Living It Green

2013-04-08T16:29:00.001-07:00

Annette Funicello, Mouseketeer and 60s Beach Movie Actress, Dies at 70

Annette Funicello, who began her acting career as a 12-year-old in Mickey Mouse ears, captivated adolescent baby boomers in titillating (by 1960s standards) beach movies that at first upset her former boss, Walt Disney. She later championed the fight against multiple sclerosis, a disease from which she suffered, died on Monday.

Flatstock 38 #flatstock

2013-03-09T09:25:00.001-08:00

Join us at Flatstock 38…

Co-presented by the American Poster Institute (API) and SXSW, Flatstock 38 will display the works of the world's top gig poster artists. The show runs March 14-16 and will feature posters of varying styles, colors and techniques for sale by the very artists who created them.

About API

The American Poster Institute is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to serving the poster artist community and promoting the art form. The Flatstock shows provide the American Poster Institute with a way to present poster artists collectively while showcasing the breadth of styles they represent.

The best concert posters have always captured both the essence of the music they promoted and the spirit of the time in which they were produced. Flatstock provides an ongoing series of opportunities to see fine poster art in person and to meet the artists who created it.

Free and open to the public!

Hours:

Thursday, March 14 2:00pm - 6:00pm

Friday, March 15 11:00am - 6:00pm

Saturday, March 16 11:00am - 6:00pmLocation:

Austin Convention Center Hall 4

Roadside Assistance Survey

2013-02-18T14:45:00.001-08:00

Take our quick Roadside Assistance Survey.

We're running a little 9-question survey on how people use Roadside Assistance and what they do when they need help on the road.

It's happened to all of us from time-to-time: Our car breaks down, our car won't start, we locked the keys in the car, we ran out of gas, the tire goes flat, or we needed a tow to the repair shop.

We'd like to ask you a few quick questions about the last few times you've needed roadside assistance, how you found someone to help you, and what's important when choosing someone to help.

Your answers will help us design a better roadside assistance service for our customers.

Be honest! Your answers can be anonymous. (Or, tell us your name and email address and we'll enter your name in a drawing for a $50 MasterCard Gift Card - no purchase necessary.)

As always, thanks for participating!

Here's the roadside assistance survey link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/G8JNXLS

United States as a less upwardly mobile society than many comparable nations

2013-02-15T02:22:00.001-08:00

Recent studies has found the United States to be a less upwardly mobile society than many comparable nations. One survey reported that 42 percent of American boys raised in the bottom fifth of income stayed there as adults. Just 8 percent of American men made the jump from the lowest fifth to the highest fifth, compared to 12 percent for their counterparts in Britain.

This day in history: The first canned beer in the United States goes on sale in Richmond, Virginia

2013-01-24T09:55:00.001-08:00

Gottfried Krueger Brewery sold the first canned beer in the United States in Richmond, Virginia on January 24, 1935. The American Can Co. tried to can beer in 1909, but the cans couldn’t withstand the pressure from carbonation and exploded. Finally, the company discovered that coating the inside of the can using the same “keg-lining” technique used for keg beer would hold the can together.

Editor’s Note: I still prefer my beer served with an ice-cold mug, as illustrated here.

mtvU Woodie Awards returning to Austin

2013-01-20T14:23:00.001-08:00

The 2013 mtvU Woodie Awards and festival are returning to Austin for a full day of performances on March 14 during the annual South By Southwest Music Festival with an as-yet-unannounced roster of artists.

The annual musical event honors the artists who are making a break-through onto the music landscape. MTV and mtvU will air a half-hour "2013 Woodie Awards" special on Sunday, March 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The awards show pays tribute to the best emerging acts on campus, includes four nominees selected and profiled on MTV.com. Audiences will vote for their favorite band or artist, with the most popular travelling to Austin to kick off the opening set at the Woodies Festival. They'll also get a chunk of wood in a new Woodie Awards category.

The ninth annual Woodie Awards begins Thursday, March 14, at 2 p.m. CT with a host of live performances at the open-air Woodie Awards Festival, and is open to all SXSW badge holders and music fans over 18. The awards show, which will start at 8 p.m. CT.

