My Word with Douglas E. Welch
A place for the neat stuff that surrounds my life
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The MoreStuff4Less Bargain Blog points out a coupon available at Target.com good for 25 FREE digital prints.
If you have some digital photos you would like to get printed on real photo paper, this might be the deal for you.
Last Saturday, we took advantage of the monthly Adventure Pass Free Day to visit the Angeles National Forest and reconnoiter some of the campgrounds there for a future trip.
We haven’t been into the San Gabriel Mountains for along time, despite the fact that we volunteered at the Chilao Visitor Center for 8-9 years in the time before Joseph arrived.
Despite having been away for a long time, things were much as we remembered them. Although, I must say, despite the Adventure Pass program, which is supposed to fund maintenance and improvements, the forest still seem to be lacking care and attention.
The Chilao Visitor Center was closed on a Saturday, when many people would have liked to tour its displays. The only major sign for Buckhorn Campground was missing, causing us to spend almost 30 minutes driving back and forth trying to find the entrance. Campgrounds no longer have permanent camp hosts, who kept an eye over each campground loop and, as a probable result, bathrooms were un-maintained and contained no supplies.
Despite these issues, though, we had a good time. Returning from our campground check we stopped at Red Box Station, 14 miles north of La Cañada Flintridge at the base of the road to Mount Wilson. This is now a information center and museum (Haramokngna) dedicated to the Native Americans that once roamed the mountains. They have a series of events each month including flute players and hands-on crafts. You can call Valena Dismukes at 323-295-9133 or email Kat at catcalls@aol.com for more information. They don’t yet have a presence on the Web.
The next event is a Soapstone Carving Workshop with Ted Garcia on July 18, 2004.
“Ted is an artist, storyteller and Chumash cultural educator. You will learn how to see and feel the spirit of the stone, and using files, rasps, awls and sandpaper you will be able to make a one-of-a-kind creation from the natural world – bear, dolphin, turtle, or ??? Cost: $15 + materials”
They have events set for each month, so call or email for on-going information. I will try and post upcoming events in my WelchEvents Mailing list and here, as well.
After this we drove down to Switzer’s Picnic are for a short hike to the falls. While there was little water in the creek at this time of year, the canyon is beautiful and cool, even on a warm day. The presence of water, though, brings forth and abundance of poison oak, too. If you ever wanted a perfect example of poison oak to show your friends or children, this is the perfect place. Luckily, most of the poison oak is well clear of the path and avoidable, if you know how to identify it.
Click on any picture to see a gallery of photos from our walk.
After 20 years of working in high-tech, there are a few common themes that run through my career. Certainly, one theme is frustration. You can become frustrated with yourself, your skills, your clients and your career. Despite the fact that everyone experiences a certain amount of frustration, most people can have a difficult time dealing with it, including myself. Frustration can distract us from those things that truly matter at the very time when we need to be the most focused. Thankfully, there are a few ways to help work through frustrations of all sorts and get on with your career and your life.
MacMerc.com points to a FREE Adobe Training CD available Total Training.
The CD includes training on "Acrobat, After Effects, GoLive, Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop" depending on the platform (Mac Or Windows) that you are using.
Despite the fact that traveling, especially by airplane, is getting more and more troublesome, there are still a lot of people traveling around the US and the world. Whether they are traveling for business or pleasure, those people are probably bringing some type of personal technology with them. Digital cameras, GPS receivers, laptop computers, PDAs and more are finding their way into suitcases these days. This provides an interesting opportunity for high-tech careerists. If people are traveling with this technology, they are going to need help with it. High-tech workers might find that they can still practice their trade while living and working in a tourist town or resort.
I often find myself pondering this issue as I write about high-tech career issues. The fact that I carry no certifications probably gives you some idea what I think, though. I would be interested in hearing how certifications have helped you...or not, in your career.
This SlashDot discussion should bring out some interesting points.
