OBITUARY

project will have taken almost 50 years.

Over the past few weeks, California received trillions of gallons of rainfall, our snowpack in much of the Sierra Nevada range is 200% above normal, and in the spring our rivers and reservoirs will be full. But during the recent storms, it’s estimated that 95% of rainfall collected in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta flowed into the sea. Because of California’s inadequate storage capacity, the vast majority of snowmelt and future rainfall will also wind up in the ocean.

The voters spoke in 2014 when they allocated billions for water projects. By now, many new projects should be underway, but that hasn’t happened. The Sites Reservoir example must not be repeated. We need to start building more water storage facilities now, not in 2073.

Assemblymember Marie Waldron, R- Valley Center, represents the 75th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the cities of Poway, Santee, portions of the City of San Diego, and most of rural eastern and northern San Diego County.

5th District Supervisor Jim Desmond

Housing Priorities

Senior Housing

The Alvarado Senior Village is a proposed senior housing project in Fallbrook. This week, the County awarded $6.1 million to partner with constructing this 54-unit facility. This is vital as this project will house very low-income seniors in need.

Also, late last year, we voted unanimously to establish a rental subsidy pilot program for seniors who are at risk of becoming homeless.

The Pilot Shallow Rental Subsidy Program will provide a monthly rental subsidy of $500, paid directly to the landlord of a lowincome senior San Diegan.

To qualify, an applicant must be at least 55 years old and the head of household. The applicant’s household income may not exceed 50% of the area median income, and the household must be severely rent-burdened, which is defined as paying more than 50% of household income towards housing.

The application window will open soon and rental subsidies will be paid starting in March of 2023. If the pilot program is successful, the County will pursue additional funding opportunities to support the sustainability and expansion of the program.

A Word from San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones

Outside Fun & Adventure in San Marcos nic hike will take place along Lake Hodges north shoreline to Felicita Creek.

Derek Tatum

10/2/1929 to 12/2/2022

Derek Tatum was born in London, England and came to Point Loma in 1958.

He worked for Hostess for 26 years and Price Club/Costco for 30 years.

He is survived by his wife Anne of 63 years. Also by 4 children Mark, Chris, Scott and Erin. Grand children Cliff, Brooke, Luke and Annie.

He loved all his dogs especially Dolly!

“Hate to see you leave.”

Our San Marcos city environment and beyond are too beautiful not to explore! The City provides a handful of opportunities for the community to embrace their adventurous spirit. Come join us for our monthly City hike this Saturday, Feb. 4 at 9 a.m. The 6.85-mile sce-

Additionally, the community can also join in on a friendly game of pickleball at Innovation Park. Our Public Works team just completed their annual pickleball court maintenance. This creates a safe environment for all players. I encourage you to play a game of pickleball and enjoy the rest of what Innovation Park has to offer.

For those looking to get hands-on educational experience of the San Marcos environment, come visit Jack’s Pond Nature Center. You’ll see San Marcos in a new light and gain a better appreciation for the nature around the City.

For more information on outdoor activities in San Marcos, visit www.san-marcos.net.

Workforce Housing

Back in 2021, I was on hand for the groundbreaking of Villa Serena- National Core’s workforce housing project in San Marcos. The 85 affordable housing units included 8 units for young adults along with those aging out of the foster care system within the affordable housing development. If you’re interested in pre-registering for Phase 1, visit https://nationalcore.org/ communities/villa-serena/

Phase 2 is will begin construction soon and this week the County announced they will be allocating $6.6 million to help construct this 63-unit project.

Finally, the Breezewood Apartments is an existing housing development that will be receiving project-based housing vouchers to support the residents to remaining stability housed. The housing voucher allows the residents to pay 30% of their income for rent with the voucher covering the balance of the rent.

Problem Solved

by Christopher Elliott

Help! BG&E Won’t Refund My Monthly Service Fee

BG&E agrees to waive Larry Bauman’s monthly service fee but then charges him anyway. Is there a way to get his money back?

