99 Best Tools for Men...............

Stolen from MensHealth.com

"From the carpenter's table saw to the weekend mechanic's worn-out socket wrench, men define themselves by the tools they use. But which ones are really worthy of prime placement in your garage? Here, we'll certain go through all the pliers, drivers and drills that are so versatile, they'll inspire even the most reluctant handyman to go out and fix something. Now let's get to work."

Click here to view all 99

Happy someone else is worried also............

Stolen from Steve Layman

How to avoid getting a speeding ticket...................

From TIME.com


"While talking your way out of a ticket is probably next to impossible, Bruck says someone speeding to get to a family member just sent to the hospital might do the trick. Also: if you’re tracking down your spouse, who’s having (or about to have) an affair.

I clocked a woman coming down from New Mexico on Highway 54 at 111 mph,” says Bruck. “She had just been stopped for going 90 mph 15 minutes [earlier] in New Mexico … She had been crying, and the tears didn’t just start — they’d been going on a long time, you can tell. She was on her way to a motel in El Paso to catch her husband who was shacked up with another woman there, cheating. How do you write a ticket for that?”

Click here for more tips at TimeNewsFeed and on Twitter @TimeNewsFeed

Don't trip over a dollar to pick up a nickle...........

"Good" things may cost a little more, but will last you longer. This does not just pertain to household furnishings, clothing, automobiles etc.

This thought also pertains to banks, attorneys, mechanics, insurance and of course real estate agents.

From the New York Times:
When we start treating everything around us as disposable, it’s hard to not think of money as disposable, too. And it’s this line of thinking that gets us into trouble.


Don’t be the person who ends up with a storage unit full of stuff you didn’t really want in the first place and an empty bank account. Do be the person who buys good things and then hangs on to them. Both you and your bank account will be happier.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE.

Gambling on gasoline..........

Since the price of gasoline has risen significantly during the past couple of days, I have decided to start a commodity use game. Instead of filling the tank 100% as I always do, I am now calculating the amount of gas I will need for a three day period.

I will be keeping track of the price per gallon paid during August so at the end of the month I can figure my average per gallon price paid. There is nothing worst than driving with $3.89 per gallon gas when the new price has dropped twenty cents.

Baby boomers like discounts...just not the senior discount!!!!!!!!

Ranch style homes in all price ranges and all school districts during the past eight years have become a commodity, values hurt, but not as bad as other home styles by the recession. Baby Boomers are moving, not necessarily downsizing. Active lifestyles with different instruments such as IRA, Roth IRA and 401k helped groomed the way for "older" living.

@TIME had an interesting article I found via Twitter:
Concerning Senior Discounts:
The senior members of the Baby Boom generation are turning 65 at a clip of roughly 10,000 per day. Even so, the generation famous for being at the center of the “youth culture” of the ’60s, doesn’t particularly like to think of itself as old. Senior citizens? According to boomers, the term refers to their parents, the World War II generation, not the folks who could have gone to Woodstock. So even though Baby Boomers love getting a deal as much as the next person, they hate the idea of getting a “senior discount”—which is tantamount to accepting the fact that they’re officially old.

Concerning housing:To varying degrees, age-appropriate updates are necessary should boomers want to stay safely in their homes as they get older. And yet, “Nobody wants their home to look like a hospital facility,” says Bill Millholland, an executive at the remodeling firm Case Design. This is especially the case for a generation that doesn’t like to think of itself as old, let alone aged and dying.

Click here to read the complete TIME Magazine article.

How to tell how much propane is left for your gas grill.......

Sometimes you have to work for what you want.....

LICKING COUNTY CHRISTMAS TOURS

THIS WEEKEND, START THE HOLIDAYS WITH SOME FUN

DOWNTOWN NEWARK, OHIO'S COOKIE WALK

Friday 4-8pm, stroll around the Court House Square with Santa Claus, entertainment throughout the evening, buy a ticket and pick up your cookies at many of the participating merchants and organizations.

GRANVILLE, OHIO'S CANDLELIGHT WALKING TOUR

Saturday 1-9pm, the Village Business District is ready for your family to tour the many shops, enjoy the entertainment throughout the day and evening indoors and out. You will enjoy the beautiful Christmas decorations.

Make cents to me..................

"Wealth, like a tree, grows from a tiny seed. The first copper you save is the seed from which your tree of wealth shall grow. The sooner you plant that seed the sooner shall the tree grow. And the more faithfully you nourish and water that tree with consistent savings, the sooner may you bask in contentment beneath its shade."-George S. Clason, The Richest Man in Babylon

Stolen from Steve Layman, click here to check out Steve's blog.

Thinking About Joint Home Ownership?

A good friend of mine several years ago, purchased a home with his fiance. The proposed marriage was called off just before the wedding. They had already purchased a home together and spent many dollars decorating and rehabbing.

As he says today "it was the most expensive divorce anyone could have for not being married", don't allow this to happen to you.

The following was obtain via CBKTTWEET:

Whether you’re newlyweds, best friends or relatives, sharing a home purchase requires making many compromises. Decisions such as the location of the home and financial obligations by each party must be made through a joint effort. It is also helpful to involve an objective mediator when making crucial decisions.

“The idea of owning can seem overwhelming, especially for those who are new to the real estate process, but with a professional at your side it is very manageable,” said Jerry White, executive vice president of Coldwell Banker King Thompson. “Your Realtor can help by being that outside, third party who can direct you through the process of making the right decision.”

When making a collaborative purchase, here are a few things to keep in mind:


■Shared Costs. With two incomes, short-term and

long-term costs can be divided among each partner. Therefore, joint owners

do not have to spend as much time saving up for enough capital when

entering into a home purchase together.


