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.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Couple of Things…

  1. So…I started a “A Couple of Things” Facebook page. Please follow!
    https://www.facebook.com/ACoupleofThings

And if you’re on Instagram, I’m there too, but guess what? You can’t add a clickable link on the posts…so that sucks. But follow anyways: @acoupleofthings.us


2. As you may, or may not know, I adopted two senior pups about six months before the pandemic hit. It was perfect timing. I did my best to give them their best lives thinking I’d have one maybe two years with each of them. Barnie lived three years longer and Missy nearly six years, I called her my super senior pup. I won’t lie, while I miss them something terrible, it’s nice to not have to be home to feed and/or walk them a couple times a day. They only thing I have to rush home to feed is my sourdough starter.

That being said, I can’t help but linger over posts about dogs needing adoption. I prefer smaller dogs under 15 pounds for a number of reasons such as easy to carry up and down the stairs if necessary (and it was necessary for both the senior pups at one point), plus they eat less which means less poop to clean up. After Barnie and Missy, I thought I would continue to adopt seniors…but I’m allowed to change my mind as long as they’re scrappy. All four of the dogs below are available for adoption, all under 15 pounds. All are potty trained (Fonzi is working on it), they all are social with other dogs, cats and people, and they all walk well on a leash. I kinda feel like Piper is in the lead.
Thoughts???

photo of dog
Piper – 2 1/2 years old.
Yorkie Poodle mix
photo of dog
Fonzi – 6 months old – Pom Poo Chi
photo of dog
Sherman – 1 year old – Poodle Terrier
photo of dog
Flower – 2 years old l- Poodle Terrier

I did get to spend some time with this little fluffball at a music event last night. She’s just a couple of months old and she would soon fall asleep inside my jacket. #NotMyDog


3. Recently I caught Steven Spielberg’s latest film, Disclosure Day. Emily Blunt was amazing. My friend Steve declared Blunt a national treasure, and when I reminded him that she’s British, we agreed to upgrade her as a global treasure. I read an article that Blunt turned down Spielberg’s offer to use AI for that weird clicky noise she makes while doing a weather broadcast. No spoil alert needed, it’s in all the advertisements and previews for the movie. #Props4Emily

Regarding AI and specifically ChatGPT for writers, Microsoft’s Copilot has this to say, “ChatGPT is not recommended for writing because it lacks true creativity, personal voice, and nuanced understanding, often producing formulaic or robotic content.

So trust me, I will never use ChatGPT for my writing, but I do research a lot using Google and it’s generated answers now called Copilot search. I like to give credit where credit is deserved, and I link to the original source when possible.


4. I’ve always enjoyed watching the camaraderie between the Obamas and George W. Bush and his wife Laura. (See People Magazine article) I never realized Bush had such a great sense of humor until I saw the viral memo below. Conservatives do have a sense of humor! #WhoKnew


5. And on that note…Congratulations to our former president, Barrack Obama on the opening of his new presidential center which opened this week in Chicago. It seems my invitation must have gotten lost in the mail. Regardless, if I ever do visit the windy city, I will not miss visiting this one.


6. To cover or not to cover, that is the question. Do you cover the camera on your computer when you’re not using it? I use to when I worked on a laptop, but I now use my desktop and it’s an attachable camera that remains in the drawer when not in use.
The webcam cyberattack is known as “camfecting” which is a person maliciously gains access to your device. It’s real and it does happen. One article explains why attackers target webcams: “The motivations for these attacks are varied and alarming. They range from corporate espionage, where competitors seek to steal proprietary information discussed in meetings, to blackmail schemes where attackers record compromising footage. In many cases, it is simply invasive voyeurism.” (website)

Hence, my public service announcement: “Cover your camera!”


7. Does everyone have a “The one who got away” story?


8. It’s Father’s Day weekend, 2026, and of course I can’t help but think of my dad. All those hours spent flying homemade kites, playing in the water at Huntington Beach and building sand castles together, Daddy Daughter dances, racing slot cars, vacations, giving me my first car (1967 VW bug), and of course listening to music at home, in the car, at concerts and at jazz clubs. His love for music and his favorite pets were only surpassed by his love for friends and especially family.
I created a blog in his honor leading up to his passing so he could reminisce with me over what a great life he had. Gilbert R Sanchez |
Happy Father’s Day Dad!!! Miss you so much!


9. From my favorite quotes file, “Any fool can have a child. That doesn’t make you a father. It’s the courage to raise a child that makes you a father.” – Barack Obama