In a casino, the odds are stacked against gamblers; the House is going to come out on top, at the end of the day, overall. There are some winners, here and there, but there are many more losers so the casino makes the most money.

Informants are hired to look and act like regular gamblers, in an effort to keep tabs on the regular folks who are gambling. If someone regularly beats the House, and amasses a considerable amount of wealth, the casino is alerted and the goon squad is dispatched to find out why–and possibly (forcibly) eject the person from the premises. Their business model is based on the idea that the House is the only one that should be making any serious money.

It’s the same with government and politics. With electronic voting machines, scare tactics, back-pocket media and an ignorant Electorate the odds are stacked against The People.

Any time a “third” option or activist group mounts a serious challenge to the Establishment Parties (RepubliCrats), the attack-dog media outlets go to work to discredit the candidate and cast doubt in the minds of voters: “It’s a wasted vote,” “People who associate with that group must be hate-filled or racist,” or “If you don’t vote for our candidate the [other "major" Party candidate] will win!” It’s all about dividing, conquering and advancing agendas through compromise and fear–and making sure no alternative can gain any type of ground to upset the balance.

And don’t get me started on the widespread ballot access laws, reporting mandates, contribution caps, etc. that seriously hinder any “third party” upstarts, but don’t really do much to hinder the “major” Parties who are already large and powerful. To me, it’s akin to the lopsided tax on the Southern states that led to the Civil War.

Infiltrating one of the other Parties– to try and win an election, based solely on the fact that some (idiots) blindly push an “R” or “D” button at the polls, without even knowing who the candidates are–will get you nowhere, either, because those Parties carefully vet their members and candidates. If you don’t play along with the Good Ol’ Boy game, you will never even make it through the nomination process. (Ron Paul is a good example of how these groups will cannibalize their own, if their agendas are threatened.)

By now, you’ve probably heard reports and seen evidence of vote tampering on electronic voting machines–everything from vote totals being switched, artificially casting votes for one candidate based upon the votes received by the opposition, etc. There is even video footage of a chimp hacking one of the machines. To put it all in perspective, Russian dictator Josef Stalin once said, “It’s not the people who vote that count. It’s the people who count the votes.”

With all of those things stacked against you–those who want real change and real freedom–why do you continue to try and work within the system to try and change it?

I guess it’s like playing the lottery, even though a player is more likely to be struck by lightning–twice–than win the jackpot.

And the local government council meetings, where “public input” is permitted–but usually at no more than 2 or 3 minutes per person–are just dog and pony shows, too. Listening to the citizens is just a formality to most of these people, and necessary to keep you thinking that you actually have a voice in government proceedings, so you don’t rebel.

I’ve seen too many meetings where citizens packed the house, and overwhelmingly disapproved of a certain measure that was up for a vote, only to watch their local officials completely ignore the voices of the People and approve it, anyway. It was almost comical to watch these officials pay little attention to what the People had to say, knowing how they were going to vote before the first person even stepped up to the mic.

Threats to vote them out don’t work, because they know that most people don’t even know what’s going on with their government and will vote to re-elect them–and if that fails, there’s always those wonderful, programmable, electronic voting machines…

Stop putting your faith and energy into a system that is rigged to keep outsiders from succeeding. Don’t be fooled by the illusion.

It’s time to remove all compliance and support for this corrupt, freedom-destroying Establishment. Doing so is the only way we’re ever going to get things moving back in the right direction.

That’s some real “hope and change.”

(Related article: http://anarchistpov.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/reality-check/ )

South County

ALISO VIEJO

The Tribeca Salon is collecting toys for the Kingdom Flight Ministry. The drive and proceeds will benefit impoverished children in the United States and Mexico. The deadline for dropping off gifts is Sunday. Be part of the holidays and give the gift of giving! For more information visit tribecasalon.com or lesli@kingdomflight.org.

DANA POINT 

Nothing to report.

LADERA RANCH

The Portobello Road- resale boutique is raising money for victims of domestic violence by hosting a Holiday Craft Fair from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The Event will be on 23653 El Toro Rd.

LAGUNA BEACH

On Sunday December 13^th  from 11 am. to 1 p.m.,  Neighborhood Congregational Church is offering an alternative to the traditional market by offering handcrafted items from around the world and donation gift cards. Proceeds will benefit sending two girls to school in Afghanistan as well as the Marine Mammal Center. For more information visit ncclaguna.org.

