Record Of Special Events: November 2009

Monday, November 30, 2009

Asia stocks rebound after UAE pledges bank support (AP)

Asian stock markets rebounded Monday from their steep fall last week after the United Arab Emirates moved to contain the fallout from Dubai’s debt crisis.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Exec: Obama dinner crashers shopping interview (AP)

AP - The couple who crashed President Barack Obama’s first state dinner are peddling their story to broadcast networks for hundreds of thousands of dollars, a television executive says.

Senate Report: Bin Laden Was 'Within Our Grasp' In 2001

WASHINGTON — Osama bin Laden was unquestionably within reach of U.S. troops in the mountains of Tora Bora when American military leaders made the crucial and costly decision not to pursue the terrorist leader with massive force, a Senate report says.

The report asserts that the failure to kill or capture bin Laden at his most vulnerable in December 2001 has had lasting consequences beyond the fate of one man. Bin Laden’s escape laid the foundation for today’s reinvigorated Afghan insurgency and inflamed the internal strife now endangering Pakistan, it says.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Ex-CNN host Lou Dobbs weighs Senate run in NJ (AP)

AP - Former CNN host Lou Dobbs is seriously considering running for U.S. Senate in New Jersey in 2012 as a stepping stone to a possible White House bid — a congressional matchup that would pit one of illegal immigration’s biggest critics against a champion for immigrant rights.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

UPDATED: ABC 'Good Morning America' Cancels Adam Lambert's Performance

NEW YORK, NY — Access Hollywood has learned from a rep for Adam Lambert that ABC’s “Good Morning America” has canceled the singer’s live morning show concert tomorrow morning.

An ABC News spokesperson tells Access, “Given his controversial live performance on the AMAs we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning.”

Instead, Adam will now take his act to CBS’ “The Early Show.”

More about this breaking story… after the jump.

New Moon Reviews

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

I've been thinking about going to see New Moon so I've been reading the New Moon reviews and I've come to some conclusions. First, people either love it or hate it. Second, there is a cult like following of the Twilight – New Moon books and films.

The cult followers love it. Everyone else seems to hate it. I've read things like, "It's basically a love story." Even I know there are vampires involved. That's a pretty simplistic review saying, "It's basically a love story."

Early reviews on Rotten Tomatoes gave New Moon just 4.9 out of 10, which is not so good. But if you read the blog posts of teens and their moms, you would think New Moon is the biggest hit of the year. One said "New Moon is the best mainstream movie of 2009 in my opinion."

It appears though, more people must love it than hat it because it set records as the biggest midnight screening and opening day in history, grossing $72.7 million in its first day of release. New Moon picks up where Twilight left off. Both of these movies are based on the books of the same names by Stephanie Meyer.

The plot of New Moon is that Bella wakes up on her 18th birthday, having dreamed she was a grandmother but her boyfriend, Edward, the vampire, stopped aging at 17 so he's still very young in her dream. The movie goes on with Edward concerned that his family might hurt Bella so he breaks up with her and his family moves away from Forks, leaving Bella broken hearted.

This movie, as well as the book, shows little appearances of Edward, who is a teenaged heart-throb so this is a huge disappointment to fans, but is the way of the show. Bella soon discovers that, although Edward has left her, somehow, his spirit has not because whenever she does something she shouldn't, she has a vision of Edward. Bella becomes closer to Jacob, since Edward is gone but later we discover that Jacob is a werewolf.

Somehow Edward thinks Bella killed herself so he goes to Italy and something happens there with vampire royalty that risks Edward's life. But somehow Bella saves him, while risking her only life. Edward goes back to Forks, tells Bella he has always loved her and tells her he only broke up with her to protect her.

Then the Cullens decide Bella must be transformed into a vampire, and Edward is not pleased with this so he gives Bella the choice and also gives her the choice to marry him after she is transformed. It sounds almost like a religion, "I will marry you if you become my religion." It also sounds kind of creepy to me to think that teens all over the country are getting into this vampire thing.

