AA Blog

Why is it so hard for home builders to adequately place address plaques in more visible places that they do.   Think about it, when someone is looking for a house or is going to a particular address for the first time, the ONLY thing they are looking at are address signs, so logic dictates that an address sign should be easily found and very legible.  There are basically two requirements when it comes to address plaques and numbers.  So why is it that most builders can not seem to get this right?

How many times have you driven right past a house you were looking for because the address plaque was so well hidden?  It does not have to be that way because its solution is so very simple.  How difficult would it be to place home address plaques somewhere that is at eye level, and unobstructed by trees?  An even better idea would be to buy and use whitehall address plaques because they are very well made and very legible and clear.

In short, builders and home owners alike need to be very aware of these types of details so that when they are installing wall address plaques, they pick a very prominent spot for them.

Guest post from: Constance Rodgers

We love going to see the Celtic band Gaelic Storm when they come to town, especially in the summer. We’ve seen them several times, including last year at the Zoo Amphitheater. It was our favorite outdoor venue!

We were delighted to see that Gaelic Storm is coming back to the same location this summer. We gathered up a group of friends to find out if they wanted to go. Once we got those confirmations, I went on the Internet to purchase the tickets for our group of five.

It was so easy to order tickets with our new Bundle TV and clearwireless. I could view the seating layout, pick the best seats available, order the tickets with my credit card, and print them out. There was no need to go pick them up or pay to have them mailed to me. Then, I would have my friends reimburse me for their ticket. (One perk is that since I paid for the tickets with my credit card, I would get the airline miles for all the entire purchase!)

I always head up ordering tickets online for our friends, whether it is for concerts, theatrical performances, or sporting events. It’s so easy that I really don’t mind doing it. Furthermore, my friends like the peace of mind that someone else is taking care of it. There is no better way to get tickets!

During my last vacation I lost my sunglasses on the first day at the pool.  We were in 120 degree weather and not having the shades was a real problem.  So, my mission was to get a new pair of mens sunglasses.  I must have driven to every eye glass store in town to look for a pair of comfortable and light men’s sunglasses, but I can not believe how difficult it was to first finding a store that sells mens sunglasses and second finding a pair that actually fit.

The selection for men at every store was very limited and when they did have the selection, they mostly carried only the “high fashion” type glasses.  I was looking for the simply non assuming type of sunglasses, like the ones I lost.  The more I looked the mor I realized that I was going to have a very difficult time replacing my sunglasses.

I was almost ready to give up and if it wasn’t for my son who pestered me into going into to a strip mall because he had to use the restroom.  As soon as we walked in, I saw the sun-glass store right next to the rest rooms.  So, while my son went to the restroom, I thought I would go and look around in the store, and the first thing I saw was a pair of sunglasses exactly like the ones I lost.  So I bought them.

I just came across this company that actually buys your lawsuit settlement.  Here is how it works:

If you have been injured and subsequently have won your personal injury lawsuit which pays you a structured monthly income as a settlement, you can sell this guaranteed monthly income for a lump sum fee.  This means you get your money upfront and do not have to wait to get it in the number of installments agreed upon in the lawsuit.  Now, adjustments are made for calculating the present value of the total amount you are to receive in the future as well as a fee, but you still end up getting a huge lump sum.  In essence you are selling your wait time to collect 100 percent of the benefits.

This is a great way to get a good amount af money up front as opposed to it coming in a little at a time.  So if you need to sell structured settlement payments you now can.

Contribution by Hershel Vinson

Summer can be a nervous time for parents and caregivers, especially if they have to work and leave their little ones unattended during the day. As a babysitter, I understand their anxiety all too well – kids are rambunctious and summer is a time for freedom, not staying cooped up inside. But there’s no reason to be nervous (or to deny your child their fun summer vacation) as long as you instill in them the proper cautions.

Don’t get into the car with strangers. Don’t accept any rides or opened drinks, no matter how hot and tired you are. Always follow the rules at local pools – they exist for a reason. Don’t swim by yourself or with younger siblings unless there’s a lifeguard around. Always wear your helmet while skating or riding a bike.

These are simple tips, but if you can make your child understand the reasoning behind them, they’re more likely to be remembered in the critical moment. Don’t let your worries cast a shadow on their fun. Remember you can always buy them a prepaid cellphone so you can call them at any time to check in. If your child is staying home alone, consider investing in a adt alarmststen.

And remember – by all means, stay hydrated!

My friend was looking for a new car so he and I spent all day Saturday at the car dealers looking at new cars for him to buy.  It is funny how we started the day with the idea of buying a chevy and after all was said and done he ended up driving home in a bmw 5 series.

