I took up two new hobbies last year: fly tying and orienteering.
Most everybody knows what fly tying is. One takes an assortment of hooks, feathers, thread and other assorted bits and pieces and assembles them in a certain fashion on a particular size hook for a particular species of fish. I started doing it in hopes of making some extra money but, as so often happens, it was a scam, or if not an outright scam, an unethical enterprise. So I kept the tools and made myself an assortment of Woolly buggers. It was fun, relaxing, interesting and I can't wait to take them out on the water. Need to find a boat trailer first.
Orienteering is a not-so-new twist on a old hobby: Hiking. Only in orienteering you use a compass to find your way as opposed to following a well marked trail. One of the intriquing aspects to orienteering is you don't have to stick to trails anymore. After learning how to use a compass and a map, you can strike out across country, over hills, mountains, deserts, whatever terrain, comfortable in the knowledge that you can find your way home again.
After pouring through a couple of books, I bought myself a good compass and purchased a USGS map of a particular area in which I was interested in exploring for the purpose of hunting. I had passed this particular place not far from the Mt. Baker National Forest and always wondered what lay up in those hills. I was curious especially if there were any deer up there. It looked like prime deer hunting.
I took a backpack well stocked with emergency supplies and struck out through the woods on a weekend. I studied the map I had taken, picked a landmark and a corresponding compass heading and took off. At first it was fairly flat going but after half an hour or so, the ground became increasingly thick with brush and sloped uphill. The map I had indicated this so it was no surprise. After I had made my way upward for about an hour, I came across some unbelievably thick ferns, and I found that deer had been bedding down in them. It looked like a veritable deer park, they had been so thick in there.
I kept checking my map and compass and had to stop more and more often to rest. At one point, as I rested waist deep in the wet ferns, I looked around and discovered that I no longer had a point of reference in relation to where I had started from. I felt a wave of panic rise in my gut for just an instant, and then I remembered my compass and map. I took them out, reoriented myself according to my initial compass heading and felt immeasureable reassurance. After getting my wind back, I struck out again, left the thick fern beds, and made the top of a ridge where the underbrush was not quite so thick. I hadn't gone much further, however, before I came to an area that had been logged off many years ago. The loggers had taken the bigger timber and left the smaller stuff lay on the forest floor creating a false forest floor that was easy to step through. It was the worst to manuever through because it seemed like I was forever stepping off a log or branch and falling. It took lots of time to move around logs and brush piles I couldn't climb over but I used my compass to plot those diversions and it was a pleasure to me to discover that I could return to my original compass heading.
As I crested the final ridge I could see my destination far ahead. I didn't realize, however, and the map I had didn't show very well, that I had to cross a large flat meadow that was, in reality, a swampy area thickly covered with wild rose bushes and other prickly plants like that. That area took me longer to traverse than the whole rest of the trip but the whole time I could see my destination so it was no big deal to wander back and forth trying to find an easier route through it. Eventually I made my way up to a logging road which marked the top of my route. Everything from there on out would be downhill.
The whole trip was one big thrill. I learned that I no longer had to be afraid to be out in the deep woods as long as I had a map and compass and a backpack stocked with the proper emergency supplies and first aid. I can't wait for the weather to clear and the work to allow for me to get back out there again this year. I have one trip planned already and hope to get to go orienteering in Eastern Washington as well.
For those of you who find yourself bored with the routine of following well traveled and well marked trails, invest some time in the sport of orienteering and discover anew the thrills of self sufficiency and adventure in moving over unmarked and untraveled terrain.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Weekend whispers
My son came home today for awhile and we had a cowboy dinner and watched a movie (True Grit) together. It was so nice to see him! My wife made a great dish of barbecued spare ribs and baked beans. My insides objected strenuously but that didn't diminish the pleasure I derived from seeing my boy and eating well. The only thing I like to do better is watch John Wayne movies while wearing my cowboy hat and holding one of my guns. Sounds corny I know, but it adds a lot to the entertainment value. (And yes, I do have a Bowie knife I like to play with while watching the old Jim Bowie tv series.)
My wife is at the tail end of a severe cold virus and I hope I am too, or rather that I am just experiencing some more allergy symptoms. Both she and I have been to the doctor already this year. I came away with a prescription I can't use because of adverse side effects; she came away with three prescriptions she could use and a good scolding.
A couple came to the house this evening with their real estate agent and asked to look at our home. They came in and looked at each room with the expected amount of interest. Apparently they are interested enough to seek financing. Unfortunately, we have been down this road before.
I am hoping to make some progress with writing next week. I've been thinking about trying to get up earlier than I normally would and try to do research and preliminary work on some magazine articles, get out some query letters, and find an agent to send my book submission to.
