Danny and Ryan reunite with Poppy

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News Headline that made me laugh.

Tell me what you read in to this!

From Yahoo News:

# Obama taps Clinton 4 mins ago

This could mean some very funny things. I was almost afraid to read the story.

Attemted Bank Fraud?

Wow, not sure about this one. But, thought I would share, just in case.

We received an automated call saying it was from Washington Mutual about a possibly fraudulent charge on my mom's debit card. This was confusing since my mom doesn't have a card.
After pressing 5 (if you wish to dispute this charge or are not sure), we were connected to an operator (first clue).
The operator asked for my mom's card # or account #. Since she didn't have a card, I was confused and asked the operator to provide that information.
She could not, she asked for account info and social so she could verify the account.
I hung up on her. I don't like to give out such info when the call was originated from outside. So, I got the number off my statement and called in to Wamu. They looked up my mom's account and there was no history of a charge card for her, as I suspected. I asked the operator if the call we received could have been attempted fraud. She said it might have been, and that I did the right thing.
1. If it is an incoming call, don't give out account information. Make them provide it. If they can't, there is a reason.
2. Call your bank at the number listed on your statement or on the back of your card (if you have one).
3. Verify everything is OK.

In the end, the customer service rep. let me know there is not much they can do if the attempted phone fraud failed. There is more they can do if it is web related.
She said that in phone fraud, there is little they can do unless your account was actually compromised. Since our account was not, it's pretty much over.

So, I posted this as a reminder. Don't give out information to anyone who calls you! Thank them for the alert and call your bank at a number you know is correct, not one the caller gives you.

Good luck, and safe banking.

Facebook hell

Well, I signed up for facebook at the urging of a friend a while back and now I have several friends. And with that, I get a constant stream of emails asking me to compare my friends or become a knight in a friend's realm or send them some karma points. Wow, when do these people sleep? I mean, WTF? I work, workout, spend time with my wife, mom, sisters, practice some programming, then I get to watch a show or listen to an audio book and by that time I only have a few hours to sleep.. I am not even counting in chores like dishes, shopping and taking out the trash!.
What ever happened to good old fashioned email? I mean, it's sad to think that email was a more personal and intimate form of communication than the norm.
I miss it. I wonder if there was ever a more personal form of bonding than email?
I seem to remember a day when I actually got together with friends for pizza and beer. Or, was that just a facebook game I played?
There is a bright side to facebook, however. A couple long lost friends, that I have not seen in a long long time, tracked me down on fb. I now know if they are married, have kids, what kind of music they are listening to and how they are doing in mob wars.
I may even get an email from one of them some day. Well, at least they posted photos.
Cheers.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Symposium - LA

Please check out the pancan symposium listed here

In Memoriam - Joseph Hoffman

Joseph Hoffman - July, 1919 through August, 2008.

My father had a great, full life. He was a devoted husband to his wife of 54 years, a loving and supportive brother to his 4 siblings and their families, and a father whose dedication to his kids can not be described by words.

As co-founder and president of Burbank Aircraft Supply, he made a name for himself in that industry due to his honesty, integrity and incredible work ethic.

After more than 15 years of retirement, we still hear from people in the industry who remember him with fondness.

In the course of his life, he traveled to many countries to help customers as much as he could. He learned a lot and, when he could, included his children in his work and travels.

He even let his children barge in on his weekly board of director's meetings (poker games), to enjoy the wonderful deli platters they would buy. He even let his son (me) sit on his lap and help him make corporate decisions (should I call or raise?).

His poker buddies often joked that they paid for the pool!

Dad was also a world class joker. I learned this when I was finally invited to join him and his "boosum" buddy Dick (the Bake) Baker for lunch. It was hard to eat with a belly in pain from laughter. The two of them would play off each other in a way more entertaining than any comedian I have seen. They could have put Burns and Allen out of business.

