July 22, 2007

Pulic Service Announcements ...

Pete Wilson, long-time Bay Area television journalist and radio personality, dies at 62 July 21, 2007 -- Veteran KGO-TV, ABC7 News Anchor Pete Wilson died last night at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto from a massive heart attack suffered during hip replacement surgery.  Saying goodbye to a local legend far too soon ...  Remembering Pete Wilson

July 10, 2007 Scooby Animal ID: 41767 Age: 1 year Weight: 24 lbs. Sex: Neutered Male Scooby is my name – and I'm a scrumptious blend of butterscotch and cream – in short, a delectable canine confection! With my sparkling eyes, incandescent smile, and meltingly sweet personality, I capture the hearts of everyone I meet. And, did I mention that I just LOVE to luxuriate in a warm lap? If there is a lap handy, I WILL be in it. Now, I must tell you that I like to have the spotlight all to myself, and I don't care to have any other dogs around to upstage me. Come to think of it, I'm not that fond of cats horning in on my act either. If you have the perfect home – and perfect lap – where I can be the ONLY dog in your heart, then please come scoop me up today (and add a huge splash of sparkle and sweetness to your life!) Jo Jo Animal ID: 44367 Age: 9 years Weight: 30 lbs. Sex: Neutered Male My name is Jo Jo – and I'm just a jolly jester! Just look at me grinning from ear to ear. (Now, some say I sort of resemble Jack Nicholson as “The Joker,” but I just can't help lighting up like a lantern when I see my favorite people!) As you can also see – if you're not too blinded by my dazzling smile, that is – I'm a teeny bit on the pleasingly plump side. (Anyone looking for a diet buddy?) I just love to splash around in the wading pool – I guess I'm a happy little otter at heart. I have a zest for life and a huge heart…and I just can't wait to share my love AND my droll sense of humor with you! Let's embark on some comic capers together! Topaz Animal ID: 43364 Age: 8 years Weight: 11 lbs. Sex: Spayed Female Hello there, I’m Topaz. I’m a mature kitty with a soft fluffy coat and gorgeous green eyes, and I’d love for you to take me home! Think of me as the Mae West of the cat world. I’m a bit sassy but have lots of love to share, and I’m looking for an adult-only home or a home with kids 13 or over. I prefer your admiration and loving gaze over too much petting, so if you simply want a kitty who’ll be great company but won’t be desperate for your attention, I’m the one. So, look for the torti gal with gorgeous green eyes. That’s me, Topaz. Adopt-A-Pet

Now, this weeks Goodies ...

Mars ~ Thanks to Ms. Barbara Jones The  Red Planet is about to be spectacular!  This  month and next, Earth is catching up with Mars in an encounter that  will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in  2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its  orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this  close to Earth in the Last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as  60,000 years before it happens again. The encounter will  culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of  Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the  night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc  seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification Mars  will look as large as the full moon to the naked  eye.  Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August it will rise in the  east at 10p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m.   By the end of August when the  two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30a.m.That's pretty convenient to  see something that no human being has seen in recorded history. So,  mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month. Share this with your children and grandchildren.  No one alive today will ever see this again!

Southern Survivor ~ Thanks to Mr. Jim Knudsen Because of the popularity of the Survivor shows, several southern TV stations are joining together and are planning to do their own, entitled: "SURVIVOR-- SOUTHERN STYLE" The contestants will start in Alabama, travel over to Georgia and on to South Carolina. From there they will head up to North Carolina and over to Tennessee. They will then proceed down to Mississippi and Louisiana finally ending up back in Alabama. Each will be driving a pink Volvo with New Jersey license plates and large bumper stickers that read: I'm Gay, I'm a Vegetarian, NASCAR Sucks, Go Yankees; and Deer Hunting is Murder! The first one that makes it back to Montgomery alive, wins.

The Painter ~ Thanks to Mr. Jim Ward This is cool.  Watch the entire clip and turn up your speakers!  The Painter

Blonde Joke ~ Thanks to Ms. Sandra Freitas (a blonde) A blonde is terribly overweight, so her doctor put her on a diet. "I want you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you'll have lost at least 5 pounds." When the blonde returned, she shocked the doctor by losing nearly 20 pounds. "Why, that's amazing!" the doctor said, "Did you follow my instructions?" The blonde nodded, "I'll tell you though, I thought I was going to drop dead that third day." "From hunger, you mean?" asked the doctor. "No, from that darn skipping."

