tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31394002008-02-29T03:10:56.895-08:00Ryan's incredible, edible blogRyanBlogger339125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-52676142889036487132007-10-31T04:20:00.000-07:002007-10-31T06:09:56.125-07:00Fall cleaningJust a few changes to help make my site look a little more spiffy.<br /><br />I've added a module to the right showing my latest blog posts. It seemed kinda silly to post elsewhere and leave this blog hanging. It's not like I haven't been writing, just not on this blog.<br /><br />Hopefully that'll change soon, but there's a lot of other things I've got to work on. Stay classy.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-40642491813267898442007-09-17T03:03:00.000-07:002007-09-17T03:21:56.281-07:00What's next for Al Gore?I don't know why I did it, but I watched what seemed to be all 82 hours of this year's Emmy telecast Sunday on FOX. The creative arts Emmy show (a two-hour affair Saturday on E!) was much breezier -- they cut out the lists of nominees, most of the speeches and thankfully all of the singing numbers.<br /><br />Anywho, I was interested to see Al Gore win an Emmy for his broadcast baby, Current TV. As I watched the audience's resounding ovation, I wondered what was next for the former vice president.<br /><br />Since he's already won an Oscar (for "An Inconvenient Truth") to go with his Emmy, what is his next entertainment conquest? I think he should form a barbershop quartet and go for a Grammy.<br /><br />What do you think? A Grammy? I don't think Al will go for an American Music Award because it's not classy enough. Perhaps a Tony for a Broadway production of "An Inconvenient Truth"?<br /><br />Heck, if they can turn "The Producers" and "Hairspray" from cult films to top-rated musicals, who knows what they can do to an environmental documentary. I can't wait to see a musical "Truth" come back to movie cineplexes.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-74781425547267476392007-09-02T14:55:00.000-07:002007-10-31T03:24:29.342-07:00Open-mic night at the Chuckle HutI've got a topical joke, but I know it won't go further than this blog:<br /><br /><blockquote>The U.S. military is working on a <a href="http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/08/ap-pentagon-bal.html?csp=34"> futuristic anti-mob energy beam</a> that makes people think their skin is on fire. Unfortunately, the military refuses to deploy it because some might view it as a torture machine. <br /><br />The military's had this problem before -- the device's first name was TortureBeam 5000.</blockquote><br /><br />That's my time. Thanks, folks. You've been great.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-28229554194245490662007-07-15T12:08:00.000-07:002007-07-15T12:15:23.326-07:00Chance encountersChico can be a pretty small world sometimes. On Friday, I happened to head downtown for a slice of pizza where I ran into one co-worker at City Plaza. Later, I ran into another co-worker near Duffy's. <br /><br />I guess I didn't expect to see them -- I usually don't see anyone I know when I visit downtown. Still, I run into people enough times to keep things interesting.<br /><br />Oh, I walked through part of City Plaza's fountain and emerged with a sharp, distinct smell of chlorine on my clothes. I wonder if the city increased the amount of chlorine after <a href="http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_6338205">some parents complained</a>.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-53870710463325956482007-07-15T12:00:00.001-07:002007-07-15T12:07:38.486-07:00Different worldsI know some groups are worried about "freaking," that genteel style of dancing involving dance partners sexually grinding against each other. China apparently has a similar problem -- kids holding hands while dancing. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6899437.stm">BBC News</a> has the story. Interestingly, the Chinese government is promoting dance as a way for increasingly overweight kids to get exercise, but some are worried.<br /><blockquote>Some parents had expressed fears that if boys and girls danced hand in hand they might fall in love and put their studies at risk.</blockquote><br />I wonder if the Chinese might be receptive to square dancing. It seems less scandalous than the waltz.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-14451870955890436762007-07-11T23:44:00.001-07:002007-07-11T23:44:35.675-07:00Good news and, well, good-er newsHey all -<br /><br />I wanted to share two of the best things to happen today. First off, someone installed those paper towel dispensers that auto-magically whirl paper out when you wave your hand in front of them. Truly, we live in a wondrous age.<br /><br />Perhaps more importantly, I'm proud to announce that I helped relaunch my newspaper's Web site today at <a href="http://www.chicoer.com">ChicoER.com</a>. The redesign has been a long time coming, and I'm glad to turn our site on its head (esp. with the help of my co-workers).