LAGUNA HILLS

The Laguna Hills High School will be presenting their annual music concert December 11^th at Laguna Woods. Come out and enjoy chamber singers, women’s choirs and much more. Advanced tickets are required. For more information visit www.lhhschoir.com/tickets.htm 

LAGUNA NIGUEL

Nothing to report.  

LAKE FOREST

Eight DUI drivers were arrested Thanksgiving weekend. This was an increase from last year. Please be safe these upcoming holidays and drink responsibly.

MISSION VIEJO

Nothing to report.

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA

The Mission Hills Christian School will be performing their schools Christmas musical December 10^th at 7 p.m. Students will also perform at the Irvine Spectrum on December 11^th at 1:30 p.m. Performances are free however they will be collecting  non-perishable food donations for the South County Outreach food bank. For more information call 949- 589- 4504.

SAN CLEMENTE

“Santa Claws and Paws,” a fundraiser in for both the San Clemente and Dana Point Animal Shelters will offer photos of you and your pet with Santa from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Aegis of Dana Point. There will be photos, raffles and much more. For more information call 949-595-8899.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

Nothing to report.

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.     

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards.                                                                                                               

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GREEN GRI                                   

2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors   (949) 753-7900

For more information, please visit ocregister.com

CENTRAL COUNTY

COSTA MESA

Mariners Christian School is encouraging parents to come out and attend the campus’ annual preview night for prospective parents and students. For more information call 714-437-1700.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY

Are you concerned about your health? The Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center will be hosting a seminar for men on Thursday at 6 p.m. For more information call 714- 897- 2534.

HUNTINGTON BEACH

Bella Terra Mall will be hosting a musical show complete with falling snow Friday at 7 p.m. For more information call 714- 897-2534.

IRVINE

The Irvine Animal Care is sponsoring a “Home for the Holidays” free pet adoption Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. come and give a pet a warm home! For more information call 949-724-7741.

LOS ALAMITOS

On December 13^th at 4:30 p.m. Keller Williams Realty will be holding its annual Cookies with Santa at the Training Center. Marines will also be there collecting items for their Toys or Tots campaign. Come out and enjoy the holiday cheer! For more information call 562- 6256-8600. 

NEWPORT BEACH

Newport Coast and Newport Beach MOMS are hosting a holiday party and boutique from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday at the Port Street Clubhouse No. 2. Proceeds will benefit Project Cuddle, a group who works hard to prevent infant abandonment. For more information visit MomsClubNewport.com.  

ORANGE

The annual Sounds of Christmas Concert is being presented by St. John’s Lutheran Church on December 12^th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the church building. The concert is free but will be accepting donations. For more information call 714- 288-4400.

SANTA ANA

The Wilshire Square Neighborhood will be holding its Christmas Parade this Sunday at 4 p.m. in the 1100 block of South Ross. For more information visit www.wilshiresquare.org

SEAL BEACH

A slideshow of this year’s holiday tree lighting ceremony can be found on www.ocregister.com  under “seal beach.” Enjoy!

TUSTIN

The Tustin Library is holding free matinee movies on Mondays and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Please come out, relax and enjoy the films. For more information call 714- 544- 7725.

VILLA PARK

The annual Santa tour is being held on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning at Smokewood and Alta Drive. The tour makes a total of 36 stops. For more information visit villapark.org or call 714-998-1500.

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.     

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards.                                                                                                              

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GREEN GRI                                   

2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors   (949) 753-7900

For more information visit ocregister.com

ORANGE COUNTY HAPPENINGS – NORTH

ANAHEIM

The 12^th Annual Holiday Magic Christmas Tree Lighting is upon us once again, beginning at 6 p.m. Friday at Twila Reid Park. Live entertainment, including Oxford High School Fiddlers and the Orangeview Junior High Choir, will help make the evening a bit more cheery and bright. To top it off, Santa will be joining as well. For more information email treelighting@yahoo.com or call 714-828-5526.

BREA

Donations are being requested to help Brea Bengals Pop Cheer Squad make their way to the 2009 Pop Warner National Championships at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex. The girls are funding the trip themselves and would appreciate any type of aid given. To donate, email aluckcuck@yahoo.com or sally.luna@gmail.com Good luck girls!

