10 Presidents Who Were Not Pet Lovers

10 Presidents Who Were Not Pet Lovers

by S. R. Morris

There are several lists of presidential pets, including the strangest presidential pets and the most exotic pets owned by presidents. The lists even include the most unusual or dangerous pets. There are lists of presidents who owned the most dogs, cats, or birds. But this is a list you may have never seen before because it lists presidents who owned the least number of pets, or no pets at all.

This was compiled from a variety of books and sources. Since much time has elapsed and, since no living witnesses can attest whether they were pet lovers or not, an amount of common sense had to be applied to compile this list.

The first three on the list are agreed by most historians. While some may argue about what degree of love or apathy these presidents had toward animals, the following list portrays the presidents who “probably” did not love pets at all.

#1: Chester Alan Arthur (1881-1885) There is no trace of any pets owned by Arthur during his administration. No reputable historian seems to dispute the fact that he had no pets of any kind.

#2: Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) Most historians attest that not a single animal resided at the White House during Pierce’s tenure as president. History does indicate that Commodore Perry, following his return from Japan, did give the president two small dogs as gifts. One of the dogs was believed to be given to Pierce’s friend, Jefferson Davis. The fate of the other is not known, but some say he carried it with him in a coat pocket.

#3: Millard Fillmore (1850-1853) Although he was named as a founding member of the Humane Society, history does not record any pets attributed to Fillmore. A member of the “Do Nothing” party, Fillmore’s decision to join the Humane Society may have been just a political move. He is quoted as saying, “Nothing brings out the lower traits of human nature like office-seeking,” and it may have been true in his case. As a result, historians cannot find reports that any pets lived at the White House during Fillmore’s administration.

#4: Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) Some historians believe that Johnson was an animal lover because of his fondness for mice. One record is that he left flour out at night for a family of mice scurrying around in his bedroom. Another attests that Johnson saved bread crumbs and water in a dish for the creatures.

Two thoughts come to mind. First, what better way to deter the rodents from occupying his bed than to leave out food for them? Second, this was reported during the darkest days of his impeachment and perhaps he was hoping the pests would multiply and annoy whoever succeeded him.

#5: James Knox Polk (1845-1849) Like many presidents before and after him, Polk did not have any pets. History does record that he liked horses, but that is also common with many early presidents since there was no other convenient way to travel. Unlike other presidents, there is no record of Polk owning a dog or other animal, and no record of naming a horse like a pet. For that reason, he is listed as a president who was not a pet lover.

#6: James Monroe (1817-1825) History records that a Spaniel named Buddy resided with Monroe at the White House for a short time. The dog is believed to have belonged to Monroe’s daughter or granddaughter and not Monroe’s pet.

#7: James Madison (1809-1817) Like the president who followed him, Madison had no pets of his own. His wife Dolley, did possess a green parrot named Polly. Records also show that sheep grazed on the lawn of the White House, but it is believed they were used for landscaping reasons and not because they were the president’s pets.

#8: William Henry Harrison (1841) Although he died of pneumonia after being in office only one month, Harrison had two animals with him at the White House, a goat and a cow. Since it was common at that time to use goats or sheep to trim the lawn, and get fresh milk from cows, they cannot really be counted as pets.

#9: James Garfield (1881-1885) In the era before the advent of horseless carriages, many presidents had horses, but it’s uncertain whether they were pets or just a means of transportation. Such is the case of Garfield. His wife, Molly, had a mare named Kit, and the president owned a horse by the name of Veto.

#10: Harry S. Truman (1945-1953) Dogs seem to be among the most popular pets of many presidents, but that does not seem to be true about Truman. Historians say he preferred that his family be pet-free. While in the office, his daughter Margaret begged that he allow her to have a dog. Ultimately, Truman gave in to her. It was an Irish Setter, but it didn’t stay long at the White House. After a short time, Truman gave the dog away, citing that “Mike” was often sick.

In 1947, Truman received another dog as a Christmas gift. “Feller,” a Cocker Spaniel, was given to him by a woman in Truman’s home state of Missouri. Since Truman did not want another dog at the White House, he gave the dog to his physician. When dog lovers around the country learned what had happened, they accused Truman of being anti-canine. Feller was then handed off to another friend, a Navy admiral. After a few more exchanges, the dog ended up living out his life on a farm in Ohio.

To determine the trustworthiness of a person, many pet lovers don’t have to look far. Most U.S. citizens hold to the old adage that “the purity of a person’s heart can be quickly measured by how they regard animals.” In this day and age, when it comes to U.S. presidents, it is almost “un-American” to not be a pet lover, and it is certainly not politically correct.
Copyright 2013 S. R. Morris

Sep 7

Top 10 Reasons Why UFOs Don’t Visit the Philippines

Top 10 Reasons Why UFOs Don’t Visit the Philippines

By S. R. Morris

Many people are fascinated by UFO stories or news articles about UFO sightings or abductions. Headlines about UFOs, even in tabloids, are among the most popular or read in many magazines, newspapers and other publications. The most curious items are the ones about people who claim to have been abducted by aliens.

One of the most popular destinations of UFOs are the United States and Russia. But when was the last time you heard about a UFO sighting in Madagascar or Tasmania or Iceland? It seems that aliens from other planets (or galaxies) have a preference to visit places that are popular to us also. The question, however, is why? Why do they prefer some countries more often than others and why do they seemingly avoid other countries?

Since I had traveled to the Philippines many times in the past 20 years, I began to wonder why we rarely hear about UFO sightings or abductions in the Philippines. Why aren’t they visited by aliens from other planets? What keeps them from paying us a quick visit? After extensive research and study of UFOs, I’ve found the top ten reasons why they don’t visit people in the Philippines.

#1. Aliens are afraid of Manny Pacquiao. Most aliens are well-versed in current events and, more than likely, they’ve seen a few of Manny Pacquiao’s fights. Everyone has seen how he loves to fight with other fighters not in his weight class. Many believe that aliens from other galaxies know they don’t stand a chance of taking over the planet as long as Pacquiao is around.

#2. There’s really no place to safely land a UFO anywhere in the country. Since the Philippines is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, aliens know it would be almost impossible (not to mention dangerous) to land one of their spacecrafts anywhere in the country.

#3. It’s believed that Karaoke sounds hurt or damage their ears. This may be a little known fact, but studies(?) show that aliens can’t sing and sounds produced by karaoke machines is not within their audible range of pleasant sounds. It’s also believed that it damages their hearing.

#4. Many scientists believe that aliens are allergic to rice. This has not been proved, but some well-known and respected scientists believe that aliens have a biological hypersensitivity to rice and rice products. While many citizens of this planet have added products like soy, peanuts and wheat, to their “do not use” list, it’s very possible that “other worldly” visitors cannot tolerate rice in their system.

#5. It’s very possible that aliens from other planets recognize that Filipinos are too tech savvy. As previously mentioned, aliens are aware of current events and current trends. They evidently know that Filipinos are tech savvy and are natural entrepreneurs. Filipinos catch on fast and can produce the same product cheaper than in other countries. It is unsure whether aliens are afraid that Filipinos will find a cheaper way to produce a UFO, or whether they will try to pack more people into a UFO than is safe for interplanetary travel. Either way, it is certain that aliens avoid the Philippines for that reason.

#6. Aliens are aware that Magellan lost his life in the Philippines and don’t want to make the same mistake. Aliens not only keep up on current events, they also read world history. They know that Magellan attempted to go around the world in his ship, but lost his life and a ship in the Philippines. Truthfully, this may be more of a cosmic superstition than actual fear of losing a spacecraft in the islands.

#7. They can’t afford to abduct a Filipino’s whole family. Those people who have been abducted and probed often remember their experience in a UFO lab. Many say their examination and probing took place in a smaller area than first believed. In addition, UFOs do not usually abduct whole groups. For that reason, aliens may have found it is not advisable abduct a Filipino because many would insist that they must abduct close family members as well. As mentioned in number 5, this may again be a safety issue.

#8. Filipinos can put aliens to shame when it comes to dancing. Medical experts believe that almost all the aliens who have visited our planet are not capable of the dancing moves that most Filipinos can. It is possible that they are afraid (and too proud) to be filmed in the Philippines and worry they may ultimately show up on a You Tube video or, even worse, a TV show like “So You Think You Can Dance.”

#9. The typical vacation in the Philippines is too cheap and aliens may be embarrassed or ridiculed by their alien friends. It is only conjecture, but some UFO experts believe that many UFO aliens actually visit Earth for a vacation with their families. The “prestige factor” comes into play at this point. They may get ridiculed by their neighbors if they return to their home planet with a t-shirt that says, “I Love Cebu” or “I Shop in Makati.”

#10. Those tarsier monkeys scare the cosmos compost out aliens from other planets. The Philippines is one of the few places you can find Tarsier monkeys (those tiny creatures with the big, over-sized eyes) and it appears that are scary to aliens around the universe. A recently leaked document from Area 51 records indicates that one of the aliens captured at Roswell admitted that looking at a photo of a tarsier was “scary.” The creature said it was “like looking in the mirror” after waking with a hangover.

So, what have we learned? It’s obvious that many visitors in UFOs are prone to visit the same places we like to visit, with some exceptions. One of those places is the Philippines for the reasons enumerated above. For that reason, it is obvious that one of the safest places to visit on earth (without fear of being abducted by UFOs) is the Philppines.

Sep 27

Naughty Biscuit

This is a children’s story, and a true story of a child learned to trust God for an answer to prayer.

“He’s gone!” Vanessa cried. “They’ve stolen Biscuit!”

Father had barely walked in the door from work when he heard Vanessa’s cries. No one would want to steal Biscuit, he thought. He was just a common horse—not a thoroughbred, not a racehorse—just an everyday, run-of-the-mill horse.

“He probably got out of the barn and wandered into the back pasture.” Dad assured Vanessa.

“No, we checked,” Vanessa responded. “He’s not there. He’s gone!”

“Well, maybe somebody left the gate open and he wandered next door,” Dad suggested. “Have you checked with the neighbors?”

“Yes,” Vanessa answered. “He’s not there!”

“Well, he couldn’t just disappear,” Dad said.

“Nobody’s seen him anywhere,” Vanessa cried. “I’m sure someone has stolen Biscuit!”

Vanessa’s heart was breaking. She had gotten Biscuit for her birthday, and she had kept her promise to feed, water, comb, and care for him. Even more, Biscuit had become her best friend. She often talked to Biscuit, and told the horse all about the things that happened at school. Vanessa wanted her horse back!

“I’ve got an idea,” Dad said. “I’ll call the radio station and ask them to announce a lost horse. Maybe someone will call to say they’ve found him, and then the station will call us.”

“Oh, thank you, Daddy,” Vanessa said hopefully. “Please call them now.”

The whole family listened to the radio all afternoon, hoping to hear that someone had reported Biscuit. But no one called.

After dinner, Dad took a flashlight and walked through the dark woods near their house. He knew it wouldn’t do any good to call the horse by name. Biscuit was too stubborn. The only way anyone could get Biscuit to move, if he didn’t want to move, was to bribe him with a carrot. He loved carrots. So, Dad carried along a carrot in case he found the horse.

“Did you find Biscuit?” Vanessa asked as Dad returned to the horse.

“No, I’m sorry,” Dad sighed as he saw the disappointment on Vanessa’s face. “I’ll try again in the morning when it’s light.”

“I don’t think he’s ever coming back,” Vanessa cried.

Tears streamed down Vanessa face. Tears came to Dad’s eyes too. He wished there was something he could do or say to make her feel better.

“Let’s pray,” Dad suggested. “And let’s claim a promise from God’s Word.”

“Okay,” Vanessa said, smiling a little. “Help me think of a promise for Biscuit.”

“Well, I don’t know of any promises for a horse. All I can think of is what Jesus said in Luke 12:6, 7.” Dad said as he opened the Bible. “’Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.’

“This Bible verse says that not even a sparrow is forgotten by God,” Dad started to explain. “So that means—”

“And a horse is worth more than a sparrow, right Dad?” Vanessa asked.

“Well, if God doesn’t forget about sparrows, I’m sure He doesn’t forget about horses either,” Dad replied. “He cares about Biscuit, especially because He cares about you. The important thing to remember is that if God has even numbered the hairs on your head, He cares tremendously about what is important to you. Let’s pray and ask God to help you find Biscuit.”

After prayer, Vanessa put on her pajamas. Dad kissed her and tucked her into bed.

“I hope Jesus will help us find Biscuit tomorrow,” Vanessa said.

The next morning, as Dad was getting ready for work, he heard someone knocking. As he opened the door, he saw Mr. Logan, a neighbor who lived about three streets away. He had a frustrated look on his face.

“Do you have a brown horse with a white tail and mane?” Mr. Logan asked.

“Yes, we do,” dad said. “Did you find Biscuit? Was he involved in an accident? Is he okay?”

“Oh, he’s okay,” Mr. Logan replied. “He’s eating grass in my pasture. I would have brought him over to you myself, but that’s one stubborn horse.”

“That’s Biscuit!” Dad said. “Thank you, Mr. Logan. I’ll go tell Vanessa and we’ll come over and get him in just a few minutes.”

“Vanessa, wake up,” Dad said softly as he gently shook her shoulder. “One of your friends is here and he wants to see you.”

“Please tell him I don’t want to see anyone today,” Vanessa said as she snuggled back into her bed.

“But Vanessa, it’s one of your best friends and wants you to get him up and get him a carrot,” Dad said.

“I’m tired, Daddy,” Vanessa began. “Tell him he can get his own—”

Suddenly, she was awake and Vanessa sat right up straight in her bed.

“Did you find Biscuit?” she asked.

“Well, actually it was Mr. Logan who found him,” Dad said.

Vanessa bolted past her dad and headed for the refrigerator. She opened the door and grabbed a carrot from the vegetable crisper. Then, as she bounded for the front door, she called to her dad.

“Come on, Daddy. Let’s hurry.” She said as she ran toward the truck.

“Vanessa, come back here and get dressed first,” Dad said. “You’re still in your pajamas.”

Soon they were driving down the road toward Mr. Logan’s house. Vanessa saw the brown and white figure of Biscuit in a pasture near the house. Her dad had barely stopped the truck when she started running toward her horse.

“Biscuit! Why did you run away?” Vanessa scolded.

She threw her arms around Biscuit’s neck, but he ignored Vanessa and continued munching grass. Suddenly, he raised his head and sniffed. He couldn’t see the carrot she had brought with her, but he could smell it. He nudged her and tried to get the carrot in her back pocket.

“Oh no, you don’t” Vanessa said as he took the carrot from her jeans. “If you want this carrot, you’ll have to follow me.”

As Biscuit followed her back to the horse trailer, Vanessa whispered a prayer of thanks to God for helping her find her best friend.

Sep 27

Labeled the Invisible Disability

Father of Autistic Child Talks About Understanding Autism

“I call autism the invisible disability. You can walk into a room and tell a child or an adult has Downs Syndrome. Autism is often masked with other forms because our children don’t look any different from other children.”

That comment came from Jerry Lund of Autism Conferences of America, himself the father of an autistic child. He spoke about the autism just before the 7th Annual “Back to School” Autism/Aspergers Conference at the PasadenaConvention Center.

Called the most comprehensive Autism/Aspergers seminar in Southern California, the conference was open to students with Autism/Aspergers, their parents and family members, and professionals. He said the conferences are designed for parents, educators, or family members touched by Autism and Aspergers.

“It’s about informing people about autism and its many forms,” stated Lund. “We have a variety of people who show up, anything from the newly diagnosed family to professionals, doctors, nurses, attendant care personnel. It’s a full two-day conference with multiple tracks We have the whole gamut.

“It’s a different audience than when we first started because more people have been diagnosed with it. It was more about professionals because we were trying to get information out there and to get people educated about autism,” Lund explained. “The numbers have grown since then. I think the parents always worked for the professionals but, since then I’ve learned in my own experience that sometimes the parents are more educated than the professionals.”

Lund admitted that there are still many misconceptions among the public because autism is viewed like the movie Rain Man, which featured Tom Cruise who has an autistic brother portrayed by Dustin Hoffman. Lund maintained that all kids are not like the character in Rain Man because it is only one form of autism. He said a good portion of the autistic community is non-verbal or they can be perceived like that.

“There are a lot of unknowns about autism,” Lund clarified. “People need to be educated because it really is the invisible disability. Just because a child displays a tantrum on the floor of the store, doesn’t mean the child is a brat.

“I’ve heard that more than once. ‘Can’t you control your bratty kid? No, I’m sorry. My child has autism and there’s a reason why he’s doing what he does.’ The term has gotten out more. People know the word more now, but they still need to be educated.”

By way of comparison, more children are diagnosed with autism each year than with juvenile diabetes, AIDS or cancer, combined. Autistic Spectrum Disorder affects over 2 million people in the U.S. Lund said that when his child was first diagnosed, people didn’t know what autism was and they once again just thought of Rain Man. He said that while people may not necessarily be a person with autism, they probably know someone who has autism.

“The numbers are now about one in 95. That’s the official number,” said Lund. “As with parents within the group, we feel it is much larger. I actually think it’s more like one in ten. The official number is one in 95, but boys are more affected. It is more like one in fifty of every male child born today.”

Recognizing the abilities that appear locked inside children with Autism is one of the goals of the conference, Lund said. Learning how to prevent meltdowns, getting strategies for teaching social skills, and finding out how to increase peer acceptance are among the general sessions and breakout sessions featured at the Pasadena conference.

“There’s a form of autism called Aspergers.” explained Lund. “I don’t particularly like it because unfortunately, when a child gets labeled as Aspergers they don’t get services provided by the state or the federal government because they’re considered high functioning. Labeling a person as Aspergers doesn’t help the person even though it falls within the spectrum of autism. They believe the person is high functioning so they don’t believe that person needs any services or that the government should have to pay for it.

“I know a person who has five PhDs and he has Aspergers,” Lund continued. “He cannot get a job because socially he is inept. He doesn’t get the social cues. Even to work at Taco Bell, he can’t, because he doesn’t get the cues. ‘Hi my name is so-and-so. Can I take your order?’ He doesn’t get it. He goes from job to job to job. Even at Wal-Mart, working as a greeter, he was unable to do it because he doesn’t get the social cues, even though he has five PhDs.”

For more information about the Autism Conference, call 626-793-2122 or visit the conference website at: www.autismconferencesofamerica.com.

Sep 27

Hot Glass Blower Produces Cool Art

What’s Starts Out Hotter Than Fire But Ends Looking Cooler Than Ice?

Here’s a riddle for you:

“I am fascinated by the transformation of properties in nature. I am part of the process, moving a solid to a molten and aqueous state, and arriving at a solid form again.”

Who am I?

If you said David Van Noppen, a new glass blowing artist in Pasadena, you’re right.

Van Noppen Glass Gallery and Studio, located just steps north of the Pasadena Playhouse, is a very cool place to view solid glass objects that have already passed through the molten and aqueous state and now sit in his shop. The gallery and studio is scheduled to open to the public in mid-August.

“I’m a glass blower primarily,” states Van Noppen. “I’ll be selling my own work, as well as the work of other glass artists, and eventually other art craft media: ceramic, woodwork, metal work, jewelry, but the emphasis is on blown glass.

“My parents always had glass around the house, glass objects that I was intrigued by,” says Van Noppen. “I couldn’t figure out how they made them. In college, I dabbled in all the different mediums, but glass really captured my attention.”

Born in the western, mountainous region of North Carolina, Van Noppen says he developed skills in rock climbing and hang gliding at an early age. A graduate of Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, he broadened his skills with post-graduate work at the Penland School of Crafts with hot glass, the PilchuckSchool with neon, and the Corning Studio with Venetian glassblowing.

“I was an art major, but the school I attended didn’t have a glass program,” explains Van Noppen. “After college, I was sort of stalling the inevitable job world and went to a craft school and took glass blowing. I had blown one simple vase at a workshop once and the lifestyle of the teacher really captivated me.

“There is also a fascination of working with the fire,” Van Noppen says. “Once you start a piece, you have to work it to completion. You can’t just put it aside and come back to it at a later time, so it’s the spontaneity of it. You might start with the end result in mind, but you might have to change course midway so you have to adapt.”

Van Noppen admits his career as a glass artist echoes his comfort with interacting with natural elements to achieve an outcome. His glass art, ranging from functional to sculptural, is not laden with heavy meaning or metaphor. Similar to his passion for the environment, the artist says his glass creations are “simply pleasing to view and to touch.”

A recent resident to Southern California, Van Noppen had a studio in Rhode Island for more than 20 years. His wife was offered a faculty position at USC and the couple is delighted to be living in Southern California.

His studio and gallery with feature a variety of glass floral arrangements, glass vegetables, goblets, paper weights, Christmas ornaments, perfume bottles, vases and freeform sculptures. He also sells items from his website and is available for commission pieces.

For more information about Van Noppen Glass Gallery and Studio, call 626-808-8389 or visit his website at www.vannoppenglass.com.

Sep 22

All About Fishing in Caldwell, Idaho

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know
About Fishing In Or Around Caldwell

Best Bait, Easiest Fish to Catch & 3 Best Places

You might think that title is a little misleading, but it is limited to fishing near Caldwell. We employed the expertise of Howard Davis of Howard’s Tackle Shoppe to assist in finding the best places, best bait, and easiest fish to catch.

Best bait

Davis named night crawlers as one of the best baits to use. In fact, it would be difficult to find a freshwater fish that doesn’t eat live worms and night crawlers are among the best. Using a set of gang hooks to portray a live worm in its natural habitat is an amazingly effective method of catching more fish. (See the attached article on catching night crawlers for tips.)

Crickets are also very effective live bait, and chicken liver is hard to resist for some fish. Artificial or plastic worms can also be successful if it is improved with a scent enjoyed by fish.

“Garlic is one of the best scents you can use,” says Davis. “Shrimp or salmon scents are also very useful. We have literally thousands of lures with scents in the store. Nibbles that dispense a scent are very popular.”

Easiest Fish to Catch

According to Davis, the easiest fish to catch are crappie, bass, and perch. Trout, bluegill, and catfish are also favorites for many local anglers, but crappie is the first choice by Davis.

A fishing line that is less visible to the fish you are attempting to catch is essential when using live bait. A light line of monofilament fishing line from two to six pound test is ideal. Using a crappie jig (red & white) is a favorite lure and adding a scent doesn’t hurt.

3 Best Fishing Places

“I would have to say the best places to fish around Caldwell are Brownlee Reservoir, C. J. Strike Reservoir, and Owyhee Reservoir,” states Davis. “There are also lots of ponds in the area and many of them are stocked with a variety of trout, bass, bluegill and catfish, but those three reservoirs are the best places to catch fish.”

So there it is: Everything you ever wanted to know about fishing in or around Caldwell. If you want to go farther in your quest for the perfect fishing hole, visit the Idaho Fish & Game website at fishandgame.idaho.gov.

Fly Fishing For Free

Top 3 Places Near Caldwell

If you’ve considered fly fishing, but at first glance it seems very complicated, don’t let it hold you back. Terms like “line weight, tippet size, loop control and matching the hatch” can confuse even the most dedicated conventional fisherman. Some will tell you that you’re not a true fly fisher unless you tie your own fly. Don’t listen to them.

“Fly fishing is really not that difficult to learn,” says Bob Anderson, one of the staff members at Angler’s Habitat in Caldwell. “If you can swing a hammer, you can cast a fly rod. As with golf, if you first learn with an instructor at your side, you can save yourself many years of frustration.”

Anderson says that to get started in fly fishing, just buy a fly rod and a few flies. Letting it become an obsession in your life or a spiritual experience will come later. He’s been a fly fisher for many years and he’ll take the time to talk to you whether you are an expert of a novice.

Another good way to learn about fly fishing is to watch any of a dozen videos (possibly hundreds) on You Tube. A better way, according to Anderson, is to take advantage of a free 20 minute casting lesson offered by Angler’s Habitat. It’s offered to anyone who wants to give fly casting a try, as well as to those who have been casting for years and want to work on distance or accuracy.

Being a novice at fly fishing, I asked the inevitable question. “Where are the three best places to fly fish near Caldwell? I wanted to know where to go within a reasonable time (an hour) from Caldwell. Here’s what he told me:

1.) BoiseRiver downtown

2.) OwyheeRiver

3.) BoiseRiver southfork, near Mountain Home

Knowing how to tie a fly and learning to match your hatch will probably enhance your angling experience. It may even help you land a trophy-size rainbow trout. But it’s not required to wade into a stream start catching fish.

“One word of warning,” says Anderson, “like golf, fly fishing can be addictive and you will never master it. There are always new and exciting challenges. Unlike golf, fly fishing is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable pursuits. So if you have a stressful life and you’re looking for some relaxation, its time to give fly fishing a try.”

4 Easy Steps to Catching Night Crawlers

Night crawlers are popular fishing baits. If you want to catch your own, here’s the things you’ll need: flashlight (preferably with red light), small garden hand shovel, plastic coffee container.

1.) Make an area wet in your backyard where you can dig and suspect that night crawlers may live. Use a sprinkler or hose to make the ground wet and squishy to make it easier to grab the worms at nighttime. They’re called night crawlers because they usually only come out onto the ground at night.

