My day is...well, it's not really going how I'd maybe like it to go. Here's how I wanted it to go:get up early, before hubby leaves for work, have a cup of coffee and watch the news before the kids get upget the kids ready for school with no huge drama, fights over who is wearing what, or rushing to get stuff ready last-minute. (So far, this is the only part of my day that has actually happened th
I have just arrived in New York for a holiday (my posting schedule may tail off until September), Unfortunately, the recent strength of the dollar in the past few weeks, increased the cost of my holiday by about 10%. If I had travelled earlier in the year I could have got closer to $2 for a £1, rather than the $1.8 to a £1 I got yesterday.Euro Dollar Exchange RateAfter reaching a low of 0.62 Eur
Joining A Century 21 office~ It's A Good Thing here in North Myrtle Beach
I thought I would never say this! I feel like I am on top of the world now that I joined Century 21 The Beach Company
I must say that making the move to switch to Century 21 The Beach Company in Little River South Carolina is the best move in all my career.
Tracie Ross is a very special Broker!!! KUDOS to he
With today's technology, difficulty in terms of searching is a little bit gone. With the widespread use of internet, almost all parties - the buyer and seller - make use of it. Both of them have their fair share of benefit from using it. Many companies would use internet to sell their products since internet gives them a greater advantage and market. Thus, may often times lead them to a greater pr
Read famous quotes on honesty by Don Marquis."Honesty is a good thing, but it is not profitable to its possessor unless it is kept under control."Don Marquis (1878 - 1937)--More Honesty Quotes, Top Honesty Quotes, Best Honesty Quotes, Top Rated Quotes on Honesty, Famous Honesty Quotes, Famous Quotes on Honesty, Cool Honesty Quotes, Honesty Quotes by Famous People,
Guess what? I am now a contributor over at Mommy Matter!Mommy Matter offers parents a place to find helpful information on parenthood as provided by the premier experts in parenting today- other parents. From helpful articles found in our featured blogs to the everyday questions and answers on issues ranging from teething relief to changing the tire on a car discussed in our ever-growing forum, M
Every year around Christmastime, I sit down by myself with a glass of wine and watch Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. I pretty much cry the whole way through it. But that’s okay…it’s a good cry. It’s the kind of cry that comes from way, deep down inside.
You see, I grew up [...]
Caption: Having research papers and other scholarly writing available online gives researchers access to a great deal of materials without having to enter a library. But how does this impact the new research that they produce?James Evans at the University of Chicago has studied this question and his conclusion is surprising -- despite having greater access to scholarly materials, researchers are a
. . . because Eau Claire is one of the cities in the United States that will be losing a store--Starbucks plans to close 600 company-owned stores by early next next. Five other cities in Wisconsin--Appleton, La Crosse, Madison, Marshfield, and Wisconsin Rapids--will also be losing a store.As a side note, Laos is still far from overwhelmed by Starbucks, which has been focusing on its global expansi
Well here I am back again - drumming up support for the down payment assistance program - Nehemiah. I guess HUD has nothing better to do than to keep picking on Nehemiah and trying to get it shut down. But why?
Let's Support the Nehemiah Down Payment Assistance Program - help it stay alive!
Get educated on how Nehemiah can help with a purchase - be the agent in the know!
People have become impatient, expecting instant gratification or results from whatever we want or pursue. This is one of the reasons Big Pharma and industrial medicine have had such success in pushing pills: the idea is that if you take this pill, you’ll feel better straight away…not by actually curing the condition but suppressing symptoms. [...]
by Clay Barham
If there were ever a time where the founding principle of America, as a nation, is justified again, it is the issue of state sovereignty. The notion of multiple governing entities, contractually united for a few common and limited purposes, where all else are functions of each state, is apparent in the campaign [...]
I came across this little gem of a GPT site and couldnt help myself signing up.
SWATcash is so different from others that I have been using so far, there is so much you can do and so many ways to increase your chances of making extra money.
You can complete offers like other GPT sites, from [...]
Item: CBO says EHRs don't really save money after all. Item: DoD is hard at work undermining VistA (developed over years at taxpayer expense and now in the public domain) and replacing it with a zillion-dollar military-industrial complex "solution." Item:...
Gabe Mirkin DrMirkin.com tells us about Soyabeans - Too Much of a Good Thing Soyabeans - Too Much of a Good Thing? The soybean industry has generated so much publicity on the health benefits of soybeans that some people eat soy products at every meal. That's a mistake, because too much of anything can be harmful.Virtually all plants contain some chemicals that make us healthy and some chemi
Just about everyone I talk to is very excited about mobile Internet.In 2006, the Japanese government proudly announced that more people used the Internet through their mobile phones than through their computers. Online services are all talking about their "mobile strategy" and VCs are flocking to fund the latest "mobile startup".I don't think there is anything wrong with mobile or with some of the
Yes it’s true, I’ll explain. While I’m a cynical old (in terms of market experience) short seller whose seen frauds, hype and pumping galore and think 99% of Wall Street is full of truly soulless scumbags, I’m also a big believer in learning through mistakes. Just like that time when I lost a few hundred [...]
