Off-leash dog beach in Newport is good for animal socialization

I am an Orange County resident, and I’m writing to voice my support of Supervisor Michelle Steel’s Item No. 32, which would allow the county to designate off-leash areas for dogs, particularly for the dog beach in the unincorporated area next to Newport Beach.

The area between Newport Beach and Huntington Beach is a local treasure for both dogs and their owners, and it has been for decades. The rough surf smaller and older dogs face at other dog beaches is mitigated by a gentle stream of runoff heading out into the ocean. There are simply not enough areas available for off-leash socialization, and there is certainly no experience quite like the one we have with Dog Beach.

Martha Beauchamp

Newport Beach

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Support carbon, dividend fee

Thanks to the Daily Pilot for printing the op-ed (“Earth Day begins with picking up trash but there’s so much more to do,” April 21). Citizens’ Climate Lobby is indeed active in working toward a carbon fee and dividend solution to climate change. California is in a unique situation; we can pass a carbon fee and dividend because both the Legislature and governor are advocates of slowing climate change. Once California starts it, the world will follow!

James A. Martin.

Huntington Beach

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A sense of humor keeps us healthy

Humor books by comedians kick around the idea of amusement without, usually, arriving at a firm conclusion as to what it might be. As if comedians don’t know what funny is. And maybe they don’t.

Then again, they might be joking. After all, that’s what they do for a living.

In any case, living a life of comedy seems to result in an interesting personality type. Clever folks. Brilliant, even. No matter what happens, they keep their cool, find something to laugh at, and always look at the bright side of life. How do they do it?

Here, perhaps, is the comedic mind:

• Life rolls along a fairly predictable path. And things do go wrong. Most people just put up with it. They are barely aware of the outrages and absurdities.

• Not comics. Comics go, “Hold it! This is ridiculous! This is a joke!”

• They show how life should be — right, rational and fair.

• Then they contrast that with how it is — wrong, irrational and unfair.

• That split between ideal and real is the absurdity. That’s the joke.

• But they keep their comedic cool, their amused lightness of being. They care about people and life, but they don’t get overly attached to either side — either to the way things are, or to the way they should be.

• They just tell us about it, and we all laugh.

In doing that, comedians teach us four basic lessons of life: 1) face reality and its disappointments — don’t be intimidated; 2) keep your mind free and creative, always searching for a new, better angle; 3) do what you can do to improve things, and when you have done that; 4) laugh.

(Hey — it could have been worse.)

Dr. Steve Davidson

Newport Beach