Interested college musicians can send their name, contact info and links to their videos to: WOODIES@mtvU.com

California's Gold: Catalina Ski Race (corrected link)

2013-01-08T22:11:00.001-08:00

From the editor: In our earlier post, we used a bad link to the Catalina Ski Race video Huell Howser filmed in 1993. The correct link is shown below.

In 1993, Huell Howser joined the Long Beach Boat & Ski Club to capture the excitement of the electrifying Annual Catalina Ski Race, a competition that has been ongoing for over 40 years, where “hot doggers” race in excess of 60 mph from Long Beach to Catalina Island and back. Here’s the link to the original video episode: http://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/1993/12/10/islands-californias-gold-403/

Gasoline Prices in 2012 Set New Record

2013-01-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

The national average price of gasoline for 2012 was $3.60 a gallon, a big jump from the previous record of $3.51 set in 2011. Factors included major hurricanes, refinery outages, speculation on Wall Street, and tensions in the Middle East.

2012: The Year in Graphs

2012-12-30T04:44:00.000-08:00

As 2012 draws to a close, the Washington Post asked our favorite professional wonks — economists, political scientist, politicians and more — to see what graphs and charts they felt did the best job explaining the past year. Here are their nominees. See the graphs: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/27/2012-the-year-in-graphs/

Things to See in 2013: Comet ISON Nearing Earth May Be Brighter Than The Moon

2012-12-30T04:43:00.001-08:00

A newly discovered Comet nearing the Earth In 2013 may be brighter than the moon, researchers say. According to astronomer Donald Yeomans, head of NASA’s Near Earth Object Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. “The recently discovered object, known as comet ISON, is due to fly within 1.2 million miles (1.9 million km) from the center of the sun on Nov. 28, 2013.”

Quote of the Day: "I don't care about the stats. ... The main focus is actually winning the game." #USC

2012-12-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

“I don’t care about the stats. ... The main focus is actually winning the game.” – USC Sophomore Marqise Lee is known as the nation's best receiver and a future Heisman contender.

For USC's Marqise Lee, there's quite a story behind the smile: http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/football/la-sp-1225-plaschke-marqise-lee-20121225,0,6660346.column

Quote of the day: Action is the foundational key to all success.

2012-12-20T12:58:00.001-08:00

Action is the foundational key to all success.
~ Pablo Picasso

<<...>>

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours #thanksgiving

2012-11-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is here, so our minds have turned
To what time has taught us, to what we've learned:
We often focus all our thought
On shiny things we've shopped and bought;
We take our pleasure in material things
Forgetting the pleasure that friendship brings.
If a lot of our stuff just vanished today,
We'd see the foundation of each happy day
Is special relationships, constant and true,
And that's when our thoughts go directly to you.
We wish you a Thanksgiving you'll never forget,
Full of love and joy—your best one yet!

Joanna Fuchs

Credit card debt rises to $5000 per cardholder

2012-11-21T18:25:00.001-08:00

The average credit card debt per borrower increased to $4,996, up 4.9 percent during the third quarter over the year before, according to a report from TransUnion, a major credit reporting agency.

Long Beach's Rancho Los Alamitos shows new earth-friendly heating and cooling infrastructure #longbeach

2012-11-19T22:25:00.001-08:00

Long Beach's Rancho Los Alamitos historic park, a 7.5-acre site that preserves both an early Californian land grant ranch and the Tongva village Povuu'ngna, has just built a new interpretive center with a state-of-the-art climate control system that doesn't compromise the park's historic integrity with noisy boilers, condensers, or generators. Instead, the park's new earth-friendly heating and cooling infrastructure takes advantage of the very earth the Tongva walked. More: http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/geothermal/long-beach-historic-park-uses-earth-to-save-energy.html

Red McCombs' Quote of the Day: "It's more of a thrill than I could ever have imagined" #usgp

2012-11-17T22:15:00.000-08:00

“It's more of a thrill than I could ever have imagined. Having the opportunity to do something like this is beyond anything I ever would have dreamed of earlier in my life. That's why, until I draw my last breath, I will never shy away. I'll be looking for the next big opportunity every minute that God allows me to stay alive on this earth. I don't say that with any kind of greed or any kind of entitlement or anything like that; I'm just saying from the day we were born, we each have 24 hours a day until the last day that we live. The big issue is, ‘What have we done with it?'”

