Changing Seasons
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"In the depth of winter I finally learned that there
was in me an invincible summer.
"
Albert Camus
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Our Mission:
We believe that nothing is more important than serving the needs of our clients. We like to touch base on a regular basis so that we know what you need and how to help. We send our Client Call to you each month to let you know that your business is important to us. In every issue, we strive to find the most interesting, effective information and web-based tools for our clients.
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PrivacyPolicy |
The ClientCall is distributed to customers of Kenneth Robbins Insurance Services, and others recipients, by request. We do not sell, rent or share our subscribers' information (subscriber name, company and email address). We highly value our customer's privacy as well as their trust in our discretion and services. If you have any questions regarding our policies, please do not hesitate to contact us. |
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We welcome your suggestions as to how we can expand our customer care, so please feel free call or send us a fax or email. If you need supplies or service, we consider that a priority and will endeavor to meet your needs in the most expedient manner. Telephone: 818.884.8554, Fax: 818.884.6696 and Email: robbinsinsurance@attglobal.net
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Good afternoon:
It's almost summer (for real), so
we thought this would be a good time for an object lesson. (Also, we promised
to lighten up a little, give you some fun things to learn and experience.
However, we will still cover some business in our BulletinBoard regarding the Extender's Bill, so please make sure
you check out of this info).
Summer Solstice
This
edition of ClientCall is devoted to all of our Wiccan, Druid, Pagan clients ...
and if we don't have any of those, anyone who's interested in why the days are
getting longer and warmer.
June
21st is the longest day of the year and marks the Summer
Solstice. In the Summer Solstice, the
northern half of the Earth is tilted towards the Sun (the Sun is north of the
equator at the time). If you're lucky enough to live in Topeka (and who wouldn't consider himself "lucky!"), the altitude of the Sun at noon is
73.5°, which is as high as the Sun ever gets at that latitude. Since the Winter
Solstice, the sun has been rising higher in the sky and continues through the Vernal
(spring) Equinox.
At
the time of the Summer Solstice, our hemisphere is gets more direct sunlight
and higher temperatures (summer). During the summer, the Sun is also above the
horizon longer than it is during the winter. As noted above, the Summer
Solstice is the longest day of the year; from that day forward, we start to
lose a little more daylight as we approach the Autumn Equinox.
While
we're slathering on SPF 50 and heading to the beach with bikinis and Ray-Bans, the
southern half of the Earth is tilted away from the Sun. If you were living in Neuquen, Argentina
(roughly -40° S latitude), you would be bundled up for the winter. (As you
know, summer is winter in Australia,
too. However, we doubt there's a lot of
bundling up in the Outback, but that's just a guess.)
During the Summer Solstice, there
are 24 hours of daylight north of
the Arctic Circle (66.5° north of the equator) and 24 hours of darkness south of the Antarctic Circle (66.5° south of
the equator). The sun's rays are directly overhead along the Tropic of Cancer
(the latitude line at 23.5° north, passing through Mexico, Saharan Africa, and
India) on June 21.
If you're thinking of
visiting the Antarctic Circle (of in the
vicinity of), first check out the horror flick "30 Days of Night" from Netflix:
30 Days of Night (2007)
R
"When a month-long period of
darkness sets in on the tiny Alaskan town of Barrow, the locals are visited by
a flock of bloodthirsty vampires who are eager to take advantage of the no-sun
zone, prompting the town sheriff (Josh Hartnett)
to act fast to save the day."
The best line from the film is
when the lead vampire says, "we should have thought of this sooner" (or
something like that).
If you are not a *Netflix customer
and need a little help entertaining your little darlings this summer, considering
a basic membership for about $9 per month. You may check out one DVD at a time,
keep it as long as you want without late fees or mail the DVD in the pre-paid
envelope the morning and receive another DVD the day after (for example, mail
on Monday, Netflix receives Tuesdays and ships next DVD to arrive on Wednesday -
really fast turnaround. Also, Netflix a feature: "Watch Instantly on Your PC." You do need to purchase a
Netflix-ready device, but once connected you can watch unlimited DVDs and still use their mail order feature.
So, just plop the little rug rats in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn and
keg of cola and relax!
Summer Solstice Fun FAQs
* Did you know that the term "honeymoon" derives from a Pagan wedding
ceremonial rite? The Midsummer moon or the "Honey Moon" is the name for
the mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding ceremonies
performed at the Summer Solstice.
