The Dodgers are Finally Retiring Fernando Valenzuela's Uniform Number!

It took way too long, but the Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that they are finally retiring Fernando Valenzuela's uniform number. Given what Fernandro means to this franchise and this city, the team should have retired his number a very long time ago.

Los Angeles Without Smog

This picture is amazing!

Los Angeles with no smog..

Aerial view of downtown from Silverlake via @alanwdang pic.twitter.com/qOxAAzDzmX

— Bill Gross (@Bill_Gross) April 10, 2020

(Tip of the cap to Predrag Cvitanovic.)

The Original People of Los Angeles

Here is an online vignette from a Los Angeles Times project about the origins of Los Angeles.

Quoting from the vignette: "The original people of Los Angeles, the Tongva, defined their world as Tovaangar. It extended from Palos Verdes to San Bernardino, from Saddleback Mountain to the San Fernando Valley."

(Tip of the cap to Paulette Steeves.)

'Thoughts and Prayers' and the Los Angeles Fires

Can 'thoughts and prayers' be exchanged for bitcoins? Asking for a friend.

For those of you wondering, I am safe. I have a utilitarian suitcase packed in case I need to leave home in a hurry, but things look clear for my place right now and UCLA is somewhat more normal today (though classes are cancelled again today).

The Hellscape video is really impressive!

Not the typical morning commute... pic.twitter.com/kJIOQeqsIK

— A. Mutzabaugh CMT (@WLV_investor) December 6, 2017

The Museum of Failure

There is a temporary exhibit in Los Angeles called The Museum of Failure.

Notice the Nintendo Power Glove in the picture...

(I never bought the Power Glove, but I did buy a U-Force. I liked the idea, but the technology wasn't yet ready for practical use. Just image me playing Galaga by waving my hands back and forth. That was just about the only game with simple enough controls that the controller was even usable, and even then it was much harder than using something conventional.)

Is anybody able to tell what the portable game system under the yellow cans is?

The first thing that came to mind when I saw the post was New Coke, of course.

I should go to this exhibit!

Things to Do on the Last Night Before Your International Move

Things to do on the last night before your international move:

1. Order a bunch of novels to arrive at your new place.

2. Finally order that 120-sided die (d120) you've been eyeing for months.

3. Get ice cream. (Seriously, how could I not go to G & D's on my last night here?)

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish: A View from Park 40

Well, after knowing for more than half a year that I'll be leaving, we've now finally reached the end. It's been fun, and I'll be back early and often to visit. (And I am ever available electronically.)

Tonight is my last full day in Oxford. I fly out to LA tomorrow. I came to Oxford on 1 October 2007, so it's been almost a full 9 years. (And that was almost a full year after getting my job offer after interview escapades, which you can read about here and here. (And as a note to junior scientists, I strongly recommend blogging about your interview before the hiring committee makes its hiring decision. Seriously: This was an excellent idea on my part. :P)

This is a view from my Somerville office (Park 40) from the past 7 years.

I have chosen an angular view so that the main entrance to Penrose is in the picture. (I used that entrance for my first year in Somerville, and after a year I moved into an on-site flat, with its own entrances, that is attached to Penrose.)

And that other thing in the picture? Well, that is my gift to Somerville College, to be passed along over the generations from one tutor to another (preferably one in mathematics) and to be displayed in a prominent place in the College. And maybe in a few decades I'll read a history of Somerville College where the author will wonder where that piece of College lore came from.

(And maybe somebody will eventually find the other Screamer, which staff members somehow managed to lose early on in my time in Somerville when they moved my stuff from one office to another. So, yes, this one was actually purchased by the College to replace the original, and I am sure the second one must be around here somewhere.)

Also, I originally got the idea for a Screamer from Predrag Cvitanović, who has had one in his office at Georgia Tech for many years. I bought one when I got to Caltech as a postdoc, and I took that one with me to Oxford.

I am going to replace the Screamer, but I think it's time to pick a different figure for my UCLA office. I'll need to see who's available. I'll probably check if Poincaré is available, but I'm sure there will be many interesting choices.

Update: You can also see some discussion and a few more photos on the Facebook version of this post.

"Los Angeles Airport Evacuation Sparked by Actor Dressed as Zorro 'Waving Plastic Sword'"

Well, this headline is pretty bizarre: "Los Angeles Airport Evacuation Sparked by Actor Dressed as Zorro 'Waving Plastic Sword'".

(Tip of the cap to John DesJardins‎.)

What Happens in Westwood Stays in Westwood

I am off to visit LA for a few days to help set things up a bit at UCLA and to hunt for apartments (as opposed to Pokémon) in Westwood.

What Happens in the LA Basin Stays in the LA Basin

So to speak.

(Anyway, I'll be home for the holiday season.)

What Happens in the LA Area Stays in the LA Area (Take N)

I am flying to LA at about 11:30 am tomorrow morning, and I am slated to arrive at LAX just after 3 pm. Hilarity will ensue.

Among other things, I am looking forward to friends, gaming, and sidequesting. I'll also spend a week and a half visiting Andrea Bertozzi's group in the UCLA math department. Once again, hilarity will ensue. Actually, I'll be collaborating with her group on mathematics and social systems, and I am particularly keen to work with them on something that uses the LAPD crime and gang data to which they have access.

And did I mention that I am going to be seeing my friends and gaming? Yay!

What happens in the United States stays in the United States

Late morning tomorrow, I will start my trek back to the US for the winter. My flight from Heathrow is at 4pm, though apparently all of the cool people are having their flights delayed. We'll see how things go. (Hopefully there won't be any airport liveblogging this time...) I am slated to arrive at LAX at 7:30 pm pacific time, and the plan is to meet up with Lemming (and perhaps company?) there and then head for dinner and then Lemming's place where I'll go online for a bit and then probably crash. Notice the priorities. :)

I'll spend most of the time on this trip in the Pasadena and LA area, though I haven't yet figured out exactly when I'll be in LA (or, more technically, Beverly Hills). The exception will be for a conference (Dynamics Daze 2010) just outside of Chicago from January 4th-7th. More on that conference later.

Angels Sweep Red Sox in American League Division Series

The Angels just completed a come-from-behind 7-6 victory over the Red Sox to seal their sweep of their American League Division Series. They will face either the Yankees or the Twins (unfortunately, it will probably be the Yankees) in the American League Championship Series.

You know what would be really awesome? A Dodgers-Angels Freeway World Series!

Citizens demand more snow!

Apparently, the UK is having its heaviest snowfall in 18 years.

However, I went to grad school at Cornell, and this is nothing compared to what I saw repeatedly every winter over there. It's nice to have snow in my backyard and, amazingly, I am actually have fond nostalgic feelings for Ithaca. That tends to happen when I see snow, because I'd like to be in some real snow for a couple of days every so often just so I can play around in it. I've seen some people work hard to gather up snow for snowball fights, but it still takes some effort to get that going. Our plenary speaker for tomorrow's SIAM Student Chapter Conference may have to cancel, though I hope he'll be able to make it.

Anyway, I've now witnessed the biggest UK snowfall in 18 years and the highest-magnitude UK earthquake in about 25 years, and they are both quite small with respect to my respective experiences in Ithaca and Los Angeles.

Citizens demand more snow! (Note that it has already correctly been pointed out that I'm not a citizen.)

P.S. Yes, it is true that I am itching for a snowball fight. Come get some!