BUENA PARK

The South East Area Animal Control is lowering costs for vaccinations for your cats and dogs from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday at Bellis Park. For more information call 800-988-VETS.

CYPRESS

Do you want to make others laugh and have a good time? The Cypress Senior Center is hosting the “Enter Laughing Improvisational Comedy” class from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesdays. For more information call 714-229-2005.

FULLERTON 

Nothing to report.

GARDEN GROVE 

Do you have E-Waste and you are not sure where to dump it? Lake Intermediate School will be collecting your extra monitors, computers, television, cell phones and more from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday in the west parking lot off Orangewood Ave. For more information call 714-663-6506.

LA HABRA

The La Habra Art Association will be holding a holiday boutique from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Items including handmade gifts, paintings and cards will be sold. All proceeds benefit the gallery. For more information visit artylady@roadrunner.com

LA PALMA

Nothing to report.

PLACENTIA

Have you ever wondered what Christmas decorations looked like in the early 1900’s? Now is your chance to see what the holidays looked like. The Bradford House, off of Palm Circle, has decorated their Victorian-style mansion in order to represent this era. Tours and viewings will be held December 13^th from 2-4 p.m. Come out and see a bit of history!

STANTON

Santa will be coming to town during The City holiday celebration at the Stanton Civic Center. Come enjoy Santa, snow and much more on Saturday from 3-8 p.m. For more information call 714- 379- 9222 ext. 270.

WESTMINSTER

On December 4, 2009, the Soroptimist International of Westminster will be holding its annual lunch and action beginning at 11:30 a.m. For more information call 909-596-4261.

YORBA LINDA

Nothing to Report.

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.     

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards.                                                                                                               

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GREEN GRI                                    2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors   (949) 753-7900

For more information visit orangecountyregister.com

Clinton Global Initiative creates a unique opportunity to channel the capacities of individuals and organizations to realize change. To fulfill the action-oriented mission of CGI, all members devise practical solutions to global issues through the development of specific and measurable Commitments to Action. (www.clintonglobalinitiative.org)

President Mitchell Thomashow encouraged a number of students interested in sustainability at Unity to apply for the Initiative in February of 2009. Two classmates and I applied with the ideal goal of supplying a Vendor Code of Conduct for Unity College. Our initiative was accepted and we were invited to participate at the conference. We originally intended that the Code of Conduct would ensure companies who signed to have both high environmental and human rights standards. At a college where sustainability efforts are only increasing, it is important that we teach about consumer awareness: Where do our products come from? What does that entail? Are there alternatives?

Many hours have been spent on this initiative, but it has been difficult as one of my classmates has graduated, and the other will this spring. Also, the initiative has slightly changed, while a Vendor Code of Conduct is still doable, time has been restricted due to contracts already in place. There is still a lot of research to do however: studying Vendor Codes of Conduct of other institutions, finding alternatives, and perhaps most importantly, educating the public. This is an important issue that I know many of our students find interesting. If you would like to volunteer time to be a part of this initiative or if you have initiative ideas for the April 2010 conference and would like to know how to apply, please contact Kayla.

We know that for some of you sitting down to enjoy a few hours with the Sunday Times is a–if not the, highlight of your week. Bravo, we say. But do you know about Arts & Letters Daily? Let us warn you that it may become an addiction…there are far worse things. A service of the Chronicle Of Higher Education, this site is an aggregation of articles from newspapers, magazines, book reviews and selected columnists with a focus on philosophy, aesthetics, literature, language, ideas, criticism, culture, history, music, art, trends, breakthroughs, disputes and gossip. The next time you have say, 7 0r 8 hours to spare, take a look at this site. Bet you can’t read just one article.

http://www.aldaily.com/

Apparently Apples are non smokers

You may be wondering what smoking has to do with what computer you should buy, but apparently it makes a difference.  If you are in the market for a new computer and you happen to be a smoker or for that matter, live with a smoker, you may want to spend less time looking at Macs and more time looking at PC’s.

From what I’ve read if you smoke near your Apple computer you will void your warranty!  Yep, you read that right.  Don’t bother looking in the fine print of your warranty for anything related to smoking because you won’t find it.  That doesn’t mean that Apple won’t tell you they wouldn’t touch your Mac with a 10 foot pole though.  Actually they never said that, what they said was it can’t be fixed because its been listed as a bio-hazard!  I can already picture the next line of PC ads now, perhaps Microsoft should start making built-in ashtrays in their laptops to really corner the market on the computer using smoker?

