I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the fine work of KPBS in San Diego and the Google Maps mashup they put together to track the San Diego County fires, evacuation areas, and the like. It's being updated regularly and provides much better information than I've been able to find anywhere else on the internet, even through the County of San Diego websites or the Cal Fire websites. The City of San Marcos Website even links to it rather than any of the other "official" maps provided by the county or the state.
The Google Maps mashup can be found here and is updated quite regularly.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
i-Didit
I finally swallowed the magic Apple pill and bought my first Apple product yesterday. Now mind me, I've always been a big fan of Apple engineering. They make a fine product that usually looks fabulous compared to their rivals. However, I also always felt that Apple charged a premium for their products even though a premium price was not always warranted. As a result, I usually opted for equivalent item at a significant discount. And until Boot Camp, I would never have considered an Apple computer because I like my gaming too much.
Well today, after much consideration, I finally bought the i-Phone, which is my first Apple product. While I can't yet comment on the phone, I can tell you as a long-time Pacific Bell, Cingular, now ATT customer, I am quite disappointed at ATT's money grab. When I went to activate the i-Phone, I discovered that I had to accept the cancellation of my $6 government discount in order to qualify to use the phone. Given that ATT already requires a 2-year contract and $20+ dollars per month, do you really thing they were going to be hurt by the $6 I'm saving on THREE phones. Yes, that's right! ATT is too cheap to allow a $2 per phone discount to stay in place, even though the net cost of the i-phone is $300 plus $480 ($20/month x 24 months).
While I probably would have benefited more from a smart phone to replace my PDA, I couldn't fathom spending $44 a month on a data plan in addition to the voice plan. Thus, even though I think ATT is a greedy corporation, I have to admit that the data plan seems fairly reasonable. Of course, the data plan is very limited as the phone cannot be used for much other than surfing the web and email, whereas smart phones can be tethered to a laptop to serve as a modem. Either way, I'm satisfied as I'll be able to check email and Blackboard while on the go to keep up with my online classes. In addition, it was time for an ipod, so the i-phone met two needs.
Well today, after much consideration, I finally bought the i-Phone, which is my first Apple product. While I can't yet comment on the phone, I can tell you as a long-time Pacific Bell, Cingular, now ATT customer, I am quite disappointed at ATT's money grab. When I went to activate the i-Phone, I discovered that I had to accept the cancellation of my $6 government discount in order to qualify to use the phone. Given that ATT already requires a 2-year contract and $20+ dollars per month, do you really thing they were going to be hurt by the $6 I'm saving on THREE phones. Yes, that's right! ATT is too cheap to allow a $2 per phone discount to stay in place, even though the net cost of the i-phone is $300 plus $480 ($20/month x 24 months).
While I probably would have benefited more from a smart phone to replace my PDA, I couldn't fathom spending $44 a month on a data plan in addition to the voice plan. Thus, even though I think ATT is a greedy corporation, I have to admit that the data plan seems fairly reasonable. Of course, the data plan is very limited as the phone cannot be used for much other than surfing the web and email, whereas smart phones can be tethered to a laptop to serve as a modem. Either way, I'm satisfied as I'll be able to check email and Blackboard while on the go to keep up with my online classes. In addition, it was time for an ipod, so the i-phone met two needs.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Negligent in My Blogging
I seriously doubt that many people follow my blogs, but if anyone does I apologize for the lack of posts over the past 4 or 5 months. As you might imagine, I've been a bit preoccupied with work and this summer with "daddy duties." Since my son, Brady, wont begin daycare until August and with my wife, Sheri, back to work, I've been playing Mr. Mom for the last several weeks. However, I hope to post several posts over the next week or so.
Upcoming posts will include my review of my self-built Media Center PC I've been using for the past year and a vacation review of Disney World. Other travel-related reviews I've written in the past can be found along the right-hand margin of this page.
Upcoming posts will include my review of my self-built Media Center PC I've been using for the past year and a vacation review of Disney World. Other travel-related reviews I've written in the past can be found along the right-hand margin of this page.
Three Hours of Sleep I'll Never Get Back
Over the last couple of weeks, I've been taking advantage of the midnight showings of this summer's blockbuster movies as my son, Brady, and wife, Sheri, are asleep at that time; thus, my father- and husband-related responsibilities are not being neglected. Of course, there is additional loss of sleep, so the movie has to be quite good.
The movie I was most looking forward to this summer, in part due to the hype of the trailers, was Transformers. I'll admit that I grew up when Transformers appeared as toys, competing with GoBots, and was one of the dominant cartoons on television. I even had a number of the Transformer toys, including Optimus Prime and Starscream. And of course, my friends had various versions of them as well. And since the only movie to date was a cartoon version, I was quite excited that a live-action film was being made.
