Today is National Veterans of Foreign Wars Day

Today, September 29, 2014 people in Palm Springs, the greater Palm Springs area and across America pause to honor our Veterans of Foreign Wars.
 

NATIONAL VFW DAY

 

National VFW Day is celebrated annually on September 29. This day is devoted to the VFW organization and it’s members who have served our nation.

The VFW was established on September 29, 1899 by a group of veterans from the Spanish-American war. It has since grown to be the nation’s largest group of combat veterans. They continue “to honor the dead by helping the living.” The VFW promote patriotism, good will and youth scholarships. They also provide military assistance and community service programs, promote youth activities and volunteer many hours in their local communities.

How do you celebrate today? Honor the VFW members and veterans in your community. Let them know that you appreciate the sacrifices they have made for all of us. We truly are the land of the free because of the brave.

God bless America. God bless our veterans and God bless you.

Thought for today: GRATITUDE

What are you grateful for?



Today and everyday take time to be grateful.

Listen to the Bill Feingold Show on Thursday Morning, September 25, 2014

The Palm Springs Guru is scheduled to be on the radio Thursday, September 25, 8 AM time frame.

Link to listen live: www.943knews.com



Tune in  to and listen to what Bill "Bulldog" Feingold and the Palm Springs Guru will discuss.

New video promoting the new "3 Feet for Safety Act." A short video worth watching!

The Palm Springs Guru loves bicycling in Palm Springs, the greater Palm Springs area and throughout California.

Here is a new video promoting California's new "3 Feet for Safety Act." This is a short video worth watching! http://youtu.be/9JJ-JHrT2E8

The Palm Springs Guru is asking all bicyclists and motorists to share the road.

Thank you http://www.ryanarmstrong.com/ for sharing this video.

Happy Birthday U.S. Air Force

United States Air Force, 67th, Birthday

The official date of the founding of the US Air Force is 18 September 1947.  It was a momentous event that over six decades later has demonstrated the achievement of an Air Force second-to-none, yet the Air Force’s history and heritage goes back a lot further

From the time that the US military purchased its first aircraft in 1909 up to 1947, the US Air Force did not exist as a separate and independent military service organization. It went through a series of designations: Aeronautical Section, Signal Corps (1909); Aviation Section, Signal Corps (1914); United States Army Air Service (1918); United States Army Air Corps (1926), United States Army Air Forces (1941).

WWII illustrated the value of air power, and the need to change the basic organization of the US Military Forces.  The result was the creation of a single Department of Defense with a strong Joint Chiefs of Staff with Army, Navy, and Air Force chiefs.  

In 1947 President Truman signed the National Security Act which established this new defense organization, and along with it the creation of the US Air Force as an independent service, equal to the US Army and US Navy.  The official birthday of the US Air Force is 18 September 1947.

Palm Springs Guru served in the US Air Force. I want to remind people in Palm Springs and the greater Palm Springs area that the, world famous, Palm Springs Air Museum features military air planes. 

Address: 745 N Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, CA 92262,

Website: http://palmspringsairmuseum.org/

PALM SPRINGS — California's new 3 Feet for Safety Act

The Three Feet for Safety Act, a state law passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, takes effect today, Tuesday September 16, 2014.

 Starting today, the new law provides a state-mandated cushion of safety for bicyclists, a measurement for motorists and the source of a potential fine for violators

California law has always required vehicle drivers to pass bicyclists on the left and to allow a safe distance between the motor vehicle and the bike.

Beginning today, the new law defines that distance.  The law states that if it’s not possible to give the 3-foot cushion, drivers should slow down “and may only pass when doing so would not endanger the safety of the operator of the bicycle.”

Drivers passing bicycle riders at a closer distance are subject to fines of $35 plus court costs, which increase the cost to $237

The base cost rises to $220 if a collision occurs and the bicyclist is injured.

Bicycle advocates in Palm Springs, the greater Palm Springs area and throughout California hope the law will spur drivers to be more attentive but don’t expect it to be onerous to drivers.

“It doesn’t really change what drivers are already supposed to do,” said Dave Snyder, executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition, which pushed for the law. “But we think that by specifying the distance of 3 feet, drivers will be a little more patient and be safer in passing.”

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), 153 bicyclists were killed in collisions with motor vehicles in the state in 2012, a 7 percent increase from 2011.

Those deaths account for about 5 percent of the state’s traffic fatalities.

