March 2011

The Grimm Legacy starts when a quiet, studious, teenage girl named Elizabeth Rew gets a recommendation from her social studies teacher to work as a page at the New York Circulating Materials Repository. It is a library that lends objects instead of books. Elizabeth may not fit in very well at school or at home with her new stepmom and stepsisters, but at the library she finds a glorious and welcoming world. The description of the regular objects are fascinating enough, like Marie Antoinette’s wig, but there is a secret collection of magical objects like dancing slippers and mermaid combs from Grimm’s fairy tales that only special patrons can check out.

This is where things get really interesting. The descriptions and use of the magical objects combined with the relationships between the four teenage pages make for a great story. When magical items start disappearing and everyone is suspect, it makes the story move along swiftly.

Author, Polly Shulman is incredibly inventive and creative throughout the book and makes the reader race through to see what happens next. She does a great job of weaving fantasy with the lives of modern day teenagers. The characters seem real enough that many teenagers could identify with them. Also, the lead character, Elizabeth, is a good role model with her strong moral courage and integrity throughout the book.

This book is also different because it is really written for a middle school audience but teenagers would certainly enjoy it and adults as well. There aren’t many books out there for this age group and it is rare to find a really good one. I would recommend it for sixth grade and up because there is a little romance thrown in there with the teenage characters.

The Grimm Legacy is a wonderful book full of magic and whimsy that will entertain kids and their parents alike.

Eighteen years ago a movie hit the big screen that should be resurrected. This is me, Carolyn Hastings, exhuming Dave.

Dave was released in 1993. I loved it then and I loved it even more the second time around. With all the “stuff” hitting the proverbial fan right now, Dave Kovic would be a refreshing change.

Bill Mitchell is the philandering and out of touch President of the United States. Dave Kovic is a sweet-natured and caring Temp Agency owner, who, by a staggering coincidence, looks exactly like the President. As such, when Mitchell wants to escape an official luncheon, the Secret Service hires Dave to stand in for him. Unfortunately, Mitchell suffers a severe stroke while having sex with a staffer and Dave finds himself stuck in the role indefinitely. Corrupt and manipulative Chief of Staff, Bob Alexander (Frank Langella) has Oval Office aspirations and conspires to sit in the big seat. He even creates lies about the Vice President (Ben Kingsley) to discredit him and leave the path clear. The First Lady (Sigourney Weaver) who had been barely tolerating her husband, the President starts to see little differences in her husband. As Dave starts to get a feel for what being President should be, he starts having a few ideas of his own.

After Dave spends a day with the First Lady at a homeless shelter, Bob Alexander forges the President’s signature on a bill to cut the funding for the homeless shelter. The First Lady lashes out at Dave thinking that her husband had wielded the pen that slashed the much-needed program and Dave insists that the Chief of Staff makes it right. Alexander flippantly tells him that if he can figure out how to cut 650 million dollars out of the budget he can keep his “lousy shelter,” so Dave goes to work. He calls his accountant buddy, Murray Blum (Charles Grodin) to the White House to give him some advice. Murray says, “Who does these books? If I ran my business like this, I’d be out of business.” At the next Cabinet meeting, with some “simple changes in our cash management,” Dave gets it done and gets the shelters back. The First Lady starts to see something in Dave that she hasn’t seen in her husband, the President, in a very long time and the relationship starts to build.

Dave is light and sweet and terribly thought provoking. Is Dave Oscar material? No, but I’ve seen a lot worse take home the gold statue. Dave makes you think about what the government’s role is in our lives. Government is a tight rope…if it’s too big or too little, it fails. This little movie has a great cast and an incredible heart! I invite your comments at chastings@rockcliff.com.

Q. After a two-year layoff because of the gophers, I’ve decided to plant tomatoes again. My planting area is a thirty-inch wide strip between the house and the driveway facing east. This time, I plan to plant them in pulp containers buried in the ground, leaving two inches above the soil surface. The tomatoes will be planted in planting mix with gravel inside and under the containers. My containers are twelve inches wide across at the top. Will this be large enough or should I try to find a larger container?

