And this concludes our broadcast day...

It's been quite some time since I contributed any sort of posting to the Chronicles here and while I may have been busy elsewhere - writing and contributing to CNN.com both in print and video - I can't say that's much of an excuse...

And so it's here - at yet another crossroads in my career, that the future of the Chronicles becomes fairly clouded.

Originally, when I first moved to Los Angeles, the Chronicles was a weekly e-mail dispatch detailing my early adventures in TV journalism and Hollywood for friends back in South Florida and New Orleans. It somehow developed a readership that existed outside of my own circle of friends, thanks to the magic of the Forward button.

Over time, the focus of the Chronicles progressed from celebrity sightings to rambling rants against corporate America, to pop-cultural esoterica and back, much like my career.

Today, I'm happy to report that I've resigned from my position at CNN, effectively ending a 16 year career in broadcasting.

I've been given an extraordinary opportunity to join a new media start-up based in Santa Monica known as Deca. As their newly minted Director of Production, I'll be bringing my experiences in both radio and TV to help create and develop video content for several online portals including mega-blog Boing Boing's new venture Boing Boing TV.

After a career that began back in 1992 with an on-air gig working for CBS-Radio (on the now defunct "95YNF"), and ending things both on-air and behind-the-scenes for one of the world's premiere news gathering organizations with CNN, aside from the obvious change of venue, you might say things are heading in an entirely new direction.

And that gives reason for pause...

All I can say is that after giving CNN the opportunity to try and keep me on staff, and finding out in the end that they had no clear direction or plan for the road ahead, it might as well be up to me to figure out what's next.

I'm excited beyond measure... to be at the beginning of an new chapter - and at the start of a new journey on life's road, where the path ahead is almost entirely my own choosing is quite the head trip.

Usually when these "moments" have popped up along the road, I've marked their passing by beginning a new "volume" of the Chronicles. Now, I'm contemplating closing the books on them altogether. It seems fitting enough.

Of course, new adventures beg for new tales to be told - so it's not like I'll be riding off into the sunset at the end of the picture.

They tried that shit at the end of "Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade," and guess who's coming to a theater near you this summer, with bullwhip, fedora and fiber supplements in hand?
(Fuck you, Steven Spielberg.)

As to what's next, I'll borrow some famous not-so-last words from the great Stan Lee...

Stay Tuned True Believers!

Your man on the coast,

Matt

Office Boredom?

Raid the supply closet and get ready for battle!


DIY Binder Clips Mini-Gun -

Some people have way too much time on their hands.

Music lessons

From the brilliant Seth Godin...

"Things you can learn from the music business (as it falls apart)."

A keen observation on an industry gasping for breath - which is sounding more and more each day like a death-rattle.

Read more...

Also worth noting, this collection of articles from The Daily Swarm detailing the various plans for digital distribution (other than iTunes) being considered by the major labels.

The general sense, once you sift through the quagmire, is that despite having a "high-tech" solution - they still have no clue...

Will fans pay? Reznor opens books on ‘Net music experiment

Trent Reznor produced the new Saul Williams rap record, then offered it online for 1) free or 2) five dollars. 18 percent of the downloaders paid. Success?

read more | digg story

Here Comes The Rain

Forecasters are calling for the worst rains to hit SoCal since 2005 to begin falling this evening. (01.03.08)

Check out the warnings, courtesy of the National Weather Service.

...SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT
ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA..

...STRONG AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT..

A SERIES OF STORMS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF
SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AND STRONG WINDS WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA
TONIGHT AND WILL LAST THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS COULD BE THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL ACROSS THE SOUTHLAND SINCE JANUARY 2005.

THREE IMPULSES ARE EXPECTED DURING THE COURSE OF THIS STORMY PERIOD.

FLASH FLOOD WATCHES HAVE ALREADY BEEN POSTED FOR THE BURN AREAS...WHERE HIGH INTENSITY RAINFALL COULD
PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT FLASH FLOODING AND DEBRIS FLOW IN AND AROUND THE
BURN AREAS. FOR MORE INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLASH FLOOD
WATCH PRODUCT (LAXFFALOX).

From my experiences working in local news, I can tell you that the media love to over-hype the smallest threat of rain - going on "storm watch" for what would otherwise be considered "drizzle" in any sane part of the country. I actually spent quite a bit of time studying weather and weather patterns, working for a time as a weather graphics producer during one particulary heady period at KCBS-TV and I can tell you, from the look of the NWS's statements - this is a storm of near Biblical proportions.

While I'm not exactly looking forward to the snarled traffic and intermittent road closures, I am kind of excited to take some pics of the chaos with my new digital camera rig.

Meanwhile, enjoy this latest radar image from NOAA.