This swarm of bees came and paid us a visit on Monday. Think they were looking for shelter on a day that saw sharp uptick in winds and a downward trend in temperatures. They stayed for three days. Oddly, they showed up on the day that my son arrived for a quick visit and left the day he flew out on Wednesday. We were concerned that they were going to build a hive and take up permanent residence. Fortunately, having a wife with contacts at UCLA's Life Sciences department comes in handy. A professor there said they were likely just... Continue reading

Here's the results of our first spatchcocked turkey. We followed the guidelines here: http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/11/how-to-spatchcock-cook-turkey-thanksgiving-fast-easy-way-spatchcocked.html?utm_source=Serious+Eats+Newsletters&utm_campaign=97430d9255-The_Fastest_Easiest_Way_to_Cook_Turkey_2012&utm_medium=email#.UKKRwx_G7L8.twitter and dry-brined the turkey beforehand using the guidelines here: http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-dry-brined-turkey-20111117,0,4942852.story We used a frozen approximately 16 pound turkey. As the recipe suggests, we used the neck and the removed back bone to make more stock for gravy. Which by the way turned out really well. We did not baste the turkey at all yet the skin came out super crisp and flavorful. Plus we cooked it for only two hours at 450. Moist and flavorful. The bird barely fit on my grill pan. Maybe needed a... Continue reading

Retirement by Leslie R. Lee 2012-11-02 He waved down the last of the applause. “Well, hell,” he guffawed. “If I’d known I’d get this kind of a shindig, I’d have retired a long time ago.” His peers hooted and even the Boss smiled a little. “You know, I want to bring up one final person to thank,” He beckoned someone up from the audience. “Please, Mrs. Lamplighter.” She didn’t want to come up but the applause and cheers finally brought her to the podium. “I know you probably don’t want this,” he said to her as he opened his arms... Continue reading

Review of The Temporary Detective (An Isobel Spice Novel) by Joanne Sydney Lessner @joannelessner Buy it. Read it. You’ll be happy. Ok, now for the longer review. This mystery is the first and hopefully not the last about a character named Isobel Spice. An aspiring actress in New York City (isn’t everyone in NYC?), she scores a temporary secretarial job through sheer determination and need. She immediately becomes embroiled in murder. The situation requires her to morph into a detective while still maintaining her temporary job and attending to casting calls and meddling in the personal lives of those around... Continue reading

Me! That's right. Some of you may know Barnaby from the great photos that his mothers post up on Facebook. I became acquainted with Vikki and Rebecca through a Facebook group. The purpose of the group was to take a photo a day for an entire year. I found myself always looking forward to that post. Then I found out that they were friends of my nephew, Jared. Yes, it's a small world. Anyway, anyone who has seen photos of Barnaby has fallen in love with this child. His charm comes clearly through. When we found ourselves on the verge... Continue reading

Playing around with iPhone 4s iOS 6 new panorama option on the camera. Once I figured out I'm not supposed to keep hitting the camera button and just pan the camera, things worked fine LOL. A little bit of artifacting on the lower left and top right corner but a pretty decent shot all in all. And for those who are interested, Packaged on Smashwords has been lowered to 0.99 on Smashwords, iBooks, and Sony iTunes/iBook: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/packaged/id507793378?mt=11 Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/leslie-lee-packaged?keyword=leslie+lee+packaged&store=nookstore Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Packaged/book-21S11_V_N0C8J9pkMZc16g/page1.html?s=BGXS05OgyUe5I-xsybvRgg&r=1 Sony: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/leslie-lee/packaged/_/R-400000000000000666025 Continue reading

Just a windswept cloud shot at sunset. Commercial break for my novel, Packaged: iTunes/iBook: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/packaged/id507793378?mt=11 Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/packaged-leslie-lee/1109231498?ean=2940033054435 Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Packaged/book-21S11_V_N0C8J9pkMZc16g/page1.html?s=VdMAFRIfrUuX3CbXZbSFcA&r=4 Sony: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/leslie-lee/packaged/_/R-400000000000000666025 Continue reading

Here are some photos from Friday September 21 from the Getty where we went to see the lsat flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. It was a bitter-sweet moment. The space program is the perfect marriage of science/technology and courage. All in the name of exploration. Peaceful exploration. Nowhere is found a greater dedication to what science and engineering can do. And nowhere will you find braver men and women. And I feel we have turned our sights so much lower. Now we cannot even get an American into space without the Russians. As I've wondered before, what would JFK... Continue reading