Hillbilly Vasectomy ~ Thanks to Mr. Jim Knudsen After their 11th child, an Alabama couple decided that was enough, as they could not afford a larger bed.  So the husband went to his veterinarian and told him that he and his cousin didn't want to have any more children.  The doctor told him that there was a procedure called a vasectomy that could fix the problem but that it was expensive. "A less costly alternative," said the doctor, "is to go home, get a cherry bomb, (fireworks are legal in Alabama) light it, put it in a beer can, then hold the can up to your ear and count to 10."  The Alabamian said to the doctor, "I may not be the smartest tool in the shed, but I don't see how putting a cherry bomb in a beer can next to my ear is going to help me."  "Trust me," said the doctor.    So the man went home, lit a cherry bomb and put it in a beer can. He held the can up to his ear and began to count!    "1"  "2"  "3"  "4"  "5"  At which point he paused, placed the beer can between his legs and continued counting on his other hand.    This procedure also works in Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Florida, West Virginia and Washington, DC.

Kipling ~ Thanks to Prairie Home Companion Newsletter So a Guy walks into a book store looking for an opinion and asks the guy behind the counter, "Do you like Kipling?"   The other guys says, "I don't know... I've never Kipled."

Texas ~ A Prairie Home Companion Newsletter  A Texan boards a plane in Minneapolis bound for DFW. Seated next to him is nervous man, chewing his nails. The Texan says, "Are you nervous about flying?"   The man says "No, I just learned I am being transferred to Dallas, and I have never been to Texas. I hear everybody carries a gun, crime is high, and schools are terrible."   The Texans grins and says "Don't worry partner, that's all on TV. I've lived in Texas all my life, and it's a wonderful state. Your family will settle in just fine."   The Minnesotan smiled and said "Thanks, I feel a lot better. By the way, what do you do in Texas?"   The Texan replied "I'm a tailgunner on a milk truck."

Pictures of the Week  ~ Thanks to Ms. Linda Jo Bruton

Ron Mueck is a London-based photo-realist artist. Born in Melbourne, Australia , to parents who were toy makers, he labored on children's television shows for 15 years before working in special effects for such films as Labyrinth, a 1986 fantasy epic starring David Bowie. Mueck then started his own company in London, making models to be photographed for advertisements. He has lots of the dolls he made during his advertising years stored in his home. Although some still have a presence on their own. Many were made just to be photographed from a particular angle, one strip of a face, for example with a lot of loose material lurking an inch outside the camera's frame. Eventually Mueck concluded that photography pretty much destroys the physical presence of the original object, and so he turned to fine art and sculpture. In the early 1990's, still in his advertising days, Mueck was commissioned to make something highly realistic and was wondering what material would do the trick. Latex was the usual, but he wanted something harder, more precise. Luckily, he saw a little architectural decor on the wall of a boutique and inquired as to the nice pink stuff's nature. Fiberglass resin was the answer, and Mueck has made it his bronze and marble ever since. The attention to detail and sheer technical brilliance of his figures are incredible, but it is Mueck's use of scale that takes your breath away. Ron Mueck's work became world-famous when a poignant sculpture of his dead fathers small, naked body caused shock waves in the Royal Academy's Sensation exhibition in 1997. His work is lifelike but not life size, and being face to face with the tiny, gossiping Two Women (2005) or the monumental woman In Bed (2005) is an unforgettable experience. Mueck's huge 4.5m crouching Boy was the centerpiece of the Millennium Dome in London and of the Venice Biennale in 2001. The artist's work is becoming ever more intriguing, ranging from smaller-than-life size naked figures to much larger, but never actual, life size. Consequently his hyper-realistic sculptures in fiberglass and silicone, while extraordinarily lifelike, challenge us by their odd scale.  The psychological confrontation for the viewer is to recognize and assimilate two contradictory realities.  Below is the construction of this bearded man.

Before you go, remember your comments, suggestions, and contributions are  always welcome.  When you come across something funny or informative and in good taste, please send it along.  I would love to include it with your name and our thanks.  I leave you to ponder what a good friend of mine shared with me:  "The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along their way." Make it a good week, be happy and and come back soon. Joanne Joanne L. Gardiner, Broker e-PRO Realtor® Serving the San Francisco Bay Area since Fido was a pup! Advantage Realty Clock Tower Commerce Center 3205 Whipple Road Union City, California 94587 (510) 429-4800   Our primary services in the San Francisco Bay Area are: East bay real estate,  Hayward real estate, Castro Valley real estate,  Danville real estate, Dublin real estate, Fremont real estate,  Newark real estate, Niles real estate, Pleasanton real estate, San Leandro real estate, San Lorenzo real estate, San Ramon real estate, Sunol real estate and Union City real estate. Peninsula real estate, Palo Alto real estate, Foster City real estate, San Mateo real estate, San Carlos real estate, Burlingame real estate, Belmont real estate, Half Moon Bay real estate Types of real estate in which we specialize:  houses, condominiums, townhomes, garden homes, PUDs, single family homes, mobile homes, module homes, duets, residential income property, duplexes, tri-plexes, four-plexes, small apartment complexes and special use properties.