Pickens

How does one not respect T. Boone Pickens and his "pickens Plan"? He fully understands there is not a solitary answer to our fuel and energy problems and has come up with a way to start to combat the problem. A real way, not some political mumbo jumbo that will do nothing for us. He understands (as do many of us) that drilling new oil wells will do little to solve the big issue. Something so many

There is a lot of intense rhetoric about gas prices from Republicans. As usual, they take a complex problem.... offer a one sentence solution.... and beat it to death.Are we really that naive?Michele Bachmann is "focused like a laser beam" on reducing the pump price. Maybe she needs fewer "laser beams" and more reality checks. MinnPost's Ron Way cites the real bottom line he

In a pretty classic case of putting the cart before the horse, Ron Harris, the Collin County judge who lost his re-election campaign in the 2006 GOP Primary and has since been serving as a consultant to T. Boone Pickens, has announced he will seek the District 8 seat in the Texas Senate presently held by Florence Shapiro (R-Plano). Of course, Harris says, he’ll only seek the seat if Shapiro

Screenshot of the PickensPlan website taken on Wednesday. On Tuesday, T. Boone Pickens, a Texas oil billionaire unveiled a plan that he says will reduce our dependency on foreign oil by one-third. If you are like me you are probably wondering who in the world T. Boone Pickens is and why he is offering energy plans for America? Pickens made billions off of oil after forming Mesa Petroleum i

OK, so he is a Republican. All for big business. He made his billions peddling oil. He plans to vote for BushMcCain. What is to like?He likes wind. He is willing to put up some money--a lot of it--to begin to move us to renewable energy. Check out the article about Pickens in today's USA Today. Visit the Pickens Plan.I have lived in Eastern Montana. There is nothing there, but the wind

As the Pickens Plan for energy includes re-investment, your own "Pickens Plan" for your blog, should include constant re-investment in what you do with and for your blog. To get additional blog exposure and readers you should be submitting your...

Starting next year (2009), it appears another educational opportunity will be available to residents of Pickens County, GA. Recently announced was an agreement between Gilmer County officials and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, to establish a new instructional site in downtown Ellijay, administered by Dalton State College. This facility would allow students to pursue a

Everyone wants to know if speculators are driving up oil prices. The answer from the speculators is "No, absolutely not! (wink, wink)" when they are asked. The... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

CNBC just hosted oil magnate T. Boone Pickens this morning in a sit down interview with Becky Quick. Now that his $125 target on oil has been hit, he's making... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The new catch-phrase in Pickens County GA real estate, as with markets across the country, is "possible short-sale". In real estate terms, a short sale is the sale of a home for less than what is owed to the lender. This usually occurs when the borrower is substantially behind on mortgage payments and is faced with foreclosure, but in which the lender is willing to take an upfront loss rather

I found this in my daily travels around the web and had to share it. T. Boone is one of the best interviews out there as he pulls no punches, admits to being wrong (the few times he actually is) and explains his thoughts very clearly. Mentioned was Canadian Oil Sands (CNQ), Suncor (SU), Chesapeake Energy (CHK) and SandRidge (SD) The interview is 35 minutes long and you can hear it here. Disclosure ("none" means no position):None ↑ Grab this Headline Animator Visit the ValuePlays... Continued at Todd Sullivan's ValuePlays

CNBC just hosted another interview with oil magnate and billionaire T. Boone Pickens today after the close. With recent prices of oil having been near $120 at... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

So, the voters have spoken once again (at least a narrow majority of those who actually voted), granting Pickens County GA officials permission to allocate $17-million dollars of a new SPLOST -- replacing the one about to expire -- toward either rebuilding or remodeling the present courthouse located on Main Street in Jasper. Fair enough. Justice needs a home. WARNING: Editorial content to

To continue on the topic of septic tank requirements in and around Jasper, GA . . . As previously posted on this subject, there are certain things for both buyers and sellers of homes and land in Pickens County GA to keep in mind when dealing with property requiring an on-site (septic) sewer system, rather than public sewer service. In Pickens County GA, for new development(s) with septic

