tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306511272024-03-17T20:03:50.938-07:00LIFE ON THE EDGEThis blog is more than just a journal of my crazy, meaningless and confused existence in Northern California as a writer, a comedian and just a lover of all things even remotely pleasurable. No, it is much, much more than that, my little friends. In this blog, I will tell you most of my thoughts, some of my concerns, and several of my issues and dreams -- and anyone who is even slightly interested will hopefully be intrigued enough to read this -- this -- thing I call LIFE ON THE EDGE.Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.comBlogger1000125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-2931751661899042862022-07-16T17:33:00.002-07:002022-07-16T17:52:05.717-07:00PETTATS IDs Can Help Lost Animals Get Home Quicker<p><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWeH945MZmPbHzZhcZ8Pz6oweaHw1GvXqkomv9dbxT_Ohq2TXHl64Zk-vaeHQFN5pAckfYNMYrdOYNCZJI7IaHTxDBDmP1PL2esq6Im5Ahh1puV7dL_CnW9qw9dVSId8gyktkTJ16cqE-I8qq74jNb9Fs2sY2HU1pJI1XmbQLvObYL_VGVmM/s1119/Pet-tats-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1119" data-original-width="828" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWeH945MZmPbHzZhcZ8Pz6oweaHw1GvXqkomv9dbxT_Ohq2TXHl64Zk-vaeHQFN5pAckfYNMYrdOYNCZJI7IaHTxDBDmP1PL2esq6Im5Ahh1puV7dL_CnW9qw9dVSId8gyktkTJ16cqE-I8qq74jNb9Fs2sY2HU1pJI1XmbQLvObYL_VGVmM/s320/Pet-tats-1.jpg" width="237" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Did you know that one
in three pets will become lost during their lives? Thanks to a dog owner in
Arizona who thinks outside the box, pets can be found much easier through a
new online ID service called Pet Tat’s Record Keeping.</b></span></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Many great ideas turn
into inventions when people look for solutions in their own lives. That’s
precisely what happened when Stephanie Seipel of Surprise, AZ, invented PETTATS
more than 13 years ago. When Seipel’s beloved dog Charlie was microchipped in
2009, it led to a rare infection followed by emergency surgery to remove the
device.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“When my own dog
couldn’t have a chip, that’s when I began thinking about making another type of
universal collarless ID (a Tattoo-able type) that would be both safe and
non-invasive,” Seipel said. “So, I created the PETTATS and I decided to try
them out on my own pets (Josie and Charlie)<span style="color: #b4c7dc;"> </span>and
our friends’ pets, too, to see if they would work. They did, and people love
them,” Seipel explained. “Finally, I took a few more years to iron out the
details and to create the Pet Tat’s unique Online Record Keeping System that
works together with the IDs, and well, as they all say—the rest is history.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Seipel’s company Pet
Tat’s Record-Keeping is currently an affordable online pet record-keeping
service specializing in the identification of lost animals whose mission is the
recovery of lost pets. When pet owners purchase a PETTATS ID, they are
automatically assigned a unique personalized identification number connected to
an online ID service. The pet’s ID, with owner information is then always
available online day or night, protecting that animal if they ever get lost.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> If a lost pet is found wearing a PETTATS ID, <span style="color: #111111;">the</span> rescuer simply goes online to pettats.com,
enters the animal's identification number, and is instantly able to view the
pet's emergency contact information, photos and other relevant data. This
efficiently helps the rescuer to identify the animal quickly and contact the
owner immediately! In most cases, the animal’s owner is reached within a few
hours of the pet's disappearance. Now, bringing your beloved pet home has never
been easier, thanks to the company Pet Tat’s!! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In addition to dogs and
cats, PETTATS IDs are currently being used by
a variety of animals such as lizards, turtles, snakes, donkeys, horses, bunnies
etc. The Pet Tat’s Record Keeping Services offers several types of ID options,
such as tattoos, tags, collars and harnesses to name a few. Seipel is <span style="color: #111111;">also</span> improving on a newer PETTATS ID Ring, that is
very useful for birds and smaller animals that cannot wear tattoo-able ID’s. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The American Humane
Association estimates over 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the
U.S. every year. Fortunately, 85 percent of them are eventually found, but Pet
Tat’s Services is trying to make that 15 percent shrink by featuring several
affordable and visible ID solutions for pet owners nationwide.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Many people are using
the PETTATS IDs in addition to having their pets microchipped, while others
strongly criticize microchipping for its failure rate and unreliable nature.
Some studies suggest that microchips actually work less than half the time.
That is why a visual pet ID seems to be a great additional choice to insure
you’ll get your pet back even quicker. Even though microchipping can be safe
and effective in most cases, many pet experts agree that microchipped pets
should use one or more backup solutions to get that much-needed peace of mind.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Although each ID method
has its own set of advantages and drawbacks. The Pet Tat’s system appeals to
many animal owners because it’s simple, and the IDs are easy to apply and read. Visibility is one of the main advantages of using the PETTATS IDs.
“The big problem with the microchips is that people can’t see them, unlike a
pet tattoo that is always visible to the naked eye,” Seipel said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">As an animal activist
and a passionate pet lover, Seipel recently entered into an agreement with a
non-profit organization (Arizona Shih Tzu & Small Breed Rescue), in
Arizona. “I wanted to donate tags and ID Services to the shelter pets in need,”
Seipel said. “I just don’t want any animals to get lost, even the ones that
don’t have families yet.” Seipel is working with this rescue on a program for
newly adopted pets to eventually go home with a permanent PETTATS (tattoo) so
that they will be even <span style="color: #111111;">safer</span> once they re-enter the real world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Fortunately, PETTATS
IDs are more affordable than you may think. Yearly memberships start at only
$15 and include a set of 20 temporary tattoo-able IDs for your pet's skin or
fur, along with a secondary tangible ID of your choice. There’s also a lifetime
membership product available with no annual fees. All memberships include a 24
hr. Online Pet Record-Keeping service allows you to store pet information
and medical records. To get your pet online ID Service, simply visit </span><a href="http://www.pettats.com/join-now"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">www.pettats.com/join-now</span></a><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">
and choose your ID style. Your pet will thank you!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Seipel has big plans
for Pet Tat’s Record-Keeping Service and is always looking for new and exciting
products and solutions to attach to her rapidly growing brand. “I love what I
am doing because I am helping pets and their owners,” she said. “Every time a
pet is found with one of our IDs, it reinforces that with
PETTATS, we are barking up the right tree!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Contact: Stephanie Seipel, askpettats@gmail.com, Phone: 623.261.1157</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-13156084678962279812022-06-11T19:38:00.005-07:002022-06-11T19:40:51.239-07:00Star Vintners and Top Innovators in Food & Wine Take the Stage at 9th Annual WineaPAWlooza June 24 & 25, 2022<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiHlYeYpsL_YaHZoM7eSWl58w9Ekbx3xovB9E8XgOrZFyzn7Y4seQHY8hYk6DFN1qH4_Mt4xTkYVboA_2-CtKh9n8zEvCDOsP4m5Yl7xcKuMaUPl9X_EFJlmgwkZaFsoqjktybxAwgG5sSyNu_J__VTj8f5e9ewK2DK7zpZGreXoRcVP-QFY/s266/Jameson-pic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="190" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiHlYeYpsL_YaHZoM7eSWl58w9Ekbx3xovB9E8XgOrZFyzn7Y4seQHY8hYk6DFN1qH4_Mt4xTkYVboA_2-CtKh9n8zEvCDOsP4m5Yl7xcKuMaUPl9X_EFJlmgwkZaFsoqjktybxAwgG5sSyNu_J__VTj8f5e9ewK2DK7zpZGreXoRcVP-QFY/s1600/Jameson-pic.png" width="190" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"><br />(Napa, Calif.) — May 17, 2022 — <span class="il">Jameson</span> Humane, a solutions-based nonprofit and animal sanctuary which educates to inspire change on behalf of<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> companion and farmed animals, is holding its signature fundraising event, </span></span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.jamesonanimalrescueranch.org/2022-wineapawlooza&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw3ka9xtVrydyWq-D0pB1aUZ" href="https://www.jamesonanimalrescueranch.org/2022-wineapawlooza" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">WineaPAWlooza 202</span></a><u style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">2</span></u><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">,<b> live and in-person on Friday, June 24<sup>th</sup> and Saturday, June 25<sup>th</sup> at 5pm, PT</b>. Combining two things that are universally loved (wine and animals), WineaPAWlooza has consistently earned its place as one of the top 10 wine events in the country, as </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.winespectator.com/articles/charity-wine-auctions-raise-millions-for-animal-rescue-and-texas-kids&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw0BxH8IAtF5ZpFs5qFdkINp" href="https://www.winespectator.com/articles/charity-wine-auctions-raise-millions-for-animal-rescue-and-texas-kids" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">cited by Wine Spectator</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">. The money raised from this spirited and highly anticipated event supplies the critical funds necessary for <span class="il">Jameson</span> programs to improve the state of animal welfare and save lives.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Innovators in Food & Wine Join This Year’s Impact-Driven Fundraiser<span style="color: red;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">This newest iteration of <span class="il">Jameson</span>’s annual fundraiser expands on <span class="il">Jameson</span>’s mission, which is to improve animal welfare through global collaboration and education for the benefit of all life. Bringing together leaders in the food and wine industry to discuss innovation, behavior, and action-oriented change to our food system, including wine—for the health of animals, humans, and the planet—takes place on Friday evening, on Pritchard Hill. Amanda McCrossin of</span> <a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://sommvivant.me/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw3UuYwhEbPnrSghvh_c6vGT" href="http://sommvivant.me/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">SommVivant</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, and Brian Cooley of </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cnet.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2S_V44iPlZXKgjNmWAwkug" href="https://www.cnet.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">CNET</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, will be co-moderating a panel of prestigious vintners and food industry leaders, including a Q&A with noted model and activist, Christie Brinkley, and WineaPAWlooza Co-Chair, Vanessa Conlin MW, on <b>June 24<sup>th</sup> from 5-7:30pm</b> to vividly illuminate where wine and animal welfare intersect and offer solutions for the planet, by way of thought-provoking questions and conversation. The cuisine will be curated by Little Saint, a Healdsburg plant-based restaurant overseen by Kyle Connaughton of three Michelin-star SingleThread.<b><span style="color: black;"><u></u><u></u></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Panelists<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Eric Schulze, PhD., </span><a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://upsidefoods.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw1ObM1E7-VYbHaey9pWOvaJ" href="https://upsidefoods.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">UPSIDE Foods</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">; Alison Kilmer, </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://miyokos.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw0EwbWLulp6CHy3xbiMNyBl" href="https://miyokos.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Miyoko’s Creamery</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">; Tamearra Dyson, </span><a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://souleyvegan.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2zqGOENezWog-mbypwnpt5" href="https://souleyvegan.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Souley Vegan</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">; Christopher Jackson, </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.jacksonfamilywines.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2PnSJGg0Z8_qTu31ZkWN4M" href="https://www.jacksonfamilywines.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Jackson Family Wines</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.jacksonfamilywines.com/RootedForGood&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw34fd8bCRma6kCkAu3VaVRs" href="https://www.jacksonfamilywines.com/RootedForGood" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Rooted for Good</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">; Carlo Mondavi, </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.raenwinery.