California Highway Patrol spokesman, Mike Harris, said the law is simple.

“Vehicles are required to slow down or give 3 feet, and bike riders are encouraged to ride as safely as possible,” he said.

Some drivers have asked what happens if a bicyclist swerves toward them or tries to squeeze through slow-moving traffic between cars, making it difficult or impossible to stay 3 feet away.

As with any other traffic law, Harris said, officers have discretion when considering whether to issue a citation.

While the new law applies to motorists, CHP officials stressed that bicyclists and drivers share the responsibility for safety.

“The bicycle-car relationship, it’s a partnership on the roadways,” Harris said.

The Palm Springs Guru asks motorists and bicyclists to be aware of the 3 feet for Safety Act, cooperate with others and share the road.

 Google news for you and me.

September 12, 2014

Google offers $100,000 cloud credit for startups

Qualified startups will also get tech support via Google Cloud Platform for Startups

By Joab Jackson | IDG News Service

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Looking for more success stories to add to its portfolio, Google has assembled a starter package to help startup businesses ramp up operations with free Google Cloud Platform services.

Startups that qualify will get a $100,000 credit for Google Cloud Platform services, along with around-the-clock support and access to the company's technical solutions team.

[ Cut to the key news for technology development and IT management with the InfoWorld Daily newsletter, our summary of the top tech happenings. ]

The program, called the Google Cloud Platform for Startups, is restricted to early-stage startups that are already part of a technology incubator or accelerator, or have been funded by a venture capital firm.
Applicants must generate less than $500,000 in annual revenue, be less that 5 years old, and have received less than $5 million in investments.

Appealing to startups could help Google help form a customer base around its cloud services, especially as some startups will become successful and use many of Google's services.

For instance, Amazon Web Services, a competitor to the Google Cloud Platform, was was adopted early on by Pinterest which was run by 12 employees. As Pinterest's popularity took off, the company was able to handle over 17 million users, without any investment in IT infrastructure, by using AWS.

Success stories are also an important part of marketing cloud services, because they provide examples to potential customers of businesses that have already successfully used the cloud provider.
Successful start-ups, in particular, can be good examples in that they show how a small company can use a cloud's natural capabilities of quickly scaling up to meet sudden demand, without the potentially crippling need to invest in hardware.

The Google Cloud Platform has a number of its own startup success stories. Snapchat uses the Google cloud infrastructure, and its customers send over 700 million photos and videos each day. The Khan Academy bases its online education programs on the Google cloud as well.

The Google Cloud Platform offers the Google Compute Engine, the Google Apps Engine, as well as a variety of platform analytic services.

Joab Jackson covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Joab on Twitter at @Joab_Jackson. Joab's e-mail address is Joab_Jackson@idg.com

Tags: Web Services, Google

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Gotta love Google. Thank you and keep up the good work.

September 11: We Will Never Forget

PATRIOT DAY AND NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE AND REMEMBRANCE

In memory of the nearly 3,000 people who were killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, each year in the United States we observe Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance.

On October 25, 2001, the U.S. House of Representatives Joint Resolution 71 was approved. Resolution 71 requested that the President designate September 11 of each year as “Patriot Day”. President George W. Bush signed the resolution into law on December 18, 2001 (as Public Law 107-89).

On this day, it is asked by the President, that the American flag be flown at half-staff at individual American homes, at the White House and on all United States government buildings and establishments at home and abroad. 

The President has also asked Americans to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 A.M.(Eastern Daylight Time), the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.  

He also strongly encourages Americans to use the Corporation for National and Community Service to find and volunteer for service opportunities. 

It was on September 10 of 2012 that President Obama issued a proclamation renaming the day as Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, in reference to both Public Laws 107-89 and 111-13 (the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act) 

“As we join in serving causes greater than ourselves and honoring those we lost, we are reminded of the ways that the victims of 9/11 live on — in the people they loved, the lives they touched, and the courageous acts they inspired.  On Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, we pledge to carry on their legacy of courage and compassion, and to move forward together as one people.”

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/09/09/presidential-proclamation-patriot-day-and-national-day-service-and-remem 

National Teddy Bear Day

9th Day of September

Presented by the Palm Springs Guru

National Teddy Bear Day takes place in the USA, every year, on September 9th. Initially an American specific holiday National Teddy Bear Day is increasingly being celebrated by teddy bear aficionados across the world.

