Just the other night I was channel surfing when I came across a show about renewable energy sources on the History Channel. As I watched the show I was reminded of an excellent profile of Amory Lovins I recently read in the January 22 issue of the New Yorker (Mr. Green: Environmentalism’s most optimistic guru by Elizabeth Kolbert). The television program and the print article stirred my imagination about sustainable living and how we-the human race-could easily reduce the impact of our existence on mother Earth. You know, reduce mankind’s debatable bearing on global climate change (aka: global warming*). The more I thought about it, the more I wondered, where are all the hybrid houses?
In his recent state of the union address president Bush called for United States of Americans to reduce their petroleum use by 20% over the next 10 years. Bravo Mr. president. It is true, alternative energy IS homeland security. The state of California is leading the way having already passed legislation to decrease carbon dioxide production and provide incentives (as if preventing the extinction of homo sapiens from the Universe was not incentive enough) to businesses and individuals who make an effort to diminish fossil fuel consumption. I am pleased to report there are over 75000 hybrid vehicles registered in the state of California. Almost every one of the vehicles has DMV issued stickers that allow the operator to utilize carpool lanes with only one passenger. When I drive on the highways and byways of the Golden State’s impressive transportation infrastructure I am delighted with the number of hybrid vehicles I see on the road. Of course, when I consider the total number of vehicles registered in the state of California (tens of millions) I am disgusted with the ratio of gas-guzzler-to-hybrid vehicles out there. Hybrid vehicles, carpooling, efficient public transportation, alternative transportation (bicycle, kayak, rollerblades, etc.), there are many transportation options for people to reduce their consumption of petroleum and thus moderate their carbon emissions. But I digress. What about our homes? Can we not make our homes more efficient?
Over the last 10 years there has been a housing “boom” in the United States of America-although, you would not have guessed it considering the estimated 3.5 million (1% total population) homeless people in the country. Nearly all those track-housing developments have gone up with little or no thought of creating an environmentally sustainable dwelling. Why not? The technologies already exist. Sure, the green option may be more expensive than the alternative, but in a long-term investment such as a home, the continued savings will eventually offset the additional expense. What kind of technology am I writing about? There are many options available that range from simple to complex. Most of the technologies can be applied to modifying your current abode into a green residence while $aving you money. It could be as simple as replacing your regular old incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. If you need to replace or redo your electrical wiring, have the contractor install copper wire that is 4x thicker than code (it will be more expensive). Lots of electricity is lost when the inefficient code specified copper wire diameter is used. For colder habitats, installing double paned windows lined with a polyester film that allows visible light to pass in but prevents thermal radiation from escaping. Solar technology is not just for heating your water. Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells can convert energy from the sun into electricity. PV systems can generate more than enough electricity to power the average home (even on a cloudy day!) and incentive programs for installation often include the option to sell excess electricity back to the grid. These systems usually pay for themselves in 8-10 years. Geothermal heating/cooling systems are a great way to reduce dependence on the furnace in the winter and the air conditioner in the summer. These are simple geo-exchange systems that pump thermal energy in or out (depending on season) of your home. The most common is a closed loop system that pumps a mixture of water and non-toxic antifreeze through a series of sealed pipes buried approximately six feet under ground where the earths temperature remains constant. Brilliant!
All of the technologies I have eluded to thus far can be employed in existing homes and should be standard on newly constructed homes. But wait, there is more! For new housing developments communities should demand that homes be constructed according to the most simple of all technologies: directional positioning of structures. Building homes facing south (in the Northern hemisphere) exposes the building to more of the suns energy during the winter months allowing for more natural lighting and heating. In the summer months the same home would have reduced exposure to the hot summer rays of the sun and thus be easier to keep cool. Natives of North America have used this type of technology for thousands of years^. D’oh! Think of it as the new green Feng Shui. And now I ask you, where are the hybrid houses?
NOTES:
* I hate the term “global warming” because it provides ammunition to ignorant fools who deny the reality of the phenomenon of global climate change. If there are record low temperatures these jackasses of dim wit are quick to quip, “Must be global warming causing all these record cold spells. Ha! Ha! Ha!” I recognize the irony and I get no satisfaction from it.
