Catch up time for Joe Lizura's Blog

Joe Lizura and Family

Yikes, It's catch up time again for my barely famous Joe Lizura Blog.  It's February 7, 2015 which means I'm not keeping up with my goal of weekly postings.  The whole purpose of the weekly postings is really to keep a nice record of what's happening in our life so that at the end of the year I can look back and actually have something to show for the 365 days that will have gone by.

With that said, the last week has been a busy and a little crazy.  Saturday was a great day because I got to spend the week at the home of the Moore Family.  They were the recipients of one of our free solar systems from the Solar Alliance Foundation - that wonderful foundation that I get to be a part of which gives completely free solar systems to injured and disabled veterans who will likely need financial assistance for the rest of their lives.

Installing the donated solar system on the Moore home

In this case, we helped Mr. Moore who had survived both a helicopter crash AND a fall down a 200 foot cliff.  He told me that the only reason he survived the helicopter crash was because it didn't explode, and the only reason he survived the fall is because his broken rope got caught in a crevice between boulders just before he was about the hit the ground head first.  He now also suffers from an incurable blood disorder, so needless to say - everyone at the foundation is wishing him well.  I also wanted to that the folks from Sunrun Solar who volunteered to help do the installation.

We literally worked until dark

There were 7 guys there and they knocked out the system in just one day!

Here is a link to the foundation, www.SolarAllianceFoundation.org.  If you happen to be reading this, take a minute to see how you can help.



Other odds and ends to talk about:  The girls seem to be doing fine in college, so that's a relief!  I can't believe that this time next year we will be making plans for Taylor's college graduation - talk about time flying by!

In The News this past week of course is the Super Bowl.  Looks like the 'Cheating Gods' were smiling down on New England (inflate gate and what not) - and I almost feel bad for Seattle Coach Peter Carroll for making the absolute dumbest call ever made in the NFL when his team was on the 1 yard line and had the game in hand.  The worst part about it is that he'll have to live with that notorious decision for quite some time.

Also in the news, the very sad news of Whitney Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown.  This was such a tragic story, and even as I write this, I had just read that the police have opened an investigation into the situation, with her boyfriend as a prime suspect.  It's just a sad situation.

Brian Williams

And what the heck was NBC's Brian Williams thinking?  Hey Brian - we'e not a bunch of morons, there is no possible way that you could be confused about whether or not you were shot down in a helicopter.
I mean seriously??  I definitely feel bad for Brian, and both he and NBC have some tough decisions to make this week.

I think it's going to be difficult to run promos saying that NBC news is the most trusted, etc., when the main guy probably won't be.  Brian is a good guy, so hopefully something will work out.

Also this week, the sad situation in the war on terror just keeps getting worse and worse, and seems like it's spreading all over the world.  This week the nation of Yemen fell to rebels - after just a 10 day fight, and the story of the Jordanian pilot being burned alive was just to sad to even hear.

You know, when I decided to try and write weekly, I seriously thought that maybe I should just write about the good things that went on - but the reality is, that what goes on around us isn't always good but it is what makes up our lives.

Speaking of good news, the story about the guys who walks 21 miles everyday for his job in Michigan turned into a good story.  As of this morning, he had received a new car and the guy who created his Go Fund Me Account had raised $300,000 dollars for him.

That's it for right now - but I'll be writing about a way you can help disabled veterans tomorrow!

Joe Lizura

Football and Doing What's Right

San Diego, Ca., January 25, 2015.  Okay - time to weigh in on the Inflate-Gate - or rather what sports represents.  First let me just say that I grew up with sports - both playing sports (although certainly not great at it), coaching sports, umpiring sports, and as a fan of sports, which pretty  much sums up everything there is about sports itself, with the exception of being a news reporter for sports.

So the comments I'm about to make regarding my feelings on the New England Patriots and their football issues come from a multifaceted view.  As a kid I played baseball pretty much from the time I was in elementary school until the time I had to trade baseball for working to gather college money - I probably played little league for 10 years.  When I wasn't playing little league, I was an umpire hired by my township of Piscataway, New Jersey.  We had some training before they threw us behind homeplate, and I remember quite vividly that two things where not to be tolerated at any time.  What were they?