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw1sgmJaf3fNF954YbyVz3n0" href="https://www.raenwinery.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">RAEN Winery</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.monarchtractor.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2rIS9Slb02D9SeyLRMBWjF" href="https://www.monarchtractor.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Monarch Tractor</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">; Molly Sheppard, </span><a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://spottswoode.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw3B-qfG2OpQsJYvXuRVSFVb" href="https://spottswoode.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">The Grand Tasting, Animal Parade, & Wine Auction with Celebrity Guest, Christie Brinkley Saturday June 25<sup>th</sup> 5-10pm<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Returning this year in-person to the famed Beckstoffer Farm Center, Saturday evening includes the Grand Tasting showcasing handcrafted wines and the vintners who make them from 50 of the “who's who” of Napa and Sonoma Valley’s wine glitterati (</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.jamesonanimalrescueranch.org/2022-wineapawlooza/vintners&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2idOxmnRPiMVI4flGcC4af" href="https://www.jamesonanimalrescueranch.org/2022-wineapawlooza/vintners" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">click here to see Participating </span></a><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.jamesonanimalrescueranch.org/2022-wineapawlooza/vintners&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2idOxmnRPiMVI4flGcC4af" href="https://www.jamesonanimalrescueranch.org/2022-wineapawlooza/vintners" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Vintners</span></a><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.jamesonanimalrescueranch.org/2022-wineapawlooza/vintners&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2idOxmnRPiMVI4flGcC4af" href="https://www.jamesonanimalrescueranch.org/2022-wineapawlooza/vintners" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;">)</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, plus special guest, Christie Brinkley, showcasing her vegan, organically grown, </span><a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bellissimaprosecco.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2aAYmhv3DhlIxx8Er5tEuG" href="https://bellissimaprosecco.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Bellissima Prosecco & Wines</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">. “When I heard about the work that <span class="il">Jameson</span> Humane does for animals and the planet, I knew that I had to be a part of this year’s WineaPAWlooza. Being a lifelong vegetarian and activist; sustainable and vegan or vegetarian-friendly causes are extremely important to me. In fact, this is the central belief with my own brand, Bellissima Prosecco & Wines. At Bellissima, we are devoted to being “Better-for-You” and “Better-for-the-Planet”. We produce our wines with 100% organic grapes and of course the wines are all certified vegan.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">“What’s even more unique about the work we do at Bellissima is that we go beyond the bottle - we are committed to giving back to the planet and supporting animals and communities in need. We at Bellissima are honored to partner with inspiring organizations such as One Tree Planted and <span class="il">Jameson</span> Humane! We are humbled to be able to contribute to these beautiful missions.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">The legendary Animal Parade will be led by Grand Marshal, Rick Hayes of Napa Hanlees Subaru, and celebrity wine auctioneer and personality, Fritz Hatton, followed by a delectable plant-based menu designed and executed by <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Deborah Blum, Operating Partner of San Francisco plant-based restaurant </span></span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wildseedsf.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw0mG9m8ZpcwEmuGUsyVLms0" href="https://www.wildseedsf.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Wildseed</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> and Founder of </span><a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://goatlandia.org/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw0whhBa48ctjSZ3hOFUswAQ" href="https://goatlandia.org/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">. The evening will culminate in the much-anticipated live auction of 20 spectacular lots, featuring cult wines, one-of-a-kind experiences and trips to global wine destinations. Examples include large formats of Screaming Eagle and Schrader, a magnum collection from Andy Beckstoffer’s personal cellar, a surprise barrel lot from an iconic Napa Valley vineyard, trips to Piemonte, Italy and Bordeaux, France, a Pappy Van Winkle dinner, and a David Beckstoffer handcrafted guitar autographed by Van Halen’s Sammy Hagar, to name a few. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">WineaPAWlooza will be hosted by world-renowned wine auctioneer Fritz Hatton, as well as <span class="il">Jameson</span> Humane and former 750 Wines founders Monica and David Stevens, and Chief Wine Officer, Wine Access, Vanessa Conlin MW. Andy and Betty Beckstoffer will be presented with a Lifetime Philanthropic Achievement award. “This year’s WineaPAWlooza is bigger, better, and more important than ever. Not only do we have the best-of-the-best, most generous vintners and winemakers sharing their most sought-after wines, but we take our mission to the next level with true innovators and disruptors in the food and wine industry who join us to share their solutions for the future and to benefit all of us, the animals, and the planet. The time is now to innovate, learn, share, and enjoy all that our wine country and its community have to offer.” – <span class="il">Jameson</span> Humane Co-Founder and WineaPAWlooza Co-Chair, Monica Stevens<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">“I'm thrilled that we are back in person for Wineapawlooza 2022! Our Friday night format will showcase everything <span class="il">Jameson</span> Humane does not just on behalf of animals but also for the people and the entire planet. Having Christie Brinkley lend her star power and participate in WineaPAWlooza truly shows us the great work that <span class="il">Jameson</span> does is being noticed and supported on a larger scale. The funds we will raise on Saturday are more important now than ever and our amazing vintners and donors will make the future brighter through their generous contributions.” – Vanessa Conlin MW, WineaPAWlooza Co-Chair.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="il">Jameson</span> Humane would also like to thank this year’s <i>Event Sponsor</i> and auction lot donor, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.netjets.com/en-us/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw153_0WO9FOsbyQhD8yUKj_" href="https://www.netjets.com/en-us/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">NetJets</a>, and our contributing sponsors and partners:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hanleesnapasubaru.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw0PWBsLyrGmEU5FTlIq3kVl" href="https://www.hanleesnapasubaru.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Hanlees Subaru Napa</a>, <a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bellissimaprosecco.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2aAYmhv3DhlIxx8Er5tEuG" href="https://bellissimaprosecco.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Bellissima </a><a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bellissimaprosecco.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2aAYmhv3DhlIxx8Er5tEuG" href="https://bellissimaprosecco.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Prosecco & Wines</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wealthenhancement.com/s/acquisitions/napa-valley-wealth-management&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2ejcgd874LEECv1oc78fpI" href="https://www.wealthenhancement.com/s/acquisitions/napa-valley-wealth-management" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Wealth Enhancement Group InConcert Napa Valley</a>, <a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.beauwinetours.com/napa-valley-wine-tours/daily-limousine-wine-tours/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw1uukrev_iLkwdixIySk-cg" href="https://www.beauwinetours.com/napa-valley-wine-tours/daily-limousine-wine-tours/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Beau Wine Tours</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://zapolskire.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2R-keX3IMsnKCR5dI0kUvn" href="https://zapolskire.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Zapolski Real Estate</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.winevaultnapavalley.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw1B2RnuYLIhX6s8sYxjlghy" href="https://www.winevaultnapavalley.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Wine Vault</a>, <a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://cbnapavalley.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2fir1EedjyJH7zhnnicCUE" href="https://cbnapavalley.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Coldwell Banker, Brokers of the Valley</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.poppy.bank/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw3kla4W_ld9OIlC-NzYBjC1" href="https://www.poppy.bank/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Poppy Bank</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.chamberswines.com/ca/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw361BZZeBkdiNCw2xWoJ452" href="https://www.chamberswines.com/ca/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Chambers & Chambers Wine Merchants</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.platypustours.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2fg0kslDwM_aEHPrUmmtLD" href="https://www.platypustours.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Platypus Tours</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.napa.minutemanpress.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw18Hbh0ZWUZVYIy8UVppWy6" href="https://www.napa.minutemanpress.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Minuteman Press</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.cartonsandcrates.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw3tmn4bygeuKtl8dqYH3tbu" href="http://www.cartonsandcrates.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Cartons & Crates</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://miyokos.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw0EwbWLulp6CHy3xbiMNyBl" href="https://miyokos.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Miyoko’s Creamery</a>, <a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.aperture.media/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw0V0zhfLXaGnpLHbc4WZZya" href="https://www.aperture.media/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Aperture Media</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.charlescomm.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw2I1JDojgaDfrRQAbHw47YK" href="https://www.charlescomm.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Charles Communications</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://linkin.bio/mrnoelburgess&source=gmail&ust=1655087802829000&usg=AOvVaw0eaYMj34kqM7ks3fhJMPS4" href="https://linkin.bio/mrnoelburgess" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">No</a><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://linkin.bio/mrnoelburgess&source=gmail&ust=1655087802830000&usg=AOvVaw07R6EGILpf1219QtM3LMS4" href="https://linkin.bio/mrnoelburgess" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">ë</a><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://linkin.bio/mrnoelburgess&source=gmail&ust=1655087802830000&usg=AOvVaw07R6EGILpf1219QtM3LMS4" href="https://linkin.bio/mrnoelburgess" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">l Burgess</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mivinsurance.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802830000&usg=AOvVaw0M7lCZuAS2NE0dYhLd-wsf" href="https://www.mivinsurance.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Malloy Imrie & Vasconi Insurance Services, LLC</a>, <a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://amyburkman.com/good-art-project/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802830000&usg=AOvVaw2iWz86bdec4-Q26BD9qGYa" href="https://amyburkman.com/good-art-project/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Good Art Project</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.themcclellandhouse.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802830000&usg=AOvVaw0wRAuBR0nEFtfZi3W0n0Gs" href="https://www.themcclellandhouse.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">The McClelland House</a>, <a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://venumagazine.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802830000&usg=AOvVaw2P4BrsqfqiVel2KWx_zyR9" href="https://venumagazine.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Venu Magazine</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.napaphotoboothco.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802830000&usg=AOvVaw0Vu2RTV6cqbPAF-w1uFRDL" href="https://www.napaphotoboothco.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Napa Valley Photo Booth Company</a>, <a data-saferedirectreason="2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://dinoci.com/&source=gmail&ust=1655087802830000&usg=AOvVaw2WWrojx5hIIfmyiBsKxK8B" href="https://dinoci.