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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=265272921-09012010>I had a number of
happy memories rush back today, since I was in downtown San Jose at the McHenry
Convention Center at a car show. I remembered an extro schmooze we had
down there, or right next to it at Hilton if I recall correctly. It must
have been in the summer of 01, because I do recall several of us commenting at
lunch how we missed Sasha Chislenko and how sad it was he was no
longer with us. Is it not amazing he has been gone nearly ten years
already?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=265272921-09012010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=265272921-09012010>In contrast to that,
I have an optimistic note to sound in this post. I moved to the San Jose
area about 21 years ago. At that time, the area of town where the McHenry
Center now stands is one where you wouldn't hang out, day or night. A
mangy junkyard dog would watch his step down there. But by 2001, a revival
had been taking place. There were plenty of safer looking areas where one
could walk, especially if they were to hang out in clots of 4 or 5 geeks.
The neighborhood was a bit spotty, but not bad really. Those who were
there, comments welcome, affirming or contradicting. I do recall
commenting at the time to stay on the north side of the freeway, for that
adjoining neighborhood just two minutes walk underneath that underpass was
bad news indeed. But as I recall, the extropians found adequate sustenance
and I do not recall anyone having felt threatened. We did suggest people
stay indoors after dark if staying at the Hilton.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=265272921-09012010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=265272921-09012010>So I was down there
this morning at the car show. I marvelled at how nice everything was down
there, clean, new, fixed up, nice, nothing at all that looked the least bit
dangerous. So I walked around, and found it the same all around there,
much better even than it was in 2001. So I decided to risk disappointment
and check out on the other side of that freeway. I wasn't disappointed at
all! That area is looking waaay better than I ever recall seeing it.
Of course it is still lower end housing, lots of ancient dwellings, some fifty
or more years old, still standing by some mysterious means after all these
years. Perhaps they were built by the same guys who built the Anastasi
cliff dwellings. But they were tidy and making an attempt at actual lawns
and gardens in many of the houses. There was nothing over there that
looked scary. Really! </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=265272921-09012010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=265272921-09012010>This was a great
contrast to the way it appeared 20 years ago. In those days, if
one should stumble into that area, one's chances of escaping alive were
negligible. One might as well not even bother trying, but rather
just save everyone a lot of time and effort, and just pull into the local
mortuary, pick out one's favorite pine box, hand them a credit card, climb
in and close the lid after oneself. I myself blundered into the area once,
only to escape by sheer miracle.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=265272921-09012010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=265272921-09012010>But it isn't that
way now. I saw little that scared me at all.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=265272921-09012010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=265272921-09012010>The rising tide has
raised all boats in San Jose.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=265272921-09012010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=265272921-09012010>I miss Sasha.
May his memory live on forever.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=265272921-09012010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=265272921-09012010>spike</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=265272921-09012010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=265272921-09012010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=265272921-09012010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>