I get a kick out of how Universal and Marvel are like... "Uh, we'll just pretend we didn't release an Incredible Hulk film just five years ago and we'll release a completely new one with a new look, cast, and director." You have to hand it to them. They believe in the character, and believe a film franchise can be made out of the character, and so the were willing to go through all of the trouble to try it again. Is there another example like this in modern filmmaking? I don't know. Hollywood tends to react to disappointment with running away from doing anything that smells similiar, even if the problem was obvious, such as the wrong script or the wrong director or the wrong guy driving the 15th truck.
It's nice to see that they didn't give up on Hulk. I liked the TV show (reruns) when I was a kid. And the 2003 film had Sam Elliot, who I've met twice... the first time being when he filmed three scenes for a television movie IN MY HOUSE. He was nice to me and filled out this really long note/autograph to me and I was just a kid at the time.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Knott's Brand Continues Corporate Journey
ConAgra is selling the Knott's Bery Farm jams, jellies, and preserves brand to the J. M. Smucker Company. ConAgra got the brand in 1995. This will mean the closing of their facility (and layoffs) in Placentia, which isn't all that far from the Knott's Berry Farm theme park in Buena Park, California.
I grew up on the Knott's brand. It was kind of cool having the theme park (and Chicken Dinner restaurant that started it all) not too far away, though it had been a long time since berries were actually grown at Knott's Berry Farm.
The theme park was sold to Cedar Fair in 1997.
In the mid-1990s I'd been hoping that the food and theme park businesses could be kept together by being acquired by Anheuser-Busch, which had a snacks business and a theme park business, which had done wonders for the Sea World parks. We could have had beer-battered chicken at Mrs. Knott's!
Alas, it wasn't to be. AB even sold off Eagle Snacks.
I grew up on the Knott's brand. It was kind of cool having the theme park (and Chicken Dinner restaurant that started it all) not too far away, though it had been a long time since berries were actually grown at Knott's Berry Farm.
The theme park was sold to Cedar Fair in 1997.
In the mid-1990s I'd been hoping that the food and theme park businesses could be kept together by being acquired by Anheuser-Busch, which had a snacks business and a theme park business, which had done wonders for the Sea World parks. We could have had beer-battered chicken at Mrs. Knott's!
Alas, it wasn't to be. AB even sold off Eagle Snacks.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Film Review: "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
A Film Review & Event Report by Ken Pellman
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
at Edwards Big Newport, Newport Beach, CA
Rated “PG-13” for adventure violence and scary images
124 minutes
Lucasfilm (via Paramount Pictures)
Now Playing Everywhere
I can recall going to see the first Indiana Jones film, “Raiders of the Los Ark", in 1981. I was just a boy at the time, probably the youngest edge of the target audience. After Disney obtained the rights to create theme park attractions based on the character and films, I waited eagerly for a Disneyland manifestation. That finally opened in 1995, and I was fortunate enough to watch the Temple of the Forbidden Eye built from the ground up, take a few test rides, and even work at the attraction in the summer of 1996.
The film series does not have the same hold over me as the “Star Wars” series, but the long-awaited fourth film did prompt us to break our cinema-going drought.
We went all-out, of course, seeing the initial, midnight screening at the Big Newport, where the screen is huge, the audience responsive, and the sound system so loud and pumped up that it “rattles your colon”, to quote ThemeParkAdventure.com’s Rick West.
The folks at BigNewport.com outdid themselves, again organizing a charity fundraiser as part of a campout line-up of fedora-wearing, whip-cracking Indy fans. There was an auction and an outdoor screening of two fan productions - "Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation" and "Indyfans and the Quest for Fortune and Glory".
In the crowd were many of the usual suspects and it was good to see our friends and acquaintances again. Thankfully, Keelie’s Aunt Kendra and Uncle Steve babysat Keelie, allowing Kori and I to mark my birthday and the anniversary of our engagement with a dinner out alone before we dropped in on the festivities.
Like the three other films, this one finds our hero in a series of perilous circumstances and dealing with mystical forces. Set in 1957, the Nazi villains are long gone, as are some of Indy’s friends and his father. The villains are Soviet communists. They are indeed the villains, but the film also takes the opportunity for some mild lamenting of “red scare” paranoia, with a moment that perhaps is a metaphor for concerns about the Patriot Act.
