De, mert vannak az utazásoknak "utórezgéseik", gondoltam azokat is megosztom veletek.

Szóval ilyen utórezgés, hogy tegnap az egyik helyi TV hírszerkesztői úgy gondolták, hogy a napi híradó néhány üresen maradt percét igazán betömhetnék egy velem készült beszélgetéssel, és így is tettek.

Az anyag itt tekinthető meg.

Her argument is a symptom of a new idea that has been foisted upon America by bleeding heart types in the past few years.  It is the notion that ‘intention creates legitimacy.’ 

Intent is way overrated in the first place.  A lawyer will use intent to get his client off.  Regardless of  the fact that guy was convicted of drinking and driving five times before, he did not intend to kill the family of four when he took the wheel this time.

Society has followed this faulty logic by legitimizing actions based on the intensions of those who took the actions.  Probably the best example of this is Global Warming (in general) and the attitude by its supporters of throwing any idea against the wall and seeing if it sticks before considering its ramifications or the possibility that it might actually be worse for the environment (see corn-based bio fuels).

Good intensions are not enough, and can, by themselves lead to disastrous results.  

Once a year we have this unfortunate story.  A charity picnic is organized with food and games.  During the ‘games’ portion of the event, someone decides to have a tug-o-war.  A couple of the guys on one team think it would be funny to just let go of the rope, and let the girl at the front hit the mud.  Everything is all fun and games until they let go, and the little girl behind them has her hands pulled off by the rope that is wrapped around them.  The two guys were just trying to put on a show for the audience, and they had good intentions, but unfortunately their actions left surgeons trying to put the little girl’s hands back on her body. 

Often people use children and charities to as a justification for their foolish ideas, as if something done ‘for the children’ or ‘for charity’ cannot be argued with.  These become a shield that they hide behind as in the case of El Camino High School.

I suggest that we stop allowing these excuses.  People need to think about the possible consequences of their actions, and if there is any reason that it might be a bad idea, we should come up with a better way of doing it.

Acá va el extracto del 3er video. La Experiencia

Bár nem sikerült (sem a neten, sem füzetben) naplót vezetnem, azért tervezem az élmények, úyvonalak összeírását. Talán valamikor meg is leszek vele...

Most pedig meló.

I am 22 years old, and 11 months ago I got on an airplane in Oslo, heading for the land of opportunities: USA. My destination: Fresno California. So far, this is what I have been up to:

1. Visiting Las Vegas

2. Getting settled in Fresno

3. I bought a car

4. I joined a fraternity. Me on the right.

5. I went to Santa Monica

6. and I got a mohawk. It lasted for 5 days.

7. I got to see the Space Needle in Seattle

8. I sat at home watching the Fresno State Bulldogs winning the College World Series in baseball!

9. I bought a Holga, enabling me to take cool pictures like this one of my friend Andrew.

[gallery]

In less than a month I am flying back to California, even more excited than the first time. Four weeks of sunny Californian vacation, a smoking hot mermaid, American sightseeing and greasy fast food awaits my arrival on the other side of the pond. I can't wait!

/j

Zuma Dogg has clearly done some major probe into this whole issue as you can see in his two page article at LA weekly.  In fact I would dare say he has done some down and dirty work on discovering the benefits that these developers get.  Thank you Zuma - it makes me the Aussie in the Silicon Valley burbs start to see developers differently.  I'd seen them as big bad guys but this makes them big bad guys looking for tax concessions while me has no way of avoiding Uncle Sam!  Darn it and I thought life was good!  I knew that there was money involved but I hadn't realized it was a two way street - I figured the cities were benefiting from this but appears, according to Zuma if you dig deeper you will find that the cities give developers big tax breaks.  Corporate America at its best.  No wonder we think of Britain and Australia as a country full of shop keepers and individuals and maybe that's why I get so peeved by 'corporate' agendas.

Zuma commented once here that he should 'franchise' his methods - yeh to that.  If Zuma is out there showing the little guys how to investigate and understand the big guy even more I'm all for that. 