* Ancient Pagans celebrated Midsummer with bonfires, when couples would
leap through the flames, believing their crops would grow as high as the
couples were able to jump (so, was this the foundation for pole vaulting?)
·
Midsummer was thought to be a time
of magic, when evil spirits were said to appear (no, not your children during
summer vacation!). To thwart them, Pagans often wore protective garlands of
herbs and flowers.
Without the tilt of the earth's
axis, we would have no seasons (sort of like SoCal with the exception of the
brief, but often torrential rainy season). The sun's rays would be directly
overhead of the equator all year long. Only a slight change would occur as the
earth makes its slightly elliptical orbit around the sun. The earth is furthest
from the sun about July 3; this point is known as the aphelion and the earth is
94,555,000 miles away from the sun. The perihelion takes place about January 4
when the earth is a mere 91,445,000 miles from the sun. (Yes, there will be a
quiz...)
Please feel free to join us at the
agency bonfire event and remember to wear non-flammable pants. We'll supply the
fermented mead...
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| Enterpreneur.com | |
8 Mistakes That Devastate Business Owners
Must-know info to help you avoid
personal financial ruin
From Business on Main, June 07, 2010
...what are some of the
most costly oversights that can devastate unsuspecting business owners? What
information might help save business owners from personal financial ruin? Click
here for the full article: 8 Mistakes...
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 InternetIntel | |
The Santa Barbara Solstice Festival begins Friday June 25th, 2010.
Friday Hours from 4-9 PM. Festival Hours
on Saturday noon to 8 pm.
Festival Highlights:
· Food and beverages from
local restaurants.
· Arts and crafts boutique with more than 75 vendors.
· A large "drum circle" formed by parade participants and
anyone who cares to join in the beat on Saturday only.
· Beer and Wine
Garden Friday 4-8 pm,
Saturday noon to 7 pm
* Legal disclaimer: Kenneth Robbins Insurance Services and the ClientCall provide information and links to web sites to our readers as a courtesy . We do not endorse, guarantee or substantiate any of the information provided; it is the reader's responsibility to carefully review all information given herein.
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 BulletinBoard | |
From California Heathline:
Medicaid Funds Restored to
'Extenders' Bill, More Changes in the Works
On Tuesday, Senate Finance
Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) offered a substitute amendment to the
so-called "extenders" bill (HR 4213) that would restore about $24
billion in additional federal Medicaid assistance to states through June 2011,
CQ Today reports.
The boost in funding would extend
funding allocated in the 2009 federal economic stimulus package that is
scheduled to expire in December (Rubin [1], CQ Today, 6/8).
The Medicaid provision was omitted
from the House-approved extenders bill to alleviate House members' concerns
over the bill's cost and secure enough votes in that chamber for passage
(California Healthline, 6/8).
The restoration of the Medicaid
funding and other changes to the bill would raise the bill's cost to about
$140.2 billion, CQ Today reports. The bill would raise the federal deficit by
about $77.5 billion, according to a new Congressional Budget Office estimate
(Rubin [1], CQ Today, 6/8).
The extenders bill remains largely
unchanged from the House-approved version. Last Wednesday, Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Senate Democrats plan to introduce amendments
that would:
* Extend COBRA subsidies for unemployed U.S. residents, a provision that
was omitted from the House-approved bill (Rubin [2], CQ Today, 6/8). The
amendment by Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.) would cost $7 billion, CongressDaily
reports; and
* Delay the scheduled 21% cut to physicians' Medicare reimbursements
through 2013 -- two years more than the House-approved bill -- at a cost of
about $40 billion, according to CongressDaily.
As you can see, the bill is still
in play, with a new development regarding H.R. 4213, the American Jobs and
Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010: U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business
and Entrepreneurship Ranking Member Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) and Committee
Member Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY.) objected to a provision of the measure that
would impose a 15.3 percent payroll tax on some S Corporations, the major
entrepreneurial form of business ownership that has been the single biggest job
generator. The lawmakers, who said the job-killing tax hike would cripple
American entrepreneurs' ability to hire new workers, filed an amendment to H.R.
4213 to strike Section 413 from the bill.
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| About Us:
Kenneth Robbins Insurance Services
20501 Ventura Blvd., Suite 384
Woodland Hills, California 91364
Tel: 818.884.8554,
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