^ Unfortunately, like most native knowledge it has been ignored by the civilized cultures of the old world.
On December 2nd I found myself back in Berkeley for the conclusion of Cal’s once promising, and now disappointing, American football season. Despite the recent poor performance of the home team there was a buzz in the air of optimism. It was to be the 109th installment of the Big Game^. Optimism had returned to the home fans for several reasons: it was a home game, stanfUrd had only managed to win one of its previous 11 games, and it was senior day- the last time graduating members of the team would play before the home crowd. I did not share the optimism; it all seemed to me to be the perfect combination for yet another Big Game upset.
Despite my pessimism about the Big Game, I was up early and at the Bear’s Lair (campus pub) bright and bleary-eyed for pre-game day festivities (alcohol consumption). I can honestly say, there is nothing quite like a quart of beer for breakfast at 0900 on a crisp Berkeley morning. At 10am I left the comforts and beer of the Lair to join some friends up at Memorial stadium for the “march to victory” (basically, to show their support for the team, fans line the path the coaches and players walk to enter the stadium, wishing them good luck). I had never attended one of these happenings-it cuts into precious beer consumption time, and believe you me, you need all the pre-game boozing time you can get if you are a Cal fan. The scene was a little too much rah, rah, Rah! For my liking but, to each his own. On my way up to the “march” I walked near the West side of Memorial stadium where some members of the local community had rallied in protest to the proposed stadium upgrades and retrofit.
For those of you who are aware of the stadium upgrade project you may want to skip ahead to the next paragraph; for the unaware I will provide a brief explanation. Memorial stadium in Strawberry Canyon on the University of California at Berkeley campus was built at the turn of the 20th century. The stadium has not had a facelift in over 50 years and the facilities, as you can imagine, are in desperate need of remodeling. Coincidentally the stadium was built on the Hayward fault line. If a major earthquake were to strike (extremely probable) the structure is likely to collapse. That could mean a nasty end to the lives of over 100 faculty and staff who have offices in the stadium. And, if the earthquake-it is not a question of if the quake will strike it is a question of when-should happen during a sold out home game at least 30000 lives would be put in immediate danger. Basically, it is a catastrophe waiting to happen, and this alone should be cause for the immediate commencement of a retrofit/upgrade. But wait, there is more, Coach Jeff Tedford, a.k.a. the all knowing all seeing leader of the California Golden Bears football program, took the job at Cal and promised to return the program to prominence. Coach Tedford had one major stipulation added to his coaching contract: the University had to agree to upgrade the stadium to allow the coach to be competitive in his recruitment of athletes or he would leave for greener pastures. Coach Tedford has since delivered on his end of the bargain leading the team to 5 consecutive winning seasons (as opposed to one in the previous 10) and bringing record crowds into Memorial stadium thus generating millions of dollars for the University. Not to mention the immeasurable impact on the local economy that an extra 30000 people 7 Saturdays a year must create. Keeping Jeff Tedford around is good for Cal football, good for the University of California at Berkeley, and good for the city of Berkeley. Yet, five years into his contract, coach Tedofrd has yet to see the ground broken on upgrades to Memorial stadium. Why? Well there are many reasons. First, the University of California is a public university funded by the government. The bureaucratic red tape for a project of this magnitude is recockulous. Second, the University is located in one of the most liberal cities in the world adding even more red tape to the project. For their part, the University board of regents has worked with the athletic department at Cal to provide the necessary approvals of proposed renovations and has even agreed to pony up for some of the expense (although the vast majority of funding for the project has been provided to the athletic department through the generous contributions of alumni and private citizens). The athletic department thoroughly researched the project and ultimately finalized plans to upgrade and retrofit the stadium and expand the facilities with an addition on the West side of the existing structure. Yeah! The plans were reviewed and begrudgingly approved by the city, the board of regents and the state of California (law requires a construction project of this scope provide environmental impact studies). Long story short-too late I know-it finally appeared that everything was set and Memorial stadium would finally be renovated, the work was scheduled to commence following the final home game of 2006, the Big Game. Hold on a minute! Along come some tree-hugging do-gooders from the local community who are opposed to the project because old growth oak trees on the stadium’s Western flank would have to be cut down. What the F@#K?!?! Where were these people when the athletic department was holding open-to-the-public planning meetings? Ugh!