An elderly couple walk into a fast food restaurant. They order one hamburger, one order of fries and one drink.The old man unwraps the plain hamburger and carefully cuts it in half. He places one half in front of his wife. He then carefully counts out the fries, dividing them into two piles and neatly placing one pile in front of his wife. He takes a sip of the drink, his wife takes a sip and then
The loss of a backup tape from the Bank of New York Mellon is making the rounds on the internet. According to a press release by the Connecticut AG’s office, the backup tape was lost by the storage company that was in charge of keeping the tapes safe, Archive Systems, Inc., not by the bank itself. It’s one of those instances when one hopes that full disk encryption was applied to t
Giving Your Teen Privacy Can Be A Good Thing - It may seem to go against your instincts as a parent, but sometimes, you need to give your teenager a bit of privacy and space to let them work out their challenges and problems. Trying to force your teen into telling you their problems never works, especially if they prefer to keep their thoughts to themselves. More: continued here Other Review:
Is there a silver lining to high gas prices? Gas prices are high nationally… the title, “Why High Gas Prices are a Good Thing” here is a quote of Idaho real estate agent George Talabass.
“Less and less people are eating out in restaurants and actually cooking at home and having more family meals. [...]
So while rummaging through the Daily News to find their blind item this morning I came across some tidbits they had about the upcoming release Hollywood Babylon - It’s Back. Yep, it’s coming out so I thought I would share what the NY Daily News had and what else I could find as well. Do [...]
A few months ago, I lamented my weight, which was a shade over 170 and figured I was drinking too much wine during the week, which was causing my weight to stay the same even though I was running pretty much four to five times a week, averaging close to 30 miles a week.Then, I figured out that I could keep drinking wine and still lose weight reasonably as long as I picked up my pace during my morning runs. Say, from 9:30 minute miles to under 9.Of my last 15 runs, 14 have averaged under 9 minute miles, including five under 8 minute miles.I got on the scale today after a 6-miler and it read: 1 6 2Whoa. Now some of that is lost water weight from the run. I was 166 when I went to bed Monday night, with a nice wine buzz courtesy of a 2004 Marietta Cellars Zinfandel. (Thanks for the recommenda
When you tell someone you are buying a car, a house or even a new pair of shoes, do they ever express worry?
Or do they say they’re “so happy for you,” “jealous” or offer, “congratulations!” (that must be one great pair of shoes, by the way…).
Now that I’ve become a personal finance geek, [...]
I’m always shocked when I clean our bathrooms thoroughly (not often enough, but that’s another story) and see the mung that lives in the bottom of the toothbrush holders. That’s some serious grossness. With everything I do to keep my family safe from harm, I’m letting them put that crap near their mouths?
I’m [...]
To fully optimize your web site to make money, you need to test. Split Testing (also known as A/B testing) is a powerful tool you can use to increase your site conversion. However make sure that you are using split testing in a smart way and you avoid misinterpreting the results.
More: [...]
“I see this as a good thing. The “Eric” who my wife is married to is the same “Eric” who my clients see. There’s no posturing, no primping, no floating identity. Just one “Eric“. (Save for the fact that I fart somewhat more at home than in the movie theatre.) Privacy may be dead; I’d argue that it largely doesn’t matter though.” - Eric Karjaluoto talking about privacy and optimism
I was dreading today! I go to Weight Watchers every Tuesday so today was it. Normally, it's ok, but .... last week I was in VEGAS baby!! And, what happens in Vegas stays with ya! I was not a good girl in staying on my Weight Watchers plan. (I don't call it a diet - it's really a different lifestyle of eating.) Monday was our first full day there and it was also our anniversary (#35!!!). There is a great Italian restaurant off the Strip in Vegas that we try to visit on each trip. A carafe of wine comes with your meal and at the end, they bring you the best Cappuccino ever!!! Of course, Sonny doesn't like wine and I don't like to waste, so I tried to do my best with the wine. Luckily, the meal I ordered wasn't my favorite (I was branching out and trying something new) so I didn't stuff mys
Barack Obama is getting on my nerves. First he gave that asinine interview in The Advocate where he pretty much told the gay community that explicitly fighting for equal rights via marriage was a bad political move that could upset the bigots on this side of the sexual identity fence. Now he’s went [...]
One of the good things about the internet is that it can give you access to things without having to physically be thing. Like you can find the Paris Hilton video and see things without actually having to pull her and endure a conversation.But even more than that, what about AllegroMedical.com? It's a site that lets you buy medical supplies, from breast feeding pillows to Adult Diapers, without actually having to go in a shop and personally ask for them.Now, that's one potentially awkward situation that everyone would prefer to avoid.See, the internet is great. You can get adult diapers and Paris Hilton. And you can make your own comparisons there.
Some say no, some say yes. I was recently tricked into going to an Ameriprise Financial meeting the other day for a free lunch. Supposedly my friend didn’t know thats what it was when he invited me out to lunch. None the less, I went and stayed for the lunch, the guy only spoke for [...]
As much as I can’t stand that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition show, I wouldn’t mind if Ty and his buddies came to my house and whipped it into shape with a few sledgehammers and new furniture.
There is one thing that I never see the Extreme Makeover team do: connect all electronic devices in the household together, seamlessly. In other words, all the electronic devices (TV, PC, etc.) are all wired or shared together seamlessly in a true Digital Home Makeover.Read more...
digg_url = '-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-is-a-good-thing/';
You’ve heard the story – living paycheck-to-paycheck is bad thing that only prevents you from getting ahead. I beg to differ; paycheck-to-paycheck living in many ways, is a good thing that can encourage proper budgeting, saving and conservative spending. Let’s be realistic, the majority of us do anticipate and need our next paycheck [...]
