lornamatic

You can get updated news on the southern CA fires by listening in on the fire and police scanners from anywhere in the world. There are emergency streams for everywhere, from Santa Clarita to Malibu to San Diego. From what I can hear, the rescue teams are busting ass. These guys rock.

Here’s how to listen to the feeds:

1. Install the Teamspeak client. It works for Mac, Windows and Linux.

2. Follow the step by step instructions at Scannerbuff.

(here’s the short version: run Teamspeak, then choose Connection>Quick Connect. Enter a nickname. Use this server address: radio.scannerbuff.net:8767, and leave the rest blank.

Scannerbuff.net has a listing of other live streams. )

3. Brush up on your police codes: at radiolabs.com. Bonus points if you know morse code.

4. Log out when you’re done and don’t hog bandwidth. People post these streams from their own scanners as a really great public service, so please don’t abuse it!

Note, you can also try publicsafetyfeeds.com though I find Teamspeak has better coverage for LA County.

You have to use IE, and there’s an Autodesk plugin. Sorry.

But you can search for individual trees!

I had no idea. You can hire computer programmers for $9 an hour in this town?

Someone’s Butler-placement service has the PR machine running. From the LATimes’ article (which is the third story on this topic I’ve seen this week) If the butler does it, you’ll pay:

“He could be making $50,000, $60,000, $70,000 a year at a mansion in Bel-Air with museum-quality furnishings rather than cooped up as a $9-an-hour computer programmer in a cubicle in Mid-Wilshire,” says Baker, who started his company in 2004 after a stint as a recruiter for a search firm.

So glad to know that those with a natural flair for food presentation and flower arranging need no longer suffer the pain of database administration.

Internet, you never cease to amaze me. Now you can shop for your very own hired help, right from the comfort of your own mansion! Although I suppose most people who can afford this have, well, hired help, to search for that sort of thing.

May 6, 2007 from 1 - 9PM, $75, includes catered dinner.

Pre-registration required.

details at westsideworkshop.com