JulieLeung.com: a life told in tidepools

I don’t watch tv, instead I read and write blogs. But last night bloggers convinced me to turn on the tv (actually through one of our computers).

First Heather B. Armstrong, dooce, posted that she would be on ABC World News Tonight. So we turned on the television to see Heather typing dork repeatedly into her laptop, yes. I had told the girls in the midst of cooking dinner, that I wanted to watch a report on bloggers who had been fired.

Why are bloggers always getting fired? my six year old asked me.

How do you know bloggers get fired?

Because I’ve heard you talk about it.

In light of the recent buzz on bloggers getting fired, quite a few cases in this new year already I’ve read in my aggregator, I was curious to see how ABC would portray the situations. However, the take home message seemed to be, thanks to Washingtonienne, that it is okay to be fired for writing sexually explicit posts because one can make tons of money afterwards in a book deal. How many fired bloggers though get book deals? I was disappointed. Instead I had hoped they might address various angles such as Robert Scoble did in his post today.

It’s not easy writing in public. All it takes is one paragraph to lose credibility, have people laugh at you, get you sued, create a PR firestorm, or get your boss mad at you. Think about that one for a while. Just a few hundred pixels on the screen can dramatically change what people think about you.

I wanted to hear some debate whether it’s best to blog about writing recipes and about how much you love puppies and kittens as Rachel Mosteller said in the Christian Science Monitor piece Dave Winer linked yesterday.

The girls were more excited watching the lemurs in the segment after Heather’s. They begged me to let them watch the story of Madagascar creatures living in a Florida reserve. Furry lemurs win out over fired bloggers in my kids’ minds any day.

Then Dave Winer convinced me to turn on the tv again and watch Lawrence Lessig portrayed by Christopher Lloyd on The West Wing. First time I saw the actor come on the screen I laughed. What happened to Lessig’s hair?! I’d never watched West Wing before and it was fun, even if not quite the same as being in the same room with Larry (as Joi Ito was last night, and as I was at BloggerCon III). Two quotes I caught: when Lessig the character is introduced, he is asked if he is the future of ideas Lawrence Lessig? Then Lessig (Lloyd) responded with a short paragraph about his role birthing constitutional law in other nations: I’m more the midwife.

At 10 am on Sunday February 20, please come join the Leung and Tanglao families for dim sum at the Victoria Chinese Restaurant, 1055 W Georgia, Vancouver, 604-669-8383. I got the idea after seeing an article in the Seattle Times describing Vancouver’s Chinatown (it’s my post-blogging-conference tradition anyway!) and Roland Tanglao helped choose a restaurant. To help ensure that we have the proper size reservation, please comment below on this blog; at the Northern Voice conference events page where this is listed; or send me an email (harrowme AT yahoo.com) to let me know if you are coming. At the moment, I have made a reservation for 10 (note my family takes 5 seats and the Tanglaos take 3!).

Chris Pirillo and Ponzi have each recently written posts explaining dim sum; maybe they’ll come too. 😉

It will be fun to spend time together the morning after the conference eating yummy dumplings and treats like these egg custards (a family favorite). Hope to see you there!

Note: thanks to Seattle P-I blogger Brian Chin for his link to this Blogfest in B.C.

Weather: looks like it might snow…

Out of her mercy for our illness, my friend dropped off some of her leftover brick-oven-baked bread for us to enjoy. I have seen the oven she and her husband made in their backyard but I think this is the first time I’ve tasted what she has made in it. This rye one was particularly beautiful with its concentric circles. She lives on the north end of the island near the highway and puts out a sign when she has bread for sale: if you have the opportunity, I’d say it’s worth stopping the car to get a loaf or two of her handiwork.

Another friend of mine, artist Paul Ziakin, opened a show titled “Views from my Heaven” at the Treehouse Cafe, 4569 Lynnwood Road NE, on the island. I haven’t seen it yet but I hope to stop by soon. Again, another stop worth making, to see the way he plays with color and shape and be inspired by his creativity. In July 2003, before I had my own blog, Ted and I had a fun night going to see one of Paul’s shows in Seattle. His paintings will be at the cafe through March 15.

Been underwater with household responsibilities, duties and illnesses this week; that’s my excuse for my slower pace of posts (as well as losing connectivity last night).

Guess I’m not the only one going underwater around here. Tuesday morning I was surprised to learn that the Poulsbo Marine Science Center is closing its doors on Valentines Day. It’s a small aquarium but a local one with rooms of touch tanks, a submerged videocamera, a plankton microscope and an octopus. Plus piles of puppets and a large felt board the girls always enjoy. All this only a short drive from our home, over the bridge, and for less than half the admission price of the Seattle Aquarium (not to mention the ferry costs).

For five years now I’ve taken the kids there: I remember taking Abigail before she turned two. We happened to visit the Marine Science Center around ten days ago although we had no idea that would be our last time. That visit was probably one of our best ones: a volunteer befriended us during feeding time and as we followed him around, he told us stories from his experience, pointing out the first tank given to the Center, made from an old high school fire door by students, teaching us how to tell an eel from a fish, and cautioning the kids not to put their fingers in the tank while he was adding food. I came home wondering why we hadn’t visited more often and imagining that soon my own kids would want to volunteer there. I’ve posted from our visits to the Poulsbo Marine Science Center here, here, and here.

Apparently from what is published on the web site, the Marine Science Center was having difficulties securing funding. I appreciate that the staff and board decided not to bombard visitors with their budget needs however I wonder whether some advance publicity might have helped provide what they needed. All the creatures will be returned to their native homes by the end of the month. Perhaps though someone will buy the Center.

The Board of Trustees of the Marine Science Society of the Pacific Northwest regrets to announce that it will cease operations at the Poulsbo Marine Science Center on February 14, 2005. The operation requires additional outside funding of $150,000 – 200,000 annually to sustain operations. In the absence of a sustainable source for this funding, the society can no longer operate the exhibit hall and has no plans to resume operations in the future. The Society will entertain offers to purchase or take over operations of the exhibit hall and live marine museum.

If there are people in your life, it’s always good to let them know you love them. And if there are organizations you appreciate, you should let them know that too, before it is too late.