I've also been thinking a lot about the opening where I work for a marketing writer and communications coordinator. I don't have any formal training doing that but I'm confident given a chance I could do it, at least after an initial break-in period and some on-the-job training.
I already approached my supervisor about shadowing someone in marketing and she said she'd look into it but I haven't heard anything since.
I also have given some thought to just going up to marketing, introducing myself to the manager of that department and asking if I could do an internship (paid or unpaid) there like maybe one day a week.
Might be a great experience for me. I wondered, too, if it might not be better to try to do the shadowing first to get an idea if it's really even anything I want to pursue or not. I like the creative aspect to it. I'm not sure if I could cope with the deadlines and pressure there any better than I can at my present position but the idea behind all this is to try and prepare myself to go back to work for myself eventually. I'd feel more confident if I could only get something published in paper, even locally.
My wife is at the tail end of a severe cold virus and I hope I am too, or rather that I am just experiencing some more allergy symptoms. Both she and I have been to the doctor already this year. I came away with a prescription I can't use because of adverse side effects; she came away with three prescriptions she could use and a good scolding.
A couple came to the house this evening with their real estate agent and asked to look at our home. They came in and looked at each room with the expected amount of interest. Apparently they are interested enough to seek financing. Unfortunately, we have been down this road before.
I am hoping to make some progress with writing next week. I've been thinking about trying to get up earlier than I normally would and try to do research and preliminary work on some magazine articles, get out some query letters, and find an agent to send my book submission to.
I've also been thinking a lot about the opening where I work for a marketing writer and communications coordinator. I don't have any formal training doing that but I'm confident given a chance I could do it, at least after an initial break-in period and some on-the-job training.
I already approached my supervisor about shadowing someone in marketing and she said she'd look into it but I haven't heard anything since.
I also have given some thought to just going up to marketing, introducing myself to the manager of that department and asking if I could do an internship (paid or unpaid) there like maybe one day a week.
Might be a great experience for me. I wondered, too, if it might not be better to try to do the shadowing first to get an idea if it's really even anything I want to pursue or not. I like the creative aspect to it. I'm not sure if I could cope with the deadlines and pressure there any better than I can at my present position but the idea behind all this is to try and prepare myself to go back to work for myself eventually. I'd feel more confident if I could only get something published in paper, even locally.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
The Peace Democrats and the current conflict
During the American Civil War, some Democrats opposed the war and were willing to go to any lengths to reach a settlement over State's Rights and slavery up to and including disunion. These people were labeled Peace Democrats and were, history has shown, incorrect in their assumptions and posturing. Had they gotten their way, America might well not exist.
Maybe it's just as simple a matter as a lack of proper education about our Nation's history. May be it's historical revisionists making an impact, an unfavorable impact, on our people and our government.
Like trapping mercury, it seems increasingly difficult to corral the reasons for such rabid dissension on public display and in the media today. Is it an immigration issue? Are we allowing so many people in from nations whose core values differ so greatly from our own that our own values suffer corruption? This is a Biblical principle and one many of us have taught our children: Be careful who you hang around with. They may drag you down with them. Remember: Birds of a feather flock together.
I wonder if we wouldn't have a stronger, safer country if we did close our borders.
Why is it so strange that we should find ourselves, once again, in a struggle with Muslim forces? Doesn't anyone know about the battles America fought with the Barbary pirates on the southern coast of the Mediterranean sea shortly after we had won our independence from Great Britain?
Is this no longer taught in our schools? A short study of that brief conflict (still memorialized, by the way, in the Marine Hymn) would show the similarities between that one and the one we are currently in. The Muslim world hasn't changed. Neither have their doctrines. They still believe, as they did then, that all people who are not islam are infidels and are to be killed if they refuse to convert to Islam.
Here we are again in a position of defending our country after a foreign government sanctioned attack that cost the lives of more people than were lost in the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II and there is such an amazing hue and cry against our government and our officials it is hard to grasp. World War I started over the assassination of one head of state; the Archduke Ferdinand was killed by a serbian anarchist. In that war alone, Germany lost over 1,000,000 men. The allies lost almost as many. During World War II, America lost over 440,000 men. The battle of Okinawa alone cost America's mother's and father's more than 50,000 of their sons in as little as a couple of months. We hear on a daily basis of the casualties from Iraq and it is sad. My heart breaks for those families who lost loved ones just as it did for the casualties I flew home with from Southeast Asia so long ago. Yet little more than a brief notice in the local paper is made of the casualties coating our nation's highways in blood. And our Federal, state, and local governments are to blame. They are more interested in the money to be made from liquor sales than the lives of our sons and daughters. Seldom do victims of crime make national headlines and bring about a national outcry unless it is a sensationalized one against children or women. So what is it that caused our forebears to suffer silently the outrageous casualties of America's past conflicts and causes us to so loudly decry the relatively few casualties that we have suffered in the current one? Was it their lifestyle? Were they so confident of better times they were willing to strive for it to the point of blood? If so, are we so jealous of our prosperity we are willing to sacrifice everything including our liberty and that of other people to keep it? It certainly seems so.