A. I have several concerns with your plan. The eastern exposure is not the best for tomatoes. Tomatoes, like most of the summer vegetable,s require six hours or more of direct sunlight per day. They also like the heat from the afternoon sun to ripen the tomatoes. In your case, this may be a mute point as you have grown them here before. An eastern exposure is not the recommended location for tomatoes. A twelve-inch by twelve-inch container isn’t big enough for tomato plants as there isn’t enough room for the roots. However, in your scenario, the size of the container doesn’t matter. You’re planting in biodegradable pulp pots so the sides will decompose quickly from the soil moisture. Within eight to ten weeks, all you’ll be left with is the two-inch rim that is above the soil line. This leaves plenty of room for the roots and unfortunately for the gophers to be a problem again. A twenty-four inch by twenty to twenty four inch containers is the ideal size for tomatoes.

You should be able to find pulp pots or those with rigid sides with these dimensions. Before burying the pulps pots, the inside should be lined with chicken or poultry wire, so the majority of the roots are protected from the gophers when the sides decompose. The container size depends on whether you’re planting determinate or indeterminate tomato varieties. This information should be printed somewhere on the variety label. Determinate varieties are often referred to as “bush or patio” tomatoes, because they grow to a fixed mature size, usually four feet and all the tomatoes ripen in a short period, usually about two weeks. Once this first flush of fruit has ripened, the plant set little to no new fruit and the over all plant declines. Many paste or roma tomatoes are determinate varieties. Indeterminate varieties of tomatoes are called “vining” tomatoes. I like to refer to them as the Energizer Bunny tomatoes as they grow and grow and keep growing until the first frost, often reaching ten feet. They will bloom, set new fruit and ripen fruit all at the same time throughout the growing season. Examples of indeterminate varieties are Big Boy, Beef Master, most “cherry” types, Early Girl, and most of the heirloom tomatoes. Personally, I’d used a reusable rigid sided or plastic container rather than a pulp pot and grow them above the ground. Better yet, would be to locate and secure a site in a community garden.

The fiscal problems here in California and other states have been making headlines the last few months causing uncharacteristically high levels of volatility in the municipal bond market. This volatility has sent muni prices down and has led to sizable outflows from muni bond funds and ETFs. Many investors are wondering if they should be concerned about all the negative press and turmoil in the muni markets. In my opinion, the current muni headlines may mask opportunities for long term investors.

Muni bonds remain a relatively safe way to invest and earn tax-free income. The recent sell-off has led to some very attractive yields going forward. Yes, state and local budgets shortfalls are not going to be solved overnight. However, investors should note that fiscal conditions appear to be getting better. Tax revenues for state and local governments showed steady improvement in 2010. In fact, state and local governments have been running a surplus for the past 4 quarters, primarily due to increased tax receipts.1 States are also being forced to make meaningful budget cuts. These cuts in services may not be pleasant to us as residents, yet they should provide comfort as muni bond investors as it provides evidence that state and local governments are going to do what it takes to stay solvent and meet their debt obligations.

Municipal issuers also have the power to raise taxes and fees to balance budgets and that is exactly what is happening. The state of Illinois, often lumped in with California as one of the states in the direst shape, recently took a major step to solving their budget problems. They raised income taxes from 3% to 5% and increasing corporate rates from 4.8% to 7%.2

Claims of record municipal defaults for 2011 seem farfetched when viewed from a historical perspective. According to Moody’s Investors Service the average default rate for investment-grade muni bonds is 0.03%. This is much, much lower than for similarly rated corporate bonds. The one-year record for municipal defaults was $8.5 billion in 2008 and has declined to $7.3 billion in 2009 and $2.8 billion in 2010. These may seem like large numbers but represent a very small level of the $2.9 trillion muni market.2

Headline risk will continue to be a factor in the muni market. Ongoing budget problems will continue to dominate the news and be a concern to investors. However, muni bonds are at historically cheap levels versus corporate bonds.2 The municipal bond market is essential to state and local governments to fund a variety of projects like schools, bridges, roads and hospitals. These entities can simply not afford to alienate muni bond investors and bite the hand that feeds them. Currently the muni market is being dominated by fear, but fear can lead to opportunity. Warren Buffett put it best when he said, “We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful.”

