tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77366782024-03-20T20:30:38.399-07:00Embiggen Yourselfqazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-17855046807666708292009-09-20T23:19:00.000-07:002009-09-20T23:20:20.110-07:00art projectfor those of you less skilled at the intertubes, I should mention <a href="http://playakarmabox.blogspot.com/2009/09/get-dust-off.html">my little art project</a> was a success. :)qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-83919742296186868052009-09-08T18:53:00.000-07:002009-09-08T22:22:52.379-07:00Oh. happy day !<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://imagecache5.art.com/p/LRG/12/1287/I4DO000Z/i-robot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 279px; height: 351px;" src="http://imagecache5.art.com/p/LRG/12/1287/I4DO000Z/i-robot.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Got back from a little party in the desert, to some great news.<br /><br />Today was the first library day for my son in 5th grade. His book find ? I, Robot! Sweet!<br /><br />We had a little talk about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Laws_of_Robotics">Three Laws</a>, Asimov as an author, and the implications for UAV's.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-38695282278994349032009-08-26T11:07:00.000-07:002009-08-26T11:10:20.727-07:00F TicketmasterJust a quick tip that if you are trying to get tickets to the Hollywood Bowl, LA Philharmonic, or their affiliates call them directly and f*ck Ticketmaster.<br /><br />They try to hide the number, but it is 323-850-2000. The representatives are *very* helpful and knowledgeable (unlike the 'tards at Ticketmaster) and you don't have to pay the Ticketmaster fees.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-74724237382594513882009-08-22T21:24:00.001-07:002009-08-22T21:28:34.355-07:00Out of the mouth of babes ...My son overhears his grandfather is going to Burning Man.<br /><br />His 2ยข ?<br /><br />"He is probably going to Jiffy Lube"<br /><br /><br />You can't buy the kind of laughter that followed.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-77632769118449315562009-03-26T13:16:00.000-07:002009-03-26T16:08:28.424-07:00Meeting KaraokeI recently downloaded the new <a href="http://m.google.com/search">Google Mobile App for Blackberry</a>, which has location based searching and voice input. I was playing around with it during a meeting and discovered something fun. If you hold down the input key while someone is speaking during the meeting, the term Google tries to search for is pretty funny.<br /><br />Here are what I got -<br /><br /><ul><li>jet air ohio is for allah</li><li> crime in stereo in jersey city</li><li>2 officers and literacy west law</li><li>ivy cap on and off</li><li>youtube williamsburg working class hero bag</li><li>the river ranch florida 100 warrenton</li><li>meeting in san jose charity</li></ul>qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-76468803273456440342009-01-14T16:34:00.000-08:002009-01-14T16:38:28.538-08:00Best ice cream in LA ?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3195/2878272392_a7afb00b3e_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3195/2878272392_a7afb00b3e_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><p>We went to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fosselmans.com/">Fosselman's</a> in Alhambra for ice cream this weekend. While they have good fresh ice cream in lots of flavors literally made in the same building you eat it, I have always been a bit disappointed by them.</p> <p>I think these days for ice cream (not gelato or frozen yogurt!) my two favorites are <a target="_blank" href="http://www.drbobsicecream.com/">Dr. Bob's</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/scoops-los-angeles">Scoops</a>.</p> <p>Dr. Bob used to teach at Cal Poly Pomona and decided to quit to make ice cream. It is pretty dang good. However the do not have retail stores. You can get it at the LA County fair, but that is only once a year. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/franks-famous-kitchen-and-bakery-glendale-2">Frank's Kitchen</a> in La Crescenta has it all year 'round though.</p> <p>Scoops is a kind of hipster place over near LA Community College. They have a lot of ever-changing wacky flavors (like Brown Bread and Fig Goat Cheese). They are always happy to let you taste them all and their prices are cheap. If you go late tough, they may be out of most or all of the ice cream for the day.</p> <p>And while I am on a roll, I will mention a couple out of town places.</p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/dewars-ice-cream-and-candy-shop-bakersfield">Dewar's</a> in Bakersfield is great old fashioned fountain that makes their own ice cream. It like it a lot (don't miss their candy either). The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/disneys-soda-fountain-and-studio-store-hollywood">Disney soda fountain</a> next to the El Capitan in Hollywood serves Dewar's ice cream, but somehow it is just not the same.</p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.amysicecreams.com/">Amy's</a> in Austin is also quite good. Kind of like a Texas Ben and Jerry's type place. I want to try in again when I get back there.</p><p>ps - I first blogged this at work, but figured it would be a good post here too.