Book: The Intrinsic Exerciser: Discovering the Joy of Exercise

Hmm...this certainly sounds like a book for me. I have a great disinclination to exercise merely for exercise sake. If I am engaged in an activity, I will extend myself much more than when I am simply walking to get some exercise. I know from my past that I can effectively reduce my weight with only a moderate increase in my activity level, yet, I still fail to do it. The Intrinsic Exerciser is focused on developing internal reasons for exercise rather than relying on external reasons.

I put in a hold request at the LAPL and look forward to checking it out.

Self-induced passion

...I recently read a great little book called The Intrinsic Exerciser: Discovering the Joy of Exercise by Jay C. Kimiecik. This book is all about how to change your mindset so that you exercise for intrinsic reasons instead of extrinsic reasons. The idea is that if you can do this, then you will want to exercise, you might even be passionate about it. After reading it, it struck me that this should work for anything you want to do in a more passionate way, but are having a hard time figuring out how to get there. [Click link above for more.]

(Via Creating Passionate Users.)

Event: Brewery Artwalk 2005

Always a great event and a good way to get your creative juices flowing. Lots of Free Parking, too!

Click for more info!

People are listening...

The next time you wonder if anyone is reading your blog, consider this.

Today Rosanne and I stopped by the Sherman Oaks Fashion Square for lunch after our morning calls. I like the new Crepe Express place there and I have written as much in my blog.

As my credit card reciept rolled out of the printer, Nadine, one of the owners, looked up and said "Oh, I know you!" I thought perhaps we had a mutual friend or neighbor, but then she pointed down the counter to a sliver frame that held a printout of something. As I wandered down to look, I quickly noticed it was a print out of my earlier blog entry where I had said some nice words about the place.

I must say that this is the first time anything like this has ever happened to me. I hadn't emailed the owners or otherwise told them about the post, but they said another customer had pointed it out to them.

So, you can see that what you say on the Internet, especially about your local community, can and does have an effect, even if you don't notice it right away.

I will say again, too, if you have a chance to try out Crepe Express, please do. The food is excellent and the owners are nice. What more could you ask?!

Event: Getty Class

These classes fill up very rapidly and you are advised to call for
reservations on the first day of availability.

Join the WelchEvents mailing list to get email notification of more events like this one.

Drawing From The Old Masters: Drapery, the Art of Hiding and Revealing

(Gallery/Studio Course)

Date: Tuesday May 17, 2005, 1 pm

Location: Museum Galleries

Admission: Tickets available beginning April 28

Join instructor Zhenya Gershman and explore the dynamics and mechanics of drawing drapery. Participants will examine original works of art and participate in guided drawing exercises to discover how old masters depicted realistic and compelling drapery in their portraits. Course fee $15; limited to 20 participants.

** Class repeats on May 22 and May 31

See the Getty Center Calendar for more information!

Insect Photography

Once some photographer gave me a secret to great photos (get closer!) I started to take more and more close-ups. Unfortunately, without a decent camera, macro photography is a hit or miss proposition. These photos, recommended by Boing Boing, point up the best, naturalistic insect photography I have ever seen. No flash. No tripod. Just letting the insects do their thing and trying to capture them on film. Any more sites like this and I just might have to splurge on that "prosumer" digital camera with a decent macro lens.

Insect photos in naturalistic macro-focus

Cory Doctorow:


...taken his camera to his Michigan backyard to shoot intense, macro-focused pictures of insects walking on leaves and twigs, using natural light, without a tripod. These shots were compiled over two and a half years by Rick, who crouches patiently and silently in his garden, waiting for the insects to strike the perfect pose before he hits the shutter. I spent half an hour today looking at printouts of these and giving out involuntary exclamations of surprise and delight.

(Via Boing Boing.)

LA Podcasters Meetup

I just got back from LA Podcasters meeting and wanted to write up a quick entry here.

I had a great time discussing all aspects of podcasting with people from many corners of Los Angeles. As Patrick Kearney said at one point, "it is great to talk about podcasting without having to explain what it is first." We talked about publicizing our podcasts, technical issues and the many possible future trends for podcasting in general. Be on the lookout for a Yahoo Group and, perhaps, even a web site focusing on LA Podcasters.