Some critics are saying that Microsoft’s plans to acquire Yahoo might not be such a good idea after all. They say that, long-term, it wouldn’t serve the Internet community in the best interest, the way a ‘Neutral Yahoo’ would.
Not surprisingly, one such critic comes from Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt. Without citing specifics, Schmidt added that [...]
A lot of people around the world want to lose weight. They want to lose weight for the sole reason of looking good. However I would like to discuss the other reason that people should concern themselves more with. That is to lose weight for health reasons. But does losing weight necessary make you healthier?
More: [...]
Chinavasion Gadget News Roundup
Years ago, a search on WebCrawler for gadgets (yes, the days before Google existed) you might only get two or three pages of related pages and search results. However, nowadays a search on Google for
Even though the movie Shawshank Redemption came out in 1994, it still remains ever present for me. Yes, the movie and the performances were incredible, but the music and the way it enhanced every scene created a legendary and memorable experience for me. Thomas Newman is my favorite composer today and this was his greatest achievement. Listen carefully to the subtly when a scene needs it or the majestic exhuberance when that's what is needed. He is a master and this movie was his opera. The most powerful theme of the movie is HOPE. It's what keeps the main character alive and prevents him from going insane. It's like a modern parable of Job from the bible who endured all kinds of pain and angush but never lost faith or hope. it is truly an inspirational experience and a must see movie,
For some people web design or website coding competitions can be a great way to get recognition for their work and where possible make some cash. Take 99Designs as an example. However, are they actually worth it?
I've entered a couple of competitions previously both of which I didn't win. Now I'm not bitter about it because in both of these a better designer was chosen and well done to them. But I do wonder whether the time spent on these competitions (because I have some time on my hands of an evening) was spent wisely?
I was off work today. I get the banker's holidays, even though I'm not a banker. I like those few extra days a year.
I spent most of the day cleaning my den. The clutter was beginning to overwhelm me. Every so often that happens, and I need to get on top of it again. This has been my pattern my whole life, but I've decided to turn over a new leaf. I'll be working to deal with paper and mail as it comes into the house. I've reorganized a bit to be able to accommodate those changes. We'll see how that goes.
After several months, I was able to convince the Wife to go sofa shopping with me. She hates to spend money. Go figure. We've needed a new sofa for some time, but today the kids called and family a meeting (absent the Wife) and said, "Dad, we really need to get a new sofa." That tipped t
Sleep masks by La GringaHey, look what I've been making lately! Don't you love them?If you had asked me a few years ago about sleep masks, I would have said that they are for movie stars. However, until you've been in the tropics, you can not imagine how bright that sun is starting at 5 or 6 a.m. The problem is compounded by the lack of curtains in our house (I'm STILL looking for fabric). My brother-in-law gave me a sleep mask a long time ago and it was great. It was good for another two hours of sleep in the morning. When the elastic wore out, I looked at it and thought, "I can do that." I've made a new one for me, a purple one for El Jefe, and the blue ones above are for a friend.I'm thinking about getting fancier with ruffles and stuff. Maybe I'll go into business. El Jefe wanted some
It is argued by some people that a recession can benefit the economy, at least in the long run. The reasoning is that falling revenues force firms to become more efficient, e.g. cutting unnecessary costs e.t.c. In a recession, inefficient firms will go out of business and this shake up is necessary to weed out the inefficient and provide incentives for firms to be as profitable as possible.
This
by Andy CurryI'll never forget one of the first horses I trained by myself. I could not have picked a better horse to give me problems.This horse was slow to motivate. He was very much his own "person" so to speak and was going to do what he pleased...at least...that's how it seemed.There are plenty of horses in this world that will move when you want them to move. In fact, some horses can be so nervous it takes little effort to get them moving in the round pen. In a way, they almost train themselves.When I was first training this horse he moved slowly and not very deliberately. Teaching him to drive was very difficult because he just wasn't going to move for me.The first time I put a surcingle on him and attached the lines he had no more intention on moving forward than an elephant with n
All the candidates are touting how capable they are of creating change. Anyone can change something. The trick is to make a good change.George W. Bush changed a lot of things. Look where we are now. It took change to get us here!We want a change from the way things are. Most American's feel we're on the wrong track. Let's change that. Let's change -- Presidents!Candidate X could be elected, and then institute wide and sweeping changes that we all blindly asked for, simply because they are making things new and different. Trouble is, those changes might include implanting chips in everyone so the government can track us at all times. That qualifies as a massive change.But in this case, a bad one. So do we want change? Or do we want good change? Be careful what you wish for...
David Stern is willing to try anything to boost ratings. The latest thing that they are trying in the NBA is making coaches wear mics during the game so that fans can listen on timeouts and such. Sounds like a good idea in theory but many players and coachs aren’t feelin it.
Former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy had a classic reaction. “You’re kidding me,” said Van Gundy. “And head coaches are really going to have to do TV interviews during games?”
Phil Jackson is another coach that didn’t like the idea of it:
“I’m going to stick my foot right in it, too,” Jackson said. “I wasn’t at the league meetings with the coaches this year, and I’m very disappointed in my comrades for rolling over on this so easily.”