While the movie was fair and one that is enjoyable to anyone looking for a shoot-em-up flick, I must say that I was disappointed in the film overall. In my opinion, it failed to stay true to the cartoon storyline, the storyline I grew up on. Instead, the storyline was disjointed with all the Autobots and Decepticons going after one item, the Allspark. Rather than showing how the Transformers evolved, Optimus Prime spends five minutes providing a narrative.
Now, I must say that the midnight show drew a lot of fans. The theater was packed, and the audience cheered upon the lights dimming. The audience also cheered when Optimus Prime appeared for the first time, and applauded when the film was over, much like one would see at a Starwars screening.
Fortunately, I also saw Live Free or Die Hard, also known as Die Hard 4.0 in Europe, the week before at midnight. While the audience was much smaller, I must say that this 4th Die Hard movie was everything that I expected it to be and more. While I admit that I was not a fan of Die Hard 3, I really enjoyed the first two Die Hard movies. However, I think this is the best to date as you have a known character, the introduction of several new characters, and all the action and suspense that one would expect from a Die Hard film. Thus, I was completely satisfied when I left this movie, realizing that the 11 bucks and loss of 3 hours of sleep were worth it--not so for Transformers.
Of course, I could always go to Krikorian Theatres' "Mommy Movie Mondays," which I've taken advantage of several times, but I didn't want to wait to see the movie, nor did I want to be interrupted from the action by having to tend to Brady during the movie.
The movie I was most looking forward to this summer, in part due to the hype of the trailers, was Transformers. I'll admit that I grew up when Transformers appeared as toys, competing with GoBots, and was one of the dominant cartoons on television. I even had a number of the Transformer toys, including Optimus Prime and Starscream. And of course, my friends had various versions of them as well. And since the only movie to date was a cartoon version, I was quite excited that a live-action film was being made.
While the movie was fair and one that is enjoyable to anyone looking for a shoot-em-up flick, I must say that I was disappointed in the film overall. In my opinion, it failed to stay true to the cartoon storyline, the storyline I grew up on. Instead, the storyline was disjointed with all the Autobots and Decepticons going after one item, the Allspark. Rather than showing how the Transformers evolved, Optimus Prime spends five minutes providing a narrative.
Now, I must say that the midnight show drew a lot of fans. The theater was packed, and the audience cheered upon the lights dimming. The audience also cheered when Optimus Prime appeared for the first time, and applauded when the film was over, much like one would see at a Starwars screening.
Fortunately, I also saw Live Free or Die Hard, also known as Die Hard 4.0 in Europe, the week before at midnight. While the audience was much smaller, I must say that this 4th Die Hard movie was everything that I expected it to be and more. While I admit that I was not a fan of Die Hard 3, I really enjoyed the first two Die Hard movies. However, I think this is the best to date as you have a known character, the introduction of several new characters, and all the action and suspense that one would expect from a Die Hard film. Thus, I was completely satisfied when I left this movie, realizing that the 11 bucks and loss of 3 hours of sleep were worth it--not so for Transformers.
Of course, I could always go to Krikorian Theatres' "Mommy Movie Mondays," which I've taken advantage of several times, but I didn't want to wait to see the movie, nor did I want to be interrupted from the action by having to tend to Brady during the movie.
Pride of Aloha Review
I've had a couple of people asking me to post my January 2005 review of the Pride of Aloha, so here it is: http://members.cox.net/drlc/POA%20Review.pdf
While this review was posted on Cruise Critics, the posting on that website is incomplete.
While this review was posted on Cruise Critics, the posting on that website is incomplete.
Monday, February 12, 2007
What I've Learned in Two Weeks as a Parent
The following are a few discoveries I've made over the first two weeks as a parent:
- Coolers are king.
- Keeping a cooler on the nightstand to store bottles for 2:00 a.m. feedings will make your life a lot easier so you don't have to go far when hunger hits your newborn.
- Keep diapers everywhere.
- While changing tables might be nice, they are often inconvenient in terms of their location. If you live in a two story house, keeping a diaper station downstairs as well as upstairs will make your life a lot easier. In addition, it's useful to keep diapers near the bassinet if your newborn is sleeping in your room.
- Use a light that can be dimmed.
- The last thing you want to do is turn on the lights in the middle of the night to check on your newborn, to change his or her diaper, and/or to feed him or her.
- PDAs are useful in keeping track of feedings, diaper changes, etc.
- While this may sound trivial, the first thing your infant's pediatrician will ask you is how much he/she is eating and how many diapers you are changing on a daily basis. He/she will also want to know the content of those diapers. Further, you may enter a new parent coma, which will impair your ability to remember anything usually resulting from too little sleep. Thus, if it's not written down, you might not remember it at all.
- Don't believe size tags in infant clothing.
- Even though Brady was an average sized kid in terms of weight and length, all of the "newborn" clothes are still way too big. "Onesies" work well and we swaddle for warmth. Anything else they'll end up swimming in. I've also found that I like Carter's clothing the best and have found that they run large.
- A digital camera is your friend.
