US Botanical Garden, National Museum of American Indians and The Spy Museum, Washington DC

May 22, 2011 jd

By Judy J. Pinegar

May 19, 2011 taking the Metro now, as it seems to have better hours than the commuter train; we arrive in DC on Thursday 5/19/2011, and walk to the United States Botanical Garden (near the Capitol). This garden was first established in 1820, by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison!! It moved to its present location in 1850. After a stroll in the outside garden with mostly native plants we enter the big glass walled garden. Here there are different sections devoted to almost any environment imaginable, from the desert to the jungle and everything in between. One area explores the use of plants as medicines, proving that the original medicine men and women really knew what they were talking about. There are some truly amazing orchid plants and dozens of other amazing flowers.

Then, basically across the street we find the National Museum of American Indian, the 18^th Smithsonian museum, opened in 2004, with a beautiful exterior design, reminding me of rock formations in the southwest of America, and even inside, everything is rounded, I don’t think there was a straight wall in the whole place.

Photo courtesy of Wikepidia — Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

And what really surprised me, was, this museum covered Indians from Antarctica to the Arctic, the whole of the “Americas”, South, Central and North, even Hawaii… and I had no idea that there were so many different tribes, customs and foods. Speaking of food, we went to the renowned native inspired Mitsitam cafeteria for lunch, trying foods from South America, Central America, and the Northeast. All were quite good, so we ventured on, learning of each tribe, their customs, beliefs, and lifestyles. The overwhelming sense was how badly most of the indigenous population of the Americas have been treated by the “conquering” Europeans, really, continuing to the present day. A very sad side of our growth as a nation.

In the afternoon, we went to the National Air and Space Museum, just up the street, but knowing that we would have to come back the next day to “finish.” We spent most of our time in an IMAX presentation about the Hubble Telescope, how it has been repaired multiple times in space, and what it has taught us about our universe, and millions of other universes. It is a truly amazing film, including the sensation of actually being in space with the astronauts, if you ever have the chance, please go see this IMAX film, the stars will virtually come to dance on your face.

May 20, 2011, returning to the National Air and Space Museum on Friday, we viewed many other historical aircraft and stories, from the Wright Brothers, delivery of the US Mail, WW I, WW II and the current day. The museum is quite complete, having full size airplanes, unmanned drones, and a replica of the first space craft on the moon. There were TONS of excited children there, and many interactive sites, one of the most child friendly museums we have seen. And the “cafeteria” was only McDonald’s!

photo courtesy of the National Archives — Photo courtesy of the National Archives

Moving on, we went to the National Archives for a peek at the founding documents of our nation, and a tour of the importance of the archives in recording the truth, researching the past, and even righting some of the wrongs that we have made as a nation. The National Archives and Records Administration is our national record keeper, created in 1034. Anyone is allowed to access the records, researching family trees, citizenship records, and any other research you are interested in. Through its records proof was found of the money the Nazis stole from Jewish families, resulting in a return of that money to relatives of the victims.

From there we went to the private International Spy Museum, with some chilling looks at the past, present and future of the damage that is possible to be caused by spies. There were truly some interesting stories of people in the past who were spies, including famous actors and actresses, I would have never thought it was possible.

There was a chilling glimpse of spy tactics and terrorism in the future that might be ahead for us, using the internet. It was a very scary ending. Thinking back over our trip, one day we were at cafeteria where the computers had gone down, and we witnessed the mass confusion that that caused, people with no cash, huge lines etc. …Just think what would happen if we had no electricity for an extended period of time, and it was a deliberate action, with no rapid repairs on the way??? Or any number of mass scale interventions in our country.

Judy J. Pinegar is a writer
She has written for numerous web sites and magazines

Travel

National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC

May 21, 2011 jd

By Judy J. Pinegar

May 18, 2011, Pat, John’s daughter’s husband’s mother, had arranged a Bus trip to the National Museum of Natural History, and it was perfect timing. Both John and I were very tired, with sore feet from the day before! Arriving we saw a performance of Tahitian and Hawaiian dance (although only a few of the dancers were actually Tahitians!).