“It’s going to be real hard on us coaches,” he said. “We do things in private. It’s an inner sanctum. For people to be in the inner sanctum, where emotions are high … it’s big brother, it’s very big brother. It’s ver
CNBC reported recently that Time Warner may be ready to embrace a plan to break up their company. This led people at ComicBloc (via Newsarama blog) to wonder if it'll lead to DC being cut adrift from Warner as well, which bought ownership of them as early as 1973.
If this happens, and it does lead to DC Comics becoming a seperate entity (though I assume, still part of AOL?), would this be good
There are various financial plans in the offing and people are also investing in them, as they offer more benefits in terms of money and security too. The latest one to attract attention is life settlement schemes. However, before investing in life settlement plans and programs, it is necessary to obtain useful and ample information on the products for a safe future.It is a well-known fact that people invest in many financial plans so that they get secured for their lives. However, life is a vicious circle that can force anyone to suffer both emotionally and financially. Therefore, people get themselves insured for life; even if life plays havoc, then these things can be taken care of. Hence, it is a good idea to invest in life settlement programs for a relaxed future. With the advancement in financial sector, and life settlement market, senior citizens are capitalizing are investing in life settlement programs for a better life. The settlement policies and plans offer them with a chan
Because the following description in this recent Scripps-Howard article is really sleazy and insulting:
It all began in 2006, when four of Marvel's superheroes tried to send the Hulkster to an uninhabited planet -- but ended up exiling him on the warlike Sakaar. "Planet Hulk" became a yearlong story by writer Greg Pak and artists Carlo Pagulayan and Aaron Lopestri illustrating the Gamma-Spawned
Following my first post a couple of days ago, I wanted to post some of the responses I received a couple of weeks ago when I posted this question online. It is by no means scientific, but some of the answers were really well thought out, interesting, and though provoking.
To start that conversation I asked the following 5 questions:
1) Is the RMB really unfairly valued?
2) What should the RMB/ USD rate be?
3) Would a 6RMB/ USD have a net positive effect for the USD?
4) What are the up/ downsides to a 6RMB/ USD for the U.S.?
5) What are the up/ downsides to a 6RMB/ USD for the China.?
Now, I am by no means an economics expert, and I am not sure any of the authors of comments below are. What makes them interesting is that they are all coming from different backgrounds to report their views based on their own industries, geographies, etc. I hope you will consider their comments, and add yours at the bottom in our comments section as well.
Disclaimer: I have kept the entire thread in ta
Other than product safety, there have only been a few topics of discussions surrounding China’s relationship with the world that have made it longer than the discussion of the RMB. It is a topic I have covered several times in previous posts, and it is a topic that we are currently fielding votes on (that is your hint to vote now).
The RMB in my view is what I would call a political lightening rod. It is not as hot, nor does it cut as close to home as this summer’s product recalls… but various politicians have done an excellent job of tying the RMB to trade.. and trade to jobs.. and that has hit a bone with many who feel that China has unfairly valued its RMB.
For this post though, I am not going to look at whether or not it is unfairly valued, nor will I look into the issues surrounding the politics of the RMB. Instead, I am going to focus on the what it… as in what if the RMB went from the current 7.45RMB = 1USD to ….say 6RMB = 1 USD (a nearly 20% re
It once was understood by most Americans that the United States is not a democracy. The Untied States is a Constitutional Republic, and this is not a minor distinction. The distinction is the difference between tyranny of the majority and the protection of individual liberty.
Nevertheless, our children today are brainwashed to believing that our Country is a democracy, and that democratic form...
Click the Headline Link to Visit Copious Dissent and Read the Full Story.
This is rare, but not unprecedented: an article published by my beloved day-job employer has got me thinking. It's about a trendy new therapy called "healing touch" that's being offered by a growing number of hospitals to treat post-surgery pain, among other things. Give the article a read if it sounds interesting to you. Be sure to click on the ads. ;-)Here's what I'm noodling about. I have some gut guesses about this procedure. I wouldn't be surprised if any or all of them are wrong, and that's not really my point, anyway. Here are my guesses:1) This stuff really works.2) It works because the patients believe it works, not because there's really an energy field around our bodies that can be manipulated by folks moving their hands over it.3) It wouldn't work if the patients believed that it only works because they believe it works.Again, these guesses are not really my point. I don't really want to debate their accuracy. They are, admittedly, just hunches; we're no
I actually made myself a proper meal this evening for the first time I have no idea how long. Ordering a Chinese takeaway the other night really doesn't count. It's really a sign that I'm in a bad way when I can't work up the energy to cook properly. It's also the reason why I've been putting on weight again - grazing, largely on carbs, is never going to be good. Saturday's news that hyper stress overload time at work wasn't happening after all really took a load off. I had been thinking about my spag bol all day and it was strangely relaxing to make when I got home - having had a late one like I usually do just before taking time off work. I've even made up a lasagne for tomorrow, I've bought gammon steaks, individual tartlets, and bacon. I'm back into cooking mode. Depression lifting a notch?I've also noticed my nicotine requirement has gone down in the last two days, which means I'm getting more of an effect from them again. Feels good, me like. I will quit ev
By: Wade RobinsThe marriage of a man and woman should be a sacred union. The marriage is not for those who think that if it does not work out, they can just divorce later, on a whim. Everything possible should take place for working on the marriage before they decide to divorce. It is also true, if your spouse has been abusing you or has been cheating on you, divorce needs to be considered. The situation is not safe for you to continue to stay in this relationship. It is also not a good idea for any children to be kept in this situation because of the violence.Divorce attorneys have been viewed in two different ways. The first is to be the ones that take the victim out of a harmful situation. They are a safety net for those who have been abused and are hopelessly down. They are also help for spouses dealing with adultery. Divorce attorneys make the flight of freedom from danger and sadness to happiness at the thought of actually being free to live life again. The second part of the tho
The hubs was home for four whole days. A lot of liquor was consumed, more pizza than I care to admit and I did my best Gumby impersonation on more than one occasion.
