After soaking what they could out of Apple acolytes, AT&T and Apple will soon join the rest of the cell phone industry in offering a rebate on the iPhone, cutting the price by $200. Ironically, that is the one thing I thought would never change as the iPhone continued in its development.
Even better, the next version will have finally have true GPS capability. If they manage to stuff a better internet protocol in there, they'll have me.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
"Previously, on .5 ..."
The recently-concluded writers' strike had widespread and profound effects throughout Hollywood. The cost unseen to the rest of the world was the hit local businesses ancillary to the entertainment industry took. Everything from electricians and carpenters to caterers and florists suffered a significant downturn in business. Without commenting on the relative merits of bargaining positions, those who suffer from any strike are not limited the principals to the dispute. One of the weapons of a strike is its effect on innocent, worthy parties who may have a stake in the outcome but no voice.
Like, for instance, me.
One of the more visible casualties of the strike was the cancellation of the hit show "24." We have seen every season of this show, which we typically watch around Christmas when the entire season is available on DVD and we can devote many hours to watching multiple episodes at time. Because the show films later in the year than most others, the production had barely begun before the strike shut it down. The producers elected to suspend production for the season, and have only begun filming again this past week.
To provide the show's fans with a little taste of what they have been missing (as well as to keep the brand alive and experiment with a new means of distribution), key members of the production team have been filming a "Rookie" companion series to be broadcast solely on the internet. It is a bite-sized version of the main show. Instead of 24 one-hour episodes tracking superhero Jack Bauer through a day, "Rookie" follows a trainee through six five-minute episodes.
Jack Bauer has a difficult enough job uncovering a secret terrorist plots, sacrifice himself for loved ones, escaping from ultra-secure captivity, saving presidencies, rooting out inevitable moles in CTU and saving the world from certain destruction in 24 hours. I'd like to see him try that in half an hour. Slacker.
Like, for instance, me.
One of the more visible casualties of the strike was the cancellation of the hit show "24." We have seen every season of this show, which we typically watch around Christmas when the entire season is available on DVD and we can devote many hours to watching multiple episodes at time. Because the show films later in the year than most others, the production had barely begun before the strike shut it down. The producers elected to suspend production for the season, and have only begun filming again this past week.
To provide the show's fans with a little taste of what they have been missing (as well as to keep the brand alive and experiment with a new means of distribution), key members of the production team have been filming a "Rookie" companion series to be broadcast solely on the internet. It is a bite-sized version of the main show. Instead of 24 one-hour episodes tracking superhero Jack Bauer through a day, "Rookie" follows a trainee through six five-minute episodes.
Jack Bauer has a difficult enough job uncovering a secret terrorist plots, sacrifice himself for loved ones, escaping from ultra-secure captivity, saving presidencies, rooting out inevitable moles in CTU and saving the world from certain destruction in 24 hours. I'd like to see him try that in half an hour. Slacker.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
New Home Sweet Home
We have finally been home long enough to upload photos we have been taking all month to our home computer. Here are some shots of our rental home in Moraga.
The front, set well back from the already quiet cul-de-sac:
Looking from the entrance to the garage, past the breakfast nook through the kitchen to the family room, in all of its original 1969 splendor:
The back yard, with patio, grass and "orchard":
Exploring the hillside down to the creek just beyond the back fence (but still on the property):
We are all very happy with the house. It is not large, but easily adequate for our living needs (although most of our storage needs will have to be dealt with some other way). In the meantime, we are getting some serious inquiries on our Glendale house (a contractor comes tomorrow), so we may be nearing the end of this weird odyssey.
The front, set well back from the already quiet cul-de-sac:
Looking from the entrance to the garage, past the breakfast nook through the kitchen to the family room, in all of its original 1969 splendor:
The back yard, with patio, grass and "orchard":
Exploring the hillside down to the creek just beyond the back fence (but still on the property):
We are all very happy with the house. It is not large, but easily adequate for our living needs (although most of our storage needs will have to be dealt with some other way). In the meantime, we are getting some serious inquiries on our Glendale house (a contractor comes tomorrow), so we may be nearing the end of this weird odyssey.
A Month's Respite
Ever since Kelly started in school, with its year round schedule that gave us all of April for vacation, our Aprils have typically involved some amount of travel and a break with the usual routine. This year was no exception, and the break in routine was as out of the ordinary as our "routine" has been atypical.