- Keep a digital camera in your diaper bag so that it's always accessible. Take pictures everyday and take more than you'll need. You'll be surprised at how quickly they grow and change. And since they're digital images, there's no cost for the ones you choose not to print.
- Make triple prints of all your photos.
- You'll want to keep a set for yourself and the grandparents will likely want a set as well.
- A good office chair may be a better bet than a rocker or a glider.
- Everyone raves about using a glider to calm your infant and/or for breast feeding, but my wife found that my ergonomic office chair worked best for her as the chair can be custom adjusted in all ways (e.g., height, tilt, arm height, etc.). You can't do this with a glider or a rocker. In addition, the chair swivels, so you can still use the chair to sooth your infant.
- Learn to swaddle.
- Nothing calms Brady more than being swaddled. Waffle style receiving blankets work best as they can be pulled tight, but they leave waffle marks on your newborn's skin. While they do sell swaddling sacks, they may be too large for your newborn.
- Your legs make an excellent cradle.
- If you're sitting in a recliner or on the bed, cross your legs at the ankles and use the space between your legs as a cradle. This way, your newborn will be close to you and you'll be able to see him/her clearly. However, keep in mind that he/she will be too far away for him/her to see you clearly.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Brady Is Born
It's official. At 10:23 a.m. on Sunday, January 28th, 2007, my son Brady was born. He weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. His head circumference was 14.25 inches and his chest measured 12.5 inches. His APGAR score at 5 minutes was 9 out of 10.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
NBC Stuido Tour (Burbank, CA)
With time to kill before the taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show at Studio 11 on the NBC Studios' Burbank lot, my wife and I opted to take a tour of the NBC Studios. The AAA admission price was $7.50 per person for an advertised 70 minute tour. In actuality, the tour took less than an hour.
The tour is advertised as including the following:
We did get to enter the Telemundo news sound stage, where robotic cameras are used in the filming of the newscast. From there, we saw the car that Jay Leno was driving today, a 1940s era (I'm guessing) Saab, and then visited The Tonight Show studio. Since we had seen The Tonight Show taped live previously, this was not all that exciting for us; however, we did get closer to the stage and learned a few things we didn't otherwise know.
All in all, I'd recommend saving your money. The tour was no comparison to the tour offered at NBC Studios New York. Instead, I would recommend going to the gift shop/tour entrance and requesting tickets to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. That way, you'll get to see the studio and the show and you wont miss out on much.
If you are a Days of Our Lives fan, the area just outside of the NBC Studios Gift Shop is "Salem Place." Thus, if you want to see something from Days of Our Lives, you can access this area for free as you enter the gift shop.
The tour is advertised as including the following:
- Visiting the Tonight Show Studio
- Seeing one of Jay Leno's cars
- Visiting a soap opera studio
We did get to enter the Telemundo news sound stage, where robotic cameras are used in the filming of the newscast. From there, we saw the car that Jay Leno was driving today, a 1940s era (I'm guessing) Saab, and then visited The Tonight Show studio. Since we had seen The Tonight Show taped live previously, this was not all that exciting for us; however, we did get closer to the stage and learned a few things we didn't otherwise know.
All in all, I'd recommend saving your money. The tour was no comparison to the tour offered at NBC Studios New York. Instead, I would recommend going to the gift shop/tour entrance and requesting tickets to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. That way, you'll get to see the studio and the show and you wont miss out on much.
If you are a Days of Our Lives fan, the area just outside of the NBC Studios Gift Shop is "Salem Place." Thus, if you want to see something from Days of Our Lives, you can access this area for free as you enter the gift shop.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
On Thursday, January 25th, my wife and I headed to Burbank for a taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show as this was on her list of things she wanted to do before our son, Brady, was born. Although I'll admit that the show's staff is very energetic and seem to enjoy their jobs, I must say that the ticketing process needs to be revisited.
Now, before I go on, I must state that we ended up getting tickets for Ellen's birthday show. As a result, more people may have been in attendance than normal.
Like most shows, tickets are given in excess of capacity, much like how airlines overbook their flights. While this is quite normal and I've experienced it for every show we've gotten tickets for, this simply meant arriving early to guarantee admission. However, for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, this process was quite different.
Rather than simply arriving early to the taping, Ellen tickets are distributed at 9:30 am. for a 3:30 or 6:00 p.m. taping. While the gates open at 7:00 a.m. to begin lining up for "guaranteed admission" tickets, many people arrive early and begin standing in line before this time. However, the general tickets clearly state that the Burbank Police may move those who choose to line up early.
We opted to leave our home at 5:30 a.m. and arrived at approximately 7:30 a.m. When tickets were finally distributed, we received ticket numbers 240 and 241 and were told to return at 4:00 p.m. for the 6:00 p.m. taping; thus, wasting the whole day. Unfortunately, only about 150 people were admitted to the taping as 30 seats were reserved for VIPs. The end result is that we ended up in the "Riff Raff" Room, watching the show as it was taped on monitors, never actually seeing the studio itself. And as a result, none of us in the "Riff Raff" room were eligible for any of the gifts handed out on the show.