"I hear over and over again, ‘Mr. Pickens, America has changed.  I’ll never be able to accomplish what you have.’  If that’s what you’re thinking, you are dead wrong.  There’s more opportunity for sucess today than ever.  America remains the greatest country in the world.  There’s plenty of opportunity to go around." "When you look at my record over the last half of the 1900s, a pattern of on-the-mark class emerges - sometimes my timing was off, but my intuition wasn’t.  Whether the issue was the overcapitalization of the oil industry, shareholder rights, open trade policy with Japan, or a national energy policy, we did make sense, even if prevailing wisdom didn’t agree with us at the time.&q

Although not one of the most thrilling of topics to cover, it's one about which I quite routinely encounter questions . . . and one that anyone looking Pickens County, Georgia, homes for sale should keep in mind. As the title suggests, I'm speaking of the requirements for sewer, or more specifically, septic tank, systems in Pickens County, GA. (Told you it wasn't fun!) Generally, inside the

This guy does great interviews.... ↑ Grab this Headline Animator Visit the ValuePlays Bookstore for Great Investing Books This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License. --> Enter your Email Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz Continued at Todd Sullivan's ValuePlays

The talk around Tallahassee was that education funding would take a hard hit of about $1.5-billion for the coming fiscal year. But the cuts don't look nearly that severe in the House budget proposal that hit the capitol this morning....

Legendary oil investor and magnate T. Boone Pickens has been on CNBC this morning making comments on the current oil environment and current pricing. As far as... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

To follow up on my previous post regarding FHA loan limits in Pickens County GA, and FNMA / FMAC conforming loan amounts for the Jasper GA area, we finally have some answers. As of March 5, 2008, For the ATLANTA-SANDY SPRINGS-MARIETTA, Georgia (MSA ) which includes Pickens County, the good news is that the revised FHA mortgage limit is up to $346,250 for single-family housing. An increase from

Don't look to Palatka Rep. Joe Pickens for Charlie Crist-like optimism and sunshine, not when it comes to next year's budget. He opened up the Schools and Learning Council meeting this afternoon with this soundbite: "However bad you believe it...

Speaking before the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, Palatka Rep. Joe Pickens urged the members to put before voters a constitutional amendment that would address what critics say are unreasonable, unflexible standards for the state's previously approved class size amendment....

For those of my blog readers / subscribers who also use my website to access listings of homes and land for sale in the Pickens County and North Georgia area, I have added a new functionality to make the search easier. Aside from my home page map showing Pickens County schools and neighborhoods (a partial list anyway . . . I'm adding when I get the chance!

A review of foreclosure sales data in Pickens County GA for the past three years (at least for those foreclosed bank owned homes that were listed in real estate), reveals one surprising fact . . . The number of foreclosure homes sold in the Jasper Georgia area actually declined from 2006 to 2007. With all the talk of a foreclosure crisis, the opposite outcome would be expected, but the number

Okay, time for a break once again from all the dry Pickens County real estate and business news that usually fills my posts. It's been more than eight months since I wrote about restaurants and places to eat in Jasper, and the landscape has changed since then (yep, we're growing). For those of my subscribers who are only interested in real estate data and numbers, and could care less about the

In looking at foreclosure numbers for Jasper Georgia and surrounding parts of Pickens County (Tate, Nelson, Talking Rock, Marblehill, Ranger, etc.), my last post on the subject argued that the foreclosure numbers for Pickens weren't any cause for alarm. While I still maintain that position for right now, unfortunately, the statistics are looking a little less favorable . . . for those wanting to

Nearly four years after being “swift boated,” former Democratic Presidential Nominee John Kerry has a public wager with Texas businessman T. Boone Pickens–one of the funders of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth about the group’s claims. Via KHOU: Sen. John Kerry, whose 2004 presidential campaign was torpedoed by critics of his Vietnam War record, said Friday he has personally accepted a Texas oilman’s offer to pay $1 million to anyone who can disprove even a single charge of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. In a letter to T. Boone Pickens, the Massachusetts Democrat wrote: “While I am prepared to show they lied on allegation after allegation, you have generously offered to pay one million dollars for just one thing that can be proven false. I am prepared to prove the lie beyond any reasonable doubt.” Kerry, a Navy veteran and former prosecutor, said he was willing to present his case directly to Pickens, a Dallas resident who provided $3 mill