The fact that Apple can void your warranty for something as ridiculous as smoking near your laptop, especially when there is nothing that states smoking will void your warranty, is mind-boggling.  Perhaps there should be some kind of disclaimer that smoking, in addition to being dangerous to your health, is also dangerous to the health of your computer?

Here is a copy of an email sent to Steve Jobs from an Apple customer after being told they would no longer honor his warranty…

I took my mid 2007 apple macbook (black) into the Jordan Creek Apple Store in West Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, April 25th, because I had been experiencing some issues with it overheating, and figured the fan was bad. After some initial testing, they took the computer in for work under my Applecare plan, which has over a year remaining on it.

Today, April, 28, 2008, the Apple store called and informed me that due to the computer having been used in a house where there was smoking, that has voided the warranty and they refuse to work on the machine, due to “health risks of second hand smoke”.

Not only is this faulty science, attributing non smoking residue to second hand smoke, on Chad’s part, no where in your applecare terms of service can I find anything mentioning being used in a smoking environment as voiding the warranty.

For more info on this check out consumerist.com and be sure to check out the “Fake” Steve Jobs take on all of this at fakesteve.net.

Keeping your business and personal life is key to staying sane. But sometimes it can be tricky if they take place under the same roof. So if you are deciding on setting up a home office, or need to renovate, follow these tips from HGTV and Lowe’s:

1. Draw a line between work and play with your computer: although tempting to use the family computer for business, you should separate the two. It will eliminate the chance of someone deleting an important file.
2. Install additional phone or cable outlets if needed to accommodate your various office equipment.
3. Divide the office into 3 sections: the work center, the reference center, and the supply center. Put your desk, computer, and daily necessities in the work center along with a filing cabinet for easy access to important files. Put dictionaries, old print, books, binders, etc in the reference center. The supply center  should hold, obviously, all your supplies.

These tips will ensure your home office feels like a space you can get work done in and will separate the personal from professional.

Best Regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GRI GREEN

2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors

www.michaelcarusorealestate.com

949-753-7900

Author: Jason Pires
Source: MVC Agency

Situation:

After reviewing several agencies, Armen Art, a furniture design and manufacturing company, chose MVC as its marketing partner. Armen Art realized that MVC understood the severity of its situation and is passionate about helping its partner clients create powerful results in the face of adversity and change. MVC presented Armen Art with a powerful creative vision and an unprecedented strategic approach that would be essential to the company’s future. MVC’s strength in lifestyle marketing, modern visual style and strategic thinking served as the right foundation for the leading brand that Armen Art needed to become.

When Armen Art partnered with MVC it was facing an internal renovation that included a change in leadership at a time when the industry itself was experiencing a generational transition and a waning economy. In its 30 year history the company had not made any changes to its brand and marketing. From a sales perspective the word “Art” in the name Armen Art Furniture had become a misleading roadblock as the art and accessories market had grown into its own distinct and thriving segment of the industry. The old logo, two ribbon style and interlaced “A” letters, didn’t do much more to communicate the company’s values or even offer an idea of the type of products the company sold. To worsen the scenario, the company’s marketing strategy had ignored the web. In essence, the company was in danger of failing if it did not make immediate and drastic changes.

Solution:

MVC realized that Armen Art was in need of a complete reinvention of its brand, which would include a fresh new market position and a marketing strategy that leverages the power of the web.

MVC knew that to reinvigorate the company’s appeal it would need to connect with the lifestyles of modern day consumers even though it does not sell directly to consumers. It would also need to demonstrate to its clients within the industry that Armen Art Furniture understands what consumers want in terms of design, quality and price. With this mentality, MVC would go on to help Armen Living bridge the disconnect between its products and the end consumer as it was perceived in the minds of the buyers. Ultimately this would set the platform for consumer brand awareness that will drive the behavior of industry buyers and create further interest in the Armen Art brand and products.

To start the process of rebranding, the Arment Art company name and identity needed to offer a completely new and fresh impression of the company. Through extensively studying the market, Armen Art’s history and the vibrant new product line introduced by the company’s new leaders, MVC decided that to reposition Armen Art it needed project the company’s values beyond those of just a company that sold furniture.