We’ve all changed a lot since 1989’s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” – the audience has changed, moviemaking has changed, director Steven Spielberg has changed, and of course Indiana Jones has changed – but not too much. Special effects have definitely changed, with digital effects being used liberally and effectively – which has, perhaps, the biggest effect in making the feel of this film different from the other three.
Unlike the other three films, Indy is not given a new love interest. Instead, we get to see one of our favorite characters return. Shia LaBeouf joins the mix as Mutt Williams, and teaming up with Indy, is prominent and central through much of the film. So if Indy is too old for the ladies, Mutt can give them something at which to stare.
Some of the subject matter is sure to be of interest to Roswell conspiracy theorists. The “crystal skull” subject and exotic locale (the jungles of South America) is a nod to the Indiana Jones: Temple of the Crystal Skull attraction at the DisneySea theme park in Japan (or, perhaps, the reverse is true, depending on when the basics of the plot were decided). Like the previous installments, there are plenty of elements that would be ripe for exciting theme park adaptation.
Which brings us to one of the things people love about these films – the action. There is plenty of over-the-top action and the humor that often is intertwined. A nuclear test blast is thrown in for good measure. There are also a few nods to the earlier films and other wink-wink moments.
In the end, we have even more character development and depth, and the franchise is left wide open for more adventures.
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” <> http://www.IndianaJones.com
Pellman's Bottom Line(TM): You’re already going to see this if you are an Indy fan. Otherwise, see it if you want a good popcorn movie. It doesn’t pretend to be anything else.
Pellman's Rating: 3 Brooms(TM) out of 4
Pellman's Suggestion (Theater or Home Viewing)(TM): See this on a large screen. Get to the Big Newport if you can (300 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA).
-Ken Pellman
(c)2008 Ken Pellman, all rights reserved. This review may not be further stored or shared in any way, shape, or form, by any means, without my express written permission. The statements in this review, unless otherwise stated, are my personal opinions and are not presented in connection with any entity with whom I may be or may have been associated.
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
at Edwards Big Newport, Newport Beach, CA
Rated “PG-13” for adventure violence and scary images
124 minutes
Lucasfilm (via Paramount Pictures)
Now Playing Everywhere
I can recall going to see the first Indiana Jones film, “Raiders of the Los Ark", in 1981. I was just a boy at the time, probably the youngest edge of the target audience. After Disney obtained the rights to create theme park attractions based on the character and films, I waited eagerly for a Disneyland manifestation. That finally opened in 1995, and I was fortunate enough to watch the Temple of the Forbidden Eye built from the ground up, take a few test rides, and even work at the attraction in the summer of 1996.
The film series does not have the same hold over me as the “Star Wars” series, but the long-awaited fourth film did prompt us to break our cinema-going drought.
We went all-out, of course, seeing the initial, midnight screening at the Big Newport, where the screen is huge, the audience responsive, and the sound system so loud and pumped up that it “rattles your colon”, to quote ThemeParkAdventure.com’s Rick West.
The folks at BigNewport.com outdid themselves, again organizing a charity fundraiser as part of a campout line-up of fedora-wearing, whip-cracking Indy fans. There was an auction and an outdoor screening of two fan productions - "Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation" and "Indyfans and the Quest for Fortune and Glory".
In the crowd were many of the usual suspects and it was good to see our friends and acquaintances again. Thankfully, Keelie’s Aunt Kendra and Uncle Steve babysat Keelie, allowing Kori and I to mark my birthday and the anniversary of our engagement with a dinner out alone before we dropped in on the festivities.
Like the three other films, this one finds our hero in a series of perilous circumstances and dealing with mystical forces. Set in 1957, the Nazi villains are long gone, as are some of Indy’s friends and his father. The villains are Soviet communists. They are indeed the villains, but the film also takes the opportunity for some mild lamenting of “red scare” paranoia, with a moment that perhaps is a metaphor for concerns about the Patriot Act.
We’ve all changed a lot since 1989’s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” – the audience has changed, moviemaking has changed, director Steven Spielberg has changed, and of course Indiana Jones has changed – but not too much. Special effects have definitely changed, with digital effects being used liberally and effectively – which has, perhaps, the biggest effect in making the feel of this film different from the other three.
Unlike the other three films, Indy is not given a new love interest. Instead, we get to see one of our favorite characters return. Shia LaBeouf joins the mix as Mutt Williams, and teaming up with Indy, is prominent and central through much of the film. So if Indy is too old for the ladies, Mutt can give them something at which to stare.
