A Contribution to Earth Day!

Eco-friendly. Carbon footprint. Global warming. Energy-efficient. These catch phrases have become part of our lexicon as we’ve become more aware of our impact on the environment and our role in protecting it. As a homeowner, there are some simple, inexpensive steps you can take to make your home energy-efficient. Get started on the road to being “green” with these five tips:

Change Your Light Bulbs
By replacing just five incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, you can save $100 per year on electric bills while using up to 75 percent less energy and removing greenhouse gases from the environment.

Buy ENERGY STAR® Appliances
ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances, such as refrigerators, washers and air conditioners, meet a higher level of energy efficiency set by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy than standard models. According to ENERGY STAR, if just one in 10 homes used ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances, the impact could be compared to planting 1.7 million new acres of trees. And, switching to these appliances is not only good for the environment, but easy on your pocketbook. Although these appliances may costs more, you can reduce your energy bill by $80 per year.

Seal Up
Cracks and air leaks represent cash seeping from your doors and windows. Get rid of air leaks in doors, windows and other areas by caulking gaps and cracks. This will help decrease your heating and air conditioning bill. But make sure you use silicone sealants. Acrylic caulk tends to shrink, while silicone sealants are waterproof and won’t shrink or crack, creating less waste.

Use Less Water
Did you know that roughly 60 percent of a home's water consumption takes place in the bathroom, according to the California Urban Water Conservation Council? The largest culprit is the toilet, which accounts for 27 percent of your household supply every year. By installing low-flow toilets, showerheads and faucets, you can save thousands of gallons of water each year. In addition, replace leaky fixtures. That slow-dripping faucet can waste as much as 2,400 gallons of water per year.

Adjust the Thermostat
When adjusting your home’s thermostat, the rule of thumb should be: turn up the dial in the summer and down in the winter. Lowering the temperature by just one degree will reduce your electrical costs. And if you use a programmable thermostat, you can program your air-conditioning and heating systems to reduce output while no one is at home or at night while you sleep. Ceiling fans are also helpful in circulating the air to keep the room cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Going green doesn’t have to be overwhelming or costly. By making just a few small changes within your home, you can help decrease energy consumption and help make the world a “greener” place.

Policia Shakedown

So we were at the end of a wonderful vacation in Baja California Sur, it was Friday...and gorgeous! We rented a hot ride for a day trip to....La Paz (I know, why? Well on the way is Todos Santos, more on that inna' second).

So, in the car we were (myself, Barb and Kimberley) and off we go, in Mexican traffic....thats a whole chapter in a book I would never write. A hint: no lane markings, no transitions from paved to dirt at 80 km per hour, two lane traffic over blind hills/mountains with fuel trucks passing in the opposite lanes, roadside memorials-literally every 50 yards or so, four lane highways with livestock roaming around in traffic lanes...you get the point...I was stressed! Anyway my enthusiastic carmates (one being my lovely wife), lost the enthusiasm about an hour into this road trip and fell fast asleep. So, I was left to worry about getting to La Paz safely...and with what I hinted at above, not likely.

First stop on the tour was Todos Santos, and what a pretty little clean town. Todos Santos is known to most of us because it is home to the Eagles Hotel California...and the lyrics fit when seeing the town first hand. We, unfortunately breezed through on our determined quest to reach La Paz (again why...?).

On through another stretch of mountainous, desert terrain and zillions of cactus. The upside to this portion of the trip was an actual highway (that most resembled our U.S. highways) , well a highway with goats and cows walking free among cars, motorcycles and tractor trailers driving anywhere between 45 mph (me) and 130 mph (everyone else). Weird.....boy am I glad I live in the United States.

So, here we are entering the metropolis of La Paz....finally...and if I had hair I would have some gray after this journey. Well, La Paz was everything that Los Cabos up to Todos Santos was not....a ugly and congested city. WHY did we make that trip on our last day....we stopped at a mall, which resembled a bizarro world version of a US mall. The movie theatre rivaled a mega plex theatre here, only there were strange things you would never see here (like a elevator with no doors and fully functional). Well the bathrooms were clean and this was the primary reason for our stop...now it is time to leave La Paz.

Now I am so happy to be heading back to Los Cabos...and trying to navigate, super chaotic La Paz traffic. I come to an intersection devoid of any control or organization (I am sure a bit of a mirror reflection of the government in general). As I drive through the intersection in our RED Chevy compact with Big White Letters "National Rental Car" translates to "foreigners with money you can take"...care to guess? YEP, you are Correct, I get pulled over by the Policia. Great, all of the stuff I've heard and read about the corrupt Mexican Police...I get to experience with Barb and Kimberley.

At this point everything from being taken into the desert and shot while "who knows what happens" to the girls, to being thrown in a Mexican prison, to being extorted for all the cash/credit and stuff we had on us and the most remote of my thoughts, maybe they are honest. A sad reflection on a country that relies so heavily on tourist, U.S. Tourism....here that Mexico. Well, after the "Policeman" told me it was a $110 fine but if I paid him $80 he would let me go. I told him I couldn't help him because we didn't have that amount on us (a lie), and that I was at his mercy...maybe we should just go to the station (this is what many recommend and I had read about this tactic). He then had his buddy (Policeman) come over and they had a discussion. His buddy conveniently blocked the side rear passenger window with his body and "Officer Friendly" leaned in and said, "Forty US".....(I felt like punching his little fat face). I relented and said that was all the money we had, ..he could care less. I paid him his precious forty dollars and he gave me back my license. Thank you La Paz..Thank You Mexico.

