Life Style & Travel

SAN FRANCISCO—The Virgin Hyperloop made its first journey carrying passengers in a small pod through a vacuum tube. On November 8, the company preformed its first passenger test at its track in the desert outside Las Vegas, Nevada. Carrying two employees, the Hyperloop made the 500-meter journey in just 15 seconds. According to the company’s website, the Hyperloop will be able...

UNITED STATES—Wow, that’s all I can say. We are literally less than 2 weeks away from one of the biggest holidays of the year: Thanksgiving. I will admit, I love Thanksgiving, and it’s not really just about the food. Let’s be honest, the food is a big part, but the notion of being with family is important. I know...

UNITED STATES—This seems like bad algebra. Horticulturally, dividing and multiplying really are the same. Division is the separation of crowded perennials into smaller, but more numerous portions. It multiplies the number of individual plants. The smaller portions perform better than they did while crowded. Division is both a method of vegetative (clonal) propagation, and a form of healthy social...

UNITED STATES—The case ended successfully for Detective Zorba. A trash collector in the magnetic train stations had emptied the contents of a trash can and turned up a wallet tossed out and a vodka bottle, it turned out to belong to the manager of the smoke/payday establishment, so he got his identity and got his cards back. The culprit...

UNITED STATES—Arborists are very specialized horticulturists. They prefer to work with trees. Of course that is not as simple as it sounds. Some are nurserymen who grow trees. Some select appropriate trees for landscape design. Even some of the orchardists who work with many trees of a similar type have earned this prestigious designation. Decades ago, we still knew...

SAN FRANCISCO—Aziza restaurant on Geary Boulevard was showcased during the Michelin Guide’s virtual Family Meal charity event on Tuesday, October 27. The event was streamed free for the public and in its final portion introduced 25 California restaurants recently discovered by Michelin Inspectors as upcoming stars. Aziza chef and owner Mourad Lahlou appeared in the video to speak about his...

SAN FRANCISCO—Bay area and Chinese culinary figure Cecilia Chiang passed away on Wednesday, October 28 inside her San Francisco home. She died of natural causes according to a statement made by her granddaughter Siena Chiang. She was 100 years old.  Chiang rose to fame in 1963 with the growing popularity of her first restaurant in San Francisco, The Mandarin. Originally...

UNITED STATES —The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Friday, Oct. 30, the lifting of the “no sail order” —which prohibited cruise lines from operating in U.S. waters— and released a framework to resume the operation of passenger cruises. The new “conditional sailing” order that was issued Friday establishes a phased approach to restart cruising. It includes items...

UNITED STATES—Forests lack gardeners. In the wild, there is no one to rake fallen leaves or blow them away. Foliage falls from trees and onto the ground, where it stays as it decomposes. It is the natural process. Raking and blowing leaf litter away is unnatural. It deprives the soil and organisms that inhabit it of significant organic matter...

SAN FRANCISCO — General Motors announced last week that San Francisco, California will have driverless vehicles by the end of this year. Named Cruise, this autonomous vehicle does have limitations.  Cruise will only be allowed to be driven on certain streets and will not exceed 30 mph.  Cruises cannot be driven during heavy rain or fog.  According to their website,...