There’s been increased mention of the Swift Boat Liars recently, especially with the report that Kerry has gathered further information to debunk their claims. The evidence against them was already overwhelming, making me wonder how much better Kerry’s current evidence is. In the past the Swift Boat Liars and the Republicans who spread their lies acted with regard to the truth. Not only do they ignore all the evidence disputing the claims, but many continued to claim that Kerry hadn’t released his records even when they were posted on the internet for all to see. It also didn’t shut them up when the media reviewed the actual records and verified that they were no different from what was posted on line. AP now reports that Kerry is going on the offensive, taking up one of the backers of the Swift Boat Liars on their offer to pay $1 million to anyone who can dispute one of their claims. Kerry’s full letter on this offer has also been posted: At an anniversa

Market activity for home and land sales in Jasper and Pickens County, GA, as we go into the holiday season, is something of a mixed bag . . . On the downside, inventory levels of houses for sale has climbed to 17.7 months. There are currently 615 active home listings in Pickens County, but only 417 homes have sold in the past 12-months (heightening the importance of sellers pricing their home

It's been a long time in coming, but I'm finally getting around to adding a few more images of Jasper and the Pickens County area. I will try to do better, (but no promises). Burnt Mountain, as seen from from Jasper. (Behind Crescent Bank in the Ingles shopping center). Burnt Mountain and Mount Oglethorpe hold claim to being the highest points in Pickens County, with peaks that reach

What a great place.  With several things to offer, it is a perfect family retreat.  Tennis Courts, 2 Playgrounds, Fishing Docks, Picnic Tables - this park offers something for every age.  It has a large playground that includes 4 slides, 4 swings, a wooden train, and a sand box - what else could a child ask for? The park also has a smaller playground that is very "toddler friendly."  The park’s walking trail is built around a lake.  Fishing and feeding ducks are a few more activities my boys love.  This park is in the heart of Jasper, a growing city in the mountains.  Take a picnic and enjoy the quiet ambiance of nature.  Brown Park is perfect for all times of the day.  A nice, cool morning stroll, a mid-day break, or an evening escape for the family. Share This

A snapshot of developed residential lots and raw land listed for sale in Pickens County, Georgia, reveals a total of 631 parcels (162 land tracts and 469 developed lots) for sale. A breakdown of these properties for sale in and around Jasper is as follows . . . For ACTIVE listings: Average Lot size is 2.76 acres at an average list price of $95,146Undeveloped Land averages 24.4 acres per parcel,

It's fall festival time in North Georgia again. With the leaves changing color and the roads filled with visitors, October is loaded with things to do and festivals to check out. Here are the dates for the Pickens & Gilmer festivals, with some happenings further afield included at the end: PICKENS COUNTY Jasper Georgia Marble Festival Sat & Sun, October 6 & 7, 2007. Here in Jasper, the

Increasingly, North Georgia is being sought out by horse owners, wannabe horse owners, and gonnabe horseowners. From families looking to buy their first horse or pony to professionals seeking full blown horse farms, training schools, and boarding facilities, there is a constant level of interest in this part of the world from horse lovers. And North GA is definitely well-suited for equestrian

News on the foreclosure front doesn't seem to be getting much better for most of the country, and with continued rumblings about it possibly getting worse. With a couple of million homeowners looking at further ARM adjustments and increased payments in the near future, things could get even tighter as lenders disregard common sense in self-destructively digging every last dime from the shattered

A recent spate of Letters to the Editor in the local Pickens Progress newspaper have related to the Pickens County GA school system in two regards. The first was the dress code implemented by the school board, which proved to be quite a divisive issue, and more recently, there has been some sentiment from seniors against having to pay property taxes used to fund the school system's budget (that

A recent spate of Letters to the Editor in the local Pickens Progress newspaper have related to the Pickens County GA school system in two regards. The first was the dress code implemented by the school board, which proved to be quite a divisive issue, and more recently, there has been some sentiment from seniors against having to pay property taxes used to fund the school system's budget (that

Pickens County director of planning and development, Norman Pope, in a recent Pickens Progress interview, revealed some noteworthy numbers on new construction and development for the county: Among residential developments in Pickens County, of the 1,540 lots permitted for construction between January 2005 and December 2006, only 107 (6.95%) actually have homes completed or show signs of work in

