Thursday, October 22, 2009

The Race Is On!

With just a few weeks to go, no one can guess who will win the battle over the 72nd Assembly District. Since the seat was vacated amidst multiple sex scandals involving Mike DuVall, Republican candidates Chris Norby and Linda Ackerman have been running hard. Based on the mailers I've received, Ackerman clearly has a lot of money to burn and some deep Sacramento pockets. She also has mastered the art of deceptive negative campaigning. Norby, on the other hand has been relatively quiet. There are the usual yard signs but not much else which is typical of Norby. He isn't the showman that Ackerman is nor does he have the deep pockets of questionable contributors. There is a Democratic candidate, MacMurray, who seems to have also secured funding because his signs are littering every road in northern Orange County. His agenda, based on a robo-call I received, indicates he is all about spending money on education. Been there, done that... The real front runners, Norby and Ackerman, have a long history in Fullerton. Norby was raised in Fullerton and has continuously lived across the street from Fullerton Community College. Ackerman lived in Fullerton for about 19 years before moving to Irvine for about 10 more years. It wasn't until DuVall resigned that she "moved back" to Fullerton. In a townhall-style phone call by her campaign, a resident asked about her "carpetbagging". She talked in a big circle about how she raised her kids in Fullerton, she worships in Fullerton, she has doctors in Fullerton... Yeah, that didn't really explain her sudden relocation back to Fullerton. There are several issues I have with casting my vote for her. I'm sure she is a nice woman who did a great job supporting her husband's ambitions and raising her kids. My concern is her lack of experience holding an elected office. In contrast, Norby has been in politics for a long time, maybe 20 years. Is that too long and does that mean he is a career politician? Before answering that we need to consider an important fact. As a Fullerton City Council member he received a small stipend for his time spent at council meetings. To my knowledge, and I suppose it's time I research it, Fullerton does not pay a salary to the council memebers; they work as elected volunteers. It wasn't until his election to the County Board of Supervisors that he received a paycheck for his time. So, although he may be a "lifer" with respect to politics, he is certainly not a career politician. Before being elected to the Board of Supervisors, he was a teacher in Brea. That was his career while politics and local government were his hobby. Looking at his voting record as a County Supervisor, it is pretty clear that he is a fiscal conservative. I have heard his associates say during an open meeting that they will discuss their individual concerns later. Norby promptly advised the other members that they can not have secret or private discussions on matter for consideration. He then explains his position and gives thoughtful consideration to the input from the other participants. I'm sure he hasn't always voted in the manner I would like but that's to be expected. I'm sure this race will continue to heat up and eventually gain more media attention. So far, the only media outlet to question these candidates was KCAL9/KCBS2 News Central. The reporter, Dave Lopez, was trying to track down another one of DuVall's alleged girlfriends. It was terribly entertaining watching him chasing her around the Summet House restaurant, a 5-star-type of eatery. We'll see...

Greg Sebourn

The Beauty of a Storm

The Beauty of a Storm
Orange County, Ca.

My Grandma - A Eulogy

LET'S TALK ABOUT 1914 FOR A MOMENT.



FOR STARTERS, GRANDMA WAS BORN TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1914 IN HER FAMILY'S ATWOOD RANCH HOUSE.



IT IS WORTH NOTING THOSE ALSO BORN IN 1914:

JACK LALANNE

JOE DIMAGGIO

DANNY THOMAS



AND WHO DIED IN 1914:

JOHN MUIR, THE FAMOUS NATURALIST FOR WHICH NUMEROUS ROADS, PARKS, HOTELS, AND NATURE RESERVES ARE NAMED.



IT IS ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT IN 1914 WOODROW WILSON SIGNS MOTHER'S DAY PROCLAMATION AND BABE RUTH MAKES HIS MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT WITH THE RED SOX. MOTHER'S DAY AND BASEBALL- TWO OF MY FAVORITES!! (PERHAPS HER NICKNAME "BABE" CAME FROM BABE RUTH???)



