Paris Hilton’s Chihuahuas – Tinkerbell, Marilyn Monroe, Prince Baby Bear, Harajuki, Dolce, and Prada – have closed on new digs, reports Life & Style magazine. The property in Hollywood is a $325,000, 300-square-foot canine palace complete with a balcony, a backyard, living room furniture, and a chandelier – plus central air.
“It’s a miniature version of my house,†says Hilton. “I designed it with the help of my interior decorator, Faye Resnick. I wanted it to be fun, cute, comfortable and beautiful. My friends just love it and think it’s so adorable and cool.â€
This is some of the vanest crap I have every read. This chick should be struck poor.
A new report by Deutsche Bank estimates that by 2011 nearly 50 percent of U.S. home owners with mortgages will owe more than their homes are worth.
This estimate of 25 million borrowers is significantly higher than similar calculations by other economic and real estate analysts. For instance, Moody’s Economy.com projected that 17.5 million will be underwater by early 2010.
Currently, about 26 percent of home owners choose to walk away from their mortgages because their equity falls short of what they owe, according to a report by Paola Sapienza, a finance professor with Northwestern University, and Luigi Zingales, a finance professor at the University of Chicago. Their report suggests that situation could worsen if the percentage of underwater mortgage holders increases.
Not everybody agrees with Deutsche Bank’s analysis.
Tom Lawler, a well-respected independent housing economist, wrote that given the recent increase in home sales in many areas, “there is absolute[ly] no doubt that the DB ‘model’ forecast will show a huge miss to the down side on home prices.â€
Source: CNNMoney.com, Les Christie (08/06/2009) and The Wall Street Journal, Nick Timiraos (08/07/2009)
Word: This is really bad juju…not liking this at all! I am currently under water on one property.
Dear Civilians, ‘We know that the current state of affairs in our great nation has many civilians up in arms and excited to join the military. Â For those of you who can’t join, you can still lend a hand. Here are a few of the areas where we would like your assistance:
1. The next time you see any adults talking (or wearing a hat) during the playing of the National Anthem – kick their ass.
2. When you witness, firsthand, someone burning the American Flag in protest – kick their ass.
3. Regardless of the rank they held while they served, pay the highest amount of respect to all veterans. If you see anyone doing otherwise, quietly pull them aside and explain how these veterans fought for the very freedom they bask in every second. Enlighten them on the many sacrifices these veterans made to make this Nation great. Then hold them down while a disabled veteran kicks their ass.
Unemployment among blacks in New York City has increased much faster than for whites, and the gap appears to be widening at an accelerating pace, new studies of jobless data have found.
While unemployment rose steadily for white New Yorkers from the first quarter of 2008 through the first three months of this year, the number of unemployed blacks in the city rose four times as fast, according to a report to be released on Monday by the city comptroller’s office. By the end of March, there were about 80,000 more unemployed blacks than whites, according to the report, even though there are roughly 1.5 million more whites than blacks here.
Across the nation, the surge in unemployment has cut across all demographic lines, and the gap between blacks and whites has risen, but at a much slower rate than in New York.
Economists said they were not certain why so many more blacks were losing their jobs in New York, especially when a large share of the layoffs in the city have been in fields where they are not well represented, like finance and professional services. But in those sectors, the economists suggested that blacks may have had less seniority when layoffs occurred. And black workers hold an outsize share of the jobs in retailing and other service industries that have been shrinking as consumers curtail their spending. Â Continue…
The housing market has tanked, you can’t find a buyer and you’re stuck. Your best option is to rent out your house, to at least help cover the mortgage. You are about to become a “reluctant landlord.”
“One in five of our members move every year. In today’s real estate market, we know it’s more difficult for our members to sell their homes,” says Christopher Villa, USAA’s senior product manager for rental home insurance. Â Continue reading…
A man was riding his Harley along aCalifornia beach when suddenly the sky
clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, the Lord said, “Because
you have TRIED to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one
wish.”
The biker pulled over and said, “Thank you, Lord. Please build a bridge to
Hawaii so I can ride over anytime I want.”