Besides having some quality romantic time , Boo managed to knock a few items off my Honey Do list. Without me bitching at him. NO. REALLY. He did it all on his own. He was just so damn happy to be back at home living with his family, he would have done just about anything in gratitude to show his appreciation of us.
Well, that and the fact that he got a speeding ticket on his way home. The facker was trying to earn his salvation.
Admittedly, neither of us are the perfect spouse. But that doesn’t stop us from trying (for about two whole hours) when we see each other.
One of the items on Boo’s list of chores to accomplish before his wife’s candy store opened for business was for him to get his passport. Other items included giving me a back rub, grilling me a steak and putting his damn laundry away.
(You&r
When you don't have to "invest" in handbags (i.e. pay a month's rent on one), it's more fun to shop for bags 'cause then you don't have to be super picky. Wanna go with a trendy bag? No problem, no guilt required. I'm all for it. Ogam Croco Belted Tote $88 Ogam Polish Metal Chain Bag $65 GIANNOTTI Brick Embossed Hand Bag $35 Ogam Heart Quilted Clutch $65Tilly's Faux Leather Tote - Black $19.99ROXY Winter Queen Handbag - Black $27.99Women: Women's Quilted Totes - Classic Gray $22.50Women: Women's Quilted Hobo Bags - Red $19.50
Beauty products are used to enhance the external beauty of the skin. Beauty products are not used to give any characteristic odor to skin rather they are used as products to improve skin texture so such products should contain natural products which can improve skin quality in prolong use and [...]
When it comes to SMS text-based mobile advertising, less is apparently better.When a higher portion of mobile phone subscribers receive a text ad, the response rate to SMS advertisements declines, reports M:Metrics, citing a survey of mobile phone subscribers in France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and United States.Country-by-country data came from surveys taken in July and released this week by M:Metrics, a mobile media measurement firm based in London and Seattle.In Spain, 75 percent of that country's mobile phone users -- the highest portion of the six countries surveyed -- had received an SMS ad. Only 6.1 percent responded to an ad for mobile phone-related products and services, such as mobile downloads, or for news, information, or entertainment-related services. In the United States, where 17 percent of mobile phone users received an SMS ad, while 12 percent responded. That response rate was the highest of the survey's six countries. The response rate was the lowest in G
As I am now starting to build my own experience with advertiser campaigns in the PayPerPost marketplace I have realized some important guidelines I thought I would share with PayPerPost advertisers, from time to time. This is one of those times!
My first post is concerned with "comment spamming," a practice whereby advertisers contribute unsolicited brand dialog within a Blogger's post. Even when the post is sponsored and paid by the Advertiser, Bloggers typically do not appreciate advertiser comments within their comments section. Advertisers may sponsor the post, but the post's comments are for the blog readers and the blogger, themselves.
So remember, the comments section is typically reserved for a natural discussion of the blog post by blog readers, not advertisers. In fact, advertiser comments in a sponsored post may serve to defeat the intended purpose of creating a discussion about the brand. Although there may be some appropriate instance when advertisers may decide to ut
As I am now starting to build my own experience with advertiser campaigns in the PayPerPost marketplace I have realized some important guidelines I thought I would share with PayPerPost advertisers, from time to time. This is one of those times!
My first post is concerned with "comment spamming," a practice whereby advertisers contribute unsolicited brand dialog within a Blogger's post. Even when the post is sponsored and paid by the Advertiser, Bloggers typically do not appreciate advertiser comments within their comments section. Advertisers may sponsor the post, but the post's comments are for the blog readers and the blogger, themselves.
So remember, the comments section is typically reserved for a natural discussion of the blog post by blog readers, not advertisers. In fact, advertiser comments in a sponsored post may serve to defeat the intended purpose of creating a discussion about the brand. Although there may be some appropriate instance when advertisers may decide to ut
Bankrate just released their 2007 study of closing costs for all 50 states.
Closing costs can be divided into three categories.
Closing costs:
• Origination fees charged by the lender.
• Title and settlement fees charged by third parties.
• Taxes and prepaid items such as homeowners insurance, association fees and prorated interest.
Bankrate’s survey includes lenders’ origination fees and title and settlement fees, and not taxes or prepaid items. The survey was conducted in June.
The average closing costs in America is $2,736. Georgia came in at 31st on the list at $2,655.
Bankrate just released their 2007 study of closing costs for all 50 states.
Closing costs can be divided into three categories.
Closing costs:
• Origination fees charged by the lender.
• Title and settlement fees charged by third parties.
• Taxes and prepaid items such as homeowners insurance, association fees and prorated interest.
Bankrate’s survey includes lenders’ origination fees and title and settlement fees, and not taxes or prepaid items. The survey was conducted in June.