Was chatting with @plaidgirl on Twitter about Tom Cruise in Ghost Protocol. Started off with the idea that it's sometimes best to not know too much about the artist/musician you really like. If you find out they're horrible people, it can really damage your enjoyment of their art. Which is unfortunate. She pointed out something about the Foo Fighters which makes them sound like dunces to me. But I still like their music. I was musing on the fact that Foo Fighters played at both the DNC and at the Apple iPhone 5 event and whether there was any significance... Continue reading

Commercial break for my novel, Packaged: iTunes/iBook: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/packaged/id507793378?mt=11 Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/packaged-leslie-lee/1109231498?ean=2940033054435 Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Packaged/book-21S11_V_N0C8J9pkMZc16g/page1.html?s=VdMAFRIfrUuX3CbXZbSFcA&r=4 Sony: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/leslie-lee/packaged/_/R-400000000000000666025 Continue reading

A beautiful sky in Los Angeles tonight. Indigo sky painted with clouds of pink and purple. Amazing Commercial break for my novel, Packaged: iTunes/iBook: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/packaged/id507793378?mt=11 Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/packaged-leslie-lee/1109231498?ean=2940033054435 Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Packaged/book-21S11_V_N0C8J9pkMZc16g/page1.html?s=VdMAFRIfrUuX3CbXZbSFcA&r=4 Sony: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/leslie-lee/packaged/_/R-400000000000000666025 Continue reading

Kettle Corn is one of those foods that I will eat until it's all gone. That's a rarity for me. I usually will tire of something and not finish it. Even things I really like. But Kettle Corn... The hand to bag to mouth motion becomes automatic until the bag is empty and I'm so bloated that I could split. I've discovered that if I pour some out into a bowl then just eat what's in the bowl I can sort of restrain myself. At least not refill the bowl too often. And here again is my self imposed commercial... Continue reading

My odometer rolls over onto this auspicious number. Why is it auspicious? Because it is. And yeah, I was on the freeway. Fortunately on an offramp waiting in an interminable line. In case you're wondering, the car is 12 years old! Can you guess the make and model? The 5x5 Critical Path podcast with Horace Deidu and Dan Benjamin are excellent btw. And here again is my self imposed commercial break for my novel, Packaged: iTunes/iBook: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/packaged/id507793378?mt=11 Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/packaged-leslie-lee/1109231498?ean=2940033054435 Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Packaged/book-21S11_V_N0C8J9pkMZc16g/page1.html?s=VdMAFRIfrUuX3CbXZbSFcA&r=4 Sony: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/leslie-lee/packaged/_/R-400000000000000666025 Continue reading

This succulent continues to blow me away. These two blossoms sprung up virutally overnight. The previous post showed a single white flower. Now a similar one and a completley yellow one have bloomed. Amazing. And yes, here's my self imposed commercial break for my novel: iTunes/iBook: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/packaged/id507793378?mt=11 Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/packaged-leslie-lee/1109231498?ean=2940033054435 Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Packaged/book-21S11_V_N0C8J9pkMZc16g/page1.html?s=VdMAFRIfrUuX3CbXZbSFcA&r=4 Sony: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/leslie-lee/packaged/_/R-400000000000000666025 Continue reading

This strange succulent has conjured one of the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen. The center an amazing intense yellow, the petals a purity of white. I really like succulents. They look alien and are always surprising. And they tend to survive my ham handed attempts at taking care of them. And my usual plug for myself: My novel, Packaged, is at the following locations: iTunes/iBook: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/packaged/id507793378?mt=11 Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/packaged-leslie-lee/1109231498?ean=2940033054435 Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Packaged/book-21S11_V_N0C8J9pkMZc16g/page1.html?s=VdMAFRIfrUuX3CbXZbSFcA&r=4 Sony: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/leslie-lee/packaged/_/R-400000000000000666025 Continue reading

