Sunday, November 27, 2011

BLACK FRIDAY WALMART SHOPPING IS DANGEROUS!!





What is it with Walmart shoppers?

On Black Friday a woman was shot in a Walmart parking lot in Northern California. A shopper was subdued with a stun gun at an Alabama Walmart store after he hit another shopper. Another shooting was reported in a Walmart Parking lot in South Carolina. A Walmart store in Cave Creek Arizona was evacuated when a suspicious package was found in an employee refrigerator. In North Carolina an off-duty police officer used pepper spray on Walmart shoppers while trying to make an arrest.

Finally, locally here in Southern California 20 people were injured when a female shopper used pepper spray at a Walmart in an upscale city in the San Fernando Valley - for an X-box!
Now I know why I never shop at Walmart!!

What happened to the true Spirit of Christmas? They have taken away Thanksgiving for a lot of employees and shoppers - a non-religious traditional holiday that unites all Americans. A Target employee protested and collected almost 200,000 signatures in a short period of time. http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/News/National_News/TARGET_EMPLOYEE_DELIVERS_190000_SIGNATURES_TO_CORPORATE_HEADQUARTERS_TO_SAVE_THANKSGIVING/53170 and

Did you know Black Friday isn't even the best day of the Christmas Season for sales???? http://www2.nbc17.com/news/2011/nov/25/economists-say-black-friday-not-best-day-best-deal-ar-1647123 Maybe the retailers need to rethink the whole idea of Black Friday - before it gives them a "black eye"!!!

Monday, November 14, 2011










THIS FROM MY GOOD FRIEND TERRY LEWIS
Terry's Family has owned Beach Time Realty on Balboa Island for as long as I can remember - and longer!!!

Dear Family and friends,
On Wednesday November 9, my Dad Glenn, passed away at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach. He was 95 years old.
We are all thankful for the wonderful life he had, and the wonderful life we had with him.

Having served in the Army during WW II in Italy and North Africa, he was truly part of "The Greatest Generation". Tom Brokaw in his book, "The Greatest Generation" writes, "At a time in their lives when their days and nights should have been filled with innocent adventure, love, and the lessons of the workaday world, they were fighting in the most primitive conditions possible across the bloodied landscape of France, Belgium, Italy, Austria, and the coral islands of the Pacific. They answered the call to save the world from the two most powerful and ruthless military machines ever assembled, instruments of conquest in the hands of fascist maniacs. They faced great odds and a late start, but they did not protest. They succeeded on every front. They won the war; they saved the world. They came home to joyous and short-lived celebrations and immediately began the task of rebuilding their lives and the world they wanted. They married in record numbers and gave birth to another distinctive generation, the Baby Boomers. A grateful nation made it possible for more of them to attend college than any society had ever educated, anywhere. They gave the world new science, literature, art, industry, and economic strength unparalleled in the long curve of history. As they now reach the twilight of their adventurous and productive lives, they remain, for the most part, exceptionally modest. They have so many stories to tell, stories that in many cases they have never told before, because in a deep sense they didn't think that what they were doing was that special, because everyone else was doing it too".

My dad's time in the military was very important to him, and up until three months ago, he attended breakfast at 7 am every Wednesday at Coco's in Newport center. He loved to talk about his stories and listen to the other veterans talk about what they did. I attended some of these breakfast's, and I can tell you there was always something new to talk about.
Not many people know this, but when someone in my family dies, I try to take a photograph of the sunset on the last day of their life here on earth. When my Dad died early Wednesday morning, the air was warm, the water in front of there East Bay Front home was eerily still. There was not a wisp of air moving a single leaf. The sky was a deep morning blue. Not cloud to be seen and the visibility was forever. The start to a beautiful but sad day for my family. I shot this sunset at around 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. Like the morning, the day was like a warm Newport summer day. In the late afternoon, the sky looked promising for a beautiful sunset. As I have done several times in the past,, I went to my favorite spot for sunsets. WOW! The sunset on Wednesday afternoon, was on of the most beautiful ones I have ever photographed. The good Lord and my Dad gave me a sunset to remember him for a long time. I will never forget that day!

Please remember my Dad in your prayers. Funeral services are pending.

ED Note: I remember seeing Glenn driving his golf cart on Balboa Island - fixing things at the rentals they managed and helping people. He was a very nice man!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

COYOTES,CATS, RATS, RACCOONS and Other CRITTERS

























It is 5 am and I have been awake since 3 am when my little angel of a cat, Magic, woke me out of a sound sleep gagging - I had to put him outside so he could do his thing out there rather than on my hardwood floors.
This is nothing new. Magic is a 14 year old cat who adopted us when he was 2 years old and his original owner became ill and could not take care of him. He has always been an inside/outside cat. He is a very friendly being who talks to everyone he sees. Unfortunately there are not as many people on Pearl as there were on Agate. So he has taken to going down to North Bayfront during the day and sitting on the seawall and talking to the passers by.
All this is wonderful for him - and me. However, Magic is also a very thin cat - just like there are thin and not so thin people - there are thin and not so thin cats. Magic is skinny - but healthy - his weight has always been the same and he has access to food at home 24/7.
Unfortunately strangers look at Magic - and he does beg pitifully - and think, "He needs to be fed." They feed him and then call the number on his collar to tell me they have done so - AFTER they feed him.
This is where the problem begins. Magic is allergic to Fish, Beef, Milk and almost everything else. I know - I have paid big bucks to have him tested for allergies. The only thing he is allowed to eat is his HP Formula food. I wish it were otherwise - it is $60.00 a bag! But if he is fed ANYTHING else he leaves it on my floors within 24 hours - usually in the wee hours of the morning!!
Because of Magic I have learned that you should never feed an animal that does not belong to you. I keep treats at my house and always ask the owners before offering them. Some animals are on diets, some have health issues like Magic and some owners just prefer they don't eat anything but what they personally feed them.
And . .. . . this is a BIG and - food should never be left outside for your animals. It attracts raccoons (HUGE problem in our neighborhood), rats and possums (they live in the untrimed palm trees and any dense vegetation) and finally - and most importantly . . . COYOTES. Yes, there have been coyotes spotted on Balboa Island. I knew they lived in Back Bay, but they have found the 'jack pot' here of uncovered trash cans and food left outside for our pets. AND OUR PETS - especially cats - are becoming dessert!!
Since discovering this, I keep Magic in at night - even though he howls to go out when the raccoons and coyotes are near. And I don't even keep treats in my jar outside for the neighborhood dogs - a local critter - probably a raccoon took the lid off and ate the treats. He didn't even have the manners to put the lid back on :(
Magic used to have a collar that said, "Don't feed me - Allergy". He lost it and the backup one I had. Yesterday I ordered two more from www.K-9 Collars.com in Canada. K-9 Collars will embroider anything you want on a collar - except swear words. They even have had people put marriage proposals on their collars. So soon Magic will be a healthy cat - not so happy because no one will feed him - but much healthier. And I will get to sleep past 3 am!!