<br /></p>qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-46383505376427721022008-10-22T12:22:00.001-07:002008-10-22T12:25:29.801-07:00Renting a car in Austin ?If you are <a href="http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/austinairport/">flying to Austin</a> and need to rent a car, do yourself a favor and pick the cheapest thing possible from <a href="http://arac.com">Advantage</a>. Apparently their lowest end car at the Austin airport is a <a href="http://www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicle/sonata/sonata.aspx">Hyundai Sonata</a>. For only about 20 bucks a day, it is a good deal ! They will even let you pre-buy 1/2 a tank for gas instead of a whole tank.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-72487647719376542812008-09-16T14:31:00.001-07:002008-09-16T14:39:29.261-07:00Time to do some drilling and cutting !<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.marshpowertools.net/images/dc6pack%20copy.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://www.marshpowertools.net/images/dc6pack%20copy.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I bought a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Makita</span> cordless drill a long time ago (10 years?). It lasted a while, but the battery crapped out a few years ago. And it didn't make to the new place.<br /><br />So whenever I need to use a drill, I have to beg/borrow/steal.<br /><br />Buying a good quality drill alone can run $200. Buying a tool set is a better deal, but the sets tend to have a lot of crap in them.<br /><br />I found the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DC6PAKIA-Cordless-Reciprocating-Floodlight-Batteries/dp/B000IBJ7KK/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_cart_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">DeWalt</span> DC6<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">PAKIA</span></a> set had a good assortment of tools (Hammer Drill, Circular Saw, Reciprocating Saw, Impact Driver, Cut-Off Tool, Flexible Floodlight, 2 Batteries, Charger, and Bag). Amazon has been carrying it for about 40% off, but it recently went down to 57% off (new, not a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">refurb</span>).<br /><br />So if you need anything cut or drilled, I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">gots</span> the tools now !qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-10556135074205220552008-06-10T13:12:00.000-07:002008-06-10T13:37:55.065-07:00Europcar car rental damage scam !When I was in Australia recently, I needed to rent a car to get around town and such. In the US there is not much difference between car rental places, so I investigated online and made a booking with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Car_Rental">National</a>.<br /><br />It turns out National is some how partnered with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europcar">Europcar</a>. I didn't see a National counter at the Adelaide airport, so I checked with Hertz, Avis, etc. They were all sold out (weird), but I finally figured out that Europcar==National.<br /><br />Like a good little renter, I declined the obscene insurance offered. I have car insurance and a platinum credit card after all.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2230/2459107119_55ee30cc04_t.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2230/2459107119_55ee30cc04_t.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Upon returning the car, the guy noted this 'damage' to the left front wheel skirt. Not much all if you ask me. Maybe it was there when I got it. I didn't run into anything while driving !<br /><br />The Europcar people ask me if I want to wait for the damage assessor to make an evaluation. I say "no thanks" as THIS IS AN AIRPORT AND I HAVE A FLIGHT TO CATCH.<br /><br />I return home to find a charge of $1180 on my credit card for damages. WTF !?<br /><br />I call and dispute the claim and then speak to the Visa rental car insurance people. They explain all I need to do, so then I get on the phone to National.<br /><br />The lady with National was *very* nice and competent. She gave me her name, number, and email address for follow-up. It turns out since I booked through National, they would go ahead and get all the documentation from Europcar.<br /><br />When I receive it, I notice the only repair bill is $98 for paint touch-up. Hmm. I forward this to the Visa insurance people and they said this means they would only pay out $98. The insurance guy says this is definitely something to pursue with Disputes.<br /><br />I finally heard back from the Disputes people today. They found in my favor !<br /><br />I am not the only person who has had this happen. <a href="http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lisaludwig/pacificcircle/1202571600.html">So</a> <a href="http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/europcar.html">be</a> <a href="http://www.rateitall.com/i-864867-europcar.aspx">careful</a> <a href="http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/europcar-c25995.html">renting</a> <a href="http://www.epinions.com/Europcar/display_%7Ereviews">from</a> <a href="http://consumerdave.blogspot.com/2008/05/my-experience-with-europcar.html">Europcar</a> !qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-14498269318359329732008-05-27T10:32:00.000-07:002008-05-27T10:36:25.202-07:00Dioramas ! What year is it ?