A group of concerned Santa Clara citizens plan to sit down next week and start talking to those people who are showing interest in standing for local government.  That group is talking to either those planning to run again or those wishing to run - this group wants to understand peoples platforms before they actually go out there.  The group sees the need to let potential candidates be aware that there is ground swell in the community that is not happy with developers and lack of consideration for current residents.  Come on who can in their right mind build condominiums and shade neighboring homes 365 days of the year? I ask you who on planning or council can endorse that and say that they are representing their constituents?  Who in their right mind can ignores advice from CHP over where a road intersects with a development? Who in their right mind can justify a project of over 800 units just because we are now getting a bike path behind the  project? What city ignores the fact that a councilman has received fininacial benefits for his campaign and allows same councilman to vote on projects that the developers wants approved? I guess that would all be the Santa Clara City Council and it's planning department.  Nice one guys - common sense and reason rules the day.

 PS I think I'm going to change my tag line to Zuma Puppie.

When I hear the words "Grand Boulevard" I think of Paris or Madrid but not El Camino.  If you have been to Paris or Madrid or Berlin you know what a Grand Boulevard looks like.   Gorgeous trees, parks as medium strips in the middle of the Boulevard.  Fountains running day and night. Statues of Generals on Horses. Change of colors in the flower pots with different seasons.  Oh and Traffic .... traffic and more traffic.

I remember when McDonalds came to the Champs Ellesse, Parisians were outraged they refused to go in there. It was some what of an insult to a city that has brought the world Haute Courtier.   Anyway I should not be so snobby I think this is a great initiative and probably one that is needed. It's worth noting that Santa Clara City Council to date has not become involved - perhaps there is just too much work to do in our section of El Camino that they feel they can't do it yet - they have to fix potholes first.

Anyway take a look at this grand plan and be impressed and then perhaps ask Patricia Mahan why our city is not involved in this initiative.  This is an idea to bring people together and work as a team - imagine that Team Work? Working together creating something for the benefit of all people not just a chosen few!  I love it!  Great Job to the Joint Venture guys!

Nos vamos al Camino en septiembre, probablemente la tercera semana a hacer un tramito corto, lo típico, desde Sarriá o desde O'Cebreiro, tranquilitos, a pasarlo bien y a salir de aquí.

De momento vamos mi cuñado y compañía, algunos colegas suyos, y por otro lado, algún compañer@ del trabajo que tienen intención de venir (entre 10 y 15 personas). Esto evidentemente no es fijo. Iré poniendo una listita con los que definitivamente SÍ vamos al Camino entonces.

Esto lo digo para que lo tengáis más que en cuenta como recurso si no sabéis qué hacer en esas fechas y os apetece cambiar y tener una experiencia fantástica porque el Camino es eso, toda una experiencia. Poneros en contacto conmigo para que os vaya informando los que queráis saber más. Y nada, pasad buenas vacaciones, que duran poquísimo.

So what becomes of that old lot you might ask? I don't know, ask the planning department - apparently there is a developer who is looking at building .... you guessed it, more luxury condominiums and two stores. This is what is called mixed zoning. The best part about this deal is that the residents behind the proposed complex have been notified about the proposed new complex. Yeah - I guess that's because their homes are within a 1,000 feet of the project. So the residents quickly gatthered momentum and have a petition going and also seeking advice on how to address this issue.

Issue you might ask? What issue, after all we all want new housing and we all want El Camino cleaned up, don't we? So doesn't building "Luxury Condominiums" then address that issue? Sure, but when the residents behind the proposed development realized that thier yards are now to be in permanent shadow from the new buildings I think they have ISSUE.

Imagine a back yard with permanent shade? No sunshine - I guess that is okay if you live in fear of skin cancer. 

As I understand it this group has started their own blog and will be taking their concerns to planning and other 'interested' parties. I wonder if like Fairfield Residential, Marina Playa and Santa Clara Square they will have their opposition fall on deaf ears?

When residents ask questions of the planning department they department points their finger to city council and when city council is asked questions they point to the planning department. It has a 'who's on base' ring to it. Which leaves us with the question who is profiting from all this new proposed planning in Santa Clara?   So who is REALLY doing the Wheels and Deals in Santa Clara - or am I just a cynical white witch?