<br /><br />Oh, I also devised a slightly corny slogan to go with it. "The new ChicoER.com - the power of more." One huge reason why I'm not in public relations, although I'm all right with it.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.chicoer.com"><img src="http://www2.chicoer.com/olextras/images/20070711_homecrop2.jpg"><br><b>ChicoER.com</b> - It's for real.</a></center><br /><br />It's a modest effort compared to the most progressive of the "Web 2.0" sites. I mean, where are the delightful search "clouds," jerky 30-second video clips and user-defined 'news' sections? <br /><br />Still, it's a pretty big step forward for a 30,000-circ. newspaper used to putting out stories just once a day. I'm happy with this blend of old-fashioned journalism with the best the Web can offer, including multimedia, mashups and some user-contributed material.<br /><br />I hope those interested enjoy it as well. Please let me know what you think. <br /><br />-- Ryan<br /><br />- <a href="http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_6350125">Learn about the redesign -- <i>Including the "power of more."</i></a> (Just one of the three or four things I've had to write about the redesign).<br />- Watch Editor David Little <a href="http://www2.chicoer.com/olextras/slideshows/20070711_newChicoER/soundslider.swf">discuss the new site</a>.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-39359680757517201532007-05-27T04:36:00.000-07:002007-05-27T04:50:52.671-07:00So ... the futureI might have gone a little overboard on the blogs lately. I've got:<br /><br /><ul><li>my.rtomedia.com</li><li>rtomedia.com/pro</li><li>MySpace</li><li>rtomedia.com/unity (or something)</li><li>TVGuide.com</li><li>norcalblogs.com</li><li>TextAmerica</li></ul><br /><br />Unfortunately, many of them are languishing from a lack of attention (that and TextAmerica has broken my heart). That's something I probably should've known going in.<br /><br />While there are some really cool ways to display a news feed that displays everything I write (from FeedBurner), it's probably just easier in the long run to simplify -- especially when I want to try new features like chicopedia.com.<br /><br />That's why I'm thinking about merging my personal and "pro" RTOmedia.com sites together. When I started the site in 2004, I was worried about keeping my personal "life" separate from my professional. To some extent, that's still true, but I've realized that I should always act in a respectful and professional fashion.<br /><br />It's 2007. Many journalists with Web sites combine their personal and professional persuits. Employers look to a job candidate's MySpace profile for information. Heck, newspapers have MySpace pages, for cryin' out loud.<br /><br />Regardless if it's under my own domain or under MySpace, people will probably be able to find me and I should be prepared for that.<br /><br />A merger has additional benefits. My professional work could still be profiled (and marked differently from non-pro stuff), but I can update it more quickly. Who would've known that my photos pages would have languished while I've expanded dramatically into the realm of video and audio?<br /><br />I don't know when the merger will take place. I've got a pretty wide open week after the craziness of preparing coverage of fairs, fires and summer pools. However, I may want to work on Chicopedia or create that überfeed I've been meaning to.<br /><br />Nonetheless, the times are a-changin'.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-34777017978084558372007-04-27T19:33:00.000-07:002007-04-27T19:36:20.088-07:00Missing since March 12<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/world/2007/alan_johnston/default.stm"><img alt="Alan Johnston banner" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/alan_johnston.gif" width="150" height="90"></a><br /><br />Where is BBC journalist Alan Johnston? The Gaza-based reporter has been missing since March 12. Hopefully, he will be found safe and sound.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-38996627435264715672007-03-26T03:34:00.000-07:002007-03-26T03:38:22.684-07:00TestTesting new stuff. I'm looking at different ways to combine multiple RSS feeds into one. Hopefully, there's a simple and snazzy way to do it.<br /><br /><a href="http://feedblendr.com">FeedBlendr</a> is pretty easy to work with, but the feed I created was too big to work with on some other services I'm currently using (like <a href="http://www.feedburner.com">FeedBurner</a>. Yahoo! has a beta of a new service called <a href="http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/">Pipes</a>, but it looks like it uses AJAX.<br /><br />Oh well, I'll figure it out in the morning, I'm sure.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-53803096064632472452007-02-08T10:30:00.000-08:002007-01-08T17:40:36.787-08:00You have the right to remain silentAnd look at the Enterprise-Record's newish <a href="http://www.chicoer.com/publicsafety">public safety section</a>, featuring a map of where property crimes happen in Chico and the most wanted.