Last night on the way to the store, I passed a palm tree that looked like the ones seen in hurricane photos, fronds all whipped in one direction. I thought it was an oddity till I read how high the winds were.

A new development from Apple, via Briefing.com.

That explains why the trees were whipping about so furiously last night.

I did venture out to Safeway, which was mostly deserted except for one very ill shopper and a few dazed-looking checkout clerks. The floors in the aisles had store circulars that appeared to have been roiled by gusts. When I commented to one clerk that his station looked well-protected, being far from the exits, he said, ‘Oh no. Whenever one of the doors opens, the wind comes sweeping in all around us.’

In developing countries, the neoprene suit could save the lives of many women who go into shock from hemorrhaging while giving birth.

I don’t recall winds this strong since we’ve lived here. The windows have been rattling, the lights dimming every few minutes. Flood advisories in many places tonight.

If I have a connection in the morning, I’ll be very surprised.

A South Korean company is selling an a/c with a kimchi filter (cries out for a jingle, don’t you think) that is said to keep out bird flu. It is an interesting marriage of a food and a household appliance.

Fans of kimchi claim that their favorite food is the reason no one got SARS back in 2003.

My only question is a delicate one: Would my house smell like kimchi if I were to get one of these?

What marvels will be next in this new technology? I’ll think of some after I get through the taxes.

It’s certainly looking that way.

With rain coming down in buckets and washtubs this morning, Van is a bit depressing, what with ‘wanting to be alone like Greta’.

A Swiss forensic group at Bern University has developed an autopsy technique using a combination of MRI, MSCT (multi-slice computer tomography), and 3-D surface scanning.

One of the advantages is that a body remains intact, sparing family members undue trauma.

If it’s true, then researchers hope to catch the disease in an earlier stage.

What? Could chickens have teeth?

Well, the whole bird species has been under duress lately, as you know.

The idea of diving back among all the numbers and paperwork is less than compelling. I spent the morning running errands. Then there was lunch and a long conversation with a friend. The weather outside is frightful, so I have to watch the daffodils and tulips weaving and bobbing in the gusty winds. My back fence might collapse.

Someone has to monitor these things.

Two guys come up with an idea to make recycling pay - for all involved.

No one knows yet, but researchers will be looking carefully at a new virus found in prostate cancer patients.

Years ago, few believed that bacteria could cause ulcers.

The Bach Trumpet, Ludwig Guttler on trumpet.

I should have a whole category of ‘Music to do your taxes by’.

We don’t often get dramatic clouds here.

What a great kids’ book it would make, if everyone would stop being so mad, and seize the opportunity.

The ‘I Pass the Pub’ portion might be one of the more harrowing highlights.

I’m sure glad I don’t have to use one, much less try to use one while eating lunch.

Today’s lunch (leftover roast chicken) requires a knife and fork, which complicates things considerably.

Tehillim, not sure it’s a good choice for this hour. But it’s interesting.

Includes a chocolate/raspberry combo, and one with frozen peas. Maybe I won’t have to eat takeout again tonight.

Must remember to add KFC to the list of foods impossible to eat while trying to work at a keyboard.

A really big salad and a leftover piece of KFC, which is no longer extra crispy.

Residents of Elsa in Bavaria are trying to take a deep breath after a tank containing almost 53,000 gallons of pig manure burst.

‘Fun’ products coming out next Tuesday. What could they be? Not too many rumors out this time.

One of my sons said to keep eyes peeled for the prizes to be awarded to the 1 billionth buyer of iTunes. Too late for me to win. The milestone has been reached.

The area’s strongest in over a hundred years.

The only ice cream in the freezer was eggnog leftover from Christmas. There’s a time and place for eggnog ice cream, but not tonight. At the supermarket checkout, the half-gallon tub of Treat, swirled with thick veins of fudge, got the keen attention of the checker.

‘Is that your dinner?’ she asked brightly.
‘Uh, now that would be neat,’ I said.

She was still laughing at her own joke as I left.

The Yuexi River was running yellow with fluride, nitrogen and phenol, as the townspeople of Guanyin are told to rely on trucked-in water.

That’s quite a haul by a suspected 6-man team.

Theme for Malcolm.

The British Medical Association recommends that doctors quit wearing ties and start washing hands frequently to combat the hospital-borne infection MRSA. Ties, they say, serve no real purpose, are not cleaned very often, and serve as carriers of the MRSA bacteria.

Not to worry, they are safe, and being fed their favorite foods.

Dyslexic children find Japanese much easier to learn than Spanish, French, or German. Some of the reasons why are explained here.

I can understand most of the subjects of search for last week except for Sly Stone. Did I miss something? Sly Stone?

In SF, we stopped by the Hanspree store. So refreshing to see new concepts in ordinary products like tvs. There can’t be too many well-designed, playful items in our world.

How can a cat parasite kill off sea creatures? A researcher reports that the Toxoplasma parasite appears in cat feces. When these are washed into the sea, otters become infected, and their brains become inflamed.

Humans are exposed to the parasites when they handle cat litter. If a pregnant woman gets infected, her unborn child might have jaundice, fever, deafness, eye and nervous system disease, lung disease or mental retardation.

Every Breath You Take, or what my kids call ‘the stalker song’.

On a tree at Target. I checked the ground to see if any had dropped.

Doctors using a new method of applying clot-dissolving drugs report improved success in stroke patients. Recoveries were much faster, many with no paralysis or speech loss.

No one can explain why so many are dying along the Sea of Cortez. No indications of disease or toxic spills have been found. Even though the area is heavily fished, there are no signs of injuries that might be caused by boats or fishermen.

Its devotees are not homeless, but they root through dumpsters looking for food that has been needlessly tossed out, especially by large supermarkets. What can be found?

There is evidence at both extremes.

The weather did not cooperate, and many galleries aren’t open on Sundays and Mondays. But we found a few on Post and Sutter, and even encountered a very informative owner, who took the time to explain the technique of a particular artist.

Hang Art, where the picture was taken, is one of our favorite spots.

He was put on the transplant waiting list before he was born. The surgery to give him a new heart was a study in precision.

People had on parkas today.

From the deYoung Museum.

We knew many would be closed today, but found Cohen-Rese open.

Most of the pictures didn’t come out due to the low light. But the masks were wonderful.

We didn’t get to spend nearly as long as we would have liked, and the tower line was too long. We’ll see it next time.

From this angle, the building reminded me of my kids’ transformers.

For a while, it looked as if it might clear up.

It’s cold, going to the 30s in places tonight. The mountains around us have snow, and there’s more predicted for the weekend.