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/30/88270701_5a6492e366_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/30/88270701_5a6492e366_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>If you are in the 3rd grade, I guess May is diorama month.<br /><br />But this got me thinking how many dioramas are needed until the hot glue gun and such are mastered. Because I don't think this medium is too educational beyond the craft-skills level.<br /><br />How about teaching the kids to use <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/">Google SketchUp</a> to make a virtual diorama ? Or <a href="http://www.boinx.com/istopmotion/overview/">iStopMotion</a> to make a little educational movie set in a diorama ?<br /><br />sigh ....qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-202356329373456402008-05-17T19:03:00.000-07:002008-05-17T19:14:48.168-07:00I know it is hot, but get outside !This is just a quick post to remind you of various great thing you can do outdoors.<br />And, hey, they are all <span style="font-weight: bold;">FREE</span>!<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.firegroove.com/Yoga.htm#freeyoga">Yoga in Runyon Canyon</a></li><li><a href="http://www.independentshakespeare.com/box-office/box-office.html">Shakespeare in Barnsdall Park</a></li><li><a href="http://angeles.sierraclub.org/outingsDB/index.aspx">Hiking</a>. <a href="http://www.sc2030singles.org/constructor.php?nav_element=19">Almost</a>. <a href="http://www.outdoorsclub.org/Calendar/EventThisMonth.asp?Region=100&RegionName=California&area=1">Everywhere</a>.<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.grandperformances.org/">Grand Performances in Downtown LA</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.cinespia.org/">Movies at the cemetery</a></li></ul>qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-40439076737343319742008-04-30T16:38:00.000-07:002008-05-01T11:49:42.334-07:00Skidrow (the movie)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.townnews.com/ladowntownnews.com/content/articles/2007/08/27/news/news05.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://images.townnews.com/ladowntownnews.com/content/articles/2007/08/27/news/news05.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Having lived in downtown LA for several years (in the 90's before it got cool and expensive), in both the Toy Town and Fashion District areas, I know a bit more than the average Angeleno about skidrow.<br /><br />Skidrow, the homeless, and the addicts are a part of LA that not too many people see. And if they do, they generally try real hard to make sure they don't see it again. Living in the area forced me to observe and deal with the situation.<br /><br />My primary observation is that most people who stay on skid row are crazy. It is hard to say much more than that, because each person is different. But everyone I ever got to know definitely had some kind of mental, emotional, medical, or addiction issue that effectively made them nuts. They were on the streets because they could not get live any other way.<br /><br />The best way I found to to deal with the people on skidrow was to treat them like anyone else. I would say 'hi', 'bye', 'excuse me', 'please', and hold doors open just like I do for anyone else. After you see the same person over and over, conversations inevitably occur and you can come to know them as an individual.<br /><br />I am saying all this to encourage you to watch the documentary 'Skidrow' that came out recently. Hopefully it will raise your awareness and inform your actions regarding the homeless. You can get the movie from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Skid-Full-Screen-Pras-Michel/dp/B001152TLG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1209599457&sr=1-1">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Skid_Row/70077707?trkid=222336">Netflix</a>.<br /><br />There is also a special <a href="http://www.indiepixfilms.com/collection/the-skid-row-collection">Activist Edition</a> of the DVD available for students and activists that want to raise a group awareness and will help get something done about this growing crisis. You can sign up to host an event at <a href="http://skidrow.bravenewtheaters.com/" target="_blank">http://skidrow.bravenewtheaters<wbr>.com</a>. Half of the profits of this Special Edition will go to The Midnight Mission and other homeless shelters.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-50234907874074583162008-03-02T22:54:00.000-08:002008-03-02T22:58:13.897-08:00The Apocalypse begins at BarCampI met a guy today who does ground breaking work with digital life. The kind of stuff that could doom the world as we know it. His name was <a href="http://www.verse-studios.com/company.html">Travis</a>. He seemed nice.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-60063677166118303192008-03-02T01:25:00.000-08:002008-03-02T22:58:56.321-08:00Untitled Burning Man Post<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/82/237497662_53ed012656_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/82/237497662_53ed012656_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>If you recall, <a href="http://embiggen.blogspot.com/2007/09/first-off-here-are-my-limited-pics-from.html">I went to Burning Man in 2007</a>. While I was out on the playa, I was interviewed for a as-yet-to-air episode of <a href="http://burncast.net/Welcome.html">BURNcast </a>with some other virgins about our experiences.