2009-2010 Best Value Home Renovation Projects

I like taking a look at this list every year because it gives me a good understanding of what makes a good renovation project, in terms of ROI, and what makes a terrible one. When it comes down to it, I know it’s not about ROI. You don’t add a deck to your house because of the ROI, you add one because you want a deck. You put a bedroom above the garage not because some book says the ROI is high, you do it because you want a place your guests can stay that beats an air mattress in your study.

However, if you have several projects on the list and you aren’t sure which one to take on first, a list like this could help break the tie.

I haven’t looked at the list since 2008-2009 but not much has changed. Back then, the best renovation you could do was the addition of a deck, with a recoup of 81.8%. This year, the best major project is the addition of an Attic Bedroom (wood deck addition came in #2).

As you can see, the recoup values have fallen a little, which I believe reflects the softer housing market, but they’ve been falling a few fractions of a percent every since I’ve been looking at the list. One interesting note from the original list is that there is one midrange project that is “profitable,” replacing the entry door (steel) with an ROI of 128.9%. It’s a cheaper project ($1,172) so getting a return isn’t as difficult, especially when it’s such a big aspect of curb appeal.

Worst ROI project is a home office remodel (48.1%) and the addition of a sunroom (50.7%). However, like I said earlier, sometimes you want to do a project because you’ll enjoy it, not because of the ROI. Sunrooms are great if you love them… but they won’t make you any money.

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Top Personal Finance Blogs Roundup

Every few weeks a random person usually emails me with their latest list of “best frugal bloggers” or “best personal finance bloggers” and I usually ignore them. It’s not that I don’t enjoy a good superlative or two, it’s just that these lists often have an ulterior motive. That said, I didn’t respond that way when the guys at Money Crashers unveiled their top PF blogs list, which looked quite similar to Wise Bread’s more venerable Top 100 personal finance blogs list. The two are similar but not the same, each using a different equation to calculate awesomeness, but I’m honored that Bargaineering appears in the top ten of both.

Here are this week’s gems:

I’ve long argued that creating a budget is absolutely crucial in getting your finances on track but I’ve never explained how as elegantly as Jeremy has in his post on how to create your first budget.We’ve been cooking a lot lately, mostly because we enjoy cooking and taking advantage of our local farmer’s market, so this latest Fresh Air show with Harold McGee was in our wheelhouse. It’s always interesting to learn the science behind cooking.If there’s a tax cut and no one hears it, did it really happen? The trouble with cutting people’s taxes and not telling them is that you don’t get political points. If you cut them in a way that makes them very visible, people may not spend those cuts (which is the point of using them as stimulus). It’s quite a conundrum… it says something that President Obama went in the direction that helped the American economy the most, not the one that helped himself and the Democratic Party the most.You still have time to open up a Roth IRA, Pete shares his thoughts on the Best place to open Roth IRA.It’s a few weeks away but if you’re a Vet, here are a few Veteran’s Day Discounts.Flexo takes a look at some Mint data, some interesting stuff in there.

Anyone else remember the Super Mario Bros infinite 1-up trick? In an interview, Shigeru Miyamoto explained that it was included on purpose. Remember this trick?
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What is Quantitative Easing?

Quantitative easing, known as QE, is a monetary policy used by a central bank to increase the money supply by increasing the excess reserves. In layman’s terms, they inject a lot of new money into the money supply through open market operations. If this sounds like the central bank is just printing more money, you’re right (technically they just make up money out of thin air electronically, no actual printing is necessary). The specifics of how they do this are probably not important to 99.99% of us, but they’re explained below, but what is important is why a central bank like the Federal Reserve would want to do this.

(in case you were curious) The central bank essentially credits its own account with new money and uses that money to buy assets from banks, thus increasing the reserves at those banks. Those banks can then lend that money out at a multiple based on the reserve ratio. If the ratio is 10%, then they can lend out 90% of the amount of the added reserves. Reserve ratios are the percentage of an asset they must keep as reserves (so if you have $100 and the ratio is 10%, you can lend out $90). The next bank can lend out $81, keeping $9, and so on and so forth.

As you may be aware, the current federal funds rate is remarkably low – target is 0 – 0.25%. If additional stimulation is needed, they can’t exactly lower the federal funds rate to under 0%, then banks would be paid to borrow money from the Fed (and they would borrow an infinite amount!).

