Web/Fun

Rube Goldberg Lives!

A flash animation for the New Year.

Events/Outdoors

Star Gazing at Charmlee Wilderness Park

Saturday 1/4 8pm

The Santa Monica College Amateur Astronomy Club will be looking at the stars through telescopes, weather permitting. 2hrs CNA

Events

Rose-pruning time again

Descanso Gardens

January 4, 2003

Annual Rose Pruning Demonstration

Rosarium Horticulturist Wen-Pihn Wang will demonstrate and explain how to prune modern and antique roses. Learn how the experts prune climbing roses and peg shrubs to form graceful fountains. With more than 3,000 roses to prune, Wen and the rosarium staff know the all the dos and donâ??ts to keep roses thriving and looking beautiful.

Computers/Networking

Linksys Router Upgrades

Linksys has recently released a large number of firmware upgrades for all of their router products. If you are using a Linksys product, you should consider downloading and installing these updates.

If you need assistance with updating your Linksys router, contact me at help@welchwrite.com.

Events

Skirball Cultural Center/Maurice Sendak Exhibit

We have been meaning to go to the Skirball Center for years, but it was the Maurice Sendak exhibit and some friends who finally got us there. The permanent exhibits are well done and quite informative.

The Sendak exhibit was designed with both children and adults in mind. There are displays of original artwork, handwritten manuscripts and recollections by the author. For the kids, there are tons of wonderful "hands-on" play activities. There is a "Night Kitchen" where children can pretend to cook, a bigger-than-life bowl of "Chicken and Rice Soup", Max's bedroom and, of course, lots of Wild Things! There is also an art area for making and decorating masks and decorating your own chef's hat for the kitchen.

The exhibit only runs until January 5, 2003, but there are still a few days to catch it. Do yourself and your kids a favor and stop by before it is gone.

Click on the picture for some additional photos from our visit.

Events

Santa Monica Mountains Activity Guide

The quarterly activity guide for the Santa Monica Mountains is available online at the link above.

I highlight certain events that I particularly like in my WelchEvents mailing list, but you can find directions and the complete list of activities here.

End-of-Year

Books, Books and More Books

The folks over at All Consuming have put together their list of the most mentioned books of 2002. They also have links to many other "end-of-year" book lists.

Scroll to the bottom of the page for all the links.

Web/Holidays

Dreaming of a White Christmas

Even if you aren't in a locale with snow (although tonight it is supossed to be below freezing here in Los Angeles), this web page can bring a little bit of it right into your own computer. Even better, you get to design the snowflakes.

Merry Christmas!

Web

Frequently Asked Questions about Caffeine

Is your morning "pick-me-up" not working like it used to? Are you lying awake a night after drinking a 6-pack of Mountain Dew? Here is more information on caffeine and who has the most.

Best tips...Red Bull has more caffeine than Jolt Cola and drip coffee usually has more caffeine than espresso.

Web

Exploratorium -- Science of Cooking

The Exploratorium of San Francisco opens up the world of food science to children and adults alike. Check out the weekly questions, information and even live webcasts.

Photos

A Holiday Trip to Ojai

On a whim, we headed up to Ojai, California today. I figured that the weather was beautiful, but destined to get cold at night, the shopping crowds would be non-exisitent, and I needed to get away from the big city for at least a few hours. To our great luck, all my hopes came true. We arrived in mid-afternoon and easily browsed all the stores downtown Ojai has to offer. Throughout the day, I even had a few chances to capture some new photos, which are available from the link above.

Events/Holiday

Christmas Open House 2002

Yesterday was our annual Christmas Open House with 80-90 dozen of cookies and countless friends and family. Now in its 11th year, the Open House, is our big event of the year. Clicking on the thumbnail will take you to a small gallery of pictures. We are so busy talking with friends that we often only get a few pictures throughout the entire evening.

What I'm Reading...

Getaways: Carefree Retreats for All Seasons

Classic Modern: Mid-Century Modern at Home

Sweeping Changes: Discovering the Joy of Zen in Everyday Tasks

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

Is There a Nutmeg in the House?

Christmas Comfort and Joy

Time at Home

Career Column

Career-Op: The Crystal Ball

by Douglas E. Welch, ComputorEdge Magazine

Making technology predictions for the New Year is simple. Computers will get cheaper while getting faster. Microsoft will own the world. Apple will go out of business…no they won’t…yes they will. Then, of course, there are the usual predictions that technology will either save or kill us as a society and a race. Regardless of where you come down on any of these issues, though, there are a few important issues to be aware of in 2003. I don’t profess to have a crystal ball in my Macintosh, but I know I will be watching the following issues carefully.

(Continued)

Computers/Macintosh

Mac OS X 10.2.3 Update

You can load Apple's latest update using the built-in Software Update service of OS X. The link above takes you to a long list of fixes and enhancements in this release.

Computers/Windows/Security

Windows XP vulnerable to attacks using MP3, Windows Media files

This new exploit, "Unchecked Buffer in Windows Shell Could Enable System Compromise (329390), could leave your Windows XP machine vulnerable to attack.