The average closing costs in America is $2,736. Georgia came in at 31st on the list at $2,655.
So many companies use false lashes and digitally enhance their mascara ads. I always used to fall for the Lash Architect ads from L'oreal. One girl I knew in high school believed the hype of lash advertising so much she never took off her mascara. She would pile on the mascara every day to make lashes look like in the ads (direct source here, she told me this). She did this for about 3 months (again, I am willing to use an unsanitized lipstick tester at the MAC counter of your choice to prove I'm not exaggerating), and when she one day removed the mascara, her lashes fell out. Point of the story? Don't believe the mascara ads. Except maybe the Anna Sui mascara in question.I came across a post about this blog entry on makeupalley (thanks cuddlybear) and I had to post about it. The girl who writes the blog tried to test out Anna Sui's apparently highly potent mascara. She applied 6 to 7 coats. I'm not even going to elaborate, you ladies need to check this out yourselves.All I know i
So many companies use false lashes and digitally enhance their mascara ads. I always used to fall for the Lash Architect ads from L'oreal. One girl I knew in high school believed the hype of lash advertising so much she never took off her mascara. She would pile on the mascara every day to make lashes look like in the ads (direct source here, she told me this). She did this for about 3 months (again, I am willing to use an unsanitized lipstick tester at the MAC counter of your choice to prove I'm not exaggerating), and when she one day removed the mascara, her lashes fell out. Point of the story? Don't believe the mascara ads. Except maybe the Anna Sui mascara in question.I came across a post about this blog entry on makeupalley (thanks cuddlybear) and I had to post about it. The girl who writes the blog tried to test out Anna Sui's apparently highly potent mascara. She applied 6 to 7 coats. I'm not even going to elaborate, you ladies need to check this out yourselves.All I know i
If you have a significant other, do you speak worse in front of them?
I have noticed in the past week or so that when I’m talking to my lovely and talented wife, I sound like a complete and total nimrod. I don’t mean that I’m saying things that are stupid (although, inevitably, that sometimes occurs), but that I am physically speaking badly.
I have always had a lisp although, apparently, some people who know me have never known that or at least never noticed, and so I’m pretty grateful that it’s not very prominent. Over the years I’ve been able to compensate for it in most situations, but when I was little I went through a lot of speech therapy classes to try to correct it. My problem is my ’s’es — I create the ’ssss’ sound by holding my tongue between my teeth, whereas most people make it by folding their tongue back into their mouth and pressing against the roof to produce the hiss.
I spent the better part of 3
While most view growing marijuana in the context of illicit drug-trade problems and the effect this substance is having on our kids, there are few who see the real problems this is causing our environment.
Sure, there are few ecological issues in a backyard propagation - apart from the dreaded increase in phosphate fertilisers. But the problem escalates when we consider that the bulk of marijuana comes from illegal plantations grown in the most remote forests.
For five months of the year growers tend their 'secret gardens' carefully keeping their stash as hidden as possible counting the days until harvest.
Alex Breitler, from Recordnet asks this;
What will they leave behind? Irrigation tubes that snake for a mile or more over forested ridges. Pesticides that have drained into creeks and entered the food chain, sickening wildlife. Piles of trash and human waste in the most rugged and bucolic drainages.
Pro-marijuana lobbyists argue that if the drug were legalised then these pro
On Friday, American Home Mortgage lost its' lending license in New York, Connecticut and two other states. They failed to make good on over 3000 loans. They couldn't fund over $750 million worth of mortgage loans with 38 of those in CT.Way back when I started American Home Mortgage was a very large provider of mortgages. Recently they have been unable to find a supply of money to fund their loans. This is a hugh example of what is happening with the sub-prime mortgage industry. Some of these have been picked up by other mortgage companies but some may go unfunded.From Bloomberg News, read more about it.
It's 11:14 on Tuesday, July 31, 2007, and the Pirates Universe seems to make less sense than ever. And considering where this franchise has been, that's saying something. Where should I start - on the field or off? Let's go with...on the field.The Buccos dropped yet another one tonight, this one by a 6-4 count to the Cardinals. 24,085 were bribed into the park by a free Roberto Clemente coin and were treated to the Pirates' 14th loss in their past 16. The lowlight of the game, and possibly the season, was Ronny Paulino's sixth inning, when he managed to make two colossal errors in the same at-bat. If one opponent's at-bat had ever been more symbolic of another team's entire season, it was this one. Paulino misplayed a routine popup by Ryan Ludwick, extending the at-bat. Naturally, the mistake would come back to haunt the Pirates, as Ludwick ultimately parlayed the extended AB into a double. And during the double, Scott Rolen, by all accounts a dead man walking, was safe at home
Three people were shot in Northwest Washington early yesterday, and a 1-year-old girl was wounded in Northeast last night, bringing to 10 the number of separate shooting incidents in the District since late Thursday, police said.