Some of the subject matter is sure to be of interest to Roswell conspiracy theorists. The “crystal skull” subject and exotic locale (the jungles of South America) is a nod to the Indiana Jones: Temple of the Crystal Skull attraction at the DisneySea theme park in Japan (or, perhaps, the reverse is true, depending on when the basics of the plot were decided). Like the previous installments, there are plenty of elements that would be ripe for exciting theme park adaptation.
Which brings us to one of the things people love about these films – the action. There is plenty of over-the-top action and the humor that often is intertwined. A nuclear test blast is thrown in for good measure. There are also a few nods to the earlier films and other wink-wink moments.
In the end, we have even more character development and depth, and the franchise is left wide open for more adventures.
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” <> http://www.IndianaJones.com
Pellman's Bottom Line(TM): You’re already going to see this if you are an Indy fan. Otherwise, see it if you want a good popcorn movie. It doesn’t pretend to be anything else.
Pellman's Rating: 3 Brooms(TM) out of 4
Pellman's Suggestion (Theater or Home Viewing)(TM): See this on a large screen. Get to the Big Newport if you can (300 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA).
-Ken Pellman
(c)2008 Ken Pellman, all rights reserved. This review may not be further stored or shared in any way, shape, or form, by any means, without my express written permission. The statements in this review, unless otherwise stated, are my personal opinions and are not presented in connection with any entity with whom I may be or may have been associated.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Things That Make Me Go Grrrrrrr
While I was out running an errand today, I checked in with the love of my life via phone call. That's when she remembered something she'd noticed... someone broke the cover of one of the taillights on our minivan.
Grrrrrr!
I checked out the damage. It wasn't too bad, but of course now the whole thing needs to be replaced. (The taillight or at least the cover... not the minivan.)
The damage most likely occurred while the minivan was parked in our space of our condo complex carport. Some people seem to spend their entire life in that carport, including kids who are out there playing around. It is likely they were throwing something or kicking something and the object hit our minivan in the process.
We don't know for sure, because nobody left a note. Cowards!!!
But this is another incident that is pushing me down the path to the Dark Side of the Force... er, uh, I mean the path to becoming a grumpy old man.
Now, whenever I notice anyone in the carport doing anything but parking, unloading something, or leaving, I'm going to call the management company and complain, because I don't want to risk another accident damaging our minivan again.
I mean, it's not like the kids don't have a place to play. There is a nice, busy boulevard right outside where they can play in traffic, for example. And the Metrolink tracks aren't too far away. Okay, I'm kidding. Kind of. But there is a park nearby, and each condo here does have a backyard-or-patio.
I think we simply need to bring back child labor.
Grrrrrr!
I checked out the damage. It wasn't too bad, but of course now the whole thing needs to be replaced. (The taillight or at least the cover... not the minivan.)
The damage most likely occurred while the minivan was parked in our space of our condo complex carport. Some people seem to spend their entire life in that carport, including kids who are out there playing around. It is likely they were throwing something or kicking something and the object hit our minivan in the process.
We don't know for sure, because nobody left a note. Cowards!!!
But this is another incident that is pushing me down the path to the Dark Side of the Force... er, uh, I mean the path to becoming a grumpy old man.
Now, whenever I notice anyone in the carport doing anything but parking, unloading something, or leaving, I'm going to call the management company and complain, because I don't want to risk another accident damaging our minivan again.
I mean, it's not like the kids don't have a place to play. There is a nice, busy boulevard right outside where they can play in traffic, for example. And the Metrolink tracks aren't too far away. Okay, I'm kidding. Kind of. But there is a park nearby, and each condo here does have a backyard-or-patio.
I think we simply need to bring back child labor.
Friday, April 25, 2008
I Have the Perfect Face For Radio
It's been too long since I've made an entry on this blog. In case you don't know, I've been regularly updating our family blog at http://kori-and-ken.blogspot.com. I've also been blogging on TheDisneyBlog.com, and every once in a while I write something on my MySpace blog found at http://www.myspace.com/kenep. I even write some other places under a handle. But this right here is my main personal blog. I just haven't had all that much to say recently that I've wanted to say publicly. I've been keeping stuff to e-mail.
Really, Kori and I have been keeping busy just being parents to Keelie, spending time with family, and me with my job-outside-the-house. Nothing too exciting or different to report.