While I must give The Ellen DeGeneres Show credit for having such a room, the ticketing process has to be revised. And although they offered us the opportunity to rebook at a future date--which happened to be on my wife's due date--we would have to arrive early and follow the same process outlined above. That being said, the show staff is very energetic, and I've never seen so many people having so much fun at one time. People were dancing, the music was loud, and Ellen even came into the "Riff Raff" room to say hello. She even acknowledge us during the show and we were filmed, although briefly, there.
Now, before I go on, I must state that we ended up getting tickets for Ellen's birthday show. As a result, more people may have been in attendance than normal.
Like most shows, tickets are given in excess of capacity, much like how airlines overbook their flights. While this is quite normal and I've experienced it for every show we've gotten tickets for, this simply meant arriving early to guarantee admission. However, for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, this process was quite different.
Rather than simply arriving early to the taping, Ellen tickets are distributed at 9:30 am. for a 3:30 or 6:00 p.m. taping. While the gates open at 7:00 a.m. to begin lining up for "guaranteed admission" tickets, many people arrive early and begin standing in line before this time. However, the general tickets clearly state that the Burbank Police may move those who choose to line up early.
We opted to leave our home at 5:30 a.m. and arrived at approximately 7:30 a.m. When tickets were finally distributed, we received ticket numbers 240 and 241 and were told to return at 4:00 p.m. for the 6:00 p.m. taping; thus, wasting the whole day. Unfortunately, only about 150 people were admitted to the taping as 30 seats were reserved for VIPs. The end result is that we ended up in the "Riff Raff" Room, watching the show as it was taped on monitors, never actually seeing the studio itself. And as a result, none of us in the "Riff Raff" room were eligible for any of the gifts handed out on the show.
While I must give The Ellen DeGeneres Show credit for having such a room, the ticketing process has to be revised. And although they offered us the opportunity to rebook at a future date--which happened to be on my wife's due date--we would have to arrive early and follow the same process outlined above. That being said, the show staff is very energetic, and I've never seen so many people having so much fun at one time. People were dancing, the music was loud, and Ellen even came into the "Riff Raff" room to say hello. She even acknowledge us during the show and we were filmed, although briefly, there.
Viejas Casino
Today, my wife and I visited Viejas Casino for the first time in many years as we wanted to play one last game of bingo before the birth of our son, Brady. While the bingo parlor has moved and the casino has been enlarged greatly, the overall layout remains the same. What we like most is that the bingo parlor has a complete separate nonsmoking section, separated by a solid glass wall. Most other casinos that offer bingo simply have a non-smoking section that is often smoky as there is nothing separating the two sections. The casino also has a very large nonsmoking casino, which was nice.
While we tried the well publicized buffet, I must say that I cannot recommend the buffet at $16.95 per person. Although the website, radio advertisements, and casino signs imply a fabulous buffet, it is not all that it is cracked up to be. In fact, Valley View Casino has a far superior buffet in terms of selection and quality for nearly the same price. I will give Viejas credit for ambiance, however. The restaurant area was stunning with a four sided rock fireplace and carved wood ceilings throughout.
Outside of a very good prime rib offered in very small portions, the king crab legs were nearly frozen solid and the shrimp were peel and eat. Further, the variety of items was limited and many had a "just out of the box" taste to them. There was also a shortage of soup and ice cream bowls. As a result, they ended up serving ice cream in coffee cups.
Given that the wait was an hour and a half, the buffet was worth $10.95, not $16.95. For only a couple of dollars more, Valley View's buffet offers action cooking stations, sushi, already peeled shrimp, and a greater variety of items overall. However the wait will be similar on weekends.
While we tried the well publicized buffet, I must say that I cannot recommend the buffet at $16.95 per person. Although the website, radio advertisements, and casino signs imply a fabulous buffet, it is not all that it is cracked up to be. In fact, Valley View Casino has a far superior buffet in terms of selection and quality for nearly the same price. I will give Viejas credit for ambiance, however. The restaurant area was stunning with a four sided rock fireplace and carved wood ceilings throughout.
Outside of a very good prime rib offered in very small portions, the king crab legs were nearly frozen solid and the shrimp were peel and eat. Further, the variety of items was limited and many had a "just out of the box" taste to them. There was also a shortage of soup and ice cream bowls. As a result, they ended up serving ice cream in coffee cups.
Given that the wait was an hour and a half, the buffet was worth $10.95, not $16.95. For only a couple of dollars more, Valley View's buffet offers action cooking stations, sushi, already peeled shrimp, and a greater variety of items overall. However the wait will be similar on weekends.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
You Never Know Where Your Posts Will Be Quoted
As I was adding a section to my blog on some of the previous cruise reviews I've written on other sites, I discovered that one of my cruise reviews for the Pride of Aloha was cited by the Pacific Business News. The article can be found here. I'm cruiser "jkrislc" for those of you who might be interested.
