Lizzeh’s Neighborhood

What is your driver score?

You know of those rear-enders that you can see coming in your rear view mirror? I saw one coming in my rear view mirror this morning on The 101 freeway.

I saw a damaged off-white older Toyota pickup with a shell on the back approaching way too fast. The driver hadn't noticed that my lane had slowed to a stop for a few moments, even though all the other lanes were still moving. Next, I heard screeching tires and saw the smoke from the pressure applied to the brakes. I watched the car sort of veer from side to side in order to slow down but not enough to leave the lane. I remained calm and just prepared for impact.

Then it was quiet.

The car behind me stopped mere inches behind me and a couple seconds later, my lane started moving again. I drove on and watched my rear view mirror and I as drove away, untouched. The driver changed lanes and as the guy passed me (quickly) on my left, I was left with the smell of burnt rubber.

I am a defensive driver and I try to give cars, especially visibly-damaged ones, a wide berth on the road. Even this doesn't prevent all possible collisions. Sometimes I can't do anything but trust others' ability to either pay attention to where they are going or react in time if they don't. I can  do that or I can figure out a way to get one of these for my next car.

I can haz Batmobile?

Fully-loaded WITH the voice-activated Bat Shield.

Batmobile from the front

You know you want one too.

First, I want to state that I have this lofty goal to eliminate my credit card dependency. However, my compulsion to support certain 'why-are-these-people-still-under-the-radar?' musicians @ established music venues makes it quite difficult.

Tuesday night when I saw Ari Hest play at the Hotel Cafe I knew the online ticket purchase was worth it-- as are all my purchases, of course. The opener from Ireland, Declan O'Rourke, told the audience that this was his first time playing (or first tour playing?) in America. He had a great sound and one novelty song stands out. It's about an old black crow and it was highly entertaining because there was a fun song introduction and then part of the chorus was him cawing. Not counting that particular song, to me, live, his style was like an Irish version of Ari's so it shouldn't be too surprising if he gains a large following here fairly quickly.

"I can make you move against your will. Don’t it make you sad to lose control?" Broken Voices by Ari Hest

Ari was fantastic with his band, and played a bunch of songs from his early material and CD The Break In, plus newer songs from his project, 52, which included my favorite song, Broken Voices. At some point Amy Kuney came up to sing Cranberry Lake which she co-wrote and sang in a duet with Ari. That was great because I've been wanting to see her live for a while now too.

Ari's vocal ability is amazing. His tone ranges in his songs from baritone to falsetto with impressively flawless lung control. It bowls me over me every time I see him live.

I ran into @KristinJuel during the evening which is always refreshing. Sitting with her I discovered my new favorite bass player, Rob Calder, who has an interesting way of dancing to the beat while he plays.  Very entertaining to watch!

The only downer of the night is that there's a rule that non-flash photography is allowed in Hotel Cafe, but video recording is not. Kristin got busted for taking video with her digi cam at some point. That was too bad but at least they didn't confiscate her camera. She had also taken a bunch of still photos. Overall, it was a good night for live music.

"You're the song that I sing that I don't need to practice." from In the Creases by Amber Rubarth.
Tomorrow is Amber Rubarth's show @ The Mint-- http://themintla.com is their site. I refuse to hyperlink to it because it has music that auto-plays and defaults to the loudest volume setting. Way to facilitate an obnoxious user experience.

I love Amber's lyrical ambition and like Ari, she is now based in NY so I try to see her whenever she's playing here. Can't wait to hear her new songs and old ones again that I like. A lot.

I received an invite this morning for Google Wave and with no idea what to do with it. So, I'm watching a Google video on what the intended use for Google Wave is. The video is an hour and twenty minutes long. *smh*

At first glance it seems like a glorified e-mail account, which is what I thought G-Mail was.

I don't know if I like the 'view text while typing' feature being a default setting. I'm a bit of a messy typist. I also wonder about the implications of data mining for users of this service. I am mostly concerned about how Google is planning to use, archive, catalog, and ultimately monetize this potential goldmine of user generated content (UGC) with a EULA (by using this product you consent to *anything the company wants to do*) agreement. I'm going to give it a chance and see what happens.

G-Wave users, what are your initial thoughts?

Nano '09 participant

begin
stop
get behind
assess

begin
catch up
stop
get behind

begin again
stop
get really behind
begin again

begin
once more
don't give up
end.

If you're doing National Novel Writing Month in November, feel free to add me to your buddy list! I'm KwaS on the nanowrimo site.

mmm... Chocolate. Last Sunday was the 3rd Annual LA Chocolate Salon in Pasadena. I've finally come out of the sugar shock enough to share my experience but my hands are still too shaky to type it all out, figuratively speaking. So I'm going to do the next best thing.

Here's A Salon of Indulgence, Luxury and Chocolate, an article from the Occidental paper, Oxyweekly, which details the event in a way that was fairly close to my experience.

If you missed this event, the next Chocolate Salon is in San Francisco. Chocolate lovers planning to be in the Bay Area in March, don't miss that one. There will be as many as 50 chocolatiers in attendance to LA's 35-- which had one more sample table than this chocolate fan could handle.