Speaking of my job, right after I finally woke up today, I checked my phone and had a message from someone at KFWB who wanted to talk with me about gas stations. So, I recorded an interview with him over the phone. That's just the first part of the work for the radio folks. The then edit the interview to get statements they want to use, and write a script for the on-air anchor to introduce the piece.
The problem for me, is that if I want to hear how the report turns out, I have to keep listening. It's not like with television news, where certain channels have certain news hours, and that's it. KFWB is all news, all of the time, with a 20-minute news cycle, and not all coverage takes place during every cycle.
I enjoy doing this kind of work. I've had mostly good experiences with broadcast reporters.
Today on KFWB, there has been a lot of coverage about a fatal shark attack off of the shore of San Diego county.
Really, Kori and I have been keeping busy just being parents to Keelie, spending time with family, and me with my job-outside-the-house. Nothing too exciting or different to report.
Speaking of my job, right after I finally woke up today, I checked my phone and had a message from someone at KFWB who wanted to talk with me about gas stations. So, I recorded an interview with him over the phone. That's just the first part of the work for the radio folks. The then edit the interview to get statements they want to use, and write a script for the on-air anchor to introduce the piece.
The problem for me, is that if I want to hear how the report turns out, I have to keep listening. It's not like with television news, where certain channels have certain news hours, and that's it. KFWB is all news, all of the time, with a 20-minute news cycle, and not all coverage takes place during every cycle.
I enjoy doing this kind of work. I've had mostly good experiences with broadcast reporters.
Today on KFWB, there has been a lot of coverage about a fatal shark attack off of the shore of San Diego county.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Another "I'm Getting Old" Moment
Recently, I fiddled a bit with our desktop computer over a weekend, downloading some stuff I've been meaning to get for a while. I finally re-installed AOL Instant Messenger - my main personal handle is KPSFH. They give you an e-mail account and full profile and everything with that now. Great. More spam.
But I was struck with the reality of not knowing exactly what I wanted to do with the profile. I used to use AOL IM to keep in touch with certain family members, friends, pen pals, girlfriends, and to meet people, especially with my hours being what they used to be. But life has changed. MySpace is a little better for keeping in touch with friends now. My hours are different, I have less time to be online, and I'm no longer a young single male who can flirt it up online. Being a not-so-young married father and Public Information Officer, I'm more guarded about my (= our) privacy. I know, I know... we have our blogs and all of that, but I'm careful about what I put on them.
It was just one of those "I'm getting old" moments.
So, for those of you who still use AOL IM, go ahead and add my handle.
But I was struck with the reality of not knowing exactly what I wanted to do with the profile. I used to use AOL IM to keep in touch with certain family members, friends, pen pals, girlfriends, and to meet people, especially with my hours being what they used to be. But life has changed. MySpace is a little better for keeping in touch with friends now. My hours are different, I have less time to be online, and I'm no longer a young single male who can flirt it up online. Being a not-so-young married father and Public Information Officer, I'm more guarded about my (= our) privacy. I know, I know... we have our blogs and all of that, but I'm careful about what I put on them.
It was just one of those "I'm getting old" moments.
So, for those of you who still use AOL IM, go ahead and add my handle.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas. Thanks for reading and thanks for your e-mails and comments. Check out or family blog over at http://kori-and-ken.blogspot.com/ for our final update of the year, and our annual Christmas letter.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Rest In Peace Bruce Gordon
Walt Disney Imagineer, lecturer, author, unofficial Disney historian - and one of my personal heroes and inspirations - Bruce Gordon - died suddenly. He was found in his home today after friends grew concerned, went there, and called authorities. I believe the story broke online at LaughingPlace.com. Also noted on The Disney Blog and Blue Sky Disney. In recent years, Bruce had left WDI and was concentrating on writing books and, as I understand it, working for the Disney family.
I have a lot to say about Bruce, as he helped me live one of my dreams. But that will have to wait for later.
I have a lot to say about Bruce, as he helped me live one of my dreams. But that will have to wait for later.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
I Was Quoted About Medflies
I've been busy working extra hours over the last couple of days. Why? Meditterranean Fruit Flies, or "Medflies" for short. It's a non-native pest that agriculture professionals want to keep out of California. There is a long, heated history when it comes to that fight, so when fertile Medflies are found, the news media takes note. Most people, however, would never notice the present-day methods used to eradicate this pest.