The world revolves on the demand for money whether it is government or the people. So it should be no surprise that we fight for it, whether in this country or any other. Yet there are those vocal ones that insist we refuse to fight; as long as they can maintain their own current lifestyle of excesses they are willing to turn the other cheek, even on National calamity. They use a number of excuses to lend credibility to their selfish posturing: The environment, diversity, tolerance, peace, etc.
We need more advocates of peace but not at the cost of everything. Just as everything else in life, peace has its price.
Maybe it's just as simple a matter as a lack of proper education about our Nation's history. May be it's historical revisionists making an impact, an unfavorable impact, on our people and our government.
Like trapping mercury, it seems increasingly difficult to corral the reasons for such rabid dissension on public display and in the media today. Is it an immigration issue? Are we allowing so many people in from nations whose core values differ so greatly from our own that our own values suffer corruption? This is a Biblical principle and one many of us have taught our children: Be careful who you hang around with. They may drag you down with them. Remember: Birds of a feather flock together.
I wonder if we wouldn't have a stronger, safer country if we did close our borders.
Why is it so strange that we should find ourselves, once again, in a struggle with Muslim forces? Doesn't anyone know about the battles America fought with the Barbary pirates on the southern coast of the Mediterranean sea shortly after we had won our independence from Great Britain?
Is this no longer taught in our schools? A short study of that brief conflict (still memorialized, by the way, in the Marine Hymn) would show the similarities between that one and the one we are currently in. The Muslim world hasn't changed. Neither have their doctrines. They still believe, as they did then, that all people who are not islam are infidels and are to be killed if they refuse to convert to Islam.
Here we are again in a position of defending our country after a foreign government sanctioned attack that cost the lives of more people than were lost in the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II and there is such an amazing hue and cry against our government and our officials it is hard to grasp. World War I started over the assassination of one head of state; the Archduke Ferdinand was killed by a serbian anarchist. In that war alone, Germany lost over 1,000,000 men. The allies lost almost as many. During World War II, America lost over 440,000 men. The battle of Okinawa alone cost America's mother's and father's more than 50,000 of their sons in as little as a couple of months. We hear on a daily basis of the casualties from Iraq and it is sad. My heart breaks for those families who lost loved ones just as it did for the casualties I flew home with from Southeast Asia so long ago. Yet little more than a brief notice in the local paper is made of the casualties coating our nation's highways in blood. And our Federal, state, and local governments are to blame. They are more interested in the money to be made from liquor sales than the lives of our sons and daughters. Seldom do victims of crime make national headlines and bring about a national outcry unless it is a sensationalized one against children or women. So what is it that caused our forebears to suffer silently the outrageous casualties of America's past conflicts and causes us to so loudly decry the relatively few casualties that we have suffered in the current one? Was it their lifestyle? Were they so confident of better times they were willing to strive for it to the point of blood? If so, are we so jealous of our prosperity we are willing to sacrifice everything including our liberty and that of other people to keep it? It certainly seems so.
The world revolves on the demand for money whether it is government or the people. So it should be no surprise that we fight for it, whether in this country or any other. Yet there are those vocal ones that insist we refuse to fight; as long as they can maintain their own current lifestyle of excesses they are willing to turn the other cheek, even on National calamity. They use a number of excuses to lend credibility to their selfish posturing: The environment, diversity, tolerance, peace, etc.
We need more advocates of peace but not at the cost of everything. Just as everything else in life, peace has its price.
Email, the Media, and the Democrats.
I don't usually expound on issues involving the government but I find myself more and more puzzled and irritated by the direction of the media and the Democratic party in relation to people and events not only worldwide but here at home as well.
Take, for example, the current flap in Congress and the media regarding the emails sent (or received) by an aide in the Attorney General's office about the firing of some attorneys general.
There may or may not have been some wrong doing here but it seems to me the people would be best served by letting the investigation proceed in order. As far as the emails themselves, I'm confident whoever in the Attorney General's office composed and sent them, he or she sat back and weighed the consequences knowing full well the public nature of the email format. If that person had been bent on some destructive or subversive behavior, surely there would have been some monitoring of email communications in an organization as large as the Department of Justice and this would have been found out before the fact.
