How do you feel about giving our tax money to New Orleans when their elected “leader” makes comments like this?During the “60 minutes” interview, a correspondent pointed out flood-damaged cars still on the streets of New Orleans’ devastated Ninth Ward. Nagin replied, “You guys in New York can’t get a hole in the ground fixed, and it’s five years later. So let’s be fair,” according to CBS.I am tempted to agree wholeheartedly with Greg.
Browsing Category Thoughts, etc.
Wow. All you have to do is sit.
Walt Mossberg tests out a truly high-tech toilet. How lazy does one have to be?For example, push the “For Her” front button and a pink wand releases a gentle spray. Each wand is rinsed before you use it, and after you arise from the seat, whether or not you used it.Using the remote, you can adjust the force and temperature of the water, and the temperature of the heated seat. You must manually decide when to stop the water or air.We found that the heated seat, which can be set to automatically turn off or on at certain times of the day, was a great feature. And the warm water — once we got the temperature right — was also a luxurious twist on the normal bathroom experience.Seriously – is this necessary? Temporary free link. I can almost hear the crotchety conversations now in 2025 – “When I was a kid, we had to wipe ourselves! Not some confounded machine!”
Summer reading
Now that Summer is over (school starts today!), a reading recap follows – The Long TailFreakonomicsTravels With CharleyThe Leadership ChallengeI need more time to read.
Four years
Riding in the cab today from CHO to IAD, I had the pleasure of riding with a graduate from the Naval Academy. We talked and in passing, he asked if I knew (deleted) who was his Realtor when he purchased four years ago. I acknowledged that I did. His response was – “I found him to not be a man of his word.” Damn. Four years. If anyone ever says that reputation is not the single most important facet of one’s profession – one’s identity – they have no idea what is honor.
Morning links for 31 July 2006
“We’ll buy your house!” And why you should be wary. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.Why are homes price drop resistant?After a weekend alone with my 2 1/2 year old, this is comforting. Kudos to Wikipedia for helping to educate bloggers (and everyone else) on the importance of citations.Will Google learn from Yahoo?I need to learn to Get Things Done.
Bwah-hah-hah
Search terms make me laugh.how to trick housing inspectors moldhow to cheat housing authorityLuckily, neither person found what they were looking for here. Both stayed for less than two seconds. Ah, the internet: the source for all those seedy questions.
Friday Links – 07-14-2006
As the week winds down for most (I am gearing up to continue showing throughout the weekend), these are a few stories worth reading, each of which relates in some way to the CharlAlbemarle region’s real estate market.Ardell at RCG has two outstanding posts -Negotiating Fees with the Buyer ClientIf wishes were horses, beggars would ride – a call for civilizing the process of the real estate transaction.Thinking Entrepreneurially about TransitCoolTown Studios has this:53% of 24-34 year olds would choose to live in transit-rich, walkable neighborhoods, less than 25% of middle-aged Americans are interested in living in dense areas. Source: CNU- Demand for housing within walking distance of transit will more than double by 2025. Properties within a 5-10 minute walk to a train stop are selling for 20-25% more than comparable properties further away, and going up. Source: Center for Transit-Oriented DevelopmentWhat’s a government to do when their massive annual raises stagnate?Bankrate.com under fireOnline home valuations are useful, but …The desk-top appraisal said the home would be worth $400,000, but the drive-by and on-site visit lowered it significantly, to the $305,000 to $320,000 ballpark, which Mr. Hagar said would be the most accurate for our purposes.Have a good weekend!