Willing To Try

This is a neat little interactive animation (using Macromedia Director) that was created by an advertising group to showcase their skills. Fun for young and old alike.

What I'm Reading...

History San Fernando Valley: America's Suburb	History Sins of the City
Outdoors Wild L.A.

Upcoming Events

Shakespeare by the Sea

From their web site...

"Our upcoming Fifth Anniversary Season includes two fabulous productions, Much Ado About Nothing (opens Thursday, June 20th at 8pm) and Macbeth (opens one week later on Thursday, June 27 at 8om). We'll be performing in San Pedro for 5 weeks before going on tour for 4 weeks throughout the beach cities until August 24 [see a complete list of locations]. We've begun a Volunteer program for those of you who like to get involved - just send us an e-mail and we'll get you on the "Volunteer List" so you'll be informed about the upcoming Volunteer Meetings and other Volunteer Opportunities. If you'd like to support Shakespeare by the Sea in other ways check out our Get Hooked on Shakespeare by the Sea opportunities."

...And...

The Little Fish Theatre Co. - Shakespeare by the Sea's contemporary theater wing is off to a great start with a variety of programming. We've got Staged Readings every last Tuesday of the month and Little Fish Co. fully produced productions. All these events take place at the Brown Bros. Bldg. - 455 6th Street (directly across from the historic Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro)

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2002 Lotus Festival

WHAT: 2002 Lotus Festival sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks

    WHEN: Saturday, July 13, 2002 - 12:00 Noon to 9:00 pm -- Sunday, July 14, 2002 - 12:00 Noon to 8:30 pm (The dates coincides with the blooming of the Lotus Flower)

  To develop, promote and create an atmosphere of understanding in which the Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Southern California are brought together for two (2) days of cultural sharing. To preserve and enlighten the public with a sampling of distinctly different and unique Asian and Pacific Islander customs and traditions in the arts, music, dance, drama and food....And provide a fun and enjoyable festival for the whole family.

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Montrose Artwalk 2002

Come to Honolulu avenue to see artists demonstrate and sell their fine art. Kids can check out Kids' Corner where that can paint the sidewalk with chalk. From 10a-4p. The cost is free. Between 2300 and 240 block of Honolulu Avenue (818)-249-7171

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UCLA Ocean Discovery Center

Be there for feeding time, every Saturday at 3pm.

$3 admission

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Malibu Arts Festival

July 27 & 28, 2002
9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
23555 Civic Center Way
310-456-9025

$5 parking/Free Admission

Today in History - from the Library of Congress

This is just one of the great features to be found at the Library of Congress web site. Today in History offers you a quick peak into American History, including text and photos from the LOC collections.

I also highly recommend a visit to the American Memory section of the web site.

BTW...when you see acronyms with dotted underlines, like the LOC above, point your mouse at them, and a definition will pop up.

Mactopia: Download: Internet Explorer 5.2.1 for Mac OS X

Yet another Internet Explorer upgrade for OS X. This update is NOT available via Software Update. You must download and install the file seperately. The update installed with no problems on my system. The usual caveats regarding current backups, etc. still apply, though.

From the site...

This latest version version (5.2.1) provides all the latest security and performance enhancements for Internet Explorer'5 for Mac OS X. It also provides support for the new Quartz text smoothing feature provided in MacOS X version 10.1.5 and later, so text on your screen is easier to read.

Pacific Asia Museum

Origami Festival

Saturday July 20, 1-4pm

From the site...

The event will feature origami workshops demonstrating the art of folding children's hats, animals, paper dolls in kimonos and mobiles. The workshops will be taught by veteran origami instructor Peggy Hasegawa. The afternoon will be accompanied by George Abe, playing the shakuhachi [Japanese flute]. Tea tasting stations will be available. This is event is free.

The Friday Five

1. Where are you right now?

As you might imagine, I am sitting at my computer. I am proud to say, though, that I didn't touch a computer for the last 2 days since we we visiting Idyllwild, our favorite place inthe mountains, over the holiday. We met friends up there for their first visit and took in the 4th of July Parade. Much fun was had by all.

2. What have you lost recently?

The only thing I feel I have lost recently is time. There never appears to be enough of it to do everything you want to do. I work really hard at not losing other things, as it aggravates me so much when I do.

3. What was the first CD you ever purchased? Does that embarrass you now?

I can't even imagine what my first CD was! Needless to say that while other people might be agast at my choices in music I don't feel emabarassed about them.