Here is a small video clip from the Fox Festival we attended at the LA Zoo back on June 6th.
Quicktime Movie - 1.9 MB
Not many peoplw will ever have a chance to see these animals in the wild, so I offer this video of them at the LA Zoo as a poor substitute.
I came across this information on the Experience LA web site
Location: Southwest Museum
Address: 234 Museum Drive , Los Angeles , 90065
Cross Streets: North Figueroa Street / Avenue 45
Phone: (323) 221-2164
Website: www.southwestmuseum.org
Description: For the past twenty years, a Southern Cheyenne summer tipi has greeted thousands of visitors, towering over them and displaying its enduring legacy in American history. On June 11, 2004, this cherished tipi will end its tenure and be deinstalled for conservation. In its place, Darrell Norman (Southern Blackfeet–Amiskapi Pikuni), an enrolled member of the Pikuni Blackfeet Nation, will raise a tipi that he painted as a special commission by the Southwest Museum. His art is based on Blackfeet design and imagery. The tipi-raising event is open to Autry National Center members only on June 11, from 7 to 9 p.m., and the tipi will be on view to the general public starting Sunday, June 13.
The Experience LA web site has a host of interesting tours you can take via mass transit, especially the Metro Subway and Light Rail lines.
From the web site...
Pick from the Themed and Neighborhood Adventures listed below to explore LA's cultural treasures for a half-day or full-day adventure. You may also want to check out the Metro Art guide to public art within the actual Metro system. Free Metro Art Tours are offered the first Saturday and Sunday of every month.
This week, I got a harried call, very early in the morning (for me). My long-time friend and fellow computer consultant, Sam, had a crisis. Rather, one of his clients had a crisis, but this, of course, made it his problem as well. Sam recently started working full-time again and was unable to visit this client immediately. A quick call to me, though, and I was on my way to the client site. We established this reciprocal working agreement in a very ad hoc fashion over the years. We regularly fill in for each other whenever business or family calls us away from our clients for any length of time. There has never been anything in writing, or even a much-discussed agreement of duties or responsibilities. Rather, it has always been an informal agreement to help each other.
Juneteenth Jubilee 2004 Celebration
This celebration is in observance of the 138th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. It includes non-stop entertainment and gospel music, a family-style barbecue, a moon bounce, and face painting for the kids.
W H E N : June 19, 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
S I T E : Martin Luther King, Jr. Park
1950 Lemon Street, Long Beach
C O S T : Free
S P O N S O R : City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation & Marine
I N F O : 562-570-4405, http://www.lbparks.org
12th Annual Juneteenth Celebration
This celebration highlights the freeing of slaves in Texas, including music, food, storytelling, art exhibits, a children’s village, and arts and crafts.
W H E N : June 19, 12:00 noon – 7:00 p.m.
S I T E : 2520 South West View St., Los Angeles
C O S T : Free
S P O N S O R : Friends of William Grant Still
I N F O : 323-857-7000, http://www.fowgs.org
From the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department Festival Guide
The quote on the site reads, "An interesting site with no angst. Cool!"
It is good to know that my angst remains here in my head and not in my blog! (SMILE)
Many thanks to WWW for the link.
This unique music festival showcases performances by young soloists and ensembles of excellence from around the world.
W H E N : June 19 & 20, Saturday 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m., Sunday 1:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.
S I T E : Norris Center for the Arts
6931 Vallon Drive, Palos Verdes Peninsula
C O S T : Free
S P O N S O R : International Young Artists Music Festival
I N F O : 310-544-0403
From the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department Festival Guide
iTunes 4.6 is now available for download via Software Update. This update is mainly to support Apple's new Airport Express device that allows you to easily connect stereos and other equipment together using your exisiting wireless network.
Via Gizmodo
Dawn Comer Jefferson and Rosanne Welch discuss "Three-Ring Circus: How Real Couples Balance Marriage, Work, and Family"
June 16, 2004
730p
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Encino, 16461 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91436
All our coffee cups are cracked, now
The Rich,
having no more investment
than a trip to The Mall,
would gladly throw them in the trash
with the breakfast leavings.
