A house burning in LA

I just saw this sad posting, apparently from Thomas Hawk:

http://friendfeed.com/thomashawk/35c45c14/this-is-my-parents-property-on-fire-in-big

The photo shows his parents' home burning. This is really sad and the family has my condolences.

Is it impossible to stop these fires? Should we have intentional burns? What is the history of such burns? I live in the Berkeley hills...am I dooomed to lose my own home? All of these questions will run through my head repeatedly when I lay down to sleep tonight.

Trying a new Twitter client for Mac

I'm trying Twit Menulet, a Twitter client for Mac, which was written by the same folks who make Stock Menulet. The idea is that twits are displayed as a scrolling ticker. I really like it! Although some folks on versiontracker seemed to find the scrolling disorienting, I find that the motion calls my attention to new posts without being overwhelming. Also, there is a setting that allows display of only the icon, allowing you to stop the motion if desired.

In truth, I really like it. I am also a fan of the way the app handles multiple accounts. I think it could have better TwitPic integration, but from my experience with Stock Menulet I'd guess this isn't far off.

This is going to be my new client.

Virgin and Virgin America

I flew to the East Coast on Virgin America yesterday--on a red eye, then returned the same day. OK, true, not necessarily the most pleasant schedule, but still: I didn't think Virgin America was that great. It certainly isn't fit to kiss the hem of REAL Virgin's skirt.

Virgin America seemed to be a slightly better-run version of most other American airlines. Everything runs a bit more smoothly, it is a bit easier to buy drinks and entertainment, etc. But basically it feels cheap! No free goodies on the red-eye either, as Virgin gives you on the international flight. No more leg room than other carriers.

Sorry, Virgin, but I thought the experience was so-so.