A Dog's Purpose?
(from a 6-year-old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued, 

''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, 

and nuzzle them gently........
  

  
  
  
 

Mariachi Festival in Calexico. 21st annual

Calexico--Mariachi music, delicious Mexican food, colorful arts and crafts and traditional Mexican clothing are part of the 21st annual Mariachi Festival in Calexico.
The weeklong event is taking place at the Calexico Cultural Art Center.
Organizers said it attracts hundreds of people from all over the region including residents from Los Angeles and San Diego.
If you think you're the best salsa maker then you should enter the salsa tasting contest on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Hildy Carillo, executive director of the Calexico Chamber of Commerce said the festival promotes the heritage of the community.
But if you think you can hold your liquor check out Friday's Tequila tasting.
If you're interested in attending, the weeklong event ends Saturday May 19th.
The festival wraps up with a mariachi concert at 5 p.m.

National Police Week 2012

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Monday May 7, 2012	Washington Area Law Enforcement Memorial Service(Confirmed) The event will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the memorial fountain in front of the Metropolitan Police Headquarters building at 300 Indiana Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. The service is co-sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Police, DC Lodge #1 and the Washington DC Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors (DC-COPS) and hosted by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Tuesday May 8, 2012	18th Annual Blue Mass (Confirmed) The Blue Mass will be held at 12:10 p.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church (10th & G Streets, NW, Washington, DC). For additional information please call 202-347-2713.
Saturday May 12, 2012	DC Generals Police Week Jamboree 2012 (Confirmed) The DC Generals police and fire football team is proud to host Police Week Jamboree 2012, a public safety charity event made up of two police and fire football games and other activities. The DC Generals will challenge the Tampa Bay Sentinels in game #1 and the Atlanta Defenders play the Philadelphia Blue Flame in game #2. Game #1 is scheduled to kickoff at 12:00 p.m. All four teams are members of the National Public Safety League, a union of public safety agency football teams throughout the United States. Police Week Jamboree 2012 will be held at Eastern High School, 1700 E. Capitol St. NE, Washington DC. The after-game party will be held at 8:00 p.m. at the Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle NW. Visit dcgeneralsfootball.org for more information and tickets. Police Unity Tour (Confirmed) Arrival Ceremony will be held at 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Begun in 1997, the Police Unity Tour has raised nearly $5.6 million dollars for the NLEOMF. Visit www.policeunitytour.com, call 973- 443-0030, or E-mail info@unitytour.com for more information. Law Enforcement United (Confirmed) Arrival Ceremony will be held at the White House Ellipse Park approximately 3:00 PM. Since 2010, Law Enforcement United has raised $245,000 for Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) Kids Camp and $75,000 for Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). Transportation provided from the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Hotel. For additional information, visit www.lawenforcementunited.org.
Sunday May 13, 2012	24th Annual Candlelight Vigil (Confirmed) The Candlelight Vigil will be held at 8:00 p.m. at the 400 block of E Street, NW. The event is sponsored by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. No tickets are required and everyone is welcome. Due to parking limitations, it is strongly advised that anyone attending the event take the Metro Red Line to Judiciary Square. For additional information please call 202-737-3400. FOP DC Lodge #1 Events (Confirmed) The FOP DC Lodge will be hosting the local daily events at 1880 2nd Street SW Washington DC (just a few blocks from the Washington Nationals Stadium at the corners of 1st and 2nd Streets SW and S and T Streets SW.) The event starts at 11:00 a.m. for three days and goes till 2 a.m. Vendors will be set up during this time and will be there for all three days. Our bar and food service will also be open along with music and entertainment. Pipe bands will be required to check in with security before starting to play. No pipe bands will be allowed to play on the May 15 at the site. [ Area Map ]  [ Vendor Registration Form (PDF) ]
Monday May 14, 2012	18th Annual Emerald Society & Pipe Band March and Service (Confirmed) Sponsored by the National Conference of Law Enforcement Emerald Societies, Inc. Assemble at 4:30 p.m. at New Jersey Avenue & F Street, NW. Step-off promptly at 6:00 p.m. Holiday Inn on Capitol Hill, 415 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. 5:00 p.m. staging area, 6:00 p.m. step off. Contact: Mike Roe 314-304-1915 or e-mail irishroe@hotmail.com. National Police Survivors Conference and C.O.P.S. Kids/Teens (Confirmed) Sponsored by Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Hotel. Family and co-worker survivors have opportunities to receive support to understanding grief, prepare for trial, learn new coping skills, and build connections with others. School aged children of fallen officers spend the day at Quantico taking part in activities specially tailored for their age. Visit www.nationalcops.org or call 573-346-4911 for more information. 10th Annual Honor Guard Competition (Confirmed) The competition will begin at 8:30 a.m. at John Marshall Plaza, located on Pennsylvania Ave NW at 4th Street, NW. Awards will be presented immediately following the competition. This event is sponsored by the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police. Contact: Ken Roske Fraternal Order of Police, National Memorial Committee 711 4th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 e-mail: policeweekhg@aol.com www.policeweekhonorguard.com FOP DC Lodge #1 Events (Confirmed) The FOP DC Lodge will be hosting the local daily events at 1880 2nd Street SW Washington DC (just a few blocks from the Washington Nationals Stadium at the corners of 1st and 2nd Streets SW and S and T Streets SW.) The event starts at 11:00 a.m. for three days and goes till midnight. Vendors will be set up during this time and will be there for all three days. Our bar and food service will also be open along with music and entertainment. Pipe bands will be required to check in with security before starting to play. No pipe bands will be allowed to play on the May 15 at the site. [ Area Map ]  [ Vendor Registration Form (PDF) ] Washington Nationals Police Memorial Night (Confirmed) Join the Washington Nationals baseball team in welcoming police officers from around the country during National Police Week. Discounted tickets for the Monday, May 14 game (against the San Diego Padres) are available for police officers. A portion of every ticket sold will be donated to the National FOP Foundation. For more information or for group sales, contact Paul Klein at 202-640-7651 or paul.klein@nationals.com. Game time is 7:05 p.m. [ PDF Flyer ]  [ Washington Nationals Police Week Game ]
Tuesday May 15, 2012	31st Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service (Confirmed) Sponsored by the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police and the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary. The Memorial Service will be held on the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The Service begins at 11:00 a.m. and is expected to run approximately 2 hours. Contact: Andy Maybo (vice-president@dc-fop.org) or Linda Hennie (lshennie@aol.com). The Wreath Laying Ceremony will be held immediately following the Memorial Service at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, located in the 400 block of E Street, NW. Please note: Service begins promptly at 11 a.m. FOP DC Lodge #1 Events (Confirmed) The FOP DC Lodge will be hosting the local daily events at 1880 2nd Street SW Washington DC (just a few blocks from the Washington Nationals Stadium at the corners of 1st and 2nd Streets SW and S and T Streets SW.) The event starts at 11:00 a.m. for three days and goes till midnight. Vendors will be set up during this time and will be there for all three days. Our bar and food service will also be open along with music and entertainment. Pipe bands will be required to check in with security before starting to play. No pipe bands will be allowed to play on the May 15 at the site. [ Area Map ]  [ Vendor Registration Form (PDF) ]
Wednesday May 16, 2012	National Police Survivors Conference and C.O.P.S. Kids/Teens (Confirmed) Day two of conference will allow surviving family and co-workers more opportunities to learn about coping, grief, and build connections. School aged children of fallen officers spend the day at Fairfax Training Academy. In the evening, family and co-worker survivors can relax and enjoy the “Picnic on the Patio” at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Hotel. Visit www.nationalcops.org or call 573-346-4911 for more information.

Dog Fighting Stopped in Phoenix, Az.

Authorities say nine people are in custody after a dog-fighting ring was broken up at a Phoenix home.

Phoenix police went to a house about 8:30 p.m. Sunday after receiving a call about a dog fight in progress.

Before entering the home, officers said they could hear the dog fight and cheering from inside.

Police say nine people were arrested for being present during the dog fight and additional charges are pending.

Quechan Indian Tribe Community Action

The Imperial County Sheriff has equipped all patrol vehicles in Winterhaven with State-of-the-art video cameras, thanks to contributions the Quechan Casino Resort makes to a special state distribution fund.

The new Motorola MVX1000 cameras can be activated manually from inside the vehicle, or by using a remote microphone Deputies wear on their belts. The cameras also automatically begin recording any time the light bar is switched on.

When a Deputy returns from patrol, a secure wifi connection at the station automatically downloads all the new video recorded on shift, where it is stored on a server for later transfer to DVDs for use in Evidence.

Our original grant request was for $45,000, but we found this better, more up-to-date technology, and the Sheriff's office paid the difference, says Lt. Scott Sheppeard of the Winterhaven substation.

The final tab, which includes cameras to monitor activity in the back seats of all their vehicles, along with an interview room video recording system at the substation, came to around $ 65,000.

The Sheriff's office is thankful for the generosity of the Quechan Casino Fund.

Wild Dog Pack Danger

Highway 186 Andrade California

Area of the Andrade Border Crossing to Algodones B.C., Mexico From the U.S.

This is a Notice to Advise You, there are a pack of Wild dog which are not Friendly.

These Dogs are very aggressive. Please Keep Children and Pets under supervision at all times.

This notice is for your Safety and the Safety of your Family.

Note: their is nothing to prevent the Pack from crossing the border other than a possible fear of Human Contact.

Tribal Police / Security and the Imperial County Sheriff's Office have been advised of the problem.

Protect Your Items from Theft

A lot of people keep plenty of valuables around the house, ranging from gadgets and electronics to antiques and art. They worry that if their house is broken into, they'll never be able to get all their stuff back. You can use apps that help you track your computer and phone, but is there a way to track everything if it gets stolen?

Well, you may not be able to track all your stuff with GPS/phone-home tech the same way you can your smartphone or laptop, but that doesn't mean you can't prepare your other valuables in case you get robbed. Any technology with a GPS or even Wi-Fi is pretty easy to handle, so let's start there before we move onto other tech and valuables.

The tech you can track: Smartphones, computers and camerasTrack Computers/Android/iPhone with Prey: We've shown you how to setup Prey on your computer, iPhone, and Android and it's easy. It's also one of the coolest free services around. You can not only find an IP address of your lost device, you can also get detailed Wi-Fi information, do a remote lock, and even snag some pictures of the thief.

Courtesy of Lifehacker

• Find My iPhone/Find My Mac: Apple's built-in service for finding and wiping your iPhone or Mac is easy to setup and totally free. It doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles like Prey, but it will show you the location of your phone or computer and allow you to wipe content remotely.
• PlanB for Android: Android users have the added benefit of being able to track a phone even if you didn't set it up with Prey ahead of time. Plan B can be installed remotely and will track your phone's GPS coordinates for you.

Amazingly you can track your camera as well. Since cameras aren't generally equipped with Wi-Fi you can't track them in real time, but you can keep an eye out for photos taken with your camera that appear on the web. Both CameraTrace and StolenCameraFinder scrub the web looking for any pictures taken with your camera. When they find a picture uploaded with your camera's details they'll send you an email. That doesn't necessarily mean you'll find your camera, but you will see pictures the thief took and where they were uploaded from.

So, computer and smartphones are pretty easy provided you have the foresight to set up a couple things first, but what about the rest of your technology? Well, in most cases that requires a more old school approach.

Michael Miller / Courtesy of Lifehacker

Write down your serial numbers now so the police have something to trackThe reason is that if a thief decided to sell your stuff to a pawn shop the pawn shop has to check the serial numbers against a police database of stolen goods. When you get stuff stolen your first step is to call the police and give them all those serial numbers. If anything you own heads into a pawn shop with the thief, the shop will claim ownership, call the police, and you'll get it back. If you don't have your serial numbers you don't have proof of ownership so you're out of luck. Additionally, some police departments in the U.S. use a service called LeadsOnline that also tracks eBay purchases as well. 

For everything else: A photograph can help you find items being soldFor all your other valuables, say, that antique dresser or the art on your wall, your only option is to get pictures. This won't really do you much good as far as the police are concerned and it won't help you track anything, but you can take those pictures to any local shops the thieves might be trying to sell your stuff at so at least someone is watching out for you. Don't forget to monitor Craigslist as well or just automate your search with Hey Craig.

The above are your best options for tracking where all your stuff has gone and with just a little foresight you can dramatically improve your chances of getting stolen stuff back.