<br /><br />One of the questions asked was - "How has Burning Man changed you ?". At the time I didn't really have an answer for that. Instead I talked about how a deeply appreciated the art and wonder I found out at Black Rock City combined with the sheer scale of the event.<br /><br />I have always had the notion that if a thing were completely knowable (like an art museum) that I wanted to know it completely. For example, you can't see all of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museo_del_Prado">Prado </a>or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre">Louvre</a> in a single day. And if I had to leave without seeing everything, I would feel like I had missed out or failed in some way.<br /><br />Today at <a href="http://barcamp.org/BarCampLosAngeles">BarCampLA</a>, we ran into the host of BURNcast (which was a pleasant surprise). And someone else was giving a talk about Burning Man for people who were interested in going. I sat in the talk mostly to hear what he would say and hear what people would ask. But it all got me thinking about my playa experience again and what it meant to me.<br /><br />The playa is a vast area where innumerable amazing cool things are happening every single second. It is also scale-free in such a way that its physical boundaries are inconsequential. That amazingly cool thing might be a 600' tower of flame seen by tens of thousands or contained in a small yurt and seen but by a few. It is impossible to see everything, even if you didn't sleep all week. It is the exact opposite of a knowable event.<br /><br />And in that realization is a certain release and relaxation. Since you can't do everything, you need occasionally make sure you are doing the right thing for you, be willing to change what you are doing at any instant, and revel in the fact that other people are carving their own unique paths in time/space/experience.<br /><br />Now of course there are people you care about more than others and sharing a path with them for some time is great But so is seeing their path diverge and cross and loop and merge and then go off again in a new direction.<br /><br />Now off the playa, what the hell does that mean ?<br /><br />I think I have really started to appreciate that the default world has all these same aspects as the playa. It is just more diffuse. You have to wander longer and through more crap to get to another amazingly cool thing.<br /><br />And you will miss stuff. Time and space conspire to keep you from doing everything. And it is OK. Somehow knowing that the path I am carving is contained within a giant tangle of paths of the people I care about plus those of complete strangers makes me feel good and mitigates some of the pains of life.<br /><br />And I need to keep checking in to make sure what I am doing right now is the right thing for me right now, be open to change, seek new experiences, and do what I can to help other people get to their next amazingly cool thing.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-15845575018116526372008-02-24T17:40:00.000-08:002008-02-24T17:45:37.213-08:00A Proud Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.randomhouse.com/images/dyn/cover/?source=9780345467812&height=300&maxwidth=170"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/images/dyn/cover/?source=9780345467812&height=300&maxwidth=170" alt="" border="0" /></a>Today at approximately 10:30AM Pacific Standard Time, my 8 year old son decided he wanted his first novel.<br /><br />340 pages.<br /><br />No pictures.<br /><br />Sure, it is based on a video game. But it is a good first book. He can get to <span style="font-style: italic;">A Wrinkle in Time</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hobbit</span> later.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-75586741371398371742008-02-23T23:36:00.000-08:002008-02-23T23:40:28.326-08:00Tivo Independent Lens Now<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://forum-network.org/content/forum/142-0000_00_00_91.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 91px; height: 91px;" src="http://forum-network.org/content/forum/142-0000_00_00_91.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Just a quick post to say if you are not Tivo'ing <a href="http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/">Independent Lens on PBS</a>, do it now. It is great showcase for independent documentaries and dramas.<br /><br />You won't like every film, but I guarantee you will love some of them.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-16327462505926337182008-02-10T01:14:00.000-08:002008-02-10T01:29:12.013-08:00Travelling much ? You need a towel *and* and pillow<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bentgear.com/images/CAS0086.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.bentgear.com/images/CAS0086.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I am going to Australia in a couple of months for my sister's wedding. As we all know, you don't travel without a towel because <a href="http://www.towel.org.uk/index.php/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Towel">towels are so massively useful</a>.<br /><br />However, I am going to be doing (all told) about 50 hours of flying. In coach.