Quantitative easing is just another monetary policy tool they can use to inject money into the money supply to spur lending and boost the economy.

The biggest risk is hyperinflation, as it’s happened in a variety of places. Whenever you print more money, you devalue existing money since the underlying characteristics of the economy have not changed. Simplistically, if your economy is worth $1000 and you have 1,000 bills, each one is “worth” $1. If you print 1,000 more bills, each one is really worth just $0.50. In enormous economies worth trillions of dollars, the degree to which you print more money has the effect of nudging the economy in certain directions. The risk is that a nudge becomes a push or even a shove… down a hill. (Think: 1920s Germany following World War 1 and Zimbabwe in the early 2000s)

There you have it, quantitative easing in a nutshell.

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What is the Best Roth IRA Broker?

Every week I get at least one email from a reader asking me which broker is the “best” for their Roth IRA. The number of emails jumps exponentially after the new year and, fortunately, falls after April 15th! You have until April 15th, 2011 to decide if and how much you will contribute to your Roth IRA for 2010. If this is the first year you’re contributing to a Roth IRA, you’ll also have to pick who you want to watch over your money.

Before you decide where to put your money, you really need to decide what you want to invest in. If you want to invest it in mutual funds, you’ll be best served going with the company that runs the funds you like. The two big names in the mutual fund space are Fidelity and Vanguard. If you really like their funds, I recommend you open a mutual fund account directly with them because you will be able to buy and sell shares for free.

If individual stocks are more your thing, then you’ll want to pick a broker that offers services you like at a cost that’s affordable. Discount brokers are all the rage these days, with sub-$5 stock commissions and all the research you could ever want. My personal opinion is that as long as you can satisfy the minimum balance requirements and the fees aren’t expensive, the broker is less important. I personally like TradeKing because their customer service has been rated one of the best and I’ve never had issues with it myself (I use their online chat feature all the time). They aren’t necessarily the cheapest anymore, there are a few even cheaper, but there’s a bit of an inertia effect there (I have my stocks there and I don’t trade much, so I don’t want to go through the process of moving them).

I’m about to provide you with a bunch of information from a variety of brokers but I want you to know one thing – it doesn’t matter which broker you pick. It is more important that you start contributing towards your retirement as soon as possible because each year you wait is another year you lose out on gains. Some will charge you $15 a trade, some will charge you $5, but those all pale in comparison to how much you lose if you let that decision paralyze you.

* Zecco offers 10 free stock trades a month when you maintain a $25,000 balance or execute at least 25 trades a month, otherwise it’s $4.50 a trade.

Vanguard is a special case because they have two types of accounts. They have a fund account where you can only buy and sell Vanguard funds, those fees are listed in the above table. They also have a brokerage account where you can buy stocks, bonds, ETFs, etc. The fees for both are different. Here is the full fee schedule for the brokerage account. I’m not really sure why they segregate it in this way, it’s annoying, but they like to keep the two worlds apart.

If you have a Roth IRA, where do you keep it and why?

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Finovate Fall 2010 Recap

As many of you know, I spent the first two days of the week attending Finovate Fall 2010. It’s billed as a demo of the cutting edge in personal finance technology and it certainly delivered the cutting edge, it’s just that the cutting edge in finance just doesn’t appear to be as sexy as the likes of other areas (pesky security issues and whatnot). Larry Chiang, someone I had a chance to hang out with (he’s been mentioned in the past on Bargaineering), said it best (and I paraphrase) – “Banking 2.0 is like Web 0.9.”

Sounds a little harsh but there is one caveat – I think there’s a lot of stuff in fraud detection and other financial technologies that is cutting edge and certainly not web 0.9. The problem is that these technologies are also invisible to folks like you and me, it excited me but it’s really relevant to bank technologists. Since they were outside the scope of Bargaineering, I won’t be covering them, but as a former software engineer some of that stuff was interesting to listen to.

I’m penning this post on the train ride home to Baltimore so much of this is fresh in my mind. I’ll do more in depth looks at some of the companies I had a chance to talk with but these were just some of my thoughts about the companies I saw.

