Glad to hear some GOOD NEWS about fire mitigation and our fire insurance companies. Yes, you read that right. With the massive numbers of homes lost in the past few years and the haunting prospect that future years may be worse (climate change is here), fire insurance companies now realize that it is LESS EXPENSIVE FOR THEM TO PROTECT HOUSES FROM IMMINENT FIRES THAN TO REBUILD THE HOMES AND REPLACE THEIR CONTENTS.
What does that mean to us? Fire insurance companies are contracting Wildfire Defense Services (WDS) to protect the homes that they cover. When homes are in immediate danger of wildfires (usually when people have been evacuated), the WDS will try to do the following:
• Remove brush
• Turn off fuel sources
• Apply vent tape
• Spray fire blocking gel/retardant
• Close structure openings
The fire insurance companies know that there aren’t enough firefighters to protect every home in the line of a wildfire so they’re contracting WDS to do what they can to stave off wildfires around the homes that the insurance companies protect.
The best part of having WDS is that home owners can evacuate when needed knowing that trained professionals will be there to do things that the homeowners might do:
• Remove patio furniture
• Move stacks of firewood
• Clear pine needles and dead leaves within 5 feet of the home
• Cut down shrubs or trees
• Check gutters to remove combustible items
Check with your insurance company to see if they have contracted WDS for your home. However, in the event that there is a wildfire, there is no guarantee that there will be enough WDS personnel to protect your home and they may not do all of the services listed above. I have Travelers Insurance and they do contract with California WDS. They say you don’t need to call WDS, your insurance provider takes care of that.
The real take-away here is that the fire department doesn’t have the personnel to protect your home so you need to do preventative work now. Clear all combustible items at least 5 feet from your house and limb up trees and cut down weeds up to 100 feet from your house.
We can do this!
Glad to hear some GOOD NEWS about fire mitigation and our fire insurance companies. Yes, you read that right. With the massive numbers of homes lost in the past few years and the haunting prospect that future years may be worse (climate change is here), fire insurance companies now realize that it is LESS EXPENSIVE FOR THEM TO PROTECT HOUSES FROM IMMINENT FIRES THAN TO REBUILD THE HOMES AND REPLACE THEIR CONTENTS.
What does that mean to us? Fire insurance companies are contracting Wildfire Defense Services (WDS) to protect the homes that they cover. When homes are in immediate danger of wildfires (usually when people have been evacuated), the WDS will try to do the following:
• Remove brush
• Turn off fuel sources
• Apply vent tape
• Spray fire blocking gel/retardant
• Close structure openings
The fire insurance companies know that there aren’t enough firefighters to protect every home in the line of a wildfire so they’re contracting WDS to do what they can to stave off wildfires around the homes that the insurance companies protect.
The best part of having WDS is that home owners can evacuate when needed knowing that trained professionals will be there to do things that the homeowners might do:
• Remove patio furniture
• Move stacks of firewood
• Clear pine needles and dead leaves within 5 feet of the home
• Cut down shrubs or trees
• Check gutters to remove combustible items
Check with your insurance company to see if they have contracted WDS for your home. However, in the event that there is a wildfire, there is no guarantee that there will be enough WDS personnel to protect your home and they may not do all of the services listed above. I have Travelers Insurance and they do contract with California WDS. They say you don’t need to call WDS, your insurance provider takes care of that.
The real take-away here is that the fire department doesn’t have the personnel to protect your home so you need to do preventative work now. Clear all combustible items at least 5 feet from your house and limb up trees and cut down weeds up to 100 feet from your house.
We can do this!
One of my best friends completed suicide a few months ago. Bruce had been suffering from mental health issues for several decades and had cut himself off from all friends and family. What’s worse, we couldn’t gather in the healing Jewish tradition to work through our questions or our guilt because of COVID. After waiting until his adult daughter Rachel and I were both double vaccinated, we just spent 3 enlightening days together honoring her father’s life.