I talked to a friend who said it was a great show. He went to the midnight showing and says everyone should see New Moon. I think I'll wait until it comes out on DVD.

Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner

While the White House is mum about who will be among the 300 or so lucky invitees to President Obama’s first state dinner Tuesday night, word is already leaking out about who’s not going to be there. Chief among the non-attendees: top Republican lawmakers. House Minority Leader John A. Boehner was invited but won’t be there; he’s on Thanksgiving break and home in Ohio. His deputy, Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, didn’t get an invitation to the dinner. The president didn’t invite his 2008 rival, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, even though Mr. Obama the candidate pledged a post-partisan presidency. .

Paula Deen: Recovery From Ham Throw 'Like a Miracle'

“It’s going to take a little bit more than pig in the face to slow me down!” the celeb chef tells “Extra”

Thanksgiving quotes

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/xybermatthew/

Thanksgiving is my favorite time of the year. It is running close to Christmas, but nothing can beat the fun you have on thanksgiving.

On Christmas you open the presents and do all that stuff but by the time you know it the special day is over because you started so early. But thanksgiving is way better, it's a full day of cooking and playing games and then the fun thing is you have thanksgiving the next day because there is bound to be left over food, which is the best kind of food.

Some funny things about thanksgiving are the thanksgiving quotes; there are some pretty funny ones out there. For example; "An optimist is someone who starts a new diet on thanksgiving"-Irv Kupcinet. Also "Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day"- Robert Casper Lintner And last "Praise god even when you don't understand what he is doing."-Henry Jacobsen. Thanksgiving is just a fun time to have fun and eat a lot of food. Maybe you could take all day to play games and spend time with you family and think about everything you are grateful for instead of turning on the TV and watching football or some Disney shows.

But some things are tradition, for example I know that at my friend's house on thanksgiving they always watch the Grinch who stole Christmas to start getting ready for the next Holiday, I think that is fun but I think the family all needs to watch it together. Because what I have seen is the family eats and then just disappears. I mean it's a holiday! It is a special day and you need to do something with your family all day.

Something that my other friends family does is every thanksgiving a couple days before is they make turkey feathers out of colored construction paper and write things they are thankful for and then stick it behind a paper turkey on a door. It looks really cool and I think that is a very fun tradition. It is something to do as a family and also remember the things you are thankful for. Every family has different ways of celebrating thanksgiving but I think the one and only important thing is to be happy and enjoy the time you have being a happy family and also eat a lot of food.

Shrek the third

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/

I love Disney movies. I could watch them all day, a few years ago I used to stay up all night with my older sibling and watch lion king and a couple different movies like Shrek the third and then after we would sneak out and go to a fast food place and get a bite to eat.

Those were some of my favorite memories with my family members. Disney movies are great things to watch with your children, there fun and appropriate, and you know in the environment these days you don't find that very often. You can always count on those Disney movies.

My favorite Disney movie is probably enchanted. It includes a lot of singing and smiles and has a lot of other Disney movies like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, what a creative idea to put all the Disney movies in one. It's so cute! I miss staying up all night having fun; I think I should do that more often. Most other movies don't put you in a very good mood, for example maybe the grudge or when a stranger calls, why would anyone come out of that kind of a movie feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, unless they peed their pants because they were so scared.

Disney movies leave you smiling and cheerful and maybe a little more positive about life. Every Disney movie has a happy ending, that's one more thing I love about those movies. Like in Shrek the third, Fiona and Shrek have some problems but they work it out by the end. And I like how they show that even if a person looks different they still can have a great heart and show compassion. I admire how those movies send a good message out to the watchers. Disney movies are over all the best movies out there!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Taylor Swift Triumphs In Absentia, And Other AMAs Bests and Worsts

Taylor Swift got to sing two songs on the American Music Awards. Unfortunately for her fans, both performances came via 30-second commercials for the new Band Hero videogame. On the occasion of what may have been the crowning moment of her year, the multi-platinum country-pop starlet was otherwise indisposed in London, and had to accept her five trophies via satellite. …

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Tween Justin Bieber fans lose control at NY mall (AP)

AP - New York police shut down a mall appearance by teen pop singer Justin Bieber (BEE’-ber) after thousands of young girls showed up and got a little too wild.