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-63504560900951757242007-01-08T17:40:00.001-08:002007-01-08T17:40:29.150-08:00A rehash from E-R Labs<embed src='http://us.i1.yimg.com/cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/player/media/swf/FLVVideoSolo.swf' flashvars='id=1612268&emailUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.yahoo.com%2Futil%2Fmail%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26vid%3D2c0cd4474c7cf8279c0202e17feb60de.1612268%26vback%3DStudio%26vdone%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fvideo.yahoo.com%252Fvideo%252Fstudio%253Fei%253DUTF-8&imUrl=http%253A%252F%252Fvideo.yahoo.com%252Fvideo%252Fplay%253F%2526ei%253DUTF-8%2526vid%253D2c0cd4474c7cf8279c0202e17feb60de.1612268&imTitle=Lo-res%2Bvideo%2Btest&searchUrl=http://video.yahoo.com/video/search?p=&profileUrl=http://video.yahoo.com/video/profile?yid=&creatorValue=ZW50ZXJwcmlzZXJlY29yZA%3D%3D&vid=2c0cd4474c7cf8279c0202e17feb60de.1612268' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' width='425' height='350'></embed>Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1164397566437658202006-11-24T11:45:00.000-08:002006-11-24T11:46:06.453-08:00For the E-R:<a href="https://rtolson.tripod.com/ryan/crimemap_06_1117.html">Click here.</a>Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1162893904370571532006-11-07T02:03:00.000-08:002006-11-07T02:05:04.370-08:00No betsToday is Election Day. I encourage anyone reading this to do their part and vote. Although there's always a ton of speculation swirling around each election, I've braced myself to not make any predictions whatsoever about the outcome. Hopefully, if I don't get my hopes up, I'll be able to better absorb the impact of the results whatever they may be.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1162628120827565842006-11-04T00:10:00.000-08:002006-11-07T02:03:00.523-08:00A novel ideaStarting tomorrow, I'm going to begin my likely futile effort to write a novel before the end of November. It's all part of <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.com">National Novel Writing Month</a> or NaNoWriMo for those in the know.<br /><br />There's 26 days left in the month to write 50,000 words. I really don't know how I'm going to be pull it together, but I've got a title all ready to go.<br /><br />It's going to be called "Mr. Mediocre" and chances are its protagonist will likely be a fictional version of me. As I develop the story, I'll determine what wacky situations my character will get into.<br /><br />All I can say now is, "Prepare to be whelmed by Mr. Mediocre!" ;-)Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1161691855718298842006-10-24T05:08:00.000-07:002006-10-24T05:10:55.736-07:00Another perspectiveAs I go about looking at different aspects of my life, I've thought about considering a different perspective. I don't really know what the signifigance of it all means, but I made a map showing a considerable number of places I've been to over my life.<br /><br />I had some time on my hands and I was curious. <a href="http://www.rtomedia.com/ryan/more/a_map.html">Here it is.</a>. Many of the locations indicated on the map aren't specific, but some have a unique twist to them.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1161596158963011182006-10-23T02:35:00.000-07:002006-10-23T02:35:58.980-07:00BeliefEvery Monday, National Public Radio airs the latest in the ongoing series <a href=" http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4538138">This I Believe</a> where a member of the public reads an essay about the ideals and beliefs that guide their lives. Some of the essay readers detail poignant examples of faith and personal expression.<br /><br />I'm not always by my radio to listen to the essays but every time I do, the underlying question always nags me. What do _I_ believe? Not that I will come up with some fantastical essay that will win me the prominence of being on NPR, but what are the core beliefs I stand by?<br /><br />For a while, I didn't have a good answer. There are some ideals I will definitely stand by, but do they strike the core of my essence? Last week, my discovery about a former classmate's big step forward in life prompted some introspection. None of my thoughts truly define who I am or what I stand for in total, but it cleared some things up although I don't know for how long.<br /><br />My mind drifted back to simple playground that I visited often when I lived in Georgia. I was too old to really play on the playground, but the wooden structure was frequently vacant and it gave me a quiet space to capture my thoughts.<br /><br />My thoughts often reflected on the type of person I was and the type of person I wanted to be. It wasn't necessary what career path I would want to travel, but more what I would need to do to consider my efforts a success.