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America

Barbara Ehrenreich

Read a book in a week or less. Read at least two books this month.
That will be twice as many as I read last month.
It is an attainable goal.

This weekend I finally had a chance to replace my (stolen) library card from summer. All my cash was spent at the previous stop-- wait for it-- the cleaners, and this library doesn't take credit cards. I didn't have enough pocket change to pay for the new card, but the clerk said I could take my replacement card now and pay next time, which was a pleasant surprise.
I stopped at the reference desk and inquired if the book, Nickel and Dimed, was available. The library's two copies had already been checked out. An extra copy will be sent to the branch so I can check it out by next weekend. This works out nicely because I have another book (a YA novel) to read while I'm waiting. Also, I found out that they take magazine donations. I have a few dozen that would be better off donated than chucked into the recycle bin.

We can do it!

I'm heading over to Venice Beach for the Annual Coastal Cleanup Day, but first I'm going to talk about picking up others' trash.

I started going to these beach clean up events back in elementary school when I was a girl scout; The big takeaway from my particular troop was always leave a place cleaner than I've found it.

This means, on a hike pick up little bits of trash on the trail that I can see and safely reach. At the beach, dispose of all my trash and look around for some extra that I didn't leave. As a guest in someone's home, I should offer to help the host clean up. A gracious host takes responsibility for cleaning up after me, their guest, and a big part of being a good guest is being a tidy guest.  And so on. As a result I've learned to dislike lounging in trashy environments, but having a low tolerance for trash is a bit of a two-edged sword.

It bothers me when eating at a public place and the only table available is covered with napkins and straw paper from the last diners. If I choose to sit there to eat, then I essentially inherit their trash and I will feel like a jerk if I get up at the end of my meal and leave their trash behind.

I also worked in a movie theatre when I was a teen and I can tell you that there are likely rats in every theatre that serves food. Though ushers don't actually get paid specifically to clean up trash after attendees they end up having to do damage control lest the rats go on a brazen binge amongst the drink cups and half-eaten snack bags left on the floor and in the seats when the show is over. Most people don't think anything of leaving their trash around when they leave. Without any intervention from ushers it wouldn't be a shock for rodents to eventually start to crawl along the seats during the show.  So props to ushers for picking up others' trash and keeping the rats at bay (thus preserving the environment).  Think about that next time you put your popcorn bucket on the floor.

I get that it's not a big deal leaving just one bucket on the floor, but perhaps the person in your seat before you left nachos under their seat and the person before that left some sticky candy under the seat in front of you. Multiply this by 300 seats and it all adds up to giving rodents an incentive to enjoy the trashy feast all around you and who really desires to enjoy that quality of life? [/rant]

Back to the beach
All of us are ushers of our environment. Whether we accept that role or not is the key to upping our standard of living. Though it takes a little bit of extra effort, the end result is that once a year we get this opportunity to help preserve the environment and bond with others who are doing the same.

The clean up is from 9-noon all over LA. The official event page is http://www.healthebay.org/ccd and there is the
CCD event page on Facebook.

On Monday, Sept. 7, the panel picker closed for the 2010 SXSW interactive conference.

I participated in the daunting task of reviewing each category and topic and ultimately 'thumbs up'ed

5 advanced panels
63 Intermediate
52 beginner sessions

This adds up to more panels than one could possibly see in a week (120!) so it got pointless to continue voting after going through that many.

In no order of preference, from the beginner category my top 11 panels are:

1. How to Get your Song in a Movie Douglas Stewart

Getting a record deal is something that pretty much belongs to another era. But, the chance to get your song in an indie film is a more palpable reality. It serves as a good launching pad for a band's assault on all media.

2. Your content is You, Your Website is Dead Kris Krug

The stories you comment on, favorite, tag, and share say more about you that your .com. Join photographer and internet future thinker Kris Krüg as he discusses how the destination is becoming less important than the artifacts you leave along the way.

3. Fresh Ideas for Blogging: It's Not All Been Done Linsey Knerl

What do you do when you've said all there is to say on your blogging topic? This panel looks at ways to refresh evergreen blog topics, bring on new talent, and exhange content in a SEO and community-friendly manner to keep your blog fresh!

4. Beyond Tokenism: How Social Media Can Fix Stuff Deanna Zandt

It's clear that even in 2009, we don't live in a post-racial, post-sexist, post-homophobic, post-anything-like-that society. But the potential for social media to cross-pollinate across cultures and start dissolving barriers is undeniable and huge. We'll present strategies and projects for systemic social change.

5. How to Get FREE Everything from Social Media Ryan Bauer

There are free cars (www.fiestamovement.com) free food (www.tastecasting.com) free apartments, free travel, free event tickets and so much more available through using social media (including www.bzzagent.com). Discussion will focus on specific items panelists have procured and a step by step guide with examples. A web copy will be available for review.

6. Becoming a Business Ninja: Mastering What Actually Matters Josh Kaufman

Discover the 10% of business concepts that create over 90% of the real-world value. Train your brain and build your business with Josh Kaufman, creator and editor of the Personal MBA.

