Cord of Wood

The times they are a-changin’. It used to be give the chimney a thorough cleaning and order a cord of wood. Nowadays it’s check the website or e-mail alerts before thinking about sitting around a cozy fire.

Winter Spare the Air runs: November 1, 2009 – February 28, 2010

Get Notifications:
* Check the newspaper, radio, and TV
* Check the web for wood burning status.
* Sign up for e-mail or phone alerts.
* If that’s not enough there is a widget.

Report wood smoke concerns (snitch on the neighbors) call 1-877-4NO-BURN (1-877-466-2876).

One way to get that ‘warm cozy’ during “Spare the Air” is to put on a wearable fleece blanket with sleeves (odd looking monk robe), then put in a sold by Amazon Fireplace DVD, or try Comcast.

Comcast On Demand:
TV Entertainment go to Yule Log & More- click on Fireplace – or TV Entertainment scroll down to TV Screensavers.

I can not recommend the 20 minutes of “Island Sunset”. The squawking bird sounds turned thoughts of peaceful, soothing and warm to thoughts of an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle! – - but that’s another Christmas story.

Follow SpareTheAir on twitter.

The TV flickered and then almost simultaneously everything was in motion. Books fell off of the shelves, the microwave cart started to move from the kitchen to the front room, and I was running for my daughter. Fortunately my family suffered no injuries.

The sorry plight of the people trapped in the Cyprus Freeway collapse made quite an impression, so I do carry bottled water in the car. But this many years later I am not prepared for the next big one. Is anyone?

Tomorrow morning we can participate in “The Great California Shake Out” and learn to help keep ourselves safe.

Radio & TV Broadcasts
October 15th at 10:15 AM

* KCBS 740 AM – 106.9 FM

* KPIX TV 5

San Jose: The Tech Museum is the epicenter for Northern California.

As the key ShakeOut venue, the museum will be staged to carry out the “drop,
cover, hold on” drill with more than 400 student visitors and other guests
including Matthew Bettenhausen, acting secretary of the state’s Emergency
Management Agency, Karen Baker, secretary of Service and Volunteering for
California Volunteers, museum President Peter Friess and officials with the
USGS, American Red Cross, San Jose police and fire officials, among others.

More than 400 visitors participate in an actual earthquake drill in
three museum locations. The museum earthquake platform will be shaking all
day with eight different simulated earthquakes from around the world –
including the Loma Prieta. An ambulance and police and fire vehicles will be
stationed outside the museum along with the “Big Shaker,” an earthquake
simulator where visitors are rattled for up to 10 seconds in what feels like
an 8.0 quake.

1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake – KTVU TV 8:15pm

USGS twitter

The 48 Hour Film Project is a filmmaking challenge in which anyone can participate, though only the most committed and strong-hearted come through it with their sanity intact – and sometimes not even then. Participants join up as teams and are then given 48 hours to write, shoot, edit and score a film using surprise parameters given to them at the kick-off. Those specific parameters are: a character, a prop, and a line of dialogue. Then each team draws a specific genre of film, such as a Buddy Film, Comedy, Drama, Horror or Mockumentary. Each individual film can be about anything the filmmaker desires, as long as those parameters are followed. And that is the point when the teams are let loose to create their films. No one but the unsuspecting public will see these filmmakers for the next 48 hours.

After the films have been turned in on Sunday night, the fun really begins. This Wednesday and Thursday you can attend the screenings of those films at the Camera 12 theaters downtown. For only ten dollars you can see several of the shorts and even meet the filmmakers of these imaginative films.

The elements for San Jose this year are:

Character:  Zach or Zelda Alexander, Exterminator

Prop:  a piece from a board game

Line of Dialogue:  “Tell me again why this matters.”

The screenings are at 7:00pm and 9:30pm on Wednesday and Thursday. You may purchase tickets HERE. Don’t miss either of these fun and exciting movie evenings!

Steve Voldseth

It was during Cinequest 18 that I first met Steve Voldseth. He was starring in the Alejandro Adams film, Around the Bay. I am so pleased to report that Steve and Alejandro are once again teaming up. And to top it off, extras are needed!!!

Date: Saturday, June 27th. Location: West San Jose. Time: 3:30 – 5:00 PM. All ages welcome.

Contact Alejandro – alejandroadams@gmail.com for the, location, wardrobe and scene details.

See Variety

One of the best festivals in the Bay Area is the Maker Faire (World’s Largest DIY Festival) and it’s happening next weekend, May 30 and 31st.

Now in it’s fourth year, Maker Faire has grown not only in size (it now spans the entire San Mateo County fairgrounds now) but also in popularity. The first two years it was rather easy to park at the main parking lot outside the East entrance to the fairgrounds. Last year traffic was backed up for MILES on the freeway just getting to the place. Not to mention, once you were there, you had to drive a bit farther to dedicated parking lots/garages elsewhere and ride an old school bus (free) to the fairgrounds. I think it’s awesome that this service is provided and goes to show just how wonderful this event truly is.

