FACES A MOTHER COULD ONLY LOVE

Declutter Your Keychain!

I carry three keys: car, office front door and one for the door to my personal office. I keep a couple of keys that are needed once a year or so in my car, unmarked and kind of hidden.

It would be interesting to find out the national average weight of key rings carried by Americans. I imagine it would end up in the quarter of a pound range. Several times over the years I have had prospects while showing homes, visiting my office or home walk in and set down a quarter pounder key ring. After the showing, they have forgotten their keys on the counter top and we have had to go back to the home to find the ring. Personally, I have no rear pocket bulge created by a quarter pounder ring, but maybe a bulge from too many quarter pounders. If your key ring is so large and heavy they can not be carried comfortably in your rear pant pocket or jacket pocket, get rid of some keys.

Then there are the discount plastic cards with a bar code on key rings. Bent, faded, smeared or stuck together. I never have the cards with me, Mrs. G. is in possession of most, so I have to borrow a card before shopping.

Last night I found CardStar, electronically keeping the cards on my Blackberry and ready for shopping. Scott Levitt gave me all the information I needed.

As of today, I have never heard of someone making it to Heaven because they carried a quarter pound of keys throughout their life on earth. So I am sticking to three.

CHRISTMAS DAY MISSION

Christmas morning, pacing the floors of our home looking for a mission to accomplish, I finally received an assignment. We needed string to tie up the beef tenderloin.

I searched two Duke Stations and one Speedway, no string (the only opened for business). Talked to Sister Robin on the phone and she said my father had string. On my way to pick it up, I thought of a large commercial size spool of string our family had while I was growing up. The spool I picked up was a small, a kite flying size spool.

When Dan (Dad) came to our Christmas dinner event, he walked in with the "spool" a little dusty, but with at least a half mile of string. It has to be slightly over 50 years old. I always thought it came from Richardson Bakery where my grandmother worked. Richardson's was located on South 2nd Street where the parking garage is now in Downtown Newark, Ohio. Dan said he had bought it.

Of all the investments my father has made over the years, I have to think the spool of string has paid off very well and will for for another half mile or so.

CHRISTMAS CARD

The winter scene above was painted by my father and is the front of his 2010 Christmas Card.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year

to all my blog followers, friends and family!

THE BROTHERHOOD

Hanging around the local fire department for a good portion of my life, the brotherhood between the firefighters is enormous. Every day they walk into their station, they have a goal of going home when the shift is over. I have watch them laugh, cry, become parents, attend their children's weddings, loose parents, divorce and marry and I have watched them die. Several years ago an accident between two trucks happened on a Christmas Day, I was there within minutes and spent the rest of my day offering help. That is what the firefighters do when there is a problem, backup each other.

Today the Chicago Fire Department morns the lost of two firefighters from an early morning three alarm fire, the department is in morning. It is hard any time to loose someone, but just days before Christmas is hard. They went to work and planned on going home. Below you will find some interesting information from "The Secret List" concerning the the Chicago Department's Commissioner:

SOME OF THE NEWER MEMBERS OF THE SECRET LIST MAY NOT KNOW THAT when Chicago Fire Commissioner Bob Hoff spoke about the brotherhood of Firefighters today to the media, in his thoughts were also on another winter day when a South Side building collapsed, killing 2 Firefighters in the Line of Duty.

HOWEVER-on that day, Feb. 14, 1962, it was (now) Commissioner Hoff's father, Battalion Chief Thomas Hoff and Chief Robert O'Brien, head of fire safety for the department, who were the ones who gave their lives when they were buried in rubble. That LODD was the general basis for the movie "BACKDRAFT" when the 2 Brothers lost their Dad in the Line of Duty.

Everyone goes home.