Even in private corporations (like the one where I work) it is a matter of policy that we don't write, copy, or forward anything that we don't want somebody else to read, no matter who that person may be. I can't feature the government having a more liberal policy regarding emails, especially in an office like that of the Attorney General.
I can only surmise, therefore, that the emails have to be a matter of no consequence, yet the political party in power and the media seem to have addressed the issue as though it were one of national security, making them seem all the more petty in my eyes.
Take, for example, the current flap in Congress and the media regarding the emails sent (or received) by an aide in the Attorney General's office about the firing of some attorneys general.
There may or may not have been some wrong doing here but it seems to me the people would be best served by letting the investigation proceed in order. As far as the emails themselves, I'm confident whoever in the Attorney General's office composed and sent them, he or she sat back and weighed the consequences knowing full well the public nature of the email format. If that person had been bent on some destructive or subversive behavior, surely there would have been some monitoring of email communications in an organization as large as the Department of Justice and this would have been found out before the fact.
Even in private corporations (like the one where I work) it is a matter of policy that we don't write, copy, or forward anything that we don't want somebody else to read, no matter who that person may be. I can't feature the government having a more liberal policy regarding emails, especially in an office like that of the Attorney General.
I can only surmise, therefore, that the emails have to be a matter of no consequence, yet the political party in power and the media seem to have addressed the issue as though it were one of national security, making them seem all the more petty in my eyes.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Real Practical Advise For Real Estate Buyers
Buying a new home
by Jerry Watson
Buying a new home, whether your first, a second home, vacation cabin or condo, can seem complicated, even intimidating. Take things one step at a time and before you know it, you'll be unlocking your own front door.
The government Department of Housing and Urban Development has a list of nine steps that pose a good starting place for a new home purchase.
Decide how much new home you can afford
This may seem simple, even trite advice. Many people embark on a new home purchase without any idea of the costs involved, especially first time home buyers. This comes about, in part, because the government encourages first time home buyers with a number of innovative programs designed to encourage them to make a purchase. It is wise to consider some of the following before starting your search.
• What kind of job do you have? Is it steady? How long have you been employed there? What are your future employment prospects?
• Are you married? Single? Do you have children? What are your housing needs now?
• If you are married, does your spouse work? If so, is his/her job steady? What are his/her future employment prospects?
• Are you looking for a starter home? A second home? A vacation home? A cottage? A condo? A rental?
• How much money do you have set aside for a down payment?
Know your rights
• There are many aspects to new home purchases that are obscure, confusing, even intentionally glossed over in the effort to force a sale.
• Take the time to educate yourself. It is time well spent. Following are some information resources you should take advantage of to learn as much as possible about your prospective purchase. These can be found on the Department of Housing and Urban Development website.
o Fair Housing: Equal Opportunity for All
o Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)
o Borrower's rights
o Predatory lending
• In addition, learn all you can about two real estate principles in detail. These two principles alone can transform your dream home into a living nightmare.
o Adverse possession.
o Prescriptive rights.
Shop for a loan
• You should take the time to approach a home loan vendor and get pre-qualified. You do this by filling out an application for a home loan. This will tell you how much a prospective lender is willing to loan you for your new home purchase.
• It's best to approach more than one lender, if possible.
• Above all, be honest in filling out your application. It will, almost certainly, be checked for accuracy.
• Remember, the more money you have set aside for a down payment, the better terms you can get for your loan.
Learn about home buying programs
• Each one of the fifty United States has a number of home buying programs.
• Take advantage of this vast reservoir of information. There are programs available for first time home buyers, veterans, seniors, low income, disabled, and any number of agencies and counseling services available to help.
• The one place you should approach with a certain amount of trepidation when searching for information about home buying programs is any real estate office. Remember, they are professionals whose main goal is to sell real estate. That is how they make their living. In most cases, they are not concerned about the sale after the fact, although there are reputable real estate agents whose concern for their clients runs well past the initial sale. Ask around for references.
Shop for a home
• Here's where things get really fun! Now is the time to gather everybody in the car and cruise for castles. What are your desires? What things is your spouse interested in? A view? Landscaping? A school, a church, a store nearby? Lots of wide open spaces?
• Don't take your friendly, neighborhood real estate agent with you at first. Take the time, if possible, to see what's out there. Cruise the neighborhoods. Talk to people. Years ago my father took the time to chat and by doing so, avoided a part of the county notorious for heavy winter storms and bought a beautiful small farm in a small area that was a noted banana belt.