If you’re a Maker Faire virgin, what should you expect? Team Maker Faire boils it down to the categories of: Arts & Crafts, Science & Engineering, Robotics & Rockets, Sustainability, Fun For Kids, and Music & Fire. There is something for everyone. Bring Mom and Dad, bring your college buddies, meet up with your coworkers, or just come by yourself. Regardless, everyone will have something up their alley to watch, listen, or participate in.

Throughout the two days, special guests will be performing or speaking. One that will be no doubt popular – Adam Savage of Mythbusters will be speaking on Saturday (2pm, MAKE Main Stage 2) on “Colossal Failures”.

In the Arts & Crafts world at Maker Faire, if you’re into that sort of thing, there will be plenty at hand. Bazaar Bizarre (a fave of mine) will have a selection of indie designer and crafters on hand selling their wares. Swap-O-Rama-Rama is returning so if you’re into sewing be sure to bring a bag of unwanted clothes and your creativity. Donate the clothes and pick out some new ones and create a new outfit on-site. I checked it out the first year and noticed there were several sewing machines, screen printing machines, and all sorts of other resources (including fellow crafters) there for all your hand-making needs.

Sculptures, working-machines, fire-breathing iron contraptions — the festival showcases so many amazing creations.

The details:
Maker Faire 2009
San Mateo County Expo Center
Saturday: 10a-8p, Sunday: 10a-6p

Weekend and Day-Pass tickets are available. Note that while discounted tickets are no longer available via the website, there are over 75 locations in the Bay Area that offer discounted tickets. Don’t hesitate to check them out!

For more details and a program you can download, visit MakerFaire.com

Clear Channel took a nanosecond looking around the Bay Area and discovered that there just were not enough classic rock stations.

Yes, you were worried where you might be able to listen to the Beatles, the Doobie Brothers, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, Pink Floyd, CCR and Journey. Worry no more.

So, where are you going to get your smooth jazz fix? The Smooth Jazz Network. They have the on-air talent you know from KKSF, Maria Lopez and Miranda Wilson. That is the good news; the bad news is what are you going to listen to in the car.

The question now is, when will we hear Falco’s Rock Me Amadeus on KDFC.

KTRB 680 moved from Modesto to San Francisco in 2007.  It became the flagship station for the Oakland A’s this season and the station added two sports programs to its lineup with Ron Barr’s Sports Byline USA weeknights followed by Sports Overnight America with Chris Townsend.

Monday will see the addition of Fox Sports Radio programming with Chris Myers and Steve Hartman midday and Petros Papadakis and Matt “Money” Smith in the afternoon. The syndicated Todd & Tyler’s Radio Empire will air in the morning. The Todd & Tyler’s Radio Empire includes the big cities of Omaha, Wichita, Springfield, Burlington, and Boise.

KTRB plans to differentiate itself from KNBR by featuring East Bay teams like the A’s and the Raiders along with other teams that do not get as much attention on KNBR.  KTRB is also the home for Stanford football and men’s basketball. KTRB is hopeful to add local sports talk programming in the future to feature these and other teams.

KTRB 860 AM is a 50,000-watt station available in most of the South Bay.

MetBlogs – Santa Clara County:  Santa Clara County has been given a failing grade for air quality by the American Lung Association.  The State of the Air 2009 report gave failing grades to 39 counties in California, including Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara.  

This is not a news item that we should easily dismiss.  The estimated number of people that particle pollution kills each year has tripled in our state.  According to Jenny Bard, the Bay Area regional air quality director for the American Lung Association, we have historically had the worst air quality in the Bay Area.  From 2005 to 2007, Santa Clara County surpassed unhealthy ozone limits an average 5.2 days a year.  We also surpassed unhealthy short-term pollution particle levels a yearly average of 11 days, which gave us the 24th highest level in the nation.

The report finds that six out of ten Americans live in areas where air pollution levels endanger lives.  “This should be a wakeup call.  We know that air pollution is a major threat to human health,” said Stephen J. Nolan, American Lung Association National Board Chair.  “When 60 percent of Americans are left breathing air dirty enough to send people to the emergency room, to shape how kids’ lungs develop, and to kill, air pollution remains a serious problem.”

According to the ALA, ozone is the most widespread form of air pollution. When inhaled, ozone irritates the lungs, resulting in something like a bad sunburn. Ozone can cause wheezing, coughing and asthma attacks and can even shorten lives.

It is estimated that over 3,700 deaths annually can be attributed to a 10-parts-per-billion increase in ozone levels.

