Hands-free Cell Phone Use Required in California tomorrow!

If you haven't picked up your cell phone headset or speakerphone for the car, you only have a few more hours or you will risk a ticket and fine in California. Starting July 1, 2008, all automotive users of cell phone will be required to use some form of hands-free device when calling from their vehicles.

I have been a big fan of cell phone headsets, even back when they were typically wired to the phone. Hands-free cell headsets allow the easy use of voice dialing and great services like Jott.

If you don't have a headset yet, here is a link to the one I use, an Aliph Jawbone. There is also a new, 2nd generation Jawbone (available at their web site) which is much smaller. It's built in noise reduction features are great. You can see a demo on their site. (Video demo)

Link: More Bluetooth Headsets from Amazon.com

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What I'm Reading...

My most recent selections from the library.

Vagabonding takes on the the realities of long term travel and what you can do to make it as enjoyable as possible and Eat This Book offers up a selection of recipes both fancy and simple to expand your at home dining possibilities.

LIVE: Prelude to Revolution Part 3 - A July 4th Radio Play - 4pm PDT

Sunday, June 29, 2008

EPISODE 3

Prelude to 1776
"Our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor"

Time: 06/29/2008 4:00 PM PDT Pacific -- 07:00 PM EDT

Live your liberty, don't lose it in a history book.

We are going live again this weekend!!!

This is Prelude to Revolution - May 1775, to July 4th, 1776 - a live audio production of Eclipse-1 Media.

Listen LIVE via Talkshoe

New Show: Mean Mommies Club

I helped (a little) in getting Megan, Valerie and Erin's new show, Mean Mommies Club up and running today. If you are a parent, or thinking of becoming one, check it out. Here is some info from their web site about their first episode, "Crying it out" .

1. Introductions: Megan, Valerie and Erin
2. Discussion of our motto
We are mean mommies because…
We don’t give in to temper tantrums.
We make you eat healthy food.
We are ruthless with time outs.
We are mean mommies because…
We are not raising kids,
We are raising responsible adults.

3. The Rules for ourselves on the show - don’t dis hubby’s or friends, above all respect! This isn’t a complaint session it’s a discussion.
4. We love the Mean Daddies
5. Megan’s encounter with Target employee during a time out.
6. Does “crying it out” cause Brain Damage?
Dr. Mike at Pediacast
7. Major thanks to the following for helping Megan with her techtard questions. This show could not have been posted with out the help of the following people:
Jason Tucker
Douglas E. Welch
Chris Moody
8. Also thanks to Megan’s husband Craig for recording our contact information.

I See Hawks in LA live from CalTech

The band is i see hawks in la

Mobile post sent by douglaswelch using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

Douglas and Rosanne participating in New Media Panel this evening

Rosanne and I will be joining some other LA New Media folks for this panel on The Future of Online Content, tonight, 730pm, at Blankspaces (5405 Wilshire Blvd, LA).

Douglas
Recorded video of the event

Live .TV show provided by Ustream

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Here is the information on the panel...

Panel on the Future of Online Content
June 16th, 2008 — Tiger Team, mytvshow, online video, socialmedia, television



[I'm going to ask my panelists about this eMarketer chart from last year showing advertising spending for online video and projections until 2011. I would like to know if they are heartened or saddened by these projections, and if they think they will remain accurate. Considering that advertisers still spend around $65 Billion a year for television ads, $4 Billion in 2011 is a comparatively small piece of the pie. See Paul La Monica's pithy blog post on these facts.]

I'm moderating a panel on the future of online video content, from the perspective of those who are actually creating online content in a professional manner. I created this panel for the premier of atelevision show I co-created for Tru TV. Rather than go on about my experiences with network television, I thought it more appropriate to look to the future, especially because my primary profession is that of emerging media specialist, not a creator-producer in the entertainment industry. After the panel I will update this post with my thoughts on the bits of wisdom from my panelists.

Panelists include:

Amanda Congdon, the host and executive producer of Sometimesdaily. http://sometimesdaily.com/ and blogger at http://amandacongdon.com
Gilad Lotan - Technologist / Digital Media, Endemol USA -http://endemolusa.tv
Ken LaZebnik from http://www.Strike.tv
Hayden Black of Goodnight Burbank: http://goodnightburbank.com and http://www.abigailsxratedteendiary.com
Michael Pilla of http://www.indieflix.com
Tim Street of http://www.frenchmaidtv.com/
Doug and Rosanne Welch, http://welchwrite.com especially with regard to podcasting

Video: Piano Recital with Joseph and Douglas

I had the opportunity to accompany Joseph in his piano recital today. You'll see me in the second song in this video.



iPod ready Video

California Wildfire Information 2008

It seems the wildfire season is starting early this year here in California, so I am posting (what seems to be) my yearly posting on California Wildfire Information available via the web. These services provide detailed information including fire perimeters, weather info and more. I will update this regularly as I locate new resources for the coming year.