The MLS is going to need some serious Beckham love from the fans if they plan to make good on that hefty financial promise they made to him.According to ESPN, Beckham's new squad, the LA Galaxy, took on Mexican side Tigres in a World Series of Football friendly the other day. They lost. 3-0. Of course, Beckham didn't play. But he did get a little taste of just how popular the sport is here in America. A whopping 2,000 people came out for the game. Or about a fifth of the number that come out for high school football games in some parts of Texas.At the Sun they had kind words for Beckham's new team,The Sun newspaper on Thursday described them as a shambles and said: "Frankly, Becks' new team resembles a Sunday morning pub side."When the ex-England skipper arrived at the Home Depot Center on a 125 million pounds ($256.6 million) deal last week he stated his ambition was to take U.S. football to a different level."Little did he realise that on the evidence of Galaxy's 3-0 home defeat
Why would a Venture Capital firm like First Round Capital say something like this on their "Our Focus" page:We love investing in technologies and business models that are able to shrink existing markets. If your company can take $5 of revenue from a competitor for every $1 you earn - let's talk!Shrinkage in markets or other places is usually an undesirable thing, but it actually makes sense in appropriate and rather specific cases ...
Last week we expounded on why we were starting to fall in lust with female mixed martial arts. The hot competitors, the sexy celebs, the rolling around with each other in scant clothing, that kind of thing. Now comes this news...From the cleverly titled Female Mixed Martial Artists:Laetitia [Casta] has a brown belt in Judo. She feels that her experience with Judo has helped her in her modeling career to have control, to set limits for herself, to not be aggressive and to think with her mind not with her emotions.Yeah, that's right. Laetitia Casta is into it.Someone really needs to harness the unlimited potential of this sport and put it on TV daily ... pronto.STUB HUB: The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online
{NOTICE: this post was started june 26 and has been sitting here in ‘drafts’ all this time…}
i been cleaning today!
felt better than usual, so i’ve tried to make the best of it.
{NOTICE: this portion is being posted july 10. just so you know.. }
and again…. i’m getting stuff done. [...]
I mean how else could Scooter Libby go free? Now there is one happy guy! Yay, Scooter! You don't have to go to jail because you are friends with the president! You still have a convition for perjury and obstruction of justice and you have to pay a $250,000 fine and be on probation for two years. But that's OK because you have lots of friends that will give you a job even though you have a criminal record. Hell, they already had fundraisers for your defense fund. Maybe they will pay your fine, too! Aren't you a lucky, lucky guy? I'm so glad to know that it isn't all that bad to reveal the identity of CIA agents to the public and that a two and a half year sentence is excessive for perjury and and obstruction of justice. I will keep that in mind next time I am thinking about endangering the life of a CIA operative and jeopardizing national security and then covering up my acts with lies and more lies. No worries, huh?tags: politics Scooter Libby Baby Boy Bush W president
Publishers are noticeably nervous about the mass digitization projects such as Google Book Search, and - as reported earlier - Richard Charkin dines out on his laptop heist, which was designed to demonstrate to Google staff the difference between opting out (as publishers must, of Google Book Search) and opt in (which publishers would like the chance to do re GBS). The owner of the computer had not specifically told us not to steal it. If s/he had, we would not have done so. When s/he asked for its return, we did so. It is exactly what Google expects publishers to expect and accept in respect to intellectual property.OK, so publishers (generally) are against it; but what of society?O'Reilly Radar recently pointed to the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), [which] has just received a small grant from the Mellon Foundation to study the utility of major mass digitization projects such as Google Book Search, Microsoft Live Book Search, and the Open Content Alliance f
From Bangkok PostNot so long ago Beijing was struggling to keep its market going. Now it would give anything to slow it down. So what's the deal?Up until last year, China had found itself in the odd position of having a booming economy but a sagging stock market that had been in decline for five straight years. At the time, the government tried hard to lift market sentiment and address structural weaknesses. It introduced significant reforms to allow formerly non-tradeable shares to enter the market; allowed foreign funds to invest in domestic stocks (albeit in a limited way); imposed a moratorium on new listings for over a year, and then followed with a number of blockbuster IPOs.The medicine worked, and after bottoming out in July 2005 at just over 1,000 points, the red-hot Shanghai Composite Index soared past 4,300 last month. Most of those gains were achieved in the past 12 months.Starting early in 2007, however, the prime minister, central bank governor and leading academics all
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So last night after dinner, we (the wife and kids) decide to go for a walk. It was super-nice outside — no clouds, a little breeze, and warm weather. It was still light out, but the sun would be setting before we returned. I decided to take the camera and get some shots of the kids running around and playing.
I went with the 105mm macro because it’s my fastest lens at f/2.8. Okay, it’s not the fastest lens around, but it’s MY fastest lens. I figured it would come in handy with the light dropping off as the sun went down. I’m also starting to really like using a prime rather than a zoom — it makes you think a little harder about what you’re doing.
So the camera is ready to go; I grabbed an extra battery, extra memory card, lens cloth, and my flash (in case it got too dark out). Cargo pockets are a good thing, by the way. I thought I had everything, but I also had that feeling that I was forgetting something. I just couldn’t put m
Almost all of the press coverage that you see is of the view that global warming is a “bad thing” and we should be getting the finger out to stop it happening. But, is it?
This is a painting by Hondius in 1684 of one of the regular Frost Fairs taking place on the Thames. In fact both the Thames and the Baltic Sea froze over quite regularly in the 1600s.
That was prior to the industrial revolution of course and combined with a much lower population, pollution at that time was considerably less than it would have been 150 or so years later. The “Black Country” wasn’t named that for nothing as it was filled with major league polluters during the industrial revolution.