Q: I have a problem with Baltimore Gas & Electric (BG&E). I bought an air conditioner service plan through BGE Home, an independent service arm of BG&E. BGE Home has an agreement with BG&E to charge me the $42.90 monthly service fee for two air conditioning units and two furnaces through my monthly utility bill.

In June 2022, I bought a new air conditioning unit from BGE Home. Since the new unit has a two-year warranty, BGE Home agreed to waive my monthly air conditioning service fee for the second unit (valued at $5 per month) for the next two years. That never happened despite numerous calls and email commu-

Problem Solved continued on page 8

Travel Troubleshooter

by Christopher Elliott

Help! Trainline charged a $43 change fee after my train was canceled

When Neale Gonsalves’ train trip from Stockport, England, to London is canceled, he rebooks on another train. But Trainline, his ticket agency, charges him a $43 ticket change fee. Is that allowed?

Q: I booked a ticket on Trainline several weeks ago for a journey from Stockport, England, to London. When I checked the ticket on the day of departure on the Trainline app, it showed that the train scheduled for 2:24 p.m. had been canceled.

There was another train leaving at 2:19 p.m., so I rebooked my ticket for this. Trainline charged a change fee and a fare difference even though the train had been canceled and Trainline didn’t inform me about this before departure.

I expect a full refund for the fare difference and change fee for an error that was not my fault. I would have missed the train if I hadn’t checked before arriving at the station. Can you help? -- Neale Gonsalves, San Francisco

A: Trainline should have informed you about your canceled train trip. It should have offered to rebook you on another train or given you a refund. It should not have waited for you to discover the canceled train and then charged you a change fee. So why did it?

Trainline is a ticket agent. Its records showed that you were traveling from Stockport, near Manchester, to London on a highly discounted ticket.

“Advance single tickets are highly discounted and they give you the best value for your money,” a Trainline representative said. “However, these tickets are only valid for the date, time and train as specified, which makes them non-flexible and due to that, a direct refund does not go through on these tickets.”

Since you initiated a ticket change after learning of your train’s cancellation, Trainline says it can’t refund your tickets.

Trainline is clear about the terms of your ticket. Its site says you can use your existing ticket to travel on the next available service. But there’s some fine print. In the U.K., you have to use the next available train with the same train operator. Other tickets have restrictions on the time of day you can use them.

“Remember to check the conditions of your ticket in case you can only travel with a certain operator/route,” it says.

Trainline may be right about the terms of your ticket, but it should have also notified you of the cancellation and offered to rebook you. After all, its site promises it will be with you “every step of the way.” I don’t think it was.

Trainline prefers that you communicate with it through its app. It looks like you did that, but the company continued to deny your request for a refund. I think an email to an executive would have been your next step. All of Trainline’s email addresses follow the format firstname.lastname@thetrainline.com. Trainline publishes the names of its executives on the Trainline site (but not their emails).

Trainline should have notified you about your cancellation and explained what rescheduling your trip on a more expensive train would have cost. Instead, it allowed you to assume that your ticket change would be reimbursed.

I contacted Trainline on your behalf.

“We’re sorry to hear your reader was unhappy with their experience booking through Trainline,” a spokesman told me. “When a customer’s train is canceled, we notify them and explain which services their ticket is valid on without extra charge. However we understand these refund rules can be complex, and as a goodwill gesture, we have refunded your reader the extra amount they paid for their second ticket, along with the admin fee.”

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@ elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

© 2023 Christopher Elliott.

Historically Speaking

by Tom Morrow

The Detective Responsible for the U.S. Secret Service

Just the mention of the name ‘Pinkerton” struck terror in the hearts of lawbreakers during the last half on the 1800s. Allan J. Pinkerton formed the first national detective and spy organization. He came to fame during the dawn of the Civil War when he foiled a plot to assassinate President-elect Abraham Lincoln.