We then spent the rest of the day in this wonderful museum. One of my favorite areas was following the beginning of life, from the “big bang” to present day, tracking both the plants and animals who lived in the seas, and those who adapted to live on land. Seeing that huge timeline, where mammals have only come to occupy the earth in the last few centuries, it really gives you a sense of how tiny we are in the whole scope of things, and what the future might hold. So many things have become extinct, we might even be next!

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Costa Rica Shoreline

We also saw an IMAX presentation on the Dinosaurs and actual relic research and reconstruction in Argentina today. The big screen and the 3-D really make an impressive viewing, Once, I had a dinosaur step on my face, and I definitely ducked when a prehistoric bird flew right at me!

The section on Mammals was very interesting, we certainly have some strange cousins, all with the three things that mammals all must have (1. Hair, 2. Milk for the young, and 3. An inner ear). We even saw a display of the first mammal, a little mouse like creature who lived in the time of the dinosaur, but actually survived that time to mutate and change over centuries to become the mammals of today.

Another area I loved was the Butterfly Viewing Rooms, although a little humid and warm to keep the butterflies in good condition, it was filled with beautiful plants and thousands of butterflies. Many types I have never seen, who actually come and land on your arm, or clothing, or the floor beneath your feet. You had to really watch where you were stepping in that area, and when you left they checked all your clothing for castaways!

This is one museum that really takes more than one visit to view, at least for us, but the bus soon left returning us to an early relaxing evening and sleep.

Judy J. Pinegar is a writer
She has written for many different websites and magazines

Travel

Newseum Museum, Capitol Tour and The Ford Theatre, Washington DC

May 19, 2011 jd 1 Comment

On Monday May 16, 2011, our day started with a Capitol Tour set up by our Congressman’s Office. We discovered this was a MUCH nicer way to go that the regular public tours. First we were in a group of about 10, instead of the 20-25 in the public tours, and secondly we were able to go three places the regular tour doesn’t go to: the “Old Supreme Court”, The “Old Senate Chamber”, and the overview seats in the House of Representatives Chamber. Unfortunately the Congress was not in session, so we didn’t get to see what is normally chaotic sessions, with yelling and such other good things that our congress men and women do.

From there we went to the Newseum, a fantastic (relatively new) museum. It is not part of the Smithsonian, but it was well worth the money, I would recommend it highly to anyone going to DC. We had only an hour or so, but the tickets were good for two days, so we knew we could be back. (and in fact we spent another three hours after our visit to the Ford Theater (below) and again Tuesday morning for another 4 hours. All historical events related to reporting of the news up to current day were recorded. We saw everything from a piece of the Berlin wall, to a replica of the Unabomer’s cabin, to the damaged radio tower from the top of the World Trade Center in 9/11, and everything in between.

At 2 PM we arrived at the Ford Theater for a viewing of the museum, followed by a ranger talk in the Ford Theater, complete with the Presidential Box where President Lincoln was shot. We learned there were two other assignations planned for that day (they were not successful) and John Wilkes Booth had about 8 co-conspirators who were all caught and all but one was executed. Even the boy who coincidentally (not knowing of the plot) held Booth’s horse in the alley was sentenced to 8 years hard labor!

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln - Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

On Tuesday 5/17/11, we returned to the Newseum, this time also getting to see a 4-D (the seats moved!) …….. Following this we walked to the “Castle”, the Smithsonian Museum central office and information center, on the National Mall. The landscaping was unbelievable.

As we walked off to the next museum, we discovered John had left his (brand new) I-pad with 3g somewhere in the information center. We rushed back, searched various locations and were about to decide it was stolen, when someone found it and returned it to a security guard!! John gave that nice lady a big hug! He had put it down while taking a picture of this orchid display.

Then we were off to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, also set up by our Congressman’s office, for a small private tour of this facility, where money is MADE. This was very interesting, and we toured the four areas where the paper is first printed, checked, stamped with the seals, re-checked and serialized. We were told it wasn’t actually “money” until it had been received by the Federal Reserve, and the serial numbers entered into the computer. But we saw a stack of printed bills, about chest high, which represented $64,000,000!! And in the shop you could buy shredded dollars (bad printing jobs) for about $5.00 for a small bottle.

