Cool Views in Hot City

Twice in the past month I have watched the hillside hear my office erupt in flames, the most recent occasion being yesterday. The office is at about fire height, so we get a great view of the spectacular work performed by the LA City Fire helicopter pilots as they drop water and fire retardants on the hillsides. Unfortunately, because I use Griffith Park for part of my commute, I've been forced to contend with LA traffic a little more often than I would prefer because of the fires.

A friend of mine who lives directly up the hill from us took this picture last night of the Griffith Park fire, showing both the Los Feliz section (to the left) that has received most of the publicity because of the danger to homes, and the main Park element of the fire (to the right):



Before the place totally goes up in flames, take a look at this interesting "photograph" of the park. There are other similar works available at the artist's site. (Incidentally, the artist happens to be the guy who played Lurch in the "Addams Family" movie and the Giant in Twin Peaks, among many others.) I haven't taken the time to investigate the technology that yields these images, but the result is interesting and beautiful, and uniquely computer-based. You really could not view these images in a gallery, unless the gallery included computer screens and a few basic controls. Neat stuff.

Yes, vacation pictures will be coming soon!