Elderly Oklahoma Tornado Survivor Discovers Pet Dog Alive During Television Interview

/

The tornado that devastated Moore, Oklahoma has been terrifying to see. This interview with an elderly woman who survived the tornado is touching in several respects. She is asked what it was like during the tornado; she says she was sitting on a stool with her dog in her arms in a small bathroom. Before she knew it she was lying in rubble. She called for her little dog and indicates the dog is missing and somewhere in the rubble.

The interviewer then asks "Are you able to comprehend yet what happened here?" and I love the woman's response, given with a grin "I know exactly what happened here. Exactly." Then "What do you think of all this, this is your neighborhood...I can't imagine.." and her reply "This is life in the big city." Literally a second later they discover the woman's dog, a little black terrier, alive in the rubble, to the joy of this woman and to all of us.

What Does It Take to Gain an Entry Into the 2014 Boston Marathon?

/

Dating myself a bit with this photo....ran the 100th Boston Marathon quite some time ago :)The 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings and subsequent pursuit of the culprits this past week overshadowed the race itself. Approximately 23,000 people were signed up for the 2013 race but because of the bombings, thousands of runners were unable to complete it.

On Thursday, Boston Marathon organizers indicated via Facebook that they will "address the issue of those who could not cross the finish line on Boylston Street due to the tragic events which occurred near the finish line," which tells me that perhaps they may offer up entries to the 2014 race to these people. But we shall see.

All of this tragedy and publicity will make 2014 quite an interesting year for the Boston Marathon, which is run on the 3rd Monday of April, Patriots' Day, each year. In 2014 that date will be April 21st.

Will people steer clear or will demand skyrocket in support of those who lost lives and limbs last Monday? Well my opinion is, we're talking Americans....I think everyone and their mother will be trying to get into the 2014 Boston Marathon.  So what will it take to gain an entry into the 2014 race? Let's review the qualifying standards for 2014:

  • Qualifying times must be run on or after 9/22/12.
  • Runners must be 18 or older on race day.
  • By 7/1/13, marathon organizers will announce specific  registration dates in September 2013.
  • Organizers allow faster runners, those who finished well under the qualifying standards shown below, to register first.
  • 2014 qualifying times are as follows:
    • Ages 18-34: Men 3:05; Women 3:35
    • Ages 35-39: Men 3:10; Women 3:40
    • Ages 40-44: Men 3:15; Women 3:45
    • Ages 45-49: Men 3:25; Women 3:55
    • Ages 50-54: Men 3:30; Women 4:00
    • Ages 55-59: Men 3:40; Women 4:10
Read More

TSA to Allow Small Pocket Knives and Some Sporting Goods Carry-Ons Starting April 25

/

Update 4/22/13: National news sources have indicated that the TSA has delayed implementing these proposed changes to carry-on policies. No other details at this time. So you can leave those lacrosse sticks and 2.36 inch pocket knives in your checked bags for the time being.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced yesterday that certain items currently prohibited as carry-ons will become allowed on board beginning April 25, 2013.

TSA has decided that allowing the following items as carry-ons will free up more time to find really bad stuff like explosives:

  • Small Pocket Knives (with non-locking blades smaller than 2.36 inches and less than 1/2 inch in width)
  • Small Novelty Bats and Toy Bats: Bats 24 inches or shorter in length or 24 ounces or less; or bats longer than 24 inches and less than 24 ounces.
  • Ski Poles, Hockey Sticks, Lacrosse Sticks, Billiard Cues, Golf Clubs (up to 2 golf clubs).

It will be interesting to see if TSA will actually free up time with these new rules given they'll have to whip out the scales and measuring tape to determine if a plastic bat is over 24 ounces or if a pocket blade knife is shorter than 2.36 inches. I'm looking at a ruler right now and am having a hard time discerning exactly what .36 inches is. Ah ha, I've figured it out now from the following handy TSA chart...2.36 inches equals 6 centimeters!

They really drill into the details in the following chart. Might be a great time to start selling non-locking pocket knives with half inch wide, 6 cm blades and non-molded grips to take advantage of these new rules!

Read More

U.S. Postal Service Announces Saturday Mail Delivery to Street Addresses Will End On August 10, 2013

/

The United States Postal Service announced plans today to transition to a new delivery schedule during the week of August 5, 2013 that includes package delivery Monday through Saturday, and mail delivery Monday through Friday.

This basically means that you don't have to check your mailbox on Saturday, August 10th, unless you're expecting a package.

Over the past several years, the Postal Service has advocated shifting to a five-day delivery schedule for mail and packages. However, recent strong growth in package delivery and projections of continued strong package growth throughout the coming decade led to the revised approach to maintain package delivery six days per week.

Once implemented during August of 2013, mail delivery to street addresses will occur Monday through Friday. Packages will continue to be delivered six days per week. Mail addressed to PO Boxes will continue to be delivered on Saturdays. Post Offices currently open on Saturdays will remain open on Saturdays. So if you really, really want to receive non-package mail on Saturdays, get a PO Box!