THE DENTIST

Most people always say "The Dentist", never giving a name. "I going to the dentist", "I was at the dentist" etc. Last week while sitting in Dr. Jeff Dayhuff's chair, my mind wondered, thinking about my first dental visit in 1959. Originally I went to Jeff's father, Dr. Bill Dayhuff. During this time Jeff's grandfather was practicing also and I thought of him as a very old man. Bill's office was located on North 2nd Street, where the Place Off The Square Hotel is located now. The only part of going to the dentist I liked was seeing a German Shepard dog sitting on the porch roof. The apartment above was occupied by Eric, the display designer for J.J. Carroll's Department Store.

For the first 10 years or so of my life, we lived next door to Bill and Jeff. I hated visiting the dentist and did not like our neighbor because of it. I remember one time after a visit, revenge was needed. As you can see in the photo above, in 1959 I had several dental visits. Between our homes was a line of tulip trees, extremely tall when your ten years old, but in fact were probably four feet or so.

I waited for Dr. Dayhuff to come home from the office, as he walked from his detached garage to the home, I tossed my Louisville Slugger (wooden baseball bat) over the trees. As I watched my target, I heard the bat hit the asphalt, I missed. Now I had a mad dentist, who I would be visiting again with all his non-hydraulic belt driven drills, old magazines, two foot long needles and grumpy dentist's father.

The only results of the murder attempt was for the first time in my life I heard fowl language, words I did not even know. I also learned from this experience, that tall men can jump a four foot hedge in one leap.

Last week's appointment brought a comment I have heard often by Dr. Jeff Dayhuff: "You still have fillings from the mid 1960s that are in good shape, my father was really good". Jeff still uses the hand written card that his father began in 1959, but charges more for his services.

It has been a very good relationship.

FORD EXPLORER

"It's impossible to avoid the freighted nature of the Ford Explorer, so I won't try. This nameplate has been glued to six million SUVs since 1990 and it is the ur-text, the stem cell from which suburban America's love affair with the sport-utility vehicle grew. Or is that metastasized?"

On my third explorer in ten years.

Click here to read the Wall Street Journal article.

Thank you to Sister Robin for passing this along.

SEVEN REASONS TO SET GOALS

Seven Reasons To Set Goals
1. Having a goal does not guarantee success. But it ups your chances considerably. Try doing archery with no bullseye.

2. We try harder with a goal.

3. With a goal we have measurable feedback.

4. With goal we commit more fully.

5. Setting a goal moves us from implicit ('I want to be wealthy') to explicit ('I want to have assets of ...by...')

6. It's a notable characteristic of those who get the lIfe they seek.

7. Setting a goal seriously clarifies whether you really want it or just think you want it.

Thank you to Nicholas Bate for sharing this information.

CHAIR BUILDING

Sedia 1 - How to assemble your chair from Ville Tanttu on Vimeo.

Thank you A TIME TO GET, you must check out this blog!

HOME MADE CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Book safes are an age old way to stash one’s treasures–the key to a safe, a private document, a flask, a gun. And you can use them while traveling to hide your ipod, back up cash, or other valuables from would-be thieves. And of course if you end up wrongfully imprisoned, they work as an excellent place to stash a rock hammer for tunneling to freedom.

Click here to obtain the instructions from The Art of Manliness

Also check out two great blogger's posts with excellent music videos: Sean Carpenter and Kurt Harden

AS SEEN ON TV HAS GONE TOO FAR

The best isle to hit when in CVS or Walgreens is the shelves of As Seen on TV

products to look over the inventions that have made it to the open market.

Some of them I am not too sure of and I am not sure if this new Chia Pet is appropriate

or not. I have several As Seen on TV products and will skip this one.

Click here to watch the television commercial. It is for real!

John Lennon's Death

It is not often, but there are times when someone passes away and it effects everyone and in a different way. Sometimes you don't recognize it for years to come. I have been with The Beatles since watching them on the very first Ed Sullivan show and have appreciated what they did to the music industry.

Last night late, there was a short story on the news of how ABC decided to announce his death on the air during a football game, Howard Cosell did the duty.