Pickens County director of planning and development, Norman Pope, in a recent Pickens Progress interview, revealed some noteworthy numbers on new construction and development for the county: Among residential developments in Pickens County, of the 1,540 lots permitted for construction between January 2005 and December 2006, only 107 (6.95%) actually have homes completed or show signs of work in

The Pickens County School Board recently announced that their recommended millage rate for the 2007 school year would be a reduced millage of 14.470 mills (down .75 mill from last year's 15.220). Based on existing state and county millage rates of 0.25 mills and 6.26 mills respectively, that would put the total tax rate at a respectable 20.98 mills. On a $200,000 home, this only amounts to a tax

The Pickens County School Board recently announced that their recommended millage rate for the 2007 school year would be a reduced millage of 14.470 mills (down .75 mill from last year's 15.220). Based on existing state and county millage rates of 0.25 mills and 6.26 mills respectively, that would put the total tax rate at a respectable 20.98 mills. On a $200,000 home, this only amounts to a tax

An investment from billionaire oil and gas tycoon T. Boone Pickens, sent shares of Interoil Corp. (IOC) up more than 20% on Thursday.A SEC filing showed Mr. Pickens has acquired 9.9% of Interoil's outstanding shares.His private investment firm BP Capital Management LP holds a 3.2% stake, as does its general partner TBP Invesments Management LLC.Mr. Pickens is considered one of America's top corporate raiders, reaping huge payoffs through takeover battles.Via: SeekingAlphaInteroil, BP Capital Management, IOC, energy stocks, TBP Invesments ManagementFound this post useful? Consider subscribing to The Energy Data Warehouse Feed/RSS. Advertise on The ENERGY DATA WAREHOUSEwww.BajaeNergyBLOG.com

The Georgia Department of Revenue, Unclaimed Property Program just updated their unclaimed property list (which they do in July). Unfortunately, a search for my name returned no results, but out of curiosity I explored a little further to see if there were any Pickens County or Jasper residents who did have money they didn't know about floating around out there . . . My searches returned several

The Georgia Department of Revenue, Unclaimed Property Program just updated their unclaimed property list (which they do in July). Unfortunately, a search for my name returned no results, but out of curiosity I explored a little further to see if there were any Pickens County or Jasper residents who did have money they didn't know about floating around out there . . . My searches returned several

While real estate prices in Jasper and surrounding areas of Pickens County GA seemed to have held to a fairly consistent average, the number of homes sold has shown a 21% overall decline for the first half of 2007, compared with the same period last year. The average sale price for single family residential homes through the end of June 2007 was $205,000 -- the same as it was through the end of

While real estate prices in Jasper and surrounding areas of Pickens County GA seemed to have held to a fairly consistent average, the number of homes sold has shown a 21% overall decline for the first half of 2007, compared with the same period last year. The average sale price for single family residential homes through the end of June 2007 was $205,000 -- the same as it was through the end of

Activities in the rolling hills that make up the North Georgia area are for the most part best suited to those who are slightly more active in their leisure pursuits, or who at least enjoy the outdoors. This semi-rural world of small towns and simple living is not much given to museums, galleries, theaters, auditoriums, stadiums and other pastimes found in more urban and developed areas. For

Activities in the rolling hills that make up the North Georgia area are for the most part best suited to those who are slightly more active in their leisure pursuits, or who at least enjoy the outdoors. This semi-rural world of small towns and simple living is not much given to museums, galleries, theaters, auditoriums, stadiums and other pastimes found in more urban and developed areas. For

Stop work orders or denials of land disturbing plans seem to be the order of the day for a number of local developments, keeping anticipated growth in check to some degree . . . which may not be all bad. In a previous post on North Georgia development, I addressed the issue that, in the face of a possible real estate slowdown, finding buyers for all the new subdivision homes and lots currently

Stop work orders or denials of land disturbing plans seem to be the order of the day for a number of local developments, keeping anticipated growth in check to some degree . . . which may not be all bad. In a previous post on North Georgia development, I addressed the issue that, in the face of a possible real estate slowdown, finding buyers for all the new subdivision homes and lots currently