The Palm Springs Guru has done considerable research and still cannot locate the record of the origin of this holiday or why this particular date was chosen. Research will continue and I will interview more teddy bears in my attempt to learn the answer.

Teddy bears are, of course, named after America’s 26th President, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt.

The name came about after a 1902 hunting expedition. The hunt had found no game, so at the end of the day someone brought out a baby bear and suggested that Roosevelt might like to shoot it instead. Roosevelt understandably felt that this was not exactly sporting and refused.

The incident was illustrated in a newspaper cartoon entitled "Drawing the Line" - which also referred to the political situation at the time.

An enterprising New York toymaker saw an opportunity and brought out a cute stuffed bear named "Teddy's Bear". The rest, as they say, is history.

Today people buy teddy bears across the world, not just for young children but often for themselves as collectibles. Some early teddy bears by well-known names such as Steiff or Gund are rare and much sought after by enthusiasts.

So if anyone deserves an annual holiday it's certainly the teddy bear. How they celebrate their special day depends on their owner. Some people like to take their teddy bear out on a trip, others like to organize a toy party and perhaps even buy their teddy bear gifts. If all inspiration fails, there's always the traditional teddy bear picnic - I've never known any teddy bear turn down a teddy bear picnic.

For the record, there is another National Teddy Bear Day. It is in the month of November. That special day was created by the Vermont Teddy Bear Company in 2000 to celebrate the contribution the teddy has made to popular culture.

Notice for all Teddy Bears: Teddy Bear Day is NOT an official holiday. You do not get the day off. You still have an important, two-fold, job and that is to be hugable and loveable.

Teddy Bears love Palm Springs and the greater Palm Springs area. In fact, when I interviewed teddy bears, nine out of 1o teddy bears agreed that Palm Springs is the ideal place to visit, shop, dine, stay, work, play, relax, refresh and rejuvenate.

Thank you to our friends at http://www.festivology.com/topics/teddy.html for providing information regarding National Teddy Bear Day.

The Palm Springs Guru remembers Joan Rivers.

The Palm Springs Guru remembers Joan Rivers.

Joan Rivers was a wonderful supporter of all things Palm Springs.

Talk with anyone in Palm Springs and the greater Palm Springs area and each person will have an opinion regarding Joan Rivers.

Love her or hate her, Joan Rivers is an American icon. Here are 25 Joan Rivers quotes for your consideration:

1.   “I hate housework. You make the beds, you do the dishes and six months later, you have to start all over again.”

2.   “A man can sleep around, no questions asked. But if a woman makes 19 or 20 mistakes, she's a tramp.”

3.   “A child can be taught not to do certain things, such as touch a hot stove, pull lamps off of tables, and wake Mommy before noon.”

4.   “When a man has a birthday, he takes a day off. When a woman has a birthday, she takes at least three years off.”

5.   “Looking fifty is great - if you're sixty.”

6.   “If you don't want gays in the military, make the uniforms ugly.”

7.   “She's so pure; Moses couldn't even part her knees.”

8.   “I wish I had a twin, so I could know what I'd look like without plastic surgery.”

9.   “I hate thin people; 'Oh, does the tampon make me look fat?”

10. “You know you're getting old when you buy a sexy sheer nightgown and don't know anyone who can see through it.”

11.  “My love life is like a piece of Swiss cheese; most of it is missing, and what's there stinks.”

12. “I must admit I am nervous about getting Alzheimer's. Once it hits, I might tell my best joke and never know it.”

13. “No man will ever put his hand up your dress looking for a library card.”

14. “My best birth control now is just to leave the lights on.”

15. “If God wanted me to bend over, he'd have put diamonds on the floor.”

16. “People say that money is not the key to happiness, but I always figured if you have enough money, you can have a key made.

17. “Thank God we're living in a country where the sky's the limit, the stores are open late and you can shop in bed thanks to television.”

18. “I have no sex appeal; if my husband didn't toss and turn, we'd never have had the kid.”

19. “The first time I see a jogger smiling, I'll consider it.”

20. “Before we make love my husband takes a painkiller.”

21. “My daughter and I are very close, we speak every single day and I call her every day and I say the same thing, 'Pick up, I know you're there”

22. “I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw that my bath toys were a toaster and a radio.”

23. “I was born in 1962... and the room next to me was 1963.”

24. “I told my mother-in-law that my house was her house, and she said, 'Get the hell off my property.”

25. “Never be afraid to laugh at yourself, after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century.”