Suicide and mental health are difficult concepts to understand, and when you’re trying to understand why someone would take their lives, more questions seem to surface than answers. We found that by telling stories about our fondest memories to Rachel’s boyfriend Eli, we elaborated and analyzed facets of Bruce’s brilliance and humor as well as little signs of his mental illness.
It warmed my heart to hear Rachel say that her favorite times with her father were when they were spent here with me and my family in Santa Cruz. As we paged through an 1800-page biography that I wrote for my daughter Jaclyn, we found hundreds of photos of Bruce and Rachel. It was comforting to see how happy he was and how we were all one loving family. Jaclyn and Rachel were besties. The photos captured their laughter as they played dress up and games.
The next day, I shared photos of Bruce with Rachel so she could see the past 35 years of his life. We sat in my theater and scrolled through a slideshow – pausing to talk about each photo so Eli could learn more about Bruce, and really so Rachel and I could bond over the memories. We felt a closeness with Bruce – a mutual love and acceptance – a wonderful closure to our life with him.
While I miss my best friend, I am lucky to have a new relationship with Rachel. I have found a way of honoring Bruce by keeping our extended family together.
I just registered for my vaccine verification so I have a digital record (QR Code) to show proof of my double Moderna vaccinations. Even though I carry copies of my COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card with me, having an official record through the State of California is reassuring – especially because businesses, airlines and other venues may require proof in the near future.
Yesterday, California launched a digital verification tool that’s free and easy to use. Go to myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov to fill out the form. All you need to enter is your name, date of birth and cell phone or email address used when scheduling your immunization. Then select a 4-digit PIN and you’re all set.
You’ll get your QR code that you can copy to keep on your phone. When venues scan your code, they can see your information but cannot copy or store it. Your QR code can’t be misused to create counterfeit records because it has a digital signature from the organization that issued your shots.
The link to your QR code is good for 24 hours so you’ll want to make a copy of that on your phone. Once you have the QR code, it’s good forever.
As with all new programs, they’re still working out the bugs. You may receive a text stating that they can’t find a match in their system. You’ll be directed to complete the Troubleshooting Form
Just enter your name, date of birth, cell phone and email address. They’ll update your record and email you when the process is complete. This may take 2-3 weeks. You can also call 833-422-4255 with questions.
I like the idea of verifying that people really have been immunized now that everything is opening up. I think it will give us all more confidence in going to populous places – especially since some people claim to have been vaccinated when they aren’t.
When teens write about teenage angst, they learn to navigate the tumultuous world that young adults face – often alone. Writing becomes cathartic. And teens who read these books learn that what they are experiencing is often shared by many others. Kids today face “mean” girls who talk trash about them one day, and call them their “BFFs” the next — just like they have for decades, but today it’s escalated with a click of a button.
Back when I was a kid, gossip seemed to spread quickly because rumors were passed between people in conversations, phone calls, and letters (okay, I’m dating myself…). Today, mean kids can say vicious things and hide behind a social media post. They can cowardly do it on their phones and it instantly reaches hundreds or thousands of people.
Natalie Decena found interpersonal relationships intriguing as she entered adolescence. She wondered about friends who were obsessed with their bodies – they were too fat, not pretty enough, covered in acne. She saw others struggle with sexual identity and bullied over their gender preferences. With girls sleeping with boys because “everyone is doing it,” she explored relationships and found that some boys were crass and not gentlemen (like her father or brother) at all.
Natalie’s quest for answers turned into a 250+ page book called Overcoming Turbulent Times: Teenage Angst. Watching others’ behaviors and searching her soul for 4 years, she wrote 7 chapters that covers everything from body image to gender identity to sexual harassment. It’s cleverly laid out in different formats: text streams, diary, dialog, and reflections. Her father illustrated the book with riveting images.
She’s reached out to her high school to get her book on the required reading for incoming freshmen, and she’s working with medical offices and therapy centers to have her book available for teens in the waiting rooms. Check out this book and give it as gifts to teens. It may help them navigate the scary and often lonely times they’ll face during their adolescence.