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">DiNoci Dairy Free</a>, The Lonely Genome Project<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Event Information, Proxy Bidding, and eLots:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wineapawlooza.com&source=gmail&ust=1655087802830000&usg=AOvVaw1mC4WPLUcUut_VgrN84b0q" href="http://www.wineapawlooza.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">www.wineapawlooza.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Maral Papakhian</span>, Director of Marketing & Communication, <a href="mailto:maral@jamesonhumane.org" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">maral@jamesonhumane.org</span></a> 415.845.7205<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0.5in 0px 0px;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"> </span><u></u></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0.5in 0px 0px;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">WineaPawlooza 2022 Steering Committee</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Andy & Betty Beckstoffer, Honorary Chairs<br />Vanessa Conlin MW & Monica Stevens, Co-Chairs<br />Fritz Hatton, Auctioneer<br />Steering Committee: Giovanna Bagnasco, Ashley Brandner, Patrice Breton, Samantha Breton, Haley Duncan, Matt Duncan, Robert Emery, Scott Gould, Greg Gregory, Dr. Amy Herold, Jesse Katz, Diane Kemple, Armen Khachaturian, Maayan Koschitzky, Allison Kozeny, Sylvie Laly, Kerrin Laz, Scott Lewis, Naomi Linnell, Jessica Loesch, Jen Lombard, Bob Long, Amanda McCrossin, Nancy McIntosh, Juan Mercado, Sarah McElroy, Carlo Mondavi, Sep Pirchner, Lance Plott, Christophe Smith<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0.5in 0px 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0.5in 0px 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">ABOUT <span class="il">JAMESON</span> HUMANE<s></s><u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="il">Jameson</span> Humane is an impact-driven nonprofit organization that collaborates and educates to inspire change in animal welfare, not only in local communities, but around the world. Monica and David Stevens founded <span class="il">Jameson</span> Humane in 2014 as a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit to improve animal welfare through global collaboration and education for the benefit of all life. The organization was named in memory of the Stevens’ beloved dog <span class="il">Jameson</span>, an adopted Great Pyrenees who lived to the age of 14 and inspired the spirit and mission.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="il">Jameson</span> Humane operates multiple solutions-based programs to create a truly unique animal welfare organization that is unlike any other animal rescue or sanctuary for the benefit of the greater community and its animals. Every day, <span class="il">Jameson</span>’s work is guided by how animals, the environment, and the community are all inextricably connected.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0.5in 0px 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0.5in 0px 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0.5in 0px 0px;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">ABOUT WINEAPAWLOOZA</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0.5in 0px 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">WineaPAWlooza is <span class="il">Jameson</span>’s annual fundraiser, an event that has earned its place as one of the top ten wine events in the country according to Wine Spectator magazine. The money raised from this sought-after event supplies the critical funds necessary for <span class="il">Jameson</span>’s programs to improve the state of animal welfare and save animals’ lives. Because of WineaPAWlooza, <span class="il">Jameson</span> has been able to help </span><span style="color: black;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.jamesonanimalrescueranch.org/impact&source=gmail&ust=1655087802830000&usg=AOvVaw0acJA_G0qa_4M272GEIsWl" href="https://www.jamesonanimalrescueranch.org/impact" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">thousands of animals</span></b></a></span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">and their humans in our community, and beyond, through vital programs that work across the inextricable web between animal welfare, our community, and the environment. This year’s event will help ensure these programs thrive as we continue to effect real change.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"> </span><u></u></span></u></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"># # #<u></u><u></u></span></u></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"> </span><u></u></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">For more information on <span class="il">Jameson</span> Humane, please contact:<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Maral Papakhian <a href="mailto:Maral@jamesonhumane.org" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Maral@jamesonhumane.org</a> or 415.845.7205<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">For media queries, please contact:</span><u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Kimberly Noelle Charles. Charles Communications Associates at<br /></span><a href="mailto:kcharles@charlescomm.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration-line: none;">kcharles@charlescomm.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> or 415.730.0064</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><u></u><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"> </span></span></u></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-57040042074532349162022-01-05T09:48:00.010-08:002022-09-26T16:24:42.284-07:00The Future of the Pandemic Pet Project <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiV75GyS_KVPmr-VseLGh_-Gl4RDkdmo2DihGttqZDBh3DD0piLqpTXcb8VKmWjARzHmfSpC70uQDUcnzCP4wZuG0eEgKZbgqL6DzwjkaeELPvisL_krLMAtZd-FIg_L9yVJeadaX3s0Ll_XtrKSCxgZuC0PmYeZf1OSFytcgkorn0-1XKSEoU=s1773" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="1773" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiV75GyS_KVPmr-VseLGh_-Gl4RDkdmo2DihGttqZDBh3DD0piLqpTXcb8VKmWjARzHmfSpC70uQDUcnzCP4wZuG0eEgKZbgqL6DzwjkaeELPvisL_krLMAtZd-FIg_L9yVJeadaX3s0Ll_XtrKSCxgZuC0PmYeZf1OSFytcgkorn0-1XKSEoU=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>PLEASE NOTE: The Project is on HOLD for a few months due to health concerns.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>I owe my followers an explanation and the bottom line is I am really burnt out and need some time off. </b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-47027490236413108972021-08-20T14:19:00.003-07:002021-12-30T09:10:19.875-08:00Big Paws! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1Wm3kwhITJ74V4e8AOsfeFR57PgoGtA2EBgHYFaAun2t3x7gL3DUtLy3OKBFRLaVP-v2SApiznNk1IDN5zvhMrpaOpVfO40O4rrNmZMKAS2OtfOaZrGcyjNrdzVTzJ_unKslJA/s2048/paws-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="2048" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1Wm3kwhITJ74V4e8AOsfeFR57PgoGtA2EBgHYFaAun2t3x7gL3DUtLy3OKBFRLaVP-v2SApiznNk1IDN5zvhMrpaOpVfO40O4rrNmZMKAS2OtfOaZrGcyjNrdzVTzJ_unKslJA/s320/paws-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />This morning I appeared for the second time on the Kelly and Ryan Show (ABC) and as a result, I received an enormous amount of submissions. The interview might have looked live but it was a segment that was originally aired on Feb.15, when I received 1,300 submissions (1,745 pets total) in just 24 hours. I was unaware of the fact that it was going to be re-aired today. <p></p><p>I am still drawing the pets I received from the first time I was on the show. I draw 4 every day without exception, but after this morning <b>I will have to put a big paws on the Pandemic Pet Project. </b>If you submit anything after today, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to draw it. </p><p>Please don't donate until you receive the art, even though it's always a nice (and fulfilling) thing to do. Supporting these organizations is essential to their existence and every time you donate anything, you save animals' lives. </p><p><b>Once I get my queue down to where it's more manageable, I will un-paws the project. </b></p><p>For those of you who have submitted pets please be patient and I will draw all of them in the order they've been received. </p><p>And if you have already gotten your art (nearly 2,000 people now) and haven't gotten around to paying it forward to the animal rescue of your choice, please do. The art created through this project has gone to all 50 states, 26 countries and raised (estimated) more than $100,000 for 300-plus animal rescue organizations worldwide. </p><p><b>If you do decide to submit your pets anyway, please read the next blog that offers instructions. Many people fail to post their photos on the PPP page, which means they get lost in the shuffle so please follow the instructions carefully. Thanks. </b></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-85109559125052422552021-02-09T08:45:00.004-08:002021-05-26T06:40:49.032-07:00Welcome to the Pandemic Project! <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 36pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 30pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl3meQscdEzen6hvdLKGYeLCV4ULN5oEc927FMMFWhHF0uKjQzWyG5eZJSV38YhVy1MiCtkZXnoP4_bdgpc91fo0vMp46WpWr2egzL2eRkPRauJKSakmp-voQAmC4C0wvnreXqg/s685/Ed-art-sitting.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl3meQscdEzen6hvdLKGYeLCV4ULN5oEc927FMMFWhHF0uKjQzWyG5eZJSV38YhVy1MiCtkZXnoP4_bdgpc91fo0vMp46WpWr2egzL2eRkPRauJKSakmp-voQAmC4C0wvnreXqg/s320/Ed-art-sitting.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 30pt;">Pandemic Pet Instructions</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21pt;"><b><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4 Easy
Steps </span></b><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21pt;"><b><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.)
Post the photo of your pet </span></b><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(limit 2 please) on the Pandemic Pet Project
Facebook Page. List your pet’s name and the city and state where you live and
then send your mailing address via Messenger. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2.)<b>
Wait 6-8 months </b>(this thing has gone viral, what can I say? I do 4 every
day)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.)
When you receive your image(s), please <b>take a photo of the art with your pet</b>
and send it to us via Messenger. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4.)
Then finally-<b>pay it forward by donating</b> to the pet rescue of your
choice. Suggested donation: $50 per image. My favorite rescue is Muttville in
San Francisco, but it’s your call. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-71805705416381277252021-01-19T12:50:00.010-08:002021-01-20T08:06:14.124-08:00Tom Shine Brightened Up People's Lives <p>Losing a good friend never gets easier and when you hit your sixties, more and more folks you know start falling off the planet. Tom Shine's life ended on Saturday from a heart attack after fighting cancer for several years at age 72. </p><p>I met Tom in 1977 in San Jose when I started my freshman year at San Jose State. I was looking for a place to live, so I drove up from my home in L.A. and what I saw was shocking. The downtown looked like Ground Zero with hookers, drug dealers, and junkies everywhere. I found a room in an old Victorian called Ivy Hall and the first person I met there was Tom. </p><p>"How bad is the neighborhood?" I asked him. </p><p>"It sucks, but hey--the rent is $90 a month and that includes utilities. Wanna beer?" </p><p>Over the next four decades, Tom and I hoisted a few beers and were roommates who lived in different configurations. First, we lived in an apartment complex where I was the manager as we partied away much of the mid-1980s. </p><p>We became well-known for our annual Super Bowl soiree and another bash that we named The Apocalypse-- a world-ending celebration that lasted for days. We made Kahlua every Christmas to give to people as gifts, we held poker tournaments, bachelor parties, barbecues, and book club meetings. </p><p>We called it the Bachelor Flat. Pretty soon, the local police were closing down our parties every weekend, to the point where we befriended several of the officers. On Sundays, we would play softball at Williams Street Park from 10 am until dark and then hit the flat for some late-night revelry. </p><p>Later we roomed together at 133 East Reed Street in downtown SJ in an old house that was built in the late 1890s by Thomas Reed, one of the last survivors of the Donner Party. This too was a legendary party house as 3-4 guys rented rooms at $150 monthly each and tried to kill as many brain cells as humanly possible. </p><p>Tommy and I hit it off right away because we both love history and sports. He supported all of the professional teams from Boston passionately--the Celtics, the Red Sox, the Patriots--even the Bruins and had zero issues needling me about my Lakers and Dodgers. And he was a great source of fascinating factoids about history (not fake news or "alternate facts"). He also followed the SF Giants and Forty-Niners and was also a big supporter of the women's basketball team at Stanford. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GWOMI99Gjg9iqWWp29D13Iq85YHFgbKzQPHqQhZRNaO2YkMXF1TSorOrb04XRtW0SZXlX8xPqkYls4S46C3-WM-NkPUJTnCk_9f_dg5i9aJ6viA4tjJfS6VXWp55RiIXs1uxFA/s2048/Tommy-2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GWOMI99Gjg9iqWWp29D13Iq85YHFgbKzQPHqQhZRNaO2YkMXF1TSorOrb04XRtW0SZXlX8xPqkYls4S46C3-WM-NkPUJTnCk_9f_dg5i9aJ6viA4tjJfS6VXWp55RiIXs1uxFA/s320/Tommy-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Tom <i>(pictured center with myself left and Todd Axtell, far right)</i> loved cycling, eating, reading, eating, watching sports and movies--and did I mention eating? He was an active athlete who played basketball against Dr. J. while he attended UMass in 1969-70, and was a fairly impressive over-the-line (softball) player. <p></p><p>He was one of those people who could eat anything and not gain weight. Watching him consume a huge piece of chocolate cake was priceless. He made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that had their own zip codes. We would make late-night runs to Original Joe's for their killer burgers and ravioli and more than once we would finish off an XL pie from the House of Pizza without hesitation. I got fat and he stayed the same--tall and lean. Story of my life. </p><p>Tom grew up in Jamaica Plain, MA and I was able to go there to visit with him in 2000. His sister Pat got us some awesome tickets for a game at Fenway Park, but then it got rained out. During the last 20 years of his life, Tom's teams won six Super Bowls (Pats), one NBA title (Celtics), two World Series Championships (Red Sox), and one NHL title (Bruins). He loved winners and hated things like Deflategate, the Tuck Rule, and don't dare say anything about his beloved Belichick! </p><p>The best thing I can say about Tom Shine is that he was a good friend to his friends. He was a solid dude who cared about us and would put himself second always. He was smart and engaging and appreciated conversations that ranged from who killed JFK to does Sasquatch really exist? He loved recommending new series on Netflix or Amazon and discussing what he was reading at the time. </p><p>One sad thing about Tom's passing is that he didn't get to see the Goat (Tom Brady) play on Saturday. He was actually sitting down getting ready to watch the game when he had his heart attack. I wasn't planning to root for Brady's Tampa Bay Bucs this year, but now I will--for Tommy. </p><p>Tom will probably be most remembered for his kindness and his commitment to his family and those people who were lucky enough to call him friend. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-4368065492019713792020-12-04T10:45:00.007-08:002021-01-19T10:34:10.478-08:00The Pandemic Pet Project Approaches the Finish Line <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> As of today, I've drawn 900 pets for people over a 225-day period as part of the Pandemic Pet Project, something I started back in April to retain my sanity during all of this confusion and anxiety. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM05lSKkDoWCoOhy91Wsvezcj_8YVbh7wf-vNBKtr70eCRg1cnF5XXG5EcGQT3mBAJw64D8YAFr0-BYt-XRwqZ06UZBHWGwpcKUr_QiiaoRGLimO1dqsE5Cy3nMT2GxtW_EB49GA/s1800/ppplogo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM05lSKkDoWCoOhy91Wsvezcj_8YVbh7wf-vNBKtr70eCRg1cnF5XXG5EcGQT3mBAJw64D8YAFr0-BYt-XRwqZ06UZBHWGwpcKUr_QiiaoRGLimO1dqsE5Cy3nMT2GxtW_EB49GA/s320/ppplogo.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">To come up with a nice round number, I decided a few months back that my goal would be 1,000 pets total. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">So, I have 100 left and that's why I am writing this post. </span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">The PPP worked better than I could ever imagine, but it has gone much longer than I anticipated. I thought the pandemic would be done by now, but boy--was I wrong. </p><p style="text-align: center;">I figured that I would draw maybe 100 pets mostly for my friends, but boy--was I wrong. </p><p style="text-align: center;">I thought I'd only hear from people in California primarily, but boy--was I wrong. To date, I've drawn pets for folks in 32 states and 11 countries. </p><p style="text-align: center;">So, if you haven't sent me photos of your pets yet, now would be the ideal time. (Also, be sure to message me your mailing address.) </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>If you were thinking of telling your friends about the project, now is also a good time. Because on December 29th, the project will be over and I'll have to start something else to draw. </b></p><p style="text-align: center;">It's been a great journey and I appreciate everyone who donated to the pet rescue of their choice by participating in the PPP.</p><p style="text-align: center;">-Ed </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaXEB6UVL6pfLzFugLlflL4w4C00D6SunwvGBfs2z7bDiyYMYiZ0wybUCG470YwIGWoXWHjxzthQ7D_wDv-b_FQxW9lv5Flx0-8-rzZS6I_9vKDKcfWkik7VNpoF28RuJDaANhg/s1116/SJM-L-PETART-05XX-1-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaXEB6UVL6pfLzFugLlflL4w4C00D6SunwvGBfs2z7bDiyYMYiZ0wybUCG470YwIGWoXWHjxzthQ7D_wDv-b_FQxW9lv5Flx0-8-rzZS6I_9vKDKcfWkik7VNpoF28RuJDaANhg/s320/SJM-L-PETART-05XX-1-1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-21688775946137931912020-11-09T15:14:00.003-08:002020-11-09T15:18:47.484-08:00The Pandemic Pet Project Hits 800! <p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It all started back in April when a friend asked me to draw his family pets. They were stuck at home and the kids were bouncing off the walls. When I sent them the drawings, they posted them on Facebook and before I knew it, more and more friends were asking me to draw their cats, dogs, birds, reptiles, and even one blind raccoon. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6NuF1k8TjJIuUjlc2Po8DXUVXAJzUjgr2NfUFOMoD4Ph9k1Vh-50Tsk_OWfvjMAjmcGiOMDpQoCqaeaKSZEiefTlfG15a6GbHoMIQkLwPZihhfhMyGbOdyDVMbgw0Bcgbv7HkA/s996/Dog-jr-pic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="806" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6NuF1k8TjJIuUjlc2Po8DXUVXAJzUjgr2NfUFOMoD4Ph9k1Vh-50Tsk_OWfvjMAjmcGiOMDpQoCqaeaKSZEiefTlfG15a6GbHoMIQkLwPZihhfhMyGbOdyDVMbgw0Bcgbv7HkA/s320/Dog-jr-pic.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlZV62-9UD4uBIjcUpAmdWwcokOgMOGy3QpiXuvpFaM5AsTNjlRdXhbB1Z9SO6a_TTiX7WsxxpT4iFXB0PvBe0uGGCVW9OqP03oFIZnF2aQHwbd0Bjydp4AYIaVJkKMrYmKUcFQ/s2048/Sawyer-pic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlZV62-9UD4uBIjcUpAmdWwcokOgMOGy3QpiXuvpFaM5AsTNjlRdXhbB1Z9SO6a_TTiX7WsxxpT4iFXB0PvBe0uGGCVW9OqP03oFIZnF2aQHwbd0Bjydp4AYIaVJkKMrYmKUcFQ/s320/Sawyer-pic.jpg" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I thought I'll distract myself with this fun project until this virus goes away. If it lasts a few weeks, I will get to make a few people happy along the way. Little did I know that the pandemic wouldn't stop or even slow down, so I kept drawing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A few of my friends offered to pay me for the drawings, so that's when I got the idea of using the art to raise money for pet rescue organizations. I've always believed in "pay it forward" with all of my philanthropy and I rarely just hand the money over. I love doing fundraisers and using my art to raise money because obviously as a writer (and under-employed at this point) I don't have the funds to support all of the things I want to do. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaRZqJDDfE1glDnIuSZnIwKJwHFcVJTVrN7IumH9RDA3KOmSt8nljL2eNffocGZCslf7fIC8CvO6aY_fk1djrHHSOOIApEZ26Rb8yZTa3Ly4vgpYYgSnusqxDKW6q9RvKHb90Ew/s1057/Day-200.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1050" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaRZqJDDfE1glDnIuSZnIwKJwHFcVJTVrN7IumH9RDA3KOmSt8nljL2eNffocGZCslf7fIC8CvO6aY_fk1djrHHSOOIApEZ26Rb8yZTa3Ly4vgpYYgSnusqxDKW6q9RvKHb90Ew/s320/Day-200.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p>Then, the Bay Area News Group contacted me one day and I was interviewed for an article that appeared in the </span><i style="font-family: helvetica;">San Jose Mercury News </i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">and </span><i style="font-family: helvetica;">The East Bay Times</i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. During the two days after the article came out, 250+ people sent me photos of their pets to draw. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONCcojx-FuyfWUYdeF2Rqy_pJSaTrDNur28mvX1V8WOWHgXxhDGA9rziOee2qtSR9auv9U1XwjOeCKOOYym61_02MJq0XSQXHbR8orcaJe3sCmS86OWnYv6rOu6rlPPngkbPIIQ/s1116/SJM-L-PETART-05XX-1-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONCcojx-FuyfWUYdeF2Rqy_pJSaTrDNur28mvX1V8WOWHgXxhDGA9rziOee2qtSR9auv9U1XwjOeCKOOYym61_02MJq0XSQXHbR8orcaJe3sCmS86OWnYv6rOu6rlPPngkbPIIQ/s320/SJM-L-PETART-05XX-1-1.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p>I stressed out for a day or so, but then bought some new pens and pencils, a bunch of colorful envelopes, and a ton of stamps. I drew the 250 pets in 125 days and then ABC News did a piece on the Pandemic Pet Project, resulting in another deluge of pet photos. </span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://abc7news.com/animal-shelters-art-for-good-donations-fundraiser/6376795/">https://abc7news.com/animal-shelters-art-for-good-donations-fundraiser/6376795/</a><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What have I created here? What is the end game? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Yesterday, I drew my 800th pet by doing four every day since mid-April. My plan is to draw as long as I keep getting photos of pets with the idea of wrapping it up when I hit the big 1,000! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZddxnewd2jEdU7gZM8uG6rG9fUM2gTulUosngluVc0VjuQzfzK95AseLZ_EiZ-nSXdaTA7m8-eoy9r4ciEoQ_B3HucCvdwzN40NnOrGK_2ci8VQiP4IIsLxjswK5xn1Z8GNAuQ/s2048/DJ-Night-Job-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1475" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZddxnewd2jEdU7gZM8uG6rG9fUM2gTulUosngluVc0VjuQzfzK95AseLZ_EiZ-nSXdaTA7m8-eoy9r4ciEoQ_B3HucCvdwzN40NnOrGK_2ci8VQiP4IIsLxjswK5xn1Z8GNAuQ/s320/DJ-Night-Job-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, if you know someone who wants a piece of original art and is willing to make a small donation to the pet rescue organization of their choice, there is still time. Also, if you received your art, please don't forget to take a photo of my drawing and the Post-It for our social media. And if you haven't donated yet please do so--it really means a lot. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Thanks for participating in my crazy art project and remember this--"S<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.2px;">ervice to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.”</span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-size: 15.2px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> — Muhammad Ali</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLK1YLFBRhRDBCkStzMyLwT-zP5rxBLMm8TiURFO3R0HGWMNq2KVg6knqICQ4i7TUTD9K4RWWBJ1NqNM70N2hADnWn9gYEiw9f262FMtonAN9r-cnU1-l79kGp-nht3tGcQsGaiQ/s2048/Chase-Phillips+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLK1YLFBRhRDBCkStzMyLwT-zP5rxBLMm8TiURFO3R0HGWMNq2KVg6knqICQ4i7TUTD9K4RWWBJ1NqNM70N2hADnWn9gYEiw9f262FMtonAN9r-cnU1-l79kGp-nht3tGcQsGaiQ/s320/Chase-Phillips+.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgap-Z52VfZD5bSksqV73qpI6v5gnBKqPXR1ndetkFq-dyzQjlvXaGz-PVsEtGC2Rfs5XAT5h1S0Az-UvDtGF3EhXkgQTwMzuzNeQRrau3HrbGTxpRxtKtLxyD6Sj4KUaRiyH63QQ/s523/Phantom-FL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="423" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgap-Z52VfZD5bSksqV73qpI6v5gnBKqPXR1ndetkFq-dyzQjlvXaGz-PVsEtGC2Rfs5XAT5h1S0Az-UvDtGF3EhXkgQTwMzuzNeQRrau3HrbGTxpRxtKtLxyD6Sj4KUaRiyH63QQ/s320/Phantom-FL.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-45045195198058285532020-08-04T15:47:00.003-07:002020-08-04T17:18:53.895-07:00A Life-Changing Stroke of Luck <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQICTH-S-oGTzbx4BnWHNhp3BcSIjxMQpGRpb6b5zENK5zdak6ynV1ZbpVVlaqwm2EZHktSFi8EirNkuHVmW9ruUsF-Pxvuw8GW96KvrYT8RoweJdVwh-Hn7kYVLr6fakQXmgEuA/s1600/Stroke-Baby.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="451" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQICTH-S-oGTzbx4BnWHNhp3BcSIjxMQpGRpb6b5zENK5zdak6ynV1ZbpVVlaqwm2EZHktSFi8EirNkuHVmW9ruUsF-Pxvuw8GW96KvrYT8RoweJdVwh-Hn7kYVLr6fakQXmgEuA/s320/Stroke-Baby.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today is the 11<sup>th</sup> anniversary of my stroke. I found
a blog (“Stroke!’) that I wrote three weeks after the incident in 2009: </div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>“I was writing one morning and all of a sudden, I
couldn't read anymore. I’m wiped out for working 12 hours days, I thought, so I
decided to take a quick nap. One hour later I woke up and The View was on TV. Did
an argument between Barbara and Whoopi give me a stroke while I was asleep and
if so, can I sue them now?</i></div>
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<i>I ran upstairs and my wife (my ex now) looked at me like
a confused dog, with her head slightly tilted like WTF. She showed me a picture
of Mickey Mouse that was on her desk for some reason and asked me who is this?
That’s Freddy, our terrier I replied. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
that point, it was time to get to SF General Hospital. Five days later, I was
out, but my brain was still scrambled. </i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>My friends would ask me what happened and I couldn’t
even say the word stroke. It was either, streak, steak, strike, or stoke, and
then finally my brain would find it, like a broken Rolodex. </i><i>I'm happy because the stroke was relatively minor. My
body is okay. But now I am having difficulty talking and writing. I am going to
have to go on disability for a few months. The prognosis looks very good--the
doctors are saying that I should be back close to 100% after a few months.</i></div>
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<i>I can talk clearly, but finding the correct words can be
tough at times, especially the multi-syllabic ones. (like spontaneous,
collaboration, appreciate--these are hard words for me to say these days.)
