Category Archives: News and Serious Stuff

Whale Songs

Posted on by
2

Along with today’s rare alignment of Mars conjunct Uranus in Taurus, one of the most impactful astrological events of the year, July’s full moon is next Sunday and I can already feel the energy, how about you?

My dreams are crazy intense. I dreamt of whales swirling all around, smiling at me. There were other, darker, sadder dreams that woke me up and gloomily lingered for the rest of the day, but the whales only brought a delightful yearning to speak to them and join in their song.

This is the juvenile California Gray Whale that became lost and almost dangerously stranded in our lagoon.

Lucky me got several super close up photos and videos. At one point, his eyes locked onto mine and I tried to mentally direct him back to the open ocean so he could join his mom. Eventually he did, but I’m sure I had nothing to do with it.

It was an otherworldly experience, as are all my whale and dolphin sightings. There is no greater joy than the exquisite joy that brings tears from our heart and soul.

Local News: Harassed Sea Lions and a Brazen Daytime Burglary

Posted on by
Reply

Stupidstupid tourists just won’t stay away. I don’t know why they feel they need to either taunt the sea lions or take an idiotic selfie with them.

The Children’s Pool in La Jolla is closed to the public during pupping season from December 15 through May 15. The recent opening of the area has lead to the usual STUPIDLY dangerous interactions between people and wildlife.

Recent videos have popped up on social media capturing some of the troubling interactions between people and wildlife at the Children’s Pool. Some involve crowds gathering too close to seals on the beach. Others have seals and sea lions barking at swimmers in the water, one even has a sea lion chasing imbecilic humans.

I think these are the same types of people who get too close to the bison at Yellowstone National Park and are injured by them. I believe that’s the classic definition of instant karma, don’t you agree?

I’ll be happy when tourist season is over, that’s for sure. A friend who lives nearby has made it her life’s mission to protect the sea lions from harm and she says the harassment this year is far worse than in the past. WTF is wrong with people???

_____ ______ _____ _______ _____

In other startling news, neighbors and I received a Ring video about a brazen daytime burglary that had just occurred on my street, a couple blocks away.

Two masked, gloved, and hooded men carrying plastic bags were seen entering a home through the backyard. How scary is that!

On my way to the post office to mail a package to the Angel Kids, I drove right by the house as it was being robbed, which is a freaky thought.

Police were swarming the area and when I went out to talk to them, I was informed that the criminals had NOT been caught and the police were gathering evidence and taking statements.

I didn’t see a whole lot of active detective work going on, no forensic van had pulled up, nothing like you see on TV, so I’m not exactly sure what they were doing, but I know we are all on high alert.

It’s not clear exactly how the burglars gained access or what was taken, but I have a feeling the home didn’t have security or it wasn’t armed, because the police weren’t notified until a couple hours after the robbery occurred.

I’ll post any future updates if and when the perps are apprehended, OR if there are more incidents.

Happy Fourth of July! Fireworks Suck

Posted on by
5

I hope everyone enjoys a safe and happy Independence Day. Let’s also think about what this day means for our animals.

Every year when Legoland sets off fireworks around here, dozens of terrified dogs run away. You can hear people calling out for their missing pets and the next day, there’s a plethora of sad posts online and missing pet posters taped to telephone poles.

Some of these dogs never come back home; they get hit by cars or become easy targets for coyotes. If they’re lucky and get picked up by animal control, I hope everyone chips their pets so they can be reunited.

Fireworks traumatize pets AND wildlife. My own Border Collie, Victor, was so scared that he’d crawl under the desk and his whole body would tremble until they were over.

Fireworks may also trigger PTSD in veterans, did you know that? It’s important to have a plan to help veterans if they are around fireworks so that they feel more relaxed and aren’t feeling threatened.

In my opinion, all fireworks should be banned and replaced by laser light shows.

Fireworks suck.

Frauds, Scams, and Phishing, Oh My!

Posted on by
8

Recently, this happened to me, but before I took the bait and responded, I found this article by the BBB.

Stay vigilant, alert, aware, and most importantly, NEVER respond or call them back or divulge any personal information!

The Better Business Bureau posted this warning on June 25, 2024 so it’s a fresh and current scam. Please read and share. There’s some really great info here:

BBB Scam Alert: This phishing scam claims a process server is looking for you.

Many scams start with an intimidating phone call. A “debt collector” needs you to pay immediately. Or a “police officer” claims to have a warrant for your arrest.

The latest variation involves a phony “process server” and a non-existent court case against you. BBB Scam Tracker continues to receive reports of this phishing scam. Here’s how to spot it. 