With the understanding that consumers now look for furniture that can help them enhance their lives and express their unique personalities, MVC substituted the word “Art” for the word “Living” in the company’s name, and kept the “Armen” so as not to lose the company’s core personality, culture and existing brand equity. To compliment the new name “Armen Living (Furniture)”, MVC created the tagline “Furniture for Contemporary Lifestyles” to encompass what the company offers and that can be further qualified by the remaining facets of the company’s branding and advertising.

Having set the initial feel for the company’s brand, MVC would then create a modern logo that directly reflects the form and idea of furniture, and a color palette that exudes the warmth of a joyful life while balanced by an air of self-assured sophistication.

MVC would then bring the marketing to life with the campaign titled “This is Living” which gave context to the company’s new name and that is supported by custom lifestyle photography and images depicting the alluring aspects of a sophisticated contemporary lifestyle.

Through the use of a dynamic web video presentation that introduced the direction of the new brand and the vibrant new collection MVC succeeded in generating immediate buzz as well as new business for Armen Living. The video proved to not only keep viewers tuned in to its entire message, but it was also distributed virally through the internet by furniture enthusiasts and followers of the new brand.

Building on the “This Is Living” campaign, MVC created an elegant catalog designed to compliment and unify the eclectic and diverse nature of Armen Living’s new products. MVC also designed and developed a fresh new company website for Armen Living. The website not only features an optimized SEO framework but also social networking aspects that allow users to share the products and content on Facebook, Twitter and other networking websites.

MVC continues to expand the reach of the new brand through a carefully planned and executed marketing strategy which includes PR and advertising campaigns, email marketing.

After only five months of partnering with MVC, Armen Living experienced the best month in sales that it had in over 2 years. The company is not only steadily growing again, it is also poised to be an industry leader in the coming years. The partnership between Armen Living and MVC Agency has been a true success in terms of brand positioning, marketing strategy and most importantly in terms of financial growth for Armen Living.

To learn more about specific aspects of the new brand:

Logo/Brand Identity:
http://www.mvcagency.com/#/works/?cat=55&id=102

Video Presentation:
http://www.mvcagency.com/#/works/?cat=51&id=106

Website:
http://www.mvcagency.com/#/works/?cat=50&id=105

Catalog:
http://www.mvcagency.com/#/works/?cat=52&id=101

Yesterday, I posted about the shocking statistic that, on average, Americans see 3,000 advertisements per day. I told you that I would keep a tally, and I would give you my results today. The answer: no and it depends.

My day consisted of an hour of TV, less than an hour of radio (which is commercial free radio), normal web browsing, and going to high school basketball games for evening entertainment. When my head hit the pillow at the end of the day, I was still under 250 ads for the day. I should of hit that number just over being awake for an hour. So what’s the deal?

This article helped me understand why Dave Ramsey can say 3,000 per day, I can say 250 ads per day, and others can say as much as 20,000 ads per day and we can all be correct.

Yesterday, I counted every bona fide ad that I saw: billboards, TV commercials, web ads, signs, etc. About 250.

For those that are in the 3,000 range, they count what I do plus all logos (computer, automotive, etc.), all titles and headlines (books, newspapers, web sites, etc.), and other trademarks. Counting those, I have 166 ads (logos, titles, and trademarks) sitting in font of me right now in the form of book titles, electronics logos, DVDs, and such. Counting like this, it wouldn’t be hard to reach 3,000 in a day!

And for those who say Americans see over 20,000 ads per day, a trip to a local Walmart store will put you at that limit quickly.

So, how many ads do we see per day? It’s your call. Are we as Americans overexposed to marketing all day long? Definitely.

Every Tuesday night Dave Ramsey and I get together to discuss financial things. More accurately, I go to a class and watch Dave Ramsey via DVD talk about finances. I am about halfway through the class (of which I am the only student), and Tuesday night’s lesson was on Consumer Awareness.

During the class, Dave (I call him Dave because we are on a first name basis, you know) gave and interesting statistic: the average American sees 3,000 advertisements per day. That’s brain overload!

As I began to think about that, surely that’s an exaggerated number. That’s roughly one ad every 19 seconds for sixteen hours straight (that day assumes you get eight hours of rest, like many of us do that)! So I decided to put that to the test. Today I will be counting every singe ad I see. Every. Single. One.