Looking back, I see that I have re-posted this entry almost every year since 2003.



Geomac Wildland Fire Support Wildfire Viewer



California Wildfire Information - California Wildfire Alliance



Firescope Wildfire Information



FireDetect from NOAA Satellite and Information Service



CalFires.com - Fire Season 2008 Reports



Simi Valley Fire Timelapse Video 2005


Firestorm from powrslave on Vimeo.

Places LA: 40 Nights of Music at the Sherman Oaks Galleria

Throughout the Summer, until August 30, Sherman Oaks Galleria has live music in the courtyard each Wednesday and Saturday night. Here is a short montage of last Saturday evening.

Even more, it ended up feeling very "Main Street" as we ran into many families from my son's school who were out enjoying the evening or on their way to catch a movie at the new Arclight.



iPod Ready Video

Join us for morning tech talk at the Doctor's Note get-together

Doctors Note Meet Up In Northridge, CA
Originally uploaded by respres

I had a great time last month talking tech (and more) with this group of people. This is a morning event, although we stretched the last one until almost lunch.

Location is Panera Bread in Northridge.

RSVP on Upcoming.org

What I'm Reading...

The 4-hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

Despite the relatively dramatic actions and results detailed in Ferriss' book, I was happy to find out that I am doing much of what he has done to live the live he wants. The book is hard to read in some respects as much of what Ferris recommends goes against decades, if not centuries of conventional work wisdom. This book has done what I ask of any good book. It has made me think and given me a few new projects to try out. It has also made me believe that spending a month or more among the Italian relatives might not be such a dream, after all.

You can find a video talk with Tim Ferris and Marci Alboher discussing some of the concepts of the book on Lifehacker.com - Watch the Video

Link: Tim Ferriss' Web Site



Jump Point by Tom Hayes

I just picked this book up from the library today. I first heard of it via an interview with the author on Tech Nation with Moira Gunn (Listen to the interview).

I am starting to read today and may have more to report later.




Skeleton Man by Tony Hillerman

I am a fan of mystery novels of all sorts, but Tony Hillerman always keeps me coming back for more with his stories of Tribal Policemen, Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. I have visited the fringes of the Navajo Reservation, but these books make me want to go deeper into those lands and explore their special gifts. While crime may be the focus of the mysteries, Hillerman's descriptions of the land show how special it is.

Review of our friend's restaurant -- Madeleine Bistro

la.foodblogging.com had a chance to check out our friend's restaurant, Madeleine Bistro this week. Even though they are an avowed carnivore, like myself, they found something to like.

Madeleine Bistro - Tarzana

I’m a carnivore, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.  A leg of lamb, studded with garlic?  Delicious.  A juicy steak, cooked to a perfect medium rare?  I’m in.  But, in the end, I’m a food lover.  Period.  I love all food, and my only criteria, truly?  It’s got to taste good.  So when I got a chance to have a Vegan meal, a “gourmet” vegan meal at that, I was in.

I must have driven past Madeleine Bistro in Tarzana a hundred times since they opened in 2005, the sign in front is easy to miss.  But in a strange confluence of events, this restaurant was brought to my attention several times over the last couple of months.  When all the signs point in a certain direction, wisdom dictates you follow.

(Story continues on the web site)

Vegan, or not, Madeleine Bistro served us up a tasty and very satisfying lunch.  I truly would go back.  The prices are a bit high, but when  you consider the time and effort the chef takes to make these ingredients taste as good as they do, it doesn’t seem so bad.  I’m looking forward to going back and trying out their dinner menu.

Madeleine Bistro

18621 Ventura Blvd.

Tarzana, CA 91356

818.758.6971

   

(Via la.foodblogging.)

LIVE: Prelude to Revolution - Part 3

Live your liberty, don't lose it in a history book.

We are going live again on the last weekend of June!

Join Us!! Sunday, June 29, 2008

EPISODE 3 - Prelude to 1776 "Our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor

Time: 06/29/2008 4:00 PM PDT Pacific!! 07:00 PM EDT

This is Prelude to Revolution - May 1775, to July 4th, 1776 - a live audio production of Eclipse-1 Media.

Listen to the 2 previous episodes!

Part 1 | Part 2

Video: Ric Turner - Roller coaster Expert

I worked with Ric at Walt Disney Imagineering and it is great to see that he has taken his obsession with roller coasters to new heights in this show, The Science of Walt Disney Imagineering.