1. J.P. Morgan, Market Insights, Weekly Market Recap, 1-24-2011
2. Invesco, Investment Insights, Comments on Recent Municipal Market Volatility, 1-2011

Damien helps individuals invest and manage risk. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and a principal of Walnut Creek Wealth Management. These are the views of Damien Couture, CFP® and should not be construed as investment advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Your comments are welcome. Damien can be reached at 925-280-1800 x101 or Damien@WalnutCreekWealth.com.

Q. Tom, we may be in the market to purchase a home in the next 3-4 months and we want to ensure that we are in the best position possible to obtain a loan; please explain the difference between being ‘pre-qualified’ versus being ‘pre-approved’ by a lender?

This is a very insightful question because not everyone is loan-worthy in today’s strict lending environment. Being pre-qualified means you may be eligible to obtain a loan based on what you have told your lender, being pre-approved means that the lender has verified your verbal information as accurate thereby insuring you will get a loan. The verification process includes confirming your credit score, bank deposits, assets & liabilities, employment and a documented history of your compensation. And it is in the documentation process where everything has changed in recent years in the lending business. Prior to the late 2007 real estate market correction, a loan applicant could actually write on a loan application any salary amount he or she wished and the figure was not verified. A person making $50,000 annually could actually write in $250,000 and no one would check it out. It was called a no-documentation loan. In today’s environment, it is hard to believe business was even done that way. As a result, yesterday’s lending guidelines are today’s lending restrictions, based on very exact underwriting debt to income ratios. And everything must be documented. So, the bottom line best advantage for you as a potential buyer and borrower in today’s marketplace is to be pre-approved by an experienced mortgage provider – that is the leverage from which you will benefit tremendously once you make an offer on any home. And, by the way, once your lender pre-approves you, don’t change anything—don’t change jobs, buy a car, pay off any debts, take out a furniture loan, accept any monetary gifts from family members and don’t move any money around from account to account, as it will inevitably affect your loan approval status to your detriment. The upside to all of this: mortgage payments that borrowers can actually afford and a lower loan default rate that in the long run will ultimately benefit everyone.

Q. Home warranties seem to be a prevalent part of most real estate transactions here in the Diablo Valley; how do they work and why would I want to pay for one?

You are right, home warranties are very popular especially here in our area. A home warranty is a one-year insurance protection plan that provides for repair or replacement of the major mechanical, electrical and plumbing components in a home should a component require repair or outright fail to function properly. There is a one-time service deductible fee (typically $55) for each service call; after that the home warranty company has the option of repairing the item or replacing it. The contracts do have exclusions and there are limits to ultimate replacement costs but generally both buyers and sellers see the advantage of having a home warranty in place. The cost of a typical home warranty starts at about $350 annually and will increase based on coverage options (washer, dryer, refrigerator) and square footage; most of the time the seller will pay the one-year fee as an expected cost of selling a home. Professionally speaking, I recommend home warranties to 100% of my clients and personally speaking, I annually renew the warranty on my own home as it provides peace of mind should an unexpected and potentially costly repair arise.

Tom Hart is a practicing Real Estate Broker and a partner at Empire Realty Associates in Danville. He is a Certified Master Negotiator by the University of San Francisco and a Certified Master Strategist by HSM Harvard Program on Negotiation. He is past president of the Contra Costa Association of Realtors (2005) and past president of the Realtors’ Marketing Association of the San Ramon Valley. Tom is in high demand as a speaker & trainer inside & outside the real estate industry.

