A 5.4 Earthquake Rattles Southern California

I survived another one!

© Edward G. Roberts

A 5.4 (Richter scale) earthquake struck the Southern California area at 11:42 am this morning. The quake was centered in Chino Hills, approximately 30 miles from where I live in Huntington Beach. It has been a few years since a notable earthquake rattled the psyches of Southern Californians. This quake was definitely one of the most notable earthquakes I experienced during my 50 years in the Southern California area.

Opening Day of the 2008 Honda US Open of Surfing

Huntington Beach (Surf City), California

© Edward G. Roberts

An overcast morning on opening day of the 2008 Honda US Open of Surfing

As it has so often in the past, opening day of the 2008 Honda US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California greeted everyone with overcast skies and 2-3 ft. waves. In the main surfing stadium alongside the Huntington Beach Pier, the first round of the boy’s O’Neill US Open Junior Pro qualifying was in the water. Further south in the second contest area, the first round of the men’s Honda US Open of Surfing qualifying was underway. Surrounding the surfing contest area, construction crews were busy erecting the tent village which will be the home of the Go211 beach festival for the next ten days. Read entire story…..

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2008 O’Neill US Open Junior Pro

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The US Open of Surfing, Huntington Beach, California

An Annual Southern California Surf Festival

© Edward G. Roberts

Final day at the US Open of Surfing

The hot summer days of late July annually bring to Huntington Beach, California many of the top professional and amateur surfers from around the world for the Honda US Open of Surfing competition and festival. One of the premiere surfing events in the world, the Honda US Open of Surfing also brings thousands of visitors to the Huntington Beach Pier every year. In addition, the sand surrounding the Honda US Open stadium grows into a mini tent city with numerous displays, vendors, and extreme sporting events. For ten days the downtown Huntington Beach area becomes one giant beach party. Read entire story…..

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Rob Machado - 2005 US Open of Surfing

Dane Reynolds - 2007 US Open of Surfing

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Understanding The Lower Extremity Angiogram Procedure

A Personal Account of All the Details

© Edward G. Roberts

Introduction

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD), also called peripheral artery disease (PAD), usually afflicts people over age fifty. PVD refers to any disease of the human circulatory system not involving the brain or heart. In the United States, approximately 10 million people suffer from PVD. This number is expected to increase as more people grow older. Men are more likely to develop PVD than are women. Atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty materials in the blood vessels, is the most common condition creating PVD. Primary causes of PVD are smoking, diabetes, and obesity. A person’s legs, arms, and kidneys are the most common areas where PVD manifests itself with the legs being the most frequent place. When it has been determined that a patient has PVD, one of the medical tests to determine the severity of the PVD is called an angiogram, or angiography.

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Femoral popliteal bypass

You’ve Got Cancer

The Official Verdict From The Doctor Is In!

© Edward G. Roberts

Today’s doctor appointment was scheduled weeks ago and for a long time I feared this would not be a pleasant day. I was seeing a pulmonologist for the first time regarding a potential issue with my left lung. Although I‘ve been seeing several doctors for several years because of several other health issues, I never imagined I would be facing the challenge this new doctor presented me today. I was informed I have lung cancer and severe emphysema.

Baby Boomers – What’s in Their Future?

How Will They Survive in Their Golden Years?

© Edward G. Roberts

Persons born between the years 1946 – 1964 belong to the group known as the baby boomer generation. During those years, approximately 76 million babies were born in the US. According to the US Census Bureau, the 2005 estimated total number of baby boomers stood at 78.2 million. Beginning in 2008, the oldest of the baby boomers reached retirement age of 62.

The Huntington Beach, California, Fourth of July Parade

An Annual Southern California Tradition

© Edward G. Roberts

An annual tradition in the City of Huntington Beach, California, (also known as Surf City) is the Fourth of July parade. The parade is part of the Huntington Beach Fourth of July Festival which is the largest Independence Day celebration in Southern California. In 2008, in addition to the parade, the three day festival includes: an old fashioned pancake breakfast at Lake Park, the Surf City 5K run and Fitness Expo, a three day Pier Festival, and the Fireworks Show later in the evening. Many family activities and plenty of entertainment are available on Main St. and surrounding areas during the event. Read more

The Ultimate Embarrassment

The LA Lakers Blow the 2008 NBA Championship

© Edward G. Roberts

Game four of the 2008 NBA championship series between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers promised to be the defining game of the series to this point. The Lakers, trailing the series two games to one, could create a brand new series by winning game four and going to game five all tied up: two to two.

M.L. King’s “I Have a Dream”

And Marjorie Agosin’s Poem “English” Style Comparison

© Edward G. Roberts

On August 23, 1963 I was about to embark upon my junior year in high school. It was a hot summer in Los Angeles. My friends and I did what most teenagers typically did during summer vacation back then: nothing. We were aware of the racial problems in the South, but in our “little world” those problems had very little impact. One of my best friends was a Negro boy named Jules. He lived in a predominately black neighborhood in Pasadena however; his family, friends, and neighbors treated me “like one of their own.” I was just the “white boy.” In my world, Jules was my family; there wasn’t any racial prejudice.

Should Medical Marijuana Be Legal?

© Edward G. Roberts

Red lights flashed everywhere. Police radios shrieked a conundrum of excited voices. Cops crouched in the street with gleaming pistols aimed at a skinny young Caucasian fellow holding both hands in the air while standing beside his dilapidated car. A perilous criminal arrest was taking place right in front of my home. The year was 1959, I was eleven years old. Witnessing the capture of this dangerous outlaw, for suspicion of marijuana(1) possession, was my first encounter with the forbidden drug. A few years later, I was formally introduced to recreational use of marijuana. I became an occasional user of pot(2). Read more