« September 2006 | Main | November 2006 »
October 31, 2006
The Full Story of the Fire, With Pictures
Here it is, the tale of the tragedy:
If you read the article on the post below, you'll know that the place I was living at was a rather nutty place. Owned by an old hippy, Tom, it had been a bar once upon a time, then a hostel, and then just his residence through which random people filtered. I was one of those last people, and I was there to see it all burn down.
I'd gotten home the night before at about 1:00AM and hit the sack. At about 8ish the next morning I hear a garbled, "Oh God! Oh God! Help! Fire!!" and some stomping about. I bolted out of bed and put on my glasses, pants and shoes (no socks). I figured it was a small fire and I was going to have to run in there and help bucket some water onto it. I ran to my door, opened it, and was greeted by a blast of black smoke pouring into my room. I slammed my door shut, realizing suddenly the seriousness of the situation. I grabbed my wallet, cell phone and what I thought were my car keys, from where I usually place them. Tom had ran out the front door (getting slightly burned in the process) and was repeating "Oh God, oh god! Get out, get out!" from across the street. The smoke was blurring my vision and making me cough, but I grabbed my laptop and sort of dropped it out my (first floor) window. Then I tossed my bag of clothes out and started to pull the cords out of my desktop computer. I was doing this, quite frantically, on the window sill and noticed for a moment how much easier it was to see and breath with my head out the window. That's when I looked to my left and saw flames coming out of the front door and living room windows. My room shared a wall with the living room, so this was essentially right next to me. That's when I decided, fuck the computer, I better get the fuck out of here!!
I basically tossed the computer out the window (I think it pretty much broke on impact, but I never really found out) then jumped out myself. It was about a five foot drop but I can't even remember landing, I just ran. The living room windows were shattering from the heat and this loud hissing sound was coming from the fire. I got across the street and looked back. Flame was pouring out the living room windows and the front door and smoke was billowing out of my room. I ran back up to see if I could salvage any of my things, but I couldn't get very close it was so hot. I was scared the walls might fall on me, and then it also occurred to me that I knew there were a couple propane tanks in the house that we used for hot water, and they'd probably be exploding before too long. So I turned back around and ran across the street. The firefights will get here soon I figured.
But I couldn't even hear any sirens. Then I thought about my car. It was parked in the back of the house. I dug into my pocket for my keys but found only my cell phone charger which I'd stuff into my pants by mistake. There was no way I was going back in my room to look for my keys so I just sprinted around the back of the house to see if I could move it.
When I got back there, the backside of the house was already on fire right next to my car and I could feel the heat from 20 feet away. My hood was already starting to smoke a little. I jumped in the driver's side door and it was actually cool inside the car, which idiotically I found relieving. Then I tried to put it in neutral, but without the keys, it's locked in park. There's a shift lock over-ride but that wouldn't work either because that's only for when you don't have the car going but you still have the keys in. I pulled fucking hard on that shifter but it wouldn't budge. Then I noticed quite a lot of flame on the side of the house next to the car and I realized it was probably pretty stupid to be where I was. So I jumped out and ran away from the heat yelling my loudest, angriest, most frustrated "FUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I knew I was about to lose all my possessions... and that makes you want to say fuck very loud and very angrily. So I went ahead and yelled fucked a dozen or so more times as I watched my car start to really smoke.
I went back to the street across from the front of the house and now my room was completely engulfed in flames. Saying fuck seemed to lose some of it's impact and I just stared, slightly marveling at the sight of a house burning down, which if you've never seen (and I'd only seen once before) is a pretty amazing sight.
Finally the firefighters arrived. I begged them to start in the back and try to save my car, but they took their sweet time it seemed like. They knew the house was gonzo by this point and just casually set up for simple containment.
So I sat there across the street with my two other housemates (who'd gotten out safely but also with almost none of their belongings) and we watched the place burn down and the firefighters soak its charred remains. We did hear a couple explosions that we figured were the propane tanks, but there was very little entertainment in that.
So I lost about everything I own, except my wallet, cellphone, one pare of pants, my shoes, and a shirt. Luckily my surfboards were at Ry's, most of my photos at my Mom's house and my writing almost entirely backed-up on the internet. And no I don't have renter's insurance, or the comprehensive insurance required to cover fire for my car.