Spring is here and that can only mean one thing- BASEBALL I know, I know, it means other things too, but indulge an old coot. Anyone interested in this nonsense can join us at WPLJ in Walnut Creek for the annual Trivia Tournament originally played at Kings X in Oakland. We will be playing all day, so come and watch. If you want to play, let us know.

1. “It Happens Every Spring” was a very enjoyable baseball movie of 1950. Who was the star?
2. Who was the very first opening day pitcher for the SF Giants in their inaugural season of 1958?
3. In which stage musical was the song “Younger than Springtime” sung?
4. Who played the title role in the TV show “December Bride”?
5. At what Georgia health resort did FDR pass away in 1945?
6. Sports Illustrated perpetuated a great hoax 30 years ago in describing the pitching exploits of a baseball pitcher, Sidd Finch, who could throw 100 miles per hour and hit the ball 500 feet It was an April Fools Day gag created by a well-known writer. Who was the writer?

February Answers:
1. Ava Gardner 2. Dave Stewart 3. Al Michaels 4. Orson Welles 5. Kickapoo Joy Juice 6. Alan Shepherd

Win Lunch On Ben!
The first person to email or mail, no calls please, the correct answers to all of the above questions will win a $25 gift certificate at The Uptown Cafe in downtown Danville, compliments of Ben Fernandez! Entries must be received by April 20, 2011. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. Please email your answers to info@aliveeastbay.com, or mail to ALIVE East Bay, 199 East Linda Mesa Avenue, Suite 10, Danville, CA 94526. Employees and family members of employees of ALIVE East Bay are not eligible. Restaurant may be changed without notice.

Since October, baseball in the Bay Area has been spelled G-I-A-N-T-S. It’s understandable. The Giants won the World Series and most of the players with whom the Bay Area fell in love are returning.

While the Giants have been taking multiple victory laps and repeatedly hoisting their championship trophy, the A’s have completed a series of moves that should make them serious contenders in the American League West.

Though rebuffed in their attempt to land slugging third baseman Adrian Beltre, the A’s did add Designated Hitter Hideki Matsui, outfielders David DeJesus and Josh Willingham along with pitchers Rich Harden, Brian Fuentes, Grant Balfour and Joey Devine.

Matsui was MVP of the 2009 World Series with the Yankees, DeJesus and Willingham upgrade the corner outfield spots, and the new pitchers will give Oakland one of the strongest bullpens in the majors. Fuentes is a former All Star closer with Colorado and the Angels while Balfour was on Tampa Bay teams that won the A.L. East two of the last three seasons. Balfour’s ERA last year was 2.28 in 57 games. In 2008 he was even better with a 1.54 ERA in 51 games. Devine has been a solid reliever in Atlanta.

The most intriguing addition might be Harden. A former Athletic, Harden often hits 100 on the radar gun, yet health has been an issue. He appeared in just 46 games over the past two seasons and missed the playoffs with Texas last year because he was not recovered from his latest arm problems.

For his career, Harden has averaged more than nine strikeouts per game and has surrendered only 694 hits in 845 innings. If he somehow can stay healthy, the A’s may have acquired a veteran ace at a bargain price.

If the A’s got intrigue with Harden, they acquired one of the most famous players in the world in Matsui. The team’s new designated hitter earned the nickname Godzilla during his eight year career in Japan for his power and speed. He then signed a $73 million seven year contract with the Yankees that culminated in the 2009 World Championship. Last year, he had a solid campaign as the Angels DH with 21 homers, a .274 batting average, and on base and slugging percentages well above the league average.

Matsui is followed daily by dozens of Japanese reporters, which should help raise Oakland’s profile. And while the A’s say they acquired him for his on-field attributes, the possibility of selling tickets in the Asian community is certainly a positive factor for a team that last year generated only about half the attendance the Giants did.