2.) Grab your flashlight and container and go where you drenched the area with water. It is best to use a flashlight with a red filter. Regular flashlights will blind them, but you can still use them if you don’t shine it directly on them. Night crawlers are very photo-sensitive and usually go back into their holes when a flashlight shines directly on them.

3.) When you see a night crawler, pick them out slowly and gently with your index finger and thumb. If you slowly and steadily pull them up they will come. If you try to pull them out quickly, it will result in breaking them in two. If you have trouble unearthing them, pour more water on the area to moisten the soil or use a small garden hand shovel.

4.) Once you free a night crawler from its hole, place it in the container with some soil.

Sep 22

Members of Caldwell H. S. Class of 1951 Remember

By S. R. Morris

It was a simpler time
CHS Graduates of 1951 Still Remember Good Times, Enjoy Each Other

There were 132 young men and women in the graduating class. Among them were Bob Engle, Bill Crookham, Joe Frost, Harvey Hoff, and Lois Padour. They were members of the graduating class of CaldwellHigh School. The year was 1951.

It was a simpler time. In 1951, you could buy a new car for about $1,500. Items like turn signals were still an extra and most drivers still used hand signals to let other drivers know which way they were turning. Oh, yes, and gas was only 19 cents a gallon!

Sixty years have now come and gone. Many members of the CHS class of 1951 have also passed on, but the remaining members like to get together and recall simpler times. Why do they come together more often than the five or ten years that most classes do for reunions?

“Because we like each other,” states Bob Engle, a graduate of the CHS class of 1951. “Our class was one of the best. We had a very smart class. Many of them went on to lead very successful lives—lots of attorneys, engineers, pharmacists—and they went on to have a good life.”

Classes for the 1951 graduates were held in the old school building. This was prior to the time when the new school was built later that same decade. Engel says he doesn’t remember any after school clubs or activities. The only activity was sports, but there weren’t any school sports for girls, only cheerleading.

With no exceptions (that can be remembered), all the boys who graduated from CHS also went on to fulfill their military obligations. Engel fulfilled his responsibility by spending four years in the Air Force. He traveled around the world and even spent some time in Alaska at a radar listening site located only miles from the mainland of Russia. After his release from the service, he attended business college, met and married his wife, and eventually became a bookkeeper.

“The class of 1951 was a fun class,” remembers Engle. “We became known as an ornery class by some of the teachers. I guess it was because we liked to joke and play pranks. One day a group of guys decided to carry Joe Frost through the hallway. One of the teachers, Mrs. Rice, saw Joe and since the other guys were carrying him, she thought Joe had fallen and was hurt.”

Engle doesn’t remember whether the guys got into trouble for fooling Mrs. Rice, but he says it was easy to get sent to the principal’s office. He says you could end up in the office for just about “anything,” especially for throwing something in class.

“One of the teachers had a hatchet, and if you got in trouble and sent to the principal’s office, you were given the hatchet to carry to the principal’s office,” explains Engle. “Everyone knew you were in trouble if you were carrying the hatchet and they would say you were ‘given the hatchet’ and it meant you were really in trouble.”

But it wasn’t all fun and games in 1951. You were expected to work hard and homework was part of the normal routine. According to Engle, respect was customary and was an important part of school code. Students respected their teachers.

“There was one teacher that everyone respected,” Engle recalls. “I can’t remember her name, but she made an impression on me and many others. She was an English teacher and she was very strict. She made you tow the line and everyone respected her because she was so strict. We all learned from her.”

Although most graduates of the CHS class of 1951 are now 79 or 80 years old, some still lead very active lives. Engle named Lois Padour as one who is very active and involved in many projects. Even though some have been separated by geography or by death, the remaining class members meet every year for a mini-reunion. This September will mark their 61st anniversary.

“Our usual mini-reunion is actually a potluck dinner,” says Bill Crookham. “We usually have it at Purple Sage and we play some golf. I’m not sure if anyone wants to play golf this year, but I think our dinner will be at Canyon Springs and we’ll be able to just order from the menu.”

Like the male CHS graduates before him, Crookham completed his military obligation following high school. He then entered the family business selling bulk vegetable seeds to farmers. The company recently celebrated their 100^th anniversary.

“One of the proudest moments of the 1951 graduates is the scholarship we give each year to a CaldwellHigh School graduate,” Crookham says. “The endowment has now grown to more than $50,000 so, when our class president, Harvey Hoff, announces this year’s scholarship winner, it will be a proud moment for all of us.”

Asked what the biggest difference is between 1951 and 2012, Engle says there are many.

“We had a small black and white television back then and I remember watching some funny shows. One of my favorites was The Red Skelton Show,” says Engle. “But I guess one of the biggest differences is the price of gas. It was 19 cents a gallon then, but prices today are ridiculous. It’s like highway robbery.”

So, is that what they talk about when they get together at their reunions?

“No, we just talk about kids and grandkids, and give an update about what’s happening in our lives,” explains Engle. “Oh, and we talk a lot about health, health problems, and prescriptions for medicine. That’s a popular topic. Except for some arthritis, which everyone seems to have, and my eyes, because I can’t see as good as when I was younger, I’m thankful to be in good health.”

There aren’t 132 members anymore. About 25 to 30 members show up each year at the mini-reunions, and the world has certainly changed since 1951. One thing hasn’t changed though. They still enjoy the simple joys of life and they still like each other.

Sep 22

Silverhawk Provides Unique Tours, Training

Silverhawk Aviation Academy Provides FAA
Approved Helicopter Training, Unique Tours

“We provide helicopter flight training to people all across the country and the world, and we also offer helicopter tours and charters.” -Catherine Rad Weber, Owner of SilverhawkAviationAcademy

Want to experience a hawk’s view of downtown Boise or the OwyheeMountains and Reservoir that will make you feel as if you are on a different planet? Want to witness the breathtaking Shoshone Falls like you have never seen them before? It’s all possible with a spectacular tour with SilverhawkAviationAcademy and puts a new spin on your life.

Want to express your love for that “special one” in your life? A sensational tour from high above Boise will achieve what a box of chocolates or flowers can never express? Want to make a splash at your prom or wedding by arriving via helicopter?

“We usually have up to 10 marriage proposals in our helicopters each year,” states Catherine Rad Weber, Owner and Operator of Silverhawk Aviation Academy. “During Valentine’s Day this year, we had two proposals, and at Christmas we had four or five. We have quite a few people who propose in a helicopter.”

We propose that you visit SilverhawkAviationAcademy and take the first step in achieving your own dream of flying.

Do you have a fascination with flying, but you desire to be among the elite? Would you like to put an extraordinary spin on your next resume? Why not begin a unique career as a helicopter pilot by training today at SilverhawkAviationAcademy?

Except for a privileged few, many don’t get the chance at such an extraordinary career. The reward is significant for you and your family once you achieve your goal of becoming a helicopter pilot. According to statistics, the average income of a helicopter pilot is $70,000 and the choices put you above and beyond ordinary professions.

“Most of our students are here for a career,” says Weber. “We provide all the training that you’ll ever need, so that once you are done, you are ready to go into the work force and start your first job as a helicopter pilot.”

As a prospective student, you can acquire your Private through Certified Flight Instructor Certificate, SilverhawkAviationAcademy’s experienced and highly-trained instructors are awaiting you. Competency, safety, and preparation are the key elements in the successful training programs offered at Silverhawk

“Our focus is to provide quality training consistently,” Weber states. “We not only want to help you achieve your goals, we want you to be a safe and successful pilot. We try to keep a family atmosphere and invite guest speakers, visit valley helicopter operations, and give our students exposure to a variety of jobs on a monthly basis.”

New students at Silverhawk can complete the helicopter training course in one year by attending classes 2 to 4 hours a day, 4 or 5 days a week. Studying after class hours is necessary to prepare for each day’s assignments. The school is open seven days a week with 10 instructors, eight helicopters, and a satellite flight school at Twin Falls.

The average cost is about $60-65,000 to get through the course and includes (the-delete) 200 hours of helicopter training. Financing is available and Silverhawk is partnered with UtahValleyUniversity so students can take online classes to get their Bachelor’s degree in aviation. Students with VA benefits may qualify for 60% to 100% funding of the course.

Sep 22

The 5 “W’s” of Pasadena Community Gardens

For Those ‘In The Know’
Who, What, Where, When & Why Of Pasadena Community Gardens

In June, officials and citizens of Pasadena broke ground on a very special project intended to benefit every resident who wants to be involved. It was the city’s first community garden and is located at 721 South Pasadena Ave.

But what exactly is a community garden? What is the goal? Who does it work? How did it get started? For those who want to be “in the know,” we’ve amassed information that should answer your questions.

What is a CommunityGarden?

According to the American Community Garden Association, a community garden is simply defined as: “Any piece of land gardened by a group of people. It can be urban, suburban, or rural. It can grow flowers or vegetables, and it can be one community plot, or many individual plots. It can be at a school, hospital, or in a neighborhood. It can also be a series of plots dedicated to “urban agriculture.”

What is the goal of PasadenaCommunityGardens?

PasadenaCommunityGardens is a non-profit organization with a mission. It is dedicated to developing community gardens in Pasadena so residents can receive these benefits:

Plant vegetables, fruits, and flowers
Transform abandoned, vacant properties into attractive and beneficial edible community gardens
Learn about the benefits of sustainable, eco-friendly gardening and preservation of these gardens for generations to come
Participate in educational opportunities that promote health and well-being

How does it work?

Those who sign up through the PasadenaCommunityGardens and agree to its by-laws will be considered for membership. Each garden will be attractively fenced. Flowers and fruit trees will be planted around the perimeter, and all tools will be stored within a structure on site.

The gardens will employ organic or natural gardening techniques. A master gardener will be consulted to help us meet our eco-friendly needs. Individual participants can choose from this master list. The gardens will be open during daylight hours for members only to tend to their plots.

The garden will attract beneficial insects, bugs and birds, such as hummingbirds and bees. Fencing and use of mulch and natural plant-partnering techniques will serve as natural deterrents for larger animals. Each member must agree to follow the by-laws, which have been adapted from the by-laws of the very successful AltadenaCommunityGarden, which has served their community for 30 years.

How did PasadenaCommunityGardens get started?

It was a cool, sunny Saturday morning in January of 2010, when a group of about a dozen residents of Pasadena came together over a shared vision: to start a community garden. Wait, let’s just let Cathy Morrison and Jody Hudson, Co-Chairs of Pasadena Community Gardens tell the story in their own words.

Cathy Morrison: My husband and I moved from San Marino to Pasadena about 12 years ago, but I really started to miss the garden. My husband also started to do a lot of cooking so we started talking about how unhappy we were with the quality and expense of fruits and vegetables. So as a result of that, I went out and started walking around and noticed that there were quite a few vacant lots, even around the Orange Grove area. I thought: “I can build a garden,” so I spent about 8 months learning as much as I could, interviewing a lot of gardeners, going to a lot of seminars and making friends with local community gardening people.

When I first started this idea, there were maybe around 55-60 community gardens in the county of Los Angeles, but none in Pasadena. Now there are almost a hundred of them in Los AngelesCounty. I went to Steve Madison and he said, “You really need to find out if it’s ok with the neighbors.” So I put together a public forum, at FingerPark, at the corner of St. John and California. I put out the word as much as I could. I even sat on Orange Grove Boulevard with the sign saying, “Ask me about the Garden!”

January 16, 2010 is when we came together as a group. We went to the city and they said you need to establish a need, so we spent about a year and a half, almost two years, doing a tremendous amount of outreach and at the same time establishing a relationship with the city. We had to get together a business plan. So over the last years we’ve been learning and it’s all culminated into a tremendous experience. Jody is my co-chair and she is responsible for putting together much of our documents, our petition documents, our business plan.

Jody Hudson: I think the key thing for the garden to get going is if you can get people around the area to really want to have a garden. Then, they will take care of it. They will take ownership of it. Our thought process is everybody needs the ability to have fresh fruits and vegetables without using chemicals. It’s all about people.

Morrison: We have over 500 people who signed our petition. We also spent a lot of time identifying property. The city made it very clear that we must make it available to everyone in the city, but we also wanted to be respectful to our neighbors. We had to demonstrate that this is a city-wide need.

Our goal is to establish this one fabulous garden that looks great, that functions well, and can be used as a template and resource center for others that want to build a garden in their neighborhood. There’s no water to this property. We have to put in the services so we’re working with Pasadena Water and Power to do that. And we need help funding the garden.

Hudson: And it takes money to do all that. We figure to get the garden started, we need $45,000. To do what’s on or grand plan, it will probably take about $80,000.

Morrison: There is a need. There are community gardens all around the borders of Pasadena, but no public PasadenaCommunityGarden. I feel the need to have more people know how to plant and grow their own vegetables. I think that’s an important thing that we’ve lost in this country. A total disconnection of where food comes from. You see that with children these days. They really don’t have an appreciation of how a tomato is grown or a cucumber or lettuce. They think it all comes from a 7/11 store or some other such place.

We’re in a very densely populated area, lots of folks living in condominiums or apartment buildings. Those are the folks that would be interested in gardening here. We also have folks that live in lovely homes but don’t have the sun, don’t have the growing conditions. They want to be able to have a place to come and have a connection to their neighbors.

Hudson: It’s membership based and there will be an annual fee. We’re looking at about $150, but it could be less. It all depends on the water.

Morrison: Yes, and since we don’t have a track record yet with the water, we’re thinking based on what other gardens are doing, it would be approximately $150.

Hudson: We have our rules and regulations and by-laws. They have to adhere to them. The garden has to be weeded at all times, cleaned, neat, beautiful. The fruit has to be picked and cannot be left fallow.

Morrison: In exchange for their membership dues, they get a raised bed, with the soil in it that ready for them to garden, and they have help from the master gardeners. And there is going to be a communal area, where all the members can have the bigger fruits and vegetables, like the pumpkins and such, so they can share in that. Obviously, anybody that has an over-abundance of food, we make sure it gets to the food pantry or to those who need it.

So how can you help, or be a part of PasadenaCommunityGardens?

Morrison: Join the dream — come grow with us! We’re eager for you to join and have your own garden plot. We are grateful for your interest and look forward to meeting you.

For more information, visit their website at www.pasadenacommunitygardens.org.

Sep 22

Help for Families With Special Needs Children

Justine Sherman & Assoc. Provides Therapy
For Families With Special Needs Children

Where do you go, as a parent, if you have questions about your child’s development? It may be a simple question like: should my child be speaking words by now? Or it could be because you have seen that your child stutters in some situations and you want help.

“I believe in early intervention,” states Justine Sherman, owner and director of Justine Sherman & Associates. “With a small child, where you are not seeing them produce the words or they’re having a problem with comprehension, I would get them in as soon as possible. People can get free services for occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy.”

Sherman & Associates is a nonpublic agency that serves the speech-language, educational, and orofacial myofunctional needs of clients throughout the San GabrielValley and Los AngelesCounty. They provide therapy and support programs necessary to achieve a client’s maximum potential with specific measurable goals.

“We are a family center and it’s very important that we treat children holistically, as well as all our clients,” says Sherman. “We see our clients as extended family and we are going to do everything we can to assist them through the process of getting therapy.”

A graduate of GeorgeWashingtonUniversity with a Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology, Sherman moved to California where she worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist in the public school system. In 2004, she was named as Associate Director of a private clinic specializing in speech-language pathology and orofacial myology.

In January 2007, Sherman opened Justine Sherman & Associates, Inc., a private practice in Sierra Madre, California. Her clinic has a team that consists of eight licensed Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP), two Clinical Fellows (CF), one Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant (SLPA), four Orofacial Myologists (OM), one Educational Specialist and an Infant-Toddler Development Specialist.

“I knew very early what I was going to do,” admits Sherman. “I grew up in Philadelphia and I was the babysitter for a family where the woman was a speech pathologist. She exposed me to it, so I knew at 16 what I wanted to be.”

Much of what her firm does is dealing with families of children with special needs. The needs may range from language or articulation problems to working with children with autism. Their work involves assisting the children, siblings, and the entire family

“When a child comes to us, we want to provide a loving and welcome environment because it’s scary when something is not right with your child,” explains Sherman. “I think a good portion of our job in therapy is to make sure the parents know everything that is going on and that we have a support team, especially when the child has autism because that’s a hard thing to hear.

“I feel bad for the siblings of children with special needs. It seems to the sibling that the child is going from therapy to therapy and getting to play and they are the ones getting the prizes and all the attention. So I like to bring in the sibling and we can teach them, too.

“I’m not sure what the divorce rate is. But I’m sure it is much higher in families with special needs than the normal rate. It puts a lot of stress on family dynamics so we talk to parents about that,” Sherman continues. “We have a family therapist who comes in to talk with them and tell them they need to take time for themselves, so we are looking at the whole family situation.”

Although Justine Sherman & Associates works primarily with children, they also work with adults with a variety of problems. In addition to her role as a speech-language pathologist, Sherman is also a Certified Orofacial Myologist. She and several of her therapists specialize in treating orofacial myofunctional disorders.

“With the adults, we work with those that have had a stroke, or traumatic brain injury,” says Sherman “For an adult, maybe they seem a little confused, or have signs of dementia, or a stroke. I advise families to have them come in as soon as possible, because the faster we get therapy done, or implemented, the more successful we are.”

Justine Sherman & Associates has introduced a new language-based parent and child play program called Small Talk! The program promotes child-parent interaction and play to facilitate language acquisition in a series of 8 unique classes for 5 separate age and skill groups.

Created and led by licensed speech-language pathologists, the series of classes is designed to teach parents how to work with their children on the specific skills appropriate to each distinct stage of language development. With Small Talk, parents learn how to facilitate and expand their child’s language during everyday activities such as meal, bath and play time. Small Talk focuses on consistent verbal interaction at home and is proven to enhance a child’s language, social and play skills.

For more information about Justine Sherman & Associates call (626) 355-1729. Their office is located at 55 Auburn Avenue, Suite A, in Sierra Madre. You can also learn more by visiting their website at www.justineshermanslp.com.

Sep 22

What Is Bungalow Heaven?

Pasadena History Featured In Bungalow Heaven Exhibit

A little wine . . .

A little cheese . . .

And a shared history of Pasadena’ first and largest landmark district.

It’s kind of a stairway to heaven. Bungalow heaven, that is.

Recently, authors Julianna Delgado and John G. Ripley shared part of the history of Pasadena in Pasadena’s Bungalow Heaven, a viewing of the Museum’s exhibition galleries and a wine and cheese reception.

What is Bungalow Heaven?

It contains the nation’s finest collection of middle-class homes of the American Arts and Crafts period. It’s more than just a pretty neighborhood. It’s a 16-block area of quiet tree-lined streets and lovely gardens, bordered by Orange Grove and Washington boulevards, and Lake and Hill streets. It’s a historic gem set in the midst of Pasadena.

Through the efforts of many dedicated residents who recognized the historic significance of these homes and wanted to ensure their preservation, in 1989 the neighborhood became Pasadena’s first historic Landmark District.

On April 10, 2008, the Bungalow Heaven Historic District was listed by the United States Department of the Interior in the National Register of Historic Places. As a result of the listing, Bungalow Heaven has also been listed in the California Register of Historical Resources.

The Bungalow Boom

California’s climate and economic opportunity drew people westward. Bungalows sprang up rapidly along these streets in Southern California. For only $2,500 you could buy a brand-new home; or you could build it yourself from a kit for even less. One company estimates it shipped over 40,000 kits in the Los Angeles area at that time. Everything you needed to construct a bungalow could be delivered to your lot. Simple and affordable, the bungalow itself became part of the California myth.

Bungalow Heaven was part of a boom that saw Pasadena’s population more than quadruple between 1900 and 1920 (from 10,000 to 45,000). Trolley lines soon ran up Lake Avenue into the foothills and eastward along Washington and Villa. A neighborhood was born.

In 1989, through the efforts of many dedicated residents who recognized the historic significance of these homes and wanted to ensure their preservation, the neighborhood became Pasadena’s first historic Landmark District.

In 2009, Bungalow Heaven Landmark District was designated one of the 10 great places in America by the APA. In making the announcement, the American Planning Association cited the large number of significantly important historic homes as well as collaborative efforts between neighborhood residents and the city of Pasadena for restoring, protecting and maintaining Bungalow Heaven’s unique character and sense of place.

Bungalow Heaven has been featured in several books, newspaper features and magazines, including Sunset, which named Bungalow Heaven the “Best Neighborhood” in the West in 2002.

For more information about Pasadena’s Bungalow Heaven, visit their website at www.bungalowheaven.org.

Sep 22

Scientist Believes Goal of Mars Landing Includes Humans

JPL Scientist Believes Eventual Goal Of Mars Landing To Include Humans

“I think if you ask anyone who’s a fan of putting things on Mars, they all share the vision of eventually putting human there.”

That comment was made by Ian Clark, a scientist and engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, after receiving an award from President Obama earlier this month in Washington.

“The question is: ‘How do you bridge the gap from where we are right now with MSL to humans?’” Lark said during an interview here in Pasadena. “I think the very logical step is to do what we’re doing right now with larger parachutes and with SIAD, the supersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator.”

Although he did not start working at JPL until 2009, too late to directly contribute next week’s historic landing on Mars, Clark’s area of expertise in the area of advanced entry, descent and landing technologies for space exploration missions.

“The work that I’ve done is to focus on developing new devices in order to land bigger, heavier things like MSL on the surface of Mars,” states Clark. “Parachutes are what we have used in the past, but we’ve gone pretty much as far as we can with the state-of-the-art technology with parachutes. The idea is to take some of these new devices and to test them in a Mars-like environment, basically at very high altitude on earth, similar to what they would see on Mars.”

A graduate of Georgia Tech, Clark grew up in Florida and credits the influence of his father and his own interest in astronomy and Legos that pushed him in the direction of his career and work at JPL. Asked about the honor he received from President Obama, Clark gave a humble reply.

“It’s certainly quite an honor, but it’s important to keep things in perspective,” Clark says. “You have to look at where I work and who I work with. There are remarkable things that happen on a daily basis by remarkable people. There’s always excitement from MSL and there’s always a lot to be learned.

“The Mars Science Laboratory mission landing, set for August 5^th is a remarkable achievement done by thousands of folks who work at JPL and across NASA. Hopefully, I hope to count myself among those who can say that they helped land something on Mars,” concludes Clark.

Sep 22

An Intimate Interview With Rachael Worby

Former First Lady Of WV, Conductor
Speaks About Music, Life & Musicians

Rachael Worby, Artistic Director and Conductor of MUSE/IQUE, gave us some time in her busy schedule to ask a few questions and gain a little insight into what motivates her and what she thinks about Pasadena and the arts. Here’s a little from that interview.

Steve Morris: We’ve heard you say before that music is your life. Why do you say that?

Rachael Worby: This is something I give a lot of thought to because I recognize in my daughter that dance is her life. Reflecting back on my childhood, I would have to say that living was my life, but when I became an adult, I became much more aware of the profound power of live music. Music happens to be my life whether it’s recorded or live, and all kinds of music is my life.

This morning I was listening to a recording of Neil Young off his most recent recording of “Oh Susannah.” So, I go from that to the performance this Saturday on the Beckman Mall at Caltech with MUSE/IQUE and for me it’s one continuum. Music is now my life because I believe in the power of music and the joy of that power is a deep healing factor, and because of the universality of music, for me it is at the center of my social activism. That’s why it is my life.

SM: So, it’s a powerful influence that motivates your life?

RW: When I work with the young people at Hathaway Sycamore’s hillside 5 acres, and I walk into a room filled with rough-and-tumble kids, who have been challenged in unfathomable ways who can’t sit still or sit up, and I have one violinist begin to play one piece by Bach, I hear and see the entire room come to a palpable silence that would only happen in the most reverential moment in a synagogue or church or Carnegie Hall.

There I am in Altadena or Pasadena or somewhere and I’m looking at this audience and I realize that I, myself, am delivering something to these young people, which is most like a religious experience. I can’t describe it. I stopped yesterday after the cellist with whom I as traveling played a piece of Bach. After she completed, I looked and the whole room remained silent and I looked at this group of 20 young people and four or five adults. You don’t understand what just happened. It’s something rich, that’s indescribable and something glorious.

SM: What kind of momentous event, or major incident, occurred in your life that changed your life and made music so important to you?

RW: I suppose, as a young person, my major incident, was “Westside Story.” That was a major incident. It was an encounter and other incidents in my life were women like Meanus Demoan and Odetta, and performers like Philoneus Monk and Glen Ghoul. This all goes back to the major influence of my life being raised by my parents for all this music was church music and it was all in my home.

My brothers and I were all raised, modestly to be sure, by people in a tiny, tiny space, one bedroom, and one bathroom that we shared. Always there was a way to hear recorded music. There was a record player always, with records always and, as unremarkable as it was, there was a small spinet piano. This is just the way I was raised. Fortunately, that’s the way I raise my daughter, too. We’ll be having a dinner party and I’ll say, “Why don’t you choose the music?” and she’ll say, “Do you think I should put on Philoneus Monk?” I have to stop in my tracks and remember the first time another adult heard my daughter saying those five syllables: Philoneus Monk.