The Lord said, “Your request is materialistic. Think of the enormous
undertaking; the supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific, and
the concrete and steel it would take! It will nearly exhaust several
natural resources. I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your
desire for worldly things.
Take a little more time and think of something that could possibly help
mankind.”
The biker thought about it for a long time. Finally, he said, “Lord, I
wish that I, and all men, could understand our wives;
I want to know how she feels inside, what she’s thinking when she gives me
the silent treatment, why she cries,
what she really means when she says nothing’s wrong, and how I can make a
woman truly happy.”
The Lord replied, “You want two lanes, or four on that bridge?
We celebrated the 4th of July yesterday – I had duty. Pretty tough duty day yesterday, I think I might have corns and bunnions all over my feet right now.
Lots of moving part being on and having duty on the largest US Naval base. It was almost as though we needed to have twice the number of people.
At any rate, we were able to dress the Ship; and dressing something that is about 3 football fields long by 1 football field wide. That’s a lot of real estate to cover.
Quite tired now, gonna head home, get a quick nap and spend some time with the youngums!
For anyone who has ever felt the deep lost of a loved one, it seems almost unbearable in the moment. We question things such as love, God and even our very existence itself. We try to cope in many ways, some good and some not so good.
The hurtful memories of such times either fade into the pass or we purposefully turn away from them, pushing them to another place. We can choose to hurt forever, or we can transform the deep hurt, created by such lost, into something much bigger and more lasting.
Doing this is not as easy as one might think; it requires steadfast focus and determination…it requires tough minds for those few and very tough times.
Day 3 started out pretty eventful. We started testing the Countermeasure Washdown System only to find out that some of our piping was not in such good shape. We had between 2 to 3 major leaks throughout the ship, with anywhere from 4-6 inches of water on decks. We were able to eventually get everything under control and finish up the testing. Kudos to a lot of great teamwork between Ship’s Force and some of our civilian comrades.
Addtionally, we did a few additional high speed runs and hard turns without any negative effects. That pretty much capped the day off for the most part.
All in all I would say our Sea Trials phase went quite well. We got through most of our evolutions, we had one somewhat major glitch (sucking up of a piece of nylon rope in the James River) that prevent us from doing Astern evolutions, but nothing else beyond that.
Good livin’
Aside: Finish struggling through my National Security 460+ page book. Intend to take the test either tomorrow or next Tuesday. Then it is on to “Strategy and War”. National Security had some good moments, but the flat policy stuff put my a** to bed. I literally struggled throught that book. Got to give it to the Airforce, they concocted one “sleepy sonovagun.
Day 2 of Sea Trials: Good times today. We went into our high sped runs and tuns. One doesn’t get a to fully appreciate the awesome power of this huge ship until you see it pressing at top speed and listing into a turn at 10-14 degrees port and then starboard.Â
After 4 years and a couple  billion dollars, the USS Carl Vinson is on her way back to sea and I am writing this post from inside her belly.
It really feels great to be part of something this big.
Time and time again I have wondered what it would feel like, what would I be thinking at this moment, after spending 2 years working to get her back to sea.
Well, I have waited long for this moment to be part of the second history, so to speak, of this great national asset. I wondered how I would feel about it as it happen; I thought I would be a bit sad, happy, nervous….well, I am feeling none of that right now. Instead, I am feeling rather pensive….honored even.
When is a great warrior at her most vulnerable?…while she is at rest without her shield. At this moment she is revealed…she is powerless. Once she rises, however, puts on her armor and stands again, she regains strength…she regains invincibility.
I feel in many ways that I have been privileged to have seen this great ship in its vulnerable moment without armor, I have seen her bones…I have seen her frailty. And time hence, when I am closer to the soil,  I will be able to say – “O that might ship Invincible Vinson, I knew well…I knew her when…I knew her then; and I and a few others of my friends, stitched her armor and gave her strength.â€
Well we (my family and I) have been discussing going to Bahrain pretty much for the last year or so. That was until quite recently, we started to reconsider. Reason: I think that I am nearing my end…ready to call this life on the run quits after this assignment. And so instead of taking the family overseas for 2 years and then making the leap then, we agreed it would be best to have them settle back down in Florida now, I do a one year stint and then come back. We will have lots of time to do the world travel thingy afterwards…hopefully. Now don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy what I do, but the realities of the profession and the emotional needs of my family are proving quite the challenge.
