Shamelessly promoting both myself and TLAGPD

Do you have a question about Orange County, past or present? Beginning in the December issue of Orange Coast magazine -- which is already on your local newsstand -- I'm serving as the new "Orange County Answer Man." This month, I answered questions about gold mines, Disneyland, and some frequently mispronounced O.C. city names. Next month's column will discuss crazy weather, the Boy Scout Jamboree, and a long-standing argument in Downtown Orange. Send me an email, and your question (and my answer) about Orange County may appear in a future issue.

I know it's only early December, but the ongoing attempt to make Talk Like A Grizzled Prospector Day (Jan 24th) our next national holiday marches on. We recently created a Flickr group for TLAGPD, which includes not only great photos of grizzled prospectors, mines, etc., but also includes more information about the holiday than anyone actually needs. Stop by for a visit, and don't forget to mark Jan. 24th on your calendar.