Ironically I have a place to live, because I was planning on moving out and had a place lined up for Nov. 1st... one more week was all.
Here are some pictures I took the next day with Ry's camera:
Yeah, we had a pool, it was quite nice.
That's the living room from the back of the house, that stove in the middle left is supposedly what caused it.
My fucking car.
Inside where once was a nice leather interior.
And my room.
Posted by Nick at 08:03 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 26, 2006
My House Burns Down
This morning at about 8:30 I was awoken by my housemate/landlord screaming about fire. Sure enough. I jumped out the window. Now the place is gone and all my stuff is burned up. Here's the article:
Santa Cruz Sentinel (they took down yesterday's story and put up a new one without the picture)
Yes, that's me in the photo. I'll write more later.
Posted by Nick at 02:12 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 25, 2006
The Economics of Going Green
For small- and medium-sized British companies, it could mean $55 billion worth of business opportunities over the coming decade, according to a new report commissioned by oil giant Shell UK. And globally, the market could be worth $1 trillion over the next five years.
The Christian Science Monitor via Yahoo! News
Posted by Nick at 11:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 24, 2006
Graphical Representation of Pi
Interesting. Each dot repesents a digit. Looks truly random and nonrepeating.
Posted by Nick at 11:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 20, 2006
Doonesbury on Fearing "Fear Itself"
Truly brilliant Doonesbury this week, starting last sunday and going foward through the week.
To quote FDR's first inaugural address, March 4th, 1933:
This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself —nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.
Posted by Nick at 01:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Keith Olbermann on the Military Commissions Act
Sharp and astute commentary and background. (Youtube)
(previous posts on Military Commisions Act)
Posted by Nick at 01:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
How YouTube and Home Video Editing is Affecting Sports
Fun Slate article, with lots of video links, about homemade fan sports clips. Loved the Barry Sanders one, but I think this one show's his moves even better. And make sure to watch the Ronaldinho vs. Zidane. Sick.
(and can I repost my two lists of personally compiled youtube musical goodness?)
Posted by Nick at 12:45 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Scientists Produce First Working Cloaking Device
Though right now it only cloaks from microwaves. Visible light is next they say.
Posted by Nick at 11:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Iceland to Resume Commercial Whaling
Luckily they're already getting some shit for it.
Posted by Nick at 11:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 19, 2006
Tokyo Ticket Machines Powered by Footsteps
With micro generators in the floor beneath the machines. Brilliant!
(via boing)
Posted by Nick at 10:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Ocean Dead Zones Increasing Rapidly
The number of "dead zones" in the world's oceans may have increased by a third in just two years, threatening fish stocks and the people who depend on them, the U.N. Environment Program said on Thursday.
Posted by Nick at 10:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Immigrant GOP Canidate Warns Other Immigrants not to Vote
Or they'll go to jail. Pretty lame. AP via Yahoo! News (update)
Posted by Nick at 10:28 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 18, 2006
The Ignorance in our Government
Can You Tell a Sunni From a Shiite? - New York Times
(thanks ben!)
Posted by Nick at 10:56 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 17, 2006
Google Adding Solar Panels to Headquarters
The Internet search leader announced what is believed to be the largest solar project undertaken by a U.S. company during a solar energy conference in Silicon Valley on Monday.
Posted by Nick at 09:49 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 15, 2006
The Links Between Food Contamination and Industrial Farming
The lethal strain of E. coli known as 0157:H7, responsible for this latest outbreak of food poisoning, was unknown before 1982; it is believed to have evolved in the gut of feedlot cattle. These are animals that stand around in their manure all day long, eating a diet of grain that happens to turn a cow’s rumen into an ideal habitat for E. coli 0157:H7. (The bug can’t survive long in cattle living on grass.)
The Vegetable-Industrial Complex - New York Times
Posted by Nick at 03:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
For First Time, Unmarried Households Reign in US
"Change is in the air," Besharov said in a recent interview with the State Department journal called US Society and Values. "The only question is whether it is catastrophic or just evolutionary."