Click here to listen to Howard's announcement

Click below and listen to other comments:

Paul McCartney

Ronald Reagan

BBC

Walter Cronkite

Listen to John Lennon "So This Is Christmas"

Newark City Schools & Uniforms

Uniforms for the Newark City Schools: listened to many parents talk about it prior to the November 29th start date, but not too many since the program started for students in the middle schools & high school.

Quote from today's Newark Advocate: "I think it should just be started (early)," said Prior, the mother of a high school senior, a fifth-grader and twin fourth-graders. "I think it will be easier when they get to sixth grade."

Click here to read the entire article Parents weigh school uniforms for Newark elementary students

The world is in someways starting to make sense to me.

Christmas Truce of 1914

Five months into the first World War, troops along the Western front took a Christmas Eve break from fighting to sing carols to one another across the battlefield. The following morning, German soldiers emerged from the trenches and began to approach Allied troops while calling out "Merry Christmas" in English. Luckily, it wasn't a trick; dozens of British fighters came out to greet them and shake hands, some even exchanging cigarettes as gifts. Later dubbed the Christmas Truce of 1914.

Click here for TIME Magazine's Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About Christmas

Manage Your Online Reputation

Are you a Sketchy Sam or a Likeable Laura? When it comes down to doing business with someone, there’s no doubt that reputation is a major factor in making a decision.

5 Ways to Effectively Manage Your Online Reputation!

Click here for the complete post by David Garland.

THIS WEEKEND'S TIME IN THE BATHROOM

I was not sick in any way shape or form, but decided a good way to spend my evenings was to remove two layers of vinyl and install a ceramic tile floor. Found myself into a little larger project than I expected. Our bathroom floor will be a 6'x8' opening for a laundry chute by the week's end.
This is how bad Mrs. G. wants a new bathroom floor, she let me bring the wheelbarrow in the house to handle the demolition of the sub floor.

Just like with any other project, you measure twice and cut once (notice drawn cut lines). For some reason it did not work and now I have to patch a slice in the furnace's duct work.

SELLING REAL ESTATE

HAPPINESS

What if you had to describe what happiness means to you?

No clinical definition, just a sentence or word story?

What would you say?

What makes you smile just thinking about how you would describe happiness to someone?

Stolen from Sean Carpenter.

A COMMUNITY GIFT FOR EVERYONE

Yesterday I stopped by Licking Memorial Hospital after an early morning appointment. While walking through the entrance, I stopped to reread a plague at the entrance to the "Betsy Eaton O'Neill Health Resource Center". Opened to the public, the resource center was created to support and educate patients, family members and friends of patients. The O'Neill Family was very generous making the center possible. The center is staffed full time by knowledgeable volunteers.

Click here to find out more.

NOW, my reason for visiting Licking Memorial Hospital was to stop for a Dobio Espresso. At the entrance to the Resource Center is the best coffee shop in West Newark. It is well worth the extra steps to park in the parking lot to purchase and enjoy Starbucks Coffee and one of the high end quality pastries. Every time I have stopped, there are quest in the Resource Center and a small line at the coffee shop's counter.

Another good move to make if you have time: purchase your coffee on the main floor and then proceed to the cafeteria for a piece of delicious pie.

ANOTHER USE FOR A SALAD FORK

Moving furniture around for placement of our Christmas Tree is not fun. There are always furniture impressions in the carpet and in a visible spot. Vacuuming will not fluff the spot, I remember reading a magazine about using a fork to lightly scrap the impression. It worked.

My next problem: January 1, I will not have the impressions to know where the furniture exactly needs to be placed after the tree is packed away. Should have taken a photo first.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Licking County Court House

Santa came this evening to help all the children light the Licking County Court House for Christmas. Chilly, but a fun evening.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

NOT A GOOD THANKSGIVING OR CHRISTMAS

A bunch of years ago I remembered on a Christmas afternoon a residential fire started by a turkey fryers. During this past week I have been in Walmart & Meijers, noticing turkey fryers on sale along with the large containers of peanut oil. I just hope everyone goes through a practice run before actually cooking their dinner.

