Starting 2012 out with a Bang!

Here in mid December, I am already planning for events for my two areas of personal interest, music and cars. Each receives an important event in January following a great and busy 2011.

Musically, Red Paint presents its long awaited CD Release Party, where the band will play the new American Tender CD (pictured) live from end to end, and then present a second set of new songs and covers. It happens on Saturday, January 21 from 7 p.m. at the High Street Station in Alameda, California. See Red Paint's Facebook Page for more details.

Just a few days later, the Western Automotive Journalists presents Future Cars -- Future Technology. It's a noon to nine event for automotive journalists and other people in the field to meet to discuss what the cars we'll be driving soon will be like--and what they'll be using for fuel. The ride and drive features cars like Mitsubishi's new all-electric i (pictured). That's on Tuesday, January 24. See the WAJ website for details.

It's fun to have twin passions, and it looks like they'll be moving along nicely by late January of 2012.

After that, February 8, 2012 will mark 20 years since my first published automotive article. Watch this space for more as the day gets closer!

Don Mozley - RIP - One of My Heroes

Don Mozley died a couple of days ago, and I am going to miss him. I knew Don over the last couple of decades as a lively and welcome presence at meetings and events with the Western Automotive Journalists (WAJ) --an automotive writers group that he helped found 20 years ago. But he was much more than that.

Don was a broadcaster--one of the great ones, starting out at just 21 years old reporting on early World War II events and the atomic bomb tests at Bikini in the Marshall Islands. He covered presidential campaigns in the 1950's through 1960. He then worked for KCBS in San Francisco for many years, including 15 years as news director. His automotive stories, which ran up to this month, include the long-running California Driver series and Don Mozley's Auto Test.

Don was one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. He was also quite funny. I have his last email to me from October 18th. In response to the cancellation of a WAJ meeting, Don replied:

"Gee--you didn’t need to cancel it just because I would be in London. Best--DM"

The sad thing is, that trip to England would be his last. Always active, Don died at Heathrow Airport of an apparent heart attack on his way home.

I have long said that I plan to live actively to 90. Don Mozley did that--and had a full life the whole time. That's why he's one of my heroes, and I can't believe he's gone.

My Work Life, in a Nutshell

Minus the names, dates and locations, here’s the essence of my CV.

Newsboy. Delivered the morning paper—sometimes in the snow. I learned: How to use an alarm clock, that the job must be done—regardless of the weather, collecting and handling money.

Car Detailer. Washed and detailed our neighbor’s car. I learned: How to take the time to do a job right (it leads to satisfaction—and repeat business).

Dishwasher and Busboy. My first fulltime job before college, in a busy downtown lunch place. I learned: Efficiency, organization, routine, commuting and how to polish silverware to perfection.

Bike Messenger. Delivered packages downtown. I learned: Show up daily and work hard and you’ll rise to the top, the layout of the downtown street grid, why they put multiple gears on bicycles and not to overinflate your tires.

Learned from from the previous two jobs: The value of a college education.

College Student. Started in the Music department but ended up with an English degree (summa cum laude). Learned: To support myself (part-time dishwashing, office work), turn in assignments on time, balance work and study, write quickly and clearly. Published a book review.

Kibbutznik. In the middle of college, spent almost a year in Israel feeding animals, driving tractors and learning Hebrew. I learned: A second language, work planning, the ups and downs of farm life, international travel, effective hitchhiking.

Antiquarian Bookseller. After college, worked for a leading rare book dealer. I learned: To wear a suit, tie a tie, work in a team, assist customers and a lot about old books and prints.

Antiquarian Bookseller Startup Staff. Worked for a fellow former employee of above. I learned: How to run an office, relocate an office, set up and use a pc, write book descriptions, design and produce catalogs, manage a mailing list, wrap and ship packages, use a hand truck and a postage meter.

Telephone Salesman. Sold phones, phone systems and answering machines. I learned: How to serve customers with expertise, structure my time and sell on the phone and in person.

Sports Marketing Employee. Worked for an NBA franchise. Started with mailing tickets, but moved on to network administration, ombudsman, editor and publisher. I learned: The power of organized teamwork, top notch customer service, magazine editing and writing, effective interviewing, how to manage people who didn’t report to me.

Automotive Journalist. During this time, I started a weekly newspaper column. Tested cars and wrote about them. Still doing this today. I learned how to work with weekly deadlines, write the essence of a subject quickly, interview experts and network with auto manufacturers, fleet managers and publications. Co-founded the Western Automotive Journalists.

Sports Startup Marketer. I was jack-of-all-writing-trades for a startup hockey team. I learned: To wear many hats, inflate a 60-foot tall mascot, program a freeway-visible electric sign, how the Zamboni machine works.

Newspaper Advertising—Outside Salesperson. Sold ads for the local paper. I learned: To manage a territory, prospect, follow up, more about deadlines, even more about customer service, how not to take rejection personally, that small community newspapers pay less but are much nicer to work for.

Auto Textbook Editor. Edited the work of tech writers. I learned: Enhanced computer skills, coordinating work with writers, how to job search in a pinch.

Technical Writer I. Produced documentation and online help for major software company as a member of a writing team. I learned: How to jump in the deep end of the pool and swim; work effectively with engineers, product managers and quality assurance people; manage constant change; understand and use documentation software of various kinds; how to move to single sourcing; the salvation of “the next release.”

Employee Communications Manager. Wrote and managed stories for a biotech company’s intranet and email. I learned: How to select and refine a story, place it on an intranet site, and edit HTML.

Technical Writer II. Returned to this role for a small company as a sole writer. I learned: How to select and implement a single sourcing program for online help.

What’s next?