For two of the four weeks of the month, Cheryl and the kids lived with me in our new little house in Moraga. For a few of those nights, we had something resembling a normal evening -- I had the pleasure of coming home from work to the embrace of my family and a freshly-cooked meal. Several other evenings were spent shopping or visiting with Cheryl's sister's family, and their days were spent visiting parks, shopping, exploring the neighborhood and playing videogames. It was not an ideal vacation for the kids, as they did not have their books and toys, but they survived the time well, with few lasting scars inflicted upon each other.
To make all of the travel arrangements work, I did a lot of driving. At the beginning of the month, I flew down to watch the kids over the weekend while Cheryl was at a retreat in Oxnard, then picked her up on the way to San Francisco in an absolutely stuffed station wagon.
The next Monday morning, we drove out to the house, where I dropped them for the day while I went to work. At the end of the week, we drove back to Glendale to pick up one of Kelly's best friends, who came with us to our timeshare outside San Diego for a weekend getaway to celebrate Kelly's birthday.
After dropping all of them in Glendale, I drove back up to the Bay Area, all on a Sunday afternoon (500 miles in all). The following weekend, we all met in Chicago to drive to Green Bay for a family wedding, where Kelly and her cousins helped pass out programs for Cheryl's cousin who had been the flower girl at our wedding when she was ten years old. How the years go by.
Cheryl and the kids flew back to the Bay Area with me to spend the week in Moraga again. At the end of the week, we drove back to Glendale, where they will now stay until school is over at the end of June. I will also turn in the station wagon to the home base, so what little furniture I have now is what I will have until July.
We return now to the Friday-Monday flight routine, although the end is now clearly, tantalizingly, frustratingly in sight.
For two of the four weeks of the month, Cheryl and the kids lived with me in our new little house in Moraga. For a few of those nights, we had something resembling a normal evening -- I had the pleasure of coming home from work to the embrace of my family and a freshly-cooked meal. Several other evenings were spent shopping or visiting with Cheryl's sister's family, and their days were spent visiting parks, shopping, exploring the neighborhood and playing videogames. It was not an ideal vacation for the kids, as they did not have their books and toys, but they survived the time well, with few lasting scars inflicted upon each other.
To make all of the travel arrangements work, I did a lot of driving. At the beginning of the month, I flew down to watch the kids over the weekend while Cheryl was at a retreat in Oxnard, then picked her up on the way to San Francisco in an absolutely stuffed station wagon.
The next Monday morning, we drove out to the house, where I dropped them for the day while I went to work. At the end of the week, we drove back to Glendale to pick up one of Kelly's best friends, who came with us to our timeshare outside San Diego for a weekend getaway to celebrate Kelly's birthday.
After dropping all of them in Glendale, I drove back up to the Bay Area, all on a Sunday afternoon (500 miles in all). The following weekend, we all met in Chicago to drive to Green Bay for a family wedding, where Kelly and her cousins helped pass out programs for Cheryl's cousin who had been the flower girl at our wedding when she was ten years old. How the years go by.
Cheryl and the kids flew back to the Bay Area with me to spend the week in Moraga again. At the end of the week, we drove back to Glendale, where they will now stay until school is over at the end of June. I will also turn in the station wagon to the home base, so what little furniture I have now is what I will have until July.
We return now to the Friday-Monday flight routine, although the end is now clearly, tantalizingly, frustratingly in sight.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know
The fine city of Chicago suffered through an astonishingly violent weekend, with 32 people shot and six killed.
In other seemingly unrelated news, I was in Chicago this weekend.
What is the logical conclusion? Clearly, it must be "don't make me angry."
In other seemingly unrelated news, I was in Chicago this weekend.
What is the logical conclusion? Clearly, it must be "don't make me angry."
Thursday, April 17, 2008
TVs On Cardboard Boxes, and Other Bachelor Tales
Even though I have been living far from home during the week for the past seven months, I am just now concluding only the first week of true bachelordom. Being on my own in our rental home, I find I fall into much different habits than I exhibited while staying at my sister-in-law's house.
There, I did not eat leftovers out of the container they were stored in, while sitting on the couch watching sitcom after sitcom, followed by ninety minutes of Guitar Hero III, topped off with a late night showing of "Grosse Point Blank."
I'm going to have to shape up in July. Until then, it's a John Cusack film festival any time I want.
There, I did not eat leftovers out of the container they were stored in, while sitting on the couch watching sitcom after sitcom, followed by ninety minutes of Guitar Hero III, topped off with a late night showing of "Grosse Point Blank."
I'm going to have to shape up in July. Until then, it's a John Cusack film festival any time I want.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
(Virtually) Wave As You (Virtually) Pass By
With the personal delivery of three boxes of kitchen and laundry supplies and three suitcases, Cheryl and the kids began the slow process of moving into our Moraga rental last week. We will respond to the clamor for photographs of our new digs as soon as we can. The lack of an Internet connection at the house (for now) will slow the process down substantially, unfortunately.
However, thanks to the gimmicks of modern technology (I hesitate to say "miracles," since not all technological leaps forward are particularly useful beyond confirmation that the feat can be accomplished), you can wander around our neighborhood and even see our front yard. Bizarrely, the wizards at Google have seen fit to expand their Street View service to the Lamorinda communities (Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga). Google's minions have thoroughly canvassed the entire area, including our street. Although it is set back a bit from the street, you can see "our" house here:
View Larger Map
Feel free to wander around the neighborhood. That's exactly what we're doing these days. See you there!
However, thanks to the gimmicks of modern technology (I hesitate to say "miracles," since not all technological leaps forward are particularly useful beyond confirmation that the feat can be accomplished), you can wander around our neighborhood and even see our front yard. Bizarrely, the wizards at Google have seen fit to expand their Street View service to the Lamorinda communities (Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga). Google's minions have thoroughly canvassed the entire area, including our street. Although it is set back a bit from the street, you can see "our" house here:
View Larger Map
Feel free to wander around the neighborhood. That's exactly what we're doing these days. See you there!
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Hitch Up the Wagons, Ma
At long last, we're moving!
Well, sort of. Not the way we originally envisioned it, but close enough.
We signed a lease on a little four bedroom house in Moraga last week. With the housing market as volatile as it is (volatile in the way that that an airplane that has had its wings sheared off at 20,000 feet is volatile), renting seemed like a decent way to wait out the correction we're going through while still being able to get started in our new area. It also takes some of the pressure off selling our house right away. From the beginning, we knew that if we got to April and still hadn't sold our house, we would have to start getting creative. We have some serious nibbles on our house now, which is great, but even if we got an offer tomorrow, the escrow process would take us well into May. We have children to register for school and were looking for a way to reduce our stress over the selling/buying combo. Renting will allow us to get going in the Bay Area, put aside the proceeds for the sale of our house, whenever that happens, and find something at our own pace sometime in the fall rather than being forced to buy something we weren't quite happy with just so that we could register for school.
Fortunately, a house popped up for rent in the neighborhood we had targeted. This is a rare occurrence, so we jumped on it. We had a bizzare experience finalizing the deal, but it's done now, and I'll start living there more or less full time this coming week. Cheryl and the kids will be driving up with me tomorrow to spend the week, and they will be back for the last week of April as well. Then they will all move up for real after June.
This is a half-step toward making a full move, but an important one. It has relieved a lot of tension that was beginning to build about how we were going to finally get our house sold fast enough to get us out of SoCal and find someplace to live that we liked at the same time.
Well, sort of. Not the way we originally envisioned it, but close enough.
We signed a lease on a little four bedroom house in Moraga last week. With the housing market as volatile as it is (volatile in the way that that an airplane that has had its wings sheared off at 20,000 feet is volatile), renting seemed like a decent way to wait out the correction we're going through while still being able to get started in our new area. It also takes some of the pressure off selling our house right away. From the beginning, we knew that if we got to April and still hadn't sold our house, we would have to start getting creative. We have some serious nibbles on our house now, which is great, but even if we got an offer tomorrow, the escrow process would take us well into May. We have children to register for school and were looking for a way to reduce our stress over the selling/buying combo. Renting will allow us to get going in the Bay Area, put aside the proceeds for the sale of our house, whenever that happens, and find something at our own pace sometime in the fall rather than being forced to buy something we weren't quite happy with just so that we could register for school.
Fortunately, a house popped up for rent in the neighborhood we had targeted. This is a rare occurrence, so we jumped on it. We had a bizzare experience finalizing the deal, but it's done now, and I'll start living there more or less full time this coming week. Cheryl and the kids will be driving up with me tomorrow to spend the week, and they will be back for the last week of April as well. Then they will all move up for real after June.
This is a half-step toward making a full move, but an important one. It has relieved a lot of tension that was beginning to build about how we were going to finally get our house sold fast enough to get us out of SoCal and find someplace to live that we liked at the same time.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Raise Your Hash Browns In Honor
The inventor of the Egg McMuffin has died. The guy was a McDonald's lifer, who went from developing the brand's first advertising slogan to owning several McDonald's restaurants in the Santa Barbara/Goleta area. (I swear, that bit is a total coincidence. I don't go trolling for Santa Barbara news. Much.) Mr. Peterson, I and my too-ample midsection salute you.
But I really want to know who swapped out the Canadian bacon for the sausage patty to create the Sausage McMuffin. That guy deserves a Nobel Prize.
But I really want to know who swapped out the Canadian bacon for the sausage patty to create the Sausage McMuffin. That guy deserves a Nobel Prize.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Sports History Online
For those who are old enough to remember when Sports Illustrated consistently offered some of the finest writing anywhere (which just happened to be about sports), or if you are one of those strange people like me who loved ESPN Classic when it debuted because it just played old baseball games just the way they were, Sports Illustrated has something for you. SI has put its entire archive online. This is a tremendously valuable resource for anyone who appreciates sports history. Read about the Giants' arrival in San Francisco, Michael Jordan's exploits as a freshman at North Carolina when he was still known as Mike and there was as yet no "Air" anything, and the surprise triumph of Joe Namath's Jets in Super Bowl III.
How cool is this:
Sal Maglie on pitching? Such great stuff. And the ads from back in the day are easily as interesting as the articles themselves.
If I had a laptop with me, I would ditch all those books I've been reading and catch up with all the decades of SI I've missed.
How cool is this:
Sal Maglie on pitching? Such great stuff. And the ads from back in the day are easily as interesting as the articles themselves.
If I had a laptop with me, I would ditch all those books I've been reading and catch up with all the decades of SI I've missed.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
That Didn't Take Long
Just like that, the members of the UCSB men's basketball team can start going to class again. The Gauchos went down to defeat against Ole Miss last night. For a school and conference that must earn respect anew every season, it's frustrating to lose to an SEC team with a 7-9 conference record. Oh well. At least our guys can ponder the sudden end to their season while gazing out at the Pacific Ocean.
I guess it's time to turn my attention to my basketball safety school, UCLA. I hear they might be pretty good this year.
I guess it's time to turn my attention to my basketball safety school, UCLA. I hear they might be pretty good this year.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
UCSB Goes To The Tournament!
Well, no, not that one. I foresaw great things to come for the UCSB men's basketball team back at the beginning of the season, and to a large degree those expectations were met. The team finished with a record of 23-8, with a 12-4 conference record. Senior guard Alex Harris was named the Big West Conference's co-player of the year, and needs only 12 points to eclipse the career scoring record of Carrick DeHart, one of the key players from Santa Barbara's golden era of 1987-1992. Unfortunately, the team flamed out in the conference tournament after rallying from a midseason slump to finish as the regular-season co-champions. That wasn't enough, coming from a mid-major conference, to get the Gauchos into the NCAA tournament. Instead, UCSB will begin play tonight in the "other" tournament, the NIT, at the home of Ole Miss. Unfortunately, the Gauchos have never won a game in their four prior appearances in the NIT tournament. I guess there is always this year.
In other news, UCSB's women's basketball team won the Big West Conference title as usual and will begin play in the NCAA women's tournament on Sunday against Virginia. I'm sure the Professor would feel the pangs of divided loyalties if he weren't already focused on the men's NCAA tournament fortunes of George Mason, everyone's favorite underdog from two years ago.
Heady days for the university of the California Riviera.
In other news, UCSB's women's basketball team won the Big West Conference title as usual and will begin play in the NCAA women's tournament on Sunday against Virginia. I'm sure the Professor would feel the pangs of divided loyalties if he weren't already focused on the men's NCAA tournament fortunes of George Mason, everyone's favorite underdog from two years ago.
Heady days for the university of the California Riviera.
Friday, March 14, 2008
For Your (Racing) Viewing Pleasure
Just a friendly reminder: The Formula 1 season kicks off this weekend from Melbourne, Australia. The 12 Hours of Sebring, an unaccountably historic event (since it takes place on a rather unremarkable central Florida airstrip complex) also runs on Saturday, with the usual exciting mix of bizarro "prototype" racers and somewhat more recognizable sports cars.
And for the other 99.8% of the American racing fans out there, NASCAR is at Bristol this weekend. Giggity.
And for the other 99.8% of the American racing fans out there, NASCAR is at Bristol this weekend. Giggity.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Stealth Fighter Retired
The F117A "Stealth Fighter" will be mothballed by April. The angular, radar-evading single seat aircraft, a platform so aerodynamically unstable that it can only be flown with computer assistance, will be replaced by the more conventional-appearing F22 Raptor, which is larger but more capable.
It seems like it just arrived, yet it's been in service for 27 years, having first flown in 1981. Unlike warplanes such as the P-51 or the F-14 (of "Top Gun" fame), the F-117A generated more respect than love even among its admirers. However, its designers' single-minded devotion to the proof of a concept yielded a remarkable product that set the stage for the next generation of military aircraft.
It seems like it just arrived, yet it's been in service for 27 years, having first flown in 1981. Unlike warplanes such as the P-51 or the F-14 (of "Top Gun" fame), the F-117A generated more respect than love even among its admirers. However, its designers' single-minded devotion to the proof of a concept yielded a remarkable product that set the stage for the next generation of military aircraft.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Play Ball, Tyke Division
Michael's first T-ball game, played Saturday morning, is best understood using the comparison device employed by the SAT for generations. To wit: baseball is to T-ball as a Saturn V rocket is to the paper covering on a restaurant straw that you shoot across the table at your brother by blowing through the straw. Some of the same general concepts are involved, but the final product of one has little to do with the other.
In T-ball, each team bats all the way through its order during each inning. The other team is arrayed in a semi-organized fashion throughout the infield, including a couple of players in the pitchers area who wear batting helmets for protection. Each batter is awarded first base, regardless of the defensive team's ability to pounce on the batted ball and propel it in the general direction of the first baseman, who may or may not care to stop the ball from sailing (or more likely rolling) past the base to the fence guarding the dugout. Game play involves an extended tutorial on hitting for the batter from the coach at the plate, followed by a ground ball that is quickly swallowed up in a scrum of pint-size athletes adorned with genuine Major League Baseball-licensed shirts and hats. If all goes incredibly well, the baseball eventually sails toward first base out of the cloud of dust that marks the pile of bodies where the ball eventually came to rest.
Thankfully, because this is T-ball and to not baseball, everyone seems to have a great time doing this, since it is exactly what is expected. Because we had to be at Disneyland less than two hours after the start of the game this week, Michael could only play for the first half-hour. This meant he played in the field for the duration of the other team's at bat, and he also got a turn at bat since he was the leadoff hitter for his team. Michael was one of the kids placed at the pitcher's position, which as it turns out seems to be a critical defensive position. He made several nice plays on the ball, meaning mostly that he successfully fended off his own teammates who were also scrambling for the ball. He seems to be thoroughly enjoying the game, which makes it all worthwhile.
Some pictures:
Warming up:
Checking the equipment on defense:
Preparing to hit:
In T-ball, each team bats all the way through its order during each inning. The other team is arrayed in a semi-organized fashion throughout the infield, including a couple of players in the pitchers area who wear batting helmets for protection. Each batter is awarded first base, regardless of the defensive team's ability to pounce on the batted ball and propel it in the general direction of the first baseman, who may or may not care to stop the ball from sailing (or more likely rolling) past the base to the fence guarding the dugout. Game play involves an extended tutorial on hitting for the batter from the coach at the plate, followed by a ground ball that is quickly swallowed up in a scrum of pint-size athletes adorned with genuine Major League Baseball-licensed shirts and hats. If all goes incredibly well, the baseball eventually sails toward first base out of the cloud of dust that marks the pile of bodies where the ball eventually came to rest.
Thankfully, because this is T-ball and to not baseball, everyone seems to have a great time doing this, since it is exactly what is expected. Because we had to be at Disneyland less than two hours after the start of the game this week, Michael could only play for the first half-hour. This meant he played in the field for the duration of the other team's at bat, and he also got a turn at bat since he was the leadoff hitter for his team. Michael was one of the kids placed at the pitcher's position, which as it turns out seems to be a critical defensive position. He made several nice plays on the ball, meaning mostly that he successfully fended off his own teammates who were also scrambling for the ball. He seems to be thoroughly enjoying the game, which makes it all worthwhile.
Some pictures:
Warming up:
Checking the equipment on defense:
Preparing to hit:
Friday, March 07, 2008
Small Effort, Big Improvement
File this under the heading, "why did we wait so long to do this?"
In the era just past of abundant home equity, it seems that there are few kitchens remaining in our part of the world that have not been touched by the remodeler's brush (and hammer and saw). Our poor kitchen, remodeled 25 years ago, suffers by comparison to all the other kitchens prospective buyers see over and over on any given Sunday of open houses.
Our objective throughout the home-selling process was not to remodel parts of the house that could stand to have some updating, but rather rehabilitate those particular spots that could stick out in the viewer's brain as a glaring weakness. Eliminate enough glaring weaknesses, the theory goes, and we will have done just enough to leave the visitor only with memories of the good things. And we will have done so at a fraction of the cost of a remodel, without the fear that a new owner will immediately take a sledgehammer to all our expensive work because it did not meet their taste.
Our kitchen is the primary glaring weakness of the house itself. Before we put the house up for sale, we replaced the worn-out flooring with a cheap but new vinyl floor. We have never heard a complaint. That left us with the tile, the cabinets and the dropped ceiling. We won't do anything about the ceiling because that would involve electricians and permits from the City. We thought seriously about refacing, repainting or "re-dooring" our cabinets. We had someone lined up to give us an estimate this week when Cheryl figured out that tile could be recolored through a reglazing process. Our neighbors had done this, with great success. We contacted the same people, who were available to start the job that same day, for a very reasonable fee.
They offered two colors, white or almond. We had been thinking about going with an all-white kitchen, but chose almond. Through a comedy of errors, the worker initially reglazed the tile with white, which apparently looked awful in context. The benefit to us is that it confirmed that, even if almond were not great, it would have to be better than white. After two long days of work, it's done, and we could not be more pleased.
Before:
After:
It is amazing what a difference a small change can make. We hope prospective buyers feel the same way. Or, better yet, that they don't think about it at all.
In the era just past of abundant home equity, it seems that there are few kitchens remaining in our part of the world that have not been touched by the remodeler's brush (and hammer and saw). Our poor kitchen, remodeled 25 years ago, suffers by comparison to all the other kitchens prospective buyers see over and over on any given Sunday of open houses.
Our objective throughout the home-selling process was not to remodel parts of the house that could stand to have some updating, but rather rehabilitate those particular spots that could stick out in the viewer's brain as a glaring weakness. Eliminate enough glaring weaknesses, the theory goes, and we will have done just enough to leave the visitor only with memories of the good things. And we will have done so at a fraction of the cost of a remodel, without the fear that a new owner will immediately take a sledgehammer to all our expensive work because it did not meet their taste.
Our kitchen is the primary glaring weakness of the house itself. Before we put the house up for sale, we replaced the worn-out flooring with a cheap but new vinyl floor. We have never heard a complaint. That left us with the tile, the cabinets and the dropped ceiling. We won't do anything about the ceiling because that would involve electricians and permits from the City. We thought seriously about refacing, repainting or "re-dooring" our cabinets. We had someone lined up to give us an estimate this week when Cheryl figured out that tile could be recolored through a reglazing process. Our neighbors had done this, with great success. We contacted the same people, who were available to start the job that same day, for a very reasonable fee.
They offered two colors, white or almond. We had been thinking about going with an all-white kitchen, but chose almond. Through a comedy of errors, the worker initially reglazed the tile with white, which apparently looked awful in context. The benefit to us is that it confirmed that, even if almond were not great, it would have to be better than white. After two long days of work, it's done, and we could not be more pleased.
Before:
After:
It is amazing what a difference a small change can make. We hope prospective buyers feel the same way. Or, better yet, that they don't think about it at all.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
The Pieces Starting to Fall Into Place
Amazingly, a government institution has done its job more efficiently than the public would have expected. Yesterday, HUD submitted its guidelines for the new conforming loan line to be used by the FHA in California (the figures for the rest of the country were released today). The news was good for us: in both Los Angeles County and Contra Costa County, the conforming line will be moved to the maximum of approximately $729,000. It is our hope that this will benefit both potential buyers of our house and us in our quest to buy a new house. There have been indications that lenders might not confer much of a benefit on borrowers seeking to obtain funds near the conforming loan line, which would be a distinct and unfortunate policy switch from years past. We remain hopeful, however, that some small discount in interest rates may fall to those of us who find ourselves near the jumbo line.