• Be sure to talk to the neighbors. You may be surprised at their response. Better to find out now than after you've signed the papers. Maybe they will welcome you to the neighborhood with open arms. Then again, you may discover your prospective neighbor is also the local grouch, crazy person, town character, etc.
Found the place you just can't live without?
Well, now's the time to make the home owner or their real estate agent an offer. Before you do, take some time to talk with your spouse and children.
• Get some outside advice. Others may see things you missed.
• Don't be in a hurry to make an offer just yet. If someone, like a real estate agent, is pressuring you to do so, take that as a bad sign and back away. The bullet you dodge may have had your name on it.
Hire a home inspector
Here an important word about home inspections may be called for. Usually the lender will require the property to be inspected by a home inspector and they may require you to hire them. Be aware that even if you pay for the home inspector, they are working for the lender. Their purpose is to protect the lender's investment. No matter what they tell you, their concern is not for your welfare. That is a ploy to get you to pay their bill. They are there to make sure the property is up to current codes and standards. In the main, that is to your benefit, but never forget it's all a money game. And the lender holds the money you want. They will insist that their investment be protected. Shop around before agreeing to any particular home inspector. Make sure they are members of ASHI, The American Society of Home Inspectors. As with any important purchase, ask around, talk to friends, family, acquaintances, get referrals.
Shop for homeowner's insurance
The lender will require you to have homeowner's insurance. Shop around for the best value.
Sign the papers at closing
If you've never done this before, it can be a lengthy process. Be sure to set aside enough time to do it. You must read all the documents before signing them. If you don't understand them, consider hiring an attorney or another real estate broker or agent to explain them to you before you sign. Don't rely on the seller's agent to do that for you. Relying on your own agent may also be a little bit of a negative. Remember, your agent is hoping to make the sale. That's his or her paycheck. At this point money will change hands. The larger down payment you can make the better. If you have at least twenty percent of the sale price for a down payment, the lender may allow you to make your own property tax and insurance payment. If you don't, the lender will require that you put enough in escrow to cover these costs annually. That can add up to a lot of money. In the long run, it will serve you better to save patiently until you have that twenty percent down payment.
Saving money in the long run
Education is the key. The more you know, the more you stand to save on a prospective home purchase.
• Don't buy more than you need for the present and the foreseeable future.
• Don't buy more than you can afford to maintain.
• Consider your skills. Can you do some or all of the work yourself? If so, you may be able to pocket even more of the costs of maintenance and repairs.
• Don't overlook the opportunities to negotiate directly with the homeowner. If they, or you, have already signed a real estate contract, that may not be possible.
by Jerry Watson
Buying a new home, whether your first, a second home, vacation cabin or condo, can seem complicated, even intimidating. Take things one step at a time and before you know it, you'll be unlocking your own front door.
The government Department of Housing and Urban Development has a list of nine steps that pose a good starting place for a new home purchase.
Decide how much new home you can afford
This may seem simple, even trite advice. Many people embark on a new home purchase without any idea of the costs involved, especially first time home buyers. This comes about, in part, because the government encourages first time home buyers with a number of innovative programs designed to encourage them to make a purchase. It is wise to consider some of the following before starting your search.
• What kind of job do you have? Is it steady? How long have you been employed there? What are your future employment prospects?
• Are you married? Single? Do you have children? What are your housing needs now?
• If you are married, does your spouse work? If so, is his/her job steady? What are his/her future employment prospects?
• Are you looking for a starter home? A second home? A vacation home? A cottage? A condo? A rental?
• How much money do you have set aside for a down payment?
Know your rights
• There are many aspects to new home purchases that are obscure, confusing, even intentionally glossed over in the effort to force a sale.
• Take the time to educate yourself. It is time well spent. Following are some information resources you should take advantage of to learn as much as possible about your prospective purchase. These can be found on the Department of Housing and Urban Development website.
o Fair Housing: Equal Opportunity for All
o Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)
o Borrower's rights
o Predatory lending
• In addition, learn all you can about two real estate principles in detail. These two principles alone can transform your dream home into a living nightmare.
o Adverse possession.
o Prescriptive rights.
Shop for a loan
• You should take the time to approach a home loan vendor and get pre-qualified. You do this by filling out an application for a home loan. This will tell you how much a prospective lender is willing to loan you for your new home purchase.
• It's best to approach more than one lender, if possible.
• Above all, be honest in filling out your application. It will, almost certainly, be checked for accuracy.
• Remember, the more money you have set aside for a down payment, the better terms you can get for your loan.
Learn about home buying programs
• Each one of the fifty United States has a number of home buying programs.
• Take advantage of this vast reservoir of information. There are programs available for first time home buyers, veterans, seniors, low income, disabled, and any number of agencies and counseling services available to help.