First and foremost was 'un-sportsman-like conduct', followed very closely by "cheating will not be tolerated'.  Those two rules were simple enough and I followed them diligently by throwing out my share of managers who were acting like babies, and players who cheated by deliberately hitting someone with a pitch or hurting some else on the field.  There were even a few instances when I forced a team to forfeit their game because they violated the two golden rules.

When I had children of my own, I had the opportunity to coach their softball teams (I had girls) and always obeyed the two simple rules that I forced the coaches and managers to follow when I was running the field.  There was Never a time that I cheated, or allowed my team to cheat, or displayed any un-sportsman-like conduct.

So what's the big deal? Is there even a big deal at all about the New England Patriots playing with footballs that violated the league's rules?  You bet there are ... I can Guarantee You that every single one of those players and coaches have been told time and time again that Cheating in sports is unacceptable - all kids are taught that as they are learning football.  The parents know that and the coaches know that.

Punishing cheaters in sports always resulted in forfeiture by the offending team - there is absolutely NO WAY that any of the decision makers in the NFL offices would have allowed their kids to lose to a cheating team - they would have INSISTED that the the cheating team be disqualified.

Cheaters are disqualified in the Olympics - for crying out loud.  So why on earth is it even an issue for second about what the league needs to do to the New England Patriots - they must forfeit the game they cheated in -- it's incomprehensable to think that anything else BUT that can be the result of their cheating.

Does it matter that Coach Belichick didn't know about it?  Absolutely not - it's his job to make sure that the players, coaches, and equipment folks do their jobs and don't cheat - and if they do cheat then it's immaterial - cheating is cheating and the team that's doing it should be disqualified.

Who cares if it was a blowout??!  It's not about the final score - they were caught cheating and should NOT BE REWARDED by being allowed to advance to the Superbowl !!  What kind of league chairman rewards cheating teams???

What the heck is the matter with the NFL????  Have some balls fellas (no pun intended) - it isn't about "well the Patriots would have won anyway," it's about not rewarding cheating teams by sending them to the superbowl.

Two wrongs don't make a right.  The New England Patriots tarnished themselves - but by rewarding them by letting them advance to the Superbowl??  That's allowing them to tarnish the entire game of football itself.

Shame on the Patriots -  Shame on the NFL - and Shame on the rest of us if we watch the game.

Joe Lizura

A few Random Thoughts and Back to Being "Empty Nesters"

Sunday January 18, 2015.  Just thought I'd jot down a few random thoughts about things.  We just took our younger daughter back to college today, which means both kids are back at school and we are back to being empty-nesters.  It's not really a bad thing, but being that we get along with our kids so well, we actually miss having them around - so I'm a little bit sad at quietness of the house.   Hopefully I'll snap out of it once Downton Abbey comes on.

So I guess that since the kids are back in school, that means the holidays are officially over, so I guess I'll need to take the Santa Claus off the front porch.  Speaking of the Christmas break, it was a pretty good one - although we didn't get to travel and spend it with relatives (gotta change that for next year) we did get to spend some fun times with the kids!

January has been off to a busy start, I can't believe it's only the 18th, because it feels like it should already be February judging by how much we've done in the first 18 days of 2015!

Also from the random category, I'm glad that we actually saw some of the movies that are nominated for 'best picture' by the Oscar folks.  Most notably, we managed to see 'Boyhood', 'Birdman', and Grand 'Budapest Hotel', all three of which were really great films - if you didn't get to see them, they are worth the time!

Today we got to see the teams for the Superbowl!  New England and Seattle - I really wish I could say I cared about the match-up, but there's a good I'll be out on the golf course instead of watching the 'big game'.  Now on the other hand, I would have watched if Green Bay had made it!

