Growing Rice in Salt

I hadn’t realized that Kaiser Permanente had foundational ties to Oakland, itself.  Up now, suddenly on the twentieth floor we are in a large conference room with a remarkable view of Lake Merritt and the hills that reach up in the distance.  I learned a thing or two about Mr. Kaiser who apparently lived in a home right, over there, which they were recently able to purchase back. 

The trip over the Bay Bridge is merciful at 11:00AM.  It was a drag when it happened, but now I’m glad that our 11:30AM meeting got pushed back till tomorrow.  We never would have made it.  Where Jessie Street meets Ming Plaza there is an Italian restaurant that agrees to serve us quickly if we agree to order pasta.  “Do you have risotto?”  “No.”  My guest and I both get the gnocchi and there are some slivers of pulled pork in there with it which is intriguing.  Across the street I still make time for a triple shot of espresso at the Blue Bottle Café. 

Learning about life sciences startups.  Have you heard about growing rice in salt water out on floating farms in the sea?  Me-too, meatless meat?  It’s breathtaking to consider all the things that would presumably be part of our lives in the not too distant future.  Follow-on meeting and we’re discussing all the bio data one can collect on an individual while they’re sleeping.  Now you can analyze your blood and thousands of variables in real time, monitoring things to a level of granularity that would be impossible for a doctor.   Trust the algorithm.  It's smarter than you and the doctor as well.

Dinner at a beautiful tapas place by Pier 5.  My friend has lost her iPad and when she calls our last meeting to find out if it’s there they tell her that it is not, but that my lap top however is.   Why am I being so forgetful?  I’m too busy.  My daughter needs help before she goes to bed back east and I duck out of calling Lyft drivers to return this iPad and texting with the guy who has my laptop to have a look over her paper and offer her some suggestions on what she might do.  Another guest has arrived when I head back in.

Tuesday, 11/12/19