Well we headed back through much of the same experiences I described above and this time we stopped in Todos Santos. My attitude lightened immediately, this is a pretty town, one that we have all seen in paintings of old Mexico....or ones we have imagined with the hammocks hanging out front, panchos slung over stools and open air taco stands. Just a nice place, with equally nice people. Right in the middle of town sat the beautiful Hotel California and I couldn't get the song out of my head...."such a lovely place (such a lovely place)...." Well, the girls shopped with the cash the cop didn't steal from us and I took in the beauty of the town. I would recommend a road trip from Cabo to Todos Santos to everyone...just stop there, thats where the fun ends and the real Mexico begins.

As we walked back to the "Gringo" mobile, I inhaled a bit nervously as I walked past a Todos Santos Policia Man.... He smiled and said "Hola"....I smiled ,and exhaled, and said "Hi". All is good again. But, isn't it ashame we are made to feel this way as visitors?

Adios!

Cabo (maybe Wabo as well)

Tomorrow Barbi and I leave for a week South of the Border, Cabo San Lucas Mexico! It will be so very nice to lie in the sun, and decompress with the wonderful memories of our little "Gracie" who we lost on February 22nd - suddenly and tragically. She was our sweet Sheltie Angel and a child to us. R.I.P. Gracie....we Love and Miss You more than you can imagine, and are Greatful for the 9 years we had together. See you at Rainbow Bridge "Gracie girl"....

Social Media...BAM!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8&feature=fvst Ok I hope you watched that!? If you are in business, you really have to take part in this newest and fastest growing of "Branding". If not you will be left behind, I'm afraid.......

On another note, I am going to TRY to keep this BLOG current- UGH:)

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who are not." - Thomas Jefferson

*I pulled this from an email thread that has been circulating- It is a GREAT read/lesson*

To All My Valued Employees,
There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.

However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a back story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life.

However, what you don't see is the back story.

I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the Goodwill store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... You never realize the back story and the sacrifices I've made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.

Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds.

Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.


The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep.

So where am I going with all this?

It's quite simple.

If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.

Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.

If you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about....

Signed,
Your boss

Where Is the Reward?

Reward...well we probably won't see one? You may ask for what, Jay....why should we receive an award? Well, you are probably like me and over 90% of mortgage holders in the U.S.. We, you an I, and the other 90+% of us....we pay our mortgages!

Our mortgages that we work so hard to pay to our lenders, many of which also have "other" customers....yes, you know the ones. These are the customers that don't pay their mortgage's, the same people that were approved a few years back (in the good 'ole days), of course through "no fault of their own". Of course they didn't know that a combined salary of $50,000 a year couldn't support mortgage payments on a home valued/bought for $600,000...of course they didn't realize that they along with deceptive loan officers and underwriters, may have "just mistakenly" slipped a "1" in front of the $50,000...in the application.I do understand that ARM's (not in the anatomical) in lending terms can be confusing on the surface, and maybe a thorough understanding of such a "magical" loan should have been explained/explored....maybe even read by the borrower? I understand there are/were less than professional real estate sales people, many unethical mortgage brokers...and a whole lot of home buyers that are now pleading ignorance/confusion/being "hoodwinked" and or all of the above.

Well, the government believes you, and we (the other ones...the ones that pay our mortgage(s), and pay our taxe(S)will support you ,all the while paying for the mistakes, lies, poor decisions, illegal practices of others.

President Obama, Speaker Pelosi....Representatives and Senators I...WE, ask where is our reward for playing by the rules?

GoodNews....really?

We have been continuously battered from all sides with doom and gloom recently. So, as a firm "glass 1/2 full" kinda' guy, here is some real POSITIVE RECENT news:

-Corporate Cash Flows are at the strongest in 25 years!
-Interest Rates are LOW (below the 7.1% 8 year average)
-US Home prices are down to 5.7 times per capita income (the historical norm), which is down from the 7.3 times of Oct. 2005!!
-What took Japan over 10 years to implement, in fixing their financial problems, has taken us only 90 days.
-Money from overseas is flowing into US Treasuries because we ARE the engine of the world.
-Existing home sales are up...highest in a year (up 5.5% in Sept. from August)
-New Home Sales Up 2.7%
-Inventory of unsold homes fell (good for sellers) 7.3% - Largest monthly drop in 4 years)
-Libor Rates are dropping (affect mortgage rates)
-FHA Applications are up 160% over 2007!
-Oil Prices are dropping!!! $64 Dollars a barrel, down from $145 a barrel in July...that is $10 to $20 real dollars less to fill-up than two months ago!!!
-Every 1 cent reduction in gas prices saves Americans $3.4 million dollars a day! So, prices dropping $1.33/gallon saves us $447 million a day.
-The dollar is STRONG again!!

Now, stop with the negative talk, and start doing positive things, even if it means DON'T turn on the news, or talk radio and definately don't pay attention to political ads or wrangling.
Oh, and cheer on the Terps Thursday...maybe all the positive thinking will get 'em a win in Blacksburg! www.awisemove.net