Welcome back, fellow adventurers! If you joined us for our last escapade in Oxnard, get ready for another thrilling journey to the sun-soaked shores of Pismo Beach. Situated midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Pismo Beach is the quintessential California beach town, offering a perfect blend of relaxation, adventure, and, of course, plenty of sunshine.

Dive Into Pismo Beach: Where Beach Dreams Come True

Ah, Pismo Beach—a haven for beach bums, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone looking to unwind by the ocean. Picture yourself strolling along the long stretches of soft, white sand, with the Pacific waves crashing gently nearby. It’s the kind of place where flip-flops are the footwear of choice and SPF is your best friend.

Soak Up the Coastal Vibes

Ready to kick back and relax? Pismo Beach has you covered. Whether you’re a sun worshiper or a shade seeker, you’ll find the perfect spot to unwind on these wide, sandy beaches. Need a break from beach bumming? Try your hand at surfing, horseback riding, or cruising the dunes in a four-wheel ATV. There’s never a dull moment in Pismo!

Explore Beyond the Sand

Venture north to Shell Beach and discover a different side of the coastline, where rocky outcroppings meet hidden sandy coves. Keep an eye on the tide—those tide pools are like nature’s own treasure trove. Just remember, it’s all fun and games until the tide comes in!

Uncover Pismo’s Hidden Gems

Beyond the beach, Pismo offers a trove of unique attractions. Channel your inner archaeologist at Dinosaur Cave Park or step back in time at the historic Price Anniversary House. Pismo Beach isn’t just a pretty face—it’s got personality!

Sip, Savor, and Indulge

No visit to Pismo Beach is complete without a taste of Central Coast wine country. Treat yourself to a glass of local vino paired with fresh coastal cuisine. Pro tip: Dining al fresco isn’t just about the food—it’s also a chance to people-watch and soak in those ocean views.

Events and Excitement

Don’t miss the 38th annual Pismo Beach Classic Car Show from May 31st to June 2nd, for a vibrant celebration of classic California. Enjoy vintage cars, live music, and the Classic Cruise parade from 6-8 pm on Saturday along Price Street and Pomeroy. Get your tickets here to join in the fun and support local charities like Ronald McDonald House, the Pismo Beach K-9 Unit, and the Folds of Honor Foundation.

Experience peer-judged competitions, including the exclusive “Gold Class” award for the top 10 cars. This event also features a wide range of food, beverages, and goods from local vendors, making it a must-attend for classic car enthusiasts and families alike.

Where to Stay? No Problem-o!

Finding the perfect place to stay in Pismo Beach is a breeze. Whether you’re yearning for luxury with an ocean view at the Sandcastle Hotel on the Beach or seeking a cozy beachfront hideaway like the SeaVenture Beach Hotel, Pismo Beach offers accommodations to suit every style and budget. From upscale resorts to charming boutique hotels, you’ll find your ideal home away from home in this coastal paradise

Ready to Ride the Wave in Pismo Beach?

Pack your sunscreen, dust off your shades, and get ready for the ultimate coastal adventure in Pismo Beach. It’s not just a destination—it’s a state of mind. Join us as we explore, unwind, and soak in the laid-back vibes of this classic California gem.

Visible has just launched its first annual plans, letting customers lock in a year of mobile service all at once for either of the company’s two tiers. The Verizon-owned prepaid carrier is charging $395 per year for its Visible Plus plan, which it says leads to annual savings of $145. The standard Visible plan runs $275 per year, and in that case, you’re only saving $25 compared to the monthly rate.

For now, annual plans are only available to new Visible customers and not existing users. Even once they do roll out more widely, it’s worth thinking twice if you’ve got a discount code applied to your Visible Plus plan. Many people are only paying $35 / month for the normally $45 service. And if you do the math, you’re only saving $25 for...

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Enlarge / See that fortress over there? You can explore it. And then die, when someone in your party remembers a tragic incident involving meat and perishes of sadness. (credit: Bay 12 Games/Kitfox)

"I'm crying for some reason," says Tarn Adams, demonstrating Dwarf Fortress' "Adventure Mode" for a Discord stream full of games writers and PR folk. His adventurer is crying, that is. "Something must have upset me. Probably the dead bodies… I have great grouchiness, though."