I would have thought that given the San Jose Mercury News has a complete section devoted to The Valley that it would be writing up more about what goes on in the 'burbs'.  From time to time there are snippets and from time to time there are articles but nothing regular and little or no follow up.

When the SJ Merc was going to drop The Valley section - my husband and I were devastated.  And indeed they did stop printing it for a few months and incorporated The Valley in the regular part of the paper.  Then I guess they had a realization that that was not working and they 're' introduced The Valley.  But in introducing it how little of it is actually what's going on in the valley vs what's going on in the tech industry.  I gladly read what is going on in the industry but I would love some more reports on what happens at council meetings, how residents feel about certain issues, the disappearance of some stores etc.

Perhaps reporters no longer stroll the beat but surf the net to find their reports.  I don't know... I have a friend who is a reporter in Texas she tells me that the newspapers typically have a city council reporter - if they do I haven't noticed city council meeting reports per say.  What I mean by that is I haven't read an article that starts like this "Last week at the XXXX city Council meeting I witnessed ...."

Or maybe we shouldn't focus on the reporter but the editor - he/she probably doesn't see the value in reporting what happens at city council meetings if there isn't a dog fight!  I went to one meeting where I witnessed a group of residents stand up en masse and show their support for something.  The way these residents were 'organized' was most impressive.  I think an article on showing the public how to address issues of concern would be beneficial and educational.  Isn't that the purpose of the press?  To educate and report?

Surely the press should be hanging out by the planning department or wining and dining supervisors to find out what is intended for small time America? 

In Santa Clara we have a small local rag (newspaper) - it's called the Santa Clara Weekly and I've yet to see them report anything on issues that have some residents up in arms like the proposed Fairfield Residential project on the 900 Kiely / Kaiser spot or the Marina Playa project.   Though I did note that on their website they have linked to Not with my money & Santa Clara Plays Fair.

What if San Jose Mercury News reporters or Santa Clara Valley were to interview your average Joe or Jane and ask them how they they thought about issues that will in time affect them.

How about asking about:

Are you concerned about the increase in traffic on Lawrence & El Camino?

Are you aware that there is to be more housing in this general area?

How do you feel about big business / developers paying for things the city seems to have no money for?

What do you think of the types of stores that proliferate El Camino in Santa Clara?

Do you shop in Santa Clara and if so where?

Do you work in Santa Clara?

you know just normal average day questions that average day people might answer - not questions that think tanks or PR companies direct us towards. Who cares really what the News paper headline is going to say in 2040 or 2034 or 2030 - I care about what it says now and it seems that the press really doesn't care about us now so why the heck does a PR company think they are going to care about us in 2035? pleeeezzzeeee

Perhaps the Santa Clara Weekly could go out and interview Mr & Mrs Joe Average like the Mountain View weekly does - now there is a paper that seems to be objective.  Isn't that what papers are supposed to be objective reporting the facts from all sides - no biase?  hmmm

Ulok a Monte de Gozo beli kavezoban, es azon gondolkodom, hogy jovo heten ilyenkor mar Frankfurtban, vagy epp a Kolozsvar fele repulo gepen csucsulok majd. Ilyen ez.

Ma mindenki borotvalkozik. Engem is megkornyezett a gondolat, hogy talan tenyleg kellene, de inkabb megvarom vele Finisterret. Szamomra Santiago is csak egy allomas, az utolso mielott tovabb indulnek... ugyanilyen utolso volt Burgos, Leon, vagy epp az alig 20 lakosu San Juan de Ortega. Remelem Finisterre is ilyen lesz.

Nagyan hamar mogottem maradt ez az utolso 300. Holnap rovidnap, aztan egy ujabb 120, ami talan hoz egy kis valtozast. Kivancsi vagyok a Fold Vegere, es foleg az azt koveto allomasra.
Szoval: Holnap Santiago, szerdan Finisterre, aztan Muxia... aztan... aztan. Ilyen ez.

They all hugged - how Californian is that? Should I be so rude to say: Pass me a bucket! 