Did the industrial revolution stop us getting into another ice age? Nobody can really say as there are just too many variables in the equation: you’ve everything from the industrial revolution raising pollution levels considerably to sunspot cycles and to top it all the records over the
John Hollinger of ESPN Insider presented his picks for the top 30 International players in the NBA emphasizing the globalization of the league and the significant impact that international players are having on the game. John made a good case for his assertion that international players are fast becoming superstars of the league and I think their growing number will exert a very positive influence on “culture” in the NBA.
Based on my experience with international student-athletes here at Belmont Abbey College as well as at other institutions, I found that these student-athletes bring more than just their tremendous physical talents. A very high percentage of them are more mature and decidedly more focused on taking advantage of every opportunity they are given. I am amazed at their dedication and pursuit of excellence in all that they do.
Without referring to specific names, it is not uncommon for me to see an international student-athlete with a double major and grade point aver
Poor little Sheba is in the puppy hospital. She's had surgery, was sliced open from the top of her belly all the way down, has been there for three days and is still in pretty bad condition. I guess whole pecan pies, cowboy boots and car seats aint got nothing on whatever the hell it was she ate this last time.Please send healing thoughts her way and flowers my way. The padded room I'm heading for is really drab, all white has never been my color.Love to all.
I'm reeling from Disneyworld and musing on its excesses, but thankful to be home in my untidy little house on the prairie. My mother left yesterday and 27 million time-outs later, The Poo and I are co-existing peacefully - for the moment.
I'm brewing a post about the excesses of America, viewed through the tired and overwhelmed lens of the mother of a two-year-old.
And last but not least -
The real damage is in how much of our technology is throttled down to Hollywood's constraints.We see this in the LCDs. A computer LCD can be casually used as a TV screen but instead we must have purpose-built screens just for TV so we end up with 1080 lines instead of 1200 lines -- the latter being better at accommodating text. I can buy the 1920x1200 displays and now 2500x1600 but I can't use them thanks to DRM.People keep complaining about the plethora of remote controls and asking why someone doesn't solve the problem.But there is no problem -- we know that if we had simple video streams and device with open interfaces (such as XMLRPC) then we could write software to manage the streams and control the devices. Standards would follow after we've had experience but the big the advantage of the digital protocols is that we can learn by doing without having to pre-specify all of the details.The Set Top Box is designed to prevent any of this from being feasible.The consumer electroni
As extra-credit on the work her class is doing on 3-dimensional shapes, Pepper went around the house the other night collecting objects to bring into school. A Rectangular Prism:A Sphere:A Cube(We don't usually have Tiffany's boxes strewn around the house, really! This was from my big anniversary gift last summer. Pepper claimed it as her own as soon as she laid eyes on it.) It wasn't until the last item was dug out that I discovered her choice for a cylinder:After a short and pointed conversation, I convinced her to swap it out for a soup can. Uhm, no. Mommy doesn't think it would be a good idea for you to bring in her (empty) bottle of anti-depressants to share with the class.
From StarTrek.com
Christmas Day 2008 Release for “Star Trek XI”
The next motion picture of the Star Trek franchise, tentatively titled “Star Trek XI,” will begin filming this fall for theatrical release on Christmas Day 2008.
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Democracy was never supposed to be perfect. In fact, it’s far from it.
But democracy is, if nothing else, a system for providing legitimacy. If we ever tweak our system of checks and balances...
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This email was dropped with no warning amongst the spam in my mailbox:"Dear [firstname], Thank you for renewing your .Mac membership! Your account [accountname] has been renewed until October 04, 2007 PDT.Welcome to another year with .Mac!"That's right, I forgot again that the annual subscription fee was about to come out of my checking account; but luckily I am not in a bind this month for getting the month's bills paid like I was last year.There are a lot of people out there who question the worth of the .Mac accounts; but it's been a good fit more many of my needs and I plan on sticking with it for the foreseeable future.
Last month I had a post on whether Christians who drink are pushing this belief on those who don't. This lead to a good deal of response on the matter. I am attempting to read a rather heady book from Blaise Pascal. The guy was a mathmetician and physicist so of course it's going to be a bit on the heavy side. Still, there is a part of me that likes the way he thinks:Too much and too little wine. Give him none, he cannot find truth; give him too much, the same.The guy was French, wine may have been an aid to him. If you want to muck around this work there is a free online version from Christian Classics Ethereal Library.Other worthwile reads:Strange Culture talks about the meaning of success and does it more successfuly than my own timid attempts.Pastor Chryst share's his most recent sermon.And Wilmer shares wisdom from Dave Barry.
The fuel crisis in Zimbabwe seems to have had at least one positive, and that is to have helped in South Africa's preparations for this week's Women's World Cup of Golf at the Gary Player Country Club. Laurette Maritz and Ashleigh Simon will team up for the third consecutive year in the 22-nation event, which tees off with the Singles matches on Friday followed by the Foursomes on Saturday and the Fourballs on Sunday. Maritz, the experienced campaigner of the two, prepared for this year's event by playing the Chapman Golf Course in Harare, which has the same kikuyu grass as the Gary Player Country Club course. But the fuel shortage in Zimbabwe has meant that the course staff at Chapman have done the minimum amount of mowing on the course. This has resulted in very tight fairways and long rough, placing an even greater premium on accuracy off the tee. "It's been the perfect preparation," Maritz said on Tuesday. Maritz and Simon will be seeking to improve o