In attendence were the aforementioned Patrick Kearney (PJK Podcast), Rik and Alfonso (TresJefes), Jeff Lander (BeachCast) and, our Meetup organizer, Lance Anderson (Verge on the Fringe). Also, of course, is yours truly, representing my podcast (Career Opportunities: The High-Tech Career Handbook). Check out their podcasts today, you just might find something that piques your interest.

We have already scheduled our next meeting and look forward to being joined by any other LA Podcasters.

Improve your mind - Get Wiki with it!

If you are looking for ways to improve your mind (and who isn't) check out this Wiki. Not only can you find great information here, but, like all Wiki's , you can even add your own comments and contributions.

Mentat: Wiki on becoming a better thinker

FrontPage - Mentat Wiki

This wiki is a collaborative environment for exploring ways to become a better thinker. Topics that can be explored here include MemoryTechniques, MentalMath, CriticalThinking, BrainStorming, ShorthandSystems, NotebookSystems, and SmartDrugs. Other relevant topics are also welcome. How have you made yourself smarter?

(Via 43 Folders.)

What I'm Reading...

Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9 Update released

I was reading my RSS feeds this morning and happened to notice this announcement from Apple. Time to run Software Update again and get the latest and greatest. Here is the skinny from Apple's Web Site.

The 10.3.9 Update delivers overall improved compatibility and reliability for Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther" and is recommended for all users.

Improvements include:

• file sharing and directory services reliability for mixed Mac and PC networks
  
• Mail, Safari and Stickies application reliability compatibility for third party applications and devices
  
• previous standalone security updates
  

For detailed information on this Update, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n300966
For detailed information on Security Updates, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n61798

Geexbox Media Player

More and more I am downloading video for watching and I want to display this video on my television. Geexbox provides an easy to use interface to play DVDs and downloaded video. I know it sounds a bit geeky, but if you have an old laptop with a TV Out port, this might be just the way to get a nice "Media Center PC" on the cheap. Check out this tutorial from Engadget.com.

How-To: Build A Cheap Media Player In 20 Minutes

For today’s how-to, we’ll be building a quick and dirty media player that you can set up on a typical laptop or mini-itx box. If you have a PC with S-Video or RCA composite output (as most laptops do nowdays), you can download some free software that will turn it into a media center in no time flat. Mine is hiding on the bottom left in the above image.



The 20 minute media player is for the occasional video viewer. This quick solution requires a minimal download,
piece-of-cake setup, and you don’t have to devote your machine to media use. A full-fledged, dedicated PVR will
be the subject of a different article.

Event: JPL Open House - May 14 & 15

We have visited this annual event several times in the past and always find it a great time. We have seen the Mars Rovers test lab, robot-building high-schoolers, high-technology displays and more.

Arrive early to beat the heat and the crowds.

JPL Open House

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is pleased to announce that the next Open House will take place on May 14th and 15th, 2005. Check back soon for further information regarding next year's Open House!!!

Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Open House

This popular event will celebrate JPL's accomplishments with exhibits and demonstrations about the Laboratory's ongoing research and space exploration. Many of the Lab's scientists and engineers will be on hand to answer questions about how spacecraft are sent to other planets, how scientists utilize space technologies to explore Earth and how researchers are now searching for planets beyond the solar system. Visitors will see exhibits, displays, demonstrations and presentations about new technologies, solar system exploration, spacecraft communication and much
more.

The Open House is a fun and educational experience for children too, with special hands-on activities designed for kids. Food and beverages will be available, along with space souvenirs and NASA and JPL merchandise.

Admission is free. No backpacks or ice chests are allowed, with the exception of small purses and diaper bags. Visitors, vehicles and personal belongings are subject to inspection. JPL is located at 4800 Oak Grove Drive in Pasadena, off the 210 (Foothill) Freeway at the Berkshire Avenue/Oak Grove Drive exit. Parking is available near the Oak Grove main gate and on the eastern boundary of JPL, accessible from Windsor Avenue via the Arroyo Boulevard exit off the 210 Freeway. Air-conditioned buses will run non-stop between all lots and JPL's main gate. Buses and tour guides will move people between different locations around the facility. Walking is required to some locations. So make plans now to visit JPL and experience
the thrill of space exploration!

For more information, please call (818) 354-0112.