It's about time these people of 'influence' and so called 'power' sat down and realized that the locals aren't happy with what is going on and we do notice things.

I think what is interesting is that less than 10 residents were there to be a part of this - is this yet another case of 'secret meetings' ?  It seems to me that city councils like to have meetings in camera i.e. behind closed doors.  They want us to live in their city but they don't want to tell us what they are up to maybe because they know we might leave if we knew the truth.  Then they turn on each other with childish attitudes in defence of what the other city has supposedly done to them i.e. the right turn lane forcing traffic back to Santa Clara

I see Ms Mahan wants to include San Jose in the talks - wow Patricia how big of you!  Why didn't you guys do it to start with?  Worried they might have some more pull than you Patti?  Hey your average reporter out their may not recognize the political ploy you just pulled but ... your average local yocal does. 

Personally I think the city officials and staff should sit down with the big developers and call a truce and start working out a plan to improve the areas that truly need improving and then start building new areas and cleaning up old areas.

Perhaps we could have a bit more "mateship" and a little less American "me" provided we don't take on the tall "poppy syndrome", she'll be right mate!

I think I'd sit down with some landscapers and see what we could do about greening El Camino - so it is more in line with Mountain View and Sunnyvale.  Perhaps the trees that sit on the 900 Kiely Site where the old Kaiser hospital was could be moved to selective locations along El Camino.  After all common sense tells you that Fairfield Residential is going to "conveniently" 'loose' most of those established pines!  We all know that trees have a habit of 'disappearing' when developers take over a lot - even though they make big commitments to 'keep' or 'move them'  hmmm.   I'm not a genius but my gut tells me it's more wishful thinking on a developers side vs reality. New York City Cracks down on Slumlords

Then all the stores on El Camino that require painting be issued with a selection of different paints - actually be issued with the paint not the money but the paint, rollers, brushes, tarps, tape etc and the city sets a clean up store front month.  Imagine a community painting month - much like the community Spring Clean up.  Perhaps we could have this month after the Spring Clean up period.  

Of course this would happen after the building inspectors have done their due diligence and checked all the properties that look like they need inspections and to be up to code!  Imagine that - just humor me this is my dream.  But imagine if we had inspectors check that signs were approved as per building code, and that properties have fire alarm inspections by a person of authority - not just the owner!  And what about cleaning store fronts and back areas.  Or perhaps maybe all this is done and I'm just not aware of it - but it seems to me that it should be done more often!  Quarterly for the next two years till owners and tenants get into a routine and develop some pride of their store fronts.  You may find this article interesting about how NY city council introduced regulations to clamp down on slum lords

Now humor me on the signage along El Camino - perhaps we could have a change in policy and we don't advertise '24 hour book stores' or 'tattoo store' or ''24 hour video stores' or 'liquor stores' - heck someone took on the tabacco companies and Joe Cool is no longer to advertise.  Or the sign be no bigger than 20x30 inches!  Let's face it those that frequent those stores already know where they are and with the internet it's possible to find anything if you really want it.  So why the need for the urban blight?  I ask you is it necessary - what are we advertising here in Santa Clara?  We know how to tattoo you while you drink liquor flip through magazines that show not much but skin or watch a movie that demeans women and stay in a hotel that the police regular drive by in the evening to see who is frequenting it! Charming!

Speaking of hotels and motels it's sad to have to tell prospective visitors that they really should not consider one of the more well known motels along the SC El Camino Strip - and as one of my friends said to me last Thanksgiving: "that explains why the reviews on line were very negative". 

Don't get me wrong I'm all for helping and assisting those that need accommodation when they are in bad times. However, sticking them in a hotel that you know is frequented by people of interest to the local police is not nice!  Surely those people who are looking for low income housing assistance deserve better.  How low do we have to go?

Am I the only one that notices how little planning has gone into our section of El Camino? sigh....

Well I think I should be given a gas allowance by the city because I tend to have to go out of the city to buy my food.  When the Safeway on Homestead and Kiely introduced 'mood' lighting I knew we were not going to shop there anymore!  I'd rather go to 7/11 on Kiely where the teenagers all look like they are hanging out to meet or make a connection!