I was also fortunate to be invited to join him and my Uncle Eggy (Ed Vertel) in their quite inventive method of playing golf. You see, they figured out quite quickly that keeping score got in the way of having fun. So they created their own scoring method. This involved comparing the number of balls you have when you enter the course to the number you had when you left. If you left with more balls than you came with, that's points. Also, when you hit a bad shot, cracking the best joke about it would nullify the stroke, or something like that. We would always go to lunch after and laugh hysterically.

Both the Bake and Eggy left this world before Dad. They will be waiting for him, I know.

He had a tough fight toward the end, but maintained his sense of humor almost to the last week. Even when in pain, he would crack jokes and make us laugh.

He passed at home surrounded by love. My Mom, myself and my incredible wife, sisters Terri, Judy, Carol, Lori and Peggy made sure he was never alone. My sister's hubby's were also an incredible help and made Dad very proud of my sisters' decision making. My brother (I am dropping the "in-law" part) Marc, showed us how selfless he really is. I can't express my gratitude for being part of this family. My other brother (also dropping the "in-law" part) Luis has also been an amazing part of our family, helping my parents more than we ever thought possible for many years now.

My wife Zoe, what can I say... She built a relationship with my parents that I never expected. She was there with me to help in more situations than I could have asked her to. She is amazing.

But, no one, and I mean no one, showed the mettle of my sister Judy. After what she went through with the loss of her husband, the dedication and hard work she put in with my Dad was truly inspiring.

All of us did everything we could. And I mean that. Even Lori's and Carol's children put up with lost time with their mommies to let them help my Dad. The kids even came to visit and made my Dad soooo happy to see them.

My extended family in the area were also unbelievable.
A special thanks to cousin Yael and her husband Andrew for making time for us when they came to California, to introduce my Dad to their son Yoni.
Cousin Les and Debbie both stopped by. Leslie prayed with my Dad and held his hand even in a very bad time. Debbie made Chicken soup and brought baked goods.
It meant the world to him. It makes me feel bad that I so often neglected to keep in touch with you all on a regular basis. Something I hope to remedy in the future.

My love to all of you. And a special thanks to my Dad's younger brother Mort and his wife Auntie Aviva for traveling so far to visit while he was still alert. That visit put him in a good mood that lasted a week after they left.

If you knew my Dad, please feel free to leave a message or a story about him.

Thank you all!
Peace and Love to everyone.

In honor of my Dad, please to not send flowers. If you wish to make a donation to a cancer related charity or research fund, or to Doctors without Borders, please do so.

Poetry -- if you can call it that - A Spider On My Ceiling

A Spider On My Ceiling

There's a spider on my ceiling now, as I lie in bed awake, twelve thirty-one
and he's yet to spin this web of evening sleep.

From wall to wall he searches long for that place he will call his home.

Frantically, in confusion and haste, he passes over a thousand sites where home could surely be made.

Still he searches on past night till dawn.

From weariness, his pace has slowed and his spirit seems to have faded.

He found his home in time to spin that final web, not to move again.

His body stands for that search that only ends when one escapes.

Daniel M. Hoffman
06/03/92

Handy tip for caring for sick ones.

As some of you know, my dad is very sick right now. My sisters and I are doing our best to care for him at home, but run into many challenges, for which our health care team had no answers. One such problem was how to let my dad call us when he needs help. They only had a bed alarm that alerts you if the patient tries to get up. After thinking for a while, and trying a couple other unsuccessful ideas, I had a great idea.

I went to my local hardware store and bought a Heath Zenith Wireless Doorbell.
I taped one of the buttons to the safety rails of his bed. Instant hospital call button. It works a little too well.

