over. Some hidden gems include: Dennis the Menace Park, a favorite of my kids when they were younger, the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail, the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Old Monterey (downtown), and even two golf courses. Monterey also boasts many boring facts. The population is just under 30,000 ... read more
Flowers at the Inn at Spanish Bay
Wave Street Cafe breakfast


When people are headed to Monterey, most of us really mean Carmel, or Pebble Beach. Hardly anyone goes to Monterey. Even fewer actually stay in Monterey, where the charm is definitely lacking compared to her more elegant big sisters, Carmel and Pebble Beach. Yes, Monterey is an ugly duckling of sorts, but perhaps it deserves a closer look. Monterey is home to the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf, and the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. It also hosts the famous Monterey Jazz Festival, known the world over. Some hidden gems include: Dennis the Menace Park, a favorite of my kids when they were younger, the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail, the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Old Monterey (downtown), and even two golf courses. Monterey also boasts many boring facts. The population is just under 30,000 ... read more
The famous Lone Cypress, 17 Mile Drive
Golfing heaven


Though I once considered myself a "frequent flyer", I would say that I am now a rather infrequent flyer. In other words, I don't have the same good habits that made flying easier for me. Everyone has hints for making flying easier, as does Travel & Leisure's most recent article. Here are seven of their suggestions, along with some of my own: Hire airport greeters-I have never done this before. It might be a good idea in a foreign country, particularly if you don't know the language, airport layout, and have severe time constraints and too much baggage. Pack like pros-I am pretty good at this. I have travel specific clothing and sundries. I use a color theme, usually blue, sometimes black, and once in a while, brown. But as I get older, I tend to ... read more
Get those FF miles
New rules travel

North America » United States » California » Oakland February 24th 2024

The very next time you are in the East Bay, or Oakland, or better yet, near Kaiser Hospital at 40th near Broadway. You must stop here! My travel buddy, Mr. Mike discovered Umami Mart at 4027 Broadway in Oakland. Here is an "About Us" from their website: Since 2012, we have been an independently owned small business, headquartered in Oakland, CA, striving to bring joy through quality products from Japan. Our shop is a space to discover something new about Japanese cuisine and culture through its kitchen tools, barware, and drinks; while the blog is a space to share recipes and knowledge. Read more about the evolution of Umami Mart here. About Yoko Kumano After spending 5 years as a salary woman in Ginza, Yoko moved back to the Bay Area to open Umami Mart with ... read more
I am in heaven
The six seat bar has a 45 minute limit!!!!
My favorite Japanese whiskey

North America » United States » California » San Francisco January 29th 2024

On Friday, my second trip to the Golden Gate Bridge was struck by a crisis neither of us foresaw, the only selfie stick we had broke. You never really know a crisis until you're in a crisis!! Our trip to the Fine Arts museum now hung in the balance, now dependent on the traditional method of taking selfies; the threat of happy memories blemished by photos with heads chopped off due to short arms and poor camera work was now real. If you take nothing from any of these blogs and there is a strong possibility you won't!!, promise me one thing, at least once in your life go to watch Cirque Du Soleil. This is not Crusty the Clown type characters with endless handkerchiefs in their pockets! These are athletes whom practice 10 -12 hours ... read more
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North America » United States » California » San Francisco January 25th 2024

At last!! Something free!! The Cable Car Museum!! My afternoon rubbery toasted ham sandwich for lunch failed to inspire me, I still get the shivers seeing the bill and the high options for a tip. The museum has two levels, the lower level you can see the actual mechanical system that operates the cable cars, the nerdier reader will be disappointed to learn the public has no access to this section. The cable cars operating in San Francisco are the only ones in the world and you can read all about them on the upper level as well see some former cable cars and scale models. There is a short video from the 70's on cable cars and how they work. I realised I had enough cable car history for one day when I started nodding ... read more
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North America » United States » California » San Francisco January 24th 2024

The morning had a slight blip when a chap I asked for directions to the 28 bus misheard me and directed me to the 38, thankfully we managed to get a connecting bus and then the correct one. Our destination the Golden Gate Bridge, though Orangy Red Gate Bridge maybe a more accurate name. Not sure though the tourist board would be able to sell to potential tourists to come visit the Orangy Red bridge. Upon arrival there is an excellent viewing point of the city and a model of the bridge. Apparently it has a 28 foot sway from left to right, in heavy winds, similar to how some of us sway in and out of my driving lane but without wind assistance. The good news is there's walking and cycling lane on the bridge ... read more
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North America » United States » California » San Francisco January 23rd 2024

The morning started with us walking out from the hotel into a torrential downpour. With no umbrellas we proceeded to a cafe we identified on Google maps. The myth my trainers are waterproof was quickly busted when I misjudged a large puddle of water; in which my left foot planted into 3 inches of water, a not so gentle reminder that I am not Carl Lewis and at five foot three will never be. Our morning was further tested when we arrived at the cafe to discover it was an outdoor coffee dock and not the warm indoor cafe with free WI-FI that we were expecting. This has been an issue for me as my phone provider contract offers brutal roaming here and I am not known for my navigation skills. Something to be weary of ... read more
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