There are a lot of personal finance management (PFM is the acronym I learned this week) applications out there! We all know the now-deadpooled Wesabe and the now-acquired Mint, but there were several at Finovate with a decidedly different feel. MoneyStrands uses intelligence (and they showed me a slick looking integrated budgeting tool that I think will help a lot of people budget), Kiboo facilitates conversations between parents and their kids, Pageonce with their slender dashboard and powerful smart phone capabilities (fully functional PFM entirely wrapped up in an app), and of course, Yodlee.

A company that I didn’t know beforehand, except in passing, was Wonga. They are located in the UK, no operations in the United States, and they give short term loans (under 1,000£, fewer than 35 days). I sat with their CEO Errol and chatted for quite some time, so I got a chance to really know him, as well as his company. To say there can’t be a more standup guy than Errol in what’s really considered the “pay day loan” business would be an understatement. (case in point, they reject 70% of applicants and they don’t sell that data… most companies would sell it to their partners) I won’t be reviewing them in a separate post because they aren’t available in the United States (though they should be), which is why they get a small shout-out in this wrap-up.

There were 7 Best in Show awardees – Betterment, BillShrink, Bundle, Dynamics, oFlows, PayNearMe, and Secure Key. Keep on the lookout for reviews of Betterment and BillShrink’s new StatementRewards offering. The others I either didn’t get a chance to talk (Bundle, PayNearMe) to or weren’t relevant to you guys (Secure Key).

All in all, the show was great and well organized. I think that the presentation format of 7 minutes per presenter was great, it kept the demos going quick and kept them fresh. There were adequate breaks, which gave you a chance to meet with companies, meet with other attendees, and watch the presentations at your leisure (they were broadcast into the demo area). It’s no surprise Finovate often has a waiting list (I heard from a presenter that the wait list was around

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New 2011 Form 1099-K

Back in college, I used to sell all sorts of things on eBay for a little extra cash. Two of the more legitimate things I sold were John Deere hats, made popular by Ashton Kutcher and his Punk’d show, and Washington Wizards Michael Jordan jerseys, made popular when Jordan made his brief return to the NBA. Back then, as is the case today, eBay sellers had to report that income on their income tax returns. Many don’t because there’s no checks and balances in place forcing them, there aren’t any W-2s or 1099-MISCs for them because eBay doesn’t pay them, a multitude of sellers do.

The times have changed and now the IRS has produced a draft Form 1099-K used to report Merchant Card and Third-Party Payments made to your ID number (social or employer ID number) in each month. This is a way for the IRS to capture some of the underreported income since sellers will not have to reconcile the third-party transactions, such as through PayPal, with their incomes.

There are a few huge caveats. If you have gross sales of less than $20,000 a year or fewer than 200 transactions, then 1099-K reporting will not be necessary. This is so your small time sellers, like those emptying their attics, don’t get stuck with a paperwork nightmare while actual businesses are still on the hook for sales.

This new form isn’t limited just to PayPal and eBay, though chances are that’s what most of you guys, myself included, are most concerned about anyway.

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How To Win McDonald’s Monopoly Game

MacDonald’s Monopoly game for 2010 has started!

McDonald’s announced that this year’s Monopoly game will start on October 5, 2010 and end on November 1, 2010 (official rules)

Every year McDonald’s runs its very popular Monopoly game where you get a Monopoly property sticker/game piece with selected items. If you get all the properties in a color group, you get to win that cash prize. In addition to these properties, you can get instant win stickers as well for free Wi-Fi time, Wal-Mart gift cards, McDonald’s food, and even a 2011 Shelby. The cash prizes range from $5 up to $1 million!

The secret to winning a prize in the McDonald’s Monopoly Game is to understand how the game works. McDonald’s is pretty savvy about how they setup the game. You win prizes when you collect all the properties in a particular color group. They control the number of prizes by limiting one of the properties, usually the last property listed alphabetically, and the key is to find those “rare” pieces.