Megan Bagdonas of the Daily Breeze talked with me about the situation yesterday. Here are quotes from her article:
[SNIP]
Megan Bagdonas of the Daily Breeze talked with me about the situation yesterday. Here are quotes from her article:
“The chances of a fertile female finding a fertile male is extremely small once there’s hundreds of thousands of these sterile males flying around,” said Ken Pellman, spokesman for the county Agriculture Commissioner’s Office.
[SNIP]
Adult Medflies are not harmful, but the eggs they lay inside fruits and vegetables hatch into hungry larvae that destroy agricultural crops. Officials say they don’t know where the South Bay invaders came from.[SNIP}
“We have inspectors at the airport and the port that examine for pests, but it’s possible they got through when a cargo door was opened,” Pellman said. “That’s why we tell people traveling not to bring in fruits or vegetables, especially from Hawaii,” which has a Medfly infestation..
“If this fly gets a foothold in the state, prices of fruit and vegetables will skyrocket and organic farmers, especially, will have a lot more crop loss,” Pellman said. “An ounce of prevention is cheaper than a pound of cure.”
Thursday, October 25, 2007
I Was Quoted About the Wildfires
Yesterday, I talked with an Associated Press wire reporter, Juliana Barbassa, about the impacts of the recent wildfires on agriculture in Los Angeles County. As a result, I was cited in this story, which has appeared on news sites (and, I'm presuming, in newspapers) all over the world.
Here's my section...
Here's my section...
Even in Los Angeles County, where agriculture has been pushed to the margins by decades of development, small farms that linger among Malibu's million-dollar homes are reporting losses, said Ken Pellman, a spokesman for the county's agriculture commissioner.
One ranch in the hills above Pepperdine University lost 80 percent of the avocados grown on a three-acre plot, five trucks and all 52 goats they kept to abate weeds and prevent the spread of fire.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Fatherhood Changes Your Brain
I had a period in my life when I questioned, partially based on my history and behavior, if I really did want to get married and have kids after all. I knew I had to figure that out, because:
If I married and had kids and really didn't want to, I'd be making a lot of people unhappy.
If I really did want that life, but didn't go out and get it, I'd end up unhappy.
So, for my own happiness...
If I really didn't want that life, I needed to avoid it.
If I did want that life, I needed to take the steps to get there.
I came down on the side of wanting a wife and kids, knowing that it would completely change my life - a life that with which I wasn't dissatisfied. I had seen how the lives of others were changed. I saw the tradeoffs as far as freedom, time, money, and energy, but I figured having a family and the husband-wife and parent-child relationships was worth it.
There must be some sort of brain chemistry that changes when a man becomes a father, especially if he did it intentionally. I think back to finding out we were expecting, and the ultrasounds, and feeling Keelie kicking. I'm still shocked over the profound feelings I had during the delivery and seeing Keelie for the first time. And now, as she isn't so fussy, as she straddles my leg and watches football (she really seems to like football) and makes soft babbles, I realize that I too have been hit by the magic crazy parent spell, where I'm not getting anything else done and not going out anywhere and I'm spending money all over the place... and I don't mind so much because I have this little expensive attention-hungry dependent poop machine in my arms, warming my heart. I would die for her.
I would die for her mother, too – the woman who carried her and gave birth to her, and takes care of her around the clock. I’d heard how much this experience would boost my awe of and love for my wife, and that didn’t seem possible before. Yet, that’s exactly what has happened.
If I married and had kids and really didn't want to, I'd be making a lot of people unhappy.
If I really did want that life, but didn't go out and get it, I'd end up unhappy.
So, for my own happiness...
If I really didn't want that life, I needed to avoid it.
If I did want that life, I needed to take the steps to get there.
I came down on the side of wanting a wife and kids, knowing that it would completely change my life - a life that with which I wasn't dissatisfied. I had seen how the lives of others were changed. I saw the tradeoffs as far as freedom, time, money, and energy, but I figured having a family and the husband-wife and parent-child relationships was worth it.
There must be some sort of brain chemistry that changes when a man becomes a father, especially if he did it intentionally. I think back to finding out we were expecting, and the ultrasounds, and feeling Keelie kicking. I'm still shocked over the profound feelings I had during the delivery and seeing Keelie for the first time. And now, as she isn't so fussy, as she straddles my leg and watches football (she really seems to like football) and makes soft babbles, I realize that I too have been hit by the magic crazy parent spell, where I'm not getting anything else done and not going out anywhere and I'm spending money all over the place... and I don't mind so much because I have this little expensive attention-hungry dependent poop machine in my arms, warming my heart. I would die for her.