Natalie’s project confirmed her interest in psychology and education. Imagine the impact she’ll have on teen’s lives? We need more teens like Natalie!
While in Corpus Christi, we built my daughter Jaclyn’s new furniture: dining room table, coffee table, and credenza using butcher block. She just moved into the house and didn’t have some essential furniture. It was a bit of a challenge to not have my tools but we rented and bought what we needed. Not used to the Texas heat and humidity, the wood glue and varathane took much longer to dry than it does in California. Always love to give my girls homemade gifts and glad to get the pieces done before I flew home on Friday.
Jaclyn just bought her first house in Corpus Christi, TX — all by herself! I’m so proud of her! Took the RV on the beach, dogs played in the warm surf (gulf), collected shells on Padre Island, and ate BBQ brisket (yes, I went off my vegan diet because you can’t go to Texas without eating brisket!). Had a blast visiting Jaclyn, Alex, and their pup Chunk!
College-bound students, and their parents, are making smart decisions when choosing undergraduate colleges. Even when students get into their first-choice colleges, students are carefully reviewing scholarship and financial aid offers and opting not to jump into huge debt at the more prestigious institutions.
Students are more cognizant of the long-term financial effect of student debt on purchasing their first homes, starting families, and building personal portfolios. It used to be that students would insist on going to the most selective college and parents would dip into their home’s equity or retirement savings to grant their children’s and their own bragging rights. Not anymore.
Over the past few years (even pre-COVID-19), students have been opting for in-state public universities when financial aid offers at the ivies and other selective colleges didn’t substantially reduce the tuition cost. This is especially true for students who intend to pursue higher degrees.
I believe students can get an excellent education and great prospects for higher ed and great careers without paying exorbitant fees ($300,000+). By organizing a comprehensive 4-year plan, students can take interesting classes (and their prerequisites) while satisfying major and general ed requirements, and still do research, internships, and clubs.
In addition to gaining the experience and knowledge through their undergraduate programs, students can also do projects to demonstrate their acumen and potential to future admissions committees and employers. It’s not so much about the college as it is about the student.
Glad to see students making well-thought out decisions based on what they need and want, and not on the US News and World rankings.
While I am just one person, if others make a conscious effort to change little things, we can do BIG THINGS to stave off the destructive path we face as the Earth heats up. It’s all about the numbers. When one person does something: no change. When millions of individual people do something: we save our lifestyles – and our lives.
Here are 10 things that I pledge to do starting today:
#1: Reduce my driving by 50%
I will plan my outings and do them all on one day per week.
#2: Eliminate buying single-use plastic bottles, straws, and take-out containers.
I will buy beverages sold in glass bottles only, or use my reusable glass bottles. I’ll use my reusable metal straws. I’ll use my glass containers for doggie bags and insist that restaurants use my containers for take-out orders.
#3: Reduce the number of truck deliveries to my house each week.
I will select Friday deliveries from Amazon to reduce both packaging and fuel emissions.
#4: Stop using clean, drinking water to flush my toilet.
I will use water captured from my showers and baths to flush my toilet in my home.
#5: Use 50% less drinking water to irrigate my fruit orchard and 6 gardens.
I will use water captured from my rooftop and stored in a 5000-gal tank and 18 IBC tanks (275 gal each).
#6: Discourage people and corporations from clear cutting forests to provide grazing for cattle.
I will not eat meat or dairy products 6 days per week.
#7: Ban purchases of non-organic food to stop Monsanto from poisoning us with Roundup and GMOs.
I will grow my veggies and fruit using aquaponics, hydroponics, greenhouse, and permaculture systems. For veggies and fruit I can’t grow, I’ll get them at our local farmer’s market or from Imperfect Foods.
#8: Petition and fight oil and gas companies from fracking and drilling for methane (natural gas) and petroleum (gasoline).