4. What is your favorite kind of writing pen?

This is an easy one. I love fountain pens. I have several, but none are the horribly expensive kind. I buy them to use, not look at. That said, I haven't used them in a while since I have been writing almost exlusively on the computer lately. Hmmm....maybe I should take them out today? (SMILE)

5. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

I love the Stracciatella gelato at our neighborhood gelato shop. For the unintiated, gelato is Italian ice cream and bears little relationship to American ice cream. This is not a slam, they just come from different philosophies of ice cream making. Stracciatella is basically a vanilla gelato into which you stir ribbons of chocalate. The chocalate solidifies and leaves these wonderful slivers throughout the gelato. Yummy!

If you are in the LA area, you can stop by Aromi Cafe, in Sherman Oaks, 14531 Van Nuys Blvd. 818-905-5542. Alfredo will be happy to give you a sample of real Italian gelato. He also serves up great panini (italian sandwichs), salads. and espresso. A little touch of Italy in LA.

Career-Op: Workers Beware
by Douglas E. Welch, ComputorEdge Magazine

As if there weren’t enough problems facing high-tech careerists today, some companies have taken it upon themselves to create several new pitfalls. Each of these “policies” shows a consistent disregard for employees, their careers and their lives outside of the workplace. Despite recent gains in developing a balance between profits and employee well-being, all workers are facing a new set of challenges.

(Continued)

Online SpiroGraph(tm)

All of you "of a certain age" will probably remember this toy. Now, you can use the SpiroGraph as the geometry learning tool it was designed to be.

This site not only lets you creates neat geometric designs, it also gives you the science behind those designs. A fun toy for a holiday weekend.

The scientific flash behind the fireworks

There seems to be a lot of interest in fireworks this year. I have seen 3 television specials in the last week dedicated to the science, fun and families involved in fireworks creation. Here is MSBC's take on fireworks, complete with a small, interactive fireworks primer.

Via Fark.com

Write Like an Egyptian

A bit of fun for a Wednesday morning. This site creates your name in hieroglyphs, much like an Egyptian scribe might have done.

There are further links to information on Egypt in the museum's exhibit, The Egyptian Mummy: Secrets and Science

30 days to a better web site -- from dive into mark

I have been following this "class" for the last few days and have found it to be quite useful. You may not use every tip, but the addition of just a few could greatly improve the readability of your web site.

Recipe - Bacon and Egg Pasta

Pasta Carbonara is one of my favorite dishes, but it is anything but healthful. Martha Stewart Living offered up this alternative and we have found it to be quite tasty, as well as easy to prepare.

Via MarthaStewart.com

Shameless Self-Promotion

What good is a blog if you can't engage in a little self-promotion every now and then? As the Summer heats up, I am trying to add a little fuel to my career fire, both in my writing and my computer coaching. I thought that one of you might be able to assist me in placing my writing in some new places (both online and offline) or spreading the word about my computer coaching services. Below are descriptions of the services I can provide.

Thanks for reading this message from our sponsor! (SMILE)

Computer Coaching

I use the tagline "I make computing clear!" and all the work I do revolves around that idea. I want computer users to have a great experience with their computer, whether this involves writing letters or a novel, sending email or building a web site, using Windows or a Macintosh.

I have been providing on-site computer training and troubleshooting for over 16 years in all sorts of envirnonemnts (Home office, small business, large corporations). I have worked with users who have never touched a computer before and others who are using them to run their entire business.

If you need computer assistance in the Los Angeles area, or know someone who does, please pass along my email or web site address.

Rates:

Training $70/hour
Technical $90/hour
(i.e. network/hardware intall)
6 hour series $390

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Writing

Career Opportunities

This month marks my 6th year of writing this weekly column for ComputorEdge in San Digeo and Colorado Springs, CO and ComputerScene in New Mexico.

I am interested in finding other publications that might be interested in re-printing these columns or developing new columns specifically for their publication. You can find a complete archive of all my Career Opportunities columns at this site by clicking on the link above.

A Gardener's Notebook

A few years ago I wrote nearly 40 of these columns for an online service in Florida. They are some of the most popular articles on my site and still generate email years after they were originally written. AGN was the story of me and my garden. As I learned more about my garden, I would pass on my experiences to my readers. I wrote about revitalizing an older garden, the issues with having opossum in your garden (yes, even here in Van Nuys) and how to ready your garden when you leave on vacation. I believe that AGN would fit in either a general purpose publication or a gardening magazine.