GRANDMA WAS BORN INTO A PERIOD OF TIME FILLED WITH TURMOIL. IN JUNE OF 1914 ARCHDUKE FRANZS FERDINAND WAS ASSASSINATED. WITHIN ONE MONTH WORLD WAR I RAGED ACROSS EUROPE. TWO DAYS AFTER HER BIRTH HOWEVER, GERMAN AND BRITISH TROOPS INTERRUPTED WWI TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS. (PERHAPS THEY PAUSE KNOWING THAT A GREAT WOMAN WAS BORNE) WORLD WAR I CONTINUED UNTIL THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES IN 1919.



ALTHOUGH SHE WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD, SHE SAW THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS CREATED AND THE 19TH AMENDMENT WAS APPROVED BY THE U.S. CONGRESS GUARANTEEING THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN TO VOTE.



SHE LIVED THROUGH MANY NOTABLE EVENTS. LIKE THE 1933 LONG BEACH EARTHQUAKE OR WHEN ATWOOD FLOODED ALONG WITH MOST OF ORANGE COUNTY IN 1938 AND THE FLOOD-WATERS CLAIMED MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE, 43 OF WHICH WERE FROM ATWOOD! ALL OF THIS DURING A TIME THAT WE READ ABOUT IN SCHOOL AND KNOWN AS "THE GREAT DEPRESSION". SOMEWHERE IN ALL OF THAT SHE FOUND THE LOVE OF HER LIFE, GRANDPA LEO, GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, GOT MARRIED, AND HAD KIDS!



THEN THERE WAS WORLD WAR II. FROM PEARL HARBOR TO HIROSHIMA, GRANDMA WAS RAISING MY UNCLE BOB AND MOM ARLINE. WITH AIR-RAID SIRENS AND BLACKOUTS SHE WAS A WIFE AND MOTHER. WHAT A TIME TO RAISE CHILDREN! I BET GRANDMA'S PARENTS WERE ABEL TO TELL HER A THING OR TWO ABOUT RAISING KIDS IN WARTIME.



GRANDMA WAS THERE WHEN THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA HELD THEIR 3RD ANNUAL NATIONAL JAMBOREE IN 1953. SHE SAW AIRBASES OPEN IN '42 AND CLOSE IN '99. SHE WATCHED WALTER KNOTT START UP HIS BERRY FARM AND WALT DISNEY TURN ORANGE GROVES AND STRAWBERRY PATCHES INTO DISNEYLAND!



SHE SAW THE HORSE AND CARRIAGE FADE AWAY INTO HISTORY AND SPACE TRAVEL EXPLODE BEFORE HER WITH THE FIRST LUNAR LANDING. JUST IMAGINE HOW MUCH TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS. FROM TUBE RECTIFIERS TO SUPERCONDUCTORS; FROM TRANS-ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLES TO SATELLITE TV.



SHE SAW MORE IN HER 93 YEARS THAN MOST OF US WILL EVER READ ABOUT, LET ALONE LIVE THROUGH!



OF THOSE 93 YEARS IT IS MY HONOR TO HAVE BEEN HER GRANDSON FOR 35 OF THEM. SHE WAS MY MOTHER WHEN MOM HAD TO WORK. SHE WIPED MY NOSE AND PUT FOOD IN MY MOUTH. SHE LET ME PLAY WITH GRANDPA EVEN THOUGH SHE NEEDED HIM TO TAKE HER TO THE STORE. SHE WAS MY GRANDMA AND I WILL MISS HER IMMENSELY.



JUST LOOK AROUND THIS ROOM; SHE DID THIS. SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE INTO THIS WORLD AND TOGETHER TODAY. THIS IS HER LEGACY.



A Dedication To My Loving Wife, Stacey. Thank you for all you do for me!

Brad Paisley - I Thought I Loved You Then


I remember trying not to stare the night that I first met you
You had me mesmerized
3 weeks later in the front porch light taking 45 min to kiss you goodnight
I hadn’t told you yet but I thought I loved you then

Chorus
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than it’s ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then.

I remember taking you back to right where I first met you
You were so surprised
There were people around
But I didn’t care I got down on one knee right there
And once again I thought I loved you then

Chorus
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than it’s ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then.

I can just see you with a baby on the way
I can just see you when your hair is turning gray
What I can’t see is how I’m ever gonna love you more
But I’ve said that before.

Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Well look back some day at this moment that we’re in
And I'll look at you and say I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then...