A Collection of Unrelated Thoughts - Volume OneWritten by Terry Mitchell
Have you ever heard of an FBI agent who wasn't "special"? Or an attorney who wasn't "at law"? Have you ever met an optometrist who didn't wear glasses? Do you think maybe fact that most of them wear glasses has anything to do with advertising? Until recently, I thought Jessica Simpson was a cartoon character! Why would anyone want to run for office of school board member? It seems to me that this would be something a person would be sentenced to after being convicted of a misdemeanor! What do you call a member of OPEC? An Opecker? It is okay to turn work into fun, but it's not okay to turn fun into work!! Unwritten rules are, by definition, unjust. I think some of most soothing sounds in world are a cat or dog lapping water and clanking of ceramic dishes. On other hand, sound of a crying child has to be most annoying sound in world. The sound of someone's extremely hard shoes clomping across floor is a close runner-up. If word "from" or phrase "as little as" immediately precedes a dollar amount in an advertisement, it is wise to mentally substitute them with "more than". Conversely, if amount is preceded by word "to" or phrase "as much as", you should mentally substitute them with "less than." When determining value of a roll of paper towels, ignore number of square feet and look at number of individual paper towels in roll. For toilet paper, do just opposite, i.e., ignore number of sheets and look at total square feet. When I was a kid, I thought Indonesia was part of "Nesia" that had a roof over it! Back in 1990's, a coworker was bragging one day about how a computer program he was writing utilized 21st century technology. I quickly pointed out to him that this was impossible. No matter how advanced any technology was that someone invented in 1990's, it could not have been 21st century technology. The simple fact that it was invented in 20th century makes it, by definition, 20th century technology! A tax credit is sincerest form of a tax break! Do vegetarians eat fruit in addition to vegetables? If so, why aren't they called vegefruitarians? To understand some people and organizations, you must master art of interpolation. For example, if they say something will be done in a few weeks, you can presume that it will actually occur in a few months; or if someone tells you he/she will be somewhere in an hour, you can safely presume it will be two hours. If "all is fair in love and war", then there is no such thing as a war crime. I thought video-on-demand (VOD) was going to bring us more entertainment options. Apparently, that's not case as most of stuff available on VOD is exactly same as stuff playing on cable channels. The only advantage it provides is that you get to see programs when you want. Funny thing, I thought that was what VCRs and TiVo were for. It is usually a waste of time to try to impress another person. If someone is not impressed with you, they would not be likely to change their mind even if you discovered cure for cancer. On hand, if someone is already impressed with you, they will usually remain impressed no matter how many stupid things you do. I'm getting so tired of those "awards" shows on TV. It seems like there's one on every week and they just keep adding more of them all time. I would watch one of them only if it were on pay-TV.....they'd have to pay me to watch it! Those who are always waiting until "times are better" never accomplish anything significant. There have only been a handful of good liars in history of world. Most liars will eventually get caught because they will let their guard down sooner or later and fail to cover all their tracks. Why would anyone put money ahead of their health? However, there are many people who do exactly that. They apparently don't realize that money and possessions become meaningless when and if you lose your health. My major source of heartburn with Earned Income Tax Credit is that allows some individuals to get more money refunded to them than was actually withheld in taxes from their paychecks. I agree that many of working poor should not have to pay taxes, but government should not be in business of income redistribution. When someone receives more back from IRS than they paid in, it is just welfare under a less stigmatized name. For those people, perhaps we should call it "Unearned" Income Tax Credit. The concept of "fighting words" only exists in minds of those who are immature enough to allow words to hurt them.
| | Negotiating a lower priceWritten by Mike Plank
To help you negotiate a fair sale price for a home, it's best to get an appraisal and inspection report. Even if you agree directly with home seller on a sale price, you may want these items to safeguard value of your new investment.To hire a professional inspector, contact American Home Inspectors Directory (AHID). The American Home Inspector Directory includes inspectors from all national recognized home inspector organizations. Including American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI), or National Association of Property Inspectors (NAPI). A certified inspector checks a home for: Structural components. This includes foundation, floors, walls, columns, ceilings and roof. Home exterior. This includes doors, windows, chimneys, decks, balconies, steps, drainage and driveway. Plumbing. This includes pipes, sinks, drains, and bathroom fixtures. Electrical system. This includes wiring and grounding equipment, amperage and voltage ratings, circuit breaker and lighting fixtures. Heating and cooling systems. This includes boilers, thermostats, heat pumps, insulation, air conditioning, central controls, fans, ducts and filters. An inspection report may exclude condition of paint, wallpaper, carpeting, household appliances and draperies. These are generally replaced by buyer, whose tastes are likely different. You may also want a special inspection for pests, or for soil and drainage. Inspections generally cost between $250 and $500.
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