The operational plan for the new delivery schedule anticipates a combination of employee reassignment and attrition and is expected to achieve cost savings of approximately

Read More

Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village Tops Local U.S. News "Best Hotels" List

/

Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village was named as one of the Best Hotels in Los Angeles, ranking #4 out of 954 Los Angeles hotels, according to the list of "Top Hotels in the USA" released by US News & World Report magazine.

The 270-room AAA Five Diamond-rated hotel based here in our own Conejo Valley was ranked 17th in the Best Hotels in California. Overall, the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village was ranked #75 out of all hotels in the US and was named to the U.S. News Best Hotels in the USA for 2013.

U.S. News compiled the results based on reputation among professional travel experts, guest reviews and hotel class ratings.

Other local hotels that ranked in the Top 100 California hotels (out of 5,571 California hotels) included the following:

Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara (ranked 22nd best California hotel, top ranked hotel in Santa Barbara and Best Hotels in the USA for 2013)

San Ysidro Ranch (ranked 24th in California and 2nd in Santa Barbara and Best Hotels in the USA for 2013)

Ojai Valley Inn and Spa (ranked 33rd in California)

Bacara Resort and Spa (ranked 86th in California and 3rd in Santa Barbara)

See the entire US News Best Hotels list at travel.usnews.com/Hotels.

California Sales and Use Taxes Set to Increase by .25% on January 1, 2013

/

Due to voter approval of Proposition 30, the statewide sales and use tax rate will increase one quarter of one percent (0.25%) on January 1, 2013. The higher tax rate will apply for four years – January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016.

This is the first sales and use tax rate change since July 1, 2011, when rates in most of Ventura County dropped from 8.25% to 7.25% (except Port Hueneme and Oxnard, where rates dropped from 8.75% to 7.75%). Oxnard and Port Hueneme both voted in a Transactions and Use Tax of .5% effective April 1. 2009 that is reflected in these rates.

Thus, effective January 1, 2013, sales and use tax rates in all of Ventura County, except for Port Hueneme and Oxnard, will increase to 7.5% (8% in Port Hueneme and Oxnard).

Our neighbors in the L.A. County portion of Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Malibu and Calabasas will pay 9% effective January 1, 2013, while most of our neighbors in Santa Barbara County will be paying 8% (except Santa Maria, which will be at 8.25% because they added a .25% Transactions and Use Tax in that city effective October 1st of this year).

The highest sales and use tax rates in the state will continue to be in Pico Rivera and South Gate, where rates will be to 10% effective January 1st. In November 2012, La Mirada voters approved a 1% temporary sales tax rate increase that will expire in five years. As a result, La Mirada joins the 10% sales and use tax club effective April 1, 2013.

There are a number of cities currently at a 9.5% effective rate, include Avalon, Santa Monica. El Monte, Inglewood and South El Monte. Effective April 1, 2013, the City of Commerce and Culver City join this list.

This is taxing just writing about this stuff!

For updates, visit the California Board of Equalization website at www.boe.ca.gov.

Here is a history of sales and use tax rates (excluding district taxes) in California going back to August 1, 1933.

  • 8/1/33:  2.5%
  • 7/1/35:  3%
  • 7/1/43:  2.5%
  • 7/1/49:  3%
Read More

California Law AB 1536 Allows Hands-Free Texting in Cars Beginning January 1, 2013

/

From the One More Reason to Stay Off the Roads Department. In July Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Assemblyman Jeff Miller of Corona's measure AB 1536 he refers to as the "Freedom to Communicate" bill.

AB 1536 states:

Existing law prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication, except as specified. This bill would remove that prohibition if the person is using an electronic wireless communications device that is specifically designed and configured to allow voice-operated and hands-free operation to dictate, send, or listen to a text-based communication, and it is used in that manner while driving.

Miller's press release proudly states: "Today marks a huge victory for commuters as AB 1536 will now make it easier to utilize new technology to its full advantage, allowing Californians to communicate safely and responsibly while on the road," and ..."I (Miller) am thrilled to announce that Californians will now be able to communicate with friends, family and business partners while driving because it is currently against the law to operate text based functions while driving."

OK, so how does this work? Well remember, you still can't hold your phone or press any buttons on the phone. It does have to be hands free.

AB 1536 states "write, send, or read a text-based communication" means using an electronic wireless communications device to manually communicate with any person using a text-based communication, including, but not limited to, communications referred to as a text message, instant message, or electronic mail. I suppose "not limited to" would include things like Tweets, Facebook posts, etc.

We've had our "no texting while driving" law in place since January 1, 2009. It was only a matter of time that an exception be made. Allowing hands-free text messaging no doubt is much more important than things like unemployment and education in our state, right?

Ford has a voice-activated system called "Sync" in its cars that, among other things, allows you to listen to incoming texts on your phone and "respond with a set of up to 15 preset outgoing messages such as 'Can't talk right now' or 'Where are you?'"

Yay!! Can't wait to get in the car to text my friends and family!! Yippee!!