But we coddle these partners of our lives
We have seen too many sunrises together,
suffered the small injuries of age
We glue them back together
and savor the memories.
From MacMegaSite.com...
Apple Security Update 2004-06-07
Apple has released Security Update 2004-06-07, which delivers a number of security enhancements and is recommended for all Macintosh users. The update is now available in the Software Update panel. [MacMegasite]
This was an uncharacteristically busy weekend for us as we attend major events. We ran the gamut from endangered species, at the zoo, to the wilds of downtown Los Angeles. While we are a bit tired from our adventures, everyone agrees that it was a weekend to remember.
Our adventure started with the Fox Festival at the LA Zoo. (Click on the photo for a complete gallery of pictures!) This event was arranged by our good friends, Keri and Michael, who are dedicated volunteers at the zoo. The Channel Island Fox was the focus of the festival. These small animals only exist on the Channel Islands off California, a very fragile environment, fraught with problems. Captive breeding programs on the islands, and removal of imported species, like the Golden Eagle, are helping the foxes to rebound.
Events included a 6 stage mini-scavenger hunt where kids had to visit booths to get a stamp on their "passport". Each station had informative displays on the variety of issues effecting the Channel Island Fox and the California environment, in general. Joe had a great time playing the Recycle game, and trying to remember what Channel Island foxes needed most from their environment.
A Keeper's talk introduced us to the foxes, their habits and needs, as well as the keeper's themselves. They showed how they use "enrichment" devices, methods of eliciting natural behaviors by introducing hidden food and signs of other animals to the enclosure. These help to keep the foxes happy and healthy.
Finally, a short play, The Three Little Foxes, reinforced the issues facing the Channel Island Fox and what can be done to help. After that, we stopped at the last station, got our passport stamped and made a kitty toy for the "wild" animals that share our home. We even got to make an origami fox to bring home as a reminder of our trip.
We've been riding on the railroad (subway)
Sunday's trip involved a lot of trains and a lot of sights. We decided to go to the bi-annual Open House of the Slim Gauge Guild in Pasadena. This model train club has a 2000+ square foot layout, scrupulously modeled and great fun to visit. We have been to the Open House several times over the years, but this is the first year we were able to take the train all the way to their door. (Photos from previous event)
We drive to the North Hollywood Metro station, boarding the Red Line with our $3 Day Passes, good for travel on all MTA trains and buses. If you plan on boarding more than twice in a day, the Day Pass makes a great deal. We knew we were going to visit several sites today, so it made great sense for us. A 30 minute trip brought us to Union Station downtown where we transferred to the Gold Line, which goes through Chinatown, Highland Park, Lincoln Heights, South Pasadena, Pasadena and ends in Sierra Madre.
The trip to the Del Mar station in Pasadena took about 20 minutes. Even better, this station is directly across the street from the Slim Gauge Guild. It took less than 5 minutes to walk there. We entered the basement layout and enjoyed the trains for about an hour. Then, getting a little hungry, we returned upstairs in the same building for our traditional lunch in the Crown City Brewery. Afterwards, it was back to some more train watching until we had seen each layout and a host of trains including steam engines, diesels, passenger trains, logging trains and more. The club even provides free coffee and has a concession of cookies and sodas available.
Being this was our first chance to ride the Gold Line, I wanted to ride out to the end of the line in Sierra Madre. This took us through the Memorial Park Station, which is the preferred stop for Old Town Pasadena and the Pacific Asia Museum and Allen, which is the stop for The Huntington and our to the end-of-the-line in Sierra Madre Village. We then returned along the same route.