7. Color Trends- Palettes to Pick for 2010 Paige Dzenis

Is there really ‘a new black’? It’s easy to follow fashion and design trends—but what do we know about how colours come into trend and influence us? From polish to Pantone, this panel discusses how and why companies and cool hunters pick the next big colours of the season.

8. Black Blogging Rockstars Maurice Cherry

Past SXSW panels have shown that Black bloggers and bloggers of color are becoming more prominent and well-known as the years progress. From "Blogging While Black" to being "Digital Urbanites", being a Black blogger is definitely not limited to any monolithic stereotype. Learn from some of the pioneers and thought-leaders in the Black blogosphere on our past, present, and future.

9. Results Only work Environment (ROWE): Why It Works Nikki Haffey

Imagine a work environment where people do whatever they want whenever they want as long as the work gets done. At midnight or 3am or on Sunday. Whenever and wherever. It's called a Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE), and companies around the world are starting to adopt the ROWE philosophy.

10. Casting Crib Cutesploitation - using Your Kids as Content John Styn

What every parent should consider before uploading their offspring. They are adorable little miracles that should be shared with the world. And who isn’t delighted by the youtube’d laughter of a child? (Or a drugged up kid after dentist.) But when does a bathtime video cross the line into “need for future therapy?” Or worse yet, a felony sex offense? Parents will address the costs/benefits of their decision process and the personal/public lines they’ve drawn in the sandbox.

11. Social Security: Protecting Your Privacy in Social Media Damien Basile

With a generation getting used to sharing every single detail of their life in social media, where do you draw the line? What is appropriate or can put you in danger? How do you decide what to limit?

In no order of preference, from the intermediate category my top 11 panels are:

12. Not Just the Host: Web Video Divas Dish! Amanda Congdon

So you've got a pretty face... now what? A panel of four well-established female videobloggers talk shop. What does it take to survive in the blogosphere when most of the other content creators around you are men? Network horror stories, new media triumphs and everything in-between will be discussed.

13. Make $100,000 in One Day with New Media Lan Bui

Find out exactly how our team brought in $147,000 using new media. From conception through execution, we want to share it all with you.

14. Universities in the "Free" Era Glenn Platt
 
MIT, Yale, Stanford, and others put lectures online. Chris Anderson argues all university lectures should be free. From Academic Earth to TED, it's free. So what is the value-add of a university education? What models of higher education will survive? How will universities leverage the social web to reinvent themselves?

15.  We All Know Karate: Asian Identity in the Online Age Lia Bulaong

Asians are well-represented in technology and media, but mostly only behind the scenes. Panelists will discuss the pluses and minuses of life as a very public Asian face online, and how the internet at large deals with Asian identity.

16.  Writing Web Content For A Living Tiffani Jones

By now we all know that "content is king," yet there's still a dearth of knowledge about the mechanics and business of web writing. We'll talk about how to write great copy, why web content is special, and how to make money doing it--whether you're an independent, agency, or in-house type.

17. Future Pioneers: Innovators in Digital Lara Lebeiko

We'd call it career pathing, but Malcolm Gladwell would call them Outliers. Why are these folks conveniently right around 30, and what did they do to get there as a leader in the field of digital and social media? Join in as upcoming leaders in the digital world converse about their careers, their ideas, and what the web holds as generation 2.0 takes over.

18. How To Give Good Blog Crissy Herron

Are you giving good blog? If you are promoting your product or service online, your blog can be a deciding factor in your success or failure. Learn how to make the most of your blog, attract readers, give your readers what they want, and keep them coming back for more.

19. Social Media Women of Color Shireen Mitchell

The social media space has been bursting at the seems with women bloggers, twitters, vloggers, and podcasters. However, until recently the question about where are the women of color social media experts went unnoticed until recent online polls sparked a few social media debates. The audience will explore if social networks/social media are really extensions of existing real world networks or does it break the diversity barriers.

20. Shameless Self Promotion Without Looking Like an @#$%^&! Twanna Hines

Too often, individuals and businesses take advantage of someone else's turf and excuse it as "shameless self promotion." It's not acceptable and it can lead to you being labeled a spammer or worse. In this panel, we'll tell you how to promote yourself without turning others off.

21. Why Community Blogging Is Better Than Going Solo Lynn Truong

Take the next step in your problogging career by transforming your fairly successful solo blog into a niche dominating multi-author blog. Learn about hiring and managing bloggers, compensation, legal, marketing and other issues from experienced multi-author blog editors and managers.

22. Beyond Posters: Social Media & The Arts Leah Jones

A marketer and a writer collaborated for two years to keep her novel selling. Now the marketer owns her own company, Natiiv Arts & Media, and the writer is a sought after online content creator. Learn from Leah Jones and Amy Guth's unique collaborative relationship about Arts Marketing and New Media.

The advanced topics were a bit NGI (Not of General Interest) so I spared you.  If you're really interested to know which 5 advanced panels I picked just leave a comment and I'll list them.

Are you planning to attend SxSW 2010 and if so, for which track(s) (music, film, and/or interactive)?

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