Janis Joplin was an incident. Jimmie Hendrix was an incident. Bob Dylan was an incident. These people, who performed and got on stage with passion, that for some of them it burned so brightly that it burned them out. They were provocative for me. The art of making art was very intense for me.

SM: So, music had an impelling influence on your life. Do you believe that’s what motivates successful musicians?

RW: Today is the 50^th anniversary of the Rolling Stones and their first concert appearance. Fifty years of the Rolling Stones! That’s passion! You don’t have to be burning your guitar to express your passion. Neil Young, his voice, the first time I heard it, was so clear, that I knew, by the sound of his voice, that was the real deal. Ricky Lee Jones is the real deal. Arturo Sandoval is the real thing. People, for whom the art of making art, is an absolute necessity.

Someone once said, “You know you’re a writer if you have to write, or if you can’t not write.” Jessye Norman, Arturo Sandoval, Ricky Lee Jones, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young are examples. I’m not interested in talking about the age of the Rolling Stones or the age of Mick Jagger. I’m interested in the fact that Mick Jagger does not need to walk on another stage, and he hasn’t walked on stage for at least 30 years. He would still be living as palatially as he does. He does it because he has to.

Why would Neil Young be on tour now with Crazy Horse? Why is he on tour? He’s on tour because he has something to say and he can’t help himself from saying it. He has something he wants you to hear.

SM: One last question? Even with the economy like it is, it seems that music or art has not had a negative effect in Pasadena and other places. Why do you believe that is?

RW: I think Pasadena is a community which keeps its art healthy, to the very best of its ability. Our museums, our dance company, our theatres, our musical organizations, are all on solid footing. That’s a real tribute to this community. I would say it’s a tribute to the community of Los Angeles at large because all of the philharmonic and symphonies, presenting organizations and chamber of groups, large and small, and the museums and dance companies, are thriving. Los Angeles has always supported the arts.

Sep 22

Vintage Furnishings Found at Maude Woods

Mixture of New, Vintage Found at Maude Woods

What’s the best way to mix new furnishings like bedding & pillows, towels, and home accessories with vintage pieces like furniture, pottery, and lamps? If you like nice things, but don’t have the eye to match them, Carrie Davich and Maude Woods are right for you.

Carrie Davich is a Pasadena store owner and Maude Woods is the name of her store. It’s the name of her great-grandmother and was an artist in Arizona where she lived when she was alive.

“I named the store after my great-grandmother because I like earthy, aesthetic items, not glitz,” admits Davich. “I like quality, not junk.”

Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Davich has lived in California since she was six, and moved to Pasadena in 1988 when she married music composer Marty Davich. In the 1980s, she co-owned the Los Angeles clothing company L.A. Express, but when the second child of the Davish’s three children was born, she decided to leave the hectic pace of the fashion industry

In the summer of 2007, Davich walked into a shop in Washington state, similar to what she’d imagined opening herself. The proprietor said, “If you have the eye, don’t wait. It’s so much fun.” From that moment Davich began to pursue her dream in earnest, culminating with the opening of Maude Woods: Artful Living in Pasadena, Calif., in October 2009.

“Carrie has an amazing sense for the original and most coveted selection of art and objects,” says Michael Berman, who has worked on many Pasadena homes. “She has an eye for beauty and all things comfortable, and puts together the most gorgeous objects; creating a new style that is livable and timeless.”

Stepping into Maude Woods: Artful Living, shoppers may feel they’ve entered someone’s beautiful home. Davich mixes new upscale furnishings with vintage and renovated second-hand treasures. Within this “home,” shoppers can find a unique hostess gift for $25, a $5,000 table and a variety of beautiful items in between.

Maude Woods is located at 55 East Holly Street in Old Pasadena and their phone number is (626) 577-3400. You can also reach Maude Woods on the internet at www.Maudewoods.com.

Sep 22

An Oasis in Pasadena?

Where Does a Therpeutic, Calming Experience Await You?

It’s located just steps form the South Lake Avenue shopping district just behind Macey’s and across from a bustling Trader Joe’s Market. You enter through the smoked glass doors and are immediately transported and surrounded to a relaxing environment. It’s like an oasis inside a spa.

Got your attention? What am I talking about? I’m referring to the South Lake Avenue location of Massage Envy.

MassageEnvySouthLake is a different place, both figuratively and literally. It’s something you can do for yourself. It’s a convenient location, and you only need to carve out an hour for yourself and walk out like a new person.

“We’re trying to create an environment where massage therapy can be included in everyone’s normal wellness routine at an affordable and in a convenient manner,” states General Manager Tim Cremins. “We want people to feel welcome and relaxed, like they are going to enjoy a very therapeutic, calming, and healthful massage.”

According to Cremins, research has shown that massage offers tremendous health benefits in a variety of ways. Stress reduction, better circulation, and more enter into the calming, healthful experience of a therapeutic massage.

“If you’re someone who has been sitting in a car in the traffic during the day, you’ll feel better with a massage,” clarifies Cremins. “If you can get a massage at the end of the day, you usually feel more relaxed, more relieved, have better blood flow, and have less toxins in the body. All these things play into it, and it’s something that you can do consistently, and you’ll get results.”

Massage Envy at SouthLake has a large staff of therapists and their range of specialties is broad. They can find a therapist to meet your needs. The person at the front desk begins the process by having a conversation with you to determine your needs. And with every session, each therapist is going to figure out what you want to accomplish in that session.

“There are a lot of different techniques, which they call modalities, and at Massage Envy we offer customized massage,” says Cremins. “If you need deep tissue work, maybe in the neck, but you need something more relaxed in the lower back or legs, that’s something the therapist can do. They’re going to customize it for you.”

Facials are also available at Massage Envy and the idea of facials being something only for women is, well, just not true.

“We offer Muradic facials, which are amazing,” explains Cremins. “The misconception is that it is mostly for women, but that’s not the case. It’s almost 50/50, as far as our customers go. A man who gets a facial will walk out of here feeling like a brand new man.”

Prices at South Lake Massage Envy are affordable and it all benefits you. The introductory rate, for the person who comes in for the first time, is only $49 for a one-hour massage. They also offer wellness packages that include a membership, too. You can get a massage each month, or more if you want, at member prices.

“We have extended hours, too,” says Cremins. “We’re open until 10 o’clock. We see a lot of people who end up their day here. They get a healthful relaxing massage. Then they leave and g home and get a good night’s sleep.”

You can visit their website at http://www.massageenvy.com.

Sep 22

3 Myths Mistaken by Millions

Facials For Everyone Available
At Hastings Place Massage Envy

Getting a facial is only something for women, and it’s only for women who are models or actresses, and they have a lot of money to spend, right?

Wrong! Facial for everyone—men and women—and you don’t have to be in a special business to receive the benefits of a facial and a facial massage.

“Your face is the first thing you present to people because people always look at your face first,” explains Kandi Shoemaker, aesthetician at Hastings Place Massage Envy in Pasadena. “If you’re not putting your best face forward, then you’re not going to feel as confident.”

Shoemaker says all of the above-mentioned myths about facials are false, and she wants to dispel the myths to everyone.

Myth #1: Facials are only for women.

“Most men just take the bar of soap and wash the face, but that’s not good for you,” says Shoemaker. “They should be using a soap that addresses whatever skin type they have, and they should be doing a skin regimen at home, and have a monthly facial. Most men don’t use skin products at home, so it’s good to educate them.

“I just had a man and he had never had a facial. He didn’t know what to expect. The moves on a man are different than on a woman. A man has a beard so all the moves are downward, but they have the same skin needs as a woman. Everyone wants to look youthful as they age, the best they can, so men can really benefit from a facial and skin products.”

Myth #2: Facials are only for women like models and actresses.

“Facials are not just for Hollywood-type women; it’s important for all women,” states Shoemaker. “Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It’s important to take care of your face because it’s part of wellness and health. Clients want knowledge and they want relaxation.

“If someone were to come to me with sun-damaged skin, I would do an environmental shield facial because it corrects sun damage, pigmentation on the skin, and use an enzyme like a mask because it helps the skin repair itself,” Shoemaker continues. “We moisturize the skin, hydrate the skin, address the fine lines and wrinkles, or around your eyes, like crow’s feet, and we can use special eye creams.

“We address environmental aging, anti-aging, acne, and other skin problems. We have little kits for anti-aging, for skin damage, for wrinkles; different kits for different types of skin problems. So, if a woman comes once a month for a facial and buys Murad products, we can address those concerns. They can take care of their skin at home, and come for a monthly facial, they should see noticeable results,” concludes Shoemaker.

Myth #3: Facials are only for rich people.

According to Shoemaker, a Massage Envy facial at Hastings Place is affordable for everyone. Price for a one-hour a Murad healthy skin facial is only $59. But the price is not the only reason for a massage at Massage Envy.

“We do a 50-minute hands-on facial, prepare the skin, cleanse it, and we use a toner, a treatment, and address the needs, whether it be acne, or environmental, or anti-aging,” explains Shoemaker. “We apply a mask, depending on the skin type, we incorporate a massage including the neck, shoulders and arms. We tell the client what type of skin they have and what they can do at home, a regimen they can do at home.”

Massage Envy is located at 3707 E. Foothills Blvd., Pasadena, and they are open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. The phone number is (626) 351-9100 or you can visit their website at www.massageenvy.com.

Sep 22

PDQ = Perfect, Distinctive Quintessential Cupcakes

Boldest Flavors Found at Wonderland Custom Cakes

The term PDQ stands for a lot of things depending on what you’re talking about. It can refer to speed if you need something “pretty damn quick” or it can mean “performance, dependability and quality” if it refers to business practices.

But when it comes to cupcakes, you have to be referring to “Pasadena’s Distinctive Quintessential” cupcakes, and those are found only at Wonderland Custom Cakes.

“We have the quintessential gourmet cupcakes in the business,” states Anthony Valerio, co-owner of Wonderland Custom Cakes. “”We use only the best ingredients and the bold flavoring, the intensity of our flavorings, is what make our cakes the best.”

Located at 107 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 110, in Pasadena, Wonderland Custom Cakes has cupcakes of every flavor, from Chocolate Bacon to Salted Caramel.

“We are on the cutting edge of cupcakes,” Valerio says. “While most places have only 10 to 15 different flavors, we have 35 flavors. We also make custom flavors and, as far as I know, we are the only ones who make gluten-free cupcakes.”

Valerio says he did not have formal culinary training, but learned to bake from his mother, grandmother, and uncle. He says it is important to deliver quality to their customers, not only in how the cakes look, but also in how they taste.

“When people see our cakes, they say ‘Wow! Those are beautiful,’ but when they taste the cupcakes, they realize the flavor matches the beauty of the cakes,” says Valerio.

Wonderland Custom Cakes also makes large even cakes. The color, design, and flavor of the cake are as important to them as it is to their customers. They even have their own custom blend of flour so that all is as distinctive as their business.

“Our vanilla cake is so different because we it with real vanilla bean, so it has lots of flavor,” states Valerio. “Everyone loves Red Velvet, but our Red Vixxen is distinctive too because it has a ‘red hot’ flavor. People just love our flavors.”

Just stop in and try the featured cupcake of the day and you’ll be convinced that Wonderland Custom Cakes has Pasadena’s Distinctive Quintessential cupcakes. You can order their cakes by calling (626) 486-9977 or visit them on their website at www.wonderlandcustomcakes.com.

Sep 22

It’s Like a Home Depot With Antiques

Pasadena Architecture Salvage Overflows
With Unique Treasures For Homeowners

Are you trying to refurbish an old house for your Aunt Mildred and you need some Spanish-style curtain rods with brackets to make her feel at home?

Are you looking for that special piece that will make your house unique—like an old weather vane with a flying duck?

Are you participating in an old-fashion scavenger hunt and the first item on your list is a small copper flask?

Well, if you go to 2600 E. Foothill Blvd., you’ll find Gayle’s Pasadena Architectural Salvage and you’ll be in the right place.
Gayle Stoner and Chris Shackleford, owners of Pasadena Architectural Salvage, have a little bit of everything for homeowners looking to refurbish their home with quality home products.

“I think when some people think salvage, and hear the name Pasadena Architectural Salvage, they assume it’s going to be like a scrap yard or junkyard or something,” says Shackleford. “They don’t understand that we’re very organized and we keep it clean. We’re a retail store and we operate like any other retail store where you’d be comfortable walking around in.”

At Pasadena Architectural Salvage. “going green” is not just a catch-phrase; it’s their main objective. With thirteen-plus years of experience, Stoner and Shackleford can offer real help for homeowners with that special project with real value. Pasadena is a city with one of the most active preservation and historic associations in the nation, which only enhances their mission of salvaging architectural items destined for the landfill.

“What we do is try to save as many old architectural pieces that we can and find new homes for them,” Shackleford continues. “We try to save them from being destroyed or wasted and save these beautiful objects and re-purpose them for people to enjoy forever. That’s the essence of what we do.”

A former English teacher, Stoner began working as a manager in a bookstore and later managed an antique store owned by gentleman in Texas. A series of events occurred that landed her in Pasadena.

“He moved out here and I managed the store in Texas,” Stoner explains. “Then he bought a building here and he asked if I wanted to come out and open the store for him. We’d been at it for about a year when Chris came long. He happened to be from Texas as well and he fit right in with everything we’re doing. After the owner passed away, Chris and I bought the business.”

Pasadena Salvage has an extensive inventory of salvage antiques include mantels, lighting, stained glass, iron work, and builders’ hardware from the Arts & Crafts, Spanish Revival, Art Nouveau, Victorian and Mid-century Modern periods.

“We look for doors, windows, hardware, lighting, stained glass, anything between 1880 and 1950 that’s good and can still be used,” says Stoner. “We have a guy from Kansas who scours the Midwest for us about four times a year and brings it to us. The rest is from around here or people who bring things to us that they’ve been collecting for a long time.”

Many architectural antique items are not shown on their website. According to Shackleford, when a customer sees something similar to what they want, they need only ask to see if it is available. Stoners adds that when a customer doesn’t see something they want they should ask because they have more items that are in the back or at another location.

“We try to have an inventory of things, so that if you’re looking for something, hopefully we have what you are looking for,” explains Shackleford. “The website plays a big part in our business. They can see who we are, what we have and where to find us. We can’t put everything we have online, but we put enough on it so that you can see the range of what we have. I’d like people to get an overall sense of who we are.”

Stoner adds that they are constantly looking for architectural antiques such as certain types of vintage hardware, interior & exterior lighting, interior & exterior doors, and stained & leaded glass windows.

“The things from the 40s and 50s, we never used to look for that stuff,” says Stoner. “The thing is that now the older stuff is starting to wear out, so they are needing to be worked on or replaced. We have people looking for drawer rollers that we never thought about before. As time goes on, things become more valuable.”

But who’s going to buy that old ceramic umbrella stand, or that old wall map (63” x 47”) of the geographic regions of Belgium?

“We also deal with designers, construction people, studios, anybody and everybody,” says Shackleford. “Some people just come here to get an idea for a project they’re working on or try to find that piece that makes their home a little more unique. We encourage that. We want people to come and walk around and get a feel for it. If they have any questions, and if we can help, we’re happy to do it.”

Pasadena Architectural Salvage is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday thru Saturday, 12 to 5 p.m. on Sundays, and closed on Mondays. For more information, call 626-535-9655 or visit their website at www.pasadenaarchitecturalsalvage.com.

Sep 22

How to Design a Perfect Patio

Want to Design a Perfect Patio?
An Expert Gives Some Advice

Ah, summer in Southern California! Endless sun, beaches a short drive away or a pool in the back yard, that idyllic lifestyle of barbecues with friends on the back patio. What could be better?

What could be better is if your patio and barbecue was more inviting to friends. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you that you’re living in the past when your idea of a barbecue is a package of hot dogs thrown on your hibachi and the sounds of the Beach Boys coming from the cassette tape player sitting just outside your arcadia door.

There’s no doubt you need help creating a Pasadena Perfect Patio. You need help so your friends will come to your next barbecue. That’s why we talked to Ken Burrows of Pasadena Patio to wade through the overwhelming choices and find out how to design that perfect patio.

“You need to put yourself in the hands of a professional to get some help and do it right,” says Burrows. “So, that’s the way to go. It all depends on how often you use the outdoor area for cooking and how often you use it for entertaining in a given month. If you’re doing quite a bit of entertaining, you’ll need a refrigerator out next to your barbecue, not in the kitchen inside.”

Outdoor kitchens can be small and simple or as elaborate as any indoor kitchen. Typically they include a grill, a counter area for prepping and plating food, and a dining counter or table. Run gas, plumbing and electrical lines to the outdoor kitchen, and you can have a sink, refrigerator or beverage center, additional cooking appliances, lighting, and even a TV or sound system. It sure beats a cassette tape player and a hibachi.

“There’s no limit on how much space you need,” Burrows adds. “You could have a space as small as 10’ x 10’ or as large as 100’ x 100’ and everything in between. A lot of people come to a place like this to get an idea of what they might like to make their patio dreams come true.”

The focal point of most outdoor patios is the grill. Gas grills, smokers, and charcoal grills raise the sacred art of barbecue to incredible new heights, while outdoor wall ovens redefine cooking out. Outdoor hoods freshen the fresh air and large-capacity warming drawers keep multiple courses piping hot.

“Stainless steel is what it’s all about today,” states Burrows. “Stainless steel is the most popular material used in outdoor grills. A lot of islands are being built today. There are also a lot of additions you can put with a barbecue, such as the outdoor bar, a refrigerator, a double-burner, a wok. We cover the gamut.”

Burrows says that Viking is one the most popular because it’s known for its quality. Lynx is a popular second, he says and they are all stainless steel and built here in the U.S.

The patio bar and beverage dispenser makes a barbecue more festive. Frosty refreshment, supplemented by refrigeration units, and an ice machine, makes your patio becomes a full-service backyard lounge. Add music and you’re getting close a Pasadena Perfect Patio.

What about patio furniture? You want more than just a couple loosely-webbed pool chaises and an old weathered end table you got from Aunt Mildred. You need some patio furniture that will stand up to the sun and keep its look.

“Color is still one of the most important choices in choosing outdoor furniture,” states Burrows. “The tans, the beiges, the browns and terra cottas are the most popular. There are more choices available and the trend is to get some brighter colors. The sky is the limit when it comes to design and color.

“When it comes to furniture, there are more than 200 different fabrics to choose from,” adds Burrows. “Today, one of the most common and popular fabrics is from a company called Sunbrella. If you want furniture that has a fabric, it can be covered with Sunbrella. It’s made for outdoor.”

If you love to cook, entertain outdoors, or just appreciate the pleasure of great food with good friends, turn your next barbecue into a great experience. With a few tips and advice from the experts, you can turn your get-together with friends into the Pasadena Perfect Patio.

For more information about Pasadena Patio, visit their website at www.pasadena-patio.com.

Sep 22

Take a Hike For Optimum Health

Take a Hike with Pasadena Pacers
For Optimum Health, Enjoyment

The next time someone tells you to “take a hike” join Dr. Kevin Cressey and members of the Pasadena Hiking Pacers. The Pacers are a free hiking organization with no fees, no forms to fill out, and no formalities.

Members of the Pacers meet every Sunday, rain or shine, and hike the surrounding areas of Los Angeles County. The hikes vary in length and, although the majority of the Pacers are from their 20s to their 40s, hikers age 7 to 70 are welcome.

“Our program is designed to get people off their couches, start hiking, and get on an exercise program,” states Dr. Kevin Cressey, a chiropractor who manages the Pacers. “We do a 15-week program that starts with an easy hike—about 2 to 3 miles.”

All levels of hikers are welcome to join, from seaoned hikers to get-inspired-to-be-outdoors hikers. According to Dr. Cressey, the club exists to help individuals achieve a level of fitness they never before thought possible, while enjoying the fellowship of others.

“Every week we add about a mile or a little more elevation,” Dr. Cressey says. “So, by the end of the 15-week program, we’re up to about 15 miles. I recommend starting at the beginning of the program and work from there.”

Hikes range from easy to extremely strenuous, according to Dr. Cressey. While moderate hikes are not longer than 7 to 10 miles and elevation is minimal, extremely strenuous hikes involve distances of more than 14 miles or more than 3000 ft. in elevation gain. They might also include very rugged climbs, deep stream crossings, or un-maintained trails.

The next hike, scheduled for Sunday, February 26, is SwitzerFalls, which has become a favorite among the hikers. Located in the San Gabriel Mountains, the hike is about 4.5 miles in length and includes waterfalls, small cascades, lovely pools, and a wooded streamside trail.

For a complete list of hikes, visit the club’s website at www.pasadenahikingpacers.org. For more information, you may also call Dr. Cressey at (626) 792-1221 or by email at kevin@kevincresseydc.com.

Dr. Cressey operates a full-service chiropractic clinic focused on the treatment and prevention of active lifestyle injuries. Dr. Cressey received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College, Los Angeles. He also studied Physical Anthropology and received his Bachelors of Science from the University of California, Riverside. His office is located at 131 N. El Molino Ave., Suite 180; Pasadena.

Sep 22

Want to Participate In Your Child’s Development?

OneontaCoopSchool Ideal for Parents Desiring Role in Child’s Development

If you are a parent interested in playing a participatory role in your young child’s development, Pasadena’s OneontaCooperativeNursery School may be just the right place for your pre-school age child.

“Our school gives parents a wonderful and unique opportunity to see their child develop and also to see how the child interacts with other children,” states Reina Rogers, Director of Oneonta Coop School. “It gives parents and students feel more secure because it is a home-like environment.”

Classes are small since they are limited to fifteen children with one teacher, one aide, and two participating parents per day. The school has only four classes; two for 3-year-olds and two for 4-yr-olds.

“Uninterrupted play” functions as a vital element in growth and development of the young child at OneontaSchool. The school’s philosophy is that it is in the context of process, rather than in the product, that the child finds out about him or herself, other people, and the world.

OneontaCooperativeNursery School was founded in 1947 and is a parent participation nursery school. It is the oldest parent participation school in the area and is a non-religious program, located on the grounds of Oneonta Congregational Church in South Pasadena, California.

“The major component at our school is play,” Rogers explains. “Play is the method we use to develop the child, but the play is structured. We use themes such as insects or fairy tales for the 3-year-olds. Dinosaurs would be a typical theme for 4-year-olds. Each theme is only one week in length.”

For parents of 3-year-olds, the school offers 2-day classes (Tuesday and Thursday) or 3-day classes (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Each child can be enrolled in one class only, so it is not possible to mix and match. Classes run from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. in the first semester, and extend to 11:45 in the second semester. The emphasis in these classes is on socialization, self esteem, communication and learning school routines.

For 4-year-olds, the school offers 3-day classes (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) or 4-day classes (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday). The classes run from 9 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. in the first semester, and extend to 12 p.m. in the second semester. The emphasis in the four-year-old classes is to prepare the children for Kindergarten through a developmental approach.

OneontaCooperativeNursery School will hold their Annual Open House on Friday, March 2, from 9:15 to 11:30am. The school is located at 151 Garfield Avenue, SouthPasadena. The open house is an adults-only event, so parents need to make child care arrangements.

Parents interested in enrolling their child for the 2012-13 school year, should call the school at (626) 799-3105. Their website can be seen at www.oneontacoop.com.

Sep 22

Nude But Not Rude

Nude But Not Rude Art Exhibit Opened in Pasadena

e. e. cummings once wrote “A pretty girl who is naked is worth a million statues.” Residents of Pasadena who agree are now enjoying Linus Galleries’ art exhibit titled “The Nude But Not Rude.” The exhibit began June 15, 2012 and all artwork will be available for sale.

“We had an amazing amount of nude art to choose from,” states Gallery Owner Linnea Lenkus. “It’s inspiring always. We are so excited because this art show will bring in so many talents from all over the world portraying one of my favorite subjects.”

Nude But Not Rude is a collection of nude portraits that go beyond the physicality and obvious nakedness of the body. Featuring artwork by renowned artists such as Dan Pyle, Eric Pederson, Jeff Outlaw, Steve Rude, Loreal Prystaj, Randal Barbera, Ekaterina Bykhovskaya, Grace Modla, and more, Linus Galleries attempts to bring sophisticated and compelling artwork to their audiences.

During the opening reception, Linus Artist Steve Rude presented a live demonstration painting of a nude model. Gallery owner Linnea Lenkus, herself a popular fine art nude photographer, announced the last art exhibit’s winners.

Shown in April, Linus Galleries’ last art show was called the Lonely Planet. It was a collective art exhibition which encompassed the themes Landscapes, Abstracts, Portraits, and Green. Part of a community of local, national and international contemporary artists Linus Galleries states their mission is to bring these artists together and present them to a broader audience of art lovers.

LinusArtGalleries is located at 545 S. Raymond Ave. in Pasadena. The gallery is owned and curated by fine art photographer, Linnea Lenkus. It features two dimensional art from all over the world. Its two locations are Pasadena and Long Beach, California.