<br /><br />For a while, I settled on some words from Garrison Keillor from his "A Prairie Home Companion" radio program -- "We are who we are, make the best of it." One part of my mind views the words as possibly limiting, but in the tenth grade I viewed it as an opportunity.<br /><br />It worked for a time. I boosted my grades to the best level in years and focused on core activities. I needed some more emotional development, but things were looking up as I focused on being myself.<br /><br />Anyway, since then, things drifted slightly as the structured environs of high school gave way to college and then life. Distractions increased while I fell to the lure of the Internet and other pastimes. I haven't gone out of my way to find a new place to focus.<br /><br />Today as my world spins in a dozen different directions, it would be instrumental for me to find a place for contemplation and reflection. Is this the path on what I want to be one? Perhaps I can determine the things that I truly believe in.<br /><br />Maybe I've uncovered an element of what I believe in -- at least at work. Over the weekend, I looked upon humanity as a giant gem with as many facets as there are people. Just as some view humanity as a tapestry, this giant gem relies on each facet to be complete.<br /><br />As a writer, I can view each side individually or collectively in my duty to describe the jewel's elements. Some sides sparkle, casting off twinkles of light and creating awe. Others are shaded and fractured with cracks. The vast majority lie somewhere in between.<br /><br />As a journalist, I believe it's my duty to discover, describe and detail these facets accurately.<br /><br />It might be a little hokey, but a spiraling gem of humanity shimmering in the light is an interesting image for me to behold in my mind. The joy of seeking out and discovering new dimensions is something I can definitely get behind.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1161332768569710882006-10-20T01:21:00.000-07:002006-10-20T01:26:47.430-07:00The little thingsSometimes trivial things get under my skin, like how my computer could be faster than it is. However, the small things life can get me revved up too.<br /><br />Case in point -- The Associated Press has been offering streaming video for months. You may notice it on many newspaper Web sites (like <a href="http://www.chicoer.com">this one</a>). It was a little irksome that the service was offered for Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer for XP -- no Macs or people surfing with Firefox allowed. <br /><br />Although both Firefox and Mac have relatively small marketshare, I would try to find a way to provide the option for those users to access a product.<br /><br />At long last, the AP managed to switch things up and now their video is available for Mac users and others. Just being able to access this feature is a joy.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1160874381490487322006-10-14T18:06:00.000-07:002006-10-14T18:06:21.490-07:00North state votes: Candidate videos<font size="+2"><b>Online video</b></font><br /><br /><b>Candidates forum -- Butte County Supervisor:</b><br /><embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=1217304867020216943&hl=en"> </embed><br /><br /><b>Candidates forum -- Chico City Council:</b><br /><embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=3741801808763370069&hl=en"> </embed>Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1160108035970456122006-10-05T21:08:00.000-07:002006-12-19T19:56:18.785-08:00One more thing ...<a href="http://www.chicoer.com/podcasts"><img src="http://www2.chicoer.com/olextras/pod/e-r_tile_blue.jpg" alt="Newsroom Update from the Enterprise-Record" height="150" width="150" /></a><br /><br />Not only shouldn't Ryan be allowed on TV (see previous post), he shouldn't be allowed to be downloaded on to your computer.<br /><br />And yet, there I am -- the anonymous and fresh voice of the <a href="http://www.chicoer.com/podcasts/">new daily podcast "Newsroom Update"</a> from the Enterprise-Record. I'm not saying that you should run out and have a listen, but I'm excited about what it might lead to for our newsroom. I won't be the only voice for long. I'm more than willing to pass the baton around now that we're safely launched.<br /><br />Enjoy. And consider the peril if you would to subscribe <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=190042625">via the iTunes Store</a>. :-D<br /><br /><a href="http://www.chicoer.com/podcasts"><img src="http://www2.chicoer.com/olextras/pod/e-r_tile_blue.jpg" alt="Newsroom Update from the Enterprise-Record" align="right" height="150" width="150" /></a>Not only shouldn't Ryan be allowed on TV (see previous post), he shouldn't be allowed to be downloaded on to your computer.<br /><br />And yet, there I am -- the anonymous and fresh voice of the <a href="http://www.chicoer.com/podcasts/">new daily podcast "Newsroom Update"</a> from the Enterprise-Record. I'm not saying that you should run out and have a listen, but I'm excited about what it might lead to for our newsroom. I won't be the only voice for long. I'm more than willing to pass the baton around now that we're safely launched.