I will post more later.
ADG

In Memorium

Brian Black is my Brother in Law. The "in Law" part is just so you understand how our families began their relationship. Brian is a great guy. I use the present tense, because he will never be gone. We just can't see him any more.
----------------
Brian Ross Black
BLACK, Brian Ross (45), died suddenly in an auto accident. Beloved husband of Judy (Hoffman), cherished son of Howard and Natalye Black of Los Angeles and Orange County and adored younger brother of Laurie (Robert Lawrence) and Jeff (Danna Gold), precious grandson of Saul (Anne deceased) Shrager, embraced and loved by his in-law family of Joe and Seline Hoffman and all of their children and grandchildren. Born in Orange County, Brian graduated from Foothill High, involved in choir and wrestling. Early on and throughout his life, Brian was a joyful, loving human being of extraordinary generosity of spirit and a Godly soul. Brian gave of himself with the sweetness of unconditional love. Brian was the "real deal," rejecting shallowness and pretense. He was a "mensch." Brian never veered off his mark or forgot who he was even after his diagnosis as a young adult of severe paranoid-schizophrenia while in college. Prior to the current available medications, Brian suffered terribly for many years with the most severe symptoms of his illness, going from treatment to treatment and hospital to hospital. After a third failed suicide attempt, fortunately, Brian's life changed due to wise and compassionate court-ordered medication and treatment. After years of darkness and pain, arrested growth and development, but with uncommon, extraordinary courage, Brian emerged as the beautiful person he was meant to be. Brian met and married his extraordinary Judy, the love of his life. While modest in size, together they built a grand spiritual home of love, warmth and holiness where all who enter feel welcome, cared for, loved and safe. In the past Brian worked for the Mental Health Association of San Diego, Rescue Mission of SD, as a volunteer. He was awarded the 1996-97 "Volunteer of the Year Award" from the Combined Health Agencies of San Diego. Always acknowledging and grateful for the support and love he received during his darkest days, Brian believed in giving back. He worked along with his parents, Natalye and Howard, and his sister and brother Laurie and Jeff as advocates for the mentally ill. Currently Brian was employed as a patient counselor at Alpine Residential Treatment Center where he was a highly respected staff member for his compassion, kindness, listening and counseling skills and, most important, his own life experiences which brought hope and healing to all who had the good fortune to be touched by him. Brian leaves an extended family who will forever be touched by the beauty and love of his soul. This includes nieces and nephews of the Black, Lawrence and Hoffman families. A Memorial Service is scheduled at University Synagogue, 3400 Michelson, Irvine, Thursday, June 19, 11 a.m. and another memorial service in San Diego next week. Donations may be made in Brian's memory to the Brian Black Memorial Mental Health Fund, c/o University Synagogue of Irvine.
Published in the Los Angeles Times on 6/19/2008.

New Pastry Related Blog.

OK.... Usually, I meet pastry folks through my better half. But this time, I get to introduce my wife to a new pastry related friend.
Everyone, meet Leilani:
http://leilanilee.blogspot.com/
Leilani is a friend of my friend Dave's and it was a pleasure to finally meet her in person. She really is a kick.
Check out her blog if you are in to pastry.
Thanks for sharing, Leilani!

Intermediate Cane Class

Presented by Master Dan Hoffman
Starts May 29, 2008 for 6 weeks
Thursdays @ 7:45PM – 9:15PM
Learn and practice how to use the common walking cane as a weapon to compliment your kung fu skills.
Cane 2 will include striking with the cane, take downs with the cane, control moves and intro to cane vs. knife.
Cooperative and semi-cooperative training drills will be used to help improve positioning, angles, distance and flow.

COST:
$55 if pre-register or
$60 at the door

LOCATION:
Valencia Martial Arts
26330 Diamond Place #120
Valencia, CA 91350
www.2kungfu.com
For more information or to pre-register: (661)255-0100


Dan Hoffman holds an 8th Degree Black Belt in Kung Fu San Soo and is also accomplished in Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Boxing

Restaurant to Avoid

The Burning Bonsai in Burbank CA. was the latest location to be added to my "To Be Avoided" list.
To be fair, we tried this place three times. Each time we received extraordinarily poor service. The waiters just blatantly ignored us as long as they could. When they took our order, not one of the 2 different waiters wrote anything down. Not surprisingly, at least one of our orders was wrong each time. This latest time, he completely forgot one of our dishes and added stuff we did not order, on top of screwing up a couple of things. I ordered a sesame noodles with tofu (vegetarian) and found pieces of chicken in it. They made it with chicken then noticed the mistake in the kitchen and just pulled the big pieces of chicken off the top and put the tofu on.
They served the noodles on a plate so small that the noodles were literally hanging off the side of the plate and dragging on the table as the waiter served it. No shame. My wife was not very happy about that.
My noodles were undercooked and something actually made me puke.
When serving us water, a piece of minced salmon sushi fell off the waiter's hand or sleeve onto the table. He didn't even notice or offer to clean it.
So, my rating for this place, 1-5 with 1 being crappy as hell and 5 being damn good:
Service: 1
Presentation: 2
Cleanliness: 3
Taste: 3.5
Overall Value: 2