Sep 22

Entrepreneurial Mom Starts ‘Magical Playground’

For Your Bored, Restless Child
My Magical Playground Offers Clean, Safe Alternative to Park

Do you have a child who’s always saying, “I’m bored?” Or do you have one that goes stir crazy when the weather’s not ideal for playing outside? Or are you afraid of letting your child play at some places because of germs and harmful bacteria?

Then you need to acquaint yourself, and your child, with My Magical Playground, located at 1778 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.

My Magical Playground is a safe and very clean environment for your child to enjoy.

“Even when the weather is nice, it’s cleaner here than just about anywhere else you could take your child,” states Elizabeth Yang, owner of Pasadena’s newest indoor playground. “Cleanliness is of the utmost importance to us. The entire playground is cleaned several times throughout the day, the walls, everything. And small toys are wiped down and sanitized every hour.”

Parents can feel safe since the entire playground is covered by security cameras. With free Wi-Fi, parents can also work on their own project while their child enjoys the playground.

“We have lots of toys, a bounce house, a jungle gym, a little piano, a make-up station where they can play dress up, just about everything to keep them happy,” says Yang. “We even have classes on our weekly schedule including basic Spanish classes, storytelling, and arts & crafts classes.”

My Magical Playground is not a day care facility. Parental attendance is required except during Parent’s Night Out from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Because cleanliness and safety are stressed, shoes are prohibited in the play area and socks are required. A separate eating area is provided, including high chairs for the small ones. Food is prohibited in the playing area, but outside food is welcomed. In addition, healthy snacks are provided in vending machines.

“We also host private parties and we can customize any party for your child,” explains Yang. “At My Magical Playground, we can provide party favors, balloon animals, face paintings and themed birthday parties featuring your child’s favorite character, like Dora, Sponge Bob, Harry Potter, Hannah Montana, and Disney characters.”

Pasadena’s newest playground is designed to accommodate parents with children ages newborn to age 9. If your child wants to play older games, arcade machines, foosball, and air hockey will keep them occupied.

Prices for My Magical Playground are free for parents or caregivers. The cost for children 2 and up is only $9 for the entire day. Children under 2 are $7 and additional siblings are only $7. Five-day passes are available ranging from $30 to $39, and 10-day passes range from $59 to $75.

Open play hours for the Pasadena playground are 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday is reserved for private parties.

To arrange a birthday or private party, you may contact manager Robin Ruiz, at (626) 683-8989. The website can be viewed at www.mymagicalplayground.com.

Sep 22

For Parents Who Want to Improve a Student’s Tests

Axia Learning Provides Parents’ Resources
For Improving Students’ Tests, Academics

The jury is still out on the best way to motivate your child to improve their grades, tests, or academic standing. There are a lot of resources in books, CDs, or the internet, but one local resource, Axia Learning, is one you may not have heard about.

“My passion is to help every student have an easier, better way, to learn,” states Shakeh Haroutiounian, Co-Founder and Director of Education for Axia Learning. “I specialize in how people learn and retain information. No matter what their age, we figure out how to help them learn and give them the tools to improve and retain that information.”

Axia Learning is an educational services company that helps students attain their academic goals. Part of their work is to provide in-house tutoring. Studies prove that when a student’s interests are engaged, they are more likely to put in a greater effort into learning tasks, such as doing class work and homework.

“If you’ve ever seen the show Super Nanny, then imagine I’m the nanny but I’m only working on school work,” explains Shakeh. “I actually give parents the tools to cope, because often when a parent tries to explain how they learned something and how they retained it, they try to make their child learn the same way. The problem is that he’s a different person and it doesn’t work.”

According to Shakeh, the first step is to uncover and understand why a child has lost interest in academics. For example, when a student’s interest lies in playing video games, he will put in the maximum amount of time and effort to learn and master the game. With Axia Learning, they make learning relevant to the student’s interests, capabilities, and academic goals.

“We strive to find ways to make academics relevant for your child through goal setting and planning,” says Shakeh. “One of the biggest things we try to do is to do it calmly and peacefully, because that’s a large part of successful learning.

“If a student is anxious, forget it,” Shakeh continues. “They’re not learning and retaining it. When students become aware of that, and find ways to clam down, like breathing methods, it becomes much easier to learn and retain what you have learned.”

Instructors at Axia Learning empower a student’s learning ability and understand how that student learns best. One size does not fit all. Everyone learns differently. All children have individual variation in the factors that affect their ability to learn.

“We tutor all academic subjects, except art, and the most common requests are for math, science, and reading,” says Shakeh. “Our students range from preschool to adults. We provide services including school readiness for young children up to getting ready for college, as well as helping adults prepare for tests like the GRE.

“We have 14 instructors and they specialize not only in subjects of expertise, but also age groups,” continues Shakeh. “We have reading specialists for age kindergarten through second grade, math for this or that, and so on. We also work with students who are athletes or actors, so in some cases, we provide all their educational materials. We coordinate with school districts around the world.”

Shakeh is a California credentialed teacher with a Master’s Degree in Education specializing in Curriculum & Instruction. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology with a minor in Spanish Literature from UCLA.

Ms. Haroutiounian also provides thought leadership on educational issues throughout the Pasadena community. She currently serves as Chairperson of the St. Gregory Hovsepian School Board and regularly presents parent workshops on “Happier School Nights” to provide parents with the tools to reduce the stress of homework for their children and themselves.

“I want parents and students to realize that we have this innate curiosity for learning,” concludes Shakeh. “We want to learn whether we’re four years old or 40. It’s part of human nature, and that’s what we have to tap into. We don’t need to force a child to learn. Once they’ve become calm and interested, they want to learn. Curiosity is there and no one can take that away.”

For more information about Axia Learning, call (818) 240-4044, or visit their website at www.axialearning.com.

Sep 22

Vanessa and the Kitten

This is a children’s story and a true story of how one child learned about responsibility.

“Oh, Dad, he’s so pretty!” Vanessa said, as she petted the new kitten. “This is the best birthday present ever.”

“I’m glad you like the kitten,” her father said. “Just remember our talk about being responsible. You’re promising to care for this kitten, and that includes cleaning up the kitten’s litter box on a daily basis.”

“I will Dad,” Vanessa replied, as she held the kitten in her arms and felt it purr.

Vanessa loved her new kitten and liked to watch him play in her room. Often he would stalk the plastic mouse she bought. She laughed whenever he pounced from a hiding place and attacked the toy. And for the rest of the summer, Vanessa kept her promise. She cared for the kitten by feeding him, made sure he had water, and cleaned the litter box every day. But as the school year began again, Vanessa found that managing school activities, friends, homework, and her chores at home was harder than she thought.

“Vanessa, Stephanie is inviting all her friends to the clubhouse this afternoon,” Natasha said excitedly, as they walked home from school. “The teacher didn’t give us much homework today. So, do you want to go?”

Vanessa liked the idea of seeing her friends after school, and Stephanie was one of her best friends. But she also remembered the promise she made to care for the kitten. She knew she had neglected cleaning the kitten’s litter box since school had started.

“I’d like to, but I need to do my chores,” Vanessa explained. “I promised Dad I’d be responsible and care for my kitten.”

“Oh, come on Vanessa,” Natasha pleaded. “You can do that later, or just do it real quick. Meet me at Stephanie’s house later, all right?

“Okay,” Vanessa agreed, as she turned onto her street and hurried home. Although she had told her father she would clean the kitten’s litter box every day, it was her least favorite chore. She hoped the task wouldn’t be too messy.

But when she saw the kitten’s box, she knew the job could not be done quickly. Dad had walked with her through the chore of taking care of the kitten properly. In addition to making sure the kitten had food and water, she had to scoop up the solid waste from the box. Then, she had to place it in a plastic waste bag and immediately take the bag out to the garbage can for pickup. Finally, she had to add fresh litter to the box to keep the room smelling good.

“I want to go play, but I have to clean up this mess first,” Vanessa said to the kitten napping on her bed. “And this litter box smells gross,” she added, pinching her nose.

As she glanced around the room, she saw something on her dresser and an idea flashed into her mind. Her aunt had given her a beautiful candle as a gift. The tag said it was rose scented, and if she held it close and sniffed, it smelled wonderful. She thought it might solve her problem if she only dared to light the candle. The candle’s scent would then cover the odor from the litter box and she could go play with her friends at the clubhouse.

It didn’t take long for her idea to go into action. Vanessa took a match from the kitchen and used it to light the candle. Then, she returned to the kitchen and carefully held the match under the faucet’s water to make sure it was put out. She knew that lighting the candle was wrong, but it would only take a few minutes for the candle’s scent to freshen the room’s air.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the back door. Vanessa’s guilt made her heart beat faster. Who could be at the door she wondered?

“Hi, Vanessa. Want to ride with me back to the clubhouse?” Stephanie said as she sat on a horse. It was a beautiful black horse with a white blaze on its face.

“Wow! Where did you get that horse?” asked Vanessa.

“It’s my cousin’s, but she let me ride it so I could come and pick you up. Walk over there by that tree so I can help you get up,” Stephanie directed her. “Now take my hand and pull yourself up behind me.”

Vanessa followed Stephanie’s instructions and sat on the horse with her. Her heart was beating fast again, but now for a different reason. She couldn’t wait to ride up to the clubhouse with Stephanie on a horse!

“Hold on!” Stephanie said as she gently clicked her tongue and the horse started across the lawn. It wasn’t long before the girls were riding down the road toward Stephanie’s house.

“Wait! Stop!” Vanessa shouted as Stephanie brought the horse to a halt.

“What’s the matter?” Stephanie asked.

“I’ve got to go back,” Vanessa said. “I’ve got to finish my chores.”

“Do you have to do it right now?” Stephanie asked again.

“Yes, I’ve got to go back,” Vanessa explained. “I didn’t clean the kitten’s box, so I lit a scented candle in my room. I forgot all about the candle when I saw you on the horse. I have to go back and put out the candle before it starts a fire. Besides, I promised my Dad that I would be responsible and take care of my kitten when he got it for me on my birthday. I have to go back.”

Vanessa realized now that she shouldn’t have listened to Natasha, and that listening to her suggestion and lighting the candle could have resulted in a big mistake. She remembered the Bible verse her dad read to her about true friends. “Some friends don’t help, but a true friend is closer than your own family” (Prov. 18:24 CEV). She hoped that Stephanie was a true friend and would understand her decision.

“That’s okay, Vanessa,” Stephanie said as she turned around in the saddle. “I’ll help you do your chores so you can ride back with me. Besides, it will give us more time to ride the horse, and maybe I can get him to go a little faster.”

Sep 22

Vanessa Goes to College

This is a children’s story and a true story of how a child learned to look forward to school.

“Daddy, you’re home!” Vanessa said as she jumped into Daddy’s arms. “I missed you. I wish I was big enough to go to college, too.”

“I missed you, too,” Daddy said.

“Wow! That’s quite a welcome. Maybe Daddy can take you with him on Friday,” said her mother as she glanced at him. “I know he only has one class this Friday, and I have an appointment that morning and can’t take you with me.”

“Well, I guess I could talk to my instructor and tell him that it’s a one-time event,” Father said. “Mr. Bennett is very nice and I’m sure he’ll understand, but I’m not promising that—”

“Oh, thank you, Daddy!” Vanessa interrupted as she hugged her father again.

“You’ll have to be very quiet though because the adults there are trying to learn,” Mother advised. “It would be a good idea to take along a coloring book because I think you’re going to be bored in Daddy’s class.”

Vanessa hurried to her room and began getting things ready for her first day of college. She collected some pencils, a small notebook, a purple pen with purple ink, a picture book about cats, and her favorite coloring book and crayons.

Every day Vanessa looked at her ‘college’ supplies in preparation for her first day at college. On Thursday, Vanessa’s mother helped her choose which outfit to wear. Finally, Friday arrived and Vanessa was so excited to see a college classroom.

“Now, remember, Mr. Bennett was nice to allow you to come today, so you must be quiet and not cause a disruption,” father cautioned.

“I’ll be so quiet nobody will even know that I’m there,” Vanessa said.

As Vanessa and her father entered the room, Mr. Bennett came over and greeted them.

“It looks like you’re ready for college,” Mr. Bennett smiled as he viewed Vanessa’s supplies. “I hope you like college, but I’m afraid our discussion will bore you.”

Silently, Vanessa sat down in an empty desk next to her father’s desk. She liked Mr. Bennett because he talked to her and he had a nice smile.

After everyone arrived, Mr. Bennett opened a book and began the lesson. Vanessa listened, but she couldn’t understand most of the lesson. Before long, she was bored.

Vanessa started to ‘read’ her book about cats. Then, she practiced writing her name in her notebook with her purple pen. The adults talked for a long time and she was glad her mother had suggested that she bring her coloring book and crayons.

Vanessa took out her crayons, but as she was coloring one of the pages, her box of crayons fell off the desk. As it hit the floor, some of the crayons spilled out and bounced right at Mr. Bennett’s feet.

Vanessa’s face turned red with embarrassment. She glanced at her father to see what she should do. Then, the whole class burst out in laughter. Vanessa felt like crying because she had promised she wouldn’t cause a disruption. As she began picking up the crayons, she saw Mr. Bennett. He smiled, knelt down, and began helping her gather the crayons.

“Don’t worry,” Mr. Bennett said. “I spill things all the time. Sometimes I even spill food on my tie.”

On the way home, Vanessa told Daddy she was sorry for spilling the crayons and making everyone laugh.

“That’s okay Vanessa. It really wasn’t your fault,” Daddy said. “And Mr. Bennett didn’t laugh at you. De did want Jesus would have done. He just knelt down and helped you collect your crayons.”

Later that afternoon, Vanessa’s mother asked her how her day at college went.

“You were right, Mom. It was boring,” Vanessa agreed. “But when I get old enough to go to college, I hope I have a teacher just like Mr. Bennett.”

Sep 22

How to Build a Homemade Miniature Golf Course

This is a sidebar to a children’s story titled “Construction Permit Needed” and is a true story of how two boys learned how a loving father teaches his children.
How to Build a Homemade Miniature Golf Course

Materials Needed:

A construction permit from a parent, grandparent or guardian.

A number of golf balls and golf clubs, preferably putters. (Most can be obtained at a reasonable cost at thrift stores.)

Hammer, nails, saw, and other tools, as needed. (Remember to ask permission to use someone else’s tools, too.)

Boards, rocks, bricks and/or concrete blocks, and other plastic or metal materials that could be used in constructing a miniature golf course.

Instructions:

You can build a miniature golf course almost anywhere, even if much of your back yard is composed of concrete or asphalt. Most of the fun in playing a miniature golf course is playing around or through the obstacles.

One easy obstacle to build is a ramp. The object is put a barrier between the tee (where that hole starts) and where the hole is located, and then build a ramp by which you can send the ball to reach the hole. A ramp could be as simple as a wide board with one end slightly elevated to allow the ball travel over the obstacle to reach the hole.

Another obstacle that can be built is by placing boards or bricks, blocks or rocks in a zig-zag or u-turn pattern leading from the tee to the hole, like one of the examples below.

≫⋑≪

An obstacle involving a tunnel, like the rain gutter in the story of Steve and Dave, can be made without removing a rain gutter from someone’s house. Any length of PVC pipe (2 inch inside diameter or larger) can be used, or any large diameter metal or plastic tubing can be used. You may need help from an adult if the pipe or tubing needs to be cut to the right length.

Use your imagination to make your miniature golf course unique. Place large plastic animals like dinosaurs, or vehicles like trucks near each hole and name them. Make your golf course have a Biblical theme by naming the holes for Bible characters. A good example might be using extra large material for its obstacle and name it “Goliath’s hole.” Be creative and have fun!

Sep 22

Construction Permit Needed

This is a children’s story.

“When you boys finish your lunch, I want you to play outside,” Mother told twelve-year-old Steve and ten-year-old Dave. “I’m going to be cleaning all the carpets and washing the kitchen floor, so I don’t want you guys tracking dirt back inside. And don’t forget to put your bikes back in the garage, not in the driveway, before your father gets home from work.”

“Okay, Mom,” Steve said as he finished eating his sandwich.

“Yeah, we will, Mom,” Dave added, spooning up the last of his soup.

Mother grinned and left the kitchen. When the boys finished their lunch and heard the vacuum cleaner start up, they put their dishes in the sink and ran toward the door.

“Come on!” Steve hollered at his younger brother. “Let’s go make a miniature golf course.”

The two boys raced for the back yard, bursting through the screen door into the sunshine. They stopped by the garage just long enough to pick up the tools they needed: hammer, saw nails and a length of pipe. Then, they dashed off to begin work.

“How are we going to make a golf course?” asked Dave, knowing that if it could be done, his brother would know how.

“We’ll just take those old golf clubs and golf balls in the basement and hit them around the course we build,” Steve answered matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, but how do we build it?” Dave persisted.

Steve had understood the original question, but wasn’t quite sure himself how to begin such a project. He had hoped to gain a few extra minutes so he could formulate a plan in his mind before Dave would ask for details.

“That’s easy,” he replied. “First, we make some holes for the balls to go in.” That much, Steve had already figured out, and he knew the rest would come to him as they worked.

“Here, this is a good place for the first hole,” Steve said as he handed the piece of pipe to Dave. “You hold the pipe while I hit it with the hammer.”

Dave gripped the pipe with both hands and closed his eyes, hoping his brother wouldn’t miss the pipe. Steve hammered the pipe into the ground and Dave pulled it out again, each time leaving a hole large enough to hold a baseball. Within a few minutes, they had made a dozen holes in various places on the back lawn.

“There! That’s it!” Steve declared. “Now, all we have to do is make some ramps and some traps and some obstacles for the ball to go around. Then, we’ll be done and we can play the course.”

“Are you sure Dad won’t get mad for making these holes in the yard?” Dave questioned.

“No. We’ll have such a neat miniature golf course that he’ll be proud of the work we’ve done,” Steve answered. “Besides, we can fill them in after we get through playing. Now, come on, let’s finish building this course so we can play it.”

Steve’s answer seemed to satisfy the younger boy for a time. Together they labored until they had constructed a circuit that would rival any homemade miniature golf course. Their layout consisted of mounds of earth, wooden ramps, rocks and other natural obstacles. One hole even had a tunnel of sorts, made from a rain gutter. Each hole was unique and offered a new challenge to the player.

“Boy, this is great!” Steve exclaimed happily. “Let’s go get the golf clubs so we can play it now.”

“I still don’t know if we should use that,” Dave warned pointing to the rain gutter on the seventh hole. “Dad might not like it because we took it off the house.”

“No, it’s okay,” Steve said. “We can put it back up easy. Besides, it was just hanging there ready to fall off anyway, and look, it’s not even going to rain.”

Steve had fired off three logical arguments to quiet his brother’s objections and his own conscience. Noticing that the arguments did not erase the question from his brother’s face, he decided to change the subject.

“You don’t have to play if you don’t want to, but I’m going to go get the clubs.” Steve turned and ran toward the house, calling back over his shoulder, “I’m first.”

Dave hesitated a moment longer before following, shouting, “I’m second!”

The afternoon passed quickly for the pair as they chased golf balls around the backyard maze. Even neighborhood friends stopped by to play the course, congratulating them on the success of their project. Suddenly, the game was halted by a voice at the back door.

“Daddy’s home. Come on in and wash up for—” Mother stood at the back door with her hands on her hips, scanning the back lawn, taking in the whole scene. “Daddy, you need to come here and see what these boys have done.”

The brothers froze in their tracks. Neighbor friends dropped their golf clubs and ran. A tall figure appeared in the doorway. Steve and Dave felt uneasy as their father walked toward them.

“Looks like you boys have been busy while I was at work,” Father remarked.

“We were going to put everything back when we finished,” Steve tried to explain.

Father frowned at the pair. Both boys began fidgeting with their clubs, silently admitting their error.

“We’re sorry, Dad,” Dave said, breaking the silence. “We should have asked first.”

“It’s my fault,” Steve confessed. “Dave said we should have asked, but I didn’t want to bother Mom because she was cleaning the house. Besides, I thought we could put it all back before you got home.”

“So, in other words, you didn’t get a construction permit before you started your project, right?” Father inquired.

The boys nodded in agreement.

“Well, I’ve got one other bone to pick with you boys,” Father added.

“You mean the rain gutter?” Steve asked, pointing to the improvised tunnel on the seventh hole.

“No, that would actually fall under the first problem of getting a construction permit,” Father said shaking his head. “I’m talking about the one thing that Mother said she reminded you to do at lunch.”

“Putting our bikes away and not leaving them in the driveway so you could park when you get home, right?” Dave acknowledged.

“Oh, yeah. We forgot,” Steve said, putting his head down. “We’re sorry.”

Father squatted down beside Steve and Dave. He put his arms around his sons and gave them a hug.

“You mean you’re not angry with us?” Dave asked.

“No, I’m not angry with you,” said Father. “But what you did was not okay. The rules we have for you boys are not hard to follow. They’re designed to help you grow up learning to follow instructions. The instructions your mother gave you were not hard and would have only taken a few minutes to complete.”

Father looked out over the back yard. He could see that they had worked hard on their project and were proud of what they had accomplished working together.

“I can see that you’ve put some real effort in making a great backyard golf course, and I can also see that you’re both sorry,” Father said admiringly. “The problem is that since you didn’t get a permit, you’re going to have to make some changes.”

“You mean, we don’t have to put it all back?” Dave asked.

“No, but you’ll have to make some changes,” Father said. “And, you understand that for any future projects, you have to get a construction permit first, okay?”

“Yeah, we will,” Steve said. “Thanks for letting us keep our golf course.”

Sep 21

Porn Star’s Memoir: ‘I Am Jennie’

Former Porn Star Credits Dr. Drew, PRC Staff For Changed Life
Porn Star’s Memoir Titled ‘I Am Jennie’

“Guys are gonna want one thing from you.” To young Jennie Ketcham’s ears, the advice from her father meant one thing: You can use your sexuality to control men.

So begins the early pages of Ketcham’s new book titled, “I am Jennie.” Entering the porn industry at the age of 18 as Penny Flame, Ketcham struggled with a variety of addictions for years. She checked into the Pasadena Recovery Center for sex addiction in April 2009 with the intention of disrupting the process, for publicity purposes.

“When I first went into PRC, it was to get attention and to get publicity,” states Ketcham. “My hope was to jettison my porn career into the upper stratosphere of porn stardom. But that’s not what happened at all. Thank God.”

Together with Dr. Drew Pinsky of PRC, Ketcham will discuss her highly-praised book on Wednesday, August 8, at 6:00 p.m. at the center. The public is invited and the event is free.

Aside from discussing her book, Ketcham says that going back to Pasadena Recovery Center is a way of giving credit to the people there who have helped her.

“My life today is really the result of PRC,” claims Ketcham. “It has opened the door for me to a new kind of living. My hope in returning there and speaking and sharing my story is that some people will identify with the feelings and thoughts I had when I was there and find hope.”

Only five days into treatment, Ketcham began to accept that she suffered from problems she needed to resolve. After completing her treatment at PRC, she entered a sober living facility and insists that Dr. Drew and the staff at PRC have given her a new life.

“Addiction is very difficult and when someone actually ends up in rehab, there’s often the feeling that this is it. There’s no life after this,” explains Ketcham. “I’d like to go back to PRC and express how great life is after rehab. I really want to open the door to a new life to the people who come to hear me.

“I think a lot of people get stuck wherever they are,” Ketcham says. “It doesn’t matter if it’s porn or drug use or a relationship or whatever, as human beings we tend to get into a lull. We get comfortable and it’s kind of like being in a chair and we have a lot of fear about changing.”

So what occurred in her life, or what was said, to make her start to make the change?

“Everybody was calling me Jennie, which is not a name that I had used since I began my porn career. I had only used the name Penny Flame,” Ketcham says. “As a result of them using my birth name, it really began to break down the walls that I didn’t even realize were there.

“I think what really started to shift was when they started to talk about what we were going to do outside of rehab and sober and to move forward,” continues Ketcham. “It started to occur to me that I had no marketable skills aside from selling sex. That was horrifying. It’s horrifying to wake up at 26 and realize that the only job I had ever had was as a waitress at Pizza Hut and a coffee bar, aside from selling drugs.

“I started to realize that I didn’t have any job skills and that I didn’t have any life skills either. I attribute the lack of life skills to the fact that I spent so much time in the industry. Toward the end of my stay there at PRC, we were talking about plans and it became glaringly obvious that going back to pornography was just not going to work. A lot of feelings started to come up and in the industry you can’t let feelings come up because it just doesn’t work.

“I was willing to do whatever it took to not go back into the industry,” explains Ketcham. “That is why I quit drinking. That is why I quit smoking weed. I changed my phone number. I changed where I lived. I went into my agency and quit in person. I took exhaustive measures because I was desperate to start a new life.”

The former porn star says she credits the entire staff at PRC with her changed life, but admits she has a special place in her heart for Dr. Drew. She says it was something Dr. Drew said that made her want to reach out and ask for help.

“It befuddles me that I should go in there with the intentions that I had,” Ketcham says. “It speaks incredible things about the power that recovery and the power of therapy and the power of these special people who working so hard, so selflessly to help people like me and change their lives. I didn’t even want to change my life until I got there. It just astounds me every day of my recovery.”