Travel

Lincoln Memorial, War Memorials and Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC, Day 4

May 18, 2011 jd

By Judy J. Pinegar

Sunday May 15, 2011 was supposed to be the day the rain really came in to DC. But the morning was bright and sunny, so Pat drove us up to Washington for an overview. We found a parking place near the monuments, and proceeded to view: The World War II Memorial, The Reflecting Pond (not reflecting anything right now, it is under reconstruction, so all we saw was the pile-driver and hundreds of piles being driven into the ground to support the concrete for the reconstructed reflecting pool), the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memorial.

Following this, we drove to Arlington Cemetery, and took the bus tour to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (actually three unknown solders, from World War I, World War II and the Korean War) The day we were there they actually had two ceremonies to change the wreath, as well as the normal changing of the guard.

cataratas-nauyaca

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Upper Cataratas Nauyaca

We then moved on to Arlington House, which was built by George Washington’s grandson, partly as a memorial to the first president. But his only surviving daughter, Mary Anna Randolph Custis, married General Robert E. Lee, of Confederate fame. After he left to fight for the confederacy, Mary Lee was forced to leave when the Union army took over her house. Almost immediately they began burying Union soldiers in the gardens around Arlington House. The Federal Troops did this on purpose so that General Lee would never again occupy the Arlington House. That was the start of the present day Arlington Cemetery. We were told that every day except Sunday 18 to 25 people are buried there.

Robert E. Lee and his wife never legally challenged for the return of the home, as Lee felt it would be too divisive. In 1870, after his father’s death, George Washington Custis Lee, their eldest son, filed a lawsuit in the Alexandria Circuit Court. The case was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision in United States v. Lee, 106 U. S. 196 (1882). The court found that the estate had been ‘illegally confiscated’ in 1864 and ordered it returned, along with 1,100 acres (4 km²) of surrounding property. In 1883, Custis Lee sold the mansion and property to the U.S. government for $150,000 (roughly equal to $3.5 million in 2011 dollars) at a signing ceremony with Secretary of War, Robert Todd Lincoln.

Arlington House photo courtesy Wikipedia

Judy J. Pinegar is a writer
She has written for numerous blog sites and magazines

Travel

Trip to Washington DC – Day 2 and 3 – Overview of DC and visit to Mount Vernon

May 15, 2011 jd

May 13 – 14, 2011

By Judy J. Pinegar

John O'Dell sitting with Abraham Lincoln in his booth prior to his assassination. (At the Wax Museum in Washington DC)

Awaking in time to catch the 8:20 am Train to Washington DC, we soon arrived at Union Station. Beautifully restored, with fantastic food venues I had to drool over even though my tummy was full from breakfast. On the way outside, we found a Double Decker Bus Tour, promising overview tours of the city, and decided that this was the best way to start… with an overview. After the “red line” tour through central DC and the monuments, we got off at Ford’s Theater, where President Lincoln was assassinated. We discovered reservations were needed (now set for next Monday afternoon) and that the house across the street where he died was closed for renovations!

Humm… so we visited a wax museum while waiting for the “yellow line” tour.

Judy Pinegar being questioned by J. Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI. (In the Wax Museum in Washingto D.C.) — Judy Pinegar being questioned by J. Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI. (In the Wax Museum in Washington D.C.)

The yellow line is more of a residential and hotel tour to the north and west of central DC. After a stop for lunch (Thai) we finished the circuit in time to get off in “foggy bottom” (home of George Washington University) for a walk to the JFK Performing Arts Theater where we had been promised a tour. Very nice, through the three major theaters, and many minor theaters with lovely sights along the way, gifts from other countries, presidential suites, etc.

That ended our first day in Washington DC (after Turkish Food)

Saturday, after a late sleep, Pat drove us to Mount Vernon, truly a wonderfully restored and very educational site to visit. We discovered much more about George Washington than two Californians had ever known. What a man! After winning the war against the British, he could have gone on to military rule of the country, a king, or a dictator as so many generals became after winning major wars. Think of Caesar in Rome as an example.

