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Ultimately I would like solar power, but to do that I would need a new roof, and a new roof is about $25K. So, that is out for now.
I am thinking the next steps, in no order, are:
1) Replace our very old air conditioner with a modern one. That will increase our efficiency by half I think.
2) Get double paned windows.
3) Get an attic fan.
4) Get screens for the windows so we can actually use our windows without the cats getting out and bugs getting in.
The last two are much cheaper to do than the first two. In fact, the first estimate we got on a new air conditioner was outrageously high because he wanted to replace the duct work, which also required removing asbestos from the attic. I think we can start by just getting a new unit without the duct work, for now.
Still, it's costly, and money we do not have. Grrr.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p
Family Guy, with Mila Kunis, some guys named Seth, and some other guys:
http://comicbookresources.com/?page=art
The Cleveland Show, a spin off from Family Guy. How did this show get a second season before it's even releases?
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p
Futurama, with no actors, and plenty of DRAMA
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p
The Simpsons, with Matt Groening, less drama but lots of spoilers
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p
Stargate Universe, with David Blue, Robert Carlysle, other great actors, and it might actually be pretty good.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p
"24", complete with a shot of Keifer Sutherland pointing at his penis, and Katee Sackhoff not pointing at his penis.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p
"V" pilot and review and panel, with Morena Baccarin, and a bunch of other cool folk not quite as pretty as Morena Baccarin.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p
The Middleman Lost Episode Table Read, complete with our acquaintance Margaret Dunlap!
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p
Dexter, with Michael C. Hall, full cast, and a surprise new guest.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/
Jericho Season 3, in Comic Book Form, but will full backing from writing and acting staff of the show (and even Lennie James (Hawkins) was there):
http://www.comicbookresources.com/
Frodo:What are we holding on to Sam?
Sam: That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenw
For more on how the Bagram "encampment" is virtually identical to Bush's Gitmo (just in a different place), see:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenw
And Obama is asking for additional funding for Iraq in a manner strikingly similar to those bills he voted against, and on a withdrawal schedule roughly equivalent to McCain's schedule mentioned during the campaign:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1239307
Oh and Obama wants to leave 50,000 troops in Iraq indefinitely, a move strikingly similar to McCain's plan (which Obama made fun of with his 100 years attacks during the campaign):
http://news.antiwar.com/2009/02/26/obam
And while the media is gleefully reporting defense "cuts", Obama is actually INCREASING the Bush defense budget by 4% (though juggling that spending around), a fact which was not lost on John Stewart at least:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2
In other words, at least for much of foreign policy and civil liberties issues, Obama's "Change we can believe in" is more like "Change, in the same way Bush and McCain meant change".
I am personally pleased with some of these decisions. But, it's sure not what Obama campaigned on, and it is sure not the policies so many of Obama's supporters claimed would come into effect if Obama were elected.
1) that the poll has perfect sampling, methodology, or anything like that. It's the same generic Congressional poll used for decades, so it is as accurate as all the others.
2) that the Republicans will win Congress. It's just a single poll, with a slight lead. In the grand scheme of things it barely means a trend, much less definitive anything.
Those caveats said, I do find it interesting that a mere month after some were writing off the Republicans as a party in general, they have finally pulled ahead in the generic poll, after opposing Obama's economic plan at almost every step. It's been many years since they led this poll. It's a minor but good sign for the Republicans, for now.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_
Generic Congressional Ballot
Republicans Take Small Lead on Generic Congressional Ballot
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Support for the Democratic Congressional candidates fell to a new low over the past week, allowing the GOP to move slightly head for the first time in recent years in the Generic Congressional Ballot.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 41% said they would vote for their district’s Republican candidate while 39% would choose the Democrat.
Investors now favor Republicans by a 46% to 36% margin, while non-investors would vote Democratic by a 45% to 33% margin.
Democrats began the year holding a six or seven point lead over the GOP for the first several weeks of 2009. Over the past month, the gap has been smaller, with Democrats holding a two-to-four point lead. It remains to be seen whether the current results reflect lasting change or statistical noise.
Over the past year, Democratic support has ranged from a low of 39% to a high of 50%. In that same time period, Republicans have been preferred by 34% to 41% of voters nationwide.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates also available on Twitter.
Separate Rasmussen polling released last week found that ratings for Congressional leaders of both parties have changed little over the past month and remain largely unfavorable.
Just 19% believe Congress has passed legislation to improve life in America over the past year.
Consumer and investor confidence has improved over the past week. Confidence improved more among Democrats than Republicans and unaffiliateds, perhaps one indication that the President’s effort to talk up the economy had an impact.
