Eight Years
September 11, 2009

I was working for a company in Pasadena eight years ago. We had a client in Stockholm, Sweden that I needed to have an early morning conference call with. And, because of the time difference, I pulled into the parking garage shortly before 7 a.m. A special news bulletin broke into the morning chatter on the radio, and there were reports that "a plane had struck a building in New York City." Moments later, as I sat in my idling car, the second plane struck the World Trade Center. I left my car and asked someone else in the garage if they had heard the news. He said he hadn't. I told him to get to a radio, a television, something very bad is happening.

A Desperate Plea For Help
April 18, 2009

We're in a race against the clock. A dear dear friend of mine has a brain tumor and is scheduled for surgery in two weeks. She is terrified of the doctor in England that is scheduled to do the surgery, and desperately wants Dr. Keith Black from Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles to do the surgery.

Cold And Stormy Weather Pattern Headed For Southwest California
Special Weather Statement From The National Weather Service
December 10, 2008

A large upper level low pressure system is expected to develop over the west this weekend and linger through the middle of next week. A series of weather systems will move through bringing periods of rain and mountain snow with strong gusty winds at times. The winds will be strongest and potentially damaging in the mountains and high deserts.

When Layoffs Strike Home
December 4, 2008

As some of you may know, RIMOFTHEWORLD.net is not my full-time paid job. For the past seven years, I've worked down-the-hill in San Bernardino full-time. With my full-time job as a programmer, I've been able to spend much of my own money and weekends and evenings growing and developing RIMOFTHEWORLD.net. And, with our not-paid-enough staff of Dave, Vicki, Mike, and Tim — along with a guest writer or two — we're able to provide RIMOFTHEWORLD.net for you on a shoestring budget.

Wet Weather To Impact Southern California This Week
November 24, 2008

A series of storms will effect Southern California this week bringing much cooler weather with periods of rain, possible thunderstorms, and snow in the mountains.
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Flash Flood Watch In Effect From Tuesday Evening Through Wednesday Evening
November 24, 2008

The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a Flash Flood Watch for a portion of Southwest California, including the following areas, Coachella Valley, Orange County coastal areas, Riverside County mountains, San Bernardino County mountains, San Bernardino and Riverside County valleys — the Inland Empire, San Diego County coastal areas, San Diego County deserts, San Diego County mountains, San Diego County valleys and Santa Ana mountains and foothills.

Fire Watch
November 15, 2008

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"You Lost, Get Over It"
November 10, 2008

"You lost, get over it," shouted one passerby, evidently miffed at the protest of about 120 same-sex marriage supporters in Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday. The same words were repeated, more or less, by a dozen or so other brave hecklers from passing vehicles.
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Blogging From The Protests
November 7, 2008

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Rain, Snow Could Hamper Voting
November 3, 2008

A small storm system will bring another round of precipitation to the San Bernardino County Mountains Monday evening through midday on Tuesday. However, this storm system is expected to be colder than the rain-maker we had over the weekend, bringing the chance for snow down to near 7,000 feet by Tuesday morning, and lower in heavier showers Tuesday.

Bruised Apples
October 31, 2008

Sometimes apples are shiny and red. But, just below the surface there's a a soft spot where oxygen mixes with phenols in the apple's cells to turn it brown. This makes the apple's mushy, and, less appetizing.
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Reunions, Rights, And Religion
October 15, 2008

Last week, I stood in a room filled with 37 and 38-year-olds. Some had aged well. Others, not so well. Music reminiscent of the 1980s blared as people shouted at one another is some feeble attempt to reconnect after 20 years. On the wall of the Hyatt Hotel ballroom, a projector spilled the words "Watchung Hills Class Of 1988."

