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October 28, 2003

Visual News has Lastest Southern California Fire Pictures

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Keep track of all the latest pictures of the Southern California Fires using Visual News. Visual News monitors Yahoo! News (which feeds from Reuters and AP) and uses keyword matching to filter out just the pictures from the fire.

For those of you with RSS News Readers, like Bloglines, NetNewsWire or Radio Userland, there's a RSS News Feed too.

It keeps on coming

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Yet another photo from my Braemore look out, pointing west towards Porter Ranch. News reported 12 helicopters fighting the fire with light winds today. Lots of white smoke too, so they must he hitting their targets. Might be at the turning point.

Started to see ash last night and the entire valley is covered in a layer of smoke this morning. So the fire is getting closer, but we're just south of the 118 and are definitely not on the front lines.

October 27, 2003

And Closer

Tonight, the northwest valley is glowing, smothered in smoke. The fire is approaching Porter Ranch. A few of my vistas are now closed, as firefighters ready themselves for the battle ahead. I took a few pictures from Braemore, but digital cameras are useless in the dark.

Creeping Closer

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Monday morning - the fire is creeping out of Simi Valley towards Chatsworth.

Welcome to Simi Valley

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October 26, 2003

Satellite Fire

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The red circle is about where I live. We've been lucky, as the smoke is not blowing our way. But the flames are getting closer. Looks like they jumped the major pass and are creeping down to the my valley, San Fernando.

In this satellite image, plumes of smoke caused by wildfires are seen moving off the coast through Southern California on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2003. The fires have grown to more than 208,000 acres, destroying 500 homes in densely populated suburbs and have caused at least 11 deaths. Fires burning are, at left left, Simi Valley and Moorpark; center, the combined Grand Prix and Old Fire, north of San Bernadino and Rancho Cucamonga/Ontario; bottom right, the Scripps Ranch fire in the San Diego area. AP Photo/US Forest Service via NASA (news - web sites))
[Yahoo! News]

Twister

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Fire + Twister all rolled into one. Hope that doesn't travel far.

Ventura County firefighters look at a twister of flame from a wildfire, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2003, in Simi Valley, Calif. The fire has destroyed several homes and burned more than 45,000 acres. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
[Yahoo! News]

Where there's smoke


Top of Reseda, Sunday morning.

Simi Updates

Diane's back in the house. The hillside across the road burned, but the house is safe (though smokey).

Bob's neighborhood is now on voluntary evacuation. Don Sr., Don and Uncle Bob are there, just in case the fire gets too close and they have to save valuables.

Bob's heading home.

More Simi Valley Fire

Diane got a knock on her door at 4 am as was informed that a voluntary evacuation has started. She and the kids left and Randy is still there making sure the house stays out of danger.

Bob's on vacation and is coming back with Jacque and the kids. Flames are within a couple of miles of his house but I don't think there's been an evacuation of his neighborhood.

Simi Valley Fire

Southern California is burning. Currently, there are at least three major fires: San Bernardino/Rancho Cucamonga, Crestline and now Simi Valley.

I live 10 miles east of Simi Valley; it's just a valley away. Below is a series of pictures I took starting from my house and then heading west into Simi. I have two in-laws in Simi, so I took a drive out to make sure they were okay.



Simi from my driveway


From the top of Reseda


118 West, just over the hill into Simi


Going to Bob's house


Trail near Bob's house


Diane's house

October 9, 2003

We the People (of Caleefornia)

WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Declaration of Independence

October 6, 2003

Make that 1001

L.A. Times Faces Anger for Schwarzenegger Coverage
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Times has had about 1,000 readers cancel subscriptions and been "flooded" with angry letters, calls and e-mail protesting its coverage of Arnold Schwarzenegger (news)'s alleged sexual harassment of women, it reported on Sunday.
[Yahoo! News]

October 4, 2003

Popcorn and a movie

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Washed and ready for bed, Katherine and Vincent enjoy popcorn and a movie.

Frog eggs fall from the sky

Ever see Magnolia?
BERLIN, Conn. -- In a scene that sounds more biblical than plausible, masses of amphibian eggs rained down on Primo D'Agata's porch last month as the remnants of Hurricane Isabel moved through the state.
[Newsday]

Tiger Attacks Roy (Siegfried & Roy)

This seems like a told you so. Tigers are not meant to be domesticated:
LAS VEGAS - A trained tiger attacked magician Roy Horn of the duo Siegfried & Roy during a performance, biting his neck and dragging him off stage just feet from the audience. Horn's manager said Saturday the illusionist underwent surgery and was in critical condition.
[Washington Post]

That's My Boy

Katherine, Vince and I were watching the SC game today when Vince said it for the first time, clear as a bell.
Football
What can I say, he makes his daddy proud.

California Election

The California recall election is on Tuesday and I know who I'm voting for ... Arnold Schwarzenegger. I support him on the issues. He's pro-growth and pro-grope.

October 3, 2003

Maui

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We got back from 8 days in Maui on Sunday. What a trip. The weather was perfect -- the days were bright, the nights were clear. The stars were out, the sun was shining. Woke for sunrise, slept for sunset. We found an empty beach.

See more pictures in the photo gallery.

Incidentally, the above picture is real, though it may not look it. We were in a shaded cabana, so I used the flash. Plus I was lying down, so the horizon is not exactly horizontal.