The Heath, Ohio Christmas Day fire was started by a turkey fryer on the patio, a light snow was falling just enough to over boil the fryer when the lid was open. Two thirds of the home was destroyed. Be careful and enjoy your turkey.

Thanksgiving Eve Celebration

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Change St. Rt. 16 & St. Rt. 37 to St. Rt. 161

Late this afternoon, I attended a meeting hosted by ODOT to explain their reasoning for choosing Alternative #5 for the future St. Rt. 16 & Cherry Valley Road interchange between Newark, Ohio and Granville, Ohio. First of all I was very impressed on how many ODOT employees were present in the entry OSU-Newark's Reese Center lined with large project maps . No less than a dozen times did someone come up to me to ask if I had questions or if I needed an explanation of the project.

The hard part is a strong fact: this will not be constructed for many years to come. But at least the drawings are complete, the properties identified for land acquisition and people know what is going to take place.

I am a proponent of roundabout intersections because of their safety features. It is to shame the interchange will not be constructed immediately. The use of roundabouts for this project would show how effective they are for intersections and perhaps set an example on more roundabouts in the cities, villages and other areas of the county to be constructed.

If ODOT would like to place some icing on the cake, the entire highway from 270 in Franklin County, through Licking County and further east should be re-numbered as St. Rt. 161. How simple would it be to give directions for someone coming from the west to Licking County or for our 911 Center to identify addresses for emergencies. We need to work on this and say goodbye to a confusing mess.

Click here to read Rick Platt's comments posted this past March.

DO YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING LOCALLY

Saturday's Newark Advocate always has an editorial "Pluses & Minuses" every week. Saturday's had a very good plus for all of us to remember during the start of the Holiday shopping season:

Plus: With the holiday season upon us, it's worth a reminder to all to shop in Licking County whenever possible. We know the allure of easy online shopping or a special trip to Columbus can be tempting, but it's important to remember that every dollar you spend locally ends up in the bank account of an employee who then might shop at your company or business. These transactions in turn create local tax revenue, which supports our communities and provides for a better place for all of us to live and shop. With the growth of the retail outlets in Licking County, there's plenty of places to find nice gifts right here at home.

Please keep this in mind, click here to read the entire editorial.

GO BUCKS!!!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

CBS NEWS-CORDUROY CLUB REVISTED

Last week I reported on the 11/11 Corduroy Event with the 11/11 date most resembling corduroy, I was not sure if it was a internet spoof or not. Sunday morning watching the CBS News prior to a commercial break, "next an unusual club meeting once a year will be next" I did not think much about it. But sure enough after the break appeared the Corduroy Club. There guest speaker was PUT THIS ON.

Click here to check out Put This On.

Click here to view my 11/11 post.

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.

This is for home phones also. REMINDER..... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls..... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222.

It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone or home phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON .. It takes about 20 seconds.

Thank you to Dick Bixler for passing this along.

OSU-N Cafeteria

This not what your father's college cafeteria looked like! Bean Counter (coffee), The Melt (deli + soup), The Globe (blue plate specials), The Patty (burgers, dogs,fries + breakfast), The Pie (open oven pizza). Open to the public.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

QUICK E-BOOK TO READ THIS WEEKEND

• You’ll learn…
  The relationships between mood, outcomes & productivity
• 
  How to become a master at observing opportunities for compliments, support, and generous gestures
• 
  How to use free, convenient technology to help you remember to practice positivity
• 
  How to be inspired by scripts that enhance your ability to communicate positivity in your personal and business life
• 
  How to time your positivity for maximum effect

This book is free and easy to download, click here for your copy of The Prosperity Habit

Thank you to Scott Levitt & his Tuesday Tactics Newsletter

Bette Davis promoting the sale of war bonds

Click here for more of Bette Davis' eyes

11/11 A DATE RESEMBLING CORDUROY???