Event: LAPL - Marcus Miller Drums - April 30

Marcus Miller Drums

Professional musician Marcus Miller uses drums to discuss the role, history
and rhythms associated with different cultures.

You will learn to think, count and react like a musician.

Communicate using drums as a voice.

Saturday, April 30, 2005
3 pm

Sherman Oaks Branch Library
14245 Moorpark Street
Sherman Oaks, CA

818-205-9716

http://www.lapl.org

Apple announces Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) release date

Get ready, Mac fans, Apple is cranking out their latest major update to Mac OS X, codename Tiger. As with all major updates, there will probably be some need to upgrade your applications if/when you decide to upgrade to 10.4.

I will probably be holding onto 10.3 (Panther) for a while since I am not sure my older G4/450 can deal with the processing needs of the new software.

Special reports from all the great Mac sites are sure to be forthcoming, so keep your eyes and ears open.

Tiger release date announced

Apple has announced a release date for Tiger.

Mac OS X v10.4 “Tiger” will go on sale Friday, April 29, at 6:00 p.m. during special events at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. Tiger has more than 200 new features and innovations including Spotlight, a revolutionary desktop search technology that lets users instantly find anything stored on their Mac, including documents, emails, contacts and images; and Dashboard, a new way to quickly access important information like weather forecasts and stock quotes, using a dazzling new class of applications called widgets.

(Via MacMegasite.)

Garden Pictures

I posted some pictures from the garden over at A Gardener's Notebook yesterday. I thought this one, a mushroom growing in the back yard, was especially striking.

Click for a larger image and additional images from the gallery

Microsoft at Work: Tips and Hints

We can all use a little help sometime to streamline our work and make us more effective. Microsoft provides this collection of articles to (hopefully) make your work life a little easier.

Microsoft At Work: Articles and ideas to... Microsoft At Work: Articles and ideas to help you work smarter

(Via del.icio.us/tag/gtd.)

Blogging as an Effective Fundraising Strategy?

It seems to me that anything that keeps you in close contact with your potential donors is a good thing. Could blogging add a new dimension to your fundraising?

onPhilanthropy - Blogging as an Effective Fundraising Strategy Blogging as an Effective Fundraising Strategy
By: Jenn Thompson, 04/08/05


CNN is blogging.  Dave Barry is blogging.  Yankee fans are blogging, as are roughly 8 million other Americans. Blogs, journals posted on the web, are quickly becoming the new “it” of the internet. But do blogs have a role in an effective fundraising strategy, or are they still too new for the nonprofit sector?

Free one-to-one web meetings

Sometimes, you really have to see what is showing on another person's computer or view their PowerPoint slides to really understand what they are saying. Falling somewhere between an audio conference call and a video conference, ASAP Express allows 2 (Windows) users to chat, talk, send files and even share their screens. Maybe you need some help in configuring your software, or want to practice your next business pitch, this is one way to do it.

ASAP Express also supports, for pay, conference sessions where you can present your materials to a group of people instead of just one person.

Free one-to-one web meetings

I'm on a roll with free things today. The Distant Librarian alerted me to ASAP Express from ConVoq, a free "full featured personal online meeting solution." You can get the one-to-one meeting application for free. It includes a nice real-time "Am I available" link that lets people know if you're at your desk or not, supports various IM products, VOIP, video, file transfers, PPT, and screen sharing (!). I haven't tried this out yet, but am interested to hear from folks who have.

(Via LibrarianInBlack.)

Career Opportunities: The High-Tech Career Handbook

This week's column and podcast, Mistakes, has been posted to the web site.

Click here to read the column or listen to the MP3 audio podcast.

Google adds satellite photos to Google Maps

Moving forward, step by tep, Google Maps added satellite photos to their offering today. For urban areas, the photos seem very clear and are in color. A big improvement above some systems. Rural areas are lacking in much detail, though, so you may get an overview, but not individual streets and houses.

See your house from Google

Google Maps has added a satellite photos to search results for places. Pop in an address or search term and area, and click the "Satellite" link on the upper righthand side for a birds-eye view from the air. Be sure to zoom in for a closeup.

Google Maps [Google via Google Blog]

(Via Lifehacker.)

Career Opportunities: The High-Tech Career Handbook

This week's column and podcast, Beware the pundit, has been posted to the web site.

Click here to read the column or listen to the MP3 audio podcast.