Now, there still remains a possibility that I might hang in a bit longer, but that will depend on the selection board next year. If selected, I think…I would probably opt for the war college followed by 6th Fleet in Italy…(not sure if I want to be a ship’s IO)…that would require a bit of brain time.
At any rate I spoke to my detailer and switch back from 2 years with my family to 1 year by myself this week and he gave the ok. I think that’s the best move for my family because financial, we can put some other things in play before I jump ship; furthermore wife’s mother is not doing too well and I would hate to have her fretting about her from so far away.
I am pretty familiar with the area and since I am a bit more senior I am hoping that I will get a few more perks than the last time.
In a few months when I am re-reading this from there, I might think then it was a bit naive to redo this again, but for now, I am pretty optimistic. I don’t have the heavy stiffling cloud of career doom hanging over my head anymore and my family is relatively set. I have a few more promises that I have to carry out and then I will be complete. More about that later.
Had to work today – had duty, but it’s ok. Today is no less special because of you and Cheyenne. Cheyenne is growing up now – I am so proud of her. You wouldn’t believe how well she reads, the questions she asks – she is really a joy. Funny thing is I feel your spirit in Cheyenne – uncanny at times, but true.
So today – 51 years after you were born and just right at 4 years after you left us, I just want to silently reflect on memories of you. And in keeping with my promise – I am re-dedicating our family site once again. It’s been a hard fought last few years; I have not been able to tend to the family site with as much regularity that it needs, but I will do what I can – hopefully an ember will catch at some point in our family and others will tend it as well. But for now I will carry on as promised. Still missing you sis…
Every person has four individual responsibiities:
-> Know your job
-> Be situationally Aware
-> Be healthy and fit
-> Treat every individual with dignity and respect
We Set the Example!
-> Complaining solves nothing.
Think through problems and let me know what YOU would do if
YOU were in my position.
-> Keep a sense of humor, enjoy your families, and have fun.
The United States Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis issued a report last week suggesting that current political and economic conditions are energizing right-wing extremist groups, that many of these groups follow extremely conservative ideologies and that some may seek to recruit and “radicalize†veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
True, true and true. But, conservatives reacted by throwing a knee-jerk hissy fit. They twisted the report’s meaning to imply that they, and more importantly our war heroes, were being vilified by a partisan document. Their argument seeks to suppress and subjugate two rather unfortunate facts: while only a tiny number of conservatives and veterans are members of hate groups, nearly all hate groups do indeed follow far-right ideology. And they covet members with military experience. Keep reading
Not only do we have to constantly worry about those F$#@@# running about in caves in far off remote lands, but right here at home they are running among us with the same venomous hatred that have killed thousands. These here at home represent nothing but rear guard of the Terrorist abroad. This is no clash of race….it is clash of hate.
1. Piling Up Debt
Using credit cards responsibly can help you build good credit so you qualify for lower interest rates on loans. But charging your cards to the max and not paying them off is a sure ticket to trouble. Pay in cash instead to keep spending within your means.
2. Ignoring Murphy’s Law
Bad luck would have it that you’re involved in an accident the day after your auto insurance policy expires. If that happens to you, the financial fallout can be devastating. Be sure you stay fully covered with auto, homeowners (or renters), health care and disability insurance at all times. And if someone else depends on your income, include life insurance. (more…)
Purchase a pretty cool piece of Journaling/Blogging software last night named MacJournal. Tried it out a few weeks back, but at the cost of $40 I could not bring my self to buy it. At any rate they had an end of year blow out sale yesterday with 40% off and I dug in for a couple pieces. I picked up the following pieces of software:
MacJournal (which I am using to add this post to both my journal and blog)
MacGourmet: The intent is to move my family on a more structure eating form.
That’s all for this post, just wanted to share my latest digs!