- Circuit of the Americas investor and San Antonio billionaire Red McCombs.

Will Kindle Fire HD outsell the iPad mini by 2 to 1? Some say yes. #kindle

2012-11-16T05:44:00.001-08:00

Tablet buyers made more searches for the Kindle Fire HD in the week after it was announced than the iPad mini saw in the first week after its announcement.

As we start barreling toward Black Friday -- the official start of the holiday shopping season and the official race for 2012 tablet holiday supremacy, the iPad mini still has the Apple name, but Kindle Fire HD's starting price of $199 is showing a strong appeal. The iPad mini starts at $329.

What’s in your shopping bag?

2 wars, 11 years, 725 fallen Californians

2012-11-11T12:29:00.001-08:00

Veterans Day is particularly poignant for the families and friends of California's servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. In the 11 years since the wars began in Iraq and Afghanistan, 725 service members from California have been killed. More from the Los Angeles Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fallen-soldiers-20121111,0,6194922.story

Celebrate Native American History And Culture In Los Angeles #LA

2012-11-09T17:16:00.001-08:00

Native American heritage is celebrated throughout Los Angeles during the month of November, with special family-friendly events organized to showcase Native American culture, food and arts.

Here are five events featuring the tribes that originally lived (and still live) in the Los Angeles area.

Western Heritage Family Day at The Autry
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 667-2000
Date: Nov. 18, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Price: $11 adults/$5 children/$7 seniors and students/free for Autry members
www.theautry.org

Red Nation Film Festival
Laemmle Music Hall Theatre
9036 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(818) 665-5753
Date: Nov. 7 to 14
www.rednationfilmfestival.com

Tongva Exhibit at Heritage Park
12100 Mora Drive
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
(562) 946-6476
www.santafesprings.org

Haramokngna American Indian Cultural Center
Red Box Saddle
Forest Route 2N24
Palmdale, CA 93550
(626) 449-8975
www.haramokngna.org

Southwest Museum of the American Indian Collection
234 Museum Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90065
Date: Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Price: free
theautry.org

Rancho Los Alamitos

6400 Bixby Hill Road

Long Beach, California 90815 - (562) 431-3541
Visit the Rancho Wednesday - Sunday, 1 - 5 pm

www.rancholosalamitos.com

Will Romney eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency?

2012-10-30T21:33:00.001-07:00

Did Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney suggest last year the elimination of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA? The Christian Science Monitor says yes: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/2012/1030/Did-Mitt-Romney-suggest-eliminating-FEMA-video

In 1960s, Folgers Coffee was the Answer to Marital Problems

2012-10-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

For the '60s perfect housewife portrayed in this old coffee ad, the best part of waking up was not having Folgers in her cup -- it was having her husband quit berating her for making an awful cup of joe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VprIbx4QkPc

The exchange between the couple in this black and white 60-second spot would be considered inappropriate today (and probably put this guy into hot water for suggesting he enjoys what the women at work have to offer more than his wife's skills). But just 50 years ago, the strategy underpinning such marketing was to guilt women across America into buying this particular brand of beans in the hopes of making their hubbies happy. And it worked. From AdAge: http://adage.com/article/rewind/folgers-coffee-answer-marital-problems-60s-tv-ad/237825

James Bond celebrates 50th anniversary today

2012-10-05T05:09:00.000-07:00

Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the first James Bond film.

"Dr. No" opened in theaters on Oct. 5, 1962, introducing Ian Fleming's suave 007 British superspy to the world.

The series is one of the longest running in history, booking $4.9 billion in ticket sales through 22 films. Six Bond actors later, the 23rd Bond movie, "Skyfall," is set to be released U.S. theaters on Nov. 9.

Wholesale price of California gasoline hits a record

2012-10-05T04:56:00.001-07:00

On Thursday, the wholesale price of California gasoline hit a record-setting $4.39 a gallon. The wholesale price surpassed even the retail price: California filling stations were charging $4.315 on average Thursday, according to AAA's daily survey. That was up more than 8 cents from Wednesday.

Apple, You're no Google Maps.

