My Word with Douglas E. Welch

New Design: The San Fernando Valley Map (1923) on Tops, iPhone Cases, Prints, and More from Douglas E. Welch Design and Photography [For Sale]

Available exclusively from
DouglasEWelch.com/shop/330

*Redbubble has discounts when purchasing multiple items and also gives 10%-20% discounts on a regular basis. Check back often!

See More Products On These Sites 
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See my entire catalog
DouglasEWelch.com/shop/

Find more at @DEWDesignPhoto

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A SoCal Type Of Day in Slow Motion

A sunny Winter’s day in the garden

I have been eagerly waiting for this since it was first announced and my good friend Daniel let me know this morning (via our family and friends Discord server) that it was finally available here in California. It is not like I have gone much of anywhere for the last 261 days, but it always good to keep aware of what is happening around you.

There is nothing to install. Exposure notifications is built into the iPhone. Just follow the steps below to activate.

Once you activate CA COVID Notify, it does all the work. All you do is keep your bluetooth on. You will only receive alerts if you were in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Your privacy is protected as your identity is not known and your location is not tracked.

Set It Up Today!

Complete Information Here

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@douglaswelch

Thanksgiving Day ##sun ##sunlight ##timelapse ##cat ##kitty

♬ FANTASTIC MR FOX – miyokonii or amaramation 🥰

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Elm Leaves Are Falling

Our large elm started dropping its leaves en Masse this week, carpeting the front garden in yellow.

From my Instagram Feed

Looking toward the new year, I am making an effort to be more civic-minded and taking more interest in my city, country, state, and country.

Today aI am highlighting the wealth of data available at data.LACity.org. This is public data collected by all the city’s systems and shared online in database format. Today’s resource is a database of all 311 calls (and 311 app requests) for 2020 (and the past, should you wish). 

Have you ever wondered if someone had reported that abandoned sofa on the curb yet? How about the graffiti on the corner or the illegal dumping in the empty lot? Now you can get updated status of these reports and add your own if no one has reported it yet.

MyLA311 Service Request Data 2020

You can slice and dice this data however you wish. I am setting up some custom views for monthly reports and reports by Zip Code and Council District, but they haven’t been approved for public access yet. (Probably the holiday slowing everything down.) Still, you can add filters to limit the data to just your area of interest.

There is a lot of interesting data here that Neighborhood Councils could make use of and it is fairly easy to use.

You can also map the data in various ways, like this…

Check it out!

So, just what is “civics” anyway?

Civics is defined as: the study or science of the privileges and obligations of citizens.

Civic education is the study of the theoretical, political and practical aspects of citizenship, as well as its rights and duties. It includes the study of civil law and civil code, and the study of government with attention to the role of citizens―as opposed to external factors―in the operation and oversight of government. — League of Women Voters of Delaware.

In order to have the government we want, we need to both understand and engage in civics activities in our local communities. I am dedicated to doing better in 2021. How about you?

Pomegranate Leaves

Working in the front garden yesterday and saw that our young pomegranate leaves are turning. A lovely bit of Fall color in a place that doesn’t see much of it.

From my Instagram Feed

Looking toward the new year, I am making an effort to be more civic-minded and taking more interest in my city, country, state and country.

Part of this involves being more aware of all the city meetings that take place almost daily here in Los Angeles. 

Today, I am starting with resources that give you links to City Council, City Departments, Neighborhood Councils, and More.

This page provides links to all the public city meeting agendas. I wish it were accessible;e via RSS or other API, but at the very least, this is a place you can add to your “daily/weekly visit” bookmarks list in your browser.

So, just what is “civics” anyway?

Civics is defined as: the study or science of the privileges and obligations of citizens.

Civic education is the study of the theoretical, political and practical aspects of citizenship, as well as its rights and duties. It includes the study of civil law and civil code, and the study of government with attention to the role of citizens―as opposed to external factors―in the operation and oversight of government. — League of Women Voters of Delaware.

In order to have the government we want, we need to both understand and engage in civics activities in our local communities. I am dedicated to doing better in 2021. How about you?

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@douglaswelch

Scuddering rain clouds outside my office window ##weather ##clouds ##nature ##outdoors ##sky ##timelapse

♬ Time Lapse – Andrew Sinclair

An interesting link found among my daily reading

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@douglaswelch

Hummingbird in the garden – Part 2 ##birds ##hummingbirds ##slomo ##garden ##california ##losangeles ##nature ##outdoors

♬ Once Upon a Dream – Invadable Harmony

An interesting link found among my daily reading