Soon, I will be going to speech therapy.”</i></div>
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I read these words now and I realize that I was working really hard
not to let anyone know that I was absolutely terrified. One of my biggest fears
was that I wouldn’t be able to be a professional writer again. I worked so hard
to get there, and now it’s all gone. At first, I couldn’t write a sentence
without some difficulty and things weren’t progressing. One of my friends
suggested that I become a full-time dog walker. Another one said they
hire slow adults at the Apple Store and Chevy’s. Am I going to end up as a
greeter at Target? Please God, no! </div>
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One night in the hospital, I started thinking, is this how
it’s going to end? I surely created a mess to clean up, including obesity, high blood
pressure, congestive heart failure, sleep apnea, and diabetes at 50 years old. In
a screenplay, they call this the inciting moment, where the main character
succeeds or folds. I knew I didn’t want to fold anymore.</div>
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So, I committed to improving my life through a better diet,
sobriety, and exercise and it worked. I went back to writing 15 months after the
stroke and lost more than 100 lbs. I have to give credit to my ex-wife for helping
me through this time. She always said that she enjoys fixing people and I
surely needed some fixing. (Unfortunately, once the repairs were complete, Project
Ed was over.) </div>
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The last 11 years have been the best years of my life. There
have been some tough moments along the way (divorce and the passing of my
father primarily), but the great things have outshined everything else. My art
has exploded and the joy I have brought to people through my Pandemic Pet
Project has been so exciting and fulfilling. I’ve tried to be a better listener
and to help my friends, although I still maintain the three basic rules of friendship
and they’ve worked for me (Don't ask me for money, I don't want to help you move and get your own
ride to the airport!)</div>
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Who knows what will happen next? Some people counted me out
11 years ago, but I’m still standing. I still need some repairs, no doubt. But,
if someone tells me to enjoy the journey and embrace the moment, I am going to
scream! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-42105679611067784002020-06-19T08:01:00.002-07:002020-06-19T08:07:19.083-07:00My First Call from a Crazy Cat Lady<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5h014CZ8aaJOzQIc8nz9i7XpybYsmlfYqPkm5oyI-3EVUHeluEVcsiHIaBhyphenhyphenLuh9HYS0-vbvzjb8-unOeySy1SdhEgpE36GBKWh7N7BnPjag-8Bus7mAca1aOr0n8LQiL3mzUsw/s1600/crazy-cat-lady.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="522" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5h014CZ8aaJOzQIc8nz9i7XpybYsmlfYqPkm5oyI-3EVUHeluEVcsiHIaBhyphenhyphenLuh9HYS0-vbvzjb8-unOeySy1SdhEgpE36GBKWh7N7BnPjag-8Bus7mAca1aOr0n8LQiL3mzUsw/s320/crazy-cat-lady.png" width="232" /></a></div>
Sometimes I get halfway through a conversation and think, wow I should have recorded it. The other day, my phone rang and I didn’t recognize the number, but I picked up anyway. <br />
<br />
“Hi, are you the guy drawing peoples’ pets?”<br />
<br />
“Yes.” <br />
<br />
“I’m trying to post my cats on your Facebook page, but it doesn’t work.” <br />
<br />
“Okay, how many cats do you have?”<br />
<br />
“Nine.” <br />
<br />
“Do you want me to draw all nine of them?”<br />
<br />
“I know, it said limited to two pets, but I love them all and…” <br />
<br />
Then she talked for five minutes about her cats, their names, the fact that she feeds strays down by the high school every night, etc. etc. <br />
<br />
I decided to have a little fun with her.<br />
<br />
“You know. It takes me at least 20-30 minutes to draw each pet. I need to look at the photo and, in some cases, I have to meet the cat before I can start.” <br />
<br />
“How does that work?”<br />
<br />
“If you can herd them together, we can do it on Zoom.” <br />
<br />
I was waiting for the laugh, but it didn’t come so I kept going. <br />
<br />
“Plus, I will need to do background checks on all of your cats.” <br />
<br />
Still no laugh.<br />
<br />
“I’m sure your cats are fine, but we need to know because I can’t be associated with convicted felines.” <br />
<br />
“I got these cats all as kittens, except for Fuzzy.” <br />
<br />
“Then, we will need to check Fuzzy out. Who knows what he’s been up to?” <br />
<br />
“He just sleeps most of the time.” <br />
<br />
I am trying not to laugh now. <br />
<br />
“Send me your four favorite cats and I will draw them.” <br />
<br />
“Thanks.” <br />
<br />
Click. <br />
<br />
I thought about taking my phone number off the Pandemic Pet Project page, but then I thought—this is writer’s gold. The journey continues.<br />
I know there will be a follow-up call, so stay tuned.<br />
<br />
The Pandemic Pet Project is still going strong and without no end of this in sight, it may eventually become the Perpetual Pet Project. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pandemicpetproject/?modal=admin_todo_tour">https://www.facebook.com/pandemicpetproject/?modal=admin_todo_tour</a><br />
<br />
<i>(Illustration courtesy of Dmitry Abramov) </i><br />
<b></b><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-36132581102195572172020-05-18T09:30:00.004-07:002020-05-22T09:25:37.217-07:00California Artist Draws Happiness for Pet Owners During Coronavirus <br />
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In mid-April, Bay Area Artist Ed Attanasio began looking around for something he could do to bring joy to people during the COVID-19 pandemic. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqUV8-hRbS3IpNcRJ-ExcpuxuCr8HvLCN37EY1AeXxOdmYtJ_czNpHCMfjMXUHWVJ-YseqzimzUrjLB3bMLvfj_4wHi4nIPXJO-2PXbomxeustNmcaYLbD97j0wEQgC0AssDcpA/s1600/ppplogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One day a few friends asked for him to draw their pets, and when they saw what he had created, they either smiled or cried tears of joy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMEC5YwaEBwRU1AX70FJUu5YNEarGF9iQ1esoOVr119TFq6c93gWMikRCzBhNUw2KWJaeqUGZMIo5snyB-XJkhj_ABGIHXSVKM2Ule9bRz30q-3kyInSgvRoTOHVGpe20jgZRFg/s1600/ppplogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMEC5YwaEBwRU1AX70FJUu5YNEarGF9iQ1esoOVr119TFq6c93gWMikRCzBhNUw2KWJaeqUGZMIo5snyB-XJkhj_ABGIHXSVKM2Ule9bRz30q-3kyInSgvRoTOHVGpe20jgZRFg/s200/ppplogo.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So, he reached out to all of his friends, fellow artists, and a few celebrities on Facebook and Instagram and started the <i>Pandemic Pet Project</i> (PPP), where he offers to draw peoples' pets for free. In return, Attanasio asks them to pay it forward by donating whatever they can to their local pet rescue organization, if possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What started as a favor to friends, his idea quickly gained momentum. "I thought maybe half a dozen people would respond, but on the first day, I had 30 requests and more than 50 by day two, and it's still growing! Right now I am drawing four every day." (Total to-date: 144 illustrations requested and nearly 100 done.) </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUYeB0za0T4zmmPOS0O5gbOQa7Hr3S-jVtKemfhTHdZpAoUeW2iBydFK_ZBmNVlbgoYVWdW8_DHDkWno14QwQhk7kHzTlnOaQL0Rgsf4qHxWb829CEZU_hV-89v5pg2Eu-8e-aA/s1600/Art-Mass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="1600" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUYeB0za0T4zmmPOS0O5gbOQa7Hr3S-jVtKemfhTHdZpAoUeW2iBydFK_ZBmNVlbgoYVWdW8_DHDkWno14QwQhk7kHzTlnOaQL0Rgsf4qHxWb829CEZU_hV-89v5pg2Eu-8e-aA/s200/Art-Mass.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Attanasio is hoping that by getting the attention of certain celebrities, the PPP will grow and raise more money. "I am drawing pets for people like Ellen Degeneres, Rachael Ray, and Beth Stern because I am so proud of all the animal advocacy and charity work they do."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>If you want your pet drawn by Attanasio, visit <i>Pandemic Pet Project</i> on Facebook at <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pandemicpetproject">https://www.facebook.com/pandemicpetproject</a></i> and submit photos of your pets (limit two per person) with your mailing address (via Messenger). </b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">About the Artist </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ed Attanasio, 61, started sketching as a form of rehab after he had a mini-stroke in 2009. Little did he know that eventually, his illustrations would lead to a career as an artist, astounding critics, gallery owners, his friends, and even himself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Attanasio's stroke didn't affect his motor skills, but it scrambled his brain to the point where he was unable to continue his job as a journalist/advertising copywriter. It was a scary time for Ed because he weighed 350 lbs. And at age 50, he also had other serious health issues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One day, his speech therapist suggested that he should get involved in some type of activity where he'd be using his brain daily. So, he started drawing a series of illustrations on post-it-notes, for hours and hours while he underwent a 14-month recovery, including the loss of more than 120 lbs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ed drew these characters only as part of his therapy and nothing more at first, he explained. "I never thought anyone would see them, and I surely never imagined I could sell them. My friends always seemed to enjoy them, but eventually, they would migrate down to our refrigerator door and after a while, they'd disappear. I figured they were getting tossed, but I wasn't concerned, because I could see that I was steadily improving and knew the art played a role."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then, in October of 2011, Attanasio's therapist and his ex-wife handed him a notebook, and all of the drawings were there—close to 400! Over the next 14 months, he created a wacky collection of baseball and football players, gangsters, dinosaurs, dogs, birds, monsters, and aliens.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A stroke of genius or just plain luck? "All of these peculiar-looking illustrations that have emerged from my stroke-scrambled brain were all together and ready for something…but what?" he said. "Could this be more than just a hobby or a distraction?" The answer turned out to be yes! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As he browsed through the images, Ed thought wow--these characters drawn in black felt pen and colored pencils tell a great story. "For more than a year, I didn't know if I would be able to be a professional writer again, and these drawings are a map that shows how I recuperated…. or maybe digressed, depending on how you look at it," he laughed. "After I went through all of the images, I assembled them into a series of collages, and that's how the whole thing began. In many ways, this art saved my life."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today, Attanasio continues to draw on post-it notes and sells originals and prints. In 2013, his baseball players <i>("Bushers")</i> became a graphic novel, and shortly after that his art career began to flourish. Known as "outsider art" or "folk art," Attanasio's Post-It creations have sold online and through galleries in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Germany, and Russia, just to name a few.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For more information about the artist, visit <a href="http://www.my3x3world.com/">www.my3x3world.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">or watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUu1sZ6mvsE&t=1s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUu1sZ6mvsE&t=1s</a></span><br />
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-77351907714953619162020-02-05T07:43:00.000-08:002020-02-05T07:43:51.320-08:00My Art Makes People Happy & That's All I Need <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-54408593752984458962020-01-10T09:38:00.006-08:002020-01-13T15:00:55.123-08:00Taco Bell Drive-by<br />
I was out running errands the other day and I decided to pick up some food at Taco Bell. I used to be a big Taco Bell fan, because I read an article that said their cuisine is the healthiest fast food out there. In my thirties, I hated cooking and ate at Taco Bell 2-3 times every week. My normal order was usually 2-3 tacos, 1-2 burritos and a large drink and that’s probably why I was grossly obese for several decades. <br />
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Their menu back in the 1980s wasn’t very creative. Every month they would unveil a new item like the Beefy Mini Quesadilla, the Cheesarito,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> the Crunchwrap Supreme, the Indigestible,</span> and the Double Tostada—all of which are now long gone. <br />
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Now, I join the Bell system maybe 3-4 times per year, usually when I’m rushed and can’t find a better alternative. <br />
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So I picked up the food and started home. Less than one mile away, I saw a beautiful Golden Retriever and a Chihuahua out in the middle of a very busy road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They definitely looked guilty and didn’t know what to do. Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose, and my fear was that one of these mutts was going to get spooked, run in front of a car and lose its life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I pulled right up to the pair and opened my passenger side door. I offered them a taco and the Retriever sniffed at it and backed off. Never talk to strangers especially if they offer treats, he thought wisely. The Chihuahua apparently had no issues with it and jumped right in!<br />
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I love Chihuahuas. We had a rescue named Gracie and she was a delight—no barking, no biting, no scooting and a total lap dog. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was patient and sweet and we had her for at least 5 years after adopting her at age 10. We also had a guest Chihuahua who would stay with us once in a while and she was the opposite of Gracie. When I met Choo Choo, the first thing he did was bit my nose, and it got worse from there.<br />
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Now back to the action. The Golden is panicking now and runs to the curb. I leave the Cheech in the vehicle and cross the street, and all of a sudden a truck comes flying around the corner. “Do you know these dogs?” I asked him. He answered affirmatively with a tone that was a combination of frustration and embarrassment. <br />