In the meantime, we continue to keep our house open every Sunday afternoon, and we continue to have dozens of people come through every weekend. We keep hearing that there are people who are interested in the house, but none of them had seen fit to make an actual offer. Maybe the financial landscape will change just enough to shake loose an offer. Springtime is coming. It's time to get this done.
In the meantime, we continue to keep our house open every Sunday afternoon, and we continue to have dozens of people come through every weekend. We keep hearing that there are people who are interested in the house, but none of them had seen fit to make an actual offer. Maybe the financial landscape will change just enough to shake loose an offer. Springtime is coming. It's time to get this done.
Another Reason the Internet Is Cool
From a practical standpoint, this is really of interest only to me, but it serves as a prime example of what makes the Internet such a great place in its best moments. One of the pleasant surprises for me after I bought my car was the discovery of some great online communities made up of owners and enthusiasts of cars like mine. Much more than just a place for like-minded gearheads to ogle pictures of each other's cars and share stories about how neat they are (which certainly goes on), the best of these forums offer incredible resources for maintenance and repair of these cars.
People even take it upon themselves, outside of their normal working lives, to make an extra effort to make life easier for the rest of us. A member of one of my online groups recently released this wiki-style site. It must be among the very finest sites of its type in the world. Because it is a wiki-type site, it continues the well-established tradition of building upon and compiling the collective knowledge of hundreds, if not thousands, of owners and mechanics.
It may seem a frivolous endeavor, but I have made use of much of this information in other forms in the four years I've owned my car. Having it all compiled in one place in such an easy-to-use manner provides a tremendous benefit to anyone interested in doing any kind of maintenance on their cars, from the most minor cosmetic update to a truly frightening engine rebuild.
The Internet can be a scary place (especially for those of us with school-age kids), but it can be a powerful tool as well.
People even take it upon themselves, outside of their normal working lives, to make an extra effort to make life easier for the rest of us. A member of one of my online groups recently released this wiki-style site. It must be among the very finest sites of its type in the world. Because it is a wiki-type site, it continues the well-established tradition of building upon and compiling the collective knowledge of hundreds, if not thousands, of owners and mechanics.
It may seem a frivolous endeavor, but I have made use of much of this information in other forms in the four years I've owned my car. Having it all compiled in one place in such an easy-to-use manner provides a tremendous benefit to anyone interested in doing any kind of maintenance on their cars, from the most minor cosmetic update to a truly frightening engine rebuild.
The Internet can be a scary place (especially for those of us with school-age kids), but it can be a powerful tool as well.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Peace In Our Time
At long last, after 12 contentious years, the IRL and Champ Car have finally agreed to unify their series. The IRL came into existence 12 years ago when the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tony George, came to the conclusion that the premier open-wheel racing series of the day, CART, featured too many road courses and foreign drivers. Rather than a merger, the IRL has essentially swallowed Champ Car, only keeping a few of the old Champ Car venues, including the one jewel in the crown, the Long Beach Grand Prix in April.
The split in the open wheel racing world all but killed off open wheel racing in North America, as NASCAR rushed in to fill the void, even taking with it open wheel stars from the IRL, Champ Car and Formula One in recent years. CART, and USAC before it, was once the unquestioned pinnacle of racing of any kind in this country. A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, Mario Andretti, all the Unsers, Parnelli Jones, Bobby Rahal ... the list of drivers whose fame arose from open wheel racing is long and rich. While it will be far better for auto racing fans (and sponsors) to have only one major series to follow, the damage caused by Tony George's hissy fit will take at least as long to repair as the division in the racing world itself lasted.
The split in the open wheel racing world all but killed off open wheel racing in North America, as NASCAR rushed in to fill the void, even taking with it open wheel stars from the IRL, Champ Car and Formula One in recent years. CART, and USAC before it, was once the unquestioned pinnacle of racing of any kind in this country. A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, Mario Andretti, all the Unsers, Parnelli Jones, Bobby Rahal ... the list of drivers whose fame arose from open wheel racing is long and rich. While it will be far better for auto racing fans (and sponsors) to have only one major series to follow, the damage caused by Tony George's hissy fit will take at least as long to repair as the division in the racing world itself lasted.
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