I am afraid of bears

I am afraid of bears. I’ll admit it. The only type of bears that do not give me an icy cold tingling sensation and deep in the gut fear when I think about them are teddy bears and Yogi bear. I am sure my fear is irrational. I have read that the chances coming face to face with a bear are low.

My fear of bears started, oddly enough, while I waited to get a hair cut. The hairdresser provided magazines for customers to read and on that fateful day, I decided to read an outdoor magazine that had an article on humans being attached by bears. The article was graphic and included first hand accounts from those who had witnessed or experienced a bear attack. Reading it sent chills down my spine and from that day forward I have been afraid.

I felt the need to announce my fear for you because I just came across a news release from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission discussing Florida black bears. Yes, we have bears in Florida. No, I have never seen one. I have listed and sold property in Lake County where the owners of the property said they have seen bears roaming around. I made sure I never showed those properties alone and I always made a lot of noise whenever I had to visit the house alone thinking the noise would keep the bears away.

The news release told of a Lee County, Florida woman who encountered a bear while at work. The report says the bear bumped into her! Either instinctively or because she knew the proper actions to take when face to face with a bear, this woman was able to get away safely. According to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer if you meet up with a bear, you should; “Remain standing straight up; back up slowly; speak in a calm, assertive voice; do not run or play dead; and leave the bear a clear escape route.” Florida residents are also encouraged to; “remove or secure anything that might attract animals, such as garbage cans, pet food, birdseed, outdoor grills and compost bins’ in order to reduce the chances of meeting up with a bear.

I think those are great suggestions and will be sure to make sure my 6’4” frame is standing straight up if I ever meet a bear, provided I have not passed out.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission News Release

We ain’t getting no younger baby!

A report from the Census Bureau says that the number of people in the world 65 or over will triple by 2050. The projected numbers are 516 million in 2009 to 1.53 billion in 2050. From a REALTOR in Florida’s point of view, the increase of world citizens should equal a steady influx of retirees wanting to spend their golden years in active adult communities, condos and town homes.

Of course all these new senior citizens will require some additional adjustments and changes.

• The President in 2050 will need to ask congress for a bailout to keep businesses that offer senior citizens discount afloat.
• Environmentalists will push for the development of eco-friendly materials to be used in the manufacturing of walking canes citing concern over the disappearing forests.
• Network TV prime time programming will be from the hours of 4 a.m. until 7 a.m. in order to reach a larger portion of the population that are awake.
• 911 will be changed to just 1 to make it easier to dial and remember.
• Restaurants will display, “No shoes, no dentures, no service” signs.

There is a strong possibility that I will be a card-carrying member of that group in 2050. As fair warning to everyone reading this, I never plan on relinquishing my driver’s license.

What is Google trying to say?

I just conducted a search of my name in Google like I imagine a lot of obsessive personality types do more often than we should. My search resulted in the usual links.

You can find a link to my real estate web site displayed at the top followed by links to real estate articles I have written for ezine articles.

You can also find a craigslist post advertising one of our homes for sale, a couple of links to this blog and additional real estate information that I submitted to a real estate creative investor site.

All the normal stuff.

But then when looking at sponsored links on this particular search there is only one showing.

"10 Tips to Lose Belly Fat"
www(dot)FatLoss>"

Since the results page for my name is only about real estate and me and assuming that sponsored links follow the theme or have something to do with the page results, I am feeling a bit insulted.

Thanks Google, as if I am not already conscious enough about the few extra pounds I am carrying.