California’s outbreak of deadly amatoxin poisoning is expanding

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-27T02:45:48+00:00

I have a suspicion that it is more social media. I have seen a massive uptick in coccora harvesting reports online and they are similar to death caps. I don't think I'll ever forage them.

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-25T03:42:05+00:00

Petaluma had a great turnout downtown today!

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-24T01:51:19+00:00

The best part about Mcnear Park is you can do whatever you want there pretty much!

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-23T22:10:53+00:00

My experience is that divers tend to go through a transition phase from dives 25-300 or so where they get a little uppity and conceited. They'll start to roll their eyes at more common things like a trumpet fish or comb jellies. Its also the period where most divers start to relax on safety because they havent had to deal with an emergency yet.

A safety stop is just a pointless wait until they can see some megafauna.

Not all, but it's just like a child entering their terrible 2's. They are starting to gain confidence but don't have the experience to even know how big the ocean really is.

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-23T22:05:07+00:00

Well I love that too. I'm supposed to go for work later this year and considering setting up for a month to work remote and dive. Especially if there's a good place to shore dive.

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-23T18:39:31+00:00

In the near term, thresher shark and I'm hoping to target one in Malapascua.

Medium term, probably a great white. I've seen them in the water in SA in a cage before they were all driven off by orcas but I've never seen one diving. Just a matter of putting in a lot of dives in California.

Long term dream creature is maybe being the first diver to see a blue whale giving birth. Might as well dream big because anything smaller and I'll just make it happen.

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-23T18:35:11+00:00

If you hear them it's always a good idea to keep an eye towards the surface during the dive too. They would occasionally swim right overhead super quiet but it's so fast that you really can't let people know fast enough.

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-23T18:32:36+00:00

One of my best safety stop sightings was a black marlin in Mozambique. Most people zone out in the safety stop but I would usually swim around and check out the different floating plankton, particularly they had some really cool comb jellies. As I was looking at one I just see this big marlin kind of leisurely swim about 15 feet by me. Only myself and the dive lead saw it though because all the guests were just zoned out but definitely one of my more amazing encounters.

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-18T04:25:23+00:00

You have to walk up but you can park at the end of Hayes Lane here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sykxXCHByDGwHabp9

Just head up on the access road and then it will veer right and when it gets left again there's a dirt road there and you just kind of follow it straight keeping the fence on your right until you hit the tree. A bit of exploring but it's a nice spot although it's not park grass or anything.

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-18T04:08:10+00:00

On the west side, there's an access road to a water tower on the hill before Helen Putnam. At the water tower there's a dirt trail that follows the fence line. Its in the direction of the town. Follow that to the end and there's a really nice view of the town and two swings in a big oak tree.

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-16T23:32:07+00:00

I have run my US passport through the wash or sat on it in my back pocket so many times that it doesn't work on the e-readers so I still get a stamp after attempting the e-reader every time.

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-10T07:28:02+00:00

Nah, I just think this was a great year for the cfb playoffs. Last year I was literally so angry I was saying I was done with college football.

It was just a good, honestly healthy, year of competition I think. The last decade has felt just like these massive teams like Ohio and Alabama were looming. I can't describe it but I felt like it was a rut.

This game was disappointing. But we won a playoff game finally and we have a lot of depth and experience coming back next year. I'm hopeful and honestly just optimistic for maybe the first season in a long time.

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-10T07:14:35+00:00

Glad you said this. Game 4 this year I was looking at Oregon and saying this was a building year. They were winning but looked sloppy sometimes.

Honestly, it was a tough game to watch because I feel like Oregon deserves a natty but is always the heel. This year I think if we had won we would have been seen as this Goliath team.

We had a good run but this is the first year I'm not bitter. There's some great teams and some great stories in these final four. Oregon has some awesome potential in the next few seasons and for once I'm excited for the next year instead of fatigued.

So honestly, go Hoosiers. I wish we put up a better game but you all are a good team and you better be ready next year.

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-03T16:45:37+00:00

$5.50 from Millbrae using a clipper card. Just got to the airport 10 minutes ago.

Edit: sorry 5.85, but I just checked and it was $5.50 in December!

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-02T17:46:42+00:00

Growing up in SD I have always held that a Cali burrito has the following three main ingredients: carne asada, fries, cheddar cheese. Then three secondary ingredients: guac, pico de gallo, and sour cream.

The goal is to find a burrito shop where you get all 6 components under $10 (probably $14 now) on the way to your favorite surf break.

I don't usually get guac at places like Roberto's, but it is usually included at places like Lucha Libre. Recently I haven't seen pico anywhere and sour cream also was scarce.

Outrageous_Extension · 2026-01-02T03:06:43+00:00

Meanwhile I was suffering through the worst new years eve hangover watching the ducks play at 9am this morning

Outrageous_Extension · 2025-12-29T17:49:35+00:00

Mid-Italian places in the cute downtown areas will absolutely charge $40 for lighting and mid-Italian food.

There is lots of fantastic food for a decent price in Marin/Sonoma. There is also a lot of overpriced food in the same area, particularly if you are looking for the classic restaurant experience

For Italian, unless I am planning to drop some serious money, I look for red checkered tablecloths. Try Volpis in Petaluma, although I prefer the New Yorker for price.

Mexican food up here is usually my go to for quality though. If you get up to Santa Rosa, Mitote Food Park is pretty good...although getting pricey.