For 2010, the rare pieces are:

Mediterranean Avenue ($50 prize, 5000 prizes)Vermont Avenue ($100 prize, 1500 prizes)Virginia Avenue ($200 SpaWish® Gift Certificate, 250 prizes)Tennessee Avenue ($1,000 prize, 250 prizes)Kentucky Avenue (Beaches Resorts – The Luxury Included® 4 Day/3 Night Family Vacation for two adults & two children 15 years or under, 122 prizes)Short Line Railroad (EA SPORTS Trip, 8 prizes)Ventnor Avenue ($25,000 prize, 5 prizes)Pennsylvania Avenue ($50,000 prize, 4 prizes)Boardwalk ($1 million dollar prize, 2 prizes)

If you’re curious, the $1 million top prize isn’t lump sum. It’s a $50,000 annual payment for 20 years.

The pieces (which include two “stamps”) are included on the following products: Medium Fountain Drinks; Medium and Large Hot McCafés; Medium and Large Cold McCafé including Smoothies and Frappés (excludes McCafé Shakes); Hash Browns; Big Mac; 10-piece Chicken McNuggets®, McGriddles, and Filet-O-Fish. Individuals who purchase 20-piece Chicken McNuggets® or Large Fries specially-marked packaging will receive two (2) Game Pieces (4 stamps).

As always, you can always do a little horsetrading to get the pieces that you need. Remember, if you get a rare piece, you’re pretty much set. People will try to negotiate using common pieces (Park Place is pretty much worthless, since you need the uber-rare Boardwalk piece… if you have that, you can easily negotiate down someone with Park Place since it’s worthless without you). If you need a place to trade, I’ve always suggested a place like Fatwallet Forums.

The cheapest item on the menu that offers game pieces are the hash browns. For an average of a dollar, you get two game pieces and it is slightly cheaper, and faster, than mailing in a self-addressed, stamped envelope ($0.88 for two stamps). Some people have had success just buying the game pieces without the food… since you probably don’t want to be eating a stack of has browns as a breakfast.

As for the healthiest option, I’d go with a cup of coffee or any one of their other coffee-like products.

As I alluded to before, you can always get game pieces for free. Send a “legibly handwritten, self-addressed, stamped envelope with your address (first and last name, street address, city, state, and zip or postal code) to:

2010 MONOPOLY Game at McDonald’s Game Piece Request
P.O. Box 49229
Strongsville, OH 44149-0229

In addition to the awesome property prizes, there are a number of instant win prizes. Some of these I wasn’t really a big fan of, they seem more like trial subscriptions than a “prize” that you’ve won. I’ll let you decide:

Food Prizes – Medium French Fries, any Large Beef Sandwich, any Breakfast Extra Value Meal®, Small McFlurry® or Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait, Small Soft Drink or Small Hot Premium Roast Coffee (excluding McCafe®), and any Breakfast Sandwich.Three (3)-Month Pogo.com™ Subscription – EA SPORTS™ video gameTwenty Snapfish® Photo Prints – With 4,000,000 of these prizes, this prize is the second most common prize.Wal-Mart Gift Card – Several prizes are Wal-Mart gift cards ranging in value from $5 (966k winners) to $5,000 (10 winners).Free RedBox Rental – There are 1,350,000 of these and this is the third most common instant win prize, with your chances at 1 in 405.Fifty Dollars – There are 4,000 of these prizes available, you get a check for $50.Five hundred Dollars – There are 500 of these prizes available, you get a check for $500.EA SPORTS Ultimate Game RoomXbox 360 Game System – There are 3,000 of these prizes available, but you will only get these off an order of large fries or Angus burger.$10,000 Dollars – Four $10,000 prizes available.$25,000 Dollars – Four $25,000 prizes available.2011 Shelby GT500 – Last but not least, there are two cars.

It doesn’t hurt to try and I don’t know how likely it is that you’ll snag a Shelby through the mail… but good luck!

(Photo: sundazed)

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Your Take: Who Should I Talk To At Finovate Fall 2010?

On Monday I’ll be attending Finovate Fall 2010 to see the latest and greatest in financial technology in the great city of New York. There are a ton of presenters there, many I’ve heard of and many I’ve not. Some of the companies I’ve heard of before include Billshrink, Bundle, Smarty Pig, Credit Sesame, and Yodlee. There are, however, plenty I haven’t like Hidden Levers, Matchfund, oFlows, and Wonga (I’m just looking at the logos of demoing companies and pulling the names I do and don’t recognize).