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“I’m constantly fixing my backyard fence, but these dogs keep finding ways to get out,” he said, followed by a litany of spicey words I can’t repeat. <br />
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I can totally relate. When I was a kid, we had a mutt named Maggie who was always an escape risk. My father reinforced all of the fences and gates in our back yard. He added chicken wire, looked for every little gap in the fence and patched it and even drove wooden stakes deep into the ground. But, it never worked and the dog got out all the time. Immediately after each escape, Maggie would go to the front door and wait patiently for someone to let her back in. The message was—"You can’t stop me from getting out!” It became a competition between man and dog, and the dog was winning. <br />
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So, back to the action--the dog’s owner has the Golden safely in his truck now--what was a relief. Then he looks at me and says“Where’s my Chihuahua?” <br />
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Oh no, I thought, the dog is in my car with all that Taco Bell! <br />
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By the time we got back to my vehicle, it was too late. The Chihuahua ate it all, including most of the wrappers too. The owner yelled at the dog, so he jumped into the backseat and looked very busted. There were lettuce and salsa all over my seats and believe it or not, cheese on the passenger side window! <br />
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The owner grabs the dog and then helps me to clean up the vehicle. He then gives me $20 to get more Taco Bell. I was happy to get the dogs back to their owner, although I really didn't do much, other than feed one of them. The last thing I saw was this fat little Chihuahua who didn't care--he got his and he was content. Priceless.<br />
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-64586743640956482682020-01-01T09:25:00.003-08:002020-01-15T23:41:54.320-08:00Ninety Years of Teaching, Learning and Leading My dad died on December 26 at the age of 90. Edmund L. Attanasio was known in Old Greenwich, CT and then later in La Canada, CA (where he resided for 50 years) as a great Little League baseball coach, mentor and father. Many of his former players still fondly talk about "Mr. A" and his championship teams, and that is why I am focusing on this aspect of his amazing life.<br />
After graduation from Columbia University and a stint in the Korean War, my dad got his Master's Degree from Michigan State; landed a job with <i>Reader's Digest</i> in the advertising department and worked there for more than 40 years. He eventually became the Ad Sales Manager for the publication when we moved to southern California and then worked for<i> Sunset Magazine </i>as an ad consultant during his semi-retirement years. He worked into his 70s and was also the President of the Los Angeles Ad Club.<br />
In the late 1960s, he was living a busy life with two rambunctious kids (to say the least), but he never lost his passion for baseball and teaching young men how to play the game right. He ran his teams like Vince Lombardi, but with a smile rather than a scowl. He coached all of his sons (Ed, John and Gino) and loved every minute of it.<br />
He treated it like a job. He studied to be a better coach during every offseason by reading books like <i>The Science of Hitting</i> by Ted Williams and <i>The Winning Hitter: How to Play Championship Baseball </i>by Charley Lau and integrating them into his drills.<br />
He continually drilled his teams teaching them the fundamentals of the game and you could tell because his teams knew how to bunt, sacrifice and take pitches deep into the count--and that's why they won year after year.<br />
Each season, my dad would invariably find some kid who was new to town with unfulfilled potential and turn him into an instant star. One teenager who played for my father threw the ball with a sidearm motion and his parents were scared that he would get hurt throwing the ball that way. But, my father took him to a local orthopedist and was told that throwing the baseball sidearm was natural for this young man. As a result, my dad's star pitcher struck out the rest of the league all season long, throwing a submarine ball.<br />
This overnight sensation reminded me of Mark Fidrych, Vida Blue or later Fernando Valenzuela. The following year the kid got drafted number one from some other team, but he wasn't able to emulate the 15 minutes of fame he achieved on my dad's team. But, by then, my dad already had another prospect to work with and mold into another champion.<br />
My father was a Yankee fan so we were initially Yankee fans too. I remember my first game. It was in 1967 at Yankee Stadium, the Bombers vs. the Twins, a Sunday doubleheader. The Yankees stunk horribly that season with a hobbling Mickey Mantle at the end of his career and flashy Joe Pepitone, with his ridiculously long hair (toupee) and swagger. I guess at the time he was going to be the next great Yankee star (laugh). We stayed after the game and hung out by the player’s parking lot to yell at them for autographs as they drove off in their Dodge Darts and Cadillacs.<br />
It became a ritual. First, we would go to the game and afterward to my grandmother's restaurant in the Bronx (149th St. and Southern Blvd.) for a meal of Pasta Carbonara, Eggplant Parmesan and Pasta e Fagioli with Escarole, and then it was back to suburbia in Old Greenwich, CT. (continued)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGV-_xuhz_rwqBSsMlcd-BbOkgmjaUAojKIkOUkbhoJ3Mp82JjtabOYNoCY4c1HUF6lBKYflHvu8sLxgHe5wePq0qFMg-CaP-sDqTD7sUYvuc10-St15oMcf8BXXAsUJTX0D8Fg/s1600/5145D7BBxcL._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGV-_xuhz_rwqBSsMlcd-BbOkgmjaUAojKIkOUkbhoJ3Mp82JjtabOYNoCY4c1HUF6lBKYflHvu8sLxgHe5wePq0qFMg-CaP-sDqTD7sUYvuc10-St15oMcf8BXXAsUJTX0D8Fg/s1600/5145D7BBxcL._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
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<a name='more'></a>Later, when we moved to southern California and found out that my dad's boss at <i>Reader's Digest </i>was related to San Diego Padres' General Manager Buzzie Bavasi, we thought wow-we'll be Padres' fans. But, after going to Dodger Stadium for the first time, we changed our minds, plus San Diego was too far away. Only five minutes in Chavez Ravine and we were bleeding blue--a love affair that has lasted for 50 years.</div>
My dad's sister Irene credits my dad for introducing her to the nuances of the game and his passion for their beloved Yankees. "My brother Eddie taught me about baseball; he taught me how to fill out a scorecard; he taught me about statistics: ERA, BA, OBP, and he taught me to be a New York Yankees fan. We would ride the Subway to Yankee Stadium and pay sixty cents, I think, to sit in the bleachers. We would bring lunch and sit in the bright sunshine watching Joe DiMaggio, Tommy Henrich and Charley Keller roam the outfield. The infielders might have been George McQuinn, Snuffy Sternweiss, Phil Rizzuto, and Bobby Brown; Yogi Berra was probably the catcher. Vic Raschi and Allie Reynolds were the premier Yankee pitchers of that time. I remember other pitchers: Tommy Byrne, Spud Chandler, Mel Queen and Joe Page. (Joe Page was the “Fireman” reliever of his day.) Ralph Houk, Ken Silvestri and Johnny Lindell are also names that I recall. Those were the New York Yankees that I remember from my youth and our trips to the stadium on weekend afternoons with my brother."<br />
I can still remember a lot of "life lessons" from my father, many of which were related to baseball. Here are a few of them:<br />
"Catch the ball with two hands. Hot dogs use one and that's why they sit on the bench."<br />
"Don't slide headfirst and you'll last longer."<br />
"Have you considered taking up golf or tennis?"<br />
"Babe Ruth is dead. Throw strikes!"<br />
"It ain't over until it's over!" (Borrowed by Yogi Berra one of his favorite players.)<br />
"You talk you teach, you listen, you learn."<br />
"Silence is Golden." (Usually directed at me.)<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-56650471614812248952019-07-11T11:27:00.002-07:002020-08-06T16:19:15.453-07:00RIP Jim Bouton <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I got to spend a few hours with Jim Bouton in 2006 at the annual SABR convention in Seattle, WA. There was a reunion of former Seattle Pilots players and he also spoke at the convention's dinner. I saw him sitting alone at breakfast one morning and asked him could I join him? I know it was a little invasive, but I loved Ball Four and wanted to talk to him about it.<br />
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It was a great conversation about certain parts of the book, as well as his second book ("I Hope You Didn't Take It Personally") and we covered a lot of topics, although most of them were not suitable for publication here. We talked about greenies, groupies, cake decorating., practical jokes, stealing signs, locker room banter, bench jockeying, the Yankees, the Pilots, and the Astros and the craziest players he ever knew.<br />
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When he was signed by the Yankees in 1962, many people thought Jim Bouton was a cinch to be a star pitcher, but he actually found greater fame as the author of “Ball Four,” an irreverent, best-selling book that angered baseball’s hierarchy and changed the way journalists and fans viewed the sports world, died July 10 at his home in Great Barrington, Mass. He was 80.<br /><br />
He had a stroke in 2012 and five years later disclosed he had been diagnosed with cerebral amyloid angiopathy, a condition that causes vessels in the brain to burst under pressure. The death was confirmed by his wife, Paula Kurman.<br />
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He won 21 games for the Yankees in 1963 and 18 the following season, helping lead his team to the World Series both years.<br /><br />
After an arm injury, he lost his fastball and was relegated to the minor leagues before trying to revive his career as a knuckleball pitcher.<br />
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Bouton had often regaled listeners with tales of his antics in baseball, and as he sought to make the roster of the 1969 Seattle Pilots, he decided to take notes.<br /><br />
“Ball Four” — the title was suggested by a woman who overheard Mr. Bouton talking about his project in a bar — was published in 1970, with the editorial help of sportswriter Leonard Shecter.<br />
Jim Bouton in 1970, the year “Ball Four” was published.<br /><br />
It was in the form of a season-long diary and was modeled in part on “The Long Season,” a 1960 book by big-league pitcher Jim Brosnan. But no one had ever captured the humor, profanity and pathos of a major league clubhouse with the candor that Mr. Bouton did in “Ball Four.”<br />“When I made it to the Yankees,” he told the New York Times in 1983, “it was like walking in this wonderland, this crazy place . . . With ‘Ball Four,’ I never meant to make an investigation of a subculture. I just wanted to share the nonsense.”<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-64703023091087075282019-01-15T08:29:00.002-08:002019-01-15T08:35:19.163-08:00RIP Mel Stottlemyre <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was sad to see that former Yankee pitcher Mel Stottlemyre (second from left in the photo) passed away the other day. It reminded me of a little story about him that goes back to 1965.<br />
I lived in Old Greenwich, CT until I was 10 years old and the first team I ever rooted for was the NY Yankees, starting in '65.<br />
Back then, they were awful, but they did go 82-80 that year and Mel won 20 games. I still clearly remember the sunny day when I first entered Yankee Stadium 52 years ago and the rush I felt. We didn't care that the team finished 6th that season, I was just happy to be there with my father and my brother.<br />
We probably went to 3-4 games every season. We would always go to my grandmother's Italian restaurant in the Bronx after the game and it was always a wonderful day.<br />
During one game, we realized that we were sitting next to the Yankees' wives and started asking them to sign our programs. I got autographs from Mrs. Kubek, Tresh, Hamilton, Clarke and Stottlemyre and asked them lots of questions, the way seven year-old kids do. I even remember asking them if they washed their husbands' uniforms--important stuff.<br />
After the games, we would run down to where the players parked their cars. I remember seeing Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford and Joe Pepitone up close, although we were never able to get their autographs. The parking area was fenced in and a lot of kids stood there yelling out to the players and every once in a while one of them would come over and sign, but most of them jumped in their cars (usually after a loss) and got out of there.<br />
But, when Mel and his wife walked up to their cars that day, Mrs. Stottlemyre saw us and came over with her husband. "These are the boys who got my autograph," she told her husband, who chuckled.<br />
We threw our programs over the fence and Mel signed them for us, right next to his wife's signature and spent a few minutes talking to us. The other kids looked at us like we were something, because he talked to us and gave us his autograph. It was a thrill for us, because we got to chat with a real major leaguer, something we could talk about at school for the next couple of weeks.<br />
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Rest in peace, Mel Stottlemyre<span style="background-color: transparent;"> and thanks for the great memory. </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-78345627623028891002018-06-18T16:10:00.002-07:002018-06-18T16:14:58.147-07:00Back on the Open Mic Circuit <div>
In 1982, I started doing stand up comedy at open mics in the Bay Area at places like Cobb's in San Francisco, The Last Laugh in San Jose and other little venues from Santa Rosa to Morgan Hill and everywhere in between.<br />
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I remember a weekly open mic at a place called Emerson's in Palo Alto where the Stanford students and locals enjoyed heckling all the comics relentlessly. I also recall emceeing a show one evening in San Jose when a huge fight broke out with one comic and a crowd of young jocks from San Jose State that ended with all of them grappling on the floor in a puddle of cheap beer.<br />
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Ahh, the memories. </div>
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I was inspired by some of the best--George Carlin, Richard Pryor (the best comic of all time, hands down) and the Smothers Brothers, just to name a few.<br />
