Thursday, January 21, 2010

Past-Presidents' Night for CLSA-OC

The Orange County Chapter of the California Land Surveyor's Association held their annual Past-Presidents Night last Tuesday, January 19, when the out-going president, David Hill, PLS, passed the gavel to the in-coming president, Peter Fitzpatrick, PLS.  The night is also used to support local land surveying students.  The event was held at J.T. Schmidt's in Anaheim. 


(Between storms, the sky poked through and a little scattered sunshine.)



(Santiago Canyon College wait in line at the annual Past-Presidents Night.)



(From left to right: Peter Fitzpatrick, PLS and Chapter President; Ken Cast, scholarship recipient; Melissa Gruner, scholarship recipient; Patrick Unrein, scholarship recipient; Michael Howard, scholarship recipient; and David Hill, PLS and immediate Chapter Past-President)




(A room full of land surveyors.)




(Goofy old-timers!)

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Clouds Churn Over Anaheim/Yorba Linda



This was recorded yesterday, January 19, 2010 at about 1:30P.M. in the Anaheim Hills/Yorba Linda area of Orange County.  This was the same system that lifted boats out of the water, overturned at least on truck, and tore roofs from businesses and homes.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

"Friends For Fullerton's Future" Sheds Light On Craig Hunter for OC Sheriff

Cover-ups and Controversy

(Craig Hunter, Deputy Chief, Anaheim P.D.)

Travis Kiger from FFFF sheds light on some of Anaheim Deputy Chief Craig Hunter's background.  Hunter is running against the currently appointed sheriff, Sandra Hutchens (who revoked hundreds of concealed weapons permits despite OC Supervisors' request she stop), as well as Bill Hunt (former acting chief of police of San Clemente under contract as an OC Sheriff Lieutenant). 

Kiger's post is sure to bring out the Anaheim-freindly locals as well as the "gun nuts".   He received an endorsement from OCCCWS PAC (a.k.a. Greg Block Firearms Training) in late 2009 sparking controversy.  Hunter has a colorful past filled with substantiated claims of misconduct, beatings, and cover-ups.


Leadership and Integrity


(Bill Hunt, former Chief of Police, San Clemente and O.C. Sheriff Lieutenant)

Bill Hunt will undoubtedly get my support and vote.

From Hunt's website:
Protecting Our Rights…

It is my belief that the Sheriff should be in the business of protecting people's rights, not restricting them. I will issue concealed weapons permits (CCW) to any applicant who is a law abiding resident of the county, meets state mandated requirements and is not prohibited by law from possessing a firearm. I will depoliticize the process and establish an annual audit to review each application to ensure the process is unbiased, non-political and equitable.

I consider personal protection sufficient to meet the standard of good cause.

Amen, brother!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Most Expensive "B" Movie Ever Takes Golden Globe



After watching the Golden Globe recaps, I was amazed that Avatar won for Best Drama. Avatar could be classified as a sci-fi thriller but drama? I suppose the "drama" was in Cameron's political message. He spent the better part of two and a half hours barraging our minds with "military = evil" and "corporation = evil" and "pagan life-force with strong African undertones = good". He got his point across in the first ten minutes but that wasn't enough. Since Cameron couldn't dazzle audiences with his intellectual brilliance he stooped to baffle us with his bullshit-filled agenda. Again he made his point rather abruptly in the beginning of the film and I could appreciate the notion that having an army battle over corporate investments is just a bad idea. But did he really need to drive it into our heads with his who-knows-how-much-it-cost movie?

Avatar stimulated my eyes and ears but nothing else. The brainwashing was like watching MSNBC in 3D. There was absolutely no story line, just political agendas to feed the left. Avatar is classic Cameron; just another one of his over-priced B movies.

The lack of a unique and well developed story left me wondering why I paid $50 for my kids and I to sit through this leftist mind-numbing pagan indoctrination.

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...