His enormous stature and political skills kept Congress, the army, the French, the militias, and the states all pointed toward a common goal. By voluntarily stepping down and disbanding his army when the war was won, he permanently established the principle of civilian supremacy in military affairs. And yet his constant reiteration of the point that well-disciplined professional soldiers counted for twice as much as erratic amateurs helped overcome the ideological distrust of a standing army. Yet, he wanted the people to be in control of this great nation and not to be ruled by a king or the military.

We discovered he was not one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence it because he was with his army at the time. And that he really thought of himself as more of a farmer than a soldier or statesman. He made wonderful inventions to assist in his farming process, and had over 8,000 acres of farms in Virginia alone (plus he owned land elsewhere in the country.) P.S. his teeth were NEVER made out of wood!

entrance-doka-plantation

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Entrance to the Doka Plantation

Travel

Trip to Virginia and Washington D.C. – Day 1 – Quantico, VA

May 14, 2011 jd 1 Comment

May 12, 2011

By Judy J. Pinegar

Arriving at Dulles International late Wednesday, John and I were picked up by John’s daughter’s husband’s mother, Pat who drove us to Dale City, Virginia, her house, to be our base for the trip.

Sleeping to an embarrassing 11:00 AM local time, and after breakfast, we were dropped by Pat at a train station thinking to go late to Washington DC. NO Deal… it was a commuter train station. After reading all signs in the building and outside (the office [and bathroom] was closed from Noon to 3:00 PM), we decided our only option was a local bus to Quantico VA, about 15 miles south of our location. A helpful bus driver (and all of the passengers) encouraged us to stop first at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, off the Jefferson Davis Highway at the “Triangle.” A brief walk and we see the beautiful first view of the Museum.

After a quick visit to the Mess Hall, we spent a couple of hours in the museum.

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Rafael Angel Calderón Museum

Knowing we had to catch the local bus to go to the town of Quantico, we walked back to the bus stop, and with impeccable timing, the bus was there within 5 minutes (pure luck on our part). I was hoping to see the FBI training center and other sites I had read about (crime novels), but I was disappointed as the bus went through trees and more trees, with some turnoffs we didn’t get to take, until we got to the tiny town of Quantico. One of the residents told us it was “the only town in America totally within a Marine Base”… and indeed that was what we found. No museums, lots of housing, lots of barbershops, lots of military clothing stores, a few restaurants, and not as many bars as I had expected. Really very quiet.

But we toured the town, found a place to eat and were back at the bus stop by 8:00 PM for the ride back to the Woodbridge Train/Bus Station.

At least we were successful in doing something with our first half-day in Virginia! On to DC tomorrow… this time with an early wake-up call.

By Judy J. Pinegar
Judy is a writer who has written for numerous websites and magazines
She may be reached by email jpinegar@calwisp.com
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nevada county fair

Nevada County Fairgrounds and Its Future, Community Meeting

May 11, 2011 jd

Public is invited to attend meeting to learn more about the impact of the state’s budget cuts to the Nevada County Fairgrounds

As the state of California eliminates all funding for California’s Fairs, the Nevada County Fairgrounds is actively preparing for the impact of these cuts. To learn more about the state’s budget cuts and discuss the future of the Nevada County Fairgrounds, the Fairgrounds is hosting a community meeting on Tuesday, May 17, from 6 – 8 pm at Ponderosa Hall (formerly the Senior Center) at the Fairgrounds.

The public is invited to the meeting to find out how the state budget cuts to all Fairs impacts its community Fairgrounds, what the Fairgrounds is doing now to prepare for the future, and the importance of community involvement and support of the Fairgrounds. Following an overview of the current situation, the meeting will be open for questions and suggestions from the community.

For more information about the Nevada County Fairgrounds, visit their website at www.NevadaCountyFair.com or call (530) 273-6217.