Kennedy: R.I. bishop banned him from Communion

Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin has banned Rep. Patrick Kennedy from receiving Communion, the central sacrament of the church, …

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Obama approval dips below 50

Drop comes amid bad news about the economy.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Robert Pattinson Visits David Letterman: Video

Robert Pattinson’s Letterman appearance reveals all.
Let’s face it: you probably don’t love Edward Cullen because of Edward Cullen. You probably love Edward Cullen because of Robert Pattinson. Pattinson’s press tour to promote the Twilight Saga: New Moon has been ruthless (just ask poor Ryan Seacrest), yet he’s still charming crowds with his lovable high-energy. His appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman Wednesday night was a prime display of Pattinson preciousness, and we have video here.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Ahead of the Bell: Jobless claims (AP)

The number of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits likely edged up last week, after falling by 30,000 in the previous two weeks.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Cows are such interesting animals

Photo: http://johnleach.co.uk/photography/selections/

They are so very useful in many ways also. They seems like one of the worlds laziest animals but they are one of our most useful and resourceful. Someday I want to own one or more cows.

Think about it, if some huge tragedy struck our planet and we could only rely on what we had a cow would be one of the best things to have. They are not really picky eaters, they’ll eat almost any kind of grass and living in a state where it rains a lot grass is not hard to find. They provide you with milk and milk would be something wonderful to have if it came to “the end of the world”.

Finally, once your cow gets old or it’s milk dries up or whatever circumstances come your way you can always kill it and eat it. One cow would provide enough meat for one family to eat for probably weeks. You could also use it’s skin to make shoes or rough clothing. That is why everyone should have a cow.

My destroyed apartment

I just had some friends stop by my apartment with their kids a couple of days ago. I was not prepared to have guests in the house, especially kids. They just stopped in. The kids pretty much destroyed everything.

I hate it when people come to your house and let the kids just run wild. It really bothers me. It is even worse when there are no other kids in the house. They always go around and get into things that aren't theirs. Then they let their kids just get into everything and it is really annoying.

Today I tried to teach someone how to dance the Lindy Hop

http://www.flickr.com/photos/royblumenthal/

This couple knew that I knew how to dance it and asked me to teach them to dance. I showed them the basic step. It is the most difficult of dances to try and teach. Once you figure out the basic, it doesn't take long to learn lead follow and different moves.

The basic has got to be the hardest part. I spent the whole time we were together trying to teach the basic to them. They had such a hard time figuring it out. I explained to them that it took me about three weeks to figure out and they felt better about it.

Berkshire Hathaway Stock Split, S&P 500, & Index Funds

Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRK) recent announcement that it was buying railroad Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNI) also included a provision for a 50-to-1 stock split of B shares so that smaller shareholders of BNI would be able to be converted to Berkshire shares and avoid capital gains. Warren Buffett has been trying to avoid this for years, so after some random web surfing — I mean… research, I figured I’d share my findings.

At the end of trading yesterday 11/18, Berkshire’s A shares currently cost $103,100 apiece and B shares were $3,430. After a 50-to-1 split, a B share would cost about $69 a year. Several news articles are talking about how this brings the share price down to the “common man”. For a $69 investment, you should able to attend the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting in Omaha this May, although you could also buy tickets for $5 on eBay directly from BRK.

But wait, you may already own a piece of Berkshire… or you may soon.