I would die for her mother, too – the woman who carried her and gave birth to her, and takes care of her around the clock. I’d heard how much this experience would boost my awe of and love for my wife, and that didn’t seem possible before. Yet, that’s exactly what has happened.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Burger Continental Fire
Egads! Fire at Burger Continental in Pasadena.
I hope they're up and running again ASAP. I love that place. Have you been there? Their menu is huge, and if you don't see something on the menu, you can probably order it anyway. It's been too long. We need to go back.
I hope they're up and running again ASAP. I love that place. Have you been there? Their menu is huge, and if you don't see something on the menu, you can probably order it anyway. It's been too long. We need to go back.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
A Bug Flew Into My Mouth
We're having these flying bugs show up in our home. I do my best to kill them like the sadistic, cold-hearted guy that I am - usually by smashing them. Well, a few minutes ago, while I was taking something to the bedroom, a bug flew into my mouth in the dark of the hallway.
Blech!!!
I spit it out into the bathroom sink and quickly gargled with mouthwash.
Maybe we need to keep a large spider as a pet.
Blech!!!
I spit it out into the bathroom sink and quickly gargled with mouthwash.
Maybe we need to keep a large spider as a pet.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Made the Papaer and the TV and Radio News
Just doin' my job.
A coworker mine caught two more Oriental Fruit Flies close to each other, this time northwest of downtown L.A., so that meant more news media work. You may have caught me on KNX AM 1070 (where my childhood classmate Ms. Reyes does traffic!) or saw me on the KNBC-TV Channel 4 News.
Also, I was in today's San Gabriel Valley Tribune, talkin' 'bout a weed abatement issue. You see, Fire departments make sure that property owners with houses or businesses or some other structure on their property do proper brush clearance on their property. My coworkers enforce brush clearance on "unimproved" (unoccupied) parcels.
http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_7009642
Brittle Brush Beautiful, Dangerous
By Bethania Palma, Staff Writer
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
A coworker mine caught two more Oriental Fruit Flies close to each other, this time northwest of downtown L.A., so that meant more news media work. You may have caught me on KNX AM 1070 (where my childhood classmate Ms. Reyes does traffic!) or saw me on the KNBC-TV Channel 4 News.
Also, I was in today's San Gabriel Valley Tribune, talkin' 'bout a weed abatement issue. You see, Fire departments make sure that property owners with houses or businesses or some other structure on their property do proper brush clearance on their property. My coworkers enforce brush clearance on "unimproved" (unoccupied) parcels.
http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_7009642
Brittle Brush Beautiful, Dangerous
By Bethania Palma, Staff Writer
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
"Our people have been working with the residents," said Ken Pellman,
spokesman for the L.A. County Agricultural Commissioner. "It's ongoing."
He added that the county commissioner's office has "no dispute" with the state Fish and Game department.
Pellman said the threat of fire is mitigated by a paved emergency access road that separates the weeds from homes.
"It's not what we consider a real high fire hazard," he said. "It could burn, but it's not the highest priority."
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Friday, September 07, 2007
More Oriental Fruit Flies
This time, they're in the South Bay. While treatments are ongoing in the Glendale/Burbank area, treatments are going to start up in another area. I've already recorded an interview for radio.
Here is a quote from the Daily Breeze, based on a wire report prompted by our press release.
The story is also covered already here and here.
Here is a quote from the Daily Breeze, based on a wire report prompted by our press release.
The fruit flies were found in county traps between Sept. 4-6 in the unincorporated Harbor City area and the city of Rolling Hills Estates. The Oriental Fruit Fly “is one of the world’s most destructive insect pests,” Ken Pellman of the County of Los Angeles Department of Agriculture Commissioner/Weights and Measures said in a
statement.
“A potential breeding population is indicated by the very limited time and distance between these detections,” Pellman said, adding that the California Department of Food and Agriculture would conduct the spraying, or “squirting.”
The spraying could start even earlier if more of the fruit flies are found. The “male eradication” program will entail squirting fruit fly “bait” on utility poles, trees and light poles. The bait contains a small amount of Naled pesticide that will kill the flies, Pellman said.