The protesters had invaded the grove of trees the night before and several of them had taken up residence in the admittedly beautiful oaks. I figure fine, make your point that you are going to miss the trees, so am I, and move on. But no, these folks are in it for the long haul (hence the sleeping bags and tree perches). Never mind that most of the trees are already dead or that the University is going to plant three trees on campus for every tree that is removed (per the environmental study agreement). That is not enough for these people, their point being, these are old growth oaks and new trees will not be old growth. And all I can think is “Why I oughta (fist clinched and waved above my head Homer stylie).” Anywho, as we walked briskly towards the “march” two of the protesters asked us, me and my mates, to “help save the oaks”. However as we were (and remain) inclined to believe the proposed addition was, on the whole-not without considering the amazing beauty and spirituality of the old growth oaks-to the benefit of the football program, the University and the city we politely moved on without engaging the protesters. One of them muttered an insult in our general direction about us being militant football automatons, suggesting that we had no heart and no appreciation for the oak trees and god’s green earth. My friend Ryan, and the rest of our party, took exception to this uncalled for and slanderous accusation. A not so intense discussion ensued in which the indoctrinated tree huggers claimed that the lives of the old growth trees were more important than football. As my friend Brett Lovick would say, “standard”. I agreed with the do-gooders, the old growth oaks are far more important than football but that was not the main issue here. To me, the most important reason to build the proposed addition, and therefore cut down the oaks, is because human lives are in danger. Hundreds of people will be relocated to the new earthquake safe (as “earthquake safe” as any manmade structure not made by the Inca’s can be) building thus removing them from a potentially-and literally-crushing death. For me, that is end of discussion. Human lives are more important than old growth oak trees, period. Of course these unrealistic nutters believed the addition could be located elsewhere on campus. Where? They never could specify as space on campus is already at a premium and any other potential sight likely has trees growing on it. It was enough to piss off the pope. Needless to say, it is January 23, 2007 as I type up this account and the trees and their huggers are still standing on the West side of the stadium. Boo!
Sorry about that huge digression but I just had to get it out there. You must be wondering, how did the game turn out? Well, Cal managed to secure a sloppy 26-17 victory against a game stanfUrd side. A much closer result than the home fans were anticipating, myself excluded. A stanfUrd touchdown that should have been disallowed because of an obvious, albeit athletic and impressive, offensive pass interference play was instead allowed to stand. The final score did not change the fact that Cal had won their fifth consecutive Big Game and retained “the axe” (the trophy awarded to the winning team) for another year. The victory sent the senior class out with a win in their final home game and concluded another winning, if a bit disappointing, season. Well, sort of. Cal had already been offered-and accepted-a bid to play in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl on December 28th against the University of Texas A&M Aggies. The bowl invitation represented Cal’s unprecedented 4th consecutive bowl appearance. The news just kept getting better when later in the day the University of Southern California lost to UCLA, thus making Cal co-champions (with U$C) of the Pacific 10 conference for the first time since 1975! Big Woo and Hoo!
The next few weeks I spent preparing for the Christian consumer holiday, buying and wrapping gifts and helping the old man with his exterior illumination at the casa. I also took the time to start my employment search with expected, considering the season, poor results and response to my resume submissions. On December 19th I helped sister Mo, Ann Mo for those not in the know, drive down to smell.A. for the holiday. MoWenck celebrated the birth of the Christian savior with the Mo family a few days before the rest of the Christian world. Amy and I then hopped in the Mo-mobile and drove to NorCal to celebrate the world’s most famous hippie’s birthday on the properly recognized date, with my family. Basically, more gluttonous holiday celebrations, this time with gifts for everybody. The day after Christmas Amy and I once again were in the car headed south back to smelL.A. this time to move Amy north for the time being. We also had plans to attend the conclusion of the Cal American football season at the Pacific Life Holiday bowl in San Diego.