A Scottish-born American (Aug. 25, 1819, Pinkerton was a “cooper” by trade, (a cooper makes wooden casks, barrels, timber staves that were usually heated or steamed to make them pliable), but he was best known for being an avid abolitionist and later forming the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. The agency’s logo was that of an eye with the slogan “We Never Sleep,” hence the term “Private Eye” was hatched.

During the Civil War, Pinkerton provided some intelligence to the Union Army, specifically General George B. McClellan, garnering Confederate battle and troop information, but at times not all of it was valid.

After the war, his agents played a significant role as strikebreakers, in particular during the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, a role that Pinkerton men would continue to play after his death.

Pinkerton left school at the age of 10 after his father’s death. He was a voracious reader and was largely self-educated.

Pinkerton emigrated to the United States in 1842. In 1843, he heard of Dundee Township, Illinois, 50 miles northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. He built a cabin and started a cooperage. As early as 1844, Pinkerton worked for the Chicago abolitionist leaders, and his Dundee home was a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Pinkerton first became interested in criminal detective work while wandering through the wooded groves looking for trees to make barrel staves. He came across a band of counterfeiters, who may have been affiliated with the notorious “Banditti of the Prairie.” After observing their movements Pinkerton informed the local sheriff, who arrested them. This led to Pinkerton being appointed in 1849, as the first police detective in Chicago. In 1850, he partnered with Chicago attorney Edward Rucker in forming the “NorthWestern Police Agency,” which later became “Pinkerton & Co,” and finally “Pinkerton National Detective Agency,” which is still in existence today as “Pinkerton Consulting and Investigations,” a subsidiary of Securitas AB.

Because of a number of similar achievements, in 1846 Pinkerton was appointed Kane County depu- ty sheriff and soon afterward deputy sheriff of Cook county, with headquarters in Chicago.

As pre-Civil War America expanded in territory, rail transport increased and during the 1850s Pinkerton’s agency solved a series of train robberies, including postwar gangs. “The Hole in the Wall Gang” of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were among those he foiled. Before the war George B. McClellan, then chief engineer and vice president for the Illinois Central Railroad, plus Abraham Lincoln, who was a country lawyer were occasionally represented by Pinkerton’s agency.

In 1850 Pinkerton resigned from Chicago’s new police force in order to organize a private detective agency that specialized in railway theft cases. The Pinkerton National Detective Agency became one of the most famous organizations of its kind. In February of 1861 was one of his most famous successes included the thwarting of an assassination plot against Presidentelect Abraham Lincoln in Baltimore. Also in 1861, working for the Union during the Civil War, Pinkerton, under the name E.J. Al-

Pinkerton continued on page 14

Problem Solved from page 6 nications with both BG&E and BGE Home.

The BGE Home representatives

I’ve reached (after hour-long waits on hold) promised to remove the fee and refund my money. That is not happening, and I need help. Could you get the $25 in service fees incorrectly charged since June refunded and have BGE Home correct my future billing for the next two years?

-- Larry Bauman, Pikesville, Md.

A: BG&E should have stopped charging you the monthly service fees when you bought the new air conditioning unit. Instead, it just kept billing you -- and nothing you said or did would change that.

The BGE Home plan (now managed by Constellation Home) is a home warranty. For a monthly fee, BGE/Constellation promises to send a local, licensed technician, plumber or electrician to your home to make a required repair.

“Plus, there’s no limit on the number of repairs you receive each year,” the company says. “When

Notice of Public Hearing

The Escondido City Council will hold a public hearing, in the City Council Chambers, Escondido City Hall, 201 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, to consider the item below:

SPECIFIC PLAN AMENDMENT, DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, TENTATIVE SUBDIVISION MAP AND GRADING EXEMPTION – PL22-0145, PL22-0146, PL220147 and PL23-0032: you need us, we’ll be there.” Yeah, it’ll be there alright -- there to bill you.