• The one place you should approach with a certain amount of trepidation when searching for information about home buying programs is any real estate office. Remember, they are professionals whose main goal is to sell real estate. That is how they make their living. In most cases, they are not concerned about the sale after the fact, although there are reputable real estate agents whose concern for their clients runs well past the initial sale. Ask around for references.
Shop for a home
• Here's where things get really fun! Now is the time to gather everybody in the car and cruise for castles. What are your desires? What things is your spouse interested in? A view? Landscaping? A school, a church, a store nearby? Lots of wide open spaces?
• Don't take your friendly, neighborhood real estate agent with you at first. Take the time, if possible, to see what's out there. Cruise the neighborhoods. Talk to people. Years ago my father took the time to chat and by doing so, avoided a part of the county notorious for heavy winter storms and bought a beautiful small farm in a small area that was a noted banana belt.
• Be sure to talk to the neighbors. You may be surprised at their response. Better to find out now than after you've signed the papers. Maybe they will welcome you to the neighborhood with open arms. Then again, you may discover your prospective neighbor is also the local grouch, crazy person, town character, etc.
Found the place you just can't live without?
Well, now's the time to make the home owner or their real estate agent an offer. Before you do, take some time to talk with your spouse and children.
• Get some outside advice. Others may see things you missed.
• Don't be in a hurry to make an offer just yet. If someone, like a real estate agent, is pressuring you to do so, take that as a bad sign and back away. The bullet you dodge may have had your name on it.
Hire a home inspector
Here an important word about home inspections may be called for. Usually the lender will require the property to be inspected by a home inspector and they may require you to hire them. Be aware that even if you pay for the home inspector, they are working for the lender. Their purpose is to protect the lender's investment. No matter what they tell you, their concern is not for your welfare. That is a ploy to get you to pay their bill. They are there to make sure the property is up to current codes and standards. In the main, that is to your benefit, but never forget it's all a money game. And the lender holds the money you want. They will insist that their investment be protected. Shop around before agreeing to any particular home inspector. Make sure they are members of ASHI, The American Society of Home Inspectors. As with any important purchase, ask around, talk to friends, family, acquaintances, get referrals.
Shop for homeowner's insurance
The lender will require you to have homeowner's insurance. Shop around for the best value.
Sign the papers at closing
If you've never done this before, it can be a lengthy process. Be sure to set aside enough time to do it. You must read all the documents before signing them. If you don't understand them, consider hiring an attorney or another real estate broker or agent to explain them to you before you sign. Don't rely on the seller's agent to do that for you. Relying on your own agent may also be a little bit of a negative. Remember, your agent is hoping to make the sale. That's his or her paycheck. At this point money will change hands. The larger down payment you can make the better. If you have at least twenty percent of the sale price for a down payment, the lender may allow you to make your own property tax and insurance payment. If you don't, the lender will require that you put enough in escrow to cover these costs annually. That can add up to a lot of money. In the long run, it will serve you better to save patiently until you have that twenty percent down payment.
Saving money in the long run
Education is the key. The more you know, the more you stand to save on a prospective home purchase.
• Don't buy more than you need for the present and the foreseeable future.
• Don't buy more than you can afford to maintain.
• Consider your skills. Can you do some or all of the work yourself? If so, you may be able to pocket even more of the costs of maintenance and repairs.
• Don't overlook the opportunities to negotiate directly with the homeowner. If they, or you, have already signed a real estate contract, that may not be possible.
Hybrid Cars. Are They Here To Stay?
Hybrids -- pros and cons
by Jerry Watson
$3.00 a gallon for gasoline! Help! With fuel prices mounting daily, we are all giving more attention to hybrid cars. What are hybrid cars? How do hybrid cars work? Are hybrid cars really worth the cost? Are hybrid cars convenient?
Hybrid cars first came into being in Japan before the turn of the century. Honda with their Insight , then Toyota and their popular Prius, followed rapidly by a number of other car manufacturers who began focusing their energy and resources on hybrids for the consumer car market.
There are basically three different types of hybrid automobiles: Hev or hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles or fcv's.
How Do HEVS Work?
Hevs or hybrid electric vehicles utilize an electric motor and batteries with an ICE or internal combustion engine. These vehicles are made in two basic drivetrain configurations: Parallel design and series design. Each mode has its own advantages and drawbacks.
Parallel design vehicles use the ICE for primary power and the electric system as a backup for use during increased power demands like going up hill, or needing sudden acceleration.
Series design vehicles use the ICE or gas engine to turn a generator providing electricity to the electric motor and powering the wheels in turn. Some HEVs can also use the series and parallel designs to work together, one powering the vehicle at low speeds and the other kicking in at highway speeds.