Well, I’ve been awake for just over an hour now, and not watching TV, I have already seen 23 ads. If I’m going to be average, I better step it up…

I’ll update tomorrow with the final tally!

(And for the record, I love the Dave Ramsey class I am in. I’m sure I will blog about it soon!)

South County

ALISO VIEJO

Come out and join Laguna Canyon Foundation on a 3.5 mile hike at the Aliso and Wood Canyon’s Wilderness Park. For more information call 949-923-2235.

DANA POINT 

The Dana Point Turkey Trot is hosting a VIP party kick off at the Ocean Institute tonight from 5:30- 7:30 p.m. For more information call 949-496-1555.

LAGUNA BEACH

Nothing to report.

LAGUNA HILLS

Nothing to report.

LAGUNA NIGUEL

The City Council will meet tonight to discuss the renovation of Crown Valley Community Park Pool which will cost around $390,000. They are considering also purchasing a replacement pool filter system. For more information visit cityoflagunaniguel.org.

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA

Nothing to report.

SAN CLEMENTE

The City Council will discuss plans for the new community sports park as well as ideas for construction. The sports park will include an aquatics center, lighted sports fields and a miniature golf course.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

San Juan Hills High School is raising money for their athletic department by selling Christmas trees. Not only can families order a tree for themselves, but they can also purchase a tree for U.S. Marine Corps Families.  The deadline to order a tree is on Dec. 5^th at the San Juan Hills High School. For more information visit sjhhs.school.loop.com/christmastrees

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.     

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards.                                                                                                               

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GREEN GRI                                   

2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors   (949) 753-7900

For more information, please visit ocregister.com

CENTRAL COUNTY

COSTA MESA

CERT Fundraiser: If residents mention “Costa Mesa Cert” while enjoying a meal at Newport Rib Co. twenty percent of the bill will be given to the Costa Mesa Community Emergency Response Team. So go enjoy a meal and help a great cause! For more information visit costamesacert.org.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY

Come enjoy a free popcorn and soda while watching “Holiday” at the Fountain Valley Library. For more information call 714-962-1324.

HUNTINGTON BEACH

Have access to the Huntington Library 24/7 by using its online resources at www.hbpl.org. You can mange your account, access research databases and discover their virtual audio book service.

IRVINE

Nothing to report.

LOS ALAMITOS

The Recreation and Community Service Department will hold a clinic in order to prepare for the Race on the Base. The clinic hopes to offer tips on how to complete the triathlon as well as point out key strategies for staying hydrated and not injuring yourself. Clinics will be held on Saturday Dec. 12^th from 10-11:30 a.m. for more information call 562-430-1073.

NEWPORT BEACH

Nothing to report.

ORANGE

Come out and visit Rep. Ed Royce R- Fullerton at his 40^th District Open House from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 30^th. Ed hopes to answer questions from his constituents and address current issues important to them. For more information call 714-744-4130.

SANTA ANA

In honor of National American Indian Heritage Month, the Civic Center Plaza will be hosting a Native American Dancer named Rodney Howard at 6:30 p.m.

SEAL BEACH

On Nov. 27^th at 4 p.m. the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce will be celebrating its 2^nd annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. Holiday music, hot chocolate and activities for children will all be provided. Toys for Tots will also be accepting gift donations for the upcoming holiday season. For more information visit sealbeachchamber.org.

TUSTIN

Nothing to report.

VILLA PARK

On Wednesday, the Hooked on Hallmark Ornaments will be hosting their monthly meeting at 6 p.m. For more information visit HoHoClub@cox.net

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.     

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards.                                                                                                               

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GREEN GRI                                   

2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors   (949) 753-7900

For more information visit ocregister.com

North County

ANAHEIM

Nothing to Report.

BREA

The annual Made In California exhibit, part of the City of Brea Gallery, is accepting entries until January 25, 2010. The exhibit will take place March 27, 2010 to May 10, 2010. A wide variety of artists will be attending and prizes will be awarded to the winners. For more information call 714-990-7730 or visit breagallery.com

BUENA PARK

The Mayor is hosting a prayer breakfast Thursday at 7 am at Knott’s Berry Farm Resort Hotel. Advance purchasing is required. For more information call 714-236-3860.