REQUEST: The project includes an Amendment to the Northeast Gateway Specific Plan (SPA #5) to modify the alignment of an internal street, setback requirements along that street, and architectural criteria; a Development Agreement for the transfer and purchase of development rights for 20 units from the City of Escondido into the project; and a Tentative Subdivison Map for 64 single-family residential lots along with a Grading Exemption for cut slopes in excess of 20 feet in height located towards the northeastern area of the site. The proposal also includes adoption of the environmental determination for the Project.

PROPERTY SIZE AND LOCATION: The 36.42-acre project site is located east of East Valley Parkway, south of Lake Wohlford Road, and north of Beven Drive. The project site Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APNs) are 240-011-01-00, -240-011-12-00, 240-011-13-00, 240-020-23-00, 240-020-32-00, 240-020-33-00, 240-020-34-00, and a portion of 240020-21-00.

ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS: A Final Environmental Impact Report (“FEIR”) was certified in 2004 for the Northeast Gateway Specific Plan and Eureka Ranch Project (City File No. ER2001-25 and State Clearinghouse No. 200203115). An Addendum to the FEIR has been prepared in accordance with California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) section 15164. The Addendum is available for review at https://www.escondido.org/active-projects.aspx.

If you challenge this item in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or prior to, the public hearing.

PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: On January 24, 2023, the Planning Commission voted 4 – 0 to recommend approval of the project.

PUBLIC COMMENT: To submit comments in writing, please do so at the following link: https://escondido-ca.municodemeetings.com/bc-citycouncil/webform/public-comment. All comments received from the public will be made a part of the record of the meeting.

The City of Escondido recognizes its obligation to provide equal access to public services for individuals with disabilities. Please contact the American Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) coordinator (760) 839-4643 with any requests for reasonable accommodations at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. The City of Escondido does not discriminate against any person with a handicapped status. All interested persons are invited to attend the meeting.

The staff report will be available at the Escondido Planning Division, 201 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025; and on the City’s website at https://escondido-ca.municodemeetings.com/ after Thursday, February 9, 2023.

For additional information, please contact Jay Paul, Senior Planner, at (760) 839-4537, or via email at jpaul@escondido.org, and refer to Case No. PL22-0145.

It looks like you purchased a new air conditioner through BGE Home that already came with a warranty. So there was no point in paying for a second warranty. As the billing arm of BGE/Constellation Home, BG&E should have a system in place to account for these warranty overlaps. But, of course, building that system is expensive, and the company would only lose money by giving up these monthly maintenance fees, whether they are correct or not.

The one thing missing from this was a written agreement to waive the $5 monthly fee. If you had that, you might be able to wave that in BG&E’s face instead of having to extract a confession in each service call.

You decided to get off the phone and start writing. You contacted the Maryland Consumer Affairs Division, both companies, the BBB -- and me. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of BG&E’s executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

Sometimes, a scorched-earth approach works best. Some businesses won’t respond until they hear from everyone. And everyone is who BG&E and BGE/Constellation Home heard from after continuing to charge you an extra $5 a month. I admire your persistence.

I contacted BG&E on your behalf. You continued to apply pressure on the company to refund your money. After five months, a BGE/Constellation representative finally called you and agreed to fix the incorrect billing. BGE/ Constellation also extended your warranty by two additional months as an apology.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

© 2023 Christopher Elliott.

Notice of Public Hearing

The Escondido City Council will hold a public hearing, in the City Council Chambers, Escondido City Hall, 201 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, to consider the item below:

ZONING CODE AMENDMENT – PL23-0005:

REQUEST: A series of amendments to the Escondido Zoning Code to make permanent a series of temporary business relief measures adopted previously as an uncodified ordinance by the Escondido City Council through Ordinance No. 2020-23. The proposal involves minor amendments to Articles 26 (Industrial Zones), 39 (Off-Street Parking), 57 (Miscellaneous Use Restrictions), and 66 (Sign Ordinance).