Visit the links above to read about the specifics of the bug and how to fix it.

Web/Science

Is anyone listening? Pioneer 10 speaks from afar

Although they could gather no data, scientists heard a signal from the Pioneer 10 spacecraft.

Web/Holidays

Christmas Tree Lane

Susan A. Kitchens over at 2020 Hindsight has a nice blog entry on this heavily decorated street in Altadena, CA. We visited once, many years ago -- pre-Joe in fact.. I am thinking maybe I need to take him over there for a dose of Christmas Cheer.

Via LA Blogs

What I'm Reading...

Bucky Works : Buckminster Fuller's Ideas...

---

Influence: Science and Practice

Web/Games

Snowrush

A little holiday fun using Macromedia Flash. Find the presents!

Events/Holiday

LA County Holiday Celebration in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Since 1964 the Commission has produced a Holiday Celebration in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center on December 24th. Community and professional choirs, music ensembles, and dance companies perform for an audience in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion while the program is broadcast live on KCET. Attendance and parking are free.

Career Column

Career-Op: Review, reflect, renew

by Douglas E. Welch, ComputorEdge Magazine

The end of one year is always a great time to spend a few minutes reviewing the last, reflecting on the good and the bad and just taking some time to renew yourself for the coming year. This year, I am taking this yearly review a step farther and developing similar reviews for all of my major clients. In this way, not only am I generating further business for myself, I am hoping to help my clients solve some of their technology problems before they ever occur.

(Continued)

Personal

Welch Family Holiday Newsletter 2002 (PDF)

For any of you who might be interested in what we did with our year, here is a PDF version of our annual family newsletter.

Enjoy! -- Douglas

Computers/Scam Warning

Earthlink Email Scam

If you receive the following email, or something similar, in your Inbox, do not be fooled. It appears that this is a crass attempt to steal your credit card information. See Macintouch for further information.

Status: U
Return-Path:
Received: from networkid ([80.59.41.19]) by robin (EarthLink SMTP Server)
with SMTP id 18m8br1Oh3NZFjX0 for
; Wed, 11 Dec 2002 06:49:57 -0800 (PST)
From: "EarthLink"
To:
Subject: Verification/Billing Department
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type:? text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 15:49:57
Message-ID: <200212110649.18m8br1Oh3NZFjX0@robin>
X-Mozilla-Status: 8001
X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000
X-UIDL: 18m8br1Oh3NZFjX0.0

Dear EarthLink User,

?We regret to inform you, but due to a recent system flush,
the billing/personal information for your account is
temporaly unavailable, and we need to verify your identity.
In order to continue using your EarthLink account and keeping it
active, you must provide us with your full information within 24 hours
of recieving this e-mail.

To re-enter your account information and keep your account active,

http://EL-billingservice.net

This page is 100% Secure using EarthLink's SSL Technology with 128-Bit
Encryption.

Sincerely,
Sean Wright
Earthlink Billing Department

Web

About Froogle

Once again, Google offers up a great service. Froogle brings the power of Google's search engine technology to shopping. Check it out!

From the web site...

What exactly is Froogle?

Froogle is a new service from Google that makes it easy to find information about products for sale online. By focusing entirely on product search, Froogle applies the power of Google's search technology to a very specific task: locating stores that sell the item you want to find and pointing you directly to the place where you can make a purchase.

Via Daypop

What I'm Reading...

What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained

Ever wonder why egg whites become meringue? Or why food sticks to pans? Or a hundred other kitchen questions. This book tackles the biggest food science questions and leaves you with a good taste in your mouth.

Linked: The New Science of Networks

Build It Right!: What to Look for in your new home

Bedrooms (Homes & Gardens Library of America)

The Complete Sketching Book

What If?: Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers

WelchEvents Re-Cap

A Trip to the Southwest Museum, Los Angeles

Today was a wonderful day to make our first trip to the Southwest Museum. Every year they hold a Holiday Community day where they offer free admission and have some small events for kids. This allowed us some time to wander about the galleries while also giving Joe some "kid time."

The museum is larger than I imagined. Due to the layout of the building (an LA Historic Landmark) it is like you are discovering hidden little gems as the galleries extend from one to another. The basketry storage and study area was a particularly wonderful find. It has beautiful examples of all the main basketry types and information on how each is made. The museum hosts special events on a regular basis, including a native artist fair once a year where you can purchase goods directly from the artist.

The museum store has an excellent collection of books and art work. Access to the store is free any time during museum hours.

Parking is free, convenient and plentiful, and offers wonderful views of the surrounding city. There is no food service at the museum, but you can bring a lunch for munching in the courtyard or hit one of the local businesses nearby. I noticed today that the new Pasadena rail line will have a station just across the street from the museum entrance. It is a bit of a hike up the hill to the museum, but this station should provide easier mass transit access to the museum.