The Corduroy Appreciation Club is a social club which wishes to cultivate good fellowship by the advancement of Corduroy awareness, understanding, celebration and commemoration of the fabric and all related items. Club events are held on dates which resemble Corduroy.

Meetings of the CAC occur only on dates which resemble Corduroy. January 11th, or 111 is the first meeting date of the year and is followed by November 11th, 1111, the date which most closely resemble Corduroy. Members must wear at least two items of Corduroy at meetings.

Click here to view the club's web site, we don't need a chapter here.

THANK YOU!

My mother was very strict about a couple of things, saying Thank You, your Welcome and wearing a shirt with a collar when going out. Two very important words in today's society that we don't hear as often as we should.

8:30 Sunday morning, the first person I spoke to was while paying at the McDonalds drive up pay window, the young lady made me feel good with a thank you, then a short drive to the pick up window with next young lady offering me a thank you, once again.

Friday night I tended bar for my good friends of the Newark, Ohio Fire Department at the Firefighter's Ball (17.5 cases of beer) and then last night tending bar once again at the Licking County Chamber's Brew & Wine Fest (could not count the bottles of wine & cases of beer served, only have 20 digits to work with).

Both evenings there was a tip jar at the bar (firefighters do not use a jar, it is a fire boot), tips were always given by customers with all the additional funds given back to the organization. I wonder if a part of the generous tips was because of saying "Thank You" time after time.

To all my readers, if you are not in the habit, get into one. This will make your day better, your business better and my mother happy.

WALKING AWAY FEELING GOOD WITH SEAN CARPENTER

Yesterday was one highlight of this year for me, I sat through a two hour course given by Sean Carpenter and then was able to spend a hour or so of one on one time with him. Sean was a featured speaker twice yesterday at the Licking County Board of Realtors' Mini Convention.

Who is Sean Carpenter and what is so important about him? Sean is the training director for Coldwell Banker King Thompson, a full time job, not an agent or broker dabbling in training, but an experience trainer. (Click here to listen to Sean for 3 minutes and you will find out why!) Sean has become a noted speaker, not just in Ohio, but throughout the nation. He is the best recruiting tool NRT, Reology & Coldwell Banker has in their arsenal. His positive attitude and his ability to make you feel like you are the only one in the room is unbelievable. Yesterday's Social Media class was of excellent caliber and a learning experience for everyone in the room.

Sean's description of how to find success:

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

SOLVING PROBLEMS

HAVING FUN

Steve Layman posted today comments about Sean's ability, this gives you an example of what a non-Coldwell Banker broker thinks. (Click here for Steve's comments.)

He is the closest thing I have as a coach, listing to his webinars, taking every opportunity I have to talk to him. He holds a dominate place with effecting my sales performance, I wish I could be a coach to others, teach, help & motivate and be respected like Sean Carpetner.

After death and when I come back, I know who I want to come back as-Sean.

QR CODE

Scan and you will have all the information on me. Scan and you will be taken directly to www.allaboutlickingcounty.com

For the past three months, I have read several different blogs and in my industry's publications about QR Codes. Most of what I found has been connected with their large use in Japan and Europe. Well with ten minutes here and an hour there over the past months, I have been able to figure out why I needed a QR Code and good business uses.

If you go to Best Buy or look closely at choice magazine ads you will find the little fuzzy square.

If you do not have a scanner on your PDA, download one for free named ScanLife. Take a photo of the above codes and see what information you receive.

Vespa Admiration

Pat, Jerry + Robin admire Charlie Snyder's Vespa Scooter
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

ALLERT: NO MORE BATHROOM TISSUE ROLE CRAFTS

Don't plan on receiving more Bathroom Tissue Tube Art from school projects.

See below, green has struck back in a new way.
Click here to read the entire Time article.