We met up with friends Marlowe, August, and Martin the day before the bowl game and drove down to Irvine where we spent the evening with another friend Ryan Steinbach whose father would be joining us all for the game the next day. Ryan had to wait for his father to drive down from smelL.A. the next morning before continuing on to San Diego for the tailgate party and game. In the meanwhile MoWenck along with Aug, Marty, and Marlowe all made for the parking lot and party. Traffic was light for the most part and we made it into the parking lot around 12pm, 5 hours prior to scheduled kick off. We quickly found our friend Kee Wilcox and his parents phat RV. The party was on like donky kong with much food and booze to keep one satiated. The lots were rather empty but kick off was still a ways off and I figured the lots would be filling up soon. Still, after a couple of hours it did not seem like the lots were filling in and there was still no sign of our friend Ryan and his father. People continued to trickle in to the lot and to our party. Soon word got out that there had been a major automobile accident with fatalities on the main interstate highway from smelL.A to San Diego. That explained the slow filling parking lot and Ryan’s tardiness. We managed to speak with him via mobile technology and determined that he was not involved in the accident but was stuck in the world’s largest parking lot/traffic jam. Craptacular. There was nothing we could do but continue to tailgate and party towards kickoff. About 1 hour prior to game time Ryan and his dad made it to the party and quickly woofed down food and beer before we all headed into the stadium. Fortunately, it appeared that most of the spectators were able to make it to the stadium and it would be a near capacity crowd for the game. I have to admit, it was an interesting mix of people. Cal is a notoriously liberal University while Texas A&M is considered to be one of the more conservative Universities in the United States. Thus, the meeting of Aggies and Bears on the American football pitch would provide a backdrop for a clash of ideologies by the respective alumni of each University. In addition to the different academic cultures the actual participants in the game played converse styles of football. The Aggies played a bruising smash-mouth brand of football often associated with the Big12 conference in which they are a member. Cal on the other hand is considered more of a finesse football team using its superior athleticism to beat teams. Cal had been struggling as of late while Texas A&M had been playing well and had most recently defeated their big rival Texas. Which team would show up? Who knew, but I was once again apprehensive about Cal.
Before a game of this stature can begin there has to be all the pageantry associated with the prestige of the game and the sponsor is responsible for seeing to that. Pacific Life sponsored this game and, to their credit, they made it a classy event. The pre-game included the standard US Navy Seal’s parachuting onto the pitch followed by the national anthem and all that jazz. The culmination of the pre-game, at least for me, was when 4 United States of America death birds (fighter jets) flew in close formation low over the stadium. The raw power of the jet engines, the ear shattering sonic boom is awesome at close corners. Makes you thankful not to be on the receiving end of what those birds are capable of delivering. Of course, the poor, helpless innocent citizens who are often the unintended target of these death machines probably never even see or hear it coming. But I digress. Cal won the coin toss and to my disappointment elected to go on offense first. After a rough three and out Texas A&M marched down the field and scored the games first touchdown. It did not look good for the Golden Bears. But, at some point in the first half Cal got their shit together and started moving the ball on offense and punishing the Aggies when on defense. Cal took the lead before half time and after a spectacular pyrotechnic display Cal extended their lead and ultimately man-handled the supposed more physical team. Final score Cal 45, Texas A&M 10. Crushing! It was a grand end to the season. Cal won 10 games (for the second time in three seasons) and only managed to lose 3. I was fortunate enough to attend every game, and, while I am no better for it, I still had a great time as a “Ted-Head”.
A few days later and MoWenck were once again in the loaded down Mo-mobile headed North for the winter. Amy has moved back to NorCal and MoWenck are currently living room and board free at the Casa De Wenck. We spent New Years eve in San Francisco at a delightful gathering of friends in the Haight at Mr. and Mrs. Meng’s apartment. Since the start of the new year I have intensified my employment search-with regrettably poor results-while Mo has started substitute teaching for the River Delta Unified School District. In my spare time, which is quite abundant, I have been playing basketball, reading, fishing, and of course looking for employment. Hopefully I will find something soon and MoWenck will be able to leave the nest (again). If you know of any promising employment opportunities please do not hesitate to drop me a line. Peace out.