Contact:
Sandy Woods, Chief Executive Officer
(530) 273-6217
sandy@nevadacountyfair.com

For all your real estate needs call or email:

John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker
O’Dell Realty
(530) 263-1091
jodell@nevadacounty.com

DRE# 00669941

Business

Swiss Bank UBS AG Pays $90.8 Million Settlement for Fraudulant Conduct

May 10, 2011 jd

The banks keep on trying to get our money one way or another. It’s great when the government goes after these guys. After all, don’t forget that the mess we are in with our economy is due strictly to our illustrious banks and Wall Street.

A press release from the California Attorney General’s Office announced on May 4, 2011 the following:

“Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced a $90.8 million national settlement, which includes some $6.3 million for California agencies, with the multinational Swiss bank UBS AG over allegations of anticompetitive and fraudulent conduct in the municipal bond derivatives industry.

“This financial fraud harmed school districts, cities, state agencies, and non-profit groups,” Attorney General Harris said. “The multi-million dollar settlement provides restitution to those victimized and sends a strong warning to anyone contemplating similar scams.”

California participated with federal agencies and 24 other states in the negotiations that led to today’s settlement. In addition to the approximately $6.3 million in restitution, California will be entitled to a share of the $2.5 million civil penalty and $5 million in investigation costs that UBS has agreed to pay.

Under the settlement, UBS agreed to pay back a total of $90.8 million to local and state agencies nationwide, as well as to non-profit groups, that had municipal bond derivative contracts with UBS, or used UBS as a broker, between 2001 and 2004. That restitution is part of a $160 million settlement package that includes federal agencies.

Municipal bond derivatives are contracts that tax-exempt issuers use to reinvest the proceeds of bond offerings until the funds are needed, or to hedge interest rate risk.”

So what do you think?

For all your real estate needs call or email:

John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker
O’Dell Realty
(530) 263-1091
jodell@nevadacounty.com

Real Estate

Funny Real Esatate Pictures May 2011

May 9, 2011 jd

For all your real estate needs, call or email:

John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker
O’Dell Realty
(530) 264-1091
jodell@nevadacounty.com

DRE# 00669941

Real Estate

Donald Trump’s “University” Is Not a “University”!

May 8, 2011 jd

Real estate mogul Donald Trump created Trump University promising students they’d learn the “insider” secrets of real estate and become his “next apprentice.” But a few former students are saying Trump’s courses fell short and were filled with “infomercials” disguised as educational classes that took advantage of people in “troubled economic times,” according to a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in San Diego that alleges consumer fraud.

Along with touting his wealth and business acumen, real estate mogul Donald Trump has long portrayed himself as an educator, who is ready and willing to impart the knowledge that can turn any motivated person into a multimillionaire.

On top of the millions who watch his prime-time smash hit, “Celebrity Apprentice,” thousands have enrolled in seminars with Trump University in order to better learn his money-making real estate sales methods. The educational program, launched in 2005, promises mentorships that are “the next best thing” to being Trump’s apprentice.

“I’m deeply and actively involved in Trump University because I firmly believe in the power of education and its function as an engine of success,” he wrote in “Trump 101: The Way to Success.” “I want to help people, and, simply put, the Trump University students want to be successful. I’m on their side.”

Yet Trump’s credentials as an educator may be undercut by the recent history of his so-called university. The for-profit institution is the target of a class-action lawsuit in federal court and the attorneys general of six states are investigating numerous complaints about it.

Tarla Makaeff’s class action suit comes with “Trump University” already under fire from the state Education Department, which is demanding the program immediately stop calling itself a university in violation of state education law.

In a strongly worded letter obtained by the Daily News, the state Education Department slammed the tycoon for calling the cyber-school a university and demanded he stop using the term.

“Use of the word ‘university’ by your corporation is misleading and violates New York Education Law and the Rules of the Board of Regents,” wrote Deputy Commissioner for Higher Education Joseph Frey. Trump now calls his “university” , ready? “Trump Entrepreneur Initiative” whatever that means.

Adding to Trump’s woes, the for-profit firm that promises to teach wanna-be billionaires the secrets of deal-making was hit with a D-minus rating by the Better Business Bureau in January.

Partial source: Huffington Post

For all your real estate needs, call or email

John J. O’Dell
Real Estate Broker
O’Dell Realty
(530) 263-1091
jodell@nevadacounty.com