Speaking of 'making it', did those two runaway teens really think they could make it anywhere when law enforcement all around the entire country were looking for them?

I'm also kind of glad I'm not back on the east coast right now, because there part of New Jersey where my family members live is covered in ice, and the 50 car pile-up today was pretty close to my brother's house, so I guess once again, there is something to say for living in San Diego.

Speaking of San Diego - I have the opportunity to work on a fun new project and I look forward to writing about it in the weeks ahead!

So that's about it for the random thoughts for now.  Oh, one last thing.  Here is a link to someone who wrote quite nicely what it's like to be an empty-nester, maybe it'll give you a little glimpse into how I feel sometimes.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shelley-emling/empty-nest-syndrome_b_3956231.html

Cheers!  Joe

January 11, 2015.  Fun times this weekend!  Lots of football, went and saw Birdman at the theater last night, the Golden Globes are tonight, and the best of all was being live on KUSI receiving a check presentation donation from our friends at Barona for The Solar Alliance Foundation.

A big Thank You to Barona for their donation!

The Foundation (here is the link:  http://solaralliancefoundation.org) is starting its third year of helping injured and disabled soldiers and veterans who because of their injuries can no longer earn an adequate income and need financial assistance.  Unlike some foundations which provide 'one-time' donations, the Solar Alliance Foundation gives them a completely free solar electric system, which in turn eliminates their electric bill each and every month for decades to come. Now that's making a difference!

Unfortunately, it can't be done without donations, and that's what was happening in Tierrasanta yesterday morning when Dana from Barona stopped by and presented a check for $5,000.

On hand were also Dave Stahl, the car guy who does live shots with the station and one of our veteran recipients, Mr. Greg Roderick who was celebrating the one year anniversary of the installation of his free system from the foundation.

So while watching the Packers beat the Cowboys was fun - it was really the fact that we will be installing another system for a veteran in a couple of weeks due to the Barona donation.

Thanks!!

Joe Lizura

Joe Lizura's Welcome To The New Year!

It's the New Year!  I absolutely can not believe how fast the last 12 months have flown by.  It seems like just yesterday that I was sitting in January saying that "I definitely would blog every couple of days this year."  Yet before I knew it, the year was almost over and I hadn't taken the time to write, which is really a sad thing, because I love to write.

So here goes again ... If all goes well, I'll actually write on a regular basis this year!

You know, with the start of every new year, I think about the months ahead wondering they hold in store, yet it always amazes me that no matter how hard you think about what's ahead that there are so many things that will happen that there is just know way of knowing or even fathoming in advance. This past year was no exception - for example, who would have even thought that we would lose someone like Robin Williams, or that an entire airplane would completely disappear without a trace and with absolutely no explanation - or that we would land a spacecraft on a comet? Or that oil prices would get chopped in half.

What also amazes me is how many great things happen.  In 2014, Tamie and I became 'empty-nesters' which was always some "in the distance" event that would never really happen, kinda like when you're 21 years old and people are telling you "Just wait until you get old!"  These are just things that never really seem like they are real until they actually happy - definitely strange. Our kids are such great people that it was very sad on my end when the reality hit me that they were both out in the real world.

It was great to see our youngest daughter graduate high school, I have never been prouder of both our girls who made it through high school and got into college.  When they were babies, I remember holding them in the late hours when they would wake up crying and it never bothered me in the least - I told myself that I would enjoy every bit of what came our way with the kids and when they both became great young adults, Tamie and I sat down and talked about all of the work, time, and effort (most of it on Tamie's end) it took to guide them into adulthood and how proud we were of them.

So now it's on to a new year, one that will see our older daughter Taylor become a college senior in the Fall (another one of the things that you know is coming but it doesn't ever seem like it's really ever going to happen), and our Madison will get through her freshman year, which is usually the toughest year at school.

I have some lofty resolutions this year, and hopefully I'll have the energy and drive to make them happen.  I'd also love to connect with some of the very close friends I've had in my life who I don't ever hear from anymore (which I always find to be a sad thing).

