A young Los Angeles actor in need of a second job to pay his bills has come up with a brilliant way to supplement his income—people walking.

Chuck McCarthy originally considered becoming a dog walker to earn some extra cash, but soon realised that the job required more than walking dogs on a leash. However, walking people didn't require much when they were out on walks. Chuck realised there was money to be made if he walked people around Los Angeles instead.

It might sound like a joke, but The People Walker, as he calls himself, is very serious about his new job. For $7 per mile, he offers to walk with clients around L. A. , listening to their problems or simply making conversations and offering them a sense of security. At 6-feet, 2-inches, and sporting a bulky figure and bushy beard, Chuck doesn't look like the kind of guy you'd want to mess with.

Chuck's services are aimed at people who need a motivational boost to go walking, those who don't feel safe walking alone in some areas, and those who are afraid that people might see them walking by themselves and think that they have no friends. "I wear my The People Walker shirt upon request and on the first walk with a new client, so they can be 100% sure it's me, " McCarthy says. However, he admits some people are a bit uncomfortable with this policy, as they don't necessarily want everyone to know that they're being walked.

So far, Chuck McCarthy has already had another five people walkers employed, covering various areas, like downtown L. A. , Hollywood, Eagle Rock, or Fairfax. Once he posted signs around the city, his phone started ringing and clients began rolling in. And with all the free publicity he has been getting in the press lately, more requests are coming.

While he hopes that his acting career will pick up soon, in the meantime Chuck is very happy with his people walking business. After all, it's literally a walk in the park and it pays the bills.

My Grandpa Forgets Who I Am

A few days ago I visited my grandfather in hospital. He has Alzheimer's—a degenerative disease that usually starts slowly and gets worse over time. I thought I was prepared to see him. I knew chances were slim that he'd actually recognize me.

He didn't. As a matter of fact, he had no idea that he even had grandchildren. But he was excited that somebody came to visit him. I tried to explain to him who I was. But after he told me multiple times that he didn't have grandchildren, I gave up. And my heart broke into a million little pieces.

I was tired of explaining things to him. So I just smiled. He smiled back. It's a genuine smile. Like a long time ago, when he'd take me by the hand and made this big world a little bit less scary for me. Now I have to take his hand.

We sat in silence for a little while, before he told me to call my grandmother. This was the first time I had tried so hard to hold back tears. My grandmother died four years ago and he didn't remember. He thought she was stuck on her way to pick him up.

My grandfather used to be a strong, hard-working man. He was the person you turned to when you needed your car fixed, your tires changed or something heavy to be carried. Sadly, that man left this world a long time ago, and left behind a man that is lost and scared.

I want to help him. I want to make him feel better. I want to tell him about his old life, and how great it was. So I sat with him and I held his hand, and every once in a while I told him how good he looked and how much I liked the color of his shirt and how it brought out the blue in his eyes. I told him that my grandmother was on her way whenever he asked about her, and I made sure the glass in his hand was always filled with water.

I can't take away his pain. I can't help him remember. I can't make the disease go away. All I can do is hold on to the memories—hold on for both of us .

    Good evening, everyone. As we celebrate International Dog Day, I want to focus on a specific type of dog that is perhaps the most misunderstood breed in the world—the pit bull. It makes me unhappy that public opinion about pit bulls is that they are extremely dangerous. If a pit bull is that meaning, that's only as a result of being taught to fight other dogs to the death in dogfights. The truth is that a pit bull is very faithful and loving.

    A pit bull is a cross between a terrier and a bulldog. That's why their coloring can be different from one dog to the next. Pit bulls all have short fur. They came over to the U.S. from Britain with their immigrant farming families. Pit bulls guarded the cows, sheep and family from thieves. They were beloved members of the family because they were so faithful and loving. They were also very strong, especially their jaws.

    Unfortunately, bad men turned a good thing into a bad thing. Since these dogs would do anything to please their masters, it was easy for these men to teach the dogs to be killers. Dogs fought other dogs in fenced "pits". Dog fighting became illegal in the U.S. in 1875, but it still goes on. Today, pit bulls continue to be farm dogs, but they are also trained as police dogs, search dogs and of course they make great pets!

    I have a pit bull myself. Piper is the friendliest dog you'll ever meet. He sleeps next to me at night. Even though he is an adult dog now, he still acts like a puppy sometimes. He would never bite me or anyone else! With proper and loving training, pit bulls are the best pets ever!