The A’s also benefit from playing in the smallest division in the majors. The Mariners, Angels, and Rangers have two World Series appearances and one championship in their combined histories, and each has lost key players going into this season. And while Texas and Los Angeles figure to be competitive, neither is so strong that the A’s cannot harbor realistic hopes of taking the division title.

For ALIVE East Bay baseball fans, the A’s represent a tremendous bargain. They should be a good team in a winnable division with good seats at the Coliseum often available right up to game time. Many of those seats can be had at promotional discounts at various times, particularly midweek night games. An A’s game might be a welcome alternative to fighting the San Francisco crowds anxious to see the World Champs defend their title.

Maybe if you decide to take a look at the way you have been learning you might discover that this is where an adjustment can be made which in turn will help you have more fun while practicing and playing.

According to Chuck Hogan, “Education would be a complete success if it met one criterion: to make learning fun, no one would tire of learning. They would enter into learning for pure joy of fascination, exploration and discovery. Nobody would be forced to learn. Proficiency and productivity would skyrocket as a by-product of this process. The same is true for golfers. Golf should be pure joy. Learning could be limitless if golf was purely fun.”

So many golfer’s are “stuck” in the same pattern of just trying to experiment with the latest swing advice or golf gimmick and invention that they often fail to see where the problem really exists. Maybe it is all in one’s own head! If you picked up the game out of a fascination and desire to learn, somewhere along the way that passion got side tracked. No doubt golf is a challenging game requiring coordination and motor skill development, but if you are constantly battling yourself within, it makes learning almost impossible to yield favorable results!

Take an assessment of your learning. Is it intimidated by hesitation, confusion, frustration, anger or depression? The trick is to genuinely make learning fun. As O.B. Shallow reminds us; “Choose to have fun. Fun creates enjoyment. Enjoyment invites participation. Participation focuses attention. Attention expands awareness. Awareness promotes insight. Insight generates knowledge. Knowledge facilitates action and action yields results.”

“When you indulge completely in this process, there cannot be fear or anger,” says Hogan. “You can enter into every golf shot without prejudgment of the outcome before it takes place.”

Your learning system and infinite capacity to learn will be open. As long as you don’t get serious about fun you’ll keep improving. You’ll also be a uniquely disciplined golfer who doesn’t get “sucked into” the “golf is hard” beliefs.

Perhaps you have set your goals high and you are, more than ever, determined to have your best season yet. Make sure to also place at the top of your goal list to have more fun in the process!

I was privileged to have worked with Chuck Hogan back in the early 90’s while playing on both the PGA and Nike Tours.

Dave Delong, PGA Class A Professional, Boundary Oak Golf Course

Carpal tunnel syndrome is pressure on the median nerve which supplies feeling and movement to parts of the hand. It can lead to numbness, tingling, weakness, or muscle damage in the hand and fingers. The median nerve provides feeling and movement to the “thumb side” of the hand (the palm, thumb, index finger, middle finger, and thumb side of the ring finger). The area in your wrist where the nerve enters the hand is called the carpal tunnel. This tunnel is normally narrow, so any swelling can pinch the nerve and cause pain, numbness, tingling or weakness. This is called carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is common in people who perform repetitive motions of the hand and wrist. Typing on a computer keyboard and using a mouse are the most common causes of carpal tunnel. Other causes include driving, painting, writing assembly line work, use of certain hand tools, various sports, and playing some musical instruments.

A number of medical conditions are associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, including diabetes, obesity, infections, alcoholism, hypothyroidism, menopause, PMS, pregnancy, bone fractures, arthritis of the wrist, and chronic inflammatory conditions.

Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome includes: numbness or tingling in the thumb and next two or three fingers of one or both hands, numbness or tingling in the palm of the hand, pain extending from the elbow, pain in wrist or hand in one or both hands, problems with fine finger movements (coordination) in one or both hands, wasting away of the muscle under the thumb (in advanced or long-term cases), a weak grip or difficulty carrying bags or opening a jar (a common complaint) and weakness in one or both hands.