I’ll probably check out many of the consumer direct demos (for example, Jack Henry Banking seems like a B2B solution, so I probably won’t be talking to them) but I wanted you to tell me who I should talk to and what you want me to ask them! I’ll probably stop by the companies I’m very familiar with just to see the new stuff they’re doing and then branch out from there, but let me know what interests you so I know what I should cover!

Also, if you’re going to be there, let me know and we can meet up at the conference.

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Commission Denies Postage Rate Hike Request by Post Office

News alert: The United States Post Office is hemorrhaging money.

It’s estimated that the USPS will lose a staggering $7 billion in 2010 after losing nearly $4 billion last year. If you’re wondering why you get so much junk mail, it’s because “business mail” is one of the few profitable parts of the existing mail volume. According to Postmaster General John E. Potter, 90% of the revenue comes from business mail. Media mail, which I’m a big fan of, is unprofitable. Magazines are unprofitable.

When the Postal Regulatory Commission decided last week that the Post Office couldn’t raise the price of postage, I thought it was a great idea. This forces the USPS to address it’s structural problems… unfortunately everything they do requires Congressional approval, which takes forever. The USPS had requested an increase of 5.6% (averaged across all mailing methods). Normally, rate hikes are capped at inflation but with the recession, retiree benefits, and other demands, they are permitted to request an increase.

Postal Service denied rate hike [CNN Money]

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Beware Investing Gimmicks

I was reading USA Today a couple weeks ago when I saw John Waggoner’s column about the Dogs of the Dow investing strategy. It’s a pretty easy strategy and one that I find really appealing. All you do is buy equal amounts of the ten highest dividend yielding components of the Dow each year and swap them out each year.

The strategy relies on the idea that each of the thirty components of the Dow is a stable company that will be here for decades to come. The ones with the highest yields are simply the companies that have had their share price beaten down by Mr. Market. By buying into the companies with the highest yields, you’re assuming you’re buying good companies at a discount and that they will eventually revert to the mean.

One problem… and Waggoner, to his credit, states it right off the bat, there are problems with “formulaic investing,” or what I consider gimmicky investing, and the fact that the Dogs of the Dow have performed terribly until this year is an example of that. (I don’t like the term formulaic because isn’t all analysis in some way formulaic?)
There are a lot of little gimmicks like Dogs of the Dow and many of them are popular to talk about when they work and popular to ignore when they don’t. “Sell in May And Go Away” is another popular one of these investing gimmicks that says you should sell all of your stocks in May, buy bonds, then shift back into stocks in November. While you may scoff at the idea, since 1950 the Dow, on average, has gained 7.4% from November through April while only 0.4% from May through October (Huffington Post).

Another popular one is the January Effect, first observed by Donald Keim at the University of CHicago. It says that stocks tend to increase in the month of January because investors have been selling stocks into the end of the year for tax purposes, so you should buy them in January as investors re-enter positions after the 30 day wash rule period.

In the end, there is no “get rich quick” system for the stock market for the individual investor. It’s a random walk and you can only “win” by buying for the long term and waiting.

As an aside, let’s say one of these gimmicky investing schemes does actually work. Eventually, and usually very quickly, it’ll fail under its own popularity. If some strategy were to work, everyone would pile into it and the strategy wouldn’t work anymore. Dogs of the Dow looks great on paper: buy stable blue chip companies when they’re down and out, recycle each year, book the profits. The problem with that strategy is that blue chip companies can go kaput just as easily as “unstable” startups. When that happens, this strategy takes a huge hit as 10% of it goes to zero.

In the end, there’s no shortcut to investing in the stock. You have to do your homework, diversify, and reduce your costs… which is why index funds are so appealing (but also so boring).

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What’s Bullion?

So a few weeks ago I wrote about bearer bonds because I’d heard of them in movies and thought they were, besides insanely protected works of art, the thing to steal if you were going to steal anything. Another term I’d heard in the movies a lot was “bullion” and I knew it was related to gold and other precious metals but I wasn’t 100% sure what it meant.

Bullion actually refers to any previous metal whose value is tied to the metal itself and not some fiat money designation assigned by a government. So the bullion coins produced by the United States Mint have no value designation, they are valued at it’s actual metal value. You can buy 1 oz., 1/2 oz., 1/4 oz., and 1/10 oz. of American Eagle Gold and Platinum Bullion coins.