If you're interested at cruising, take a look at some of the reviews I've written and/or feel free to post a comment here if you'd like to know my thoughts and opinions on cruising. Personally, I find it to be one of the most fun ways to travel, although my wife would disagree in many respects. Thus far, the only cruise she's truly loved is NCL's Pride of Aloha because of its casual dress, freestyle approach to cruising, and the fact that the ship overnighted in many of the ports while we were cruising Hawaii.
If you're interested at cruising, take a look at some of the reviews I've written and/or feel free to post a comment here if you'd like to know my thoughts and opinions on cruising. Personally, I find it to be one of the most fun ways to travel, although my wife would disagree in many respects. Thus far, the only cruise she's truly loved is NCL's Pride of Aloha because of its casual dress, freestyle approach to cruising, and the fact that the ship overnighted in many of the ports while we were cruising Hawaii.
Maybe "Snakes on a Plane" Wasn't So Far Fetched
According to a news report today entitled Scorpion Stings Man on Plane by CBS News and many other news sites, a man was stung by a scorpion that somehow manage to make its way onto the plane. While it's not inconceivable that just about any kind of critter can make it onto a plane, it seems somewhat ironic after the earlier theatrical release of Snakes on a Plane and the recent DVD release of the movie.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Organic for Me
Lately, I've been opting to purchase organic products (e.g., soy milk, salad dressing, and produce) for a variety of reasons, most of which are not related to health as evidenced by my physique. Besides the potential health benefits of organic foods (e.g., no pesticides or hormones), there is an even greater benefit to the environment. Most organic foods are produced in such a way that the land they are grown on is renewable.
While I don't exclusively purchase organic foods, it is becoming easier and easier to do as many of the warehouse stores (e.g., Costco and Sam's Club) are carrying organic items. In fact, Walmart has recently made a commitment to carrying organic items and even carries an entire line of organic baby food. And while I'm planning to make my own baby food, for which I got a baby food cookbook for Christmas, if I opt to buy some jarred baby food I've decided to go organic as the cost is negligible compared to the nonorganic counterparts. Further, why add exposure to pesticides when it isn't necessary.
The primary reason I've decided to make a commitment to organic foods is in part the result of completing my Ph.D. at Saybrook Graduate School. It was there that I learned the importance of renewable resources and its importance to ensure that the environment is protected for future generations. As a result, my wife and I use many native plants on our property to minimize the amount of water needed for irrigation, and have over a dozen pine trees planted on our property. In addition, we grow fruits and vegetables without using pesticides and have even begun using "worm tea" as my father-in-law uses worms in composting, which produce an organic fertilizer as a byproduct. And while we've considered going with synthetic lawns and a solar system for our house, neither has proven cost effective as we don't use enough water or enough electricity to justify the expense associated with either.
While I don't exclusively purchase organic foods, it is becoming easier and easier to do as many of the warehouse stores (e.g., Costco and Sam's Club) are carrying organic items. In fact, Walmart has recently made a commitment to carrying organic items and even carries an entire line of organic baby food. And while I'm planning to make my own baby food, for which I got a baby food cookbook for Christmas, if I opt to buy some jarred baby food I've decided to go organic as the cost is negligible compared to the nonorganic counterparts. Further, why add exposure to pesticides when it isn't necessary.
The primary reason I've decided to make a commitment to organic foods is in part the result of completing my Ph.D. at Saybrook Graduate School. It was there that I learned the importance of renewable resources and its importance to ensure that the environment is protected for future generations. As a result, my wife and I use many native plants on our property to minimize the amount of water needed for irrigation, and have over a dozen pine trees planted on our property. In addition, we grow fruits and vegetables without using pesticides and have even begun using "worm tea" as my father-in-law uses worms in composting, which produce an organic fertilizer as a byproduct. And while we've considered going with synthetic lawns and a solar system for our house, neither has proven cost effective as we don't use enough water or enough electricity to justify the expense associated with either.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Two and a Half Men
My wife and I spent yesterday night watching an episode of CBS' Two and a Half Men being filmed at Warner Brothers Studios. We were able to acquire tickets through Audiences Unlimited, which I have used to get tickets to TV shows for nearly 20 years. They do a very good job handling ticket distribution and during this filming they provided the audience with pizza and bottled water; something they have never done in the past. In addition, a type of program for this episode of the show was provided, which I've scanned into this posting.
This is currently the only sitcom we watch on a regular basis and find it to be extremely funny. The show features Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer. On this episode, Allison Janney, who played C.J. Craig on the West Wing, guest starred as Beverly, a woman with issues who ends up dating Alan (Jon Cryer) after meeting him on an internet dating service. We also discovered that Melanie Lynskey, who plays Rose, was leaving the show. Not only did this episode contain her last appearance, but they had a "goodbye" for Melanie at the end of filming that included a poster-sized card signed by the crew, flowers, sparkling cider, and the like. It was obvious that she was going to be missed and many were in tears.
