An intimate music festival called Las Tortugus, located in Groveland, rocked the world of only a 1000 people this weekend. For those of you who don’t know Groveland is minutes away from Yosemite.
The festival had a day of the dead theme and a happy Halloween spirit. Over the course of the four day festival live bands played from noon to four in the morning. Everyone in attendance emphasized the communal type of lifestyle and free love mentality.
A couple great things about this festival, besides the amazing music, are the free camping and close proximity to Yosemite. Yosemite is a great experience but during the fall months it is a life changing experience. All the trees’ leaves are on fire with brilliant color and during the right time of day the reflection of light off the sheer cliffs are tones of red and pink. It is truly breath taking.
This is not the only festival that has great music and good locations. Festivals such as the High Sierra Music Festival, Reggae on the River or Bobolink are all really great shows with great atmosphere. Tortugus was unique because it was such a small event and had a much more family orientated vibe to it.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
This will burn if you live in So. Cal.
When will Southern California learn? Almost every year around this time there are headline stories regarding fires in southern California. Fireballs and fire storms have been burning down entire neighborhoods in southern California for years, and the homes are re-built in the same place every time.
The problem is the natural geography of that part of the state creates a perfect situation for fire. During that certain part of the year, when the Santa Anna Winds blow, everything is perfect for a fire storm. The mountain range creates perfect valleys to funnel the hot winds directly over all the highly resonated chaparral plant life. It’s a fire trifecta.
Chaparral plant communities store resins as they age and the longer they grow without a fire the larger the fire will be when they do ignite. These types of plants grow heavily in the valleys of the southern California Mountains. The hot winds are a catalyst to spontaneous combustion of these native plants, and boom, the neighborhood is up in flames.
I just want to know if the people that are buying these homes, or even worse, if the people that are re-building their homes in these areas have ever been told about these inevitable fire lands. They are living in areas that will eventually catch on fire. I don’t understand!
The problem is the natural geography of that part of the state creates a perfect situation for fire. During that certain part of the year, when the Santa Anna Winds blow, everything is perfect for a fire storm. The mountain range creates perfect valleys to funnel the hot winds directly over all the highly resonated chaparral plant life. It’s a fire trifecta.
Chaparral plant communities store resins as they age and the longer they grow without a fire the larger the fire will be when they do ignite. These types of plants grow heavily in the valleys of the southern California Mountains. The hot winds are a catalyst to spontaneous combustion of these native plants, and boom, the neighborhood is up in flames.
I just want to know if the people that are buying these homes, or even worse, if the people that are re-building their homes in these areas have ever been told about these inevitable fire lands. They are living in areas that will eventually catch on fire. I don’t understand!
Monday, October 15, 2007
President Gonzalez
Ever since the information about President Gonzalez and his friends' hunting trip, I have had my panties worked up in a bunch because I just can’t trust our administration at Sacramento State anymore.
I was already questioning the higher-ups when the pay raises for administration went public. I read in the Hornet that administration recently gave themselves pay raises and Gonzalez would now be making close to $300,000 a year. Why?
I want a job description Gonzalez!; I want to know what you are doing up there that is so hard as to merit $300,000 a year.
So the man makes a lot. Sac State has to pay him a lot becasue other universities are competive and we have to pay for the best. When i started reading things like that I got over it…sort of. But then, my art history class was canceled because our overhead projector wasn’t working properly, and the class is visual. Then the next day a similar thing happened in my column writing class, but in that class the projector wasn’t even in the room.
This makes me furious because our president is sitting on thousands and thousands of dollars and has connections with foreign hunting agencies and does million dollar deal with people, but this guy can’t even make sure each class room has an overhead projector; I seriously question Gonzalez and his leadership skills. I feel like he is exploiting his power as CSUS president and combing the wool over everyone’s eyes.
I’m one grain of sand and when I move, I move many, so read this and let my little flame fuel your fire. Let’s get pissed-off together and do something about it.
I was already questioning the higher-ups when the pay raises for administration went public. I read in the Hornet that administration recently gave themselves pay raises and Gonzalez would now be making close to $300,000 a year. Why?
I want a job description Gonzalez!; I want to know what you are doing up there that is so hard as to merit $300,000 a year.
So the man makes a lot. Sac State has to pay him a lot becasue other universities are competive and we have to pay for the best. When i started reading things like that I got over it…sort of. But then, my art history class was canceled because our overhead projector wasn’t working properly, and the class is visual. Then the next day a similar thing happened in my column writing class, but in that class the projector wasn’t even in the room.
This makes me furious because our president is sitting on thousands and thousands of dollars and has connections with foreign hunting agencies and does million dollar deal with people, but this guy can’t even make sure each class room has an overhead projector; I seriously question Gonzalez and his leadership skills. I feel like he is exploiting his power as CSUS president and combing the wool over everyone’s eyes.
I’m one grain of sand and when I move, I move many, so read this and let my little flame fuel your fire. Let’s get pissed-off together and do something about it.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Surfing is my Church
At 8:00 a.m. on Sunday morning millions of people around the world get out of bed, put on their Sunday-best and re-discover their moral beliefs within the walls of a church; Genesis 1: 1-15, John 4: 4-29, alleluia and praise the lord. My language is a little more like 3.4 Roxy, 7’6” NSP salty twists of hair and sandy feet.
Walls aren’t something I’m into all that much. My Sunday-best is my lucky tie-dyed bathing suit, my wetsuit and my long board. Every part of my surf trip is a spiritual routine, and a time to reflect on my past, present and future footprints. Once my wetsuit is on, the previously contemplated future footprints appear in the present as I walk on the cool sand down to the surf, the entire time keeping my eyes on the horizon.
There is something special about floating on the top of something immeasurable with mysterious worlds of darkness and savagery; and incredible healing qualities; it makes me think about what the world is really here for; why humans exist and the universes most abstract questions. I create my own religion based on my ideas of my surroundings and the meaning I think everything has.
The sheer power of the waves is enough to let anyone know how uncontrollable the ocean is. As the water level rises to my chest I hop on my board and paddle into the white walls pounding towards me. I can’t explain furry behind a wave of sand and water on its last leg-of-life toward the shore.
Once I’m past the break and bobbing on the glassy water I usually sit on my board awhile and soak up the vibrating energy of the water. I really can’t explain in words how it feels, but I would imagine its close to the feeling someone would get when their god has blessed them, or their prayers have come true.
Walls aren’t something I’m into all that much. My Sunday-best is my lucky tie-dyed bathing suit, my wetsuit and my long board. Every part of my surf trip is a spiritual routine, and a time to reflect on my past, present and future footprints. Once my wetsuit is on, the previously contemplated future footprints appear in the present as I walk on the cool sand down to the surf, the entire time keeping my eyes on the horizon.
There is something special about floating on the top of something immeasurable with mysterious worlds of darkness and savagery; and incredible healing qualities; it makes me think about what the world is really here for; why humans exist and the universes most abstract questions. I create my own religion based on my ideas of my surroundings and the meaning I think everything has.
The sheer power of the waves is enough to let anyone know how uncontrollable the ocean is. As the water level rises to my chest I hop on my board and paddle into the white walls pounding towards me. I can’t explain furry behind a wave of sand and water on its last leg-of-life toward the shore.
Once I’m past the break and bobbing on the glassy water I usually sit on my board awhile and soak up the vibrating energy of the water. I really can’t explain in words how it feels, but I would imagine its close to the feeling someone would get when their god has blessed them, or their prayers have come true.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)