This is the biggest lizard I've seen out in the wild. It was sitting on my kitchen sliding door. There's nothing for scale but it's the length of my hand plus a bit up the arm. I tried to get a front shot but didn't succeed. I'd love to get a good shot of it. but have no idea where he hangs out during the day. Shot this at night. I really like the coloration and his feet. And my usual advertisement: My novel, Packaged, is at the following locations: iTunes/iBook: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/packaged/id507793378?mt=11 Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/packaged-leslie-lee/1109231498?ean=2940033054435 Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Packaged/book-21S11_V_N0C8J9pkMZc16g/page1.html?s=VdMAFRIfrUuX3CbXZbSFcA&r=4 Sony: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/leslie-lee/packaged/_/R-400000000000000666025 Continue reading

iPhoneArt 2012 Gallery Photos The above link leads to some shots that I took at the LA Mobile Arts Festiveal 2012. My apologies for putting a link to a link. I've not yet figured out how to tie all the places that I post in all one spot. If I post this here, then Tweet, Facebook, G+, then it is all tied to one place. I usually don't like it when there's a chain of links to links to links etc. But we'll see how it all goes. I found the event very interesting. The different things that people can... Continue reading

Taken at the Santa Monica Promenade close to the site of the new Apple store. Hopefully it will be ready in time for the Holidays. It's going to be a big store. The current Apple store is crazy busy all the time. I'm glad the new construction did not affect the very tall palm trees on this shopping mall. The Dolphin is brass. Passerbys have rubbed hi snout and head shiny. The young woman staring at the camera probably wondered why I was hiding behind him surreptitiously taking photos of her LOL. Didn't even realize she was in the shot.... Continue reading

A pretty nice sunset in Los Angeles. Pleasant evening to be out and about. Yesterday evening. This was taken right next to a dog park where the great entertainment is watching the little dogs all chase after each other. Almost makes me want a dog. Almost. And BTW, my novel, Packaged, is at the following locations: iTunes/iBook: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/packaged/id507793378?mt=11 Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/packaged-leslie-lee/1109231498?ean=2940033054435 Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Packaged/book-21S11_V_N0C8J9pkMZc16g/page1.html?s=VdMAFRIfrUuX3CbXZbSFcA&r=4 Sony: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/leslie-lee/packaged/_/R-400000000000000666025 Continue reading

I'm wearing my Asymco T-shirt that I bought from Horace Deidu's website: Asymco.com. I highly recommend the website and his podcaset on 5x5 called The Crtical Path, http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-critical-path/id442816705 . Horace Deidu reveals and explains details of the mobile market, particularly Apple but really all business. If you value data explained clearly, graphically and intelligently, then you should hang out with him. If you like this cool t-shirt and want to support him (other colors available), grab it off his website (visit on a non-mobile browser). And while we're at it, my novel Packaged is still available for free here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678,... Continue reading

Smashwords is having a sitewide sale here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/category/1/newest/1 And my book, Packaged, is here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Use coupon code SSWIN to get it for free. Here I am playing with the sliders in Aperture. Continue reading

Little reminder that Smashwords is having a sitewide sale here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/category/1/newest/1 And my book, Packaged, is here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Use coupon code SSWIN to get it for free. This tomato salad was constructed by my lovely and creative wife from four different kinds of tomatoes grown in our very own garden. The top one is a brown guy whose name I forget. That is one of the tastiest I've ever had. She drizzled lemon flavored olive oil over it. The white is a slice of mozzarella cheese. A little click of fresh ground pepper and down it goes. Yum! This was... Continue reading

Smashwords is having a sitewide sale here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/category/1/newest/1 And my book, Packaged, is here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Use coupon code SSWIN to get it for free. This beautiful kitty belongs to some friends. I can't remember the cat's name. Quite friendly and tolerant. And I didn't have an allergic reaction around him so that's pretty major. If only I could tell which cats I'm deathly allergic to and which are okay... Continue reading

Smashwords is having a sitewide sale here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/category/1/newest/1 And my book is here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Use coupon code SSWIN to get it for free. This leaf here caught in a spider's strand high above me, fluttering in the wind for a while, suspended between its tree and the ground, waits, skybound for a moment longer Continue reading

These guys have come up lately. Going to try them tonight I think. See how they taste. Hope we get some more. By we, I mean my wife. I water and eat and sometimes move stuff around. I do the eating part pretty good if you must know (looks around humbly). My novel, Packaged, is at the following locations: iTunes/iBook: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/packaged/id507793378?mt=11 Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132678 Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/packaged-leslie-lee/1109231498?ean=2940033054435 Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Packaged/book-21S11_V_N0C8J9pkMZc16g/page1.html?s=VdMAFRIfrUuX3CbXZbSFcA&r=4 Sony: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/leslie-lee/packaged/_/R-400000000000000666025 Continue reading