<br /><br />Enjoy. And consider the peril if you would to subscribe <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=190042625">via the iTunes Store</a>. :-D<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.chicoer.com/podcasts"><img src="http://www2.chicoer.com/olextras/pod/e-r_tile_blue.jpg" alt="Newsroom Update from the Enterprise-Record" align="left" height="150" width="150" /></a>Not only shouldn't Ryan be allowed on TV (see previous post), he shouldn't be allowed to be downloaded on to your computer.<br /></div><br />And yet, there I am -- the anonymous and fresh voice of the <a href="http://www.chicoer.com/podcasts/">new daily podcast "Newsroom Update"</a> from the Enterprise-Record. I'm not saying that you should run out and have a listen, but I'm excited about what it might lead to for our newsroom. I won't be the only voice for long. I'm more than willing to pass the baton around now that we're safely launched.<br /><br />Enjoy. And consider the peril if you would to subscribe <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=190042625">via the iTunes Store</a>. :-DRyantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1160106996393499992006-10-05T20:53:00.000-07:002006-10-14T18:05:45.506-07:00E-R Labs: Two takesOr why Ryan should not be allowed on television. ;-D See if you can tell the difference between the two videos. Please leave me a comment with your guess.<br /><br /><i>Update - Oct. 14</i> -- The videos have served their purpose and have been taken down. Thanks for the input.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1159675192992870282006-09-30T20:59:00.000-07:002006-09-30T20:59:53.006-07:00Off to the racesHere's the latest from E-R Labs -- coverage of Saturday's Chico Palio at the Municipal Center.<br /><br /><embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-7724851614735401317&hl=en" quality="best" bgcolor="#ffffff" scale="noScale" salign="TL" FlashVars="playerMode=embedded"> </embed>Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1159172687078872412006-09-25T01:21:00.000-07:002006-09-25T01:24:47.076-07:00Threshing dayYou know, throwing away (recycling) year-old newspapers isn't as hard as I thought it would be, especially when they're papers I haven't worked for.<br /><br />That whittles down some of the chaff in my stacks of newspapers. Now, I need to sort through the wheat, or something that would carry on this harvesting metaphor a little long.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1159172473210889992006-09-25T01:18:00.000-07:002006-09-25T01:21:13.226-07:00Together, at lastSome of this site's more avid readers may notice that I'm starting to include posts I made on other sites (MySpace and TVGuide). After noticing that some of the posts from this blog were missing, I decided to put everything together to make a more complete archive.<br /><br />This could be a better record of my writing over the years.Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1158980224656527552006-09-22T19:56:00.000-07:002006-09-22T20:08:13.326-07:00Fire on the Ridge videoHere is the latest from the E-R Labs:<br /><embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-1778913813772479984&hl=en"> </embed>Ryantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139400.post-1158917091539697312006-09-22T02:21:00.000-07:002006-09-22T02:24:51.543-07:00The Office - 9-21 - Laughs with a cringe<i>Originally posted on <a href="http://community.tvguide.com/forum.jspa?userID=800001422&type=blog">my TV Guide blog</a> at 1:45 AM on 09/22/06</i><br /><br />As I watch each episode of the American version of "The Office", part of me always compares it to the British original, particularly when it comes to taking risks. In particular, the UK version's boss, David Brent, was awful when it came to handling awkward and sensitive issues. One memorable example included David retelling a joke where the punchline included a black man's body part.<br /><br />Is the American "Office" going for cheap laughs and forgoing some of the cringe-worthy humor? I was worried that the American version is foregoing the cringes that defined the original and going for easier, and more sitcom-style laughs.<br /><br />Well, Thursday's episode (Gay Witch Hunt) put some of those fears to rest. The way Michael Scott handled the sexual orientation of his employee Oscar was completely contradictory, offensive and insulting if Michael wasn't such a goof.<br /><br />The worst, yet funny, moment came after Michael is rightly crushed when Oscar calls him ignorant and small. Oscar permits Michael to give him a hug (for Michael to show that he's "OK" with employees being gay). Michael goes forward with a horribly uncomfortable kiss that was stunning to watch.<br /><br />Much like the UK version, I wonder if Michael learned anything from the experience.<br /><br />There were plenty of awkward moments (especially regarding the issue of homosexuality), but there was some good laughs mixed in there.Ryan