I plan on moving the Solar Alliance Foundation (http://solaralliancefoundation.org) into high gear - it's a wonderful foundation that was formed in 2012 and I've had the pleasure of directing.

I don't know if there will be a family reunion in the works this year - last year we all got to enjoy one in Myrtle Beach and it was so great to be with the whole family!  I do miss my sisters, brother, and father so very much, so when I get to see them it's always a special time.  Last year I had the extra bonus of seeing everyone in Chicago at my sister's house in May and that was nice as well.

Hopefully they'll be lots of golf in 2015 and lots of time with friends - even though most of the people we know are very busy, I hope that we can meet up with them.

At finally, just a few thoughts about all of those things that await in the year ahead - I hope the tragic events a far and few between, I hope the new scientific discoveries are very exciting, I hope that medical discoveries happen that save lives, and I hope that my family and friends (those I see often and those I think about often) are safe, healthy and that everyone gets what they are hoping for.

Welcome to the New Year!

Joe Lizura

2014 worst blockbuster movie list

Anyone who knows the Lizura family knows that we love going to the movies, and this year was no exception with our family visiting the theaters no less than 30 times.  During the course of the past 52 weeks however, I am glad to say that we did not see any of the movies that made the 2014 worst blockbuster list!  

Among the surprise movies we did see this year, were such outstanding ones as "Grand Budapest Hotel," "Boyhood," "The 100 Foot Journey," and even "The Interview."  Surprisingly, all of those movies were ones that I literally did not have any preconceived notions about whether they would be good or not.

Luckily, we managed to miss the movies on the worst list, that included the following:  "Million Dollar Arm," which I did want to see, but didn't get the chance to catch it when it came out.  Apparently the movie only cost $25 million dollars to make, yet still could not produce a profit.

Also on the list was "Pompeii," which I must admit had 'dud' written all over it, plus who wants to see a movie where we know how it ends?  

On the list was also the movie "Transcendence" which cost $100 million dollars to make, yet only made $25 million in the U.S..

Another movie that we didn't get to see was "The Legend of Hercules," which I guess was a lucky miss for us considering that Rotten Tomato only gave it a 3% on the Tomatometer!

Rounding out the list for worst movies of the year were "Sabotage," Winter's Tale," and "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return," which judging by the fact that this was the first time I even saw the name of the movie would explain, in large part, why it was a box office bomb!

Movies are always a matter of preference, but I think every year there is a "sleeper" movie that wins people over and stays hot for months at the box office - with little promotion.  Last year it would arguably be "The Lego Movie" and I think this year it would have to be "Guardians of the Galaxy."

That's about it for my thoughts on the movies of 2014 - I'm definitely looking forward to a great slate of movies for 2015 - including the newest Star Wars movie in the series (due out next fall.)

Have a Happy New Year!

Joe Lizura

  

The Answer To The Drought - Lake Tahoe! by Joe Lizura

Lake Tahoe, California

I found it!  The answer to the drought is Lake Tahoe!  Check out these fun facts I found about lake tahoe:

*  Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the U.S. with a depth of 1,645 feet.
*  At its longest and widest, Lake Tahoe measures 22 miles by 12 miles
*  The Shoreline of the lake is 72 miles long
*  The elevation of the lake is 6,225 feet above sea level
*  There are 63 tributaries draining into the lake and only one outlet at the Truckee River in Tahoe City
*  Average snowfall at lake level is 125 feet
*  If you were to empty the lake over the entire state of California, it would be enough water to cover the state to a depth of 14 inches
*  The amount of water in Lake Tahoe is enough for every single American to use 50 gallons per day for 5 straight years.
*  The amount of evaporated water every single day is enough to supply a city the size of Los Angeles for 5 years.

So clearly, the answer to the drought must be to drain Lake Tahoe!  Unfortunately if we did that, it is estimated that it would take over 700 years to re-fill the lake with normal rainfall and snow fall.  So, on second thought, maybe we should look to building desalination plants first?

Joe Lizura