PROPERTY SIZE AND LOCATION: Citywide

ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS: The proposed code amendments are categorically or statutorily exempt from further environmental review pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.17 and CEQA Guidelines sections 15282(h), 15301, 15303, or do not qualify as a “project” under CEQA.

If you challenge this item in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or prior to, the public hearing.

PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: On January 24, 2023, the Planning Commission voted 3 – 1 to recommend approval of the project.

PUBLIC COMMENT: To submit comments in writing, please do so at the following link: https://escondido-ca.municodemeetings.com/bc-citycouncil/webform/public-comment. All comments received from the public will be made a part of the record of the meeting.

The City of Escondido recognizes its obligation to provide equal access to public services for individuals with disabilities. Please contact the American Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) coordinator (760) 839-4643 with any requests for reasonable accommodations at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. The City of Escondido does not discriminate against any person with a handicapped status. All interested persons are invited to attend the meeting.

The staff report will be available at the Escondido Planning Division, 201 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025; and on the City’s website at https://escondido-ca.municodemeetings.com/ after Thursday, February 9, 2023.

For additional information, please contact Andrew Firestine, Director of Development Services, at (760) 839-4556, or via email at afirestine@escondido.org, and refer to Case No. PL23-0005.

Message from page 5

Other newscasts, such as CBS TV-8, had already spotlighted North San Diego County’s bright new star, Jessica Ong, in their report on 30 July 2020.

In that segment, CBS TV-8 new reporter and writer, Jeff Zevely, travelled to Rancho Penasquitos to personally meet-up with this worldwide sensation, Jessica Ong.

As Jeff Zevely reports: “I went to Rancho Penasquitos to see how a teenager and Instagram are connecting people all over the world. Jessica Ong is a 14-year-old sophomore at Westview High School. The pandemic got her thinking. Says Jessica Ong, ‘It’s given us a glimpse into the lives of seniors who maybe don’t have family or patients who are always isolated or healthcare workers who are working day in and day out.’

The news reporter is deeply touched as he continued his report: “She started writing letters, many to strangers, and created a program on Instagram called Cards4Kindness. We asked her to read a card to us.”

On the newscast, before a wideviewing audience, Jessica proceeded to read what she wrote in her card that she had sent to frontline workers:

“Thank you so much for everything you are doing right now. I want to let you know that the community recognizes all of the good work you have done so far.”

It was an emotional moment, and viewers everywhere responded in kind.

Suddenly, on the news report, it seemed that young Jessica Ong became a mirror in front of us, for all of us to reflect on ourselves and answer to our own conscience: never relinquish your soul to an evil world without a fight.

Though young in age, Jessica seemed an olde spirit.

A throwback to a better, more innocent time.

She still believed in miracles.

In other newscasts, her voice in reading her cards resonated with news anchors who visibly becme emotional ‘live’ on the air.

Shuffling papers idly in front of themselves, they often seemed too emotional to talk after she reads her cards, and they try to ‘gather’ themselves, emotionally, before looking up and continuing the broadcast.

In one card she wrote, she voiced with young innocence: “Thank you to the healthcare workers for everything you’ve done, we recognize how hard you worked and we wish that we could be there with you, but we want you to know that we support you and we’re here for you and that even though you can’t see us, we want you to know we’re behind you.”

Simple words from the heart that touch the inner spirit: “We wish that we could be there with you.” And also, “Even though you can’t see us, we want you to know we’re behind you.”

Tender replies from first responders and hospital personnel and emergency crews that her cards have been clutched close to the breast, proudly displayed, and photos of recipients responding in kindness, complete with their tearful, smiling faces . . . is all the reward Jessica seeks.

She had, somehow, managed to tap into the inner-souls of common people everywhere . . . individuals, seniors, everyday strangers, all of whom just needed a kind word, acceptance, and love, during these darkest of times, economic toil, and socio-political unrest, and the mourning of loved ones lost to death.