Particle pollution is a toxic mix of microscopic soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols. It is the most dangerous and deadly of the outdoor air pollutants that are widespread in America. Breathing in particle pollution can increase the risk of early death, heart attacks, strokes and emergency room visits for asthma and cardiovascular disease.

Our county’s dense population is partly to blame for our high pollution levels.  According to Bard, Santa Clara County contains 1.8 million residents and is the most populous in the Bay Area.   San Jose’s population alone just hit 1,006,892.  We also have a limited mass transit infrastructure and 1.2 million autos (25 percent of the Bay Area) traveling our roads.  Lisa Fasano, a spokeswoman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, states that 69 percent of all smog pollutants during Bay Area summers are created by motor vehicles.  In the winter time, 33 percent of all short-term particle pollutants are created by wood smoke primarily burned by residents, according to Bard.

The news is not all bad.  Although we are ranked as the 24^th most polluted county in the nation for short-term particle pollution, last year we were ranked 17^th.  In addition, the yearly average number of days that Santa Clara County has exceeded unhealthy ozone levels has dropped from 10 in the 2001 report to 5 in the 2009 report.

A few Bay Area counties did receive passing grades.  Monterey, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties all received grades of A or B for both High Ozone Days and Particle Pollution.  San Francisco County received an A in High Ozone but an F in Particle Pollution.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District established the Spare the Air program  to educate people about air pollution and to encourage them to change their behavior to prevent it.   They recommend several simple actions we can take to make clean air choices every day.   These include driving less, taking public transportation, trip-linking, walking, biking, choosing non-gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment, and avoiding polluting household products.

View More Ways to Fight Air Pollution in Your Community and do your part by committing to some of the actions so we can raise our grade in next year’s report. 

Urge the EPA to set tougher standards by sending this online letter.

Visit www.lungusa.org to search local air quality grades by zip code and to send messages to Congress and the Obama Administration to urge action to protect the air we breathe.

The Wednesday Sisters

MetBlogs Palo Alto – Looking for something relaxing yet intellectually stimulating to do after work on Tuesday? Palo Alto writer Meg Waite Clayton is the author of the national best selling novel The Wednesday Sisters, and on April 7 you can attend a book reading and signing event with her at the Children’s Library. Take some time for yourself after work and enjoy a free evening with the author of this moving story.

Set in Palo Alto in the 1960s, The Wednesday Sisters is about five women who meet in Eleanor Pardee Park, discover their common bond through books and writing, and embark on journeys of self-discovery through their friendship at a time of historic changes in the United States. It has been receiving rave reviews and is now a national best seller.

Meg Waite Clayton was a corporate lawyer before following her dream of becoming a novelist at her husband’s urging. She had success publishing essays over the years, but also spent time refining her fiction skills for publication. You can read more about her road to publication at her website where she also keeps a writer’s blog. You can find her essays in Runner’s World, Writer’s Digest and The Virginia Quarterly Review. Her short fiction can be seen in publications such as Shenandoah, Other Voices, and Louisiana Literature.

Meg will be reading from The Wednesday Sisters as well as signing books which will be available for sale. Come hear this entertaining speaker, enjoy some treats and take in the great setting.

 
 
When: Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 7 p.m.
Where: Children’s Library, 1276 Harriet Street, Palo Alto
Note: though this event takes place at the Children’s Library, this is not a program for children due to adult content.

After reading the book a couple years ago I was very interested to hear about the stage production. Apparently SJSU Professor Matthew Spangler also loved the story; he adapted the novel to stage himself. “Its epic structure – spanning the continents and nearly 30 years – its powerful moments of high drama and its engaging characters make this an ideal story for live performance,” states Spangler.

But this isn’t the only connection the novel has to San Jose. Novelist Khaled Hosseini moved to San Jose in 1980 when he and his family were granted political asylum from war torn Afghanistan. San Jose and the area around us also serve as a setting for part of the story. “No matter where you are born, what language you speak or what religion you practice, there are human experiences that bind us all, and The Kite Runner speaks to those experiences,” states Hosseini.

The Kite Runner is a tale told through the lives of two boys growing up in Kabul in the same household, but in two starkly different worlds. Amir is the son of a wealthy businessman, while Hassan is the son of Amir’s father’s servant, a shunned ethnic minority. But fate, global politics and historical tragedy threaten both their lives and their friendship. If you have read the novel you know the story is not for young children, but the two violent scenes, integral to the storyline, are committed offstage. The chilling effect however is still strong.

“If you aren’t beating back the tears by the final tableau, you had better see a doctor because there may be something wrong with your heart.” Karen D’Souza, Mercury News

Playing: Now through April 19th, 2009
Price range: $33-$62
By phone: 408.367.7255
Online: www.sjrep.com
San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, CA 95113-2603