Clear, warm and beautiful, the day was perfect for all to enjoy here in Sonoma.
Whether a picnic in the park, a spinach salad at the Sunflower restaurant, or an ice cream at Ben and Jerry's - it's all good.
And while taking a walk around the Plaza, I was reminded it was the last day of the Sonoma Valley Film Festival when I saw an interesting limo in front of the Sebastiani Theater.
Tomorrow Sonoma will be back to 'normal' as the Hollywood crowd travels back to their homes.
Born in Hollywood and growing up in Burbank, the Hollywood scene is familiar to me: former actress Joan Leslie is my cousin, one uncle was a film editor and another was a casting director, and my father worked as a grip for both Paramount and then Universal studios most of his life. When his mother and 4 brothers first moved to California, they all were extras in silent movies! His favorite actor was Danny Kaye ('the nicest guy & great dancer in spite of having club feet!') and his most exciting adventure was going to Egypt in 1954 to work on the movie 'The Ten Commandments.'
On my father's return from Egypt, he brought us LOTS of souvenirs and to me, he gave a little Bible from St Catherine monastery which I still have. Interestingly enough, ours was not a Christian home, but much later in life I did become a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ with my first trip overseas was to Israel in 1994 which unbeknown to me beforehand, included a hike up Mount Sinai, located at the St Catherine monastery.
It wasn't until a few years later that I connected the dots: my earthly father helped make the movie "The Ten Commandments" but my heavenly Father made the original Ten Commandments!
Tax rebates for most low and middle-income Americans will be sent out next month.
To receive your rebate, you must file your tax return by Tuesday's tax deadline or apply for an extension and file by the Oct. 15 extension deadline.
But remember, "the earlier you file, the earlier you receive the payment," said Jesse Weller, IRS spokesman.
"The quickest way to get your stimulus payment is to e-file your return and elect 'direct deposit,' " he added.
How much will my rebate be?
It is $600 for individuals earning up to $75,000 and $1,200 for couples earning up to $150,000. Parents also may receive $300 for each child. People who do not earn enough to have to pay taxes may also receive $300.
When will I receive the money?
The first round of rebates will start to go out May 2 to May 16, based on the last two digits of your Social Security number. Information about that process can be found on www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=180250,00.html.
Am I eligible?
You're eligible if you have a valid Social Security number, can't be claimed as a dependent on a tax return and have either an income tax liability or "qualifying income" of at least $3,000.
Qualifying income includes any combination of earned income and certain benefits from Social Security, Veterans Affairs or Railroad Retirement.
How can I receive the stimulus payment if I do not earn enough to have to pay taxes?
You may e-file for free for a tax return solely to receive your economic stimulus rebate with one of the seven companies listed on www.irs.gov/efile/lists/0,,id=179739,00.html.
The IRS has made "extraordinary efforts" this year to reach out to qualifying groups like seniors and those who receive veteran's benefits, Weller said.
Still have questions?
Call the IRS Stimulus Hotline: 866-234-2942 (Hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday)
SONOMA, Calif. - Your weakened dollar can go a long way in Sonoma Valley, if you know where the locals dine - which can also be where movie stars, big name hi-tech founders, and celebrity chefs and winemakers hang out. They tend to hide in the hills around town, and when they do emerge onto Sonoma Plaza, savvy restaurants and hotels studiously keep secret who dines or visits, all of which makes this region more alluring.
For 24 days in 1846, Sonoma constituted the entire California Republic. Now it's a food- and wine-centric historic town by Western standards. The eight-acre Sonoma Plaza was laid out in 1835 by General Mariano G. Vallejo, commander of the Mexican armed forces for California, partly so Vallejo could drill his squad of soldiers. Later it served as a dusty train turnaround, void of plants, trees, or grass.
Today the plaza is covered with a lush lawn and shade trees, and you can find children's playground equipment, a duck pond, and fountains. It serves as home to Sonoma City Hall and is a center of activity, from a lively farmers' market with loads of music to arts festivals.
Historic adobe buildings around the plaza that once sheltered Italian meat markets, dance halls, illegal underground wine storage, and even brothels, now house some of the region's most expensive houseware shops and dining spots. There are also some cheap eating opportunities.