<br /><br />Plus camping with hippies, sleeping in dubious hostels, and spending god-knows-how-long in airport terminals.<br /><br />I decided I need a pillow too.<br /><br />But I can't just bring one off the old bed. Too bulky. I can't travel laden with supplies like my grandmother.<br /><br />I can't stand those inflatable neck pillows. What they heck are they for ? I would rather drool on myself.<br /><br />I found the perfect thing at <a href="http://rei.com">REI</a>. A <a href="http://www.thermarest.com/product_detail.aspx?pID=93&cID=4">Therm-a-Rest compressible travel pillow</a>. I got a large sized one. It rolls up into its own little stuff sack about the size of a submarine sandwich. It is fluffy. It has a cool smooth side and a warm fuzzy side. It is large enough to fold it in half and use for reading.<br /><br />My pillow is going to be my new best friend while traveling. Sorry towel, you are too easily replaced in this galaxy.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-84582752134339853392008-02-06T20:28:00.001-08:002008-02-06T20:40:07.896-08:00Charitable Dilema<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2007/06/15/wbCHARITY2_narrowweb__300x387,0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170px;" src="http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2007/06/15/wbCHARITY2_narrowweb__300x387,0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>With the new IRS requirement that <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/23/pf/taxes/charity_contributions/index.htm">all charitable contributions need a receipt</a>, I am considering changing how I contribute to charities.<br /><br />If you recall, I have a <a href="http://embiggen.blogspot.com/2006/11/charity-begins-on-web.html">long list of organizations I donate to</a>. Just keep track of how much, when, etc. is kind of a pain.<br /><br />I also recently got bummed out on the whole "recurring donation via credit card thing". Most charities do a good job with that, but others don't. I have have one billing me $15/month as "NON PROFIT TRANS". I have no idea who that is or how to stop it.<br /><br />To make my life and taxes easier, I am considering instead making one big donation to a single charity. This will likely be <a href="http://www.grandperformances.org/">Grand Performances</a>.<br /><br />I like their program a lot and I think it serves a valuable need in Los Angeles.<br /><br />Thoughts ?qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-69681896211074779932008-02-05T08:44:00.000-08:002008-02-05T08:47:40.686-08:00Election Advice from my 8 year old<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/404178583_78ae751aa4_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/404178583_78ae751aa4_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />"Be sure to vote for that brown guy. He is awesome!"qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-64875179030201999762008-02-01T14:53:00.000-08:002008-02-01T14:54:59.356-08:00M$!I call dibs on M$!<br /><br />Everyone owes me a penny each time it is used.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-3134610695848890612008-01-27T14:04:00.001-08:002008-01-27T14:16:41.877-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://derbydolls.com/la/events/promo/LADDBout-Web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://derbydolls.com/la/events/promo/LADDBout-Web.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.djsteveboy.com/">Steve </a>and I went to go see the <a href="http://derbydolls.com/la/">Derby Dolls</a> last night. It was <span style="font-weight: bold;">SUPER FUN</span>, the game just flew by. I almost even understood the rules by the end.<br /><br />Those women really beat the snot out of each other. Several left the game due to injuries.<br /><br />I didn't take any pictures (because I forgot my camera), and I can't even find any on Flickr. What is web2.0 coming to ?<br /><br />We ran into a old and close friend last night. Her derby name is <a href="http://grittyinpink.blogspot.com/">Gritty in Pink</a> and she is a Doll in training and writing about it (as is her way). I am glad to have seen her<br /> and I sure hope we can reconnect.<br /><br />I can't wait until <a href="http://derbydolls.com/la/events/index.html">the next game</a> on February 16th !qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-91527362992118402972008-01-17T10:56:00.000-08:002008-01-17T14:45:19.873-08:00Some Smashing Required<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/seday/Image1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/seday/Image1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>To hide from <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-winds18jan18,0,2311006.story">the winds</a>, I sat down into front of the 'tivo' last night and watched two new shows from the Science and Discovery Channel - <a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/smash-lab/about/about.html">Smash Lab</a> and <a href="http://blogs.discovery.com/some_assembly_required/">Some Assembly Required</a>.<br /><br />Smash Lab is a <a href="http://www.blogger.com/dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/mythbusters.html">Mythbusters</a> rip off. They ditch the whole 'myth' premise and instead start with some idea of dubious plausibility (in this case - arrerated concrete to slow auto crashes). Then they broke into two teams and did a Mythbuster's 'build off' type show. The show clearly has a decent budget, since they used lots of concrete, vehicles, and work crews to get things done. I am not sure about the cast members and hoped for more than one hot geeky girl on the show.