According to the latest census info, for the period April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006, Pickens County holds a solid position among the 100 fastest growing counties in the country, coming in at 65th nationwide (with a growth rate of 29 percent for the period).Sixteen of the top 100 fastest growing counties in the nation are in Georgia. Leading the way is Forsyth County, with a 53.4 % population increase during this time . . . making it the 5th fastest growing county in the nation. Other fast growing counties in the North Georgia region are Cherokee County, with 37.4 % (24th out of the top 100) and Dawson County, with 29 % (barely beating out Pickens County in the #64 position).The 28-county Atlanta metro area (of which Pickens is a part) added 890,211 new residents during this 6-year period, making Atlanta the 9th largest metro in the US . . . and the fastest growing, with just over 5 million residents. Five Georgia cities made the top 100 growth list: Warner Robins, Dalton, Athens-Clarke C

According to the latest census info, for the period April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006, Pickens County holds a solid position among the 100 fastest growing counties in the country, coming in at 65th nationwide (with a growth rate of 29 percent for the period). Sixteen of the top 100 fastest growing counties in the nation are in Georgia. Leading the way is Forsyth County, with a 53.4 % population

According to the latest census info, for the period April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006, Pickens County holds a solid position among the 100 fastest growing counties in the country, coming in at 65th nationwide (with a growth rate of 29 percent for the period). Sixteen of the top 100 fastest growing counties in the nation are in Georgia. Leading the way is Forsyth County, with a 53.4 % population

From all counts, today's residents of Pickens County appear to be for the most part a responsible, hard-working and fiscally responsible citizenry. There is however a particular oddity of the early history of Pickens -- dating back to the state legislative session of 1860, just 7 years after the formation of the county -- which can't help but lead to some speculation about the goings on of our

From all counts, today's residents of Pickens County appear to be for the most part a responsible, hard-working and fiscally responsible citizenry. There is however a particular oddity of the early history of Pickens -- dating back to the state legislative session of 1860, just 7 years after the formation of the county -- which can't help but lead to some speculation about the goings on of our

Based on the level of activity and interest this blog draws from outside of the county, I thought I might on a periodic basis start adding some pictures of Jasper, Pickens County and the North Georgia area in general to the site. We have such a wealth of beauty and points of interest, everything from natural flora, fauna and features, to historic buildings and places of interest (and yes, even people of note), that I thought this would add a nice feature to my posts to be shared with the world at large. Of course, for my local readers, you can also use this feature to share with friends and family outside of Pickens County.If I need to make setting adjustments to accomodate my email subscribers, please let me know. (Feedback is welcome from anybody, not just my subscribers, so send me your thoughts and comments. If you have ideas for suitable images to add, or have some of your own you would like to share, just let me know!)To start off the series, I thought I would use some shots I to

Based on the level of activity and interest this blog draws from outside of the county, I thought I might on a periodic basis start adding some pictures of Jasper, Pickens County and the North Georgia area in general to the site. We have such a wealth of beauty and points of interest, everything from natural flora, fauna and features, to historic buildings and places of interest (and yes, even

Based on the level of activity and interest this blog draws from outside of the county, I thought I might on a periodic basis start adding some pictures of Jasper, Pickens County and the North Georgia area in general to the site. We have such a wealth of beauty and points of interest, everything from natural flora, fauna and features, to historic buildings and places of interest (and yes, even

Pickens County is one of 155 Georgia counties recently designated as a primary natural disaster area by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As of August 2006, continued drought conditions throughout most of the state make qualifying farm operators eligible for low-interest emergency loans through USDA's Farm Service Agency. For more information on disaster relief, visit the Farm Service Agency site for Pickens County Georgia HERE.

The annual Georgia Marble Festival (held each fall here in Jasper Georgia) is fast approaching. This year it will be held the weekend of October 7th & 8th. After the Marble Festival parade through downtown Jasper kicks things off, events and activities include tours of the world's largest open pit marble quarry, over 100 arts & crafts booths, a fine art competition / exhibition, live music, dancing, food, a classic car show, and much more. Children under 12 - free. Students - $3. Adults - $4. Tour of the quarry at Georgia Marble Company's Tate operation - $10. Good fun for all ages and definitely worth checking out.

Tampa, Florida (CaymanMama.com) -- The legendary philanthropist and billionaire entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens unveiled his new energy plan on Tuesday which, he says, will decrease the US dependency on overseas oil by over one third. It will also help in shifting the energy production of America towards renewable sources like ...