Pretty much spend most of the last few days trying to find a mind mapping program to help clear my brain. I have got lots of stuff to flesh out but it is just not coming to me.
I am trying out a few programs right now – Personal Brain, Concept Draw MindMap, and Curio. I like bits and pieces of all three of them, but something is still missing.
PersonalBrain – Pro: Dynamic and immediate; Con: attachment and notemaking space. Concept Draw MindMap – Pro: Rich and feature filled; Con: Windows only…still evaluating. Curio – Pro: Feature filled…can add all kinds of media; Con: Very static…
Still hoping to bust through this malaise and get back to productivity.
I need to do the following: Financial plan next year, set schedule for family, work on a few items for work with deadlines.
After 2 years with my MacBook, I decided to give it a well deserved upgrade. For the longest while I have debated upgrading, but with 500GB just over $100 a pop, I had to jump at the opportunity.
Started the process last night using Shirt-Pocket’s SuperDuper. Hopefully, I can get it done tonight.
HOW TO EXERCISE
Make a commitment to invest at least four hours per week to exercise. Aim for 30-60 minute workouts 3 times per week to support a healthy body and mind. As soon as you feel your enthusiasm decreasing, try a different activity. Team up with a friend. Having a buddy who is committed to a fitness strategy will keep you motivated and increase your chances of success. To achieve a toned, hard-body look, try adding at least two hours a week of free-weight or weight-machine training to your aerobic routine. Lean muscle weighs more than fat, so pay less attention to scales. Exercising in the morning will encourage calorie burning and energy all day long and exercising before meals helps reduce your appetite.
WHICH EXERCISE IS BEST?
Cardiovascular exercises such as jogging, rollerblading, bike riding and basketball stimulates your entire body, encouraging circulation, stamina, heart and lung health, lymphatic drainage and more. It can also help to enhance your mood and focus. Weight-training exercise increases lean muscle mass. Muscle tissue burns calories for energy so the greater amount of muscle tissue you have, the more calories you can burn.
Example Week For Advanced Fitness Level:
Monday: 45 min run before breakfast
Tuesday: 1 and half hour spin class
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 30 min elliptical machine, free weights and 30 squats
Friday: 30 min run before dinner
Saturday: 1 hour playing basketball
Sunday: Rest
I don’t have an immediate use for this right now, but I really like it so I will just post it here to my blog until the need arises. Â https://www.maani.us/xml_charts
The other day I got an e-mail message saying simply this: Rosa Parks sat in 1955. Martin Luther King walked in 1963. Barack Obama ran in 2008. That our children might fly.
THE pumpkins, penny candy and neighborly hordes of goblins and ghosts shouting “Trick or treat!†remind us of the ancients and their belief that the souls of the dead must be appeased. But it’s the days that follow Halloween that most interest me.
All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are time set aside to broker peace between the living and the dead. Whether you are pagan or religious, Celt or Christian, New Age believer or doubter-at-large, these are the days when you traditionally acknowledge that the gone are not forgotten. The seasonal metaphors of reaping and rotting, harvest and darkness, leaf-fall and killing frost supply us with plentiful memento mori. Whatever is or isn’t there when we die, death both frightens and excites us.
Thus, throughout most of the Western world, graves are decorated on these first days of November with candles and fresh flowers. Picnics are held among the old stones and markers, relatives gather round family plots to give the dead their due of prayers and remembrances. Â Read on….
– Beliefs are the foundations of our lives
– We are what we think
– Affirmations – Thoughts determines attitudes
– Blackbelt of the Mind
– Saying things each day can change your attitude
– You have the power to reprogram the most powerful computer in the world. You just have to do it.
Unemployment among blacks in New York City has increased much faster than for whites, and the gap appears to be widening at an accelerating pace, new studies of jobless data have found.
After 4 years and a couple  billion dollars, the USS Carl Vinson is on her way back to sea and I am writing this post from inside her belly.
The United States Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis issued a report last week suggesting that current political and economic conditions are energizing right-wing extremist groups, that many of these groups follow extremely conservative ideologies and that some may seek to recruit and “radicalize†veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