ALWAYS LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER

NO MATTER WHAT BUSINESS YOU ARE IN, YOU SHOULD LOOK OVER

YOUR SHOULDER AT ALL TIMES AND HAVE A HERO

FALLON: Where were you at the time?

HILFIGER: I was in upstate New York. We were opening stores on college campuses. My partners and I were also partying it up at Studio 54 and Max's Kansas City and hanging out in the city and not really paying attention to the business. So that was a lesson learned.

FALLON: In your secret diary that no one reads, who do you say that you're jealous of?

HILFIGER: Who am I jealous of? Every time I pass a Ralph Lauren store, I think, I know he's been in business for more than 40 years and I've only been in business for 25, but, boy, do I ever want what he's got.

FALLON: At what point were you like, "Man, I'm successful. This is working."

HILFIGER: I think it's dangerous to think that you're successful, because then you become complacent. I think you've got to stay humble. In this business, you have to look over your shoulder at all times because you can lose it all with the snap of a finger.

Click here to read the complete interview by Jimmy Fallon.

LICKING COUNTY PARK DISTRICT NEEDS $6 PER YEAR

Yes you read it right, the Licking County Park District needs our help: "If approved, it would cost the owner of a $100,000 house about 50 cents per month, or $6 per year" per Parks Director Ray Edgington.

I know at this current time in history, $6 is a concern. But the long time benefit our children will receive is worth way more than what we spend for this levy.

Click here to read the Newark Advocate article.

Click here for the endorsements by the Licking County Chamber of Commerce and The Newark Advocate.

THE WEEK BEHIND

Kurt Harden facilitates the Licking County Chamber's Board of Director's

retreat at the beautiful Davis-Shai House in Heath, Ohio.
Lucy the Fire Dog spent a morning at the salon and came home with her
seasonal bow for Halloween.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

NFD BREAKING NEWS: Firefighter Tim Cline long time chauffeur of Rescue-1 stationed in Downtown Newark, Ohio makes a move to Station-3 in West Newark.

Due to the retirement of Engine-3's driver, Tim with more seniority than any of the NFD Brothers surprised everyone by assuming the west end job. Above you view a

photo of Tim's notorious condo in the bunk room and now vacated.

Personally I did not ever think I would see the day!

DIFFICULT DECISIONS

Steve Layman issued on his blog this morning a post concerning the economy. As I read, one paragraph struck me:

"Miller sees a future less bright than the past, but he also sees a people who are learning to solve the problems they face by accepting the responsibility for those problems and by then making different- perhaps difficult- decisions. Sounds healthy and positive to me."

After six years of the mess our country, business, government and education has seen, maybe it is time to step back. Everyone is not polished in every one's profession.

Every day we find government and education trying to get the upper hand on each other in order to compete with the private business sector. I do think it is time to privatize some segments of government and for government to depend a little more on the private business sector for producing several of their goals (if they know how to establish a goal).

The same goes for education, we should not be relying only on the government to figure out the education problems, but the real educators and their management should be involved. As I see it, obtaining more programs instead of supporting the business sector to get a job done, is a grab for a larger budget request and gives the ability to pound on their chest a little louder amongst each other.

As well, not everyone is fit to manage certain aspects of private industry, but for some reason in private business this eventually solves it self.

It is time to accept responsibility of what has taken place during the past, tuck it up and make one very difficult decision: working together.

WHERE IS THE GRASS GREENER?

“As the level of wealth has doubled or tripled in the last fifty years in many industrialized nations, the levels of happiness and satisfaction with life that people report have not changed, and depression has actually become more common.” -The Happiness Hypothesis

Click here "Where the Grass is Greener"

by, The Art of Manliness

TRANSPARENCY & BUSINESS

Several years ago the Park National Bank of Newark, Ohio ran a series of ads on the radio and in print with their key employee's names, photos and their direct business telephone number along with their home number. The advertisement would ask people, if they have a problem to call a banking officer at work or at home. To this day, even the senior officers of the bank answer the telephone when someone calls on the direct line to their desk. I was at the home of a Park National Bank person one time watching a football game, he answered his phone and helped a lady with her checking account problem. To me this was a great promotion of making sure people knew the bank was transparent.