The last stop before returning to Union Station is Chinatown. (Click a photo for complete gallery of pictures) Rosanne has always wanted to go and this was the perfect opportunity. Exiting the station, it is a short walk up to Broadway. Broadway is lined with restaurants, food shops and funky but fun stores of all sorts. We headed South on Broadway, towards downtown, checking out things along the way. It soon became clear to me that we could easily walk all the back to Union Station. At Ord Street we headed West to stop at Philippe's (Home of the French Dip) for pie and an iced tea. Thus refreshed, we headed further south to Union Station. Since the entrance to Olvera Street was on along our path, we took a short strolls through the shops there, as well.
Finally, back to Union Station, we boarded the Red Line again and rested our weary feet on the trip back to our car. We found ourselves smiling at each other and repeatedly telling each other what a great day it had been. I highly recommend you get out and see some of the sites that LA has to offer. You will be surprised at all the neat places, and people, that are to be discovered.
One of your main goals as a high-tech worker is to insure that the people you help – your freelance clients, in-house staff or fellow high-tech workers – have the tools they need to help themselves. Whether they are dealing with common computer problems themselves or calling a technical support line for help, you need to give them the tools they need to insure they don’t create bigger problems than the one they are trying to solve.
SAT 6/12 6:15pm
Enjoy an evening hike followed by stories and roasted marshmallows. For all ages. Bring your own marshmallows and skewers. Space limited. Reservations required 310-317-1364. 3hrs CWP
The LA Phil and the Hollywood Bowl are hosting a "sneak peak" of the new Bowl shell and a day of entertainment on June 13, from Noon until 5 pm. Free shuttles will be running from both the Ventura Blvd (Free parking) and Hollywood and Highland (fee) parking lots.
Full information is available on the LA Philharmonic's Web Site.
** Subscribe to the WelchEvents Mailing List to get info on more great events like this!
If your friends or co-workers would like an example of how I teach and coach computer users through large and small issues, I recommend they stop by some evening. This is probably the best way to get to know me and my methods.
Each class starts with a a short presentation on some interesting technology, web site or software, but then quickly becomes an energetic question and answer session, where I answer the questions that are most pressing in the minds of the attendees.
The next meeting is June 10th at 6:30 pm.
Currently scheduled for 2004:
June 24
The Sherman Oaks Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library is located at 14245 Moorpark Street Sherman Oaks, CA -- Telephone 818-205-9716.
In many of her books, Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, recommends a weekly Artist Date. This is a one hour minimum trip, alone, to some place that refills the well of your creativity. For some, this can be a local art museum or gallery. Others might prefer a music store. Others might just spend some time in the park.
Marie et Cie, a small coffeehouse, interior design, furniture, music, garden ornament store in Valley Village, California meets my definition of an Artist's Date. Along with a comfy cofeehouse, with great coffee, international chocolates and candies, sodas and more, they have a wonderful collection of books, candles, soaps, furniture music lamps, journals, boxes..you name it.
An hour spent browsing here, is an hour away from the world and into your own imagination. "Oh, I could do something with that! Wouldn't that look good in the den? Have you ever seen such an interesting...?"
Take a few minutes out of your hectic day and chill out at Marie et Cie, 11704 Riverside Drive, Valley Village, California, 91607. Phone: 818-508-5049
Even better, O'Reilly is offering up 10 free "hacks" directly from their web site, in PDF format.
The "Hacks" series of books are excellent, regardless of what they cover. I am waiting on Google Hacks from the library at the moment, after having flipped through it at the local bookstore.
The Monday Morning Concert Series places professional musicians in an intimate, educational setting with 500 school-aged children. The concerts include a performance, a brief history lesson on the musical style displayed, and a question and answer session with the performers.
W H E N : Every Monday, June through August, 10:00 a.m.
S I T E : Madrid Theatre, 21626 Sherman Way, Canoga Park
C O S T : Free
S P O N S O R : Valley Cultural Center
I N F O : 818-704-1358, http://www.valleycultural.net
From the Los Angeles Public Affairs Department Festival Guide
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