Monterey Bay Aquarium Makes my Sharky Dreams Come True

Remember me mentioning my deep and abiding interest in sharks? Last Saturday whilst still in the Bay area, we went to the one place (I know of) that has successfully kept Great Whites in captivity (for a short amounts of time) and wouldn't you know it, they just happened to have one right now... The Monterey Bay Aquarium, also known for appearing in Star Trek IV, is one of the premiere aquariums in the country, nay, the world. I have heard about this place for some time now and have very much wanted to visit it. In fact, Monterey was supposed to be our honeymoon destination until I realized we should go to Mexico and just relax. But now all is good in the universe: I have seen a Great White Shark with my own eyes. Here is my picture of him. I spent a very long time snapping pictures but this was as good as it got. He likes to cruise up near the surface of the tank, waiting for tasty salmon fillets:

Here's the professional picture of him that you can download off their website:

The website for the Great White Shark is fantastic to get some facts about him. He was accidentally snagged by a fishing line but still in good shape. They are rehabilitating and studying him in the meantime and intend to release him soon. They grow to be quite large and eat a lot so they don't really want to keep him indefinitely.

Their entire facility is perfect for gazing at the fishes and learning all about sea life. They also had otters, frogs, snakes and other animals whose daily existence depends on the watery world. Instrumental ambient music plays over the sound system as you gaze into the tanks. It's not only wondrous but relaxing at the same time. And they have the cleanest aquarium windows I've ever seen---the pics really look clear because of that. But I just don't understand why some people insist on taking flash photos against glass into a darkened aquarium. Luckily this Canon Power Shot SD800IS has an aquarium setting that slows the shutter down and changes the color balance a little. Some of the photos have been given some Photoshop help to remove odd reflections or to bring in a wee bit of color but, for the most part, the camera did a good job.

Where we've been all week: the Bay Area

Ken & I just got back Sunday night and boy am I glad to be back in my own house and own bed with my own pillows. Is intolerance of other sleeping situations a sign of getting old? On Tuesday night while still in San Francisco, I met with my dear friend Josh to have Burmese food. He is another standout American I met when schooling in London in 1994. Josh was extremely patient as I misjudged how long it would take me to get from Union Square to the Richmond District. Being that the cab lines were quite long, I struck out on foot to find a less crowded area to hail my own taxi. Well as I traversed Market Street, I spotted a bus going in the general direction I was heading and, being the fearless ninja that I am, hopped aboard. I started to get a little unsettled as we started making turns and were clearly in the Tenderloin District area. Winos and homeless people started to get on and I clearly was in over my head on this one. At a stop where I could see a fairly busy street in the distance, I got off and RAN several blocks to it, hellbent on getting the very next available taxi. Thankfully this gamble paid off and I was only 30 minutes late for dinner. (Sorry again, Josh) But I'm so glad he hung in there. We had a great dinner with fabulous conversation. Josh now has his own company called Language in Common that helps other companies with design, strategy, branding and all sorts of other creative tasks. Josh and his partner Axel wrote a few manifestos that approach how companies can change their thinking about creativity for the better. One that truly resonated with me is called "How to be a Better Lover" described as "a definitive sex manual for good business." A snippet from the Talk Dirty to Me section: "Imagine your in bed with your lover, who turns to you and says, "Baby, I'm gonna leverage our synergy tonight." Does that make you want to get it on? If you're like most of us, probably not. And there's the rub. Using cold language to woo warm bodies just doesn't work, but lots of companies use it anyway. They're stuck in the idea that it's better to be impressive then to be approachable, that big talk is better than pillow talk. These companies fail to see that they could get a lot more love by being a little more human." And really the whole thing is fun and funny but most of all true. What a great way to illustrate how businesses can connect with their customers. It's a great read I highly recommend it.

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At the end of the week, I joined Ken who had already been down for a few days working in Mt. View and I got to see the Goog for myself. Let me just say---very impressive. Despite all the perks including the heated toilet seats + bidet and free food, it's really the vibe I found most enchanting. Within the hallways and offices you can feel the passion, intelligence and "well-meaningness" of it's devoted employees. I have never been in such a positive work environment. It is truly inspiring and stirs my own thoughts... Here are a few pics.

On campus posing with the T-Rex replica.

Heated toilet seats are heavenly. Note the control panel on the wall. Fabulous.

(This is the only indoor pic I took at the Goog.)

Vaslow, Party of 3--Week 1

While we were away, Princess Hannah Vaslow arrived. Today she is one week old. We are so excited for Dan & Jill and can't wait to meet Ms. Hannah this weekend.

My friend Brad on Grey's Anatomy

On my most favorite show, Grey's Anatomy, in the 3rd season, I completely missed a brief but significant cameo by my old friend Brad Sachs. I saw this episode when it aired and was watching intently with baited breath, wondering what was wrong with George's father. But who would have ever thought the sonogram tech could possibly be Brad Sachs? But it was... I met Brad in 1994 while going to school in London. He was over for a quarter from New Jersey to get some English culture and to go on drunken rampages with us. Here's one of them in a downtown London pub (I think I'm about 20 years old in this picture). In wilder days...Brad, John, Josh, Anne, Me, Dave.