S&P 500
Right now, Berkshire Hathaway is not part of the S&P 500. Many folks (including me in the past) thought the S&P 500 was simply the largest 500 companies in the US, but not quite. I’ve read that BRK is likely excluded due to inadequate trading volume of their high-priced shares. If the stock split occurs, it is possible that BRK will become part of the S&P 500 and thus be bought by every S&P 500 index fund out there. I’m sure Wall Street traders have already begun the speculating.

As of 1/18, the market cap of BRK was roughly $160 Billion. Looking at this chart of S&P 500 components sorted by size, BRK would actually be #9 on that list, as it is worth more than even Chevron or AT&T. If included, BRK would constitute about 1.65% of the index.

Total Stock Market
However, you may already own a piece of Berkshire if you own part of a mutual fund that tracks an index following the “total” US stock market. For example there’s the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSMX), which is held within all of the Vanguard Target Retirement Funds. By my rough calculations, BRK is approximately 1.3% of the broad US market. So for every $10,000 of VTSMX or VTI you hold, you own $130 of BRK already.

Sharebuilder
Of course, for years now you could own $1 or $50 or $500 of BRKB by buying partial shares of BRKB through Sharebuilder ($25 bonus). You wouldn’t want to go too small as the $1 to $4 commission would take too big a bite, but it can be one way to gradually accumulate BRK shares. I think I have about $45 worth right now, myself, mainly due to an opening bonus.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Brock Lesnar's health declines; career in peril?

On Saturday, Dave Meltzer reported that UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has been hospitalized for health woes, which included mononucleosis. Things have gotten worse since then, as Lesnar will reportedly need to go under the knife for intestinal problems.

How to Avoid Unnecessary Car Costs

Photo: Simon Blackley

A guy walks into a mechanic and asks for a tune-up.

"Looks like your car needs a lot of work," says the mechanic. "After a quick inspection, I estimate about $1000 worth of services."

It may sound like a joke, but car owners are often hit with an unhappy diagnosis like this. Many of us have little-to-no car expertise. We feel helpless at the sometimes-merciless hand of our mechanic. After all, who are we to say when a spark plug needs changing or steering should be flushed?

Jon Bartunek, owner of his family's Union Street Garage in San Francisco who has worked in the car repair business since he was ten years old, has some empowering tips and guidelines to offer.

"Many car repair shops are in the business of selling auto repair, not the business of repairing autos," says Bartunek. "Keep in mind that any good shop is a combination of both, but you want the mechanic you work with to have your best interest in mind."

Read on to find Bartunek's words of wisdom to help you through the car maintenance and repair process without spending an unnecessary, exorbitant amount of money. Bartunek shares his knowledge on how to be informed before and after service, the common traps car repair shops will use to get more money from you, and what you absolutely must require of any mechanic who performs work on your car.

A reputable mechanic should provide:

ASE [National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence] or AAA [American Automobile Association] certification, and/or a state license, which is required in many states

A clean garage, free of empty cans, dirty rags, and old tires
A friendly, polite staff that communicates well
Before service: an itemized bill with a written estimate for repair work
After service: a detailed invoice of work done and parts supplied

How to approach a new mechanic

Get a recommendation. Ask someone with a similar income level and car type if they have a good relationship with their mechanic. Don't ask a friend who has a car or lifestyle that's very different from yours because they may work with someone who's not suitable for you.

Use the owner's manual. This manual is your most valuable defense tool when visiting the mechanic. You should never, ever walk into a mechanic like the guy in our opening example and say, "I need a tune up." This is way too vague and your professional may see this as an open invitation to charge you up to $1000 for miscellaneous unnecessary services such as spark plug replacements when you don't need them. Bartunek advises, "Cars don't need tune ups like they did years ago. Go by the services in your owner's manual. Most list the necessary services according to the mileage you have on your car. Just saying something as simple as 'I need my 30,000 mile service,' shows your mechanic you are informed and not someone he can easily take advantage of if he is so inclined."