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The stand up scene in the eighties was amazing and I got to see a lot of up-and-coming comics like Dana Carvey, Kevin Pollock, Will Durst, Larry "Bubbles" Brown, Rob Schneider, Bob Rubin, Brian Copeland, Tree, Steven Pearl and many more.<br />
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At that time, there were 3-4 comedy clubs in San Francisco that did open mic nights and comedy showcases, so you could get on stage. Sometimes it was at 1 a.m., but if you hung in there, you could at least perform for the other 5-6 comics still in the room.<br />
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Now, with a series of significant events happening in my life, I feel compelled to get back on stage. I've always believed that I could do this and make people laugh, but it's the hardest thing in the world I've ever tried to do.<br />
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But, now I am almost 60, and to honest, I don't really care whether I bomb or kill. Maybe now that I literally have nothing to lose, I will be funnier than ever. They say pain and tragedy brings out the sense of humor in some people, so I am going to find out.<br />
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I will write a blog here about my experience, including video clips, art and more on a regular basis. Follow my journey to success or failure, because either way I think it will be at least entertaining. <br />
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My last set 8 years ago shortly after I had a stroke and lost more than 100 lbs.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-72288310871193547862018-03-25T19:39:00.001-07:002018-03-25T19:55:46.677-07:00The Boy Who Cried Cancer <div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">To be on this planet for as long as I have, I must be a little lucky. I have seen so many people leave before their time, and it's always tough to see. Life is precious, but it can be taken away in just seconds, and every time we see some tragedy on the news, we say--whew, I'm happy that it didn't happen to me or anyone I know. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">When I found out on Friday that I didn't have prostate cancer, I was obviously relieved. But, then I felt a little guilty--I wrote a blog back when I found out that I might possibly have it and posted it on Facebook. Thanks to a lot of people who responded, I found out that it's a very curable type of cancer and PSA numbers are often all over the board. So was it a case of much ado about nothing? That crossed my mind. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">But, now that I know I don't have it, I feel a little guilty for scaring everyone. It reminds me of the old classic tale called The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Because I was a very creative kid and told my share of outrageous stories, I heard this one more than a few times. To refresh your memory, it's a short story written by Aesop. A shepherd-boy, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brings out the villagers three or four times by crying out, "Wolf! Wolf!" and when his neighbors come to help him, he laughs at them for their pains. The wolf, however, did truly come one day and the shepherd either lost his job or the wolf ate him, I can't remember. </span><br />
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But, my point is--maybe I should have waited until I got the biopsy before publishing it to the world. If I made you anxious in any way, I am sorry. But, it was real and the support I got from folks has been incredible. So many people stepped up with kind words, phone calls, private messages--I am so humbled and I love you all. </span><br />
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I know now that I have a lot of wonderful friends and I need to get more involved in their lives as well. In the past, I saw that some of my them were going through times, but I was more concerned about my situation than their problems. I didn't call them, I didn't reach out. I told someone the other day that I was feeling guilty about only calling him when I have problems. And he forgave me and said. "That's why we have friends." Now I understand that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Thank you everyone, because this is a tough time, but I know I will get through this and not having cancer sure helps. But the big takeaway here is that I have a lot of friends--real friends and with their help and support, I can take on the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-83962660731106962402018-03-20T17:03:00.000-07:002018-03-20T19:37:25.956-07:00One Shot of Creativity Please, But Hold the Misery! <span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">They say that you have to experience true pain before you
can create great art, but I've seen the paintings Van Gogh did after he cut off
his ear and they weren't any better, although they were all excellent of
course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">If I have to go through a series of personal tragedies to be a better
writer, I'll pass and why does misery have anything to do with creativity? I guess it's supposed to be about the struggle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I'd
rather be a mediocre writer and live a comfortable life, as opposed to dying in
the gutter like Edgar Alan Poe just to be brilliant. Well, for people who have been
reading my blog or been following me through social media, last week was
memorable, to say the least. I found out on Monday that my 9-year marriage was
over and the next day, I got a biopsy because my doctors fear that I might have
prostate cancer. The weekend before, I was hanging out with my dog and enjoying
time with my wife and a little more than 24 hours later I was lying on my side
while my urologist punching little flesh plugs out of my prostate. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Wow, what a turnaround for someone who thought
who had it all! The message is never get complacent and expect nothing, because
we're entitled to zero and tomorrow is not guaranteed. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipntNOUbVUowlkPDdLiwvfN8YTT4ZgIz_vjyWr1Rqyo2lhwT17ewhQwDMG2qDmcOGm4FN_mKXojT4qrblaUV0EJqsMUx_qxDFwZ8ma-MhcIbzyFBXktq6RU7Fr-dV1lmaq6lhRug/s1600/edgar-allan-poe-hires-cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipntNOUbVUowlkPDdLiwvfN8YTT4ZgIz_vjyWr1Rqyo2lhwT17ewhQwDMG2qDmcOGm4FN_mKXojT4qrblaUV0EJqsMUx_qxDFwZ8ma-MhcIbzyFBXktq6RU7Fr-dV1lmaq6lhRug/s320/edgar-allan-poe-hires-cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I realize now that I do have it all, because I have great
friends who are wonderful and care about me. I also know that I need to be a
better friend to the people I love, because they're more valuable than anything
else in the world. I was putting so much love and care into my marriage, I
discarded a few people along the way and now I want them back. I know they will
forgive me and some of them have done so already, but re-connecting with them
will soon be something I really want to focus on now more than ever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For an update, I still don't have my test results yet, but
either way I'm ready for the next chapter. I don't know whether or not I'll be
a better writer after all of this, but I do know that I'll be a better person
and a better friend and maybe that's all I need. </span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-50981737648428365802018-03-06T07:51:00.003-08:002018-03-06T07:56:19.239-08:00Putting Things in Perspective <br />
When something in your life goes sideways, most of us go through the three stages--panic, realization and more panic. I tell people I am going to stay calm, until there's a reason to panic, and then let the panicking begin!<br />
<br />
It's been less than two weeks since I was told that I might have prostate cancer, but it seems like it's been two months. In just 12 days I have changed and it's all for the better, as I've become more focused on what's important while shedding a lot of the crap I was carrying around.<br />
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I've always been impatient and sometimes act a little entitled. I get surly with people who don't agree with me about the fact that I am an amazing individual. I am a bad listener at times; thinking about the next brilliant thing I'm going to say as opposed to what someone else is sharing. I get upset about little things like the person in front of me in line at the 15-limit check stand with 16 items. I yell at people who cut me out off while driving, which happens almost every six minutes here in San Francisco. I dismiss people who don't interest me sometimes and that's uncool, because everyone has something to share. Often, I forget that each individual standing on the planet right now deserves their very own piece of the whole picture, whether it's a CEO of a large company or someone with nothing.<br />
<br />
There's an older lady down the street who is in her 70s and works part-time at Safeway. She is actually a delight and a very sweet woman. She loves dogs and every time I encounter her on our street, she wants to say hello. If you stop, it could be a 20 minute detour and to be honest, she keeps telling me the same stories. She talks about her beloved cat that died in 1998 and how she still isn't over it. She tells me about all of the other dogs in the neighborhood, their names, the breeds, their ages--she knows it all. If she ever forgets her stories, I can recite them back to her word by word.<br />
<br />
For a while, if I saw her when I was walking the dogs, I would act like I was on my cell phone or quickly duck down another street before she noticed me. But, since my recent incident, if I see her I approach her and let her talk. Yesterday, it must have been at least 30 minutes, to the point where she said that she had places to be and said goodbye. She blew me off!<br />
<br />
Most of us live fairly cushy lives. We have our lattes or espressos in the AM; do yoga; take Uber to wherever; enjoy good food and all of the entertainment we want is right at our fingertips. Many of us get to work virtually or only go into the job four days a week. Sure, there are a lot of unpleasant things that we have to deal with--financial issues, health problems, traffic, relationship issues, politics, even a bad hair day now and again--and that can make us snarky and depressed.<br />
<br />
So, how have I changed?<br />
I no longer yell at people while driving. Some guy blatantly stole a parking space from me the other day. After he did it, he looked over at me, expecting me to react and I just smiled and waved. Normally, I would have sprained my middle finger flipping him off while finding some real spicy things to share with him, but I let it go.<br />
Also, I'm not blaming Millennials anymore for all of society's ills and last week I actually talked to one, although she was texting the entire time.<br />
I'm more patient. I saw the movie Black Panther the other day and this gentleman in front of us at the theater kept talking, but I let it go and he eventually shut up.<br />
<br />
I still get mad and frustrated like any other human being, but I'm trying not sweat over the little things as much anymore.<br />
<br />
So, what's my point? It's called re-calibration--like refreshing your computer screen or cleaning your pool--now and again we have to get some perspective and come back down to terra firma. We get caught in the labyrinth and start bouncing off the walls in the same patterns and that's when it's time to shake the bottle.<br />
<br />
It always takes something significant to change my attitude and I've always said that all my lessons have been learned the hard way. But, after this is over, I promise myself that I will never take anything granted ever again, because life is a gift and you can't take it back to Macy's (even if you have a gift receipt).<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-30473518050020032882018-02-28T15:19:00.003-08:002018-02-28T16:49:45.561-08:00No More Anxiety! Today was a big day when I found out if I need to continue on this journey or not, but for some reason, I'm not anxious about it anymore. When I found out last Wednesday that I might have prostate cancer, it hit me hard. I've been trying so damn hard to stay healthy; exercising every day and eating right, and now this thing comes out of left field? While some people have nerves of steel and can be stoic in stressful situations, I'm not one of them. I thought of crumbling like a bleu cheese, but instead I'm coming back harder than a parmigiano-reggiano.<br />
<br />
Friday night for some reason was really tough as I made a lame attempt to shed a barrage of depressing thoughts without success. I tried to clear my mind, but the more you try the worse it gets. But, after writing my first blog about this experience and posting it on Facebook on Saturday, all of my anxiety went away suddenly and completely. <br />
<br />
So much that when I was waiting around for today's appointment, I still remained calm. Now, how is that happening, I asked myself? I guess when you're in it, you just figure out how to deal. The wonderful response I got from so many of my friends on Facebook surely didn't hurt. People from as far back as elementary school shared their experiences about cancer through comments or private messages and I want to thank all of you. It meant so much you can't imagine.<br />
<br />
So, what did the doctor tell me today? Well, my PSA number went down slightly (from 11 to 10), but not dramatically enough to bypass a biopsy. So, in two weeks, I'll be getting a biopsy to determine if I have prostate cancer or something else.<br />
<br />
Sure, it's still scary, but now I have a lot more information and even though I'm not sleeping well, I am fine and prepared for whatever transpires. During this process, I found out that a friend of mine is also in the same boat as I am. He is getting his biopsy next week, so we've decided to start a two-man support team to help us through this ordeal.<br />
<br />
I told him that in October when we're both cancer-free or at least on the road to remission, we can dress up as the Biopsy Twins for Halloween. Hopefully we'll be looking back on this period soon and say--it all came out just fine. <br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Did you read the Bobbsey Twins series when you were a kid?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3kuAZ8XdL3ACUtaXsZaB36nhOnMetqI-91S2gRmFgpOkM4pXhS2YMXCJmkFJngFz_amms3j_8shXFz73ZI4U8XpRi_FMyl-WFNDY4Vjd1gIa86BFNjPTdPofQQlpJ3V3QzTCiQ/s1600/Twins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3kuAZ8XdL3ACUtaXsZaB36nhOnMetqI-91S2gRmFgpOkM4pXhS2YMXCJmkFJngFz_amms3j_8shXFz73ZI4U8XpRi_FMyl-WFNDY4Vjd1gIa86BFNjPTdPofQQlpJ3V3QzTCiQ/s320/Twins.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Or maybe we'll go this route<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YsAXF9Yy7Ex7EVjCEPltq41FnmZPXJGTYTpcxXARen5x__PEH-G0Prz3CDK58JSOs-pwPgY7pZwrwKCL2HN-gYYrUwBou_2ZJjpgUyrb-8mIsHVsU4w_H-9CSrQEeePYHR_izw/s1600/1426365540629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YsAXF9Yy7Ex7EVjCEPltq41FnmZPXJGTYTpcxXARen5x__PEH-G0Prz3CDK58JSOs-pwPgY7pZwrwKCL2HN-gYYrUwBou_2ZJjpgUyrb-8mIsHVsU4w_H-9CSrQEeePYHR_izw/s320/1426365540629.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