Owner James Hahn bought the Sunflower on a lark and has instilled his love for good food and wine at reasonable prices. There are several hidden seating niches and extended outdoor seating. Locals greet one another from early morning to late afternoon. According to Hahn, the back patio offers "our alternative to the traditional happy hour," with lamb burgers, oysters, and tastes of flights of wines with flights of cheeses.
A block away, Carol and Sam Morphy remodeled what was once an agricultural feed store where parents used to take their kids to purchase fuzzy yellow chicks that would grow up to lay organic eggs.
After retiring from the corrugated box business in 2000, Sam and Carol loaded their three kids, cat, and dog into their Suburban and moved east to Madison, Conn., near New Haven. Neighbors enticed them to try the nearby Pizza Works, and Morphy immediately thought, "We have to take this back to California." A year later, they were in Sonoma working on The Red Grape.
Daughter Megan, an Endicott College hospitality program graduate, serves as general manager. With a gorgeous sheltered patio, the Red Grape produces perfect thin-crust pizzas, the best Cobb salad anywhere, zabaglione, gnocchi, shellfish spaghetti, rib-eye steak, and chicken with pesto.
On the north side of Sonoma Plaza, Mary's Pizza Shack reigns supreme for family dining and specialties from founder Mary Fazio: pizzas with heavy scoops of tomato sauce and cheese, robust but healthy salads, fried calamari, daily soups, and killer garlic bread.
Should you spot one of the valley's famous comedian or movie star residents, do as the locals do and don't say a word. And if you buy a Sonoma T-shirt, the T-shirt rule applies: Wear it somewhere else.
In Kansas, judge delays hearing on 107 criminal charges.
A record 289,650 preborn babies were killed at Planned Parenthood clinics in fiscal year 2006-07, an increase of nearly 25,000 from 2005-06. The nation's largest abortion provider, which received $336 million in taxpayer money last year, is responsible for 25 percent of all abortions in the U.S.
Jenn Giroux, president of Women Influencing the Nation, said the numbers in the 2006-07 annual report show Planned Parenthood is clearly a for-profit business.
“What jumped out at me more than ever was the amount of our tax dollars — one third of their budget — (from) taxpayers that completely disagree with killing unborn children,” she told Family News in Focus. “It is horrifying, and taxpayers aren’t going to stand for it much longer.”
In Kansas, life advocates are taking action. The Overland Park Planned Parenthood clinic is facing 107 criminal charges, filed by Johnson County, Kan., Prosecutor Phill Kline. And notorious late-term abortionist George Tiller has also been under investigation.
In Overland Park, a pro-abortion judge has postponed a hearing against Planned Parenthood. The hearing, scheduled for today, has been delayed until May 27.
Giroux called the delay frustrating.
“Every time there gets to be a point of legal scrutiny, somebody — an elected official, a judge — steps in to allow that veil of secrecy to remain around these abortion clinics,” she said. “It’s very frustrating. It is screaming for some type of judicial oversight from outside the state.”
In response to the news from Kansas, pro-family groups — including Focus on the Family — signed a letter asking Congress to suspend Planned Parenthood's funding until the allegations were resolved.
"Kansas is a good example of the ongoing and significant allegations that have been leveled against Planned Parenthood in recent months," said Dawn Vargo, associate bioethics analyst for Focus on the Family Action. "This raises serious questions about whether Planned Parenthood should be eligible for millions of dollars in taxpayer money each year."
U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., plans to offer an amendment to the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations bill in the next few months to prohibit federal funding for Planned Parenthood. He offered an identical amendment last year.
"I just think it's wrong that the largest abortion provider in America is the largest recipient of non-abortion funding under Title X," Pence told Cybercast News Service. “It's time to pass the Pence Amendment to keep taxpayer money out of the hands of Planned Parenthood."
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Baby Jacob Neely (20th week) 4d ultrasound sucking his thumb
USGS Map Small quake was felt by some this morning but not where I am in Boyes Springs area of Sonoma: A 2.9 earthquake struck early Wednesday morning in northeast Santa Rosa.
A U.S. Geological Survey report put the quake's epicenter near Skyfarm Drive and Glen Eagle Court in the city's Fountaingrove area. The quake occurred at 5:19 a.m.
Did you feel it? If so, please leave a comment below.
COMMENTS: By trekkie_widow | Wednesday, Apr 09, 2008 06:58AI felt it...the kids slept right through it. Nice little jolt.I was in the Northridge earthqauke. NOW THAT WAS A RIDE!!!