I plan to install more solar panels (we have 64 now) and purchase only electric or hydrogen fuel cell cars in the future (have one Tesla now, and have my eyes on the Toyota Murai hydrogen fuel cell car).
#9. Use LED light bulbs for 100% of my lighting.
I will only purchase LED bulbs and replace all existing incandescent and fluorescent bulbs.
#10. Educate and encourage teens to proactively change their lifestyles to promote a future where it’s safe to raise families.
I will guide students as they do projects that highlight problems covered up by corporations and give the teens a platform to reach large audiences through TEDxMeritAcademy.
If you, or your child, got “rejected” from the college you were hoping for, you’re not alone. This has been a really competitive year for everyone. Now that most of the Ivies and other selective colleges have announced admissions decisions, many students are reeling from the pains of being overlooked or waitlisted.
Colleges have seen an uptick in applications from minority and first-generation students. Other colleges have given coveted spaces to gap-year students who differed from last year. And of course, those legacy students got in because mommy or daddy donated big bucks (that’s still legal). This trickle-down yield affects all colleges. Admit rates have decreased this year (meaning they’ve become more selective). Emory fell from 19% to 13%, Swarthmore 9% to 8%, and Colby 13% to 10%.
Remember that there are over 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States. Most are desperately seeking students to fill their 2021-2022 classes. There are many excellent colleges that are still accepting applications – so if you aren’t happy with your college options, you can still apply to other colleges.
I believe that students make their own college experiences. By creating a comprehensive 4-year plan at their future college (before starting), you can work with professors doing exciting research, carve out your personal academic program, do research and internships, and meet new people in clubs and programs that your college offers. Forget about name-brand colleges and the rankings – there’s a lot of hype and hysteria that many students and families fall prey to.
You can make plans that will give you an excellent education, prepare you for grad school or your dream career, and ultimately keep you happy and sane.
This has been quite an unpredictable college admissions year for our college-bound students. At first, we thought that colleges going test-blind or test-optional (SAT/ACT) was going to make it easier for students to apply – and therefore, increase their chances of getting into more selective colleges. But, the ivies and the most selective colleges (both public and private) have received upwards of 20% more applications this year compared to previous years.
All colleges are worried that they may not make their “yield” in students accepting their admissions offers, paying the deposit, and actually starting this fall. The pandemic and the economy have changed the formulas colleges normally use to determine their expected yield. To ensure that they will have a full class of students starting this fall, college admissions departments are placing large numbers of students on their waiting lists.
What does this mean?
When a college offers acceptance letters to 3000 students, they may expect 1800 to actually attend. Depending on the number of students who pay their deposits on May 1st, that college will probably accept students off their waiting list. Colleges generally accept between zero to 200 students off their waiting lists (this varies greatly between colleges).
This year (and in recent years), many colleges are placing close to the same number of accepted students on their waiting lists. So if a college accepts 3000 students, they may also place another 3000 students on their waiting list – even though they will most likely actually make offers to only about 200 students after May 1st.
Colleges need to ensure their yields, and they also want to soften the blow for legacy students. When colleges can’t accept alumni’s children, offering a position on the waiting list may feel less like a rejection. This is also true for other students; nobody likes to receive a denial letter – you know, the small envelope.
The problem with super selective colleges offering more waiting list spots is that it negatively affects all students. If top students are on waiting lists from their first choice colleges – say, ABC College, and subsequently accept to a lower-tiered college – say, DEF College, these top students are taking the place of students who really want to go to DEF College. The same happens with those on waiting lists to get into DEF College, when they accept to GHI College.
So what do you do if you’re on the waiting list?
Immediately write a letter stating your intent to enroll should you be given the opportunity to attend this fall. Colleges don’t rank their waiting lists and only consider students who respond to their waitlist offers. Tell them why you’re a good fit and what you can bring to their campus. Don’t call or send them things that they already know about. If you have made progress on your project, give them an update to remind them that you’re brilliant and motivated. Show them why you should be admitted.
You’re not alone as you consider your options. Good luck!