I heard Pam Ellis of Diversified Capital mention several months ago that she taught women self-defense and I thought I would write her up on this blog eventually. Well, Daniel Duran finally got me off my butt to do just that.

Pam spoke for about ten minutes today at the Realtors Marketing Association's weekly meeting in San Ramon. The RMA is composed of Realtors, real estate agents and other professionals asociated with the real estate industry in San Ramon, Danville, and Alamo.

Pam came to talk about the necessity of being aware of self-defense, your surroundings and the fact that there are some strange people on planet Earth that don't value the well-being of others. Pam teaches an eight week course on self-defense for women and is creating one for men also. As she talked, she asked Nate Womack to step up to assist.

It was a priceless moment , one of those -  "Who me?" moments. The look on Nate's face brought some good laughs into the room. After smacking Nate around a bit (just kidding), Pam demonstrated a few simple techniques to demonstrate that you don't have to have her years of training to protect yourself.

Visit the link above on Daniel Duran to learn more about the classes Pam is offering around the East Bay and the type of people she helps you to stay safe around.

If you're the type of person that worries about what people can find out about you on the Internet - it's time to ratchet up your Fear Factor another ten notches. The recent controversy around Zillow allowing anyone to post comments about your home on Zillow seems like just the first of many challenges to a homeowner's privacy.

PropertyShark has upgraded their site so now anyone can find out about your mortgage. Check it out. You have to provide a valid email address, but that's it. I registered using a throw away email address and provided bogus info for the rest. What I saw set me to worrying about all the future scams that are now possible because people motivated by profit have picked up the banner of Free the  Consumer from the Evil Empire of Real Estate!

One thing that is certainly being freed is the homeowner's privacy. 

A bizarre story from Laguna Beach, California relates how a husband-wife team of Realtors committed "suicide by cops."

According to the LA Times - On their final night alive, Kevin and Joni Park checked into a bluff-top bungalow at one of the West Coast's toniest resorts packing a gun and a bag of ammunition. The Mission Viejo couple used a fake name, police said, and paid for their $2,200-a-night lodgings in cash. They brought piles of money and boxes of mysterious documents.

They had come to Laguna Beach's Montage Resort & Spa on Saturday night to discuss a vexing "business" problem, the couple's daughter said cryptically in an interview. But after a standoff with police the next morning, as other hotel guests readied themselves for oceanfront yoga and seaweed wraps, Kevin Park, 49, and Joni Park, 48, lay shot to death in what one investigator called "suicide by cop."

It's a sad and bizarre story. Many Realtors and homeowners are facing difficulties with the recent changes and trends in the real estate and lending industries.

I noted that Joni Lynn Park was the type of person who yelled at people who used her driveway to turn around. I've know people like this, in fact, every once in a while it would irk me too. I actually pondered this quite a bit until I got to the point where I realized - It's just a driveway and not a personal attack or invasion of my space.

From reading the entire article, I get the sense that there were a lifetime of opportunities for this couple to "work on their stuff." What an unfortunate turn of events for this couple, their children and the community. 

The local chapter of the American Cancer Society is preparing for the San Ramon Valley - Relay for Life event to be held June 30 - July 1 at California High School in San Ramon. The Relay for Life is a twenty-four hour event that raises money to help prevent cancer and raise public awareness around the whole issue of cancer.

This past week, Cindy Harper (no relation) attended the Realtors Marketing Association meeting to talk about the Relay for Life. Cindy asked people to stand if they: had lost a friend or relative to cancer or had cancer themselves. There were very few people sitting when she was through - maybe half a dozen out of a room of 125 or so.

For more information on how you can support the Relay for Life in the San Ramn Valley, contact Cindy or visit the website.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY WOMAN IS SECOND TO DIE N CALIFORNIA DUE TO WEST NILE VIRUSSACRAMENTO – An elderly Contra Costa County woman has died from complications associated with West Nile virus (WNV), the second death due to WNV in California this year, State Public Health Officer Dr. Mark Horton announced today. The first death, an elderly Butte County woman, was announced last week. (8/24/06)

Warmer temperatures are on the way and with the rise in temperature mosquitoes will be hatching and looking for a good meal. Last year there were over 8 cases of the West Nile Virus reported in Contra Costa County. Two of these resulted in deaths. 

To help prevent the repeat of last year's headline, the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District held community meetings this past week to educate residents on what they can do to help prevent the spread of the West Nile Virus and how to protect themselves.

What Can I Do to Protect Myself and My Family?

The best way to avoid becoming infected with West Nile virus is to not get bitten by a mosquito. There are two ways to lessen the risk of mosquito bites for you and your family:

1. Protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites; and
2. Eliminate mosquito breeding sites around your home and vacation property.

By taking simple precautions to lessen your chance of being bitten by a mosquito, you can also lessen your chance of getting West Nile virus.

1. Protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites:
   • When going outdoors, use insect repellents that contain DEET or other approved ingredients
   • Wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, long pants and a hat. Light coloured clothing is best because mosquitoes tend to be attracted to dark colours
   • Make sure that door and window screens fit tightly and have no holes that may allow mosquitoes indoors
2. Eliminate mosquito breeding sites around your home and vacation property:

Mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water and it takes about four days for the eggs to grow into adults that are ready to fly. Even a small amount of water, for example, in a saucer under a flower pot, is enough to act as a breeding ground. As a result, it is important to eliminate as much standing water around your property as possible by:

• Regularly (twice a week) draining standing water from items like pool covers, saucers under flower pots, recycle bins, garbage cans, etc.
• Remove old unused items from around your property (i.e., old tires) which have a tendency to collect water
• Change the water in wading pools, bird baths, pet bowls and livestock watering tanks twice a week
• Cover rain barrels with screens
• Clean out gutters and downspouts regularly to prevent clogs that can trap water.
• Purchase an aerator or ornamental pond. This will keep the surface water moving which will make the water inhospitable to mosquito larvae.

 Don't forget that birdbath - hose it out a couple of times a week!