Technology IQ

This series of nearly 40 columns was also created for the same online service as AGN. TechnologyIQ addresses technology issues that might be faced by the average technology user, including how to deal with computer frustration, learning by playing around, upgrading computers and the importance of backing up your data. This column would be a good addition to any general purpose publication that wanted to touch on technoloy issues without confusing its readers.

Et al

I am always looking for opportunities to develop more columns and writing assignments. If you know of anyone who could use content for their web site or articles for their newspaper or magazine, please pass on my information and direct them to the articles on my web site. The links above take you directly to the archive for each column.

Additional information:

Writing Credits
Resume
MyWord, A Daily Web Log

Berlitz Kids Language Lessons @ Borders

As part of Summer Explorer Camps, Borders Sherman Oaks and Berlitz Kids invite you to join us every Saturday morning at 11:00 am for an entertaining 45-minute language lesson, complete with songs, games and a whole lot of fun!

Saturday, July 6 - French
Saturday, July 13 - French
Saturday, July 20 - Spanish
Saturday, July 27 - Spanish

Borders Sherman Oaks is located at:

14651 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks , CA 91403
Phone:818.728.6593

Back to the Ice Age

It's the Page Museum's 25th Anniversary Family Celebration!

Sunday, July 14 at 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits
Hancock Park activities are free; cost of food minimal

From the web site...

You'll dig the Page Museum's 25th anniversary. Meet Nigel Marven of the Discovery Channel's Nigel's Wild Wild World and see his exciting presentation. Reconstruct an Ice Age animal, have your face painted as an Ice Age predator, play games and watch scientists as they unearth new Ice Age fossils in our famous Pit 91! Enjoy an Ice Age day filled with music, food and fun!

Also an on-going event...

Pit 91 Excavation! From July 14 through September 8, see scientists unearthing fossils Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Page Museum.

Santa Barbara French Festival

Oak Park
Santa Barbara, CA
(805) 564-7274

July 13, 2002 to July 14, 2002

Continuous free entertainment including cancan, folk music and dancing,b classical recitals, accordion players, cajun, jazz, and more. Roving jugglers and mimes. Outdoor vendors and sidewalk cafes. Fresh baked breads and pastries, crepes, onion soup, quiche, pates, cheeses, beer, wine and cafe au lait. Arts and crafts. Outdoor market and flower stand. Classic cars. For the kids, puppet shows, storytellers, bouncer, wading pool. 11am-7pm.

LA Music Center - Free Family Day

07/13/2002

Free Family Day at the Music Center Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles celebrates the presentation of American Ballet Theatreâ??s acclaimed production of Le Corsaire (The Pirate).

The Music Centerâ??s Plaza becomes a showcase for the magic of classical dance with performance demonstrations by professional and student dancers, workshops about the basic elements of ballet, storytelling and hands-on art projects.

Kid-friendly meals are offered at kid-friendly prices.

Families are then encouraged to attend the 2 p.m. matinee of Le Corsaire in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Le Corsaire also plays the same night at 8 p.m. and Sun. July 14 at 2 p.m. $29 to $90. 135 North Grand Ave., L.A. 213-365-3500.

Inside Jaguar: An exclusive sneak-peek at new updates, part one

An interesting look at the upcoming Mac OS X 10.2, due to be released later this summer. It looks like their will be plenty of new stuff to figure out once it is released.

Via ThinkSecret.com

The Complete Works of Shakespeare

If you want to catch up on your Shakespeare reading, this is a cheap and easy way to get the Complete Works as a TEXT file that you can download to your PC.

Project Gutenberg also has hundreds of other works from many other authors available for download.

What I'm Reading...

History/Food From Hardtack to Home Fries	Business Reinvent your work
Business Survival is not enough Audio | CD	Shakespeare Complete Sonnets
Shakespeare Henry IV Part One

**My Word earns 5%-15% from each Amazon purchase you make

Getty Center - Upcoming Events

Here are some interesting activities from the Getty's July Calendar.

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Artful Weekends

Pick up a handout before visiting the galleries for some inspiration and sketching fun. Then, create your own art in this drop-in workshop. Every Saturday and Sunday, 12-4 pm, Family Room Patio.

Restoring the Light: Recent Developments with the Conservation of Benjamin Henry Latrobe's Baltimore Cathedral

John G. Waite, principal architect and Wayne T. Ruth, chairman, Basilica of the Assumption Historic Trust, Inc. will discuss the state-of-the-art methods of non-destructive evaluation and testing used to better understand and restore America's first Roman Catholic cathedral. Presented by the Getty Conservation Institute as part of its Issues in Conservation series. Harold M. Williams Auditorium. 07/18/02
7 pm

Make Reservations