SHE NOW HAS “ZOOM” CONFERENCE CALLS WORLDWIDE WITH HER CARDS4KINDNESS CHAPTERS AROUND THE WORLD!

The teenager couldn’t believe her eyes and ears the first time she connected online with her new friends. “Over 130 people joined which is insane!” she gushed with girlish excitement about one Zoom call.

Each host represents a different chapter representing her card campaign in different places and even different countries globally.

Jessica’s mother, Arsira, says: “I am very proud of her.”

Her mother says that Jessica’s dream began when she started writing letters to her grandmother in Thailand and also to her Aunt Peng, who she shares a special bond with.

There is a reason for Jessica’s special bond with her Aunt Peng.

As Jessica’s mother explains: “I think it’s because of my sister who has Downs Syndrome.”

Since a little girl, Jessica wrote and expressed love and support and closeness to her aunt Peng.

It was that early empathy and compassion for her aunt, which struck deep within Jessica’s young adolescent heart.

It was only natural that Jessica also wanted to send letters to others, complete strangers, who may be struggling in different ways . . . and Jessica, as with her aunt, wants to be there for them, also.

Jessica still misses her precious Aunt Peng in faraway Thailand.

“I don’t really see her a lot and it is kind of difficult, you can’t connect or see them, but, cards make it better,” says Jessica.

Added to Jessica’s Aunt Peng with Downs Syndrome, just two years ago her beloved grandmother in Thailand was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Once again, Jessica sprang into action.

Incredibly, she created the San Diego Seniors Book Club, where more than 100 seniors – some fighting dementia – are benefiting -- all inspired by Jessica’s Grand-

Jax is pet of the week at your Rancho Coastal Humane Society. He’s a 3-1/2-year-old, 12-pound, male, Domestic Short Hair Cat with a Blue and White coat.

Jax was surrendered to Rancho Coastal Humane Society three years ago. He was adopted right away. Now his family says they can’t afford to keep him, so they brought Jax back to find a new home.

The $100 adoption fee for Jax includes medical exam, neuter, up to date vaccinations, and registered microchip.

For more information or to sponsor a pet visit Rancho Coastal Humane Society at 389 Requeza Street in Encinitas, call 760-753-6413, or log on to www.SDpets.org.

Looking for a new best friend? You can’t go wrong with beautiful, brindled Brinny! This sixmonth-old Labrador mix and is ready to bring a lot of love and joy to her new family. Brinny can be a little shy when she first meets new people but warms up quickly. (And we hope you’ll give her the chance to see her wonderful personality!) A young gal like Brinny can also benefit from a home that will provide her with enrichment to keep her mind and body moving.

If Brinny sounds like the perfect fit for your family, you can meet her at the Escondido Campus at 3500 Burnet Drive! If you have questions about the adoption process, you can visit sdhumane.org/ adopt.

Brinny’s online profile: https://www.sdhumane.org/adopt/availablepets/animal-single.html?petId=848516

The Computer Factory

845 W. San Marcos Blvd. 760-744-4315 thecomputerfactory.net

“The times they are a-changin.”

Part III of !V

Bob Dylan wrote and recorded it in 1964 and “a-changing times” have been the focus of this four part series.

In 1965, Intel founder Gordon Moore predicted that technology would find ways to double the number of transistors on computer chips every 2 years. “Moore’s Law” as it came to be known, influenced all aspects of computer capabilities. CPU speeds, storage capacity and memory size increased proportionately as micro-circuits shrunk and micro-components doubled. “Moore’s Law” was in full affect through the 1980s and 90s as PCs sprouted in homes and businesses across America. Software developers struggled to meet the surging demands by PC users to automate ever more applications. Computer designers worked feverishly to provide faster and more capable computers. Competition drove application developers to anticipate the ever increasing capabilities of PCs and to design new versions of applications that fully utilized the latest speed, memory and storage. Early obsolescence was a predictable result of this breakneck rate of development in PC hardware and applications. “Your PC will be obsolete by the time you get it home from the store”, was an oft heard if somewhat cynical lament. Then came broadband (high speed) Internet and everything about PCs began to change.