But not this one</div>
<br />
It's been an unusual week, to say the least, but something amazing has happened during that time, so I'm riding it. I think we all find an inner strength when we need it, to survive and make it to the next day intact mentally and physically, and at this point, I'm not going to argue with the results or freak out about the future.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-25188499243510171662018-02-24T07:33:00.003-08:002018-02-24T07:51:15.540-08:00Another Battle to Take On I went to the doctor earlier this month for a checkup and got the requisite blood test before the appointment. When you get to be my age (60 later this year) a blood test is a big deal. How has your body held up after rigorous (or non-rigorous) activity and all of the things you've done and ingested over the years? How's your LDL, HDL, RA Factor or CBC? It doesn't matter if you feel great, it's all in the numbers. Today's medical technology is amazing, because just one simple blood test will tell you pretty much how you're doing.<br />
<br />
The doctor told me my numbers were fine, so I thought--wow, victory! But, then a week later I got a call and he told me that he had missed one particular number that had him concerned. My PSA number went up from 4 to 11 within eight months and that's not a positive sign. In a fog, I heard the "C" word and it made my feet tingle. Any time something bad happens (even when I see someone on TV getting hurt) my feet tingle. <br />
<br />
Oh ----, I thought here we go. Shock followed by the realization that we can't control anything in this life. With a carousel of scary things traveling through my brain, I called the urologist for an appointment. "We can't see you until late March." "But I may have prostate cancer!" I said. "Oh wait--we had a cancellation today. Can you be here at 2 p.m.?" I thought that's a little soon, maybe I should wait a day or two to process this before I jump in. But, I figured no--let's deal with this now. Let's take it on. So, I made the appointment and met with Dr. Ed Collins at CPMC here in San Francisco.<br />
<br />
He told me some things I wanted to hear and others I didn't. For one, if you're going to get cancer, prostate is one of the preferred forms. One out of every 36 men get it, but it's treatable if caught in time. So, they are re-testing my blood and urine and I will find out more next week. It's an anxious time obviously, waiting to find out. If my numbers are still the same, the next step will be a biopsy, that doesn't sound pleasant, but what is the alternative?<br />
<br />
No one likes going to the doctor. They stick you with needles and prod you with other devices and it's never fun, but it's necessary. This recent scare makes me think of my late mother, Ann Veronica Johnson. In the mid 1960s, she got a diagnosis of breast cancer and she was so freaked out she didn't go back to the doctor until it was too late. They gave her a mastectomy, but the cancer had already spread and by 1966 she was gone. It was a bummer, because they didn't want my brother and I to visit her in the hospital toward the end, so I only got to see her probably twice during those last two years. I can't blame her--she was obviously scared and just wanted it to go away.<br />
<br />
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I still think of her literally every day. </div>
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So, when I got this news last week, I promised myself that I would make every appointment and take this battle head on. I have lived a good life and I love my family and I have a supportive wife and wonderful friends and I don't plan on leaving the world any time soon. I have dodged a lot of bullets in my life (I used to be 350 lbs. and had a stroke in 2009, but I lost 120 lbs.), so hopefully I don't have cancer. I have been very anxious and can't wait to find out one way or another, but I'm in this to win it and ready to do whatever it takes.<br />
<br />
We get happy and complacent in our lives, until fate throws you a wicked curveball, and then that's when we're tested. My therapy now is to write about it, because after all--I am a writer. As long as I can write, I will tell my story and I hope it doesn't depress people. Life is a miracle that all started when you beat the other thousands and thousands little sperm cells to the egg, so the odds were stacked against you from the beginning. I am hoping and praying to look back on this frightening moment several years from now and say, "Wow that was a scary ride, but it made me a better person and a better man."<br />
<br />
-Ed<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-61427329976404011242017-11-09T09:29:00.001-08:002018-04-05T09:33:10.043-07:00The Teddy Turnaround, Month #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zuts-VLEDZdvH8j0fcRQdntOogo2rqa5KRqJZAxKcsKVsTq6eb6_w_6M4DnDFTVsgn-U_mgovnjcYiop4HCegjOekuuOIBjEP-AnNV6lnE0vczrI3Nt3K2Ok-ClfOjnxqaCKTQ/s1600/Teddy-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zuts-VLEDZdvH8j0fcRQdntOogo2rqa5KRqJZAxKcsKVsTq6eb6_w_6M4DnDFTVsgn-U_mgovnjcYiop4HCegjOekuuOIBjEP-AnNV6lnE0vczrI3Nt3K2Ok-ClfOjnxqaCKTQ/s320/Teddy-12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Years ago, we started adopting senior dogs and since then it has been a roller coaster. When you adopt an older dog, you set yourself up for heart break and most people can't handle it, including me. And don't get me started about the vet bills--OMG. But, in the end, the sense of satisfaction that you get outweighs those other things.<br />
<br />
In March, we lost our beloved Freddy, a Cairn Terrier that my wife Simone found him online. He was allegedly 10 or 11 years old when we got him, and he was a mess--overweight, overgrown and depressed. He had been in a few shelters in Sacramento and then later with the Milo Foundation in Marin, but when he arrived here he had what is known as "shelter trauma."<br />
<br />
When Freddy became a new member of our family, I told my wife if we have him for five years that would be a miracle. So, when he passed on March 14th of kidney failure, we looked at his adoption papers and he passed one day short of exactly five years!<br />
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Freddy was a unique looking dog who always got a lot of attention. "What is that--a raccoon?" people would ask. </div>
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He started us on the path of adopting older dogs, which led to Teddy. The parallels were uncanny. When we found Freddy he was approximately 11 (we think, no papers) and he was originally from Sacramento. So, when we heard about Teddy, an 11-year-old Cairn also from Sacramento, we knew this wasn't random or merely coincidental. </div>
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When we met Teddy for the first time at a meet and greet in Sacramento, he was a mess! The people who owned him loved him so much and it was difficult giving him up. Due to their lives changing, they had to move to an apartment that didn't allowed dogs and broke and it was obviously very tough for them. But, they are happy knowing that he went to a great home! </div>
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Here we groomed him and did a full dental procedure on his teeth, he was a completely different dog. Now Teddy has tons of energy and wants to be walked 3-4 times a day!</div>
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He's a little fashion plate with his snazzy new rain coat </div>
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He is already dictating with his walks and meals after just five weeks with us. On Saturday it was his 12th birthday, so we pampered him and got him a bunch or designer treats from Le Marcel, the doggy bakery here in San Francisco, but he didn't want any of them.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-64859210988659898182017-07-26T08:08:00.002-07:002017-07-26T08:13:23.438-07:00Baseball Player Interview #109: Ed Roebuck <div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6gbeo-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="6gbeo-0-0"><span data-text="true">I love interviewing these old former baseball players. I tracked down Ed Roebuck (Dodgers, Phillies Senators in the '50s and '60s) yesterday on the phone and at first it didn't look promising. </span></span><br />
<span data-offset-key="6gbeo-0-0"><span data-text="true">Getting these guys to talk is sometimes difficult, because I call them out of the blue. I used to send letters first, but that took too long and they rarely called me. </span></span><br />
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6gbeo-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="6gbeo-0-0"><span data-text="true">"How long do we have to talk?" he asked. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6gbeo-0-0">
Not off to a good start, I thought. </div>
"If you want to stop talking, we stop," I said. "It's all your call and I appreciate your time."<br />
"You writers can be a little long winded, that's why I asked. I'll give you 15 minutes and see how it goes. Okay, when do you want to do it?"<br />
"Maybe Thursday?"<br />
"How about now?" he said. "You know, I'm 86. I'm not going to be around forever," he said.<br />
"So, you might not make it until Thursday, is that what you're saying?" I said.<br />
I figured he would find that at least slightly amusing, but it only irritated him more.<br />
Initially, he was giving me one-word answers and I thought maybe this guy is not a great story teller, it happens. <br />
So, I was a little disappointed, but after about 10 minutes, he really got on a roll and after we were done, I looked at the clock and realized that we had talked for almost two hours.<br />
He turned out to be a damn good story teller after all!<br />
"If I have any follow-up questions, can I call you back, Mr. Roebuck?"<br />
"Absolutely, but call me Ed, Ed!"<br />
I love this gig.<br />
Excerpts from the interview will be available soon on <a href="http://www.thisgreatgame.com/">www.thisgreatgame.com. </a><br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30651127.post-91140531279830732192016-10-21T09:46:00.001-07:002016-10-21T09:46:52.276-07:00Airbnb is Not a True Community <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our recent vacation to Oahu almost went sideways by Airbnb.com. If you're not familiar with this site, they connect "Hosts" with "Guests" for a wide range of houses, apartments, condos and other housing and get a rather healthy fee. Their main competitor is VRBO.com, a site we have used many times with good success. <br />
<br />
We found a condo near the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu, HI and signed up to stay there for 7 nights. The photos of the property looked fine and we knew we weren't going to get the Taj Mahal. It looked like a rather tired condo online and the price seemed appropriate based on the other condos and apartments on the North Shore listed there. <br />
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The minute we walked into the condo, there was an offensive smell that we both noticed immediately. Imagine mildew and multiply it by a factor of 10. But, we liked the condo otherwise, so we opened all the windows and turned on all the fans. One bad sign was that there were scented candles in every room, so obviously the owners of the condo were aware of the smell. <br />
<br />
After about 3 hours in the condo, we decided that we could not stay there. So, we looked around and found another spot, after a lot of haggling and phone calls. <br />
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Once they determined that we were not going to stay at the property, they treated us like second-class citizens. They lied to us several times, did not do things they said they would and pretty much told us we were stuck with the entire fee. They told us they would cancel the reservation twice, but they did not. <br />
<br />
The people at Airbnb were as phony as they could be. The first person we talked to said her name was "Jordan" but when we asked her name again at the conclusion of the call, she said Mary. She can't even keep her lies in order. So first off-she lied about her name. <br />
<br />
When we asked Jordan, what if we contest this fee with our credit card company and her response was--"Oh no, if you do that you won't be welcome back into the Airbnb community?" What community? A community where you just take $$ without any oversight? <br />
<br />
The second person we talked to was a guy named Wei. He trashed Jordan for her inattentive customer service, but then did the same thing. <br />
<br />
I realized at that point that the people at Airbnb don't value the renters. They will protect the "hosts" because they need properties for people to offer to their customers. They could care less about us, the consumer and it became evident rather quickly. <br />
<br />
So, we are contesting the amount for the rental with our credit card company (One note: If you ever buy something important, do it with an American Express card, because they will back you 100% on any sketchy purchase you will make). We used a VISA card and they are already hinting that they won't be helping us on this charge. I predict that they will do squat for us. Most credit cards are just loan sharks, but they don't beat you up when you don't pay. That is the only difference. <br />
<br />
One of the worst things is that Airbnb will not let us write a review about this stinky condo. So, if anyone rents it in the near future, they will also be screwed. Airbnb will rent bad properties, because all they want is their percentage. <br />
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So, if you're looking at an Airbnb property, please be very wary. This company does not value you one iota, so be careful or stay clear of them altogether. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><script language=javascript src="http://www.rssfeedreader.com/rss3/rss.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3Ds%26output%3Drss,http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26topic%3De%26output%3Drss&newpage=1&chead=1&atl=1&desc=1&owncss=&eleminate=&auth=1&dts=1&width=300&max=5&tlen=0&rnd=1&bt=3&bs=Double&nmb=&ntb=&naf=&nst=&nwd=0&nht=0&dlen=0&lstyle=-1&lc=Blue&bg=White&bc=Gray&spc=&ims=&tc=&ts=11&tfont=Verdana,+Arial,+Sans-serif"></script></div>Ed Attanasiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10402722505162802672noreply@blogger.com0