■Shared Settings.
Whether it is a quiet neighborhood or a big kitchen, everyone has their own “must-haves” when it comes to the home of their dreams. Discuss the essentials before
beginning the search and be prepared to compromise.

■ Prepare for Future Funding.
The down payment on a new home is just one of the many financial aspects of home ownership. Maintenance costs, decorating materials, and insurance fees are all fundamentals of a home purchase that should be discussed by both parties.
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4 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR PHONE SAFE FROM HACKERS

Your smartphone likely contains a lot of personal and business information on it. But if you’re not careful, you can easily open up your smartphone to attacks from hackers. An article at RISMedia recently featured security smartphone tips from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University. Among the tips:

1. Lock your phone. Most people keep their phone unlocked for ease of use, but if your phone was ever misplaced or stolen, you’d give thieves an open ticket to access everything on your phone. Use a password-protected screen lock to keep your phone secure. Also, “if your phone has a SIM card, set a PIN code for the card—if the phone is ever lost, nobody can use the card,” the article notes.

2. Be cautious of apps that ask for too much extra information. Use common sense: If an app that you are downloading is for a calculator, for example, and it requests Internet and contacts permissions, you’ll want to avoid it. “Cyber-thieves often exploit smart phones by creating a good app with some extra code and overreaching permissions,” the article notes.

3. Be sure to log out of all Web services once you’re finished. By staying logged in on Web sites, you could open up your sensitive information to cyber-attacks from sites you visit, such as your banking or e-mail. While desktops tend to have a timeout period after you remain inactive for some time on a Web site, many devices granting mobile access do not. So make sure you log out after you’re finished on a Web site.


4. Check reviews of apps. Before you download a new app, be sure to read reviews. Be skeptical over any apps that don’t have many reviews yet and new ones recently added, which may have privacy and security problems.


Source: RISMedia via The Ohio Association of Realtors
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A Young Man’s Guide to Understanding Retirement Accounts: The 401(k)

Retirement savings, the earlier the better..................

Suppose you set aside $1,000 a year from age 25 to age 64 in a retirement account that earns 5% a year (historically, stocks return about 8%, but we’ll be conservative). That’s $39,000 total you invest. By the time you turn 65, you’ll have have $126,840. If you don’t get started with saving until you’re 35, you’ll only have $69,760. Starting just ten years earlier would have doubled your total. Yes, doubled.

If you’re a young man, you’re probably not giving much thought to retirement right now. It’s understandable. It’s hard to plan and think about something that’s 40 years away (maybe many more–the traditional idea of retirement will likely undergo a lot of changes in the next several decades). Moreover, many young men put off saving for retirement because they’re intimidated by the entire process. They feel like they don’t have the requisite knowledge to get started.

Click here to read the complete post by the Art of Manliness.

WHAT'S FOR DINNER? NYC AIRPORT GEESE

What's for dinner? NYC airport geese soon to be served on a platter

Take a gander at this: In an effort to control airport bird population, New York City plans to start collecting unwanted geese and ship them off to Pennsylvania, where they will be cooked for meals.

But before you get your feathers in a ruffle, know that the plan will actually benefit those in need. The birds, which were previously rounded up and gassed, will be donated to food banks to help feed hungry Pennsylvanians. Apparently, the birds will be shipped out of state because New York has not established safety protocols for processing and consuming wild goose meat.

The Department of Environmental Protection calls the roundup of geese a "sensitive topic," but is in favor of the plan. We'll just have to wait and see what all the animal activists have to say about it. Last summer, there was a huge public outcry over the roundup of hundreds of geese in Prospect Park, Brooklyn in the name of airline safety. The topic has been a huge issue since January 2009, when a flock of geese disabled US Airways Flight 1549, forcing it to ditch in the Hudson River.

Click here to view Gadling's Blog from AOL Travel. Something new to learn every day along with great travel tips.

Why and How to Start an Emergency Fund

Why do you need an emergency fund?

Because sh** happens and it can be expensive.

Kids end up in the emergency room; your car goes kaput in the middle of New Mexico; your water heater springs a leak. We’ve all experienced these setbacks and their accompanying bills. Some of us have suffered the misfortune of getting laid off and being without a source of income for months. Many people don’t plan for emergencies in their monthly budget, so when the poop hits the fan, they’re forced to take on expensive credit card debt to cover the bills.

An emergency fund is insurance for you and your family. Having cash on hand to cover unexpected expenses has two big benefits. First, it gives you peace of mind. Instead of wringing your hands worrying about where you’re going to come up with the money to cover an emergency expense, you simply transfer money from your emergency fund to your checking account. Crisis averted.

Second, and more importantly, it helps you get ahead financially. Instead of taking on more debt by using your credit card for emergencies, an emergency savings fund will prevent you from digging yourself deeper into a hole.

An added benefit of an emergency fund is the feeling of pride that self-sufficiency gives a man. You can’t beat it.

Where to Stash Your Emergency Fund

How Much Do I Need in My Emergency Fund?

Emergency Fund Goal #1: $1,000 Fast!

Emergency Fund Goal #2: 3-6 Months of Basic Living Expenses

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO DO THE ABOVE.

HIPSTER PDA

From 43 Folders:

The Hipster PDA (Parietal Disgorgement Aid) is fully extensible system for coordinating incoming and outgoing data for any aspect of your life and work. It scales brilliantly, degrades gracefully, supports optional categories and "beaming," and is configurable to an unlimited number of options. Best of all, the Hipster PDA fits into your hip pocket and cost practically nothing to purchase and maintain.

Building your first Hipster PDA:

1. get a bunch of 3'c5" files cards

2. clip together with a binder clip

3. there is not step 3

Learn more about this from Folder 43, by clicking here.

I don't know if this will become my cup of tea or not. Thank you to Put-This-On & Secret Forts.

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!

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.

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.

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.