My gas allowance would allow me to go to Trader Joe's or Whole paycheck or perhaps the Safeway in Rivermark - but at that safeway it's really a case of 'spot the parking spot'.  Boy there was some deep planning in that puppy when it came to parking!  Good one planning commission - make sure the customer waits for his/her parking spot and wasting more gas when you go to the Rivermark Safeway!  Perhaps they thought people would walk to the store at Rivermark.

I'm afraid walking to a store is not an American tradition.  That, for me, was culture shock when I first came here.  I have lived all over the world and mostly in the US have I had the need to drive to a supermarket and stock up.  I hear Australia is soon to have it's first Costco - unlike Americans, Australians use their garages for parking their cars - I wonder how Costco will survive!

Speaking of Costco I do go to the SC Costco - that I might say has had some planning but I'm sure that's more Costco's experience in how to build vs the planning departments experience!  Good one Costco you win on the parking space award!  I can always park at Costco - unfortunately with the price of gas the line there is somewhat longer than normal and causing some inconvenience to shoppers, Costco is not to blame for that though. 

I've often wondered why we have so many Korean supermarkets in Santa Clara given I've only met two Koreans who actually live in Santa Clara - a lot of the ones I've met that own business don't actually live in Santa Clara they just work here. 

I have a dream that the current book stores on El Camino in Santa Clara actually become Barnes and Noble or imagine a Keplers!  Oh now that's a little piece of Heaven vs the urban blight that resides there now.  How is it something like Keplers that offers knowledge and wisdom has a hard time staying in business when a store that looks like it only sells picture books looks like it's been on El Camino for 50 years?

And how is that a lot of those questionable stores on El Camino look like that they wouldn't pass a building inspection?  Or don't they do building inspections after a store opens in this country?  hmmm maybe they don't I don't know - but aren't there fire codes and health regulations that are enforced?  I guess not otherwise some of those places along El Camino would have been cleaned up by now.

Rick asked why don't I get involved - well unlike some of the Rich Santa Clara families that run ourcity I have to work for my crust and help raise a family and work towards having them be upstanding citizens - so I hope in time it is them that I can pass the torch to.  I've done my bit in politics and made a difference and I'm just watching and observing the lack of passion many Americans have for their communities.  I wonder if it comes down to the fact that voting here is not compulsory.  Imagine compulsory voting?  With compulsory voting you need to take an interest in your politics be it local or national - it's all about your vote.

Once I became a citizen I felt I now had the right to speak out.  And so I do ... here and with my vote come election day.

Tegnap a vilagvege kozeli hangulat utan (chat J-vel, kisebb boges a vegen) visszatertem az albergue-be es miutan a spanyol Sergio-t bekoltoztettek a noi szobaba egybol lecsaptam ra, hogy nem-e csatlakozhatnek hozza masnap.

Azert lett Leon a cel, mert gondoltam, hogy, ha mar ugyis atballagok rajta, akkor raszanom a napot es megtekintem a hiressegeit, de ugy nez ki csak a szallast tekintem meg es 1-2 boltot, hogy kajat szerezzek. Nem vallalom be a varosi gyaloglast, igy majd megkeresem a neten amit erdemes lett volna megneznem. A terdeim viszont ezt is hatarozottan ertekelik. A nehany ora plusz pihenes mar sokkal elviselhetobbe tette oket.

Leonban a kissebbik szallashelyet tamadtam meg, es teljesen elegedett vagyok vele. 8 agyas szobak (vagyis 4 emeletes agy), ingyen internet, hideg/meleg viz, csak epp konyhajuk nincsen, pedig az jo lenne.

Az egyik legjobb dontest a cipovasarlaskor hoztam. Ngabor kozvetlen (vagy kozvetett) ajanlasara egy Meind, rovid szaru turacipot szereztem be (Pontosabban Meindl Magna Pro). Eszmeletlenul birja a strapat es hihetetlenul kenyelmes, valamint vizallo. Egyetlen hatranya, hogy viszonylag sulyos, es ha valahogyan megtelik vizzel akkor nehezen szarad.