Notice: Verizon Blocking ROTW Text Messages
October 14, 2008

We have been working with Verizon Wireless to rectify a problem with Club Member subscribers not receiving Alert messages.
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Faster RIMOFTHEWORLD.net
October 5, 2008

Overnight from Saturday, October 4 to Sunday, October 5, the servers for RIMOFTHEWORLD.net were upgraded to handle greater web traffic.
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Fog, Drizzle, Rain Expected The Weekend
October 2, 2008

The National Weather Service has issued a Special Weather Statement for weekend. The first significant weather system of the season is expected to roll into the area. Dense fog, drizzle, and perhaps a period or two of light rain is expected late Friday into Sunday morning. Strong gusty winds could also develop as significantly colder air — as much as 20 degrees colder than the past week — settles into the area.

Morning Thunderstorms Bring Rain, Lightning
September 29, 2008

A surge of tropical air has moved into the inland valleys and mountains overnight, allowing for the development of showers and thunderstorms.
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$154 Million Spent While 3 Million People Die
September 29, 2008

As a Christian, I'm often called upon to give to urgent needs presented by our church and ministry leaders. And, I frequently see many generous Christians open their wallets and answer the call, without second-guessing. But, sometimes, we need to step back and consider the options in front of us.
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Do It For The Kittens
September 26, 2008

It's been hot down in San Bernardino this week. Summertime hot. Who'd have thought it was almost October? A coworker of mine discovered another out-of-season phenomena on an afternoon walk earlier this week. Kittens.
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A New Design For Year Five
September 25, 2008

As we head into our fifth year of operation (RIMOFTHEWORLD.net launched in August 2003), we've been busy working on a new design layout for the site to help unclutter things and make the site a bit more aesthetic.
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Crestline Musician In 24-Hour Art Performance
August 30, 2008

With an air of despair and gloom, Spencer Holden, 21, of Crestline sat in front of a piano inside the old Crestline Village Theater. The ceiling above the entrance deposited petals of white paint on the ground. The darken interior of the theater, bathed in dim yellow light spilled up from the stage with a post-apocalyptic feel.

Widespread Showers With Areas Of Heavy Rain Possible Sunday And Monday
July 18, 2008

The dry and stable air mass over southwest California will come to an end Saturday. Weather models are indicating a strong surge of monsoon moisture moving up the Gulf of California and over Southern California Saturday night and Sunday.
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Thunderstorms Raise Flooding Risk Near Big Bear
July 14, 2008

An area of showers and thunderstorms over the northern and eastern Big Bear area communities has been stationary for nearly two hours. Rain, heavy at times, along with lightning and the possibility of small hail and gusty winds, could create dangerous conditions.
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Overnight Thunderstorms May Rattle Mountains (Update 3)
July 10, 2008

Severe thunderstorms developing over the desert are beginning to drift south toward the mountains as additional thunderstorms are developing along the desert rim north of Big Bear.
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Tornado Warning For High Desert Expired At 11 PM (Update 2)
July 10, 2008

The tornado warning expired at 11 p.m. Doppler radar no longer indicated a tornado with this storm.
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Showers & Thunderstorms Developing
July 8, 2008

Scattered showers and thunderstorms have developed this afternoon over the San Bernardino County Mountains. Shortly before 4 p.m., National Weather Service radar showed showers and storms were north of Lake Arrowhead and near Forest Falls.
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Late Season Storm Brings Snow Above 5,500 Feet
May 23, 2008

A slow moving storm system continues to frustrate weather forecasters. With a spate of severe weather on Thursday, including several tornadoes in the Moreno Valley, today's precipitation has become more widespread as temperatures continue to drop. Rain and snow are expected to continue to fall throughout the mountains through this evening, with fog, drizzle, and occasional showers persisting overnight. Saturday should be a little warmer, with a few peeks of sun, but showers and thunderstorms may return in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Red Flag Warning Through This Evening
May 20, 2008

A trough of low pressure moving inland through northern California and the Pacific Northwest into the Great Basin will bring strong onshore flow to southern California with strong gusty winds in the mountains and deserts at times through Wednesday. Humidity will be lowest today. Winds are expected to be stronger tonight and Wednesday but humidity will be higher.