What always surprises me when I see TV shows taped is how small the sets actually are. In addition, the "rooms" never quite look as good as they do on TV, probably as the consequence of lighting. In addition, the actors wear a ton of makeup, making them look very goofy in-person, but ironically quite natural on TV. This is probably exacerbated by the fact that people now have high-definition TVs, which show even more detail than ever before.
If you've never been to a TV show taping, it's quite an adventure. First, even though you have a ticket, there is no guarantee that you'll get in as more tickets are distributed than there are seats. In addition, the cast, crew, and studio reserves seats for guests, so there is no way of knowing how many seats will be available. Further, sometimes groups have reservations, which gives them priority seating. As a result, we arrived about 2 1/4 hours before taping and found that a like of about 18 people had already formed. Within 20 minutes, the line had doubled and I'm guessing anyone who was not there an hour and a half before did not get in.
At Warner Brothers, free parking is provided in a very modern, secured parking garage, which is a nice touch. Groups of 10 to 12 are then escorted through security to a secondary staging area. Once three or four groups have merged in the secondary staging area, the audience members are then escorted to Stage 26 for Two and a Half Men, where another security check is performed. By the time you reach the studio, you've been through two security checks and two metal detectors. You've also had any electronic equipment confiscated if you've failed to follow the directions of leaving such devices (e.g., cell phones and cameras) in your car or at home.
In general, the studios tend to be cool and cramped. In this particular case, the seats needed more padding and more space between them. Because we entered the studio an hour before taping began, we ended up being seated for 5 1/2
hours. By the time the filming was done, my butt was numb and my legs were sore. Even so, it was fun to do and we also got to see an episode that hasn't yet aired while we were waiting.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Keep An Eye to the Right for Audio Blog Posts
As the birth of my son approaches, keep an eye on the Gabcast player under Audio Blogs on the right-hand side of my blog as I'll be "calling in" to post updates there as I wont have access to a computer in the hospital.
Dr. Barmucci's Talk on Distance Education
I was fortunate enough to attend a talk about distance education by Dr. Robert Barmucci, District Dean, Open Campus, Riverside Community College District. He immediately came across to me as the “Dr. Phil of Distance Education,” by providing a humorous, yet intuitive discussion about distance education. And he admits that distance education today is almost synonymous with online education even though in theory it can take several different forms.
The following information was presented by Dr. Barmucci during his talk:
Distance education is growing at a rate of 20-25% compared to 4-5% for traditional education. Further, for-profit education is growing at a faster rate than public education.
Failed educational technology in the past has led to skepticism among some educators about online education. Even so, distance education dates back to 1840 with the first correspondence course in shorthand. Thus, distance education has been around in some form for more than a century and a half. However, the recent growth in distance education can largely be attributed to the internet, which has allowed for the restructuring of technology and its use.
Research has consistently demonstrated that there are no significant differences between online and traditional classes. Dr. Barmucci presented a meta-analytic review of 70 studies to support this claim. His presentation mirrors much of the research presented at this year’s annual American Psychological Association Conference that I attended in New Orleans. Dr. Barmucci also indicated that satisfaction tends to be high among distance education students and many cite the flexibility that such education offers as one of the reasons for taking an online class. As a result, distance education is much more “consumer friendly” than traditional education.
Distance education is still in a mostly primitive form as online classes have only existed for 10 years, versus 700 or more years for traditional education. Online education also requires greater skills for both the student and the educator. For the educator, he or she must not only be the content creator, but media expert among a list of numerous or skills required for effective online presentation of information. In addition, not everything that works in the classroom works equally well online, resulting in the need to create or at least modify current teaching methods.
Trends in Distance Education
1. The Future Is Mobile
This is largely the consequence of technology which is beginning to integrate numerous devices into a single unit.
Time/Place shifting is becoming common, especially among the iPod and Tivo users who have become accustomed to having the content they want when and where they want it.
2. The Future Is Interactive
The computer game business is larger than the movie business, or for professional sports for that matter.
Part of the success of games is that they allow players to make choices in how they want to proceed. The same might be true fro online classes in the future. As a result, courses can be customized to the individual student.
3. The Future Is Integrated
There will likely be an unbundling of courses with courses designed, developed, and/or taught by teams.
4. Categories Will Blur
The distinction between traditional and distance education courses will become harder to distinguish.
This is especially true as more and more faculty are teaching traditional courses that are “Blackboard-Enhanced.”
Conclusion
There is world-wide potential to distance education as your student base is no longer limited to a specific geographic region. In Africa, for instance, more than 125 million children have no access to education. Further, AIDS is killing teachers faster than they can be trained.
Dr. Barmucci concluded by stating, “The hope for distance education is to rehumanize education, not to dehumanize it.” Essentially, he was referring to the fact that larger classrooms have led to a greater disconnect between the educator and the student. With online courses, however, there is a greater potential for one-on-one interaction between the two.