How the scam works

You receive a call, or several calls, from an unknown or blocked number from a person claiming to be a process server. They might say there is a lien on your home or someone is taking you to court over unpaid medical bills or another matter. The caller may also claim you or a family member are a “person of interest in an important matter that requires immediate attention,” and federal law prohibits the caller from sharing any additional information. Similarly, in other cases, the scammer may be secretive, saying they can’t reveal details until your papers are served. 

Next, they’ll ask you to “confirm” sensitive personal information about yourself, such as your date of birth, address, or Social Security number. When you’re hesitant to give out this information, they stress the urgency of the matter – after all, this is a court matter! If you ask too many questions about who is making a complaint or what company the process server works for, the scammer will get angry and sometimes threaten more action against you. The caller may also try to scare you further by asking if you will be home or at work within the next hour since they will be arriving soon to serve you papers, get your signature on legal documents, and demand to see your forms of identification.

Sometimes, the “process server” may be phishing for information about your family members. According to a report on BBB Scam Tracker, one consumer shared, “Previously left me a voicemail about a lawsuit against my grandmother using her full government name a few weeks ago. Today they called again and asked if I knew the person, to which I said no, and then asked if I was (my full government name), to which I also said no. The person continued to be very pushy until they finally decided to end the call.”

The people behind this scam don’t have any legal papers to deliver, they want to get their hands on your personal information to commit identity theft.

BBB Scam Tracker sees many reports about process server phishing scams. One consumer recently shared their experience, “I received a call from a private number, claiming to be a “process server” stating they had papers regarding a lein on my home…I checked with my police department, and town, i have no leins on my home.” Another person shared, “A fake process server called my mom and she called them back. They used my maiden name which I have not had in over 20 years about a county matter from a county not local to me saying they had papers to serve [and] they wanted to validate my information. My mom hung up but it scared her.”

How to avoid phishing scams

  • Be wary of scare tactics and unsolicited phone calls. Scammers love to threaten people with legal action or hefty fines, scaring them into giving up their personal information and money. They hope fear will make you act without thinking. Always remember that representatives of a reputable business or legal office will be polite and civil, even in a serious situation. They won’t pressure you to act immediately “or else.”
  • Search your local court website. If you think there’s a chance someone has filed a lawsuit against you, check your local court’s website. Search your name to see if any lawsuit has been filed. If nothing comes up, you’re in the clear.
  • The scammer may have some personal information. Don’t give them more. Scammers may have some of your personal information already from a previous phishing scam, a data breach, or some other source. If you’re speaking with the scammer, you may even notice that the information is out of date. For example, they may use your maiden name or a previous address or workplace. Even if the information is out of date, they may use these stolen details to get even more information from you. For example, they might read your Social Security number and then ask you to “confirm” your date of birth. If they read off out-of-date information, they may trick you into providing current information. Even if someone already has a few details, don’t give them any further information unless you are sure you’re dealing with someone you trust. Be careful when responding to questions that require a simple “yes” or “no” response, since the “Can you hear me?” scam is still around, too.
  • Don’t give out personal information about family members, either. BBB Scam Tracker reports also share that these scammers are calling people to inquire about family members. If someone is asking you to validate information about another individual, hang up the phone. Afterwards, it’s a good idea to notify the family member about the call you received. That way, they can be on the lookout for other scams and take action to protect their personal and financial information if it’s at risk or has been stolen.

For more information

Reading up on phishing and impostor scams can help you spot a con before it’s too late. Watch out for jury duty scams, too, which also use imposter tactics and threatening phone calls to scam people into paying up.

You may also visit BBB’s Spot a Scam page for tips on recognizing scam tactics.

If a scammer contacts you, report your experience to BBB.org/ScamTracker. Your report can help us boost consumer awareness and make scammers’ tactics less effective.

Summer Solstice AND a Full Strawberry Moon

Posted on by
Reply

“Stay wild, moon child.” – Riitta Klint

Today we celebrate the summer solstice and tomorrow is June’s full “strawberry moon”, the lowest full moon of the year, staying close to the horizon as the sun soars to its highest point in the sky.

How often does a full moon and a solstice appear at pretty much the exact same time? Not very…however, some reports said the last time the solstice full moon happened was in 2016, and some said it last occurred in 1986 or even in 1967. It’s weird that no one seems SURE, don’t you agree?

WOW! The energies are crazy today. I was in a store and a man was causing an issue, swearing and yelling at the employees, and had to be escorted out. I watched the entire scene and stepped aside as his out-of-control anger ramped up so that I wouldn’t become an innocent target or collateral damage. Down the street from THAT insanity, a woman, definitely homeless, was lying across the sidewalk in the hot summer sun with her personal shopping cart tipped over blocking a lane in the the very busy street. I drove by and planned to pull over and call 911 because I didn’t know if she was dead or alive, when the fire and paramedics showed up.