We went to the chevy dealer and my friend just didnt see anything he liked. so we walked out and went to the nissan dealer down the street just to look.  The only thing that caught his eye there was the nissan quest because that is what his wife wanted him to get. Luckily for him (and unluckily for his wife) I was there to set him straight. So I forced him out of that dealership and we went to the Audi dealership which was right next door.  As soon as we walked in, he headed straight for the audi a3 and asked to take it on a test drive.  When he got back he said he liked the sporty-ness of the car and had decided he would not look at wagons any more and he was now interested in sports sedans.

As soon as I heard that, I led him straight to the bmw dealer where within 20 minutes he test drove and purchased a 5 series BMW.

Now that the kids are on summer break, we are always looking for things to do in the evenings. We have been going to the movies a lot, but that is getting to be expensive. So, I have decided to have movie nights at the house once a week in the middle of the week. This seems to be working out just fine.

I set my DVR to record several family movies and on a weekday evening after dinner, we make popcorn, gather around the television, turn off the lights and watch the recorded movie as if we were at the theaters. The kids love the idea and we use it as a reward for them. I have the Dish Network and they have a slue of family programs available for you to select from. I told my brother about this idea and he started to do the same thing with his kids and from what he tells me, it is working out great for him as well. He has Time Warner Cable and he said their family programming is just as great.

Whats more, is that he even records his sports games and watches them late at night when his family goes to sleep. All in all, this recording and watching a program later seems to be working out for everyone.  One of the coolest things about it is the fact that if there are 2 shows I would like to watch and they both happen to be airing at the same time, I can always watch one and record the other to watch at a later time.  This comes in very very handy during football season.    There have also been times where I have used the DVR feature to record European soccer matches because with the time difference they usually air live during the early morning hours.  This way I record the game and watch it whenever I have time.

As far as clinics are concerned I think drug treatment and alcohol treatment centers are the centers that need to offer their services for free, or at least have it be insurance subsidized.

Drug and alcohol addiction lead to serious medical issues and problems which end up having extremely high costs for treatments. Drug rehab and alcohol rehab costs are a mere fraction of this and more importantly will ultimately improve a patients quality of life before it is too late.  There is no question as to the health risks caused by drugs and alcohol, but early treatment is a much better alternative.

I really think an alcohol treatment center is essential and should be required in every hospital
and their services need to be free and/or covered by insurance.  Additionally, every time a person is admitted to the emergency room for alcohol or drug abuse, it should be mandatory for them to attend at least 3 rehab sessions.  Addressing the issue as early as possible is the only way to save and cure drug and alcohol addicts.

I am realistic and I fully know that for an addict to be cured, they must admit what they are and want to be cured.  I also believe that the types of policies i just described will help in that process.

During my last trip to New York, I wen to the flea market in Manhattan with a friend of mine who is an antique collector. I always knew that there are people collecting all kinds of things, but this one surprised me!!! There are people that collect Lockers.  I would have never imagined that.  However, from what I was able to gather, there is a big market in that, specially School Lockers, Gym Lockers and even Wood Lockers.

Apparently what collectors look for are several things: condition, age and prominence.  For instance, if a person gets a hold of a gym locker from Yankee Stadium from the time The Babe was playing, and if they could actually prove that it was his locker, that would be a priceless find.  In addition to collectors, there are a lot of interior designers that are out looking for “Lockers for sale” signs because there is a big demand for lockers as household decorative items that are also functional.  There is a wide range use for these lockers and people are starting to incorporate them in very creative ways.

All this was a surprise to me.  I never imagined that there was such a big market for this. However, I can now see what all the fuss is about.

It is funny how as more things change, the more they stay the same. I know, it is a cliche, but it is so true.  Specially in today’s economy.  So many different kinds of investment vehicles are created year after year, but the ones that remain and always do well are the traditional investments that have been around since economies were first created, GOLD.

Having a gold IRA or gold 401 account is always safe and during bad times they are actually great because gold is tangible and it is what economies and currency are based upon.  Gold is a commodity, as such the basic economic rule of supply and demand always holds true to it and that is why investments in gold are always the gold standard.

My parents had IRA gold accounts and they have always been conservative investors.  They have always been comfortable and during their “golden” years their returns from their 401 gold accounts is ensuring them of a comfortable and care free life.

Now, I know that high risk investments will yield high returns, but the recent economic downturn has reminded everyone that investments for retirement need to be treated as long term investments that must be safe.  Because of this and the lessons learned from the investment patterns of current retirees, I will redoubtably make a gold IRA transfer so that I have peace of mind about my “golden” years.