Adventure Mode, out today, builds on the graphical version of Dwarf Fortress and the work you've put into it. The adventurers you create and send out into the world traverse the overland and underground places you yourself crafted. This allows you to both appreciate the realms carved out by your imagination and also be a kind of dungeon master for other adventurers (with, hopefully, an easier fortress-swapping mechanic to come soon). You can also generate a new world if you prefer the simulation's weird choices to your own.

Release trailer for Dwarf Fortress' Adventure Mode update.

Everything about the standard simulation version of playing Dwarf Fortress applies to playing it as a hardcore CRPG. Everything has layers, all is described, and the combination of deep logic and utter silliness is unmatched.

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When COVID-19 struck California four years ago and people started dying, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared an emergency and assumed unilateral authority over Californians’ economic and social lives.

Over the ensuing months, he repeatedly issued commands to close down businesses, schools and gatherings, only to lift restrictions when they were no longer warranted.

Repeatedly, Newsom declared that his decisions were driven by science, but his underlying criteria were often opaque. The rollercoaster decrees understandably bewildered Californians.

Only a few weeks after ordering shutdowns in 2020, for instance, he eased off, citing economic effects, and then quickly reimposed restrictions when the death count increased. In December 2020, he imposed stay-at-home orders on 11 counties in Southern California, but lifted them a month later.

Unsurprisingly, Republicans attributed the about-face to Newsom’s fear of being ousted by voters in a recall.

“This governor’s decisions have never been based on science,” California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson said at the time. “Him re-opening our state is not an attempt to help working Californians, but rather an attempt to counter the recall movement. It’s sad and pathetic.”

However, not all of the criticism came from Republicans. A Los Angeles Times editorial said the reversal “came as a surprise to many – and raised questions about whether the governor was truly ‘following the science,’ as he so often says, or was influenced by growing public discontent with the pandemic restrictions.”

“So he is changing the blueprint rules without any logical reason,” Santa Clara County Executive Jeff Smith, a physician, told Politico after Newsom eased restrictions. “Our futures are in the hands of a governor trying to stop a recall. He has already killed tens of thousands by opening too soon in May. Now he wants to do it again.”

Newsom dismissed the criticism as “just complete, utter nonsense.” Later that year, after defeating the recall, Newsom declared, “Science was on the ballot. Our approach to this pandemic, vaccinations, were on the ballot last night.”

How many of Newsom’s pandemic-related decrees were based on science and how many on self-serving politics will never be known. But it stands as an intriguing example of how science is often invoked in politics.

Another example popped up last week when legislative leaders stalled a billaimed at requiring California schools to use what’s called the “science of reading” to improve students’ reading comprehension.

Results from California’s latest academic achievement tests last year revealed that fewer than half of students met standards in English language skills. California ranks seventh-worst among states in the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Phonics-based techniques to improve reading are called the “science of reading” because they have been proven to work, but California has been slow to adopt them.

Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio, a West Covina Democrat and former teacher, introduced Assembly Bill 2222 to make adoption mandatory. The measure had support from the California PTA, the NAACP and many other education reform groups. However, opposition from the California Teachers Association led Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas to stall the bill without a hearing.

He said he wants the Legislature to “study this problem closely.”

The teachers union is arguably the Capitol’s single most influential interest group. Does its opposition mean California’s children will continue to fall behind in reading scores? Or, will politicians, including Newsom, follow the science and give kids an opportunity to gain the skills they need for all other educational achievements?

Dan Walters is a CalMatters columnist.

Diana Goetsch spent months visiting red-state libraries to do presentations on the freedom to read. Would she be recognized, or clocked as transgender?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is proposing a $7 million fine against Cerebral, a mental telehealth firm that it says not only was careless with patients’ data but actively shared it with third parties for advertising purposes. The company and its CEO, Kyle Robertson, are also accused of lying to customers about how their data is shared and of having a misleading cancellation policy.

The FTC notes that Cerebral shared the sensitive data “of nearly 3.2 million consumers” with third parties like LinkedIn, TikTok, and Snapchat through trackers on its website or apps — something the company admitted to last year. That apparently included details like home and email addresses, phone numbers, pharmacy and health insurance details, and...

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