Class IV Laser Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Up until recently the most common treatment for Carpal Tunnel has been the use of anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, wrist splinting and surgery. These treatments do not treat the cause but the symptoms only and are not always effective long-term.

Now, however, we have a powerful, effective, non-invasive solution to reverse the cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. Ending the symptoms caused by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome requires stopping the cycle of inflammation at its source. Class IV laser therapy is an excellent method for this, because it is presently the only modality that can both reduce inflammation and heal tissue simultaneously. Laser treatments at Align Healing Center are done with the K-laser 1200 a Class IV Laser. This laser does not cut or burn but is gently absorbed by the tissue. During Laser Therapy the infrared laser light interacts with tissues at the cellular level, increasing metabolic activity and improving the transport of nutrients across the cell membrane. This initiates the production of cellular energy (ATP) that leads to a cascade of beneficial effects, increasing cellular function and health. Therefore, laser therapy creates an optimal healing environment that reduces inflammation, swelling, muscle spasms, stiffness and pain. As the injured area returns to normal, function and strength are restored and pain is relieved.

At Align Healing Center we are having great success treating carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, sciatica, shoulder and neck pain, migraines, arthritis, tendonitis, post surgical pain, sports injuries and more; even if it’s long-term residual pain. Arthritis and degenerative disc disease sufferers can see long term benefits from this treatment without any of the negative side effects experienced with the long term use of medications.

Dr. Niele Maimone, DC is the owner and founder of Align Healing Center in Danville, CA. She has been active in our natural health & wellness community since 1999. For more information or to set up a consult call 925.362.8283 or visit www.alignhealingcenter.com.

“Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?” These lyrics from Katy Perry’s smash hit song “Firework” is about getting your confidence back, taking chances and feeling strong. When you feel good about yourself, your outlook on life is different. You feel empowered, ready to tackle life’s challenges with the attitude that anything’s possible.

One thing that can help you achieve this confidence is getting the right make-up colors that fit you as an individual. I have witnessed this transformation many times in our beauty boutique with women I help when choosing the right lip color the appropriate foundation and eye colors. When you have the right make-up your confidence level is lifted, and you are happier knowing that you have the right combination in cosmetics that match your skin perfectly and just for you. This spring, take the challenge and reinvent yourself. It is time to shine, do some spring-cleaning and change some things in your cosmetic wardrobe.

Fresh Eyes
The forecast for spring eyes are fresh, light and cool neutral tones, with little surprises of color. The neutrals this spring come in a wide range of grays tones from silver to matte pale grays. Pair it with some peach tones to add some youthful tint to the eyes. Browns are fine but switch to browns that have some gray undertones to them to give the eyes that nice subtle rich tone. This will also give you an updated and fresh look for spring. Under eyes add a new twist of color like teal or navy to give your eyes that modern glow.

Couture Lips
Polish your look with long lasting lip shines for your lips. Lips are icy almost nude for a sophisticated yet youthful look this season. Try a nude pink lip color lipstick with a beautiful sparkling nude shimmer pink gloss to finish. There are many so many shades to pick from so you can be original. Be natural and alive. We’re Obsessed!

Beauty Event
Choosing the right colors for your eyes and lips are invaluable, so find out what looks best on you. At The Rouge we listen to your needs and help you select and choose the right colors that go with your very own skin tones and style. We are dedicated in helping you. Now through April 30th we are offering make-up updates to give you exactly what you need. You are special and original and there is no-one like you. Like Katy Perry’s lyrics… “Let your colors burst and show them what you’re worth!”

Theresa Taylor Grutzeck is the owner of the Rouge, Kiss and Make-up Studio, 822 Hartz Way, Danvile, CA 94526. Phone: 925-736-3900 and email: info@therougecosmetics.com