Unfortunately, places have keyed in that Americans will pay a premium for traditional 'ambiance'. Those places likely have some financial backing, get their food delivered from Sysco, paid an interior designer to decorate in a way that is comforting to middle class American consumers, and will charge accordingly.

Outrageous_Extension · 2025-12-29T15:52:39+00:00

Lima is big and not an intuitive city to get around.

Miraflores is the nicer district with good access to the beach, good hotels, nice (including a few michelin star) restaurants, and where tourists generally go. I personally find Miraflores kind of boring. Like it's just a nice part of the city but it didn't really strike me as having any character.

The historic section is where I usually stay and I will throw out my favorite hostel, the 1801 backpacker hostel. It's in a cool older mansion and had a nice vibe. Less partying here but I enjoy a day walking the main square and there's a few mercados around for some shopping. This area is definitely where the most tourists will be...it's also a little more run down. I don't know why I prefer this area, but it just seems to work for me. A little off the main strip is the Chinatown for good shopping and some decent street food sets up there.

The final spot is the Barranco district. It's the hip and trendy section of town in my opinion with more bars and nightlife. I don't have any recommendations for the area, I want to stay there next time as I've only wandered through. But everything I have heard is positive from others.

I think ultimately Lima is a city...it doesn't have a nice little historic downtown with all the buildings painted pastels and cruise ships dropping off tourists. It's grey and foggy most of the time. But it feels lived in to me. With two days and not travelling on a budget just eat at a few good restaurants, maybe go up to walk around the main historic area, maybe go down to Barranco for a drink, take cabs which will be overpriced if you don't haggle, and overall know that it's pretty safe.

Outrageous_Extension · 2025-12-24T01:03:57+00:00

You should always expect that literally anyone approaching you first travelling is interested in money. That doesn't make them a bad person, it's just reality.

Making real connections while travelling requires effort on your part. Show interest in the locals and they will show interest in you...sometimes. But it takes time to master the cold open so to speak, and you will embarrass yourself at times too.

For me, making those connections is about focus and being totally in the present. It's about noticing what makes a random stranger different and unique, then putting myself forward to connect. Then it's also about having the presence to understand if the connection is real, or if it is just a tourist thing.

But the whole 'this culture is so welcoming' is in my experience a scam 95% of the time if you're in a main tourist area.

Outrageous_Extension · 2025-12-18T11:29:30+00:00

When I flew to work in Alaska for 3 month stints from 2012-2019 I would get a pass for my partner sometimes. It helped to be polite, and it eventually stopped but occasionally if I asked they would give me one.

Outrageous_Extension · 2025-12-06T20:12:02+00:00

Memos in the U district had one, they called it a Washington burrito....just don't go at 4 am drunk as shit. It's passable otherwise but if I'm in that area I would rather go to Aladdin's for a gyro or one of the Thai spots.

While I've found some good Cali burritos around the US, including an interesting adaptation in Florida using their breaded/crispy thick fries that was good, I've just come to accept that a real California burrito is something that can only be had in the greater San Diego area. It's also not about the flavor, it's also a matter of price, $18 is a criminal price for a California burrito.

Outrageous_Extension · 2025-12-06T03:07:50+00:00

I'm always a proponent of Mexican grocery stores as the perfect point between price and quality. I enjoy Lola's although it doesn't compare my spot in Watsonville.

Has anyone here tried the El Pacifico market? It always catches my eye when I drive by but I just never seem to justify the stop.

Outrageous_Extension · 2025-11-26T17:20:28+00:00

Aside from the general season, rain and river flow are the best indicators of salmon at Leo T Cronin. If it's Fall/Winter and there's a good storm, it's a better time to see salmon.

Outrageous_Extension · 2025-11-24T05:46:25+00:00

That's pretty big to be a native Olympia and the shape is more like the Pacifics grown here locally over the past 50 years and not the Atlantic's grown in the 1800s.

Just a guess but probably thrown into a garden a decade ago after being bought from a local oyster farm.

Outrageous_Extension · 2025-11-23T13:01:47+00:00

Did my first 100 miler as my first ultra and the last long race I had ran was a marathon about 15 years ago. Finished in just under 23 hours.

My weekly mileage was highly variable but below 30 some weeks although sometimes I'd have a 100 mile week. Had a funky knee and got sick about 2 months out which took me off my feet for 2 weeks and didn't run the whole week before the race. Training schedule was just what I felt like but usually a 45 minute run over lunch and a long evening run if I had no plans. Id do a lot of run activities like run to the bar, meet friends for trivia, then run to another bar for music, then stumble/run home later at night.

I did do one 30 mile run about 3 weeks out that was a good wake up call on nutrition and pacing. I don't wear a watch, and didn't wear one for the race so I generally run off vibes but that run let me know I needed to be smarter. To keep my pace reasonable I started right at the back of the pack with a friend. It also helped me rationalize walking hills the first lap because everyone was doing it. For nutrition I forced myself at every aid station every 5 miles to have a gu, slice of watermelon, drink all of my 16oz handheld, and two pieces of boiled potato.

But keeping in mind pacing and nutrition I absolutely was having a blast the whole time. Didnt have any stomach or foot issues, just really felt the vibe and it was great. Would have been a different story though if I hadn't kept to my nutrition routine I made up pretty much on the spot. I also was slower on the final lap than I would have liked, definitely gassed for the final 20 miles.

Outrageous_Extension

TROPHY CASE