After that, I thought the best course of action was to go home to my safe space and BREATHE.

To make best use of this intense energy, a full moon is a great time to manifest our dreams, honor the light within, and express gratitude.

And don’t forget to charge your crystals, especially with the super intensity of this solstice. I plan to take a walk around the lagoon at sunset and hope to see the moon rise at 7p.m.

Happy Summer!

“

A Shasta Daisy and The Fibonacci Sequence

Posted on by
2

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food, and medicine for the soul.” – Luther Burbank

With no rain in sight, my plants are becoming thirsty and I have to water them so they don’t dry out. I stopped for a minute to contemplate the droplets on a perfectly perfect Shasta daisy.

Nature is amazing. Everything is related to everything. Nothing is simply what it seems.

Many flowers exhibit a petal count that corresponds to Fibonacci numbers. Shasta daisies have twenty-one. This is something I didn’t even know about until recently. If they taught it in school, it’s another one of those days when I wasn’t paying attention.

In the 13th century an Italian mathematician, Leonardo de Pisa, better known today as Fibonacci, published a book called Liber Abaci. He introduced a number sequence that became known as the Fibonacci sequence. Starting with 0 and 1, each new number in the sequence is the sum of the two before it.  0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377.

The golden mean or the golden ratio is a special number found by dividing a line into two parts.

The golden mean and the Fibonacci spiral are connected to life, even spiritual life. They can be found in nature in the number of petals of flowers, the way the tiniest stem
unfurls, in spirals in seashells, and more. 

The golden proportion of 1.618 is found in key proportions of the body in humans, animals, insects, and in DNA. Our perceptions of beauty support that phi is a factor in what we find attractive.https://energeticgeometry.com/

That’s a pretty weighty concept for my brain to absorb or even understand. The possibilities seem endless, one more mystery of the universe.

I’m an uncomplicated person. All I know for sure is that I love the way Shasta daisies spread to fill in the empty spaces like they fill my heart and make me happy.

“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.” – Theodore Roethke.

Lady Justice Prevailed With a GUILTY Verdict On All Counts

Posted on by
20

I don’t often write about political issues, but this is big news.

Have you heard?

On May 30th 2024, a jury of citizens in the state of New York convicted a former President of thirty-four felony counts.

There has been a full scale political assault on Lady Justice these past few years, but she’s still standing, proud and resolute.

In my opinion, the true crime is whatever the orange turd did to steal the election from Hilllary Clinton in 2016. He should have never been elected President.

I was a bit worried that the jury wouldn’t understand their task, but they did.

From the New York Times:

Donald J. Trump was convicted on Thursday of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened to derail his 2016 presidential campaign, capping an extraordinary trial that tested the resilience of the American justice system and will reverberate into November’s election.

From BBC News, here’s exactly how it happened when the jury returned to the courtroom with a verdict:

The judge walked into the courtroom shortly after 4:00 pm, and said he planned to dismiss the jury for the day in a half hour. Then he left to talk to them.

Passing the time, Mr Trump and his lead attorney, Todd Blanche, huddled together at the defence table laughing. They looked like old friends sharing a good joke – and Mr Trump’s shoulders even shook in a rare display of mirth.

But then, as time passed, the judge still had not returned.

A few minutes later, Justice Merchan arrived in a swoop of black robes, his face inscrutable.

The jury, he said, had a note. And a verdict. They had taken extra time to fill out required paperwork, but they were ready.

The atmosphere shifted. The only noise was the sound of reporters frantically typing.

“All rise,” a court officer said suddenly. “Jury entering”.

One by one, the twelve walked past Trump who rose along with the rest of the courtroom for their entrance.

Justice Merchan, in the same even tone he used throughout the trial, asked the jury to confirm they had a verdict.

They had, the foreperson said.

The first guilty verdict landed – the next 33 added a crushing weight.

Silent and still at the defence table, Trump kept his lips pursed as his lawyers, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove on either side of him, glanced sternly toward the judge.

As each juror verbally confirmed the decision to convict him, Trump turned his head in their direction and followed their faces one by one as they answered.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office charged Trump with 34 counts of falsification of business records. He was guilty on all counts.

Prosecutors said that with Trump’s approval, his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to stay silent just before his 2016 presidential run about an alleged sexual encounter. Trump then was accused of approving a fraudulent scheme to disguise the reimbursement to Cohen as legal expenses.

He pleaded not guilty and has denied having sex with Ms. Daniels.