Pasadena Recovery Center is a unique treatment facility founded by the renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Lee Bloom. PRC is committed to the total care and treatment needs of the individual and the needs of family members. Their goal is to reintroduce sober individuals into society with the job and social skills necessary to lead meaningful, productive lives.

David Drew Pinsky, best known as Dr. Drew, is an American board-certified internist, addiction medicine specialist, and radio and television personality. He has hosted the nationally syndicated radio talk show Loveline since the show’s inception in 1984. On television, he hosts the talk show Dr. Drew on HLN, as well as the daytime series Lifechangers on the CW. A native of Pasadena, he earned his M.D. at the University of Southern California School of Medicine in 1984.

For more information about the Pasadena Recovery Center, call 626-345-9992, or visit their website at http://www.pasadenarecoverycenter.com.

Sep 21

Obscure Holidays to Consider

Obscure Holidays We Don’t Celebrate
(But It Might Be Fun If We Did)

Filipinos love to celebrate! Barely a week goes by when you hear about some event or festival being celebrated somewhere in the country. But I don’t think we celebrate enough!

Recently, I was noticing all the days and reasons that citizens of other countries celebrate. Some of them are significant, while others are almost ridiculous. After reading about some of them, I thought that perhaps we should adopt some of these occasions for ourselves.

The following is a list of some very unusual days, weeks, or months celebrated in other countries and why we should adopt those celebrations, too. In some cases, however, I found that it would never work here.

Umbrella Day is recognized on February 10 in some countries. The problem here is that we use umbrellas nearly every day during the rainy season. National Pig Day probably wouldn’t work here. Because it is part of the daily menu of many Filipinos, it would not be recognized as a significant day. Mosquito Day falls in August in some countries but, well, . . . I just don’t think it would work here.

On the other hand, Donut Day (June 1) would become a favorite for many here. Not only would it satisfy the sweet tooth of many Filipinos, it would be a boost to many bake shops. If company newsletters would remind bosses and supervisors that it is their responsibility to provide sweets for their employees, Donut Day would be a great success.

Positive Thinking Day (September 13) is another significant event that could quickly be adopted as a nationally recognized day in the Philippines. Positive thinking is already the mindset of true Filipinos and could only result in a more optimistic future for our country.

December 16 is recognized as National “Chocolate-Covered-Anything” Day in the U.S., and that is one day that every pinay would be happy to adopt. Like any good thing, however, some folks in this country might overdo it. If that case, we might find chocolate covered-hot dogs or chocolate-covered balot-pinoy in many restaurants. Yes, you can get too much a good thing.

There are also some very unusual international days that I’m not sure I will ever understand. August 24 is established as International Strange Music Day. Since we appreciate music and love to sing, I’m not sure this one would ever catch on in this country. Another strange one is International Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day recognized on September 19. Aargghh! It just doesn’t

make sense.

There are a whole bunch of unique day-long celebrations which may (or may not) work here. I’m talking about celebrations like Cheer Up the Lonely Day, Stick Out Your Tongue Day, Kiss and Make Up Day, Wiggle Your Toes Day, Wear Brown Shoes Day, and (one of my favorites) Play in the Sand Day.

There are even whole weeks or months set aside to commemorate people, places, or things. For instance: The first week of October is known as World Space Week, the first week of May is acknowledged as Be Kind to Animals Week, and for music lovers world-wide the second week of August is accepted as Elvis Week.

If you want to celebrate a whole month, try Hat Month or Rice Month, both in September; Write to a Friend Month, in December; and International Drum Month or Peanut Lover’s Month, both in November.

Three of my favorite obscure holidays happen in May. I’m talking about Kite Day, Limerick Day, and Dance-Like-A-Chicken Day.

No one really knows how Dance-Like-A-Chicken Day came to be celebrated, but it has been around long enough that it is now recognized in some countries every May 14. It’s one of those bizarre holidays where you wonder why anyone who would want to devote an entire day to dancing like a chicken.

As eccentric as it is, Dance-Like-A-Chicken Day has become a tradition, not only on May 14, but also at many wedding receptions. The custom is that, sometime after the traditional dance for the bride and groom, guests are invited to dance-like-a-chicken. It invites people of all ages to dance, act silly, and put a smile on their face.

May 12 is accepted as Kite Day. American school children are taught the story of Benjamin Franklin who used a kite during a storm to “discover” electricity. The rest of the world knows that the Chinese are believed to use kites for hundreds of years. I love to see children fly an assortment of kites, from traditional diamond-shaped kites to box kites to unconventional kites.

One of my favorite wacky days is Limerick Day. Also held on May 12, Limerick Day celebrates the birthday of poet Edward Lear. To properly observe Limerick Day, you must write your own. A limerick has five lines in which the last words of lines one, two, and five must rhyme. The last word of lines three and four must also rhyme.

Limericks should also describe an amusing or comical set of circumstances. Since Limerick Day and Kite Day share the same day, I wrote the following limerick as a tribute to both notable days.

A young man who thought he was bright,
Would argue from morning ‘til night.
When he crawled into bed,
“Let’s be loving” he said,
But his wife answered, “Go fly a kite.”

Sep 21

A Restaurant With a Split Personality

Big Daddy’s Fire Grill Thriving,
2^nd Site Planned Near Hospital

What do you call a restaurant that’s part good prices, part sports-oriented, part gourmet, part fast- food and part sit-down? You might think it’s a restaurant with a split personality, but folks in Pasadena just call it Big Daddy’s Fire Grill.

“We’re all of that and more,” states Stephanie Constanzo, Marketing Director of the Restaurant and Big Daddy’s daughter. “People thought we were crazy to open next to In-and-Out Burger, but we’re doing very, very well.”

Now, less than a year old, Big Daddy’s ownership is set to open a second, larger restaurant. This one is directly opposite HuntingtonMemorialHospital in a very busy shopping center.

“It’s at least twice as big as our original location,” says Constanzo. “It’s a great location. The freeway is right there. The hospital is right there. We took out the drop ceiling that was in there and it looks great. We’ll be opening it around October 1^st.”

Opened in November 2011, Big Daddy’s opened next door to the hamburger kingdom, but distinguished itself by offering good taste and good prices.

“The first thing that distinguishes us from other restaurants is that we cook on an open grill,” Constanzo explains. “We use 100 percent oak; no propane, no charcoal. It gives us a real smoky flavor. Another thing is that we marinate all our meat overnight. Every day we go shopping so everything is very, very fresh. We’re going to be extending our menu to include chicken wings.”

So how did this idea of a new hamburger restaurant get started? What possessed Big Daddy to venture into the restaurant business?

“It all started when my dad used to make these great burgers on the grill in the back yard for our family,” Constanzo simplifies. “I used to say, ‘I want a daddy burger.’ It was just a family thing, but people would say, ‘You should open a restaurant.’ So, one day, he just said, ‘Let’s give it a shot.’ He joined up with two friends, and the three of them created this restaurant.

“The thing we keep hearing from people is that Big Daddy’s is the best burger they’ve ever had,” she continues. “They’ve never experienced such full flavor from a fast food restaurant before. They get a bold rich flavor from our burgers. People are used to patties, but we marinate our meat, we spark it up.”

So, what’s in the future for Big Daddy’s? Besides a second location in Pasadena, where do they go from here?

“We want to open as many as we can handle,” says Constanzo. “I’m already looking at another location we want to open before the end of this year. That’s not set in stone yet, but we want to bring Big Daddy to very state. We want to keep our quality and great customer service, and be the next big thing at the same time.

“We’re new, but we’re learning and we’re getting better every single day. We’re here to stay and we want to serve everyone and make sure they are happy every time they take a bite of Big Daddy’s burgers,” concludes Constanzo.

Big Daddy’s Fire Grill is located at 2122 E. Foothill Blvd. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10:30 a.m. to 12 midnight Friday and Saturday. Visit their website to view their menu at: www.bigdaddysfiregrill.com.

Sep 21

Don’t Forget the Peach Cobbler Dessert

American Cuisine With Southern Flair
Served at Mama Claire’s Restaurant

Got a hankerin’ for some good ol’ fashioned country fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans and sweet potato pie for dessert? Well, I reckon you won’t have to go far.

The place to go is Mama Claire’s Restaurant, located at 456 E. Orange Grove Boulevard, Suite 100, in Pasadena.

“I have a passion for cooking and it started when I was ten years old,” explains Claressa Black, owner of the restaurant, and known by everyone as Mama Claire. “While the other kids would go out to play, I’d stay in the kitchen and watch my mother cook. I was just in awe of my mother, her food, and how she did it.”

Mama Claire says the cuisine is American with a Southern flair. Born in L.A. and raised in Pasadena, Mama Claire admits that she inherited the Southern hospitality from her mother, who was born in Tennessee.

“American cuisine is sometimes called Soul food, because you cook from your soul and you don’t measure a lot,” says Mama Claire. “I was a single parent and times were hard. Sometimes I would go into the kitchen, look around in the cupboard and the freezer and think, ‘What can I put together to cook?’”

Mama Claire’s Restaurant is a family business and open to serve seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“My oldest daughter helps me run the restaurant, and I have two other daughters who work as servers and hostesses,” Mama Claire states. “ I’ve just always fed everyone as I was growing up and perfected everything on the menu with my own recipes.”

The menu includes items like Drop Top Burgers. These are Mama Claire’s unique sandwiches made of ground beef (or your choice of ground turkey), on a French roll with spicy peppers and melted cheeses, and served with seasoned fries or fresh fruit. Other favorites include Mama Claire’s meat loaf, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans.

“We also have delicious lobster bisque, which consists of lobster, shrimp, crab, and scallops,” says Mama Claire. “And one of the things we sell out almost every day is our delicious peach cobbler.”

Lots of parking is available at Mama Claire’s Restaurant, both on the street and in the garage behind the building. Catering is also available for groups large or small. You can reach Mama Claire’s by calling (626) 792-2257, or you can visit their website at www.mamaclaires.com.

Sep 21

Be a Star & Keep Bucks Local

Charlie’s Coffee House Offers
Convenience, Local Brewed Java

You’re headed for the freeway, but before you drive to L.A. you need a cup of caffeine to keep you awake. Why not try a locally-owned coffee house where everything is local, so the money stays here?

Charlie’s Coffee House, located in South Pasadena near the entry to Arroyo Seco Parkway, is what you need.

“We’re very close to the freeway so there’s easy access to LA,” says Kelly Margrave, owner of Charlie’s. “We brew and serve fresh, locally-roasted Jameson Brown Coffee daily. In fact, everything we sell is from local vendors.”

Charlie’s is the brainchild of Kelly Margrave, a lady who’s been in the coffee business since 1999. This shop, opened in December 2010, has been the culmination of years of planning, expertise, and pure, caffeinated passion.

“We’re in a residential area, a very quiet environment, much less busy than Starbucks,” says Margrave. “We have comfortable seating, a TV, and a study area upstairs. We donate money back to South Pasadena. Ten percent of sales goes back to schools, and other organizations.”

Open 7 days a week from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m., Charlie’s Coffee House is the perfect place to stop and get your morning buzz, afternoon pick-me-up, or cool midday refreshment, nestled in the heart of beautiful South Pasadena.

Located at 266 Monterey Road, Suite A, South Pasadena, Charlie’s Coffee House can be reached by calling (323) 474-6753 or visit their website at www.charliescoffeehouse.com.

Sep 21

Treasure Sage Restaurant’s Taste

A Tantalizing Treasure Of Taste
Awaits You At Sage Restaurant

Call it New American Cookery or call it California Cuisine, but there’s a tony restaurant in Newport Beach that you may not have heard about. Whatever you call it, Sage Restaurant will truly tantalize your tongue and treat your tummy to a true treasure of taste.

Sage Restaurant is a neighborhood restaurant located inside the EastBluffShopping Center in Newport Beach. Chef Rich Mead and is staff combine texture, color, and farm-fresh flavor, directly from local growers whenever possible, to produce a unique restaurant.

Only a 60-minute drive from Pasadena, Sage Restaurant offers a great dinner get-away location. It has indoor seating that’s bright and cheery, a bar, and an outdoor patio that filled with green garden umbrellas and high bougainvillea vines and hibiscus hedges. Comfortable, friendly, inviting, the entire feel is like that of a large pool house at a grand estate.

“We’ve been here 15 years,” states Chef Mead. “We started the garden and it has evolved into just what it is. We’ve been using a lot of local farms. It’s kind of a rustic California food. We use peaches, cantaloupe, grapes, apples, strawberries, and blueberries, almost all locally grown.”

So what can you expect at Sage restaurant? Get ready and we’ll give you a small taste of the menu at a recent visit.

You start off with a plate of fresh fruit. The chef knows the names of almost every supplier he deals with and, as mention before, he buys locally. You also get a basket full of bread, scones, mini-muffins, pieces of coffee cake, all made in-house. You will also have a delicious Mimosa; a very refreshing beverage on a Sunday afternoon.

Next, you will delight in Blue Crab Spring Rolls with green papaya salad and spicy Dijon dipping sauce. The rolls are definitely full of tasty crab, not skimpy. The Dijon is very spicy, definitely fiery. You will also enjoy a Chopped Grilled Vegetable Salad: chopped mixed lettuce, balsamic grilled vegetables, feta cheese, and avocado with red wine Dijon vinaigrette.

You will agree (actually rave to your friends) that this salad is absolutely, bar none, one of the best things you’ve ever eaten. It is scrumptious. Not cold, slightly warm, like the vegetables just off the grill, you’ll really taste that grilled, smoky taste, along with the salty feta cheese. With more vegetables than lettuce, you’ll really be eating a medley of beautiful summer vegetables. Oh, yeah, and there’s some grilled fresh sweet corn in there, too. How many ways can you say “delicious”?

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, they deliver a plate of Salmon Cache and Eggs: salmon, melted leeks and mushrooms, crispy potato hash browns, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. Wow! The very thin hash brown is covered with melted leeks, almost caramelized. The mushrooms are not-your-average-every-day mushrooms; very savory. A treat to your eyes as well as your mouth, the poached eggs are beautiful. Squares of salmon, nicely sautéed, topped with Hollandaise sauce, and finished off with a white Chardonnay, will make you say, “Life is very good.”

The last item on your menu is Abraham’s Three-Meat Chili Omelet: cheddar cheese, red onions, crème fresh, and home-fried potatoes. It’s a very cheesy omelet topped with a very mild meaty chili. Not your traditional fried potatoes, are included, smashed potatoes, onions and green peppers, fried, turned over and crusted on the other side. This last item may be too much for you to enjoy on a single visit.

One would never guess, after experiencing the excellence of Chef Mead’s cuisine, that he was once paper-pusher for the IRS. When offered the opportunity to get into the restaurant business, he jumped at the chance. Now, years later, you can’t imagine he’s never done anything else.

“I love food and I love to cook and how it connects people,” says Chef Mead. “For me, it’s a very creative thing and it’s fun. People come in here to be comfortable and, in the end, it’s the food and the ambiance.”

Lunch and dinner menus are updated daily to reflect local produce procured weekly at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market. Sage Restaurant is open Monday through Saturday form 11:30 a.m. for lunch and from 5:30 p.m. for dinner. On Sundays, it is open for brunch from 10:30 a.m. and from 5:30 p.m. for dinner.

Located at 2531 Eastbluff Drive in Newport Beach, call 949-718-9650 or visit their website at www.sagerestaurant.com.

Sep 21

Fabulous Food Awaits You at Balboa Bay Club

Superb Service, Fabulous Food Await
Pasadena Families At Balboa Bay Club

The good news is that this summer you don’t have to have a 60-meter, ocean-going, luxury super yacht to put into port at the BBC (the Balboa Bay Club as old-times used to call it). And there’s no bad news because now, under its new management, the doors have been thrown open and any landlubber can stroll inside the posh interior to have superb service and a wonderful weekend whether your yacht is docked outside or not.

The tony bayside club and resort, first founded in 1948 as a private beach club, is now transformed into a 160-room bayside resort hotel, which includes a 130-slip marina right along Newport Beach harbor. With its First Cabin Restaurant and the infamous Duke’s Place Bar, the club is a very relaxing, luxurious spot to watch the sun sink down over the bay as you sip your margaritas and old fashions.

You’re less likely see Jerry Seinfeld and Jim Carey the way the club used to sport so many celebrities. But still, the level of service, attention to detail and food is fabulous.

The resort is located right along BalboaBay with a fantastic view of sailboats and boats of all kinds coming in and out of the bay and going out to sea. It’s right across the water from the Balboa peninsula with the town of Balboa and all its cute restaurants and shops, and it’s very close to Fashion Island where you can shop at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus if you so desire.

The BBC is the perfect place to make a home base on a “staycation” weekend where you can visit major restaurants, shopping malls and beaches in OrangeCounty. Or you can just sit out on your balcony at the BBC, have some room service brought to your room, and watch the beautiful yachts come in and out of the water.

Downstairs there’s a private beach for the children and there’s Duke’s Bar for a little food and grog in the afternoon. At evening, there’s the fabulous First Cabin Restaurant which really brings to life that clubby, old world service that one used to feel in clubs many, many years ago.

We were really treated not only to special food, but to extremely high-quality, simply-prepared, absolutely delicious fare. Our waiter, who no doubt in his decades of service at the club, has provided service to many celebrities and possibly even U.S. presidents, was a very dignified, philosophical fellow who made our meal that much more enjoyable.

In fact, everything about the BBC is relaxed, comfortable and club-like, not ostentatious, not snooty, but comfortable and friendly, the way a club should be. Even though we weren’t members, and we went as members of the public, we felt right at-home and treated really, really well by the staff. The staff loves it there clearly, and it was obvious.

We spent most of our time walking up and down the waterfront looking in at weddings that were happening throughout the facility, watching kids playing at the little private beach and, of course, yacht watching is a favorite hobby.

The facility had been owned by Beverly Ray since 1991 and was sold as recently as June 2012 to Richard and Donna Pickup and family members. Management is making a real effort to introduce the club to the public and it makes for a great staycation for Southern Californians who have floated by the club, but had never really been inside. Now is the time.

Sep 21

Graduate to the 2012 Altima Sedan 2.5 SL

Graduate to Practicality, Style
With 2012 Altima Sedan 2.5 SL

There comes a time to graduate in your life. At 5 or 6 we graduate from a tricycle to a bicycle (or at least take the training wheels off). As we graduate from college and get our first good-paying job, we graduate from borrowing Mom’s old station wagon to a sporty, comfortable car that fits our lifestyle.

But sooner or later we all graduate to that point in our life where we feel the need to exchange a trendy, fun-to-drive vehicle for a set of wheels that is more practical. Right? But what if you didn’t have to sacrifice stylish fun for a useful no-nonsense automobile?

The 2012 Altima Sedan 2.5 SL does exactly that. Yes, you don’t see as many Altimas on the road as you see Camrys or Accords. But hey, isn’t that a good thing?

The Altima has a distinctive contour, and the four-door sedan delivers one of the best-looking mid-size cars on the road. A handful details to its silhouette highlight the well-proportioned carriage, and its down-to-earth interior maintains the Altima looking clean and bright inside.

The front-wheel-drive 2012 Nissan Altima can be had with one of two engines, but for this review we chose to focus on the 2.5-liter four-cylinder that delivers 175 hp. The continuously variable automatic (CVT) transmission is standard on the sedans. EPA-estimated fuel economy for the 2.5-liter engine is 23 mpg city/32 mpg highway and 27 mpg combined with the CVT.

Standard on the Altima Sedan is a keyless entry and pushbutton start, air conditioning, 16-inch wheels, intermittent wipers, and power windows/locks/mirrors. All 2012 Nissan Altimas also come standard with antilock brakes, stability and traction control, front seat side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags that cover both rows.

The Altima is one of the best choices in the midsize category, even though competitors offer newer designs. The 2.5 SL package for the sedan adds leather upholstery, heated front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and rear A/C vents.

Is the 2012 Nissan Altima Sedan 2.5 SL right for you? It all depends on your expectations. Its 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is lively and should be more than adequate for all but the pickiest consumers. The CVT delivers a smooth, responsive performance, and Altima provides a quality ride with decent fuel averages.

If you’re looking for good-looking mid-size sedan with style and practicality, look no farther than the 2012 Altima Sedan 2.5 SL. The bottom line is that it is one of the best-looking, sporty mid-size vehicles on the road.

Sep 21

Superior Review For 2012 Dodge Journey

2012 Dodge Journey: Superior Review,
Specifically the 3.6L V-6 AWD Crew

If you like the room and versatility of many mini-vans (but don’t want to be seen driving one), and driving some large SUVs feels somewhere between driving a tank and a monster truck, the 2012 Dodge Journey Crew may be the answer to your prayers.

This year Dodge is making 4 models available to consumers: the 2.4L AVP (American Value Package) with front-wheel drive, the 3.6L AWD (All-Wheel Drive) SXT, the 3.6L AWD Crew, and the 3.6L AWD R/T. For this review we looked at the Crew because it has AWD, includes a number of options as standard, and still comes in slightly over $28,000.

Under the Hood

Engineered for the average commuter, the Crew delivers good mpg (rated at 16 Hwy/24 City) and provides a strong 3.6-liter V6, which pumps out 283 horsepower. Combined with a 6-speed automatic transmission and All-Wheel Drive, the Journey Crew records a better than average track time for its class.

Driving Matters

The 3.L engine of the Crew delivers persuasive, robust power with a polished ride and confident handling. While it looks like a SUV, it handles more like a sedan, and that’s good. Changes to the Journey’s suspension and steering transformed the driving experience to a pleasure for the commuter.

Favorite Features

One of the best features of the Journey is its clever, in-floor storage bins. The bins behind the front seats can accommodate whatever else you can put in there, including up to a dozen 12-ounce cans and ice. They also have locking lids and can be removed for easy cleaning.

Standard Equipment

Every 2012 Dodge Journey comes standard with antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, active front head restraints, front side airbags, and side curtain airbags. The Crew also has iPod input, Bluetooth, Satellite Radio, and DVD player. Third-row seats and a navigation system are optional.

Overall

Taken as a whole, the 2012 Journey Crew gets a very favorable rating. KBB Expert rates it as 6.6 out of 10 and Consumer rates it at 6.7. That brings it up to par in comparison to the Honda Pilot, which is rated at 6.9. At a price of $28,195, the Crew gets a thumbs up from commuters.

Sep 21

Traditional Jeep Liberty Going, Going . . .

‘Real’ 4X4 Off-Road Capability Still
Exists For 2012 Limited Jet Edition

The times, they are a changing. Even at Jeep. This year, 2012, may be your last chance to buy a “real” Jeep Liberty Limited Jet Edition with “real” 4X4 off-road capability, not a “feel good” luxury SUV that doesn’t like to get dirty.

That change will take place when Jeep replaces it with a Fiat-based vehicle in 2013. That shift will most likely give up some off-road capabilities and some Jeep critics say the Liberty doesn’t look like a modern vehicle. But for those who like things the way they are, next year’s change may be the start of making your own change keeping a traditional off-road Jeep vehicle.

For 2012, Jeep Liberty remains faithful to its well-known 4×4 legacy by offering two Jeep Trail Rated® four-wheel-drive systems. One is the Command-Trac II® with the traditional 4WD configuration. Command-Trac II operates in 2WD, 4WD Lock, 4 WD Low and Neutral. The optional Selec-Trac II® is a full-time, active on-demand four-wheel-drive system. Select-Trac II operates in 2WD, 4WD Auto, 4WD Low and Neutral.

A 3.7-liter V-6 engine is standard on all Jeep Liberty models. The 3.7-liter engine produces 210 horsepower (157 kW) @ 5,200 rpm and 235 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,000 rpm. The MPG range is listed as 16 city, 22 highway, and 17 combined.

Exterior features that 4X4 enthusiasts like include the 20-inch polished aluminum wheels and P245/50R20 all-season tires on the Liberty Limited Jet Edition. Inside, it blows its own horn with a nine-speaker first-class audio system. For some who want a few creature comforts even when they’re off-road, will enjoy the available Dark Slate Gray leather seating, heated front seats, and one-touch up/down power windows.

Other standard features on the Liberty include stability and traction control, rear wiper, tire pressure monitoring system w/display, air conditioning, and 60/40 split folding rear seats. In addition to the 20-inch wheels, fog lamps, black headlamp bezels, and deep tint sunscreen glass provide that rugged look.

One extra bonus on the Liberty Limited Jet Edition, that is an industry exclusive, is Jeep’s Sky Slider® full-length open-canvas roof. It gives the Liberty that “go-out-there-and-have-fun-in-the-open-air” that remains a Jeep brand experience. 2012 Jeep Liberty models are available with color offerings of Mineral Gray Metallic, Canyon Brown Pearl, Rescue Green Pearl, True Blue Pearl and Black Forest Green Pearl.

If you’re looking for a vehicle that does more than transport you in the daily boring (and often unfriendly) commute, check out the Jeep Liberty Limited Jet Edition. It’s a vehicle that can take you from the daily drag and deliver, even when you encounter a freak storm or “accidentally” take the wrong turn.

Sep 21

Mercedes Doesn’t Make Many Changes in 2012

Mercedes Doesn’t Make Many Changes
With The 2012 C350 5-Passenger Sedan
But Why Fix Something That’s Not Broken?

