Sweet Sixteen

1. I'm not talking birthday. I'm talking the NCAA women's basketball tourney. The Cal Bears who have advanced only once before to the round of 16 are in Spokane gearing up for their match with LSU. Media talking heads continue to dismiss women's b'ball as boring, slow as molasses, laughable. And they criticize the tournament because the seeding for the schools rarely change. The elite programs make their run year after year: UConn, where by the way, this sign was spotted in the rafters...'UConn, where the men are men and the women are champions,' Stanford, Baylor, Notre Dame, Tennessee etc. all have the hardware. The high flying point guard in the photo, Brittany (hey we have our own Brittney) Boyd, uh seems to be soaring over the hardwood, not mired in deep whatever. Look, women play beneath the basket. Execute the concept of X's and O's. And back door at their own pace. Ridicule? Bring it. We're already in your gym. And standing at the 3pt line. Time to get over it.

2. The men. Hey, I'm all about equality. So many upsets. And so much crying. The darlings of the tourney are Florida Gulf Coast, and the Wichita Shockers. The schools from small conferences. A not so predictable champ: either Duke, or the Florida Gators.  My bracket: dead. dead. dead.

3. Got a new cell phone yesterday. A thing of beauty. And have I dropped it yet? Why, yes. Right out of the box onto my table. Way to go.

4. The Supreme Court. Is equality 'just another word for nothing left to lose'?? Come on now, show the love.

Burning Daylight

1. Have I really been playing hooky for a month? Uh, not really. But, a flight of fancy (domestic biz) did transport me out of Cali to Aloha land. No malasadas. No Lappert's. Not even a finger of poi. It was that sad. The wheel of fortune is a fickle bird. Sometimes you cavort. And sometimes the cavorting flat lines. So, there I was caught in the middle of a tropical rainstorm... For 24 hours the islands were pummeled by rain which originated from Kauai and then sourced (mid stream)  the big island of Hawaii. Huh? I didn't understand it either and just enjoyed the show. Diamond Head lay shrouded behind a wall of mist. It was a different look for the old lady. I finally did stop at the Liliha Bakery for dinner. 24/6 days a week. And ate at the counter which might accommodate 16 diners? No rez. Just a line out the door. Every single day. I had the mahimahi. Two fillets as big as my head. For dessert, the coco puffs. Yeah, island style.

2. Ina Donna Coolbrith, California's first Poet Laureate, had a birthday on Sunday the 10th. I passed her gravestone today and chest bumped her.

3. The Pope. An Argentinian. Who knew? Was Vegas laying odds? Jose Bergoglio. 100-1. There's no crying in Argentina today.

4. Banshee. On Cinemax. The most interesting, provocative character in cable history: Hoon Lee as Job. More of him, please.

5. Almost March Madness. Congratulations to the Cal Bears Women's Basketball team who won the Pac 12 title. A first. Coach G, Lindsay Gottlieb, brought the slamma jamma.