On Thursday, Trump’s pursed expression remained unchanged after the verdict was read and his attorneys pleaded with the judge for acquittal, claiming Mr Trump’s former fixer had committed perjury with his damning testimony on the stand.

Denied, Justice Merchan said.

Can he still run for president?

Yes. The US Constitution sets out relatively few eligibility requirements for presidential candidates: they must be at least 35, be a “natural born” US citizen and have lived in the US for at least fourteen years. There are no rules blocking candidates with criminal records.

What could Trump’s sentence be?

Trump has been free on bail throughout the trial and this did not change after the verdict was read on Thursday.

The judge will have several factors to consider in sentencing, including Trump’s age. The sentence could involve a fine, probation or supervision, or possibly prison time.

The more pressing matter to discuss is how messed up this country is, how his cult of hatred attracted so many disturbed followers — and how we can make sure this never happens again.

It’s really scary to consider that millions of Americans were being brainwashed by a reality-TV host.

Do they need to be deprogrammed? Can they be deprogrammed?

From Vanity Fair, Steven Hassan, a former Moonie turned cult expert and author of The Cult of Trump, says the process will require not only empathy and individual family involvement but a wholesale change in how social media and information systems separate fact from dangerous fictions. “I would put undue influence or mind control as the number-two most important thing that we address for the planet,” he says. “Because otherwise authoritarianism, using social media, is a threat.”

At the end of the day, Lady Justice might be slightly tattered, but this time she was able to rally and stand for truth. We need more of this.

May’s Full Flower Moon

Posted on by
Reply

The Flower Moon reminds us that the most beautiful blossoms have deep roots — as this lunation is receiving a motivating push from subterranean planet Pluto, which could catalyze some deep emotional excavation. 

To honor this beautiful full moon, which the Lakota call “Moon Of The Green Leaves”, here are some of my favorite flower photos…

All photos by Enchanted Seashells

(Some content curated from Bustle)

Is “Of Course” The New “You’re Welcome”?

Posted on by
7

Of course!

I’ve become obsessed with observing how often people say “of course” in response to “thank you” or any other expression of appreciation. Have you noticed it, too?

For example, I was at the market and said thank you to the person who bagged my groceries. He said, “Of course.”

Later, a neighbor gave me a cool puzzle for the grandkids. I texted “thank you.” She responded, “of course”.

Someone else helped me find a particular section of rugs in TJ Maxx and when I told her I appreciated the help, she responded, “of course.”

This all happened in the same day because it seems as if no one says “you’re welcome” EVER –just “of course.”

Is it rude? Is it polite?

OF COURSE I did a little research…

Here’s the query: Is it rude to reply “of course”?

‘Of course’ by itself means obvious, expected. So when someone says ‘of course’ instead of ‘you’re welcome’, the feeling is “it’s obvious that I would do that because I want to do that’. It seems to be a friendly communication, BUT IS IT?

In fact, it’s a big search on Quora…

Why do millennials often say “of course” instead of saying “you’re welcome” when you thank them?

You can respond to someone who says “of course!” after you thank them by expressing your gratitude again or by acknowledging their kindness. For example, you could say “Thank you again, I really appreciate it” or “You’re so kind, thank you.” This shows that you value their response and appreciate their willingness to help.

What about people who respond “no problem” in response to “thank you”?

I like this following points of view:

“You’re welcome,” is the correct short answer. “Of course” implies entitlement. Even the currently popular, “No problem,” implies imposition.

Both of those answers imply “It’s all about me, not you.” I think it’s another sign, indicative of more and more egregious narcissistic behavior creeping into our society on a daily basis.

Regardless of the following ways to respond to “thank you” and you can call me old-fashioned, but I’m going to stick with “you’re welcome.” That’s the only one that feels right to me.

Do you say “no problem” or “of course” or are you like me and reply with a simple “you’re welcome”?

rachelsenglish.comhttps://rachelsenglish.com › youre-welcome

Today is World Naked Gardening Day!

Posted on by
4

The first Saturday in May is World Naked Gardening Day.

We’re encouraged to wear NOTHING but a sunhat and sunscreen, to pick up a trowel or a rake, and seed and weed au naturale.

Why garden naked? Our culture needs to move toward a healthy sense of both body acceptance and our relation to the natural environment. Gardening naked is not only a simple joy, it reminds us–even if only for those few sunkissed minutes–that we can be honest with who we are as humans and as part of this planet. and that’s also a definitely NOT ME, whether it’s “world wide” or “worldwide”! Curated from https://naturisteducation.org/wngd/

Today, you’ll find me in the garden, fully clothed, planting peas and beans and mixed leafy greens.

However, if YOU choose to celebrate in your birthday suit, DO NOT send pics!

Enjoy!