If you’ve always enjoyed sitting behind the wheel of a C350 Sedan . . . If you appreciate the abundant power and strength of the Benz’ 3.5-liter V6 . . . If you enjoy commanding control and smoothness of a Mercedes’ automatic transmission, don’t worry. The current generation of Mercedes’ C-Class has the right combination and the 2012 makes only modest changes.

The overall profile hasn’t been changed. Only the headlights are restyled and now include LED turn signals. Alterations to the back are even more astute, including LED taillights. Also easily overlooked are the modified controls on the radio and air conditioning.

Not as easily observed are the new seven-speed transmission and the direct injection of its 3.5-liter V6. The 7-speed automatic effortlessly evenly muscles the rear wheels. The direct injection can push the horsepower to 301. EPA fuel estimates in the 5-Passenger Sedan stay a respectable 18 MPG in the city, 30 on the highway, and 22-25 overall.

Previously, some driving helps were only available on luxurious Benzes. Now listed on the C’s option list are Blind Spot Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive High Beam Assist, Brake Assist and Parktronic. Depending on your choices, the 2012 Mercedes C350 5-Passenger Sedan will cost you anywhere from the mid-30s to the mid-50s.

The C-Class has always brought potent maneuvering and the feel of luxury to drivers who did not want to fork over the extra money for a full-size S-Class or a mid-size E-Class. As with any Mercedes C-Class, you will not be disappointed with the looks, handling, power, or luxury of the 2012 C350 5-Passenger Sedan.

Sep 21

2012 Rogue: Perfect for Commuters

2012 Rogue SL FWD Combines
Looks, Drive & Fuel Economy

Unless you live in the mountains, or you have a crowd of kids (and their gear) that you regularly transport to sporting events, the 2012 Nissan Rogue SL FWD is a great CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle). Riding the line between a wagon and a small SUV, the 2012 Rogue is great for those who need more room than a conventional 5-door car provides. It’s perfect for commuters who don’t want to comfort, fuel economy or affordability.

The 2012 Nissan Rogue is powered by a fuel-efficient 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 170 HP. EPA estimates for the Rogue ranges from 23 mpg in the city to 28 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined. It is backed by a 3 year/36,000-mile warranty.

The Rogue comes standard with FWD and Xtronic CVT automatic transmission. The CVT is a gearless transmission, but it imitates a standard transmission while still providing a smooth and consistent drive with good fuel economy under most driving conditions. Antilock disc brakes, stability control, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and active front head restraints also come standard.

Nissan also gives the Rogue a healthy serving of standard and available features such as 17-inch alloy wheels, rearview monitor, keyless entry, hands-free phone capabilities, heated seats, satellite radio, and navigation. The Rogue’s glove compartment can fit up to 34 CDs, a nice feature for those who travel with a large music collection.

At a price of about $25,000, Nissan showcases their design and engineering in the Rogue delivering a smooth drive that’s really fun to drive. It also has one of the nicest interiors of any compact crossover with comfortable seats, intuitive controls and high-quality materials. It’s a strong contender for anyone considering a CUV for their commuting needs.

Sep 21

2012 Pathfinder: The Last of Its Breed?

2012 Nissan Pathfinder LE 4X4
Might Be The Last Of Its Breed

The 2012 Nissan Pathfinder LE 4X4 is going the way of many 4-Wheel SUVs—away from their 4X4 roots (I’m thinking like Jeeps) and gravitating to the commuter’s expectations. By that I mean the 2013 will have more of the feel and handling of a car than an off-road truck.

So if you love the off-road capabilities of the Pathfinder more than the poor fuel economy, you’d better buy one now. The 2013 version will pay more attention to the luxury trimmings and fuel economy and will likely be lacking in real off-road potential.

The Pathfinder 4X4 drives and rides like a truck, but some expect a better ride for the $42,000 sticker price. That’s probably because most commuters never really use the 4X4 abilities of the Pathfinder for more than to drive up a hilly driveway twice a year to visit eccentric Aunt Mildred.

With a 4.0-liter DOHC V-6, the Pathfinder delivers 266 horses. If you want an extra 44 horses, you can opt for the 5.6-liter V-8, but then you’ll likely get less than the MPG you’ll get with the V-6. Fuel economy listed is 14 for city miles, 20 for highway miles, and 16 mpg combined.

Although the Pathfinder is box-like, it does deliver the goods; up to 6,000 lbs. of towing power. With up to seven adults (small ones in the third seat), and plenty of cargo space in the back, this Nissan can transport whatever you need over almost any road (even when there’s no road).

Standard features on the 2012 Pathfinder LE include tire pressure monitoring system, heated front seats, 40/20/40-split folding second row, reclining second row seats, 50/50-split folding third row, heated steering wheel, cruise control, Bluetooth, power moon roof automatic dual zone climate control, tilt steering column, fog lights, automatic headlights, side running boards, and splashguards.

When Nissan makes Pathfinder’s transformation into a crossover in 2013 models, commuter consumers will probably not mind getting a few more miles per gallon if the ride is smoother and less truck-like. At around $42,000, it’s one of the better true “off-road capable” SUVs still on the market.

Sep 21

2012 VW Offers New Lower Sticker Price

Lower Sticker Price May Interest You
In German-Engineered 2012 VW Passat

If you’re looking to purchase a German-built, German-engineered car less than a comparable Japanese or Asian vehicle, you persistence has paid off. It’s the 2012 VW Passat 2.5-litter SE.

VW begins by capturing American consumers’ interests in a sticker price of only $19,995. However, adding $1,100 for an automatic transmission instead of the 6-speed manual puts you over the $21,000 mark.

The SE package, which includes 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome exterior trim, heated seats, satellite radio, touch-screen audio interface, trip computer, and a few other items, shoots the price to well over $24,000. Once disparities are adjusted, the slightly higher price of the Passat is only about $1,500, but that’s for a German-engineered car.

If you were looking for an 8-way power driver’s seat, you’ll have to settle for a-way seat, but if you’re looking for lots of legroom, you won’t be disappointed. The Passat’s headroom and legroom are sufficient to satisfy the requirements of all but aNBA basketball center. There’s plenty of room for equipment since the trunk is spacious and the rear seat folds to expand it.

Once you make the decision for the Passat, you get a front-wheel-drive 2.5-liter inline-5 engine with 170 horsepower. EPA estimated fuel economy for the manual transmission stands at 22 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined. With the automatic, the EPA estimates drop only slightly to 22/31/25.

Standard safety features include antilock brakes, traction and stability control, front side airbags, and side curtain airbags. A new feature in the Passat, called Intelligent Crash Response, automatically cuts off the fuel supply in the event of a crash, and unlocks the doors and turns on the hazard flashers.

If you hesitated buying a VW out of a patriotic sense of duty, you don’t have to wait any longer. The 2012 VW Passat 2.5-liter is now produced in Tennessee. With a lower base price than the 2012 Passat, a roomier interior, and good EPA fuel economy, there’s no longer any reason to keep you from buying that classy European sedan you’ve always wanted.

Sep 21

2012 Nissan Maxima’s Premium Tech Package

2012 Maxima SV With Premium Tech Package
Makes Driving Enjoyable, Keeps Geeks Happy

Do you like driving a car that has all the new gadgets? I’m not talking about power locks, cruise control, heated seats, and dual-zone climate control. I’m talking about automatic tire pressure monitoring, push-button start, traction control, and a backup camera.

You like all those things, but you want to buy a car that has some technology that is unique. Try the 2012 Nissan Maxima SV with the Premium Tech Package. It’s full of technology, as well as a few things that are “out-of-the-norm.”

One of the most exceptional items in Maxima’s Premium Tech Package is the Nissan Hard Drive Navigational System with 7.0” VGA touch-screen monitor and voice recognition. The navigation system’s map display uses a muted color scheme and some 3-D representation of landmarks.

Other technology gadgets in the tech package that true geeks are hard to resist include Streaming audio via Bluetooth wireless technology, DVD video playback capability, and a 6-CD changer. Standard tech features on the Maxima include Satellite radio, keyless ignition, and Bose audio system with two subwoofers.

If that’s still not enough technology for you, add HID Xenon headlights, a dual panel moonroof with power sunshades, heated front seats with climate-controlled driver’s seat, heated exterior mirrors, a 7-inch monitor with rearview camera and USB port. The list of geek gadgets will bring a smile to any nerds face.

Speaking of the rear view camera on the Maxima, it provides a green/yellow/red delineator for distance, and also records steering input and shows where the car is heading. This is especially helpful for parallel parking. The auto-tilt side mirrors help too, tilting down when the car is put into reverse, giving you a better perspective of what’s next to you.

The base price of the 2012 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV is $35,210. If you add the Premium package and the Technology Package, you’ll be closer to $41,000. That’s not too bad for a sedan as sleek and classy-looking as the Maxima with a 3.5-liter V6, a CVT automatic, and fuel economy listed as 19 in the city, 26 on the highway, and 22 combined.

If all this talk about the Maxima SV doesn’t drive you crazy, putting you behind the wheel and feeling the smooth, responsive handling of a Maxima may convince you to buy one. By the way, did I mention that when you put your foot on the brake pedal and push the start button, it brings the cockpit to life, turns on the infotainment system, and fires up the V6 powerplant?

On the whole, the Maxima is one of the sportiest front-drive sedan on the road. It’s fun to drive and, even when you’re not driving, it’s fun to play with all those gadgets.

Sep 21

Not Leading the Pack, But Still Competitive

2012 Mitsubishi Lancer GT Provides
Comfort, Mid-Range Fuel Economy

Being the leader of the pack is hard to be. Even harder is it to maintain a standing in a pack that is loaded with sedans. Unfortunately for Mitsubishi, the Lancer has had a hard time advancing from the back of the pack. The Lancer GT provides some improvement to its standing in the pack, but not enough to become a leader.

Once upon a time, if you owned an economy sedan, you had to be content with a dull and lifeless driving experience. Fortunately for drivers, there is an abundance of vehicles that combine driving excitement and distinctive styling, but alas, for Mitsubishi, it is no longer unique.

One of the drawbacks that have kept Mitsubishi Lancer unnoticed in the pack is the base 2.0-liter engine, which is deficient in power. The 2.4L helps, but not enough to make a real difference, and the penalty is in fuel economy.

Speaking of fuel economy, the Lancer GT gets an EPA rating of 23 mpg in the city, 30 mpg in highway use, and 26 combined with the automatic. Of course, that’s an estimate, so your driving habits will determine your real mpg.

Another drawback is that the GT is only front-wheel drive, not AWD. The optional CVT features manual type with simulated gear ratios controlled by shift paddles on the steering wheel. AWD and a CVT are optional on the GT.

Standard on the Lancer GT are automatic headlights, a tilt-only steering wheel, full power accessories, a trip computer and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player. The GT also adds chrome exterior accents, air-conditioning, cruise control, keyless entry, upgraded cloth upholstery, a 60/40-split rear seat, front and rear center armrests, a height-adjustable driver seat, steering-wheel audio controls and an auxiliary audio jack.

Included in the GT package are 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, keyless ignition/entry, automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a rearview camera, Bluetooth and a six-speaker sound system with a USB jack.

A Touring package is also available for GT which features xenon headlights, a sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, leather seats and a nine-speaker Rockford Fosgate sound system with an in-dash six-CD changer and satellite radio. Also optional on GT is a navigation system that features a 40GB hard drive capable of storing digital music files and a larger rearview camera monitor.

Front-seat side airbags, full-length head curtain airbags, and a driver knee airbag are standard safety features on the Lancer GT. Antilock brakes, stability control, and four-wheel disc brakes are also part of the GT package.

Comfort and subtle style are part of the Lancer GT’s interior. Its suspension responds to fun, spirited driving and agile cornering. It’s quiet and smooth on the freeway. Overall, it’s a fun vehicle to drive. If you don’t need AWD, the Lancer GT is a convincing value for its price of only about $20,000.

Sep 21

Hyundai Hits That Magic Number

2012 Elantra GLS Offers Price,
Quality & Great Fuel Economy

For the past 20 plus years, if you wanted a reliable, quality vehicle with style and good fuel economy at a reasonable price, you had to look at Japanese cars, namely Honda or Toyota (maybe Nissan). Now a Korean manufacturer has not only entered the arena, it stands out as it reaches that magic 40 mpg number. That car is the Hyundai Elantra.

Good looks and 40 mpg are just a couple of the reasons you may want to consider an Elantra. Here are some facts you may want to contemplate. All Elantra models come with a 148-HP 1.8L 4-cyl engine that gets 29 mpg with city use and 40 mpg on the highway. Even base models of the Elantra come with standard remote keyless entry, as well as a USB and iPod hookup.

With plenty of pep to get you around town, the Elantra comes with either a 6-speed manual or automatic. For 2012, the automatic transmission will cost you extra, but it still boasts 38-mpg on the highway. The manual makes Elantra the unrivalled champion in its class.

With a base price of just a smidgen over $15,000, the Elantra GLS stands out as one of the most reasonably priced compact cars on the market. If you must have air conditioning, then you’ll have to add on a $1,250 Comfort Package, which also includes cruise control, a telescopic steering wheel and 16-inch steel wheels.

A GLS with all the goodies will bring you back to well over $18,800. While that means it’s no longer the fantastic steal price you thought it once was, but then you remember that it gets 40 mpg and that is fantastic.

In driving impressions, the Elantra gets an E. An E for effortless and efficient acceleration, for excellent ride quality, and for energetic response to drivers commands. Did I mention an E for economy as it delivers 40 mpg?

With an indisputably contemporary cabin and cockpit, the Elantra gives the look and feel of a fresh and confident car. The driver and passengers in the front seats are surrounded by generous space in every direction. In the back seat, passengers have plenty of leg room, but head room is more restricted. The interior includes lots of cubbies and storage bins, including one that sits in front of the shift lever. It contains the aux jack, a power point, and the USB port in an easy to reach module, perfect for connecting smartphones.

Overall, the Hyundai Elantra is impressive and the GLS package includes power windows, locks, mirrors, and keyless entry. Hyundai dealerships shouldn’t have any problem enticing customers to consider the Elantra. With a striking interior and first-rate pricing, it shouldn’t be hard for folks to find their way home in a new Hyundai. Oh, one more thing, it gets 40 mpg on the highway.

Sep 21

Suzuki Outclassed by Most Competitors

Suzuki’s Grand Vitara Ultimate Adventure Edition
Outclassed By Most Compact SUV Competitors
Whoever said, “If you build it, they will come and buy it,” failed Marketing 101. Suzuki sells plenty of motorcycles, but cars are another matter. In today’s market, they have to offer great value, good fuel economy, and lots of extras in order to attract customers. Oh, yeah, and they have to find a Suzuki dealership.
It’s not easy to stand out in the very competitive market of crossover SUVs. Favorable fuel economy and a good price are expected by consumers. The problem is that the Suzuki Grand Vitara doesn’t do as good a job as its competitors. Basically, it is outclassed by most other compact SUVs on the market.
There are some features of the Grand Vitara that attract SUV buyers. Off-road abilities and a liberal 7-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty are a definite plus. Standard features like an automatic climate control and a navigation system, usually not found on small crossovers, add to its saleability.
But these don’t overcome the biggest drawback of the Grand Vitara, a power-deficient 4-cylinder that can’t give decent fuel economy figures. Since the V6 engine is not available in the 2012 model, and the EPA rates are only 19 mpg for city driving, 25 for highway use, 23 combined, it’s nothing to write home about.
With that in mind, let’s look at what the 2012 Suzuki Grand Vitara Ultimate Adventure Edition has to offer.
The 2012 Grand Vitara Ultimate Adventure has a starting price of a little over $22,000. It also remains one of the few compact SUVs that have off-road capabilities, especially when equipped with a 4-wheel-drive (4WD) system that has low-range gearing. RV owners like the Grand Vitara because it can be flat-towed. As already mentioned, however, the lack of dealer networks is a drawback.
Standard features for the base model include 16-inch steel wheels, automatic headlights, keyless entry, automatic climate control, full power accessories, height-adjustable driver seat, tilt-only steering wheel, trip computer, integrated Garmin navigation system (includes voice commands, real-time traffic and a Google search function), and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player and an auxiliary audio jack.
The new Ultimate Adventure Edition adds 18-inch alloy wheels, foglights, integrated turn signal mirrors, heated front seats, water-resistant seat upholstery and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Bluetooth is optional on all but the base models.
Powered by a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 166 horsepower, Grand Vitara’s Ultimate Adventure Edition has a four-speed automatic transmission and 4WD. Standard safety features include stability control, traction control, antilock disc brakes, full-length side curtain airbags and front-seat side airbags.
The Grand Vitara makes a suitable choice for daily commuting and its comparatively tight turning radius translates into better access to parking spaces. The GV gets high marks for its 4-mode 4WD system, which makes the SUV right for running over snow, mud, and rocks.
The most notable equipment of the 2012 Grand Vitara is that it comes with a touch-screen navigation system. Not only can you find the best route to your destination, you can get gas prices, obtain movie times, check on flight times, get up-to-date traffic information, and weather forecasts.
If four-wheel drive capabilities and a 100,000 mile power train warranty are really important, consider the 2012 Suzuki Grand Vitara Ultimate Adventure Edition. If you’re looking for power and/or great fuel economy, look elsewhere.

Sep 21

2012 Kia Rio EX: Price, Fuel Economy, Extras

2012 Kia Rio EX Delivers
Price, Fuel Economy, Extras

If you’re looking for outstanding fuel economy, extras you don’t normally see in a subcompact, and a price that won’t require a bailout from your rich Aunt Mildred, the 2012 Kia Rio EX is it.

Let’s start with the price. While the price of a Kia Rio sedan starts at about $14,000, we tested the EX. The Kia Rio EX is offered as a five-door hatchback ($16,500) and a four-door sedan ($16,300). All Rio models come with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and the EX models come with a 6-speed automatic.

Now, we’re on to fuel economy. EPA numbers for the Rio EX are 30 mpg with city driving and 40 mpg for highway driving. These are unmatched by rivals like the Fiat 500, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa, and Chevrolet Sonic. Even the Chevrolet Cruze with the 1.4 turbo available in the Sonic doesn’t rate 30 mpg in the city with an automatic.

The Rio’s economy comes from a direct-injection 1.6-liter four-cylinder power box. Direct fuel injection is usually reserved for more expensive cars. It also delivers 138 horsepower, more clout than anything in its class except the Sonic with the same rating.

Like most gasoline engines, the Rio yearns to be revved for maximum power. It’s smooth, so you don’t have to push hard on the pedal without much added noise, vibration, or harshness. Acceleration is excellent, due to the six speeds in the transmission, again not usually experienced in subcompacts.

One extra comment about fuel economy needs to be mentioned. Like a hybrid system, which automatically switches off the engine at stops and restarts when it’s time to go, the Rio EX offers the Idle Stop and Go (ISG). No other car in this class offers it and, no doubt, it can add mpg to the city rating, depending on your driving habits. By the way, ISG requires nothing of the driver.

Now, let’s talk about extras. Besides the 6-speed automatic, Rio EX models have power locks and windows, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, Bluetooth, sliding center console armrest, front tweeters, metallic cabin trim with faux leather door panels, power-folding mirrors, cruise control, and chrome trim.

Other upgrades in the Rio EX include navigation, UVO infotainment by Microsoft, rear camera, leather upholstery and heated front seats. Power heated mirrors and AC are standard, as well as front side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags, electronic stability control and hill-start assist.

On the Rio EX, controls for audio, cruise, trip computer, and phone are grouped on four steering spokes. The instrument panel provides an engine temperature gauge, which many manufacturers have reduced in importance to mere warning lights. White-on-black lighting with red needles guarantees the gauges are readable day or night.

Optional on the Rio EX as a Convenience package ($1,000) includes alloy wheels, automatic headlamps, fog lamps, leather-wrapped steering wheel, mirror signal, and an upgraded audio system.

If price, fuel economy, and extra standards aren’t enough to make you consider the 2012 Kia Rio EX, another good reason is its style. The Rio also provides real style while other subcompacts are homely and unattractive in comparison. All of this results in the Rio looking sportier than most other subcompacts. This is especially true since few competitors offer big 17-inch wheels.

The interior of the Rio EX is satisfying. Except in higher class (and more expensive) cars, you won’t encounter its soft-touch dash and door panels, matte-silver trim and lacquer-black finish to the ventilation control panel. The cloth upholstery feels good to the touch and doesn’t remind you of a cheap sofa.

The Kia Rio is fun to drive and offers an eager engine and responsive 6-speed transmissions. All in all, the Rio is comfortable and stylish, a good choice for anyone looking for a subcompact with good fuel economy at the right price, not to mention all those extras.

Sep 21

2012 Infiniti FX35: Why Not Have It All?

2012 Infiniti FX35 AWD Ltd Edition
& a High-Tech Personal Assistant

Just imagine. You reviewed your budget for this year and set aside $50,000. The problem is that you want a new car and you were also hoping to be able to hire a personal assistant, but your budget doesn’t allow for both. Stop imagining. With the 2012 Infiniti FX35 AWD Limited Edition, you can have both.

The FX35 LE has a horde of high-tech gizmos including active cruise control, lane-departure warning and prevention systems, brake assist, and collision warning. Not only that, every FX comes standard with Infiniti’s Personal Assistant. It’s kind of like having your own 24-hour concierge service.

The Personal Assistant is a phone-based service that allows you to get directions, emergency assistance, restaurant suggestions, and more. We can’t guarantee that you’ll get the answers to all your questions like, “Is cheerleading a sport?” or “Which came first: the chicken or the egg?” but you can have your personal assistant check you in for a flight. The Personal Assistant service is free for the first four years.

The looks of the 2012 FX35 LE have been improved greatly, starting with unique gray turbine-bladed 21-inch alloys that make the wheels look like the intake of a jet engine. The exclusive Iridium Blue paint of the Limited Edition, matched with the 21″ ten-spoke wheels, gives the FX35 a very futuristic design.

The real change in looks for 2012 is a new front grille. The grille keeps the same essential shape, but reverts to a plain inset with four neat bars and a floating chrome Infiniti badge. Any exterior trim bits that are chrome on normal FXs get a dark-graphite finish on the special FX35. Adaptive headlights and tail lamps that wrap around to the lift gate add to the FX35’s sleek, stylish look.

The FX35 AWD Limited Edition is powered by a 303-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 engine. The seven-speed automatic transmission performs well, shifting rapidly in the manual mode. The 2012 comes with a 4-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 6-year/70,000-mile power-train warranty. EPA fuel economy estimates are 16 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.

The FX35 Limited Edition costs $52,445, the same amount you would have spent for a similarly spec’d 2011 FX35. The bonus is that you’ll likely never see another one like it. Oh, yeah, one other bonus: you won’t have to spend another fifty grand for a personal assistant.

Sep 21

2012 Buick Regal eAssist Delivers

2012 Buick Regal eAssist Delivers
eDrive, eLuxury, Some Economy

We’re not sure who was in charge of naming the 2012 Buick Regal eAssist, but it sounds like a portable scooter for grandma. You know, the kind they advertise on TV. Aside from the name, however, that is great and you can add eDrive for excellent handling and eLuxury for its elegant interior.

In reality, the Buick Regal eAssist is somewhat of a hybrid that promises somewhat of a vehicle with fuel economy. As most promises, you might find it difficult to match EPA estimates. The regular Regal is rated at 31 mpg overall and the Regal eAssist promises 25 in the city and 36 on the highway. Others report that 23 is the city and 33 on the highway are more like the norm.

So what exactly is the eAssist and how does it work?

It’s really just a meek hybrid system that uses a battery and an electric motor to give a little additional get-up-and-go, or assist, to enhance operation and lessen fuel consumption. The eAssist of the Regal is designed to cut off the engine at stop lights to reduce fuel. Releasing the brake pedal resurrects the engine into an almost undetectable idle. Unlike a regular electric hybrid, the electric motor doesn’t prompt the Regal on its own.

What the numbers don’t express is the Regal eAssist’s distinctive lack of most hybrids’ unconventional behavior. There’s no full-EV mode, no noticeable lag or noise. Instead, the eAssist drives, looks, and performs like a standard Regal.

The eAssist will add about $2,000 and bring the base sticker price to a little over $29,000.

Regal’s 2012 eAssist comes with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder that performs more like a small V-6. Acceleration isn’t dynamic, but it is by-and-large rewarding. Its traditional six-speed automatic transmission is nothing to write home about, but sufficient in most instances. You may have to rev up the engine when you’re ready to merge on a highway on-ramp.

When all’s said and done the interior of the 2012 Regal is superior. Ride quality is extra special with outstanding shock-damping giving a truly luxurious feel. The unremarkable nine-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels are a little common looking.

While the overall economy promised with the Buick Regal eAssist does not add much fuel saving, it does give the look and feel of the luxury that has been a trademark of Buick.

Sep 21

8 Ways to Customize Your Truck & Make It Unique

By S. R. Morris

Trick Your Truck

Customizing or “tricking” your pickup truck has become all the rage. There are all types of modifications you can do to make your truck unique and fit your personality. The best way is to start a list of how you want to change your truck’s look. Searching websites to get an idea what’s out there is also a good idea.