CYPRESS

Nothing to report.

FULLERTON 

Come celebrate the 100^th birthday of the grandfather clock in the Children’s Library at 6:30 p.m. November 18, 2009. An array of activities such as puppet shows as well as face-painting will be offered. There will also be a delicious clock shape cake to indulge in! For more information call 714-738-6343.

GARDEN GROVE 

In preparation for college, as well as pointers on leadership skills, building money management and financial aid, Sen. Lou Correa’s office will be providing workshops sponsored by Pathways to Higher Education from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Coastline Community College. For more information call 714-558-4400.

LA HABRA

On November 26, 2009, Calvary Chapel La Habra will be providing a free Thanksgiving dinner to the public from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information call 714-446-6222.

LA PALMA

Nothing to report.

PLACENTIA

CareMore Care Center had its grand opening on Saturday. The center will provide assistance and medical to seniors. It is located on 1325 N. Rose Drive.

STANTON

Nothing to report.

WESTMINSTER

On December 4, 2009, the Soroptimist International of Westminster will be holding its annual lunch and action beginning at 11:30 a.m. For more information call 909-596-4261.

YORBA LINDA

On December 12, 2009, people are encouraged to come take a walk down “Peppermint Lane” with Santa Claus and his helpers from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Yorba Linda Community Center. Breakfast as well as other entertainment and activities will be offered. For more information call 714-961-7181.

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.     

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards.                                                                                                              

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GREEN GRI                                    2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors   (949) 753-7900

For more information visit orangecountyregister.com

Yes, i did, recently! I needed a pair of formal shoes, and bought a pair at Little World Mall in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. When i wore them at the outlet, the fit was decent, but on using them, i found that they were defective. Probably it was my mistake that i bought the shoes at a discount sale

The problem was, my right foot hurt badly, just above the toes, as i walked. I thought i must get used to it, but i realised i was limping to avoid the pain. That’s when i decided to get it exchanged. Luckily, i had the original bill, and i read the replacement policies mentioned on the rear of the bill.

But when i got to the outlet, the manager refused to replace them, and instead claimed that my feet are faulty. I was aghast and decided to contact the Bata head office.

I’ve learnt, and learnt it the hard way… u need to have real patience when u call head the Bata head office in Delhi, because they are pretty unprofessional. I had to call many times before i could even convince the so-called customer care agent to listen to me. Ridiculous, but true!

They wanted me to send an e-mail, which i did. And what pleasantly surprised me was that they replied within a day with the following mail:

Dear Mr. Sandeep

This is with ref to your feedback dated 10^th November 09.

At the outset we would like to state that all BATA products are carefully designed and meticulously manufactured to ensure comfortable and durable wear for our customers. All products are subject to the strictest quality standards and are monitored consistently.

In addition we have a comprehensive 75 day warrantee that takes care of post purchase issues being faced by customers. The 75 day duration is keeping in view that it offers customers with adequate time frame to try and use the products.

We would like to request you to please visit our store at BATA SHOE STORE, Little world mall, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. The store manager Mr.Shankar has been apprised of your issues and has been told to extend all possible support to help you resolve the same.

We would request you to please carry a printout of this mail and cash memo along with your shoes when you next visit the store.

Please note that there is no cash refund.

Regards,

Customer Services Dept.

Bata India Limited.

All that i had to do was visit the Bata outlet and and the store manager had no choice but to replace the shoes. I bought a costlier pair by paying the difference, but made sure i walked enough at the store to make sure they werent defective.

So, the moral of the story is, when u inadvertently buy a defective Bata Shoe mail them on Customer.Service@bata.co.in and dont forget to furnish all details of the purchase from the original bill. Retain the bill atleast until 75 days from the date of manufacture.

I hope this information helps. My next consumer awareness post will be another interesting one too…

I have noticed that it is cheaper to order online and have goods delivered  than to shop locally.

This saddens me because local economies depend on our patronage.

I have a friend that works for a publishing house and she often mentions how important it is to frequent our own excellent bookstores rather than succumbing to Abebooks or Amazons wiles…

So here’s a question as we quickly approach the major shopping season;

How many of you use online shopping?

Do you try to find local stores or businesses to obtain the same things?

Did you know that many stores should they not have the items that you require will special order for you ?

(I often do this, and it is wonderful to have local stores care enough to provide such service)

If you’re looking for things to read online, you’ve hit the jackpot. Below is a link to the Sharing Learning blog which has a post on 20 free online libraries and reading rooms. These links are to literature that’s out of copyright protection as well as to current literature, books and academic journals that can be accessed because of the authors’ belief in free and open access to information.

http://myeslcorner.blogspot.com/2009/11/20-free-online-libraries-and-reading.html

Xbox out-does Wii?

When Nintendo brought us the Wii it was a revelation for video games.  Instead of sitting there pressing buttons you could actually control characters with the wave of your hand.  It has brought gaming to a whole new audience that could never really get into the old style of gaming.  Of course it wasn’t actually your hand moving that controlled the game, it was the controller you were holding in your hand doing all the work.

What if you could control the characters in your video games without having to use any controllers at all?  Would that bring gaming a step further into the mainstream?  Microsoft might just find out with Project Natal for Xbox.  It is builds off of Nintendo’s idea for the Wii but takes it one or two steps further.  For instance, not only can games respond to your body movements and hand gestures (without a controller!) but, it can also respond to voice input or even facial expressions!

There is no word yet on when Microsoft will start to sell this innovation, dubbed Project Natal or for that matter how much it will cost but, clearly this has the potential to be a giant step for console gaming systems and could vault Microsoft to the front of the pack.

That can’t be good.  I wrote some time ago about how Adobe Acrobat Reader made up nearly 50% of targeted attacks in 2009, you can read about it here.  Now news has come out that Adobe Flash has a security flaw in it that can’t be patched!  This is not good news to say the least but, what makes it worse is that basically anybody who allows Flash to run in their browser is vulnerable…..and that would be, um…..just about everybody.

All hackers need to do to exploit this flaw in Flash is upload a malicious flash object to any site that allows users to upload content.  This includes sites such as Gmail and Hotmail.  Also pretty much any social media site, career site, dating site, many retail sites and also many Cloud applications.

Adobe is trying to educate site administrators to close the hole on their end, since Adobe is saying the flaw is unpatchable.  This is all well and good except that even some of Adobe’s web properties are vulnerable.  As Mike Murray, the chief information security officer at Foreground Security said:

How can Adobe expect others to protect themselves when they can’t do it themselves?

You can read the whole story from infoworld here, including what steps you can take to protect yourself as a web surfer.

Newsy.com is a multiperspective online video news site that monitors, synthesizes and presents the world’s news coverage.  In an increasingly connected world, access to multiperspective news is in demand by global citizens. Through short video segments available on the web and mobile devices, Newsy.com offers a way to accelerate your global understanding of a news story.

Newsy.com takes a step back to show how the world’s news organizations are reporting a story – providing an unprecedented global and macro point of view. You’ll find CNN right next to Al Jazeera, the BBC right next to ABC. Newsy.com also covers major newspapers, news magazines as well as top blogs from around the world. What are the key differences in reporting? Who has a unique insight? By monitoring the world’s new coverage, we provide immediate analysis of news perspectives so you can form your own opinion.

http://www.newsy.com/

I wrote some time ago, here, about the ridiculous policies that Apple has when it comes to trying to get an app on their iPhone.  Well apparently even some of the best have had enough with Apples iPhone app process.  Facebook developer Joe Hewitt, who’s behind the Facebook app for iPhone, has quit the project.  He’s still with Facebook but it appears he’s moving back to web development, where Apple can’t make him jump through hoops just to publish his applications.

“My decision to stop iPhone development has had everything to do with Apple’s policies.” – Joe Hewitt

Perhaps if more developers spoke out against Apples iPhone app process then they might change…..then again probably not.  See the whole article from techcrunch here.

There are a variety of free e-Book websites that allow you to download e-Books to your computer or read them online. Some sites give readers access to older books which have aged out of their copyright protection and some offer brand new material from authors who are trying to promote their work in this format. Planet eBook declares themselves “the home of free classic literature.”  They offer just over 60 literary classics which can be downloaded to your computer, free and legal. Works by authors such as Charles Dickens, Jules Verne, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker and Leo Tolstoy can be enjoyed and shared with your friends or classmates. Planet eBooks also provides a suggestion box for classics you would like them to offer.

http://www.planetebook.com/