Es, hogy miert ajanlom jo szivvel mindenkinek: Masodik napon, ebben a cipoben tettem meg az Orrison - Zubiri (39-40 km hosszu utvonalat). Mivel az elso 10-15 km-en erosen esett, illetve nehanyszor majd' terdig sulyedtem egy ket pocsolyaban, a cipo szaraba rengeteg viz folyt es teljesen ataztatta. A hatralevo 25-30 km-t vizes cipoben es zokniban tettem meg, ami koztudottan nagyban hozzajarul a vizholyagok kialakulasahoz. A ciponek es zokninak hala (bridgedale turazokni) a kb. 10 oranyi, sziklas, saros terepi gyaloglas utan sem volt egyetlen vizholyag vagy horzsolas a labamon. Azota sincs.

A kovetkezo igen hasznos es kenyelmes holmi ugyancsak labbeli, megpedig a szandalom. Egy Teva Terra-Fi, amivel a masodik nap utan kb. 3-4 napig talpaltam hegyen-volgyon, sziklan es hegyi patakokon keresztul (ugyanis a cipomet nem sikerult kiszaritanom). Nem hegymaszasra valo, de valamivel melegebb idoben (szerintem) csak a szandallal is vegig lehet csinalni a Francia utat.

A sorban a harmadik a kis svajci bicskam. Na keram, az mar dofi... vagyis vagja. Meg az ujjamat is sikerult ketebe szelnem vele. Eles kis szerszam es minden van rajta ami fontos. Foleg dugohuzo.

A halozsakom (atta) es a hatizsakom (Escalade - Cameleon) voltak a felszerelesem kritikusnak tartott pontjai. Mindketto viszonylag regi, es nem kifejezetten az El Caminora valo. Szerencsere, bar mindketto nehezebb kicsivel a kelletenel, egyikre sem panaszkodhatom. A folyton hideg ido miatt a halozsak nagyon jo szolgalatot tesz (elvileg -12 C fokig meg nem hagyna megfagyni), a hatizsak meg teszi a dolgat. Nem kiemelkedo, de a celnak tokeletesen megfelel.

A poncsoban (ez is atta) csalodtam kicsit, mert viszonylag hamar beazik. Akinek van ra ideje, tenyleg erdemes beallni a zuhany ala a vizallo cuccokban, es tesztelni, hogy mennyit birnak. Ennek ellenere mindenkepp poncsot erdemes hozni, es hamar ki lehet bogozni, hogy mikent is lehet egyedul felolteni ugy, hogy a hatizsakot is fedje.

A torolkozo az abszolut bakloves. Nem szivja a vizet rendesen, es meg lassan is szarad. Erre nagyon figyeljetek oda.

To know the way,
We go the way;
We do the way
The way we do
The things we do.
It is all there in front of you,
But if you try hard to see it,
You'll only become confused.

I am me,
And you are you,
As you can see;
But when you do
The things that you can do,
You will find the way,
And the way will follow you.

maj. 30: SJPP - Orrison (8 km)
maj. 31: Orrison - Zubiri (39 km)
juni. 1: Zubiri - Trinidad de Arre (18 km)
juni. 2: Trinidad de Arre - Pamplona (4 km)
juni. 3: Pamplona - Uterga (17 km)
juni. 4: Uterga - Estella (28 km)
juni. 5: Estella - Los Acros (22 km)
juni. 6: Los Acros - Logroño (28 km)
juni. 7: Logroño - Najera (29 km)
juni. 8: Najera - Santo Domingo de la Calzada (21 km)
juni. 9: St. Dom. de la C. - Belorado (22 km)
juni. 10: Belorado - San Juan de Ortega (24 km)
juni. 11: S. J. de Ortega - Burgos (28 km)
juni. 12: Burgos - Hotanas (31 km)
juni. 13: Hontanas - Fromista (35 km)
juni. 14: Fromista - Carrion de los Condes (20 km)
juni. 15: C. de los C. - Terradillos de Templaros (26 km)