Holy smokes...

It's been quite a week in Southern California. One week ago today the Santiago Fire broke out, courtesy of some lunatic for whom a $250K reward has been established - that's the latest figure. It was bad enough to know that a fire was close to Irvine and potentially threatening several homes, including the homes of people we know. It was worse when the fire started moving South, courtesy of our frequent visiting Santa Ana winds. In 24 hours, the fire moved exactly 50% in the direction of our home from the point of origin. The foothill areas of Lake Forest (Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills) were under voluntary evacuation, with a few streets under mandatory evacuation orders. (By the way, what is it with people that they won't get out of the @#%^$ way when they're told to leave the area????)

On Tuesday, as I was driving to take Larissa to school, I had a glimpse of the flames on the neighboring hills and the not-so-comforting presence of three sheriff's department cars parked a few blocks away from our house. The 241 Toll Road was closed at this point, and the Santa Anas continued to blow strong. We had blue skies while the rest of our Orange County area was covered in smoke and ashes. But unlike the rest of O.C., the fire was creeping closer to home. This is how we learned the importance of having an evacuation plan and a list in case of emergencies.

Wednesday got worse and better at the same time - the fire continued to travel in our direction, but the wind stopped its unrelenting blowing, which lowered the risk of the fire spreading in our direction, but allowed the smoke to cover our area completely. By Thursday, schools were closed. They remained closed on Friday, and activities all throughout the So O.C. area were rescheduled due to poor air quality.

All through this we received calls from the city reassuring us that we were under no imminent threat - which was nice, but if the city has to call you to let you know to "shelter in place", you're not the only one worried, and for good reason. The Orange County Fire Authority's Web site was my salvation and the one tool that helped me keep my sanity.

My heart goes out to those who lost their homes, those who lost their lives in the fires that continue to batter Southern California. It's been the worst year for this region, at least in recent history. Not even the Laguna or Malibu fires from a few years ago can compare with the devastation that's been experienced this time around. Now we head into winter and the potential for rain. Rain we desperately need, but rain I hope to God will come in small doses to spare the affected areas from the inevitable mud slides.

I am incensed

I am incensed at the increased desensitization in this society. Granted, capitalism is one of the things that have made this country what it is, what makes it flourish, and what makes the American dream a possibility. So are the Constitution and the checks and balances the forefathers so wisely provided for.

However, the fact that socialist thought is looked at as some kind of evil, is one of this country's greater weaknesses. The bottom line is so important it might as well become a religion. I can already see the legions of people who would go and worship not just on Sundays, but every day of the week.

I got an email today from my friend Gina. It was about the Patient Protection Act of 2007 that would require a minimum of 48 hour hospital stays for mastectomies among other things...

THE FACT THAT WE NEED LEGISLATION FOR SUCH A DUH IS APPALLING, SHOCKING AND DISGUSTING.

The fact that this legislation has to be re-entered and Congress can not come to a unanimous vote on this is deplorable and immoral. Medicine is an obvious social profession, but here it's a lucrative business - blame whomever you want to blame, insurance companies, lawyers, HMOs, whatever, I don't care. The bottom line is that this country and its flawd systems has let it happen and now can't find the way to turn the clock back.

There is a petition to sign on the Lifetime Web site that should be signed by everyone. If you are reading this blog, don't waste another minute! My heart goes out to every woman and family who has ever had to deal with something this devastating.

Ode to Technology

For the last 5.75 years I have worked at the Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at UC Irvine. My job involves fund-raising, alumni relations, corporate relations, and a bit of everything else - notice that most job descriptions include 5% duties "as assigned"... all in an environment where technology changes daily.

The very cool thing about working here, other than the flexible and casual environment, is the fact that I am surrounded by technology. Now, I don't consider myself extremely techy or technologically savvy, although I do have a certain level of comfort around things like computers and the Internet, and I love the access email has given me to stay in contact with friends around the world, and the convenience of instant messaging. All that considered, I assure you that workig at this school also has given me a pretty good idea about just how ignorant I am.

There are incredible developments going on around me every day, and good luck if I can describe most of them in detail. Fortunately, I understand enought about many of them to skim the surface and let the experts do the talking. Where was I going with all this? Oh, yes. I love technology. Some days I hate it too, but for the most part, I love it. I don't understand it on an intimate level, but I understand enough to be grateful for it and embrace it, because it simply makes life easier and some times better.

And that's what started this whole blog. At a visit last week, part of our tour included the "Technology Garden", which I think is a really cool application of computer science from many aspects - for one, there's that biology component of sensors measuring CO2 and O2 levels in the room where plants are displayed. On the other hand, there are sensors that measure the moisture of the soil, and one can monitor the plants in the garden remotely... how cool is that?!? For a woman with a hidden geeky side like me, this is just the answer to all my phitodilemas (just created another word...) I can now aspire to have real, live plants that survive past the critical two-week period, after which all their predecesors have found sure death at my hands... I can be green! I actually have asked them if they need a beta tester off-site, and it looks like the answer is yes. In almost-feverish anticipation, I have gone ahead and purchased a plant - a lovely thing (campanula) that seems to work as ground cover, currently potted on my desk, with a wild profussion of vibrant purple blooms amidst the deep green of its foliage. And I think this one may actually survive my care... I'm so excited!

Aside from this new-found source of excitement, and in addition to using email, I have instant messager - four different ones to be precise. I am on linked-in, wayn, and who knows what else. I have an Avatar on Second Life (my name is "Berangaria Beaumont"), I blog with certain regularity, satisfying my need to write something without having to be Louisa May Alcott ("Little Women", for those of you rusty on your lit), and getting things out of my system. And now I'm about to jump on the bandwagon of Voice-over IP and start calling from my computer for a fraction of the cost, thus making the world a little smaller and the distance between me and those I love a little shorter.

All this said, the day I figure out how to post pictures on this blog in vertical fashion, as opposed to the horizontal default, I will be happier, and I will have conquered yet another frontier...