Unsettled Weather To Bring Winds Then Showers
May 20, 2008

A developing late season storm system will bring windy weather this afternoon through Wednesday with gradually increasing humidity and cloud cover. Showers and thunderstorms may develop Thursday into Friday along with fog along the coastal slopes.
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Motorcycle Chase Suspect Posted Video
May 16, 2008

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Insurmountable Agony
May 13, 2008

In story after story the news becomes numbing. On Saturday, a powerful cyclone, the same things we call hurricanes here, slammed into Myanmar. A friend of mine, who works for a Burmese refuge relief program, quickly had to switch focus as they desperately tried to get aid into the beleaguered and paranoid country. Monday, he got an email from aid workers in the region. Attached were photos of swaths of debris strewn with bodies and rivers filled with corpses — mostly children.

How To Escape A Cult
May 5, 2008

Many of you have probably faced this. A friend or coworker suddenly takes an increased interest in you and your goals and dreams. He or she begins to sound like your biggest supporter. After a few weeks or months of being supportive they hit you with the line, "I think you have an amazing future ahead of you. I think you just need to get the motivation and focus to step into it. I went to this training and it literally changed my life. It was by far one of the top three experiences of my life. And, I think it would be perfect for you to check out."

Arrowhead Fire Video (Update 1)
April 29, 2008

Raw video from the Arrowhead Fire
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Bank Of America Is Unethical
April 29, 2008

Go ahead. Sue me, Bank of America. You're unethical. However, I'm certain there is a bank criticism fee I'm going to have to pay.
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The Wounds Of Silence
April 25, 2008

Today is the National Day of Silence. It seems a bit counter-intuitive to try to bring attention to something by being silent. But, that's exactly what nearly half of a million middle school, high school, and college students are doing. The National Day of Silence was started in 1996 by University of Virginia student Maria Pulzetti as a grassroots effort to bring "attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies", according to event organizers from the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network and the United States Student Association.

RIMOFTHEWORLD.net Video Contest
April 23, 2008

On Saturday, April 19, 2008, RIMOFTHEWORLD.net gathered 25 entries for an online video contest. Now is your turn to vote on what video you would like to see on RIMOFTHEWORLD.net
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Armchair Lawyers In The Information Age
April 17, 2008

Well, another day in cyberland yields more angry emails and threats. It's amazing how utterly uniformed people are on the law and technology. In the latest spate of emails, RIMOFTHEWORLD.net is being threatened to be sued if we don't remove any references to a certain person. Well, let me let you read it for yourself...

Special Weather Statement
A Late Season Storm System To Move Across Southwest California Wednesday And Thursday
April 1, 2008

A developing low pressure system, currently located about 1000 miles offshore, is forecast to track due east across Southern California Wednesday through Thursday.
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Late Season Storm To Bring Low Snow Levels
March 13, 2008

Despite recent dry weather and warm temperatures, a quick moving Alaskan storm will set the stage for a cold weekend. A deepening marine layer will bring fog and drizzle to the coastal slopes late tonight through Friday. With a cold front passage on Friday and the approaching storm system, temperatures will cool dramatically and winds will increase.

3.9 Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Fontana (Update)
Aftershocks Follow Quakes
March 9, 2008

A 3.9 magnitude earthquake, centered near the 210 and 15 Freeways in Fontana, struck at 1:22 AM PST. A 3.1 magnitude aftershock rattled 2 minutes later, according to the US Geological Survey. The quakes were barely felt in the mountain communities, according to witnesses. An additional aftershock struck at 3:03 a.m.