<br /><br />Some Assembly Required is kind of a mash-up of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/dsc.discovery.com/fansites/dirtyjobs/dirtyjobs.html">How It's Made</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/dsc.discovery.com/fansites/dirtyjobs/dirtyjobs.html">Dirty Jobs</a>. It has a main host and his scientist sidekick. They go to business and inject themselves into the manufacturing process. I saw the Jelly Belly's, <span style="">Kohler</span> toilets, and Ebonite bowling ball episode. They explain a lot of the nuances that go into the manufacture in a way that How It's Made does not. Who knew that jelly bean, bowling ball, and toilet manufacture was so hands-on ?<br /><br />Both shows were pretty decent and I will continue to watch them.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-5460568826779710002008-01-14T09:12:00.001-08:002008-01-16T09:31:14.599-08:00School House Rock Live!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.schoolhouserockla.com/SchoolhouseRockLive%21/Schoolhouse%20Rock%20Live%21_files/FrontofPostcard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 149px;" src="http://www.schoolhouserockla.com/SchoolhouseRockLive%21/Schoolhouse%20Rock%20Live%21_files/FrontofPostcard.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Drew, Grandma Jeanne, and I went to go see School House Rock Live! last night and it was really good. It is put on through Fairfax High School and the <a href="http://www.greenwayarts.org/">Greenway Arts Alliance</a>.<br /><br />They did a fabulous job of turning animation into live action. And working with a budget that is probably less than your grocery bill. They had a live band playing the music and the cast was all good, especially <a href="http://profiles.friendster.com/jlandman">Jeffery Landman</a>.<br /><br />If you are a Gen X'er and love the <a href="http://www.school-house-rock.com/">School House Rock</a>, grab the kids (or the neighbor's kids in the case of delayed maturity) and go see this show.<br /><br />It runs Saturday's at 4pm and Sunday's at 4pm and 7pm through February 24th. You can <a href="http://www.schoolhouserockla.com/SchoolhouseRockLive%21/Schoolhouse%20Rock%20Live%21.html">get tickets either from the website</a> or (cheaper) from <a href="http://www.goldstar.com/events/los-angeles-ca/schoolhouse-rock-live.html">Goldstar</a>.<br /><br />You can also <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Schoolhouse-Rock-Special-30th-Anniversary/dp/B00005JKTY">buy the orginals on DVD</a> and put some money in the Mouse's pockets.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-54240390961564235272007-12-26T12:41:00.000-08:002007-12-26T12:44:19.377-08:00RipRoar Creation Station sux0r<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://gadgets.boingboing.net/gimages/ruoriar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 249px; height: 204px;" src="http://gadgets.boingboing.net/gimages/ruoriar.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Mike really does not like the <a href="http://cruftbox.com/blog/archives/001471.html">RipRoar Creation Station</a>.<br /><br />And it sure sounds like he tried to get it working.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7736678.post-32082755959753793582007-12-19T17:40:00.000-08:002007-12-19T18:01:15.772-08:00I am a bad note takerI have always been a bad note taker. Every semester I would try to take good notes, and then fail miserably. Same thing at work when I go to meetings.<br /><br />However, as my job became much more customer focused I find that I am taking better notes in meetings and seminars. Sometimes this is to ease communicating later to my boss and team. Other times is so I don't forget to do something.<br /><br />I decided to go through the half dozen little notebooks I have floating around and post just the titles of the various meetings.<br /><ul><li>Large Company Social Computing Issues</li><li>Company University site</li><li>Pligg to-do</li><li>Prioritize Search Initiatives</li><li>VAP7 Rollout</li><li>Enterprise Architecture Board Collaboration Team</li><li>Plone Outages</li><li>Company mediawiki</li><li>Staff Meeting</li><li>Zimba and Company business unit<br /></li><li>SAP Contacts</li><li>Digitizing the Archives</li><li>Content Discovery</li><li>Contacts 2.0</li><li>CIO Coffee</li><li>Wiki Book Project</li><li>Calendaring</li><li>Google Meeting with Compant Special Events</li><li>Moving Servers to of of Current Data Center</li><li>Google POC</li><li>Wiki Meeting</li><li>Plone and Server Migration</li><li>Kiosk Issues</li><li>Cisco Unified Communications</li><li>Zimbra Scope</li><li>IT Support</li><li>Targeted links</li><li>Search Monitoring</li><li>Email Delivery</li><li>FAST Status</li><li>Virtual Iron Meeting</li><li>SpikeSource/Intel Collaboration</li></ul>I note that for many meeting, I failed to write anything down. I guess that is because many meetings are a waste of time. Others are only held for social validation purposes. I am actually surprised that this list manages to capture the diverse nature of my role fairly well.qazwsxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06632679442109821443noreply@blogger.com1