This little girl reminds me of one of my younger cousins, except for the Kansai-ben.

Once, long ago, these books were treasured and prized possessions, the repository of knowledge available only perhaps in other books. Now, these books reside behind the locked door of the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. Though they are old, and some of their pages, covers, or bindings have become brittle and yellowed with age, the quality of how they were produced is evident in that most of them are still in good condition, in some cases almost 200 years after they were published.
Skimming through these books, one might find information that still is relevant today or outdated ideas that were accepted as fact in the not-too-distant past. What really grabs my attention is the textures, artwork, and the lettering on these books. I look at the covers, and my mind concocts the outlines of a story or a certain ambiance.












Once I open the book, that image shifts into something different, and my imagined book vanishes. Sometimes this can be disappointing, but sometimes the contents are even better than the covers.

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Founded by a drug addict, selling soda to the Nazis, anti-civil rights business practices, stealing water from farmers, and ignoring the plights of unionized workers targeted by hostile guerillas: all of these things, and more, apply to one of my favorite beverages.
I hate to say it but, even after watching this 5 part series (which is a bit biased I must say), I still like Coke, and prefer it over other colas. Though I don’t drink soda that often, it’s hard to avoid all of the products that are tied into the Coca-Cola company.
Though Coke has a less-than-stellar track record, I think I’ll continue to consume its products in moderation.

You can see all of these flowers in the back yard of the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History.

Taken from Andrew Molera on March 21, 2008, over a Longboard Island Lager and in the company of a couple of brave field mice and friends.

Proof of alien life on Mars, or are they merely Basketstars?

Doesn’t it look like it belongs in a Dr. Seuss book?
By the way, my good friend Brent Wong is part of the team who put out Horton Hears a Who, so go see it!

The first wave of flowers is crashing down upon the coastline, and here are a few that you may see if you go for a walk along the central coast: