Tomorrow, Saturday May 29^th, the Surfrider Foundation and Volcom are teaming up for a beach cleanup at 11^th street in Huntington Beach. In preparation for the long Memorial Day holiday weekend, Surfrider wants to help keep our beaches clean and wildlife safe. For the first 200 people that attend, Volcom will be giving away a free bag of goodies. The bag includes stickers, posters, socks etc. and Surfrider is giving certificates of accomplishment. Many of the local high schools require about forty hours of community service before a student can graduate. This is a great opportunity for any high schoolers that want to hit the beach, help the community, and chip away at their forty hour requirement. I wonder who chose the day for this. Why didn’t the organizer choose a day during or after the peak of the littering? I guess Surfrider wanted to have our beaches clean before the masses come to leave their trash? Monday, Memorial Day seems like a better choice or even Tuesday but I guess kids are back in school and adults are back to work. Regardless, there will be tents for Surfrider and Volcom on 11^th so keep an eye out!

Reference

I was surprised to read the review on this smartphone app (Coker, 2010). SMSReplier is basically an app that auto-replies to any inbound text message that the smartphone receives. Ideally this is to be turned on before you begin driving. Well first of all, I am surprised that with the level of sophistication on these new smartphones, that they don’t have an auto-reply feature already. I have a Droid and was not able to find any feature like this on my smartphone. Second, this app developer is charging almost $10 for the app?! I wonder if the cost is so the developer will have plenty of funds for its legal defense when the first subscriber (yes you have to pay for a subscription every year) (Iconosys, Inc., 2010) gets into an accident while looking at who the smartphone has auto-replied to? In all fairness, I will say that this is an admirable endeavor and I applaud their efforts. However, when 95% of apps on the Android market are $.99 to $2.99, charging $10 for this simple app is unrealistic.

References
Coker, M. (2010, May 26). Laguna Hills Company Says Its App Ends Deadly Texting-While-Driving Practice. OC Weekly. Retrieved from http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/a-clockwork-orange/laguna-hills-company-says-its/

Iconosys, Inc.. (2010). SMS Replier. Retrieved from http://www.smsreplier.com/

Reference
The United Scottish Society’s Highland Games and Gathering. (2010). Scotsfest 2010. Retrieved from http://www.scotsfest.com/

The Orange County Fairgrounds Adds Value to the County and Populace

The Orange County Fairgrounds is a 150 acre parcel of land that hosts many public events throughout the year. The most popular, largest, and biggest revenue earning event is the annual Orange County Fair. According to All Business (1997), “The 1997 Orange County Fair drew a record 785,994 guests (AB, Aug. 4). Admission revenue totaled $2.7 million, also a record. Estimated interim revenue for the 1997 calendar year is $6.4 million. The 1996 interim revenue total was $6.1 million” (Orange County Fair Will Keep Ticket Prices Same, para. 2). Not only does the Orange County Fair boost tourism, but it also gives aid to local hotels and motels that experience their biggest influx of visitors during this period. Some of the less successful businesses depend on the annual glut of business during the fair event. The Orange County Fair has a long track record of being a family-safe event as well. Compared to the Los Angeles County Fair, another annual fair known for over-crowding, traffic, and gang activity the Orange County Fair is a positive public relations event for Orange County.

During the off-season the Orange County Fairgrounds are host for many other events that also stimulate the local economy. Each weekend, rain or shine, the Fairgrounds host one of the largest swap meets in California. Many local businesses are represented at the swap meet. In addition to the swap meet, the larger venues play host to trade shows such as arts and crafts, gun, and dog shows. The Orange County Fairgrounds also has a large amphitheater that hosts live concerts for many talented artists both currently popular and also historically popular acts. These concerts are another boost to tourism as many people come in from out of town to attend. In addition to the earning potential, the Orange County Fairgrounds also has educational value. The Fairgrounds has several barns and corrals that contain animals such as cows, horses, and pigs as well as large plots of land dedicated to gardening. Children often visit these areas and educational tours are available free. Signage and informational material are posted for educational purposes for all visitors to take advantage of.

State Government Use of Long-Term vs. Short-Term Critical Thinking

The state of California is experiencing a financial crisis and has a multi-billion dollar budget deficit. Recently, the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, with the aid of financial analysts and advisors have created and published a list of state owned properties that he intends to put up for sale. The Orange County Fairgrounds is on this list and even though there is a general uproar over the decision, Serna (2010), “The governor has expressed pretty clearly that no matter what he’s selling the property” (City, state talk sale, para. 4). The sale of the property could earn millions of dollars for California yet it is a short-term solution to a long-term problem and will have far-reaching effects for the Orange County. The funds earned from the sale may go to different parts of California, not just to Orange County. This sale will also eliminate a large revenue source for Orange County as well as affect the local economy and tourism industry.

The Orange County Fairgrounds is a tremendous source of financial revenue, local tourism, and positive public relations for Orange County. Sale of the property will cost the county more than just a lost revenue stream but also a source of pride and identity for its residents. The state government in proposing the sale of the 150 acre parcel of land has not applied critical thinking skills to the larger picture. The long-term local effects of the sale greatly out-weigh the short-term statewide benefits. The financial analysts and politicians in Sacramento are looking at their bottom line and don’t realize that they will be negatively effecting a historically high earning county.