The following information was presented by Dr. Barmucci during his talk:
Distance education is growing at a rate of 20-25% compared to 4-5% for traditional education. Further, for-profit education is growing at a faster rate than public education.
Failed educational technology in the past has led to skepticism among some educators about online education. Even so, distance education dates back to 1840 with the first correspondence course in shorthand. Thus, distance education has been around in some form for more than a century and a half. However, the recent growth in distance education can largely be attributed to the internet, which has allowed for the restructuring of technology and its use.
Research has consistently demonstrated that there are no significant differences between online and traditional classes. Dr. Barmucci presented a meta-analytic review of 70 studies to support this claim. His presentation mirrors much of the research presented at this year’s annual American Psychological Association Conference that I attended in New Orleans. Dr. Barmucci also indicated that satisfaction tends to be high among distance education students and many cite the flexibility that such education offers as one of the reasons for taking an online class. As a result, distance education is much more “consumer friendly” than traditional education.
Distance education is still in a mostly primitive form as online classes have only existed for 10 years, versus 700 or more years for traditional education. Online education also requires greater skills for both the student and the educator. For the educator, he or she must not only be the content creator, but media expert among a list of numerous or skills required for effective online presentation of information. In addition, not everything that works in the classroom works equally well online, resulting in the need to create or at least modify current teaching methods.
Trends in Distance Education
1. The Future Is Mobile
This is largely the consequence of technology which is beginning to integrate numerous devices into a single unit.
Time/Place shifting is becoming common, especially among the iPod and Tivo users who have become accustomed to having the content they want when and where they want it.
2. The Future Is Interactive
The computer game business is larger than the movie business, or for professional sports for that matter.
Part of the success of games is that they allow players to make choices in how they want to proceed. The same might be true fro online classes in the future. As a result, courses can be customized to the individual student.
3. The Future Is Integrated
There will likely be an unbundling of courses with courses designed, developed, and/or taught by teams.
4. Categories Will Blur
The distinction between traditional and distance education courses will become harder to distinguish.
This is especially true as more and more faculty are teaching traditional courses that are “Blackboard-Enhanced.”
Conclusion
There is world-wide potential to distance education as your student base is no longer limited to a specific geographic region. In Africa, for instance, more than 125 million children have no access to education. Further, AIDS is killing teachers faster than they can be trained.
Dr. Barmucci concluded by stating, “The hope for distance education is to rehumanize education, not to dehumanize it.” Essentially, he was referring to the fact that larger classrooms have led to a greater disconnect between the educator and the student. With online courses, however, there is a greater potential for one-on-one interaction between the two.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Formatting Problems
I've noticed that my post on "Everything You Wanted to Know about Blogging but Were Afraid to Ask" has some formatting issues when viewed with Internet Explorer that were not apparent yesterday when I was using Firefox. I'll work on correcting the formatting later today when I have more time.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
I'll admit that I know very little about blogging. However, I was fortunate enough to attend Jim Gaston's talk on blogging and thought I'd post the notes that I took on the talk below.
Please visit Jim's blog (http://digitaledu.blogspot.com) for more information on blogging and technology related to education.
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BLOGGING,
BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK
(Jim Gaston, http://digitaledu.blogspot.com)
View Jim's PowerPoint Presentation here.
How can we take these kinds of tools and use them in the academic world to engage our students?
New Stuff from District IT
MySite 2.0
Currently in Beta mode.
A link will appear within the next couple of weeks.
Almost every system is in the process of being replaced.
e.g., Curriculum, HR, Registration, etc.
Developed in conjunction with Microsoft and Newdesic.
Will become the default portal sometime in February.
MAP (My Academic Plan)
Enables students to define an academic goal, layout a plan to meet the goal, and then to track their progress towards meeting their goals.
NEW SIS (Student Information System)
Will integrate with MAP.
Will provide an upgraded level of service to students.
Overview
What is a blog?
Consuming
Finding
Organizing/Subscribing (RSS)
Producing
Creating a blog.
Creating blog postings.
Promoting
Tracking usage.
Web Sites
Links to all web sites addressed in the presentation.
Jim’s blog on technology and education.
What Is Blogging?
From Wikipedia:
A blog is a user generated website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order.
Derived from Web log.
Began as online journals/diaries but has evolved into a new form of media.
Impact of Blogs
Dan Rather, Mark Foley, & Trent Lott
Daily Kos & Joseph Lieberman
Daily Kos is probably the leading liberal political blog.
Some say that Lieberman lost the primary as a consequence of this blog.
Around 60 million blogs.
Every day:
100,000 new blogs created
1.3 million new postings
Anyone who has anything to say can create a blog.
There are no editorial controls or standards as found in “traditional” media.
It is important to keep in mind that not all of the information is critical or unbiased.
Students need to realize who is provided in the information and critique whether the information is correct.
Blogs are much more responsive to events that are occurring at any given moment.
