A Couple of Things…

1. I took in a matinee to see Toy Story 5. As expected, it was delightful, and I had a chuckle or two hearing little kids talk back to the big screen. Sydney did that when she was a wee tot when I took her to see Barney’s Great Adventure in 1998. Barney is a purple dinosaur and about as geeky and sweet as you can get when it comes to children’s programming. On the big screen Barney is searching for an something (off to the side of the set) as he put his hand above his eyes and the kids in the audience (including Sydney) were screaming, “It’s over there, Barney!!!”
In any case, Toy Story 5 was sweet, but for adults without kids, you might want to wait for it to come out on a streaming platform.
I do admit how sweet it was that everyone stayed to listen to the Taylor Swift song at the end. I did not.
Next up, The Odyssey.


Fake sign at Taco Bell
Relax, I’m sure this is a joke ๐Ÿ˜‰

2. After hearing for weeks about the Cyclospora outbreak causing explosive diarrhea, it was finally tracked back to lettuce which Taco Bell used from Taylor Farms. The outbreak to date was traced back to nine states: Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.
Of course, the supplier could have shipped said contaminated lettuce to other restaurants. To be honest, I’ve always thought Taco Bell’s lettuce tasted odd.

I’m a fan of their Crunchwrap Supreme made with black beans. I will order without lettuce moving forward. I hear the enchirito is back. By the way, did you know you can ask for such add ons such as pico de gallo, purple cabbage, rice, onion and cilantro blend? Check out their on-line menu:
https://www.tacobell.com/food/specialties/enchirito


3. I was recently doing research for https://venturarocks.com/ calendar of events when I saw that Stanley Simmons is playing the Ventura Music Hall next month. The name sound familiar? Turns out it the sons of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. I figure I saw their pops play several times in the 70s, I might as check them out and see they’re chips off the old blocks. But alas…two days later, the show was cancelled/postponed. #Standby


4. Things took a horrible turn with the Big Bear Valley Eagles when one of the parents, Jackie, was seen on video being attacked by other eagles (out of towners). Shortly after, an eagle was filmed being scooped out of the lake, clearly in distress. Eventually taken to the Ojai Raptor Center (I love these guys, same organization where I was gifted an owl release), Jackie is good hands. The bad news, she is on the critical list as she is experiencing severe anemia and inflammation affecting the kidneys. The good news, she had the condition before the eagle attack which proved she was strong enough to fend off the attack. She is alert and eating, but only time will tell. #FingersCrossed #PrayForJackie #SendPositveVibes


5. Sending congratulations to Spain for winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup beating Argentina 1-0 after extra-time. The World Cup happens every four years. The Women’s will be next year and from what I understand in 2023, Spain beat England 1-0 in the final game.
https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/womens/womensworldcup/australia-new-zealand2023


6. Am I the only one who has trouble getting a doctor appointment, and then once I get it (typically weeks if not months out), I get a call to reschedule it? WTF????


Photo of a dog named Mouse on my lap

7. Okay, looks like I’ll be getting my hair done more often now! This is Mouse, and he enjoys sitting on your lap while you get your hair cut.

He and his sister had a run of the place which is to say they make their rounds apparently monitoring to make sure everyone behaves themselves.

Brilliant!


8. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is the name of the show, and if you ask me, the title needs “Spoil Alert” ahead of it. It’s streaming on HBO Max, spinoff of The Big Bang Theory. I saw the first episode and I’m not quite sold on it, but will give it a few more episodes.


hammock at airport

9. KTLA Saturday morning news, reported that the TSA reminds us that to help the stress of layovers, hammocks are allowed in the terminals. The reporters quipped it sounded like an April Fool’s joke. I couldn’t agree more so I search online and it’s certainly a story circulating. I found this article, but just google TSA & Hammock and a whole bunch of stories can be found: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/tsa-reminds-travelers-that-this-item-used-for-naps-is-allowed/ar-AA28xN5Y


10. From my favorite quotes file: “Every man dies, not every man really lives.” – William Wallace

(William Wallace was a Scottish knight and national hero who led the resistance against English rule during the First War of Scottish Independence)

Thanks for listening!

A Couple of Things…

1. A few blogs ago I shared about how I detach my camera from my desktop computer and that I would cover the lens on my laptop to avoid any possible malware spying called camfecting or camhacking. I was checking my texts recently when I broke out in a cold sweat and realized my phone also has a camera, and after a quick search, yes, the commie rat bastards can also spy via your phone’s len.
And while Norton wants to sell you their anti-virus software, they do provide tips on what to look for on their blog (click here).
My tip, never leave the camera in “selfie” mode.


2. Sunday, June 28, one of the Big Bear eaglets, Sandy, accidentally fell from the nest. I saw a video showing the fall where the eaglet landed on a lower branch and then one of the parents quickly arrived to monitor the situation to make sure she is protected and fed. It was reported Sandy took flight to a nearby tree so she is fine.

The next day, the second eaglet, Luna, took flight to a nearby branch, where one of the parents kept tabs.

The eaglets return to the nest nightly for now. See story: https://youtu.be/6sKl7bQ_JNc?si=pvl3qw3yXW9UBq9N

Nature is brilliant!


3. As I’m sure with everyone who saw the report, I’m extremely sad to learn that actor Danny Glover was given an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. If you check out his resume of films and television, you can’t deny he had a full life and has been one of our most prolific actors with over 200 credited roles. Some of my favorites are Death at a Funeral, the Royal Tenenbaums, Angels in the Outfield, the Color Purple, and of course the Lethal Weapon series. IMDB.com has a career retrospective you can watch. I was surprised to see he was in the movie Saw. Too scary for me.

I wouldn’t wish this disease on anyone.


photo from City of Ventura FB page

4. The Fourth of July was a hoot. The City of Ventura held a fireworks show on Friday, July 3 atop the downtown parking garage. The actual holiday featured their annual Pushem/Pullen parade which I contend is the only parade with more people in it than watching it, followed by the Downtown Holiday Street Fair. Both days brought thousands of people downtown.


5. I went kayaking in the Channel Islands Harbor with Maggie. Saw a dozen or so sea lions lounging in the sun, tons of birds including a Blue Heron and a very large pelican whom I called you’re majesty as we paddled by.


6. I’ll admit I caught a bit of the World Cup fever until “He who won’t be named” intervened. I thought it would have been classy for the red tagged USA player, Balogun, to still not play even though FIFA overturned the penalty. But alas, he did. Some call it Karma, others say USA just didn’t play with heart; regardless, they lost to Belgium.

Side note: the FIFA World Cup trophy is made of solid gold and is kept at the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich, Switzerland but leaves for special occasions. Wikipedia states, “Only a selected few are officially allowed to touch the trophy with bare hands, including players and managers who have won the competition, heads of state, and FIFA officials.”


7. I’m excited to see The Odyssey when it comes out which I’ll try to see on an IMAX screen. Meanwhile I guess I’ll take in Toy Story 5. #CravingPopcorn


8. I’ll be visiting my daughter in Portland soon. Stories to follow!

9. From my favorite quotes file: “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.โ€
โ€” Ralph Waldo Emerson