The story is also covered already here and here.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Two Tiny Fruit Flies Get Me on TV
Thanks for two male Oriental Fruit Fly specimens founds in Glendale, I'm being quoted in newspapers, heard on news radio, and and seen on television news.
Yesterday, KFWB AM 980 and KNX AM 1070 both recorded phone interviews with me, and I heard some of my quotes on KFWB today.
Today, I did on-camera interviews with KTTV Channel 11, KNBC-TV Channel 4, and KABC-TV Channel 7. KABC has the video on their website. I haven't seen myself on KNBC, and KTTV's news airs in about half an hour.
I was also quoted on the KCAL-TV 9/KCBS-TV 2 news website:
I was also quoted in the Glendale News-Press:
Yesterday, KFWB AM 980 and KNX AM 1070 both recorded phone interviews with me, and I heard some of my quotes on KFWB today.
Today, I did on-camera interviews with KTTV Channel 11, KNBC-TV Channel 4, and KABC-TV Channel 7. KABC has the video on their website. I haven't seen myself on KNBC, and KTTV's news airs in about half an hour.
I was also quoted on the KCAL-TV 9/KCBS-TV 2 news website:
"People can go about their daily lives without concern," said Ken Pellman, public information officer for the Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures.
I was also quoted in the Glendale News-Press:
Two Oriental fruit flies — which as larvae are among the most destructive insects to fruits and vegetables — turned up Aug. 21 and Friday in insect traps, which are used to monitor pest activity, said Ken Pellman, spokesman for the L.A. County agricultural commissioner.
In response, the department will conduct a large-scale eradication effort, applying pesticide-laced bait 6 to 8 feet up tree trunks and utility poles, covering about 600 spots per square mile, Pellman said.
The agent is designed to kill male fruit flies and is not harmful to humans, he added.
“It’s a really effective method we find,” he said. “Oriental fruit flies have been found before, but these eradication efforts have been very successful in the past, so that they don’t become established and get a foothold in the area.”
A wild fruit fly population could threaten agricultural crops, as well as vegetable and fruit trees in private yards, Pellman said.
“Hopefully, these were the only two, and that’s entirely possible because we do set up traps — there are traps everywhere — and we keep checking them for these pests, and quite often they don’t show up again,” he said.
Though Glendale has little agriculture, the pests can pose problems for plant nurseries, which could have controls put on their shipments if the area were to be quarantined over a fruit fly scare, Pellman said.
And...
The Oriental fruit fly reportedly has the potential to wreak more havoc than the infamous Oriental fruit flies, which are native to Southeast Asia and are found in Hawaii and other Pacific islands, can be brought in by travelers transporting fruits and vegetables into the continental United States, as well as in goods shipped into the country, Pellman said.
“There’s no way to know for sure, but with transportation being what it is, people travel, and they’ll bring back fruits and vegetables,” he said.
“Or relatives or friends from their country of origin will send them as gifts, or they could just stow away in cargo holds of airplanes.”
Inspections at shipping ports and airports are designed to keep harmful insects from migrating into the United States via produce, he added.
“We do have efforts to check at ports and airports and shipping to check for pests on shipment that’s entering, whether it’s fruits, vegetables or ornamental plants,” he said.
“It’s possible they can get through that way too, but we do have pretty good inspectors in that regard.”
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
KNBC-TV Channel 4 11pm News Rebroadcast
Quite often, I'm up at strange hours. We have Time Warner Cable, and often during the 4am half-hour, I'll catch part of the rebroadcast of the previous night's KNBC-TV Channel 4 News at 11pm. Hey - there aren't a lot of options at that hour, even with cable.
Anyway, the news program is unusually quiet for some reason. The other channels aren't that quiet. The commercial breaks aren't that quiet. So I don't think it is a Time Warner Cable problem. I think someone at KNBC wants people to fall asleep watching Coleen Williams (which is a nice way to go) and then be jolted awake by the commercials.
Speaking of commercials, the bright spot in this half hour are commercials for Tito's Tacos. From the commercial, it looks like there is just one - in Culver City. Now, I've never eaten there, but I like Mexican food - real Mexican food or "trying to be" Mexican food. Okay, who am I fooling... I like food. But I really like Mexican food. And I like this commercial. It uses a catchy song (click on the like to hear it) and still images with graphics. It is an example of a good local commercial, unlike those cheesy ones you tend to see with the poor audio/video and atrocious acting.
I'm hungry now.