Get an estimate. Before service, make sure your prospective mechanic gives you a detailed parts-and-labor estimate so you'll know exactly what he plans to do and what went wrong if you have a post-service failure. Never accept a verbal estimate or a sheet of paper that says something unspecific like, "Fix Car – $800." Make sure you sign the itemized estimate and walk away with a signed copy.

Ask questions. Never be afraid of asking questions such as "Do I really need that?" or "I don't see any symptoms of failure. Is work on that part absolutely necessary right now?" If your mechanic makes a generalization like, "The part is old," ask for details. Find out if it's leaking, losing pressure or what the specific problem is. Then ask to see the part. A good mechanic should be able to physically show you the problem with the part on your car or explain it to you by using a removed car part. Similarly, if the price quote sounds expensive, tell the mechanic what you were hoping to spend and ask him if you can get by safely with a less expensive job.

Finally, if you think the job sounds expensive and your car seems to be working fine, get a second opinion.

Common traps

Drastic statements like, "We need to tow your car out of here because we don't want to be responsible for you driving it," are almost always a scam. Bartunek has seen many car owners succumb to these warnings and end up paying an arm and a leg to get their car back from the mechanic in "driveable" condition. He advises, "If you drove your car into the mechanic with no issues, most likely you can drive it away from any threatening advice without any problems."

Coolant and power steering flushes are common services some of the larger mechanic chains will propose in order to make money. Check your owner's manual to see how long your fluid is supposed to last so you know if your mechanic's suggestion is warranted.

Do your research before having a catalytic converter or other emissions part repaired. Some of these pieces have a very long factory warranty including free replacement of covered parts.

A muffler that lasts a lifetime does not exist. Many of the larger companies give you free replacements and make their money on expensive exhaust system repairs.

The $55 brake pad job is also a scam nine times out of ten. No shop can make money on a $55 dollar brake pad replacement job. It's an excuse to suggest the replacement of other parts such as brake rotors when you don't need them.

Keep up on car maintenance

In addition to being a savvy buyer of proposed services, it's important to keep up on regular car maintenance to avoid unnecessary breakdowns or repair costs. Here are Bartunek's suggestions:

Get regular fluid changes as per your owner's manual. This includes oil as well as brake, windshield and coolant fluids.

Replace the air filter when needed or suggested in the owner's manual.

Keep tires inflated properly for your safety. Check once a month and before long car trips to make sure your tires have a little bit less than maximum pressure.

While all these warnings and rules may be overwhelming at first, there are some great mechanics out there. If you remember these tips, you're much more likely to find a helpful professional than a wallet-draining scam.

New! Compare Auto Insurance with Mint.com.

Bill Belichick's 4th-And-2 Call Against Colts Debated, Derided (VIDEO)

Bill Belichick’s decision to try for a first down on 4th-and-2 late in Sunday night’s game against the Colts is drawing lots of criticism. With a six-point lead and the ball on their own 28-yard line with 2:08 remaining, the Patriots elected to go for the first down. Brady completed a short pass to Kevin Faulk, who appeared to catch the ball past the first-down line, but did not establish possession until he was plowed backwards by Colts safety Melvin Bullitt. (Video of the play is embedded below.) The Colts took possession and quickly drove down the short field to score a game-winning touchdo

Monday, November 16, 2009

That upward stock market arrow may be about to burst your balloon

With a close over 10,270 on Friday, the Dow Jones industrial average had its best showing of 2009. Like the day a few weeks earlier when it broke the five-figure mark for the first time since October 2008, the market’s achievement was greeted not by champagne and celebration, but by introspection…

Despite Incentives, Outlook Flat For Holiday Sales

Retailers have been rolling out aggressive TV and online advertisements in an early effort to woo consumers. But economists expect consumers to spend about the same amount as they did last year during one of the worst holiday retail seasons on record.