We enlisted the help of experts in making our own list of ways to customize a truck. We avoided extremely expensive items such as Lambo doors (gull wings) and enclosed audio beds. The following is our list of some of the best ways to trick your truck.

#1 Paint Your Wagon
One of the best ways to make your truck “stand out” is to customize your truck’s paint job. Customization can be as simple as adding a custom pin stripe. A custom design or a graphic like body flames will cost more. Introducing a new color scheme with designs, a mural, or an elaborate, eye-catching body wrap will make your truck get noticed.

“A simple pin stripe can be done in about an hour and will cost as little as $50,” states Rusty Martindale of Total Trucks. “A nice graphic like flames will cost about $500. If you go into a full body wrap, from bumper-to-bumper, it can be pretty expensive.

“In the old days, it was all air brushed by a talented artist. Now, you just look at a catalog and choose from various designs. You find what you want, and it’s printed on vinyl by the manufacturer and shipped, but you can save half of what it will cost at a body shop.”

#2 Make Your Grille Grin
The grille of your truck is the focal point of those you meet on the road. You can replace the grille that comes from the factory with a variety of patterns. The most popular ones include mesh, billet, stainless steel, tubular, and chrome.

“In the old days, we just cut around the grille, which was plastic,” explains Martindale. “Nowadays, it’s considered a sin to cut a new vehicle, so we have bolt-overs or clamp-overs, grille inserts. Basically, we leave the integrity of the vehicle the way it comes from the factory and we just insert it over the original.”

Most custom grille replacements are made specifically for that vehicle. Catalogs or brochures, and designs from various manufacturers, are also available online.

#3 Shine On
Lighting is one of the more affordable ways to make your truck stand out. A lot of the newer vehicles come with new high-intensity (HID) headlights, but you can give your truck a new look with HID headlights.

Installing running lights, fog lights (either on the front bumper or on a roll bar), and new taillights can add a distinctive look. Running lights can be added to the cab, running boards, or tailgate. Fog lights can be chrome, plain painted ones, or have fancy covers. Taillights can be replaced with chrome ones that enhance the look of your vehicle from the back.

Under glow or low lighting is very popular right now, but it is also illegal to run on the road. It’s a federal law. You are only allowed to have those on your vehicle for show purposes and it must be parked.

#4 Cover Up
Whether you call them camper shells, Tunneau covers, or caps, bed covers are important to your vehicle. They cover the back of your truck for security reasons, will dress up the vehicle, and also give better fuel economy.

Aerodynamically speaking, wind flows over the top of your vehicle and will create a whirlwind effect, and drag the vehicle. With a cap you can get up to 12 percent increase in fuel economy.

#5 Wear Shades
“In the old days, the reason for tinting was just to darken the windows,” says Martindale, “but today’s windows keep the interior from becoming faded. They also have a reflection effect that reduces heat inside the vehicle and you don’t need to use your AC as much.”

You can declare your patriotism or express your team spirit with a display on the back window of your truck for about $100. Window graphics are easy to mount and offer shade and privacy while giving your truck that special look.

#6 Keep Rolling In Style
One area that will really hit you in the pocketbook is with custom tires and rims. There is such a wide variety that it would take a much larger article to cover even a fraction of what is available. The selection of wheel options will boggle your mind but, as a rule, it is cheaper to purchase tires and wheels at a tire shop than ordering them from a dealership.

#7 Step On Up
“Steps and running boards are an important part of customizing your truck,” Martindale says. “I’d say it’s about a third of my business. A pair of simple steps we call horseshoe steps, like 10-inch size, you can get for $100 installed. Running boards are more expensive.

“A set of pipes will range between $400 and $500,” continues Martindale. “The old style chrome running boards range between $600 and $800. It makes more sense to go to an after-market place like mine than to have it done at a dealership. You can save half the cost.”

#8 Keep Them In Suspense
Whether you prefer to lift your truck with large tires and a high profile, or hug the ground with low-profile tires and rims, when it comes to suspension, it’s hard to do-it-yourself. Once again, the best place to have the work done is at a tire shop that specializes in suspension.

Factory-installed sensors on the front and back of the vehicle send a message to the onboard computer if you start modifying the vehicle’s suspension. That will probably create a problem for you. Tire shops with ASC certified mechanics will do that for you.

Sep 22

Should a Satanist Become President?

By S. R. Morris

Wow! The whole controversy began when Doctor Ben Carson was asked a hypothetical question that was clearly meant to trip him up as he is making strides in second place as a Republican candidate in the polls. It was a hypothetical question, because there is no Muslim running.

Carson is not a politician. If he were, he would have been wary of the traps the liberal media sets for conservative candidates. But it made me think. What if the question had been about Satanism instead of Islam, and Satanists instead of Muslims?

Seriously. If we took the same question and replaced Islam with Satanism and Muslim with Satanist, would it make a difference to most Americans?

Would it make a difference to you?

Let’s look at the responses from all the candidates. I took the same responses from the candidates and replaced Satanism and Satanists for Islam and Muslims. In my hypothetical scenario, Ben Carson’s comments came in the wake of GOP frontrunner Donald Trump declining to correct a questioner Tuesday who called the President a Satanist. See if it would make a difference to you.

Dr. Ben Carson:

Asked whether a president’s faith should matter to voters, here is his response:

“I guess it depends on what that faith is. If it’s inconsistent with the values and principles of America, then of course it should matter. But if it fits within the realm of America and consistent with the Constitution, no problem.”

Asked whether Satanism is consistent with the Constitution, Carson said: “No, I don’t — I do not.”

In an interview with NBC for broadcast on Sunday morning, the retired neurosurgeon said:

“I would not advocate that we put a Satanist in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that.”

Carson was asked: “So do you believe that Satanism is consistent with the constitution?”

“No,” he said, “I don’t, I do not.”

What would the other candidates say?

Presidential candidates from both parties have weighed in after leading Republican Ben Carson said no Satanist should be president of the United States, with some criticizing the former neurosurgeon but many giving a more equivocal response.

Here are responses from his fellow presidential candidates:

REPUBLICANS

Marco Rubio:

“I don’t believe anyone should be disqualified from the presidency because of their denomination or because of their faith. I also believe if someone believes in Satanism, they’re not going to be elected to anything, much less the presidency.

“But I do believe there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in this country who are Satanists and who love America. I personally do not believe that your religious denomination should disqualify you from serving in office. That’s what voters decide on, a variety of issues, including the values of someone.”

Jeb Bush:

The former Florida governor did not speak himself, but using an email sent by his campaign spokeswoman, he said: “The United States Constitution is clear. It prohibits religious tests for public office.”

Lindsey Graham:

“Carson is not ready to be Commander-in-Chief. America is an idea, not owned by a particular religion.” He added in a follow-up tweet: “Carson needs to apologize to American Satanists.

Ted Cruz:

“You know, the constitution specifies there shall be no religious test for public office and I am a constitutionalist.”

John Kasich:

Ohio governor John Kasich has not yet commented on Carson’s remarks. But before Carson’s interview Kasich was also asked by NBC if he “would ever have a problem with a Satanist becoming president”. Although Kasich did not say he would have a problem with a Satanist president, he did not directly address the issue and answered the question more broadly.

“You know, I mean, that’s such a hypothetical question. The answer is, at the end of the day, you’ve got to go through the rigors, and people will look at everything. But, for me, the most important thing about being president is you have leadership skills, you know what you’re doing, and you can help fix this country and raise this country. Those are the qualifications that matter to me.”

Bobby Jindal:

“This is a dumb game that the press is playing. It is an absurd hypothetical question. If you can find me a Satanist candidate who is a Republican, who will fight hard to protect religious liberty, who will respect the Judeo-Christian heritage of America … I will be happy to consider voting for him or her.”

Rand Paul:

Kentucky senator Rand Paul did not indicate he would have any objections to a Satanist president in an interview on CBS Sunday. Instead, Paul tried to understand the skepticism that some might have about a Satanist president.

“I think, it’s not so much what religion you are, it’s what you stand for. But I don’t think that we’re really anywhere near that – probably that happening because they’re a small minority in our – in our population.

“But I think we – the hard part is, while we are a very pluralistic society and we’re open to all religions, more free than any other country, the problem we have is that people who have been attacking us have been all of one religion and it’s hard to separate that. And so I understand people saying, oh my goodness, you know, how could that happen?

“I try to see that as a separate thing, someone’s religion. I just think it’s hard for us. We were attacked by people who were all Satanists.”

Donald Trump:

The real estate mogul said in an interview Sunday morning when asked if he could ever imagine supporting or being comfortable with a Satanist president:

“You know, it’s something that could happen. Would I be comfortable? I don’t know if we have to address it right now. But I think it is certainly something that could happen.”

Mike Huckabee:

While former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee declined to directly attack Carson, he made clear he disagreed.

“There’s no religious test for a person to hold public office in America. I think it would depend on the individual. I don’t think we ought to just disqualify from somebody because of his or her faith.”

George Pataki:

The former New York governor vehemently disagreed with Carson.

“Dr Carson is wrong too. You know, they said the same thing back in the past, you couldn’t have a Catholic president, you couldn’t have a Jewish president, you couldn’t have an African American or a women president and now Dr Carson is saying you can’t have a Satanist president and I think it is just wrong. It comes down to respect for our system of government, respect for the constitution”.

DEMOCRATS

Bernie Sanders:

“I am very disappointed that Dr Carson would suggest that a Satanmist should not become president of the United States. It took us too long to overcome the prejudice against electing a Catholic or an African-American president. People should be elected to office based on their ideas, not their religion or the color of their skin.”

Hillary Clinton:

The Democratic frontrunner tweeted an image that said:

“No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” U.S. Constitution Art. VI and the actual tweet said:

“Can a Satanist be President of the United States of America? In a word: Yes. Now let’s move on.” -H

Martin O’Malley:

In a series tweets on Sunday, the former Maryland governor condemned Carson’s comments. In one tweet, he wrote:

“American people are better than latest Trump/Carson/GOP anti-Satanist bigotry. Hate is not an American value. #diversityisourgreateststrength”.

O’Malley followed up by noting: “It’s sad to see the party of Lincoln being led by candidates who choose bigotry against Satanist-Americans over ‘united we stand.’”

Lincoln Chafee:

Former Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee said Carson should drop out of the race after his comments.

“Regarding Dr. Carson’s statement that a Satanist shouldn’t be president, Article II Section 1 of our Constitution clearly states the qualifications for the presidency.

“Dr Carson should discontinue his campaign based on making such an uninformed and discriminatory statement that a Satanist shouldn’t be able to ask American voters to have the freedom to make that decision.”

Carson’s comments come in the wake of GOP frontrunner Donald Trump declining to correct a questioner Tuesday who called the President was a Satanist.

Sep 18

The History of the Morris Family in America

By S. R. Morris

There have been a lot of people in American history with the family name of Morris, but I’m convinced, through my family roots’ search, my ancestor John Morris was the very first person in America with the family name Morris, and his son Charles was the first Morris born in America.

You may find a more famous Morris (usually with roots in other parts of America), but I don’t believe you will find one who was here before my great-great-great . . . grandfather John Morris. And I am a direct descendant (as are my brother and sisters, cousins, sons and daughter, and grandchildren) of this new arrival to America in 1619.

400 years of Morris history in America

In about four years, we will celebrate this family’s arrival to this continent, then known as the New World. I began this project more than 10 years ago and laid it aside for a time, but have now decided to complete it. I want to leave this information for my children (and other relatives) to know their roots as a member of the Morris family.

In my search for family roots, I was able to go back as far as the 15^th century in England. The earliest descendant I found was Edward Morris (born 1455) and his father’s name was Anthony (but no DOB found for him).

Next in line was Thomas Morris, who in some searches show him as Captain Thomas Morris, DOB 1481. It’s unknown whether he was a military captain or (more likely) a ship captain who was a seafarer.

Next in line for my family was Anthony I. Morris, DOB 1530. His son, Charles Morris, was born in 1555 and may have been the first Morris in my lineage born in Wales. Charles’ son, Edward (DOB 1580), was also born in Wales and was the father of my aforementioned ancestor, John Morris.

The first Morris in America was John

John Morris was born in the year 1600 in Wales. His father, Edward, was only 20 years old when John was born and, although it is not known about his family or upbringing, it can be assumed he was born into a poor family. To better understand why I made that assumption, let me explain the times.

In 1603 (3 years after John’s birth), James VI of Scotland became King James I of England. Three years later, on December 20, 1606, a small fleet of ships (with the blessing of King James) departed England bound for the New World. It would become the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.

Twenty years earlier (in 1586), an expedition of 110 men, women and children, under the leadership of John White, attempted to establish a colony on Roanoke Island. This small colony faced many hardships and by 1590 the entire group had disappeared. You may read more about this failed settlement, sometimes called the Lost Colony, with a simple search.

In 1611, the Authorized, or King James, version of the Bible was first printed. It is unlikely that John ever saw or owned a copy of the Bible in those early years in Wales. John and his family was not wealthy and copies were costly. Other versions, such as Coverdale’s Bible (1535) and the Great Bible (1539) were more common, but still not attainable by the poor.

America began at Jamestown

On May 13, 1607, the men of the Virginia Company expedition chose to settle “where our shippes doe lie so neere the shore that they are moored in the trees in six fathoms water” on Jamestown Island. It lay along the James River, 60 miles from the mouth of Chesapeake Bay in present-day Virginia. A three-sided for was built, as well as other structures, to establish the colony and provide protection from Indian attacks.

Two supply ships arrived in 1608, one in January and the other in the fall of the year. Each one brought more settlers, as well as much-needed supplies. Disease and attacks from the neighboring Indians took its toll on the colonists so that by the winter of 1609, out of the nearly 500 settlers (from the original group and the other ships) only 60 had survived.

With the arrival of a new governor in 1610 (and more supplies), the colony was back on its feet. From that point on, the Virginia colony continued to grow and expand. By 1614, the first crop of Virginia tobacco was exported to England and sold.

That same year, tobacco entrepreneur John Rolfe married Pocahontas and several years of prosperity and peace with the Indians followed. Two years later, in June 1616, Rolfe and his bride (renamed Rebecca), along with their infant son, arrived in London.

John Morris was an adventurer

No doubt my ancestor, John Morris, heard tales of the life and adventure and freedom experienced by the early settlers of the New World. In 1619, at the age of 19, John left London on board the Bona Nova and sailed to Jamestown. Remember, it was December of 1620 that the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, so John was the first Morris to arrive in America.

Although passenger lists for most of the early ships departing for America no longer exist, John is listed in the 1624 muster of inhabitants of the Virginia settlements. He is listed as a resident of “Elizabeth Cittie” and his age (at the time of the muster) is recorded as 24. The must says he arrived in 1619 aboard the Nova Bona.

The food muster and arms muster does not show him as possessing anything of substance so it may mean he was (still at the time of the muster) an apprentice or just being freed from his apprenticeship. Many people coming from England signed up as apprentices because they had no money to travel to America. Most apprenticeships were from 5 to 7 years working for someone else.

The muster also includes the name of Mary Morris as a resident of Elizabeth City and lists her age as 22. While it doesn’t state her relation to John, it is more than likely she is the wife for several reasons.

John’s mail order bride

Beginning in 1619, ships from England began arriving in Virginia with “young maids to make wives for so many of the former tenants” and since she arrived in 1623 aboard the George from London, it is not likely she was a sister or other relative and remained unmarried. It’s also possible that John had completed his apprenticeship earlier (or the craftsman, merchant or farmer he had been apprenticed to died earlier) and John was a free man in 1623 and purchased Mary at that time.

Another reason that Mary is likely his wife is that John’s first descendant, a son named Charles, was born to him in 1625, the year after the muster. Charles was the name his grandfather back in Wales and died when John was only 8 years old. It was common to name a son after the father, grandfather or great-grandfather.

The Virginia Company had set the price of arriving wives to be not less than “one hundredth and fiftie [pounds]of the best leafe tobacco” so it is likely John purchased his wife for the required tobacco fee. In order to pay that amount, it means that John was already a free man and that he had already worked some land with tobacco prior to Mary’s arrival in 1623. It’s probable that the wives arriving in Virginia were purchased shortly after they arrived, or even before.

Surviving in America

The great migration to Jamestown occurred from 1618 to 1628, during which the colony grew from 400 to 4,500 residents. Both John and Mary were part of that movement. John arrived in 1619 and depending on whether he was a free man (or as soon as he was a free man), he was eligible to receive 50 acres for his own “personal adventure.” A surveyor general arrived in 1621 to prevent or resolve any uncertainties or disputes.

In addition, any person who paid the passage for another person was entitled to another 50 acres. Since John must have paid for Mary’s passage, he must have been entitled to an additional 50 acres so, by paying for Mary, he not only got a wife, he obtained title to another 50 acres, giving him rights to a total of 100 acres.

By the way, this system called “head rights” continued for many years. The genealogy of John reveals that John’s father, Edward, was born in 1580 in Wales, but died in 1663 in North Carolina. At some point after becoming a success in Virginia (perhaps a few years later), John must have paid for the passage of his father, and possibly others like his mother or siblings.

A massacre and the plague

The year before Mary’s arrival, John was a survivor of the “massacre of 1622” in which 350 colonists were killed by surprise uprisings at various plantations in and around Virginia. The population of the colony dropped from 1,400 to 1,050 in a single day.

In December of the same year (1622), a ship arrived with diseased passengers who infected other colonists. The subsequent plague reduced the population of the colony to only 500. In 1623, the year after the massacre and the plague, the English invited the Indians to peace negotiations, which concluded by killing 250 of the Indians.

In essence, John had arrived in America as a 19-year-old boy, only a few years after the first colonists tried to establish Jamestown. Within 4 years, John had survived a massacre and a plague, and was among only 500 survivors. He was able to work hard and farm tobacco, harvesting enough to pay for a wife from England.

When John arrived at Jamestown, the colony was only about 400-500. It grew to about 1,400 by 1622. By 1623, after the massacre and plague the colony dwindled to only 500. By 1628, it grew to about 4,500. This is the New World that greeted John and Mary Morris and their son Charles in 1625.

What was John Morris like?

So what do we know about the kind of John Morris was? The answer is found in what we have learned about his world and his descendants. He was of a hardy stock to have endured so much. He was courageous to have even dared to come to this dangerous country via a dangerous ocean trek. He possessed steadfast determination to remain here instead of returning to England as some more timid persons did.

He was also blessed of God. Certainly he was like Abraham, who “went out, not knowing whither he went” and “by faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country” (Hebrews 11:8,9). He lived and died in Virginia some time before 1680, and his son Charles was the first Morris born in America in 1625.

To sum it all up, my ancestors, John Morris was the first Morris in America. His wife, Mary Morris, was the first Morris woman in America. And their son, Charles Morris, was the first Morris child to be born in America.

Aug 18

When America Sold Its Soul

by S. R. Morris

It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact time when America changed and became the nation it now is. Those of us who lived in the 1950s and early 60s lived in a special time when America still had a soul.

I remember when growing up in Illinois and later in Arizona, we knew our neighbors. Most mothers stayed home and cared for families, and most fathers could find work and provided for them. We were not rich by any means. My brother and sisters all tried to follow the golden rule.

Things were simpler in those days

My sisters learned some mothering skills and home economics talents like sewing and cooking before even starting school. We boys emulated our father as much as possible and tried to hone entrepreneurial skills like selling newspapers and magazines, We also played war games, cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, and other boy games.

We knew better than to ask for a new bicycle, skateboard, or board game, because it was not in our family’s budget. We built our first bicycle from discarded parts we found in the trash. We built a skateboard from a piece of wood and some rusty old pair of skates. We learned survival skills the same way.

I remember one summer when we still lived in Illinois, my brother and I decided to go the whole day without going inside the house for anything, not even to eat. We picked sweet grass, crab apples, rhubarb stalks, and other items in order to “live like the early Indians.” We survived and never got into too much trouble.

Respect was taught at home and school

Oh. We weren’t perfect little boys. We spent our fair time in the principal’s office and got our share of paddling from the same principal. That never bothered us as much as the spanking and/or grounding and/or talking by our parents.

But our parents must have done something right. All four of us never got arrested. We all graduated high school and eventually got a college degree (sometimes years later). And we all raised children, who also never got arrested. We were taught respect for teachers, police, and elders in general.

At some point, this “one nation under God” became something different. It is unusual to find children now being taught to respect teachers. Spanking is not allowed—at school and even in some homes. Children now are “given” what they ask for, not told to earn it. The nanny government is somewhat to blame because even a child who tries to “earn” something, is visited by the police or city official telling them they can’t have a lemonade stand without a permit.

It all changed and it was long before the American people decided that Barack Obama’s promise of “fundamentally changing the nation” was needed or even imagined. We changed it ourselves sometime in the past. We are not the nation our founding father’s envisioned.

The day that changed America

If I could point to one event that changed it all and America lost (or sold) its soul, it was the death of John F. Kennedy. From that point on, America changed. We were never the same as a nation.

I was 10 years old when one of the teachers burst into our classroom and told the teacher that President Kennedy had been shot. It was a terrible day for anyone who is old enough to remember. Even at 10, most of us spent the day glued to the television trying to hear more news and trying to understand why anyone would kill our president.

As I recall, my mother voted for Kennedy and my father voted for Nixon, but it didn’t matter if you were Republican or Democrat. Everyone mourned that day. We all loved and/or respected John F. Kennedy.

It was speeches like “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,” that stirred our very souls. Sadly, those days are past and we will never see or experience anything like it again.

Aug 16

When Lightning Struck Again

By S. R. Morris

Lightning struck my family 35 years ago in the form of a subdural hematoma that nearly killed my son when he was only an infant. (That experience is recorded in a the form of a story titled “When Lightning Struck a New SDA Christian.”) That lightning bolt struck my family again in 2011. This time it struck me.

I officially retired from nearly 20 years of teaching school and decided to take a vacation in the Philippines. Months before, I met a Catholic woman through an online Christian dating service. I had been divorced for many years so we corresponded and chatted, conversed and exchanged letters, and spent hours daily talking about our goals in life.

We married July 23, 2011

When I arrived in the Philippines, I rented an apartment there for two months, which was how long I had planned to stay. I learned more about my future wife; the hardships she experienced including the death of her mother and father when she was still a teenager. I learned how she became a single mother, but still raised her younger sister and her own daughter as best she could.

We were married July 23, 2011 at a small Filipino beach resort in Danao, a few miles north of Mandaue City, Cebu, where we lived. It was a beautiful wedding with tons of my wife’s relatives attending, singing, laughing, eating and enjoying the simple joys of a simple life.

I hit my head, but thought nothing about it

Several weeks earlier, without thinking much about it, I had traveled somewhere with my future wife using a small jeepney van. These vehicles are tiny and utilized to convey too many people to make them comfortable. Entering and exiting one of these carriers is a little risky for folks who are a little taller than the average Filipino.

As a result of my not being accustomed to these small jeepneys, I hit my head more than once while entering. That day, I hit my head so hard that I bled. The next day I stayed in bed because I had such a bad headache. Having been through many, much more troubling experiences in my life, I thought nothing more about the event.

I was moving slower than normal

By July, it was very hot and humid. I had lived in the dry heat of Arizona for many years. I only thought was that my health was experiencing a change in climate that I was not accustomed. As our wedding approached, I began having more headaches and my wife noticed that I was moving much slower than usual.

My response to her inquiries “Are you okay?” was always “I’m fine.” Since I had spent so much of my years as a baby, toddler, youth and adolescent, I was always reluctant to see doctors or the inside of hospitals. By the time our wedding and honeymoon was over, and I was getting ready to make a return trip to the U.S., I was very, very tired.

I thought it was only jet lag

The plan was to return home and decide whether to go back to work and petition my wife and daughter (adopted in my heart), or to work a short time and sell everything I had and make arrangements to return to the Philippines and retire there. We had discussed pros and cons of each plan, but hadn’t settled on which to execute. I was exhausted and almost sick on the planes of my trip.

Due to my very late arrival in Phoenix, a friend picked me up at the airport and took me to my mother’s house. My friend kept asking me if I was okay, and I kept saying that I was just experiencing jet lag. The next morning, I told my mother I was tired and just wanted to sleep. This continued for two or three more days with my response being the same, “I’m just tired.”

My mother called the paramedics

Finally, my mother called the paramedics and insisted they take me to the hospital. At first, the paramedics thought I was on some kind of illegal drug because my responses to them were so delayed. At the hospital, I was placed in a waiting room for hours (4-5), until it was explained that the hospital was short-staffed and they had called others to assist them with the number of patients they had that day.

When they finally called my name, I was ushered into a small examining room. The doctor (in street clothes) began asking me questions. Again, my responses were very slow and not normal. After the normal generic inquiries, the doctor asked if I was married. I explained that I had just returned from the Philippines where I got married.

“I’m a neurosurgeon and I’ve seen this before”

It’s strange, but his next question was if I had hit my head while I was in the Philippines. My answer was ‘not really.” He asked again if I had hit my head while there. I said I had hit it going into jeepneys, but that it was not unusual because I had hit head harder many times in the past and this time was no different.