Anyway, the news program is unusually quiet for some reason. The other channels aren't that quiet. The commercial breaks aren't that quiet. So I don't think it is a Time Warner Cable problem. I think someone at KNBC wants people to fall asleep watching Coleen Williams (which is a nice way to go) and then be jolted awake by the commercials.
Speaking of commercials, the bright spot in this half hour are commercials for Tito's Tacos. From the commercial, it looks like there is just one - in Culver City. Now, I've never eaten there, but I like Mexican food - real Mexican food or "trying to be" Mexican food. Okay, who am I fooling... I like food. But I really like Mexican food. And I like this commercial. It uses a catchy song (click on the like to hear it) and still images with graphics. It is an example of a good local commercial, unlike those cheesy ones you tend to see with the poor audio/video and atrocious acting.
I'm hungry now.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Siamese Faith Healer's Network
Cable has come a long way since "Weirdl Al" Yankovic gave an accurate portrayal of 1980s cable. But I still have a gripe.
I’m sure I’m not the only one to notice that cable channel branding has lost its meaning. ABC Family running “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery”? And wasn’t AMC supposed to be for American Movie Classics? A lot of those films ain’t classic. TLC? A&E?, E!? The programming seems to be so similar for so many of the channels, with the only thing distinguishing them to the audience is the little logo in the corner of the screen. How many more shows featuring the following subjects do we really need?
-Plastic surgery
-Weight loss
-Cooking (maybe we wouldn’t need so many weight loss shows if we weren’t watching food preparation on TV all of the time)
-Addicts
-House remodeling/flipping
-Follow a celebrity around as he/she does nothing in particular
-Follow a (former) celebrity around who is trying to revive his/her career and/or is looking for “love”
-Watch a bunch of young attention addicts party and hook up and sometimes live together.
Lets just get it over with. Let’s simply have one show that repeats episodes over and over again: A team of celebrities vs. a team of nobodies compete for weight loss and career success while undergoing plastic surgery, dealing with addiction, preparing food, living together in a house they are renovating, and partying. It will be great to see the tension between the chefs and the dieters, the partiers and the people trying to keep the house in good condition.
I was prompted to write this because I’m exposed to a lot more basic cable programming right now, with the baby keeping us home and keeping us awake.
I’m sure I’m not the only one to notice that cable channel branding has lost its meaning. ABC Family running “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery”? And wasn’t AMC supposed to be for American Movie Classics? A lot of those films ain’t classic. TLC? A&E?, E!? The programming seems to be so similar for so many of the channels, with the only thing distinguishing them to the audience is the little logo in the corner of the screen. How many more shows featuring the following subjects do we really need?
-Plastic surgery
-Weight loss
-Cooking (maybe we wouldn’t need so many weight loss shows if we weren’t watching food preparation on TV all of the time)
-Addicts
-House remodeling/flipping
-Follow a celebrity around as he/she does nothing in particular
-Follow a (former) celebrity around who is trying to revive his/her career and/or is looking for “love”
-Watch a bunch of young attention addicts party and hook up and sometimes live together.
Lets just get it over with. Let’s simply have one show that repeats episodes over and over again: A team of celebrities vs. a team of nobodies compete for weight loss and career success while undergoing plastic surgery, dealing with addiction, preparing food, living together in a house they are renovating, and partying. It will be great to see the tension between the chefs and the dieters, the partiers and the people trying to keep the house in good condition.
I was prompted to write this because I’m exposed to a lot more basic cable programming right now, with the baby keeping us home and keeping us awake.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
My Latest Column Now Online
The moment you've been waiting for is finally here!
The latest edition of my Kenversations(TM) column was posted today at http://www.LaughingPlace.com.
In this column, I lament the closure of the Disney Gallery by sharing my Disney Gallery memories from the past 20 years.
Check out the column and tell me what you think by using the feedback form at the end of the column. You can also talk about the column with others by following the link at the end of the column to the discussion boards.
Remember - I also contribute to The Disney Blog at http://www.TheDisneyBlog.com.
The latest edition of my Kenversations(TM) column was posted today at http://www.LaughingPlace.com.
In this column, I lament the closure of the Disney Gallery by sharing my Disney Gallery memories from the past 20 years.
Check out the column and tell me what you think by using the feedback form at the end of the column. You can also talk about the column with others by following the link at the end of the column to the discussion boards.
Remember - I also contribute to The Disney Blog at http://www.TheDisneyBlog.com.
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