2012-09-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

The new Apple Maps software reminds me of that famous quote, "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

That remark was made during the 1988 United States vice-presidential debate by Democratic vice-presidential candidate Senator Lloyd Bentsen to Republican vice-presidential candidate Senator Dan Quayle. Jack Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States. Since then, the words "You're no Jack Kennedy" have become a part of the lexicon as a way to deflate those perceived as thinking too highly of themselves.

After trying fruitlessly to find a fairly common address here in Austin using the new Apple Maps on my freshly minted iPhone 5, I gave up and turned to my wife’s Android-powered Atrix 4G for help.

I can only say, “Apple, you’re no Google Maps.”

White House Honey Ale and White House Honey Porter Beer Recipes

2012-09-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot of buzz online recently about the recipe for the White House Honey Ale and White House Honey Porter.

Enjoy this non-partisan look at beers in the White House. Then brew up your own batch using the recipes below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dygQrX8FI3Q

WHITE HOUSE HONEY PORTER

Ingredients

· 2 (3.3 lb) cans light unhopped malt extract

· 3/4 lb Munich Malt (cracked)

· 1 lb crystal 20 malt (cracked)

· 6 oz black malt (cracked)

· 3 oz chocolate malt (cracked)

· 1 lb White House Honey

· 10 HBUs bittering hops

· 1/2 oz Hallertaur Aroma hops

· 1 pkg Nottingham dry yeast

· 3/4 cup corn sugar for bottling

Directions

1. In a 6 qt pot, add grains to 2.25 qts of 168˚ water. Mix well to bring temp down to 155˚. Steep on stovetop at 155˚ for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 gallons of water to 165˚ in a 12 qt pot. Place strainer over, then pour and spoon all the grains and liquid in. Rinse with 2 gallons of 165˚ water. Let liquid drain through. Discard the grains and bring the liquid to a boil. Set aside.

2. Add the 2 cans of malt extract and honey into the pot. Stir well.

3. Boil for an hour. Add half of the bittering hops at the 15 minute mark, the other half at 30 minute mark, then the aroma hops at the 60 minute mark.

4. Set aside and let stand for 15 minutes.

5. Place 2 gallons of chilled water into the primary fermenter and add the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons if necessary. Place into an ice bath to cool down to 70-80˚.

6. Activate dry yeast in 1 cup of sterilized water at 75-90˚ for fifteen minutes. Pitch yeast into the fermenter. Fill airlock halfway with water. Ferment at room temp (64-68˚) for 3-4 days.

7. Siphon over to a secondary glass fermenter for another 4-7 days.

8. To bottle, make a priming syrup on the stove with 1 cup sterile water and 3/4 cup priming sugar, bring to a boil for five minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles and cap. Let sit for 1-2 weeks at 75˚.

WHITE HOUSE HONEY ALE

Ingredients

· 2 (3.3 lb) cans light malt extract

· 1 lb light dried malt extract

· 12 oz crushed amber crystal malt

· 8 oz Bisquit Malt

· 1 lb White House Honey

· 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings Hop Pellets

· 1 1/2 oz Fuggles Hop pellets

· 2 tsp gypsum

· 1 pkg Windsor dry ale yeast

· 3/4 cup corn sugar for priming

Directions

1. In an 12 qt pot, steep the grains in a hop bag in 1 1/2 gallons of sterile water at 155 degrees for half an hour. Remove the grains.

2. Add the 2 cans of the malt extract and the dried extract and bring to a boil.

3. For the first flavoring, add the 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings and 2 tsp of gypsum. Boil for 45 minutes.

4. For the second flavoring, add the 1/2 oz Fuggles hop pellets at the last minute of the boil.

5. Add the honey and boil for 5 more minutes.

6. Add 2 gallons chilled sterile water into the primary fermenter and add the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons. There is no need to strain.

7. Pitch yeast when wort temperature is between 70-80˚. Fill airlock halfway with water.

8. Ferment at 68-72˚ for about seven days.

9. Rack to a secondary fermenter after five days and ferment for 14 more days.

10. To bottle, dissolve the corn sugar into 2 pints of boiling water for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles and cap. Let sit for 2 to 3 weeks at 75˚.