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Authorities acting on tip search for missing girl (AP)

AP - Authorities acted on a tip Sunday and searched a wide area in south-central North Carolina trying to find a 5-year-old girl reported missing by her mother, who has been charged with human trafficking and child abuse involving prostitution.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Women Not Stupid in Investing, Just More Humble

Men and their egos…

Now there’s proof. Men aren’t better at investing, but they certainly believe that to be the case.

Scottrade recently did a survey (link below) and found that when it comes to investing, men and women are practically the same. Although women rate their investing skills far lower, their recent portfolio performance show otherwise. The majority of women investors (59 percent) consider themselves at a "beginner" skill level, compared to only 35 percent of men. Most men (56 percent) describe themselves as "intermediate." However, the survey shows that recent portfolio performance closed any perceived gender gap. The number of men's vs. women's portfolios that stayed the same or increased in value in the last 12 months is exactly the same – 48 percent.

Scottrade’s Survey of Men and Women Investing – Perception vs Reality

This post is in part dedicated to Steve, who got into a dispute with his wife after posing the question that’s highlighted in How to Get My Wife to Invest.

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Related Articles at Personal Finance Blog by Money Ning:

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Eliot Spitzer Talks Financial And Personal Crisis In BBC Interview (AUDIO)

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC’s Carrie Gracie, former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer discusses crashes — both personal and financial.

After eighteen months out of the spotlight, following his resignation amid a sex scandal, Spitzer is once again engaging in public discourse about the origins of the financial collapse. During his tenure as New York State Attorney General, Spitzer gained a reputation as a foil to Wall Street.

“It is very difficult to have watched this story unfold,” Spitzer told Gracie, referring to the economic crisis. “It was during the decade of financial e

Friday, November 13, 2009

Run Your Garage Sale like a Business

Photo: iChris

By last summer, our tiny house was bursting at the seams from a decade of bargain shopping, vacation souvenirs, outgrown clothes and upgraded gadgets and appliances. We had already suffered the separation anxiety of several runs to Goodwill when our neighbors invited us to join other families in a communal yard sale.

Based on past experience, I was loathe to the idea. I didn't think the earnings would be worth the hassle, but we had too many valuable items to simple give them away to charity and too many items for the hassle of auctioning them off one at a time on eBay.

By the time it was over, we had a fanny pack full of cash, really nice suntans, a lot more room in the house, and a list of tips for what to do and what not to do. And clearly, we're not the only ones: Craigslist ads are up by more than half and garage sale permits have more than doubled according to some sources.

There's a lot of conflicting advice out there from professionals, so we'll tell you what they say, but also what worked for us.

Cathy Pedigo, author of the book, "How to Have Big Money Garage Sales!" claims you can more than triple your profits if you follow her advice, which she tests personally. One weekend she'll host a garage sale using other people's tips and tricks; the next weekend, she sets it up her way, based on 25 years of personal experience. The results:

Their way: less than $200

Her way: more than $1,000

Maybe you've never worked at the mall, but you've been there, no? The main thing to remember for a successful yard or garage sale is to use your shopper's instincts, Pedigo says.

Whether your intention is to make money (why not?) or just to get rid of stuff, experts, confirmed by personal experience, will tell you to treat your sale like a business in terms of merchandising, marketing and pricing. In our case, even though our primary motivation was a massive reduction in clutter, we still earned more than enough to compensate for the hours we put in.

Merchandising

Allow plenty of time for preparation. We started weeks ahead of our sale, cleaning out cupboards, dressers and storage spaces to identify everything we wanted to sell before cleaning and sorting it. But come our first Saturday, there were still cartons' worth of stuff we forgot to put out. As a result, we repeated our sale the following weekend based on lessons learned.

Next, we underestimated the amount of time it would take to carry everything out to the driveway and arrange it before the horde of early shoppers (often professional) who inevitably ignore your start time. Swap meet dealers will paw through boxes before you've even put them down and offer insultingly low prices. But they don't care if things work, buy books by the box and snap up antiques without scrutiny. They will drop cash and be gone before you know it.