It is the most amazing house we've seen. We've been looking for about a year now, much of that pretty constant. We've seen a lot (including some things accidentally out of our price range that were very nice, such as Samuel L. Jackson's home).
But this house...this house we fell in love with the moment we saw it.
I didn't think we could get it. I thought it was impossible to get this house. There was no way we could afford it. It had to be close to a million dollar house (I looked it up, and it was valued at $800K a year and a half ago, went on the market at $649K in November, and now we are paying, well, a WHOLE lot less than that!). I thought the whole block had to be million dollar houses, from they way they looked. and given housing prices out here.
But we wrote a heartfelt letter explaining how much we wanted it, and how we would care for it, and how we would honor the memory of the prior owner (it was a trust house, the prior owner died and left it to a relative back east).
And this morning I got the call, they accepted our offer, over the offer of two other people (one of which was an "extremely strong offer").
Here are some pictures:
And a whole lot more here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melodymoon
The back yard is HUGE. It has a little pond and waterfall. It has an authentic 1940s incinerator for leaves. It has a huge lawn, and a deck, and mature trees, and fruit trees, and rose bushes.
Inside, it is almost all the original detailing from when the house was built in the 1940s. We love so many little details about it, such as the little kitchen service door, the original crown molding, the built-in shelving and laundry hampers, the built in bar, the chandeliers, the two fireplaces, the solar powered water heater (which needs repairs), the vanity area, the hardwood floors, and so many little things.
And the house is on a famous block. The block even has its own website: "Cameron Woods", at http://www.cameronwoods.org/
From the website, some details: It's know as the "One-Way Road Back to the '50s", It is the "the single most-filmed residential block in Los Angeles, according to city records" "It's very LTB," said Pam Carter, a resident of the street who is a location manager for Warner Bros. LTB is film lingo for "Leave It to Beaver."
Houses on the block have served as the make-believe homes of millionaire Blake Carrington's mother-in-law for the television show "Dynasty" and rock legend Richie Valens' rich girlfriend in the movie "La Bamba." Once, film crews covered a house in artificial snow in the middle of July for a car battery commercial." ""World War II hero Audie Murphy once lived on the street, and "The Jack Benny Show" was written in an office behind one of the houses".
"Three generations of some families live on the block. And residents looking to sell their houses generally give first shot to neighbors' children looking to buy". "Houses so rarely go on the market that they are snatched up within hours of a "For Sale" being planted in the front yard--if a sign ever goes up at all.
There are lots of other details about the history of the block, who built it, how much they originally went for in 1947, some newspaper articles on it, etc..
They also have an annual block party, a street newsletter, and a homeowners group (not a fee-paying one, just one apparently organized to help deal with film crews).
From the MLS:
Beds: 3+1 (see additional rooms)
Baths: 2
Sq. Ft.: 1,844, not counting converted garage (BIG room, was a two-car garage)
Lot Size: 1/3 Acre
Property Type: Detached, Single Family Residence
Style: Ranch
Year Built: 1947
Stories: 1
Additional Rooms: Breakfast Nook, Formal Dining Room, Attic, Converted Bedroom, Den, Dressing Area, Family Room, Living Room, Master Bedroom, Utility Room
Laundry Information: Laundry Area, Inside Laundry, Gas Laundry
Fireplace Information: Has Fireplace, In Den, In Living Room
Heating & Cooling: Forced Air Heating, Natural Gas Heating, Has Air Conditioning, Central Air Conditioning (+additional Solar Water Heating but needs repairs).
Total Rooms: 11
We are so friggen excited!
And now I am flat broke. Not a penny in the bank, and a mortgage that will be very tight. And the house needs plenty of repairs. But, it's worth it. This is our dream home, and I cannot believe we got it!
This is what the house across the street looked like in 1951, where it was used in a newspaper article I think (which gives me a Stepford Wives feel):
No idea if the offer will be accepted. We have a chance, but it is a great house, and we offered below the asking price by $35,000. We qualify for a conventional mortgage, which is looked on better than an FHA offer, and that seems to be our advantage over other offers that the seller (who is really the bank, since this is a short sale) has on the table. Yea for saving my pennies over the years and being able to make a down payment!
Anyway, it's a great house in a nice area of Encino. You can view a few interior pictures here:
http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/h
However those three pictures really do not do the house justice. The owner (who bought it for nearly $200,000 more in 2006) put a LOT of work in it. New beautiful kitchen, great looking hardwood floors, a MASSIVE master bedroom (so big we are not quite sure what to do with it), a nice big walk in closet and beautiful master bathroom with separate tub and shower, and two additional rooms. Decent back yard as well. All on a nice quiet street in a residential neighborhood with a good school district and a short drive from a really nice portion of Ventura Blvd.