Posted by Nick at 02:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Manipulation of a Model
A short film from Dove, showing the freakish manipulation of person into ad.
(via boing)
Posted by Nick at 11:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
While My Ukulele Gently Weeps
Sick clip of rocking ukulele version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
(thanks Eli!)
Posted by Nick at 10:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 13, 2006
One More Reason to Be Nice To Each Other
An Emerging Biology of Emotional Healing - New York Times
Posted by Nick at 02:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 12, 2006
Superlative Interactive Digital Whiteboard
Awsomely futuristic yet usable computerized whiteboard demonstration, from MIT.
(via DKB)
Posted by Nick at 01:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
New Analogies for Quantum Mechanics
Why Quantum Mechanics Is Not So Weird After All is a pretty interesting article with some approaches to quantum theory I had not heard about before. This one alone was quite fascinating:
Quantum mechanics gives answers that are a set of probabilities all existing at the same time. As Schrödinger pointed out, quantum mechanics seems to say that you could create a situation where a cat was both alive and dead at the same time, and we never see this....[yet] we already have a very good nontechnical word for a mixture of possibilities coexisting at the same time -we call it the future.
Posted by Nick at 12:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 11, 2006
The Return of the Coming Apocalypse
Why Everyone Has Apocalypse Fever -- New York Magazine
Well written riff on the current end-of-the-world talk. I especially like the last paragraph.
Posted by Nick at 04:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Crunchgear Mods
Nate just sent me these two links:
The X-Box 360 Case Mod Microsoft Would Rather You Not See
and freakish Rat Throwie
Posted by Nick at 03:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Geekiest South Park Ever
YouTube - South Park 1008. Make love, not Warcraft
Posted by Nick at 01:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 09, 2006
Limbo Game Trailer
Teaser trailer for this game Limbo looks pretty amazing.
Posted by Nick at 01:36 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 04, 2006
Kerouac's On the Road Journey Overlayed on Google Maps
Posted by Nick at 12:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 03, 2006
Imperial History of the Middle East
A flash map showing the history of middle eastern rule in 90 seconds.
Posted by Nick at 10:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
NYT Articles Ben Has Recently Recommended to Me
On Self - excerpts from Susan Sontags early journals
Roger Federer as Religious Experience - by David Foster Wallace
9 Lives and Counting: Cat Power Sobers Up
Iran Who? Venezuela Takes the Lead in a Battle of Anti-U.S. Sound Bites
and
A Chip That Can Transfer Data Using Laser Light - because TSIN (The Singularity Is Near)
Posted by Nick at 03:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
More on the Military Commissions Act
Boing Boing has some coverage of different reactions and interpretations. Just as with the Patriot Act, this bill seems rushed-through and intentionally obfuscating, so as to keep us, the citizens, uninformed as to its true power and intent.
From what little I've been reading though it seems tremendously frightening and unethical. (But anything in the name of security, right DK?)
It's amazing how one act of terrorism can bring about wars, state-sanctioned torture, unlawful imprisionments, general restrictions on freedom, and basically a reversal of decades of liberalism and ethical ideals. Welcome to the history of humanity.
Posted by Nick at 11:38 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
October 02, 2006
Graphic of all Cyclones World Wide from '85 to '05
Cool. (link fixed to wiki page, but the link from there to the fullsize pic is still broken)
Posted by Nick at 07:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
A Pictorial History of Graphical User Interfaces on PCs
(thanks Nate!)
Posted by Nick at 04:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Evolutionary Algorithms and Postal Routes
(thanks Nate!)
Posted by Nick at 03:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 01, 2006
Military Commissions Act Compared to Japanese Internment
By the Nation. Seems to ring true.
(wikipedia entry on this new torture-condoning bill)
(plus: a scathing NYT opinion piece about it; a must read really)
Posted by Nick at 06:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Humorous Interview With Starbucks-Obsessed Geek
Attempting to visit every Starbucks location and drink one cup of coffee.
(via boing)
Posted by Nick at 01:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Indian PM Cites Gandhi as Model for World Order
Reuters via Yahoo! News
Only in our dreams.
Posted by Nick at 12:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack