One Tree. Four Sons.

I like trees. I like the way they stand majestically, reaching proudly toward the sky. While I’m not a pro at knowing all of the different types of trees or any of their specifics, there are a few basic things I remember about them from my Junior High science classes.

Some trees stay green all year round, other have leaves that change color and fall off during the autumn, some bear fruit, and things like that. But most of all I remember that trees produce oxygen. That’s a good thing too, because that’s what we human being breathe. As it turns out, trees inhale what we exhale and we inhale what trees exhale. It works out pretty good if you ask me.  

At Mother Nature’s Beck And Call

Although it would mean having to spend the day indoors, as a young boy I used to love the rain. I think in part it was because I knew that everyone else was also indoors and I wasn’t missing out on anything. Now that I’m old(er), rain has a different effect on me.

Winter is the rainy season in central California. This past season, we had a shortage of rain. Last night, just shortly after midnight, Mother Nature decided to let us have some of the precious water that this region so desperately needs. I’m glad about that. But, I do have some mixed feelings about it as well.  

Get A Job

According to the U.S. Department of Labors’ Bureau of Labor Statistics website, the unemployment rate, for July 2007, is 4.6% – which is roughly about 7 million people. A substantial number of those who are unemployed are so due to job loss (e.g. – out sourcing, companies down sizing, etcetera).

Since some 22% percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck (roughly 65 million people), it doesn’t look as though the situation is going to be getting any better in the foreseeable future. Plus the ever increase in the price of housing and the ever decreasing number of affordable housing units make it an enormous task to find adequate housing.  

In The Shadows

Early this morning there was a total lunar eclipse. The event occurred from about 1:30 AM (PDT) until around 5:30 AM (PDT). I watched the beginning part of it, and then because I was awake at around 4:15 AM (PDT) I watched more of the event.

At the beginning, I could see shadow begin to crawl diagonally – from the upper left hand corner – across the face of the Moon. Later this morning, I could see the shadow as it was in Moon’s lower right hand corner. And the colors – they were nothing short of spectacular. I was quite impressed by the event.  

"Almost" Doesn’t Count

About a week ago, I was listening to the radio one evening when I heard a PSA (public service announcement) for a national campaign called "The Generous Nation Campaign" sponsored by the Ad Council. The PSA was promoting the helping underprivileged children, which I’m all for. The following evening there was another PSA, except this time, it was about helping the homeless – and, since that’s what I blog about it caught my attention.

So I decided to find out a bit more about this campaign so I visited the campaign’s site, which is called: "Don’t Almost Give."