Plug-in vehicles. These are electric hybrids. They operate with a battery pack and electric motor. There are a number of exciting innovations on the horizon for these particular vehicles. But for all practical purposes right now, their use is pretty much limited to use in towns and cities where driving is short term and light.
Fuel cell vehicles. Also known as FCVs, these are also an innovative technology that stands on the national horizon. Fuel cell technology is being used not just in the consumer car market, but also being applied to public transportation, heavy buses and trucks. For the present, the infrastructure needed to support this type of hybrid is, for the most part, not in place.
What are the Advantages of HEVs?
Lower emissions. One of the most notable advantages of hybrids is their contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gases.
Favorable legislation. California is leading the way in legislation to promote the use of hybrid cars. They have passed laws allowing hybrid cars with a mileage rating of at least 45 mpg to enter car pool lanes with only one occupant. They also will allow hybrids with transponders to pass through toll booths free of charge.
Lower fuel costs. Higher fuel ratings translate into dollar savings at the pump. The EPA green vehicles guide shows the fuel economy rating for the top five hybrids for 2006 as well as their air pollution score, greenhouse gas score, and EPA Smartway rating.
They range from a low of 29 mpg highway to 60 mpg city for the Toyota Prius.
Size. Hybrid cars are lighter and roomier than standard automobiles. They have smaller, lighter engines and are built with lighter, stronger high technology materials.
Disadvantages. Hybrid cars contain high voltage that could pose an electrocution hazard to backyard mechanics, automotive workers, and emergency personnel after a crash.
Silence. While their quiet operation definitely contributes to a lessening of noise pollution, it can also be a hazard in certain situations when they can't be heard approaching or when the engine can't be heard running.
High purchase price. At present, hybrid cars may cost anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000 more than conventional automobiles, depending on the model comparison and purchase location. But those costs are coming down as more automobile manufacturers get on the bandwagon and technology advances.
High maintenance costs. A hybrid battery's typical life span is 6 to 10 years. Replacing it may cost several thousand dollars. Once again, this cost may come down considerably as battery technology advances.
Convenience? Maybe. Maybe not. Carefully weigh your own circumstances, finances and outlook. Hybrids may be the solution to your current concerns. Also hybrids may be inappropriate for your current financial picture, location, or physical needs. Take a look at their exciting new technologies and decide for yourself.
by Jerry Watson
$3.00 a gallon for gasoline! Help! With fuel prices mounting daily, we are all giving more attention to hybrid cars. What are hybrid cars? How do hybrid cars work? Are hybrid cars really worth the cost? Are hybrid cars convenient?
Hybrid cars first came into being in Japan before the turn of the century. Honda with their Insight , then Toyota and their popular Prius, followed rapidly by a number of other car manufacturers who began focusing their energy and resources on hybrids for the consumer car market.
There are basically three different types of hybrid automobiles: Hev or hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles or fcv's.
How Do HEVS Work?
Hevs or hybrid electric vehicles utilize an electric motor and batteries with an ICE or internal combustion engine. These vehicles are made in two basic drivetrain configurations: Parallel design and series design. Each mode has its own advantages and drawbacks.
Parallel design vehicles use the ICE for primary power and the electric system as a backup for use during increased power demands like going up hill, or needing sudden acceleration.
Series design vehicles use the ICE or gas engine to turn a generator providing electricity to the electric motor and powering the wheels in turn. Some HEVs can also use the series and parallel designs to work together, one powering the vehicle at low speeds and the other kicking in at highway speeds.
Plug-in vehicles. These are electric hybrids. They operate with a battery pack and electric motor. There are a number of exciting innovations on the horizon for these particular vehicles. But for all practical purposes right now, their use is pretty much limited to use in towns and cities where driving is short term and light.
Fuel cell vehicles. Also known as FCVs, these are also an innovative technology that stands on the national horizon. Fuel cell technology is being used not just in the consumer car market, but also being applied to public transportation, heavy buses and trucks. For the present, the infrastructure needed to support this type of hybrid is, for the most part, not in place.
What are the Advantages of HEVs?
Lower emissions. One of the most notable advantages of hybrids is their contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gases.
Favorable legislation. California is leading the way in legislation to promote the use of hybrid cars. They have passed laws allowing hybrid cars with a mileage rating of at least 45 mpg to enter car pool lanes with only one occupant. They also will allow hybrids with transponders to pass through toll booths free of charge.
Lower fuel costs. Higher fuel ratings translate into dollar savings at the pump. The EPA green vehicles guide shows the fuel economy rating for the top five hybrids for 2006 as well as their air pollution score, greenhouse gas score, and EPA Smartway rating.