You may ask why we went there 3 times. The answer: My 88 year old dad wanted to take us there. But Zoe and I agreed after this last trip, not even a free meal will get us back there again.
Restaurant information:
The Burning Bonsai
4408 W Magnolia Blvd
Burbank, CA.

Stop Bringing Me Down!!!

Some people are blessed with an uncanny ability to overlook the painfully obvious.
-Dan Hoffman 2008/03/17

Have you ever noticed that listening to stupid, illiterate or illogical people speak around you tends to slow your cognitive responses? I have. And I see evidence of this at work as well. I am lucky to sit near intelligent people, but I am forced to deal with the occasional nut-ball and notice the effect when I return to my desk.

A co-worker has made another observation. She claims that sitting in a less intelligent person's chair can affect your ability to think clearly. She tries to avoid sitting in certain co-workers' chairs. I watched her for a week and she seems to have something. I am forming the opinion that it is "QI". In this case, it is "Stupid QI". It can collect and resonate. Inanimate objects can pick up the resonance of a person's Stupid Qi. Stupid Qi can also affect people close to the person emitting the offending Qi. Any thoughts.??

Lead Found In Dental Crown

"CHICAGO (March 27, 2008)—An Ohio TV station aired a report in late February claiming that a dental crown produced in a Chinese dental lab has tested positive for lead. There is no appropriate use for lead in manufacturing dental prosthetics."
From the ADA Website.

Well, not sure about anyone else, but I would not want a crown or bridge which contained lead. Seeing that lead is known to cause many problems in the human body, it makes you wonder what they were thinking.
Next time I need something like that, I am going to ask the dentist where my crown was manufactured. Besides, using local labs will have the added benefit of supporting local economies.
Cheers,
Dan.

Insane Politicians

OK.. Seldom do I think a politician is COMPLETELY insane. But, I think we have found a candidate.
Sally Kern Speech.

Introducing Sally Kern, a Republican state senator in Oklahoma.
She gave quite a speech here. She even claims that "Studies show no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted for more than a few decades."
Hmmm.. I would like to see those studies. I mean, what about ancient Greece? Rome? How about Japan during the Shogunate?
Maybe she did an Ann Coulter and just made it up?
If you ever wondered why we still have problems in this great nation, look no further.
Vote smart people.

Voting in Los Angeles

I was reading about prop. S and became very disturbed when I read the definition of taxable communication services in the Prop. S. Since the tax would apply to many services not currently taxed, it would effectively be a tax hike even though the tax rate lowers to 9%.
Read more:

"Prop S does reduce the tax rate from the invalid 10% rate to a 9% rate. But actually, if the city loses its appeal the rate will be 0%. Prop S also imposes the tax on a host of new electronic communications that were not included before, such as using the internet, DSL, VOIP, PCS and other electronic services"

I don't normally consider myself a "right wing" voter, but I agree with some centrist thinking such as the statement above.
If you don't like to read: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxWoKbGpriE

Idiocracy - the movie

Have you ever noticed that the higher a person's education, the longer they wait to have children? And have you noticed that more educated people tend to have smaller families than their less educated neighbors?
Well, have you ever wondered how this would affect the evolution of humanity?
If the answer to this last question was "huh?", you might already have too many children. If your answer was "Yes, I have thought about that", then you may want to check out this delightful little comedy which has been compared to futurama by at least one youtube critic.
Seriously, this is a cute, witty, smart comedy that is well worth the price of a rental.
See the IMDB Movie Entry for more information.


Save the world, educate your kids.