By krisco24 | Wednesday, Apr 09, 2008 06:58A Yes, we felt it. Woke us both up. Just a little one, but the whole house shook. Fell right back to sleep!
By Mailmandolin | Wednesday, Apr 09, 2008 06:57A I thought it was a truck going by at first. No big deal.
By ellilarrieu | Wednesday, Apr 09, 2008 06:54A I'm in Sonoma (Fetters Hot Springs); I did not feel it, but the little beagle next door really started wailing exactly at this time.
By Tan1662 | Wednesday, Apr 09, 2008 06:46A Good Jolt and then rumble. Just the normal California Earthquake. Better than my alarm clock to get me up for the day. Only let's schedule tomorrow's quake for 6 am. Thanks.
By pyratediver | Wednesday, Apr 09, 2008 06:45A We live in NE Santa Rosa and both my wife and I felt it. There was only a tiny bit of shaking, so we both rolled over and went back to sleep.
By muzicmstress | Wednesday, Apr 09, 2008 06:45A Yes, sitting at my PC, reading news around 5:19am, a sudden JOLT, very unexpected! Scary, we must all be prepared for the "big one"
By hiitsmeblondie | Wednesday, Apr 09, 2008 06:29A I felt a small jolt ~ EARTHQUAKE! no big deal ~ did we just have another one? it is 6:28 am now, maybe an aftershock! oh well! everyone have a great day!
By smoketer26 | Wednesday, Apr 09, 2008 06:25A It felt like a sudden jolt, followed by the sound of the ground trembling. Not very powerful after the initial, single jolt. Aside from catching me off-guard, there wasn't much to it...
By oklandraida84 | Wednesday, Apr 09, 2008 06:23A i did not feel it but its california when i hear earth quake i will just be like oh really cool! Earthquakes aren't rare
By alysia | Wednesday, Apr 09, 2008 06:15A I barely felt it but it did freak out my dog.
By BlahBlah | Wednesday, Apr 09, 2008 06:07A I felt it. Whooptie do!
The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 2.9 struck at about 5:19 a.m. Wednesday near Santa Rosa.
According to the USGS, the earthquake had a depth of 3.8 miles and was centered 3 miles northwest of Santa Rosa and 52 miles northwest of San Francisco City Hall. Click here to find out more!
A few NBC11 viewers called the newsroom to report they felt the shaking but said that nothing was damaged.
"In Masonry, every thing has a double meaning. Thus, the Mason candidate is practicing occultism throughout his degrees without knowing it. False interpretations are given to keep him from suspecting the institution to be anything less than noble and upright in purpose. This deception, this false interpretation is called allegory. Allegory is defined as; something where the language is one thing and the meaning is another. Masons practice the virtues of brotherly love, forgiveness, and charity--on the surface. They do this as a ploy, to make their satanic religion appear acceptable and sugar coated --- to the community. Belief in God (by whatever name he is known to them) is a condition of membership. To receive the benefits of Freemasonry every candidate has to confess his belief in one, eternal and true God, creator and ruler of the universe, and in the immortality of the soul. No candidate for Masonry, however, is to be asked for the particular opinion of his religious belief, so Lucifer as this prerequisite god is quite acceptable. Its members are taught masonry's precepts by a series of ritual dramas, which follow ancient forms and use stonemasons' customs and tools as allegorical guides. Freemasonry is deep into the occult, and it is also connected with the cult known as Rosicrucian."
The San Francisco Bay Area is going to be aerial sprayed with pesticides beginning this summer (2008), every 30 days, 9 months a year, for several years!
Natural Solutions Foundation President Gen. Bert Stubblebine and Executive Director Dr. Rima Laibow attended a March 3 Town Meeting in Corta Madera, California where citizens are organizing to stop forced aerial pesticide spraying being planned by the state.
Forced Drugging: 5 Year Spraying of Level 3 Toxin on Entire San Francisco Bay Area Bill Haymin April 2, 2008
Spraying for a Non Existant Pest Every 30 Days for 5 years! Rima E. Laibow, MD Medical Director Natural Solutions Foundation http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/
If you have to swallow a drug you don´t want to take, that is forced drugging. If it is pumped into your veins, that is forced drugging. If you are forced to breath it, and so is your dog, your spouse, your infant, your grandmother and your neighbor, that´s forced drugging, too. And that is precisely what is going on in the San Francisco Bay area. And if you are breathing a sigh of relief because you don´t live in the Bay area, don´t. We believe California is being targeted for something that will come to an arial sprayer near you in the near future: If California decides to stop this madness, the EPA has said that it will seize jurisdiction and spray anyway. Obviously, spraying for a pest that does not exist has a purpose far beyond the so-called "pest".