Static
March 4, 2008

When I was about ten, I was fascinated with radio and television. Not for the content as much as the wonder of discovery.
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A Culture Of Hate
February 26, 2008

Two weeks ago today, 15-year-old Larry King was shot to death while sitting in the computer lab early that morning at E. O. Green School in Oxnard, CA.
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Sliding Off The Mountain
February 14, 2008

It was one of those horrible nights. You know the kind. When the fog is so think, you can't see your speedometer. I was making my way back from the RIMOFTHEWORLD.net office past Heaps Peak and the Arboretum.
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Hacking Attempts; Threats of Violence Against ROTW
February 10, 2008

In the past week there has been almost three dozen attempts by an individual using hacking services to create bogus RIMOFTHEWORLD.net accounts. Each account was quickly canceled and only two harmless posts were made.
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When God Says, 'No'
February 8, 2008

First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for your kind words, your supportive words, and your challenging words regarding my last blog. It is so good to be part of such a diverse and caring community.
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Winter Storm to Bring Wind, Rain and Mountain Snow Sunday
Special Weather Statement From The National Weather Service
February 2, 2008

A strong upper level low will move south along California this weekend. This storm will bring rain and mountain snow to Southern California Sunday. Moisture is limited with this fast moving system and rainfall amounts wont be anywhere near last weekends storm.
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Faith or Foolishness
January 31, 2008

Today has been a whirlwind of tectonic life evaluation. It's funny how we see the world from a single perspective, confident that what we feel, what we sense, what we believe is so fundamentally real — only, in a moment, to have a lifequake of sorts, that radically undermines our understanding.
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Negotiating With Myself
January 24, 2008

I'm currently flying at 33,000 feet somewhere over the Midwest, returning from a few days soul-searching. I spent a considerable amount of time evaluating some career choices and some opportunities that may lead me to New York. One opportunity will allow me to lend my talents as part of an enthusiastic and motivated team. The connection was almost instant with their manager. And, as I met the members of their team, I increasingly felt that this was the place for me.

All I Do Is Mumble
January 15, 2008

All I do now is mumble. It's funny how we put things off, things we know that there'll be a positive outcome, but the process seems uncomfortable or expensive or inconvenient. So, last week, after decades of delay, I got a retainer to close a small gap in my front teeth. I'm told to wear it all of the time except when I'm eating.

An Open Letter To My Friends
January 14, 2008

The past two years of my life have been plagued by upheaval — my father's death in 2005, struggling with my faith and orientation, my mother's death in 2007, and the fires — as well as the constant draining financially and emotionally of a house that is worth less than I owe on it, and continues to have needs. Through all of this, I've been driven to grow RIMOFTHEWORLD.net — and in the last few months, Dave Henderson and our incredible news team has stepped to the plate to assume much of the day-to-day operations. But, still, the bills from the site continue and my credit card debt gradually increases trying to keep the site online.

What's Wrong With San Bernardino
December 20, 2007

I suppose a whole book could be written on the subject, but I would like to focus on one aspect of the beautiful city that laps at our foothills. Of many of the cities its size in California, San Bernardino seems to be one of the most self-contradictory. The city council focuses on grand development schemes, while parts of the city deteriorate into mini-Fallujahs of highly concentrated crime pockets.

Snow Falls Above 4000 Feet; Windy Weather
December 20, 2007

A cold front brought a final burst of precipitation and cold air to the mountains late Thursday evening. Snow fell as low as 4,000 feet along Highway 18, causing some slushy patches. More significant slush was accumulating above 4,600 feet as temperatures plunged to near freezing.
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Warmer Storm Brought Mostly Rain
December 7, 2007

A Pacific Storm dragged a band of heavy precipitation through the region overnight resulting in some minor flooding and debris slides. Rainfall amounts overnight ranged from 0.67 inches near Angelus Oaks to 2.68 inches to the east of Waterman Canyon. Warm air preceding the storm system raised the snow levels to above 8,000 feet with rain falling on all of the mountain highways.

Storm To Bring Flooding Potential And Heavy Snow
December 6, 2007

A strong winter storm will bring heavy rain and higher elevation snow to the San Bernardino County Mountains Thursday night through Monday. Forecasters seem to now have a solid handle on the storm system. While earlier forecasters anticipated a weaker storm, the latest forecasts have been trending for a stronger, wetter, and warmer storm initially, followed by a cold arctic air mass.

Are We To Blame?
December 6, 2007

As of this writing, eight people have been killed and five people have been injured — two critically, by a suicidal teenager in a Nebraska shopping mall.
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