NOTES:
^ The Big Game is the 5th longest running rivalry game in collegiate American football. However, during the early part of the 20th century they played rugby instead of American football (football was out of favor for a time because of the frequent serious injuries to participants). The Big Game has traditionally provided extremely entertaining games-regardless of each teams performance up to that point in the season-and a spectator is well advised to stay until the final whistle. In, what is arguably considered the greatest finish in American football history (professional or amateur), the Cal Bears improbably defeated a stanfUrd team-led by the illustrious John Elway-in the waning moments of the game. The five lateral kick return culminating in a band crushing touchdown with no time left on the clock is simply known in Big Game lore as THE Play. Pandemonium ensued. The loss ended a tearful John Elway’s career at stanfUrd. Of course, John learned a hard lesson that day, one that he could never learn in the classrooms or lecture halls of Leland stanfUrd, Junior University, that is, after you overcome 4th and 18 and you lead your team down the field over 85 yards to kick the potential game winning field goal, you do not call timeout with 8 ticks on the clock. You call it with 3. I am quite certain John learned his lesson and learned it well. He went on to become one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks ever and I believe he still holds the record for come from behind victories-not near victories as he got on that November day in 1982. Anyway, turn about is fair play, in 1990 stanfUrd turned the tables to score 9 points in about 20 seconds to defeat Cal in what was most crushing fashion.
Happy New Year! It has been a while since last I updated you, my faithful audience. A lot has happened. For an unemployed thirty-something I have been extremely busy and therefore slow in updating the MoWenck site. Perhaps I was put off posting updates due to the pitiful performance of my beloved Golden Bears American football squad but that is neither here nor there. All will be explained if only you would allow me a moment to gather my thoughts so I can provide an accurate-with the normal exaggerations and leftist interpretations-portrayal of events in the lives of Mo and Wenck since the beginning of November. If nothing else, I promise I will proceed with the tale in chronological order.
I would love to tell you that I have been busy searching for employment, providing interviews, reviewing job offers, and ultimately joining the 96% of United States of Americans whom the government claims are employed, but that would only partially be true. Suffice to say, the New Year finds me as unemployed as ever. I have submitted my resume to several potential employers and I believe it is just a matter of time before the competitive offers start rolling in…any minute now.
Anywho, as I briefly mentioned in my final post of 2006 back on 15Nov, Mo and I had just returned from the deserts of Arizona and California. As many of you well know, the deserts of the South Western United States can be extremely harsh and unforgiving. Amy and I managed to escape the deserts fully in tact but not without suffering. We made the drive from East smell.A. to Tucson on a beautiful sun soaked Friday afternoon. We were welcomed to the city and found comfortable lodgings in a swell little backpackers hostel in downtown known as the Roadrunner (highly recommended) and settled in for the weekend. On Saturday we were up and off early in preparation for a match up of Pacific 10 conference American football between the University of California Golden Bears and the local favorite University of Arizona Wildcats. Mo and I wondered into a pub near campus and soaked up the University atmosphere of the pre-kickoff game day campus. It was a glorious day for football and Cal came out smoking. The visitors jumped out to a 17-3 lead in the first half and things looked to be going our way. Then, the wheels fell off the proverbial bike and Cal pulled a Mo going over the handlebars. Typically, the Pacific10 conference referees made exceptionally bad calls against the Golden Bears-there was a pass interference call that was particularly bad that indirectly resulted in a Wildcat touchdown and Tyler almost being arrested for inciting a riot. Fortunately for me the police officer gave me a stern warning. Looking back on the whole situation, the copper probably did not want to arrest me and miss the end of a close, exciting game dragging my insolent arse out of the stadium. Not to mention the paperwork the officer would have to complete just to eject one jerk. So, I was able to watch the conclusion of the California collapse at the hands of Arizona. Cal lost 24-20. Ouch!^ It kind of put a damper on our Saturday evening in Tucson but we managed to find a sweet little Guatemalan restaurant for drinks and dinner.