There is a possibility of problems with the house. We are suspicious that there is an issue with the foundation, and obviously we will need to get that checked out if they accept our offer. There is a little work to do, on the front porch and driveway, and some appliances in the Kitchen. But, assuming the foundation is OK and inspection doesn't reveal anything nasty, it's in really good, move-in condition.
I hope we get the house. We shall see. It will probably take 2 weeks for the bank to respond. In that time, we will keep looking at other houses. Cross your fingers!
Obama Disappointed Cabinet Failed To Understand His Reference To 'Savage Sword Of Conan' #24
WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama expressed frustration Wednesday after members of his cabinet failed to recognize his allusion to the 24th issue of the comic series Savage Sword Of Conan during their first major meeting together.
Obama, whose upcoming challenges include organizing a massive effort to rebuild the nation's infrastructure, was reportedly unprepared for the confused silence he received upon suggesting that his cabinet "team up with Taurus of Nemedia" to secure the necessary funding from Congress.
"If my inner circle of advisers can't even communicate about the most basic issues, how are we going to tackle the massive problems our nation faces?" Obama said during a press conference. "When I tell my cabinet that getting bipartisan support is exactly like the time Conan got Taurus to help him steal Yara's jewel, they need to understand what I mean."
After receiving no reaction from the assembled reporters, Obama added, "Because a giant spider is protecting this chamber full of precious jewels, just like Congress is protecting its…. God, how are you people not seeing this?"
Obama, an avid collector of Conan The Barbarian and Spider-Man comic books since he was a child, was referencing the 1977 story "The Tower Of The Elephant," written by Roy Thomas. According to administration sources, no one in Obama's cabinet was familiar with the magazine-sized comic, though Labor Secretary Hilda Solis claimed to have once seen Conan the Destroyer.
Aides also confirmed that Obama has refused to lend his copy of issue #24 to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, fearing the former Republican congressman will carelessly bend or rip the pages. The commander in chief is reportedly intent on keeping the comics in pristine condition for their eventual inclusion in his presidential library.
"How am I supposed to effectively lead this nation when [attorney general nominee Eric] Holder has to stop the meeting and ask what the story of Taurus using the black lotus powder to kill the five guard lions has to do with increasing broadband Internet connections nationwide?" Obama said while vigorously rubbing his temples.
Added the president, "For the love of Crom, am I the only one here who wants to keep the U.S. technologically competitive?"
Administration officials said the incident has caused the president to question whether his staff has ever understood any of his Conan references. One such instance he is reportedly reexamining occurred after his loss in the New Hampshire primary, when Obama rallied his staff by reminding them, "There is always a way, if the desire be coupled with courage."
Although campaign workers smiled and nodded at the time, Obama has begun to seriously doubt that any of them connected the inspiring quotation to the story line in which a Kothian rogue informs Conan that it is impossible to climb to the top of the Elephant Tower because the sides are more slippery than glass
While Obama has not scheduled another meeting with his cabinet this week—a respite the president hopes they will use to brush up on the 235-issue Savage Sword series—he is expected to meet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Friday to discuss Afghanistan. A holdover from the Bush administration, Gates told reporters he may have gotten off on the wrong foot with the new president, citing an occasion when Obama asked him what he knew about 1984's Secret Wars, a 12-issue limited Marvel release. Gates then handed a visibly confused Obama 1,400 classified pages on covert CIA operations in El Salvador.
Later, the defense secretary attempted to find common ground with Obama by making casual references to the comic book Spawn. But the 44th president reportedly brushed him off with an abrupt laugh, saying, "no one in [his] administration likes Spawn."
Minutes from the first cabinet meeting indicate it lasted just under 35 minutes, coming to a standstill during a discussion of minimizing public waste. When Energy Secretary Steven Chu failed to understand the president's instructions to "be like the barbarian wielding his steel to cleave flesh from bone," Vice President Joe Biden attempted to clarify the president's thoughts.
"I think what the president is trying to say here is that this is just like the time when Barney had to put Fish on restricted duty because of his health exam results," said Biden, a longtime fan of the late-'70s police sitcom Barney Miller. "It's pretty straightforward when you look at it like that."
When asked by the press corps if this week's hiccup has caused him to rethink any of his appointments, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton interrupted the president to assert that she and her colleagues have already begun educating themselves about comic books, and will soon be "an invincible team of Supermen and Wonder Women working to save America."
"Wonder Woman? That's not even Marvel," Obama responded before storming out of the press room. "Who are you people?"
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/i
Good news everyone!I've invented a device which makes you read this in your head, in my voice!