Transparency of business people and owners have somewhat gone to the wayside. Staying hidden & not available on weekends makes you wonder how some businesses draw new clients and how they keep their past clients.

I try to stay as transparent as possible, making sure I am out where I can visit and where others can visit with me. It is not hard to find me since my published home & office telephone numbers go directly to my cell phone, have an easy to remember web address and watch out if you google my name. I can be found, my goal.

The internet can be a demon to transparency if you allow it, you can hide by deciding social media, web sites and blogs are not the way to go. Today, their is no excuse for a business person to think it is too expensive or time consuming to make you have a spot within the worldwide web (www) so you can be found.

A company I purchased a Scottevest jacket through was found on the web. The owner who I have never met had a problem several weeks ago and emailed his customers which created a positive & supportive firestorm via Twitter, Facebook and bloggers across the world. He has gained more business because of the issue he brought out. When I emailed him, he emailed back. He is transparent.

Keeping your believes and face out front brings more business.

Click here to watch The Rise to the Top video, he talks about being transparent.

Click here: Five Ways to Make Your Business More Transparent

BOEING 747-8

World's largest Lego set, putting together the Boeing 747-8 Dreamliner.

Click here for more information from Gadling.

TELL SOMEONE THEY SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE

There could not be a better time to consider buying a home. Most mortgage rates are now below 4% and qualifies many for a home loan. Call one of our local lenders to sit down and see what you can do about purchasing your next home.

If you think this is a good time to refinance, just refinance your mortgage balance.

Don't get a big dream of borrowing extra money for a new boat, cruise or furniture.

NEVER MESS WITH THE EQUITY IN YOUR HOME!

PERFECT CLOTHING BY GOD

For several years during high school and college I worked for Harold Pierce, then owner of Cornell Clothing Company on the North side of the square in Downtown Newark, Ohio. Today when I think about it, I should have paid him the 75 cents per hour, I learned so much listening to and watching him.

One time he mentioned "God only made the perfect clothing" he continued "we were born and we are buried with it on, it mends itself when torn, stretches with us as we grow and shrinks when we shrink".

This morning as I sat at my desk loosening my tie to get comfortable and attack the work at hand, the collar button broke in half. I was reminded of Mr. Pierce and that God even made the only button we were born with perfect, I have never heard of a broken "belly button".

FIRE PREVENTION WEEK HAS PASSED

Make sure your house number (sometimes called a "fire number" in rural areas) can be seen!

The Amish Man on the Roof
Sometimes our dispatch information is limited. Last winter I was riding shotgun in the pumper as we searched for an address based on two pieces of information: The fire was in the chimney, and the house was owned by an Amish family. We were fruitlessly scanning houses when we spotted a bearded man in overalls and a wide-brimmed hat dancing and waving from a rooftop. That pretty much narrowed it down.

Once you have called for help, there are a number of little things that can enhance our response. For starters, make sure your house number (sometimes called a "fire number" in rural areas) can be seen—that it isn't missing or in disrepair, obscured by overgrown brush or hedges, or stenciled on the butt of a garden gnome.

Post your house number plainly, and make sure it can be seen at night. In fact, nothing helps us locate the right house when it's dark like someone flashing the porch light. If someone is available, send him to the end of the drive or down to the entryway. One bit of warning: Once we spot you, step well clear. Sometimes folks try to run up to the rig, which gives them a shot at being first on the gurney. Ambulances and fire trucks are extremely heavy and cannot stop on a dime. Give us room to get everything shut down before you leap to the running board.

Click here "16 Panic-Free Ways to Handle Any Emergency"

Proposed 28th Amendment

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States

that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives;

and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives

that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ."

Thank you Bill Cost.

ART WORK BY NICHOLAS BATE

Click here to check out more of Nicholas Bate.