Sunday morning found us on our way back to California and a few nights camping in the marvelous high deserts of Joshua Tree National Park. We made it to the Southern park entrance without incidence by 2pm. After the customary stop by the Ranger station to pay fees and pick up information we meandered into the park in search of a suitable campsite. Along the way we stopped to observe the stunning scenery and take a few short interpretive hikes. By 6pm we made camp just as the last rays of sunshine were disappearing over the Western horizon and as a crisp cool breeze descended upon the area. It was really cold as we made dinner and the wind was unforgiving. Soon after we finished our meal we made for the tent to rest, read, and contemplate our exploration of the area scheduled for the next day. There was still a definite cool nip to the air the next morning but the wind had fortuitously died out and the sunshine instantly warmed the soul. After an abbreviated breakfast we began our exploration of the park driving to several short hikes and vantage points. It was a beautiful day and the park is just swell. That night the wind did not pick up until much later and so we were able to enjoy our meal and the night sky before bedding down. All in all it was a brilliant stay in the desert. The next day we were off, back to smelL.A.
For the week Amy worked as a substitute teacher for the Garvey School District while I ran short errands and read a lot. On Saturday, we once again gathered up our gear and made our way with friends August and wife Marlowe to the University of Southern California (U$C) and a pre-game tailgate party near the Los Angeles Coliseum. After their hapless defeat in the desert our Golden Bears still had an opportunity to win the conference crown and a coveted birth in the BCS Rose Bowl if only they could beat the Trojans of Southern Cal. With its annoying band*, even more annoying fans, history, tradition, and wealthy alumni/student body U$C is much disliked by college football fans the nation over and especially by Cal Berkeley peeps. The over-paid alumni and spoiled student body, unable to gain admittance to the UC system or stanfUrd, are generally shallow, unintelligent, and a bore. Of course their football team consistently dominates on the pitch, making their fans even more annoying. I should note here that I am a fan of USC football because of their dominance and that I root for U$C football and all other occasions except when they play Cal. We were blessed with another glorious day to play football and after hours of eating, drinking, and exchanging insults with the opponent’s fans it was time to play the game. Cal came out and looked good in the first half and managed to take the lead going into the break 9-7 (it could have been more if the officials had not blown yet another call that resulted in nullifying a Cal score and allowing U$C to score instead). The second half however, belonged to the men of Troy. They dominated play and finally, on the first play of the forth quarter they scored the go-ahead touchdown. Shortly thereafter they managed another touchdown that all but sealed Cal’s post-season fate-a trip to San Diego for the Holiday Bowl and the game. Final score U$C 23, Cal 9. Dejected we made our way back to our car for the long smog filled, traffic clogged drive back out to East smelL.A. and Amy’s moms house.
There would be no more football in November for the Cal Bears and Amy and I took the time to enjoy the United States of America’s gluttonous holiday of Thanksgiving with my family in Northern California. My brother-in-law managed to score a nice cabin on the North shore of Lake Tahoe and so Amy and I joined my parents, brother, along with his wife and my niece, and my sister along with her husband and son at the cabin for the holidays. It was quite pleasant. We celebrated the colonization of the new world by Europeans (read: genocide of barbaric native Americans) in grand fashion with turkey and all the traditional fixins. We also managed to celebrate Mo’s 32nd birthday and made a trip into Reno, Nevada to do a little gambling. I didn’t win anything, and I will leave it at that. On our way back to Rio Vista Amy and I stopped by our good friend Kurtis and Marie’s for dinner and lots of wine mixed with lots of the word-game Taboo. It was a good night and we really enjoyed our time with the Kauffman family before returning to Rio Vista. The whole three weeks was a great stretch where, once again MoWenck were together in travel and mischief.
All good things must come to an end (no, I have not found a job while preparing this blog) and the following Monday Mo returned to smelL.A without me. It was a sad parting but only a temporary one. For soon we would be together again for more holiday gluttony, more Cal football, and more adventures. Stay tuned, I promise I will get you all the way up to date if only you give me some time.
NOTES
^ I would like to make one thing perfectly clear, Cal lost the game because of poor play and an inability to overcome the unfortunate mistakes by the officiating crew. Good teams fight through bad calls. Cal was not a good team that day. I do not want you to think I am like a Boomer Sooner fan from Oklahoma (see whiner in the dictionary).
* Is that, the only song you know? It’s boring and it’s slow. Your SAT’s are low. Your mother gives good blows. Your sister is a HO. Your alumnus killed Nicole.