Slowly at first and accelerating through the opening decade of the 21st century, Internet based applications began to replace stand-alone PC applications. Cheap portable connection devices like tablets and smart phones began to compete with PCs as more and more applications became available on the WWW. For most users, computer speeds, RAM count and storage space requirements were no longer important. As long as a device was capable of handling Internet transmission speeds, additional speed was irrelevant. Nearly all PCs manufactured since 2010 had the hardware capability to optimize Internet speed. The processing power and storage capacity of Internet servers dwarfed the power and storage capabilities of PCs at far less cost. Business and home PC sales slowed as users took advantage of the Internet’s processing and storage capabilities allowing them to add years to the lifespan of their existing PC’s.

The 1955 family car’s top speed was around 120 MPH, about the same as a 2023 family car. Auto engineers could have continued to make cars faster but there was no practical need. The same is true of PCs. PC marketers like Dell and HP continue to hype the ever increasing speeds of PCs as if speed was the primary force behind technology. In reality, speed is an incidental by-product from making circuits smaller and cheaper. PC users reaped the benefits of smaller and cheaper, but increased RAM and CPU speed didn’t make Internet based applications run any faster. The increased speeds have indeed benefitted PC users by increasing the processing speeds of the Internet servers that handle the growing number of Internet users and the ever expanding library of applications.

While Internet based processing power, applications access and storage are making the iconic PC obsolete as a “computer”, PCs’ are not going away anytime soon. PCs as portable Internet terminals and workstations or key devices in home and business workstation, are multi-functional interface devices providing human Internet connectivity as well as local peripheral device capabilities (monitors, printers, copiers etc.). While the PC’s function has morphed from that of a stand-alone computer to one of an Internet terminal, it is still a critically important component in today’s connected universe. It’s just not a PC (Personal Computer) any more, now days it’s a PIT (Personal Internet Terminal). Get used to it.

Next week we conclude this series by discussing how the past twenty years of Broadband Internet has and continues to affected us, our culture and the way we view one another. It’s not good.

John Van Zante’s Critter Corner

Adopt a Wascally Wescued Wabbit Month

In Chinese culture, the Rabbit is a sign of longevity, peace, and prosperity. The Rabbit makes 2023 a year of hope. People born in the year of the Rabbit are considered to be vigilant, witty, quick-minded, and ingenious.

Maybe 2023 is the year for you to find “somebunny” to love.

protect the inside of your house, and you protect your bunny buddy from outdoor dangers.

There are dog people and cat people. Those are the most popular pets in America. After that come fish, snakes and lizards, then birds. Bunnies are number six. Elmer Fudd would call them, “Wascally Wabbits.”

This is the month for rabbit romance. February is Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month and we just started the Chinese New Year…the year of the Water Rabbit.

One recent visitor to the Rabbitat at Rancho Coastal Humane Society asked, “Aren’t rabbits messy?” Nope. The adoption counselor explained that you stick to the basics, just like any other pet.

Rabbits are social. Your bunny or bunnies want to be part of the family. Don’t put them in the back yard or garage and forget about them. They need play time with you.

Bunny proofing your house goes both ways. That means you

Many people are surprised to learn that a rabbit can learn to use a litter box. Start training right away then stick to it. Clean the box regularly.

Like Bugs Bunny, they eat carrots. Right? Well, maybe. But make sure your rabbit is getting proper nutrition that includes greens, fiber, and hay.

Spend time with your rabbit every day. You leave the house and have friends outside. You are your rabbit’s only friend. Make sure you deserve that friendship.

Rabbits can be terrific pets. But before you bounce out to buy a bunny, do your homework. Make sure it’s the right pet for you, your family, and your other pets.

Above all, remember that, just like cats or dogs, a pet rabbit is a lifetime commitment.