They range from a low of 29 mpg highway to 60 mpg city for the Toyota Prius.
Size. Hybrid cars are lighter and roomier than standard automobiles. They have smaller, lighter engines and are built with lighter, stronger high technology materials.
Disadvantages. Hybrid cars contain high voltage that could pose an electrocution hazard to backyard mechanics, automotive workers, and emergency personnel after a crash.
Silence. While their quiet operation definitely contributes to a lessening of noise pollution, it can also be a hazard in certain situations when they can't be heard approaching or when the engine can't be heard running.
High purchase price. At present, hybrid cars may cost anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000 more than conventional automobiles, depending on the model comparison and purchase location. But those costs are coming down as more automobile manufacturers get on the bandwagon and technology advances.
High maintenance costs. A hybrid battery's typical life span is 6 to 10 years. Replacing it may cost several thousand dollars. Once again, this cost may come down considerably as battery technology advances.
Convenience? Maybe. Maybe not. Carefully weigh your own circumstances, finances and outlook. Hybrids may be the solution to your current concerns. Also hybrids may be inappropriate for your current financial picture, location, or physical needs. Take a look at their exciting new technologies and decide for yourself.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Another funny story
I hadn't ridden a bicycle in many years but when my wife got a nice-looking used one I was struck with the urge to try it out. It was a tall, green job with lots of levers and gears and it looked like a lot of fun to ride.
One Sunday morning we all got up and dressed for church. It was a bright sunny day out and while I waited for everyone else to get ready, I asked my wife if she minded if I tried out her bike.
"In your Sunday clothes?" she asked.
"Sure, I'll just ride it down the driveway and down the road a little ways and be right back." I stated matter-of-fact, filled with unwarranted confidence. Well, sir, our driveway sloped down hill just enough to coast all the way to the country road where we lived. I hopped on that Japanese hari kari machine and, without using the pedals, coasted all the way down to Hickox road where I intended to make a left turn on to the highway.
It was then I discovered my legs were too short for my feet to reach the spinning pedals, and I hadn't taken the time to familiarize myself with the braking mechanism. As I approached the road traveling at the speed of light, I stood on the right pedal with one foot, like you used to the old bicycles to apply the brake, and nothing happened--except I shot across that road and down a very steep ditch that stopped the bike, but not me.
I flew over the handle bars and made a hole with my nose through the top two boards of a neighbor's wooden fence. I didn't know which was more embarrassing: the dirty looks I got from the horse in the neighbor's pasture, my wife's horse laugh and scolding when she saw my buggered up nose and torn and soiled Sunday clothes, or my kids exploding in gales of laughter as I got a hammer out of the shop and told them all I would be right back; I had to repair the neighbor's fence! True Story! I swear!
A couple fun poems
Leaves
For many years I've watched you leave,
You come anew each spring,
I must admit, for ten years now
Spirit fades; my hands I wring.
I love your shelter,
Your green cool shade,
Your dappled daylight
So carefully laid.
Autumn comes blowing in
then your grip you lose.
As you fall and daylight fades,
my spirit grows heavy, my mood turns blue.
Still, I grasp the future,
Bright with hope,
Spring is coming,
I can cope.
A HOUSEHUSBAND’S ODE
I had a nervous breakdown t’other day
‘cause of a fitted sheet
that had its own way.
I folded and molded
And bunched it
And all with a smile
‘til continued failure
Made me take a break,
For awhile.
When I returned to the task
With gritted teeth,
I determined to fold that thing
If it took me all week!
Now at night I recover
From feeling so ill,
And glare at that sheet
Feeling scolded.
It lays there still,
On the floor
Where I left it
Proud victor, unconquered
And UNFOLDED!
For many years I've watched you leave,
You come anew each spring,
I must admit, for ten years now
Spirit fades; my hands I wring.
I love your shelter,
Your green cool shade,
Your dappled daylight
So carefully laid.
Autumn comes blowing in
then your grip you lose.
As you fall and daylight fades,
my spirit grows heavy, my mood turns blue.
Still, I grasp the future,
Bright with hope,
Spring is coming,
I can cope.
A HOUSEHUSBAND’S ODE
I had a nervous breakdown t’other day
‘cause of a fitted sheet
that had its own way.
I folded and molded
And bunched it
And all with a smile
‘til continued failure
Made me take a break,
For awhile.
When I returned to the task
With gritted teeth,
I determined to fold that thing
If it took me all week!
Now at night I recover
From feeling so ill,
And glare at that sheet
Feeling scolded.
It lays there still,
On the floor
Where I left it
Proud victor, unconquered
And UNFOLDED!
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