So we improved our system by loading everything into tables inside the garage so they could be hauled out in place first thing in the morning—and starting work before dawn.

All the experts agree that organization is important. Sort by "department" too because each shopper has things they are looking for. Place items back into their original boxes or keep original tags for that "like new" look. An extension cord lets people test appliances and electronics. Hoard plastic shopping bags.

Tables are important because shoppers shouldn't have to do too much bending and squinting. We placed lower quality or lower price items beneath tables in boxes. All clothes were hung on hangers across the bottom rail of the raised garage door (with tarps hung to block access to the rest of the garage). Flashier items went out by the street to catch the eyes of passing motorists.

Use a front-facing fanny pack as a cash register and make sure you have enough singles and change before you start.

Finally, like a store, manage your risk. Check local laws to see if you need a permit. Have liability coverage in your insurance and check for sprinkler holes and other hazards in your sale area. Don't sell anything that has been officially recalled—such as kid's toys. Never put something truly valuable out on a table if it could be easily shoplifted. Jewelry or watches don't take up a lot of room, so they can be grouped on the table in front of your "cashier." Keep valuable items in front of you, or put out their empty boxes until someone asks to see them. Keep your house doors and gates locked. Next Page.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

I love looking out my kitchen window

I have the best view ever. It is a view of the whole city. I love being able to look out at it all day and all night long. It is one of the best things ever. It keeps my mind interested in what is going on. I like to watch people walking up and down the streets.

Sometimes it is fun to see a couple going to have a picnic at the park or something. It really is a great view of things. I hope that if I ever move I can move into a house that has a great view like mine does. I would really miss it if I weren't able to look out of my window like I can right now.

I love to paint

It’s fun to get a large sheet of paper and just splatter paint on it. Then you can use that for a background for something cool. Or you can just splatter more paint on it. Finger painting is also very fun. Who needs brushes?

Sometimes it is helpful to have a brush, but using your fingers is so much funner. You get messier, especially if you are finger painting with a group of friends. There is a big possibility of a paint fight breaking out. In those cases, you should probably make sure you use washable paints.

I wish that I was a lion

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomsaint/

I would love to be one of the characters in the Lion King. I would want to be living during the time that Simba was king of course. I wouldn't really like being there during the reign of Scar. I would also like living during the time that Mufasa was king.

Either one would be enjoyable. Being friends with Simba and Nala when they were kids would have been fun as well. I would love being a lion though.

They are the ones that rule everything. It is awesome. I would hate being any other animal. It would be a little risky being anything other than a Lion.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

What happened? Michael Phelps misses finals in two events

Superman had kryptonite. Michael Phelps apparently has non-polyurethane swimsuits. Since those body-length, polyurethane suits will be banned starting January 1, 2010 , Phelps went back to an old textile suit (which was thought to be the height of technology when it was released in 2008) to prepa…

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

I remember being in college

One of my biggest pet peeves was when teachers would email you before class started and ask you to do homework. I didn't understand how they could expect us to have everything done for the class already. I would be mad if I got to a class and they expected us to hand something in. It didn't make sense.

I was at a community college which made it even more annoying. They wouldn't take their jobs seriously enough that it would really matter if we did it before hand but we were still expected to do it. It was one of the most annoying things ever.

Va. gov clears way for DC sniper's execution (AP)

AP - Gov. Tim Kaine denied clemency Tuesday for sniper John Allen Muhammad, clearing the way for him to be executed for the attacks that terrorized the nation’s capital region for three weeks in 2002.

Obama honoring 13 who fell in Fort Hood rampage (AP)

AP - President Barack Obama has flown to Texas to lead a memorial service at Fort Hood Army base for the people killed in last week’s shooting rampage and to console their relatives and loved ones.