I was a little disappointed that there were not more people at the museum on a day like today. I always use free museum days as a way of visiting a new place. It allows me an introduction to the museum while also ensuring that I haven't wasted my admission fee if Joe is not as entertained as I am.

Regular admission is only $6, so the museum is a good deal any time. I recommend that you visit, especially if you have specific interest in the native cultures of the American and Canadian West. It is a great way to spend an afternoon.

The Welch's in the news...

Look at it go, Dad!

When we visited the TOSS (Thousand Oaks Soaring Society) airplane-building event back in November, a journalist was taking photos. He was having fun shooting silhouette shots of Joe and myself launching the plane into the sky.

I finally got around to searching for the photo or any mention of our names and came across it in The Acorn, a local publication in Thousand Oaks. You can read the short caption by clicking on the photo above.

Events

We have attended this event on 2 occasions and had a grand time. Soloists are provided and the audience sings all the chorale parts. Very Fun!

22nd Annual Messiah Sing-A-Long

Music Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

135 N. Grand Ave.

Los Angeles, CA

(213) 972-7282

December 16, 2002

Considered to be the "grandaddy" of Messiah sing-a-longs, this is the last year the event will be held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. $15-$35.

What I'm Reading...

White Christmas

Not the movie, but an excellent telling of the history of this quintessential Christmas song and its creator, Irving Berlin.

Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel

I love Scott Adams comics and writing, so "The Way of the Weasel" was already on my reading list. You couldn't (and shouldn't) run your career using his guidelines, but they sure are a funny read.

Leadership and the New Science:...

Painting from the Inside Out: 19...

Linked: The New Science of Networks

House of Belief: Creating Your Personal Style

First Nights: Five Musical Premiers

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to sit in the audience at one of the great musical premieres of history, like Beethoven's 9th Symphony? First Nights tries to recreate the time and place of this premiere and several more, including Stravinksy's The Rite of Spring.

Photos

A Holiday Trip to Universal Studios Citywalk

We took some relatives to Citywalk today, so I took the opportunity to focus on some holiday photos. I always like to take as many as possible in hopes of using them next year for gifts, cards and more.

Career Column

Career-Op: Who are you talking to?

by Douglas E. Welch, ComputorEdge Magazine

After writing this column for six years, I have received my share of email from readers. This email has come from both local readers and those farther afield, sometimes even outside of the United States. This has shown me just how far my words can travel and it also drives home the importance of thinking about what you are saying before releasing it "into the wild." This is true whether you are writing for publication or just sending email to a colleague across town. The global nature of the Internet insures that your words might be available to readers far beyond their intended audience.

(Continued)

Computers/Macintosh

Christi's Tree

Bring a little holiday joy to your Mac OS X desktop.

Holiday Recomendations

A Wish for Wings that Work is one of my favorite Christmas specials, although it is not regularly aired anymore. We had tobuy a copy of this video after we wore out our off-air copy. The second link is for the children's book on which the special is chased. If you want a change from Rudolph and A Charlie Brown Christmas (both of which I also like) then this is the show to give you a new perspective on the holiday season.

Opus 'N Bill: A Wish For Wings That Work

A Wish for Wings That Work

Photos

Nature and Patterns

Among all the family pictures I took during the Thanksgiving Weekend, I took a little time to explore the opportunities away from the the dinner table. There was a substantial storm on Friday and it provided some excellent sky shots. My sister's garden also presented some interesting challenges with depth of field and repeating patterns.

Events/Art

This exhibition at LA County Museum of Art (LACMA) sounds interesting. There
are many ways of examining history, and fashion is an interesting method
that isn't frequently addressed. The Press release from LACMA follows.--
Douglas

---

A Century of Fashion, 1900-2000

On View December 14, 2000 - January 6, 2003

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) celebrates fashion from the past 100 years with an extensive exhibition, presented in four parts over a two-year period, and featuring more than 130 costumes from LACMA's outstanding permanent collection. The 20th century witnessed exceptionally rapid and radical changes in women's dress. A Century of Fashion, 1900-2000 examines how changing styles in fashionable dress mirrored changes in society and particularly how fashion both shaped and reflected each decade's feminine ideal. Each of the four rotations will encompass selections from the entire century.

Further information available at: LACMA.

Events

No Room at the Inn Nativity Exhibit

St. Patrick's Episcopal Church

1 Church Rd.

Thousand Oaks, CA

(805) 495-9567

December 6, 2002 to December 8, 2002

A display of more than 500 creche scenes created in every material from driftwood and folk art to fine porcelain and crystal.

Career Column

Career-Op: Tempus Fuget

by Douglas E. Welch, ComputorEdge Magazine

No matter how good your high-tech work or how complete your technology procedures, time erodes all good practices. Just like water on stone, the effects of time may work slowly, but they can effect your technology projects in small, yet destructive ways. No matter how much work you put into establishing your "best practices", without constant attention, they can fall into disrepair quickly and completely -- possibly damaging your high-tech career as well.

(Continued)