Some were posting during the Hurricane Katrina event as it was happening.
Not likely going away any time soon.
Popular bloggers are being recognized and courted by groups who want to use blogs to sway public opinion.
It’s possible that blogging will have an even greater impact during the next presidential election.
Reading Blogs
Blog Index and Search
technorati.com
The one used most often by Jim.
Searching by “tag posting” will provide posts which use the search term as a keyword.
If you search all blogs, you’ll get every posting in which the term is mentioned in the text, whether or not the blog is related to your search.
blogsearch.google.com
search.blogger.com
Blogger is the most used blogging service.
Blogpulse.com
Virtually all blogs allow comment, which allows for numerous viewpoints.
Subscribing to Blogs
RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
A text file that contains updates to the content of a site.
Nearly all of the latest browsers have RSS feeder options.
Allows for the viewing of blogs without visiting the blogs themselves.
This way, you can organize and arrange the blogs to your liking.
Reader.google.com
Allows for the organization and sharing of blogs.
Bloglines.com
Web-based services are convenient because they can be accessed anywhere, whether you’re reading the feeds from home or elsewhere.
Producing a Blog
Blogger.com
Purchased by Google about a year ago.
Free service.
Easiest to use.
Wordpress.com
A small cost per month.
Edublogs.org
Free blogs for teachers, trainers, lecturers, librarians, and other edu professionals.
Uses Wordpress without the cost associated with Wordpress.
Creating Content
Blog Posting
Adding images and video clips
Promoting Your Blog
Register your blog with your favorite blog search sites (e.g., Technorati.com).
Link to other blogs.
Post comments with a reference to your blog.
The more links pointing to your site, the higher your blog ranking on the various blog search engines.
Tracking Usage
If you build it, will they come?
Site tracking
Sitemeter.com
Analytics.google.com
You need to copy and paste the code provided when you register in order to track your blog visits.
What I Did on My Winter Break
I thought I'd take a few moments to detail how I spent my Winter Break. I'll leave out the details of the holiday events (Christmas and New Year's Eve), but I will tell you that those days were spent with family and nontraditional. For Christmas dinner we had a combination of Mexican and Swedish dishes, no turkey, and for New Year's Eve we had a variety of soups, and a very good coffee cake that I made that contained Ricotta cheese. Most of my time was spent on my soon-to-be son's room getting it ready for his arrival. At times, I did take an intermission to play Battlefield 2142 (http://battlefield.ea.com/batllefield/bf/)--my current favorite 1st person shooter--and Unreal Tournament, which I play online using Hamachi (http://www.hamachi.cc/) with my friend, Bob, who lives in the Bay area.
For our son's room, my wife, Sheri, and I decided to go with soft pastels as we do not traditionally like overly masculine colors or themes. Thus, I painted the walls a light green/celery color capped with a chair rail panted in Humpalump Purple.
We also had the closet redone by California Closets (http://californiaclosets.com/). While it wasn't cheap, the quality of the product and installation was top notch. Further, three rows of hanging space and shelves on the side will allow for the maximization of space. We opted for white to save money rather than going with the exotic wood options. It's a closet after all.
I have to thank my mom for the crib. It's a Bassett Baby Unique Treasures crib that converts to a full size bed. For those of you who are interested, I am responsible for creating the name plaque with the lion and elephant.
For our son's room, my wife, Sheri, and I decided to go with soft pastels as we do not traditionally like overly masculine colors or themes. Thus, I painted the walls a light green/celery color capped with a chair rail panted in Humpalump Purple.We also had the closet redone by California Closets (http://californiaclosets.com/). While it wasn't cheap, the quality of the product and installation was top notch. Further, three rows of hanging space and shelves on the side will allow for the maximization of space. We opted for white to save money rather than going with the exotic wood options. It's a closet after all.
I have to thank my mom for the crib. It's a Bassett Baby Unique Treasures crib that converts to a full size bed. For those of you who are interested, I am responsible for creating the name plaque with the lion and elephant.
My First Blogspot Blog
After attending Jim Gaston's talk (Everything You Wanted to Know about Blogging, But Were Afraid to Ask) and viewing his blog at http://digitaledu.blogspot.com/, I was inspired to create this blog. Of course, Jim is also to blame for inspiring me to create an account and page at MySpace.com (http://myspace.com/doclc). Basically, this means that my dean and some of my colleagues will be impressed, which bodes well for tenure.
While I haven't made any blog entries to MySpace other than an introductory post, I do hope to make regular posting here. If interested, keep checking back. Some possible future entries may include my thoughts on being a new dad--5 weeks and counting! I've attached a 4D ultradsound image of my soon to be born son for anyone who is interested.
While I haven't made any blog entries to MySpace other than an introductory post, I do hope to make regular posting here. If interested, keep checking back. Some possible future entries may include my thoughts on being a new dad--5 weeks and counting! I've attached a 4D ultradsound image of my soon to be born son for anyone who is interested.
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