Determining the value of a bullion coin requires three pieces of information – the precious metal, its weight, and the purity. You get the weight of the coin in troy ounces, multiply it by its purity, and then again by the value per troy ounce. American Eagle Gold Coins use 22 karat gold with a 91.67% gold (2% silver, 5.33% copper) and it’s actually quite funny to see the “face value” up against the actual value.

1/10 oz – Face value of $51/4 oz – Face value of $101/2 oz – Face value of $251 oz – Face value of $50

Gold at over $1,200 a troy ounce, its value as bullion is far greater than its face value.

(Photo: sirqitous)

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"A Better You" Your 7 days program to self-improvement

Is your self-esteem ,on the rocky side.Here is some helpful hints to improve,the better you in seven days.

I've lost count of how many times I've read and heard of celebrity marriages failing almost before the ice sculpture melts. Not that I care, (and personally I don't), it is unfortunate that we often see movie and TV stars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of riches and glamor. I suppose we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality or you will have a guardian appointed. This idol worship seems to get more serious with every generation. Too bad! It will probably not serve the worshipers well.

There are many ways to lose your sense of self-esteem or self-worth despite how trivial it could get. But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of self. You must first love yourself before you can truly love anyone. Compare yourself to yourself and not some fake politician, drug snorting star, drunk gang leader, etc. There are many bad examples to be seen every day on television or on the streets. What's with this 'pants on the ground.' Why is it good to have "street cred?" It is easier to fall in with the negative crowd and take shots at those who are trying to make a positive difference in our life today. You need to plan on your future self, not just what is happening now.

So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think and improve on that should be enough for a week.

1. Know your purpose
Are you wandering through life with little direction - hoping that happiness, joy, health and prosperity by chance will come to you? Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your true north every time.

This may seem tricky at first when you see self to be in a tight or even dead end. But there's always that little loophole to turn things around and you can make a big difference to yourself.

2. Know your values
What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for 2011 - check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn't align with any of your top five values - you may want to reconsider it or revise it. Set your goals which are reachable and bring you satisfaction.

The number shouldn't discourage you, instead it should motivate you to do more than you can ever dreamed of.

3. Know your needs
Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically. Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? There are so many people who lived their lives without realizing their dreams and most of them end up being stressed or even depressed for that matter. List your top four needs and get them met before it's too late! Make every effort to avoid reaching your zen without pills or drugs. That is what I call self help and not depend on other people to look after you.

4. Know your passions
You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life. Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm will only hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you ought to be. Doubt and a lack of enthusiasm will also cause you to develop a very bitter attitude. Express yourself and honor the people who have inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be and be happy about it. Fake it until you make it.

5. Live from the inside out
Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. For most of us city slickers it's hard to even find the peace and quiet we want even in our own home. In my case I often just sit in a dimly lit room and play some classical music. There's sound, yes, but music does soothe the savage beast.

6. Honor your strengths
What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three - if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you can share what you know to others. If you discover that you are lacking in traits which you can share, there are many self-improvement courses or books which might give you the direction you seek.

7. Serve others
When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being. When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit - your essence. The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you is indeed rewarding, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them.

Self-improvement is indeed one type of work that is worth it. It shouldn't always be within the confines of an office building, or maybe in the four corners of your own room. The difference lies within ourselves and how much we want to change for the better.

Plan ahead and cause joy.
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Cordorba House! A Good Or Evil Concept?

Here are two opposing points of view and I believe that both sides should be known and heard. I personally thought it was very strange that Mayor Bloomberg and the NYC zoning board as well as the Historical Agency would unanimously approve this new building unless there was more to the plan than we have been getting in the media. Food for thought?


Many of us are supporters of Newt Gingrich and we will campaign for him should he decide to run as the next president of the United States. On July 21, 2k10, Newt wrote the following:

"There should be no mosque near Ground Zero in New York so long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia. The time for double standards that allow Islamists to behave aggressively toward us while they demand our weakness and submission is over. The proposed "Cordoba House" overlooking the World Trade Center site – where a group of jihadists killed over 3000 Americans and destroyed one of our most famous landmarks - is a test of the timidity, passivity and historic ignorance