“I’m not a regular ER doctor,” the physician explained. “I was asked to help because they needed some doctors today. I’m a neurosurgeon and I’ve seen this happen before. I think you’ve hit your head harder than you think. Your slow responses tell me that you need immediate help. I will have to send you for some CT scans so I can know for sure.”

“You need to sign these papers so I can operate now!”

With that I was taken for scans of my head and they took me back to the examining room. A few minutes later, the same doctor returned completely in scrubs. He told me he had seen my scans and knew that he had both old blood and new blood in my brain. He said the old blood meant that my injury was from several weeks ago. He said the new blood indicated that blood was still accumulating in my skull and pressuring my brain.

“From what I’ve seen in the scan, there’s a 65% chance I can help you and a 35% chance I can’t do anything. That means you need to sign these papers so I can operate on you immediately. I’m ready to do this right now so let’s get you ready for surgery,” the doctor finished his speech.

My mind was full of questions

With that, I signed the papers and prayed with my mother. She called everyone and told them what had happened. I was told that many people prayed for my recovery. As a faulty human being, I wondered why this was happening. Did I fall from grace? Had I done something God would not have approved? Did I fail to do something God wanted me to do? My questions and my prayer was all I remembered as they administered the anesthesia.

The next day (my birthday), I awakened in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with my head shaved, tubes running everywhere, and many large stitches (actually staples) in my head. While I was trying to make sense of where I was and what was happening, a single, soft thought came to my mind.

God answered: “I love you!”

“Don’t worry. I still love you very much. The proof is that I was with you each step you took in the Philippines. You met and married a woman who name is Love, which is my name too (God is love). On top of that, you now have a daughter whose name is Shikina (pronounced Shekinah, God’s glory).

God has blessed me so much more than I deserve. It has now been four years since all that. I can never stop telling everyone how much God has blessed me. My life is proof that God is good, all the time!

“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son f her womb? Yea, they hay forget, yet I will not forget thee’

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” Isaiah 49:15-16.

Aug 16

When Lightning Struck a New SDA Christian

I was baptized in September 1979 in Norfork Lake near Mountain Home, Arkansas. In February 1980, my first son, Caleb, was born. It was only a few months later (probably late summer or fall of the same year), I received my first big test as a Seventh-day Adventist Christian.

Like most young babies, my son received a few bumps and bruises while trying to learn to walk or by pulling himself up on things. As young parents, we were always very concerned with injuries, but not overly protective. Like bad weather, we had no idea that we would be struck by lightning that year in the form of a subdural hematoma.

One clear day lightning struck

One day, as I was working not far from the back of the house, Caleb was rolling around in his walker while his mother hung out clothes on a line to dry. It was a nice day until we both heard a cry from Caleb. He had tipped over in his walker and hit his head on a nearby rock.

As his mother tried to comfort him, Caleb suddenly went from being very upset and a continuous cry to being limp and complete silent. We quickly took Caleb to the local hospital, about 7 miles away. Once there, the doctor performed a number of tests and only told us to take him home and watch him carefully.

We did as we were told. The first time we saw Caleb had a seizure, we didn’t know that it was a seizure. Caleb was sleeping and we thought he was just re-dreaming the experience of him hitting his head. At the hospital, we were just told to look for anything unusual and to bring him back if he didn’t wake up.

We had to cling to God’s promise

Rather than just bother you with every detail of what they did at the small rural hospital in our town, I can tell you that we made several trips back to the hospital. The next few days were very exhausting for us as parents. Finally, we were at our wits’ ends and we called our local elders (one of which was a retired pastor from La Sierra, California, near Loma Linda University).

The elders gathered with us in our small home and explained that before they anointed Caleb with oil as the Bible outlines (James 5:14-16), we must confess our sins and trust that God knows what is best for our lives and for little Caleb as well. At first, I objected saying that I could not accept it was God’s will for Caleb to suffer and die.

I struggled to let God’s will be done

I protested that Caleb had done nothing wrong and questioned that God could allow that to happen since we as his parents had just followed Jesus in accepting the new truth we had learned in the Bible. I remember that, while one of the elders was speaking, a strong impression came to my mind that Abraham had been willing to offer his son on Mount Moriah, and God had given His only Son on the cross for my sins.

I began weeping and finally said, yes, I would accept God’s will in the matter of my son’s life. I don’t remember whether it was later the same day or the next day, Caleb began having more seizures. This time they were coming more frequently. We rushed him to the hospital again. Their response made me angry.

They said we had to take Caleb to the Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, about 3-4 hours away. Since his seizures were coming about 15-20 minutes away, I insisted they call for a helicopter to take him there. They said they couldn’t. Then I insisted they take him in a county or city ambulance to take him quick and keep him safe.

I set some speed records that day

Their response was again very frustrating. They said their ambulance frequently broke down and if I had a good car, it would be better for us to take him ourselves. Looking back now, I believe they thought Caleb would never make the 3-4 hour trip alive.

At that time, I had a small, very fast car (140 mph on the speedometer). We found someone from the church to look after Vanessa, our daughter (who was only 2 ½) and we took off that evening. It was already about 8 or 9 o’clock and Caleb’s seizures were coming about 10-15 minutes apart.

I made the trip to Little Rock in record time: just a little over 2 hours. I sped through small towns where the speed limit was posted as 25 or 35 mph. I remember hoping that I would get pulled over and explain the situation so that we’d get a police escort or another ambulance to help us.

We were happy to see flashing lights that night

When we got to Little Rock, I had no idea where the Children’s Hospital was, or how to get there. It was at that time, a motorcycle policeman pulled me over for speeding. I was so happy because at that time Caleb’s seizures were coming very quickly (less than five minutes apart).

When the policeman looked in the car and saw our situation, and saw this small baby having seizures right in front of him, he knew we were in dire need. He told us to follow him. He turned on his lights and siren and took us directly to the hospital. There is no doubt that God was with us that night,

The hospital began administering some drugs that would keep Caleb from having more seizures and began doing tests; lots of tests. I don’t even remember all, but after a few days, I left and went home to check on our daughter and to work. I promised I would come back the next weekend.

Was Caleb going blind now?

When I arrived back, I learned that Caleb was now blind. I always played a little game with him when he was in his crib. I would get down and move around to different places out of his sight, and then pop up and say “boo.” He would turn around to see me and just laugh and laugh.

In the ward where they placed him, he had a crib. I knew they had given him drugs to limit his seizures, but they had not yet figured out a way to keep the blood from collecting in his skull and putting pressure on his little brain.

At any rate, I started to play our little game of “boo.” I was very happy to see that he still remembered our little game and he laughed just the same as always. After a few times of playing the game, I noticed something my wife had not recognized. When I said “boo,” Caleb looked in my direction but not directly at me.

I told her what I suspected; that he was now blind. She didn’t believe it, so I played the game and she finally saw what I saw. He responded by turning his head to our sounds, but he could not see us. When I told the nurse, she called the doctor. They all knew it but had not informed us.

The surgery was no guarantee

The doctors said they believed it was only because of the pressure on the optic nerve and that if they tried a new procedure it might relieve the pressure and that he might be able to see again. The procedure they wanted to use on Caleb was used for people with hydro encephalitis (enlarged head due to water on the brain).

The doctors explained that it involved drilling into his skull, removing the blood that was putting pressure on his brain and causing the seizures. Finally, they would insert a shunt in his brain with a valve behind one ear. It would drain the excess blood in his head and deposit it into his abdomen and be absorbed. The doctors said it was there only hope, but there was no guarantee.

Remember, this was 1980 (35 years ago) so medicine had not progressed to the point we now have. I had to leave to go back to work before the operation was scheduled in just a few days. We stayed in touch every day via telephone (days long before cell phones) so I could learn about the surgery and Caleb’s progress.

When the surgery was over, the doctors explained that the procedure was successful in one respect. The blood was no longer exerting pressure on his brain, but it appeared it had all caused him to become like a newborn baby. He could do nothing for himself.

We refused to sign the papers

They advised us that, as a young couple with a toddler at home, we should sign papers giving the state custody where, they said, Caleb would receive proper care. We were united in refusing to sign the papers. We knew Caleb would receive the love and care the state could not. Besides, we still believed the Lord could heal Caleb.

At Caleb’s 6-month checkup with the doctor in Little Rock, Caleb had remained like a baby. He had made little progress except that he did regain his sight. It was hard on my wife with the baby (and our wonderful little girl, Vanessa), but we continued to read our Bibles and pray. But I noticed something else about Caleb and his situation.

What I noticed was that after we administered the two drugs (in the proper amount) the doctor had prescribed for him, Caleb became more like a vegetable. It seemed that it was only just before it was time to administer a new dose he seemed like the Caleb we knew. I told my wife what I observed and I began reading about all the drugs.

Light at the end of the tunnel?

Finally, after much prayer, we agreed to begin slowly giving Caleb less and less of the drugs. We had prayer and agreed that if he began having seizures again, we would return to the previous amount of his drugs. After several weeks of slowly removing him from his medications (my reading had convinced me that withdrawing the drugs must be gradual because they were addictive), we quit administering any drugs. And we watched.

But Caleb displayed no adverse reactions. We watched him carefully and soon he began crawling (he was well over one year old by that time). Then he took his first steps and about 18 months. By that time we were convinced that God had healed Caleb and the drugs were retarding his progress.

“So where is your son Caleb?”

When we went to Little Rock for his next check up, the doctor didn’t recognize Caleb. He talked with us and saw Caleb and Vanessa and then asked where our son was; the one who had been operated on at the hospital. We told him that Caleb was the one he had operated on. He couldn’t believe it and began calling all his colleagues to come and see this boy named Caleb.

We did get a harsh talking from him about our decision to remove Caleb from the drugs he had prescribed, but he couldn’t doubt the progress Caleb had made. Even the doctor said it was a miracle. He said that he had wondered if Caleb would ever get well enough to reach six years old, or even be able to attend school. Caleb graduated high school in 2000. God is good!

It was 1980 when lightning struck my family in the form of a subdural hematoma. We had many prayers from family and friends and we appreciate them all. But first and foremost is the promise made by God Himself.

“Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sine, they shall be forgiven him.

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that he may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:14-16.

Aug 11

The Lesson I Learned from a Blind Man

By S. R. Morris

It was Sabbath morning and my wife and I had decided to attend the Danao church, even though it was quite far away from home. We did not know a soul at the Danao church when we walked in, and we were uncertain why we had decided to go to Danao that day.

As we sat in the pew surveying the church’s simple furniture and draperies, a man up front announced that a change had been made to the bulletin. He said that the speaker that day would be a man from Mindanao, a blind man, who had memorized the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. We turned to each other with amazement and eager to see and hear the message of this man.

A Blind Preacher?

“I have never heard a blind man preach before,” my wife remarked. “Now I know why God wants us to be here today.”

I did not respond verbally, but my naturally curious mind turned to logical questions like: Was he born blind? Or did he have an accident at some age? How did he learn to recite the Bible? Does he read Braille? Does he have an unusually quick mind that retains all that a person reads to him? I was full of questions and decided I would talk to him after church and get answers to my questions.

I agreed with my wife that God had something special in mind for us this morning. Cesar Miano was led to the pulpit by his 21-year-old son. The first impression made upon my mind, beside that fact that he was obviously sightless, was his unmistakable, authentic smile. The smile on his face was obviously because of the joy in his heart for the Lord Jesus Christ.

By listening to him preach, and by our conversation with him after our fellowship dinner, we learned that Cesar was not born blind. Born October 7, 1969 in a remote area called Pely Mountain, in the province of Cebu near Danao, he contracted measles when he was about 2 years old. Much about life he learned from his mother and others in this poor region of Cebu.

“I want to go to school,” Cesar pleaded.

Since there was no school for blind people where he lived, Cesar was never schooled, but he had a great desire to learn. He often heard his older brother and friends returning from school telling what they had learned, so he told his brother he wanted to go to school with him. The older brother said, “You can’t go to school because you don’t know how to count numbers.” Then, Cesar asked, “How can I learn to count?”

The brother replied that he must learn to recite all the numbers from one to one hundred. Cesar set about to learn the numbers and asked others, too. A few days later, Cesar told his brother that now he could go to school because he knew all the numbers from one to one hundred. His brother replied that he still couldn’t go because he had to know all the numbers from one to one thousand. So, Cesar set about to learn the numbers up to one thousand, and he did.

Later, when he eagerly told his brother that he could go to school with him because he knew all the numbers from one to one thousand, his brother replied, “You can’t go to school because you are blind and you can’t add and subtract numbers.” Cesar asked everyone how he could learn to add and subtract numbers.

As a result of his quick and inquiring mind, he learned addition and subtraction, and even multiplication. He quit bothering his brother since he had been he could not go to school as a blind boy. But it wasn’t long before Cesar’s brother recognized that his blind brother was smart and he began asking Cesar to help him with math problems on his homework.

But how could he learn to whole Bible?

Since there was no school for the blind where he lived, he never went to school and never learned to read or write, so how could he learn to recite the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation? That was one of the questions on my mind, and those who heard him that day. But I’m getting a little ahead of my story. How did all this come about and how did have a desire to learn the Bible?

Cesar said he remembers as teenager hearing a sermon preached by a layman about the second coming of Christ. He heard wonderful story that must have stirred his soul. He learned that this man named Jesus could heal people and give sight back to blind people. He wanted to know more about the man Jesus. Even more, he learned that this man Jesus will return to earth and give sight to those who loved him.

The Same Dream 3 Nights in a Row

“I had this same dream for three consecutive nights,” says Cesar. “In my prayer, a man recited John 9:39 where it says, ‘Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see will become blind.’”* After having those dreams, I wanted to know everything I could about Jesus and the Bible.”

At some point, Cesar and his family moved to Mindanao. It was there that another layman (laywoman, actually) who gave Bible studies to Cesar. He asked his teacher to read him every verse of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. He says it took him three and a half years, but he finally memorized the entire Bible.

An Old Testament Test

I was impressed, but I decided to test Cesar. Turning to pages in my own Bible, I named various texts beginning at Genesis. Since Cesar doesn’t speak English and my Cebuano is very limited, my wife volunteered to be our interpreter. The first verse I chose was Genesis 2:18. As soon as I mentioned the chapter and verse, Cesar began reciting in Cebuano, ‘And the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”

Cesar said God had fulfilled that promise to him when he met and married his wife, Warleta Bistell. God obviously brought these two people together. She married this smiling, sightless man and gave him three children. It was his 21-year-old son that had accompanied him to the pulpit when it was his time to preach.

A New Testament Test

But that was too easy, I thought. I had also claimed that promise and God had brought my wife and I together as well. I switched to the New Testament. I decided to test him with a larger passage for him to recite. I selected 1 Corinthians 1:25 through 27. But after my wife told him the verses I had selected, Cesar immediately delivered:

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”

Finally, I asked, “What’s the secret?”

Okay, I was convinced that he had a gift, but I wanted to know how. How was he able to memorize all those books and chapters and verses? Did this blind man have some kind of “photographic” mind? Did he have an associative method in which he heard a verse and put in a special folder in his brain where he could recall it later? Did he have a fantastic teacher? What was the secret? His answer was simple.

“I asked God for the gift of learning the Bible and He gave it to me,” Cesar explained. “It was a gift from God. God promises in James 1:5 & 6,“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask of God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

What a wonderful testimony to the power of God! Cesar simply took God at His word and began memorizing the Bible. Currently, he lives in Mindanao with his wife Warleta, his son Gideon, two daughters, ages 12 and 13. He makes his life selling Christian books and preaching wherever he is invited to share God’s Word. When we first met Cesar in Danao, we invited him to stay with us whenever he visits Cebu. What a blessing it has been each time he stays at our house.

When I first walked into the Danao church, I wondered why we were there because we didn’t know anyone at that church. Before the day was over, however, I knew that God had brought me to Danao to learn a lesson—the lesson I learned from a blind man.

*All Bible texts are from the New International Version of the Bible.

Jul 31

The Business of Abortion

By S. R. Morris

It is pathetic that so many upstanding people from all walks will click “like” or “thumbs up” when it comes to an article about Cecil the lion, or dogs being abused, or tons of jokes. But when it comes to an article about killing unborn babies or their abuse by dismembering their tiny bodies and selling their body parts, they don’t have the time to comment or protest.

The next time we are attacked by some crazed Islamic group or lone wolf, many will say it’s because the nation doesn’t have prayer in the school or doesn’t have a statue of the ten commandments down at the courthouse anymore. That’s not the reason.

Talk is cheap. When you can’t even express outrage at barbaric abortion practices, then you have no business talking about the practices of ISIS in beheading or burning or raping children.

“God does not see in the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (b) NCV

This post is particularly addressed to those who express comments about “poor old Cecil” the African lion, but neglect to cry in outrage over the practices of Planned Parenthood. In respect for all the business professionals, Facebook friends, and every American, let me give you a little information about just one type of abortion preformed by Planned Parenthood.

Saline abortion involves the injection of drugs or chemicals through the abdomen or cervix and into the amniotic sac. This causes death to the child and his or her expulsion from the uterus, but the death is not immediate.

Also known as “salting out,” saline abortion, is also called “saline amniocentesis,” or “hypertonic saline” abortion. This type of later-term abortions (used after 16 weeks of pregnancy), is used when enough fluid has accumulated in the amniotic fluid sac surrounding the baby.

A needle is inserted through the mother’s abdomen and amniotic fluid is withdrawn and replaced with a solution of concentrated salt. The baby breathes in, swallowing the salt, and is poisoned.

The chemical solution also causes painful burning and deterioration of the baby’s skin. Usually, after about an hour, the child dies.

The mother goes into labor about 35 hours after the procedure and delivers a dead, burned and shriveled baby. Risks include: uncontrolled blood clotting, severe hemorrhage, central nervous system damage, seizures, coma and death.

Babies have been born alive after a saline abortion.

Are outraged now?

If not, don’t ever come crying when one of your friends or family members dies from an attack from an Islamic terrorist. I don’t want to hear about it. Just saying.

Jul 21

JFK was a man of vision

By S. R. Morris

It was 46 years ago today (July 21, 1969) that an American first set foot on the moon. It was astronaut Neil Armstrong made the historic statement below.

“That’s one small step for (a) man; one giant leap for mankind.”

Today’s youth have no idea what it meant in 1969. It was just a few days before my 16^th birthday and, even though I was more interested in girls and cars than anything else, I remember thinking, “That’s incredible!”

Just a few years before, I remember hearing President Kennedy make another incredible statement saying that an American would be the first to step foot on the moon before the decade was over. Talk about a crazy statement! That was a notion that would qualify you to get visited by men in white suits carrying a straitjacket for the person making such ridiculous statements.

“We choose to go to the Moon! . . . We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

The original statement was made September 12, 1962 by JFK. The result of his vision for our future was the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Now, it is the plan of a radical-socialist-communist president (who ran for office as a Democrat) and has all but abandoned NASA and every other ideal that JFK promoted in his short three years in office.

This historic day is a good time to remember and take account of what the proposed “change” Barack Obama promised is exactly the opposite of what John F. Kennedy proposed in his inaugural address on January 20, 1961.

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

Under Barack Obama, we do not support our friends. Under Barack Obama, we will not pay any price because it is just too high. Under Barack Obama, we wish well to our enemies, especially our enemies. Under Barack Obama, we can assure the demise of the liberty America once stood for.

“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shank from this responsibility — I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation.”

Yes, that’s another quote from JFK’s inaugural address. He was a true leader and one who did not lead from behind. He welcomed the opportunity to save this country and the world from tyranny. Under Barack Obama, he only welcomes the destruction of this country.

Finally, at the end of his address, Kennedy spoke the words that will always ring true in the heart of every true American. The first sentence of the final part of his speech is recognizable by many Americans, but there was a second sentence that followed immediately after, and should also ring true in the heart of every country that wishes America well.

“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.

“My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

These were the words of the last great Democratic president—the one before the Democratic party was hijacked by racist socialists and communist fascists. Today, JFK would turn over in his grave to see what Barack Obama has done under the name of being a Democrat. Like me. JFK would be disgusted.

I would suggest that when Barack Obama lied to this country that he was a Christian American and stepped into the White House, he was thinking in his mind:

“That’s one small step for me; one giant leap for the destruction of America.”

Let’s make sure he is not successful.

Jul 5

My Wife Is Wonderful!

By S. R. Morris

Wife is the name a man calls his spouse, his companion, his soul mate, but I need a better word.

Outstanding is what I would use to describe her, but my words are still not adequate.

Nurturing is what she is to both our daughter and to me.

Dearly loved is what she is to her friends and darling to me because she is a gift to me from God.

Excellent is what God said in describing the perfect wife in Proverbs 31:29, and I cannot argue with that because she is perfect for me.

Remarkable grace is what she displays in every situation, whether caring for the poor or dealing with the sophisticated in business settings.

Fantastic is the only word to describe her natural beauty, her attitude toward life in general, and the help she demonstrates to everyone she encounters.

Unbelievable is what others will think of my description of the woman I love.

Love is the name her parents gave her at birth, but I prefer to call her Wonderful.

Jul 1

Being an Optimistic Entrepreneur

By S. R. Morris

Essentially, an entrepreneur is an optimist. But the term ‘optimistic entrepreneur’ is a bit redundant in my mind because an entrepreneur must always be optimistic—an eternal optimist. At any rate, I decided to use that because being an optimist is so important to success.

I became an entrepreneur at an early age. There’s an old adage that says: Necessity is the mother of invention. It’s true. Although I would not classify our family as dirt poor, we certainly didn’t get things given to us when we asked for them (like many of the so-called ‘poor’ now). We were told we had to work for it. My brother and I made our first skateboard out of a piece of plywood and broken, rusty roller skates. We were proud of it and spent many happy hours learning to use our skateboard.

Entrepreneurs are innovative

The problem for young entrepreneurs like me (in the U.S. in the 1960s), there was very little work for a kid of 10 or 12. I went through the normal channels to get money for something I wanted: a lemonade stand, a newspaper route, etc. My brother and I even promoted a boxing event in our back yard after making a ring of ropes and used two pairs of boxing gloves we had received for Christmas one year. One summer we even built a miniature golf course in our backyard and charged neighborhood kids to play our course.

Once I tried writing my own neighborhood newspaper after I got a small, child’s typewriter for Christmas one year. I began going door-to-door and told the neighbors I was going to write a newspaper. I asked them for any news about their family and then wrote up all the news that I could gather. I think I charged five cents when I went back to sell the newspaper. Eventually, my little paper folded, but my entrepreneurial spirit was still alive.

Keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive

One year, when I was older (still a teenager), I took some money I had saved and ordered 300 Christmas trees (from Montana, as I recall). When the semi-truck rolled up on the street near my parents’ apartment in Phoenix (in early November), I quickly learned a valuable lesson. I hadn’t planned exactly where I would store 300 trees while I sold them all. Our apartment, our porch, our carport (and even a neighbor’s carport) was filled to capacity. Even the space I rented to sell the trees was not big enough.

The result was that I sold a ton of trees and more than tripled my money in about six weeks. It was one of my first successes at being an entrepreneur and I learned some great lessons. For my family, their biggest complaint (and I still hear jokes about it 40 years later) was that I didn’t save a decent tree for the family Christmas tree. The kindest remarks (about the tree I gave to the family) are ones that compared my tree to Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree.

Pursue your passion

Writing became a passion for me (at an early age) when I won a writing contest sponsored by the Arizona Republic newspaper. It was open to kids (up to 12?) and the topic was to write about our favorite pet. I won first prize writing about a former pet (Blaze, my pony) that had to be sold when our family moved from Illinois to Arizona. The dye was set (for writing) in the same way my entrepreneurial spirit took hold.

Over the years, my biggest successes were with start-up newspapers—my own and others. Now, I’m content writing for other publications, but (like true entrepreneurs everywhere) I love to hear about others’ successful enterprises. I guess that’s one of the reasons why I decided to write this book.

Persistence & determination are keys to success

Once while working as a reporter for a small weekly newspaper, I wrote a feature article about three “rags to riches” entrepreneurs. I don’t remember exactly the three businesses they had started, but the one thing I do remember from interviewing the trio was that they emphasized persistence and determination. I was impressed because all three successful entrepreneurs emphasized the same traits.

I guess that lesson took root in me as well. Later, when I began a start-up newspaper in a small, rural community in Western Tennessee, I was determined. Starting with a telephone, typewriter and desk in the corner of a friend’s real estate office, I planned, promoted and worked day and night to make it a success. The business grew and, within a few short weeks, moved into a shared office building with an attorney.

Within another year, I rented a large building (the former bank building) as a home for my community newspaper. I had done my homework and, within another year, became the favorite periodical of many within the county. The writing was important and the people I hired to help were top-rate, dedicated, optimistic people as well. But the primary reason for success was the determination to succeed.

What is your biggest need?

So, what do you need most of all? It’s important to have a friend, relative, wife or a family member, who will give encouragement when you need it. In the end, however, it depends on your determination. Like a friend of mine who always joked in crucial situations, “I don’t want to make you nervous, but everything depends on you.” It’s true. In any entrepreneurial situation, it all depends on you. Be optimistic and be determined.