According to two UC scientists, not only can the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) not be 'eradicated' by the forced aerial pesticide spraying of the San Francisco Bay Area planned for this summer by a state agency, but it poses no real threat to agriculture in the first place.
UC Davis Entomologist Dr. James Carey and UC Santa Cruz Arboretum Executive Director Dr. Daniel Harder present the results of their research at the March 13, 2008 informational hearing held in San Rafael by State Senator Joe Simitian, Chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.
Dr. Harder's report on his recent trip to New Zealand, where the LBAM is "...effectively controlled almost exclusively by natural predators in both agricultural settings and wild lands," is available on-line at: http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/text.asp?pid=2021
The "dreaded LBAM" has not been definitively shown to exist in most areas to be sprayed. If two moths are found in an area it is officially deemed to be infested and the area becomes a candidate for the $75.4 million dollar spraying program. The State of California requires stringent environmental impact statements before spraying pesticides unless there is an emergency. The emergency posed by the LBAM appears to be that there is no emergency: without a problem there would be no reason to spray anything and the LBAM poses no threat of any kind. Therefore, the emergency of not having an emergency has been handled by the people who want the spraying to take place by goving to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and asking THEM to declare a state of emergency. That way, even if the Governor of California decides to issue and edict halting the spraying, the EPA can step in, take jurisdiction and spray anyway. Why? What else is in the spray?
While the LBAM has never caused any harm to any plant, animal, fish, shrub, crop, or person, Checkmate (c) has. Although the Health Departments of the various regions already sprayed failed to make provisions to find out what the results of the spraying were, or for collecting reports of its impact (actually discarding the reports that did find their way to them), local organizations quickly set up reporting systems for people in Santa Cruz and Monterey. The results were frightening. Although few doctors were aware of the possible effects of the spray, and even fewer people knew, 638 people became ill or very ill from two areal spraying episodes in Santa Cruz. We do not have figures for the number of people who became ill from a single spraying in Monterey because no collection system was set up there.
What is planned for the Bay area is not two sprayings. It is arial spraying EVERY 30 DAYS for 60-120 months for a pest which is hypothetical at best, can easily be controlled by natural preditors if it exists and requires nothing at all to control it.
Is the LBAM the target or are the people of the San Francisco Bay area the target? And is Idaho next? How about New York (where malathione has already been sprayed on people to kill the West Nile Virus mosquito), Montana? Arizona? Or perhaps, all of the US (and beyond?) Sort of like Chemtrails, perhaps?
Spraying will commence in the Bay Area in August, 2008 and continue evdry 30 days or 5 years or longer (up to 10 years) until there are no LBAM left. Since there are virtually none, or none at all, left right now, that seems a pretty weird standard. The deal is that if 2 LBAMs are found in an area, that area is deemed to be infested and the spraying will continue.
You know, there is a silver lining to this ecocidal (genocide?) insanity. The San Francisco area is coming together around this in a way that is hard to imagine unless you have seen it. I have seen it earlier this month at the meeting we attended but I have seen it before: in the 60's and 70's when America said "NO!" to the Viet Nam war. I have seen it before that in the early 60's when America said "YES!" to integration and racial equality under the law. And, most stirringly, I am seeing it now when people all over the world say "NO!" to corporate contamination of their food (Codex), "NO" to compusory vaccination (Click here () to add your voice to that roar!) and "YES!" to Health Freedom! If you read the email sent to me by an African Codex delegate, you will know that I saw it at a Codex meeting in Ghana last month when Africa led other health friendly nations in saying "NO!" to the US and its allies about unlabled GM "foods" and seeds.
When people become alerted to a threat and respond to it by taking back their power, the world changes. That's what's happening now with health freedom. What a thrilling time to be alive!
Over the years my opinions have changed but this will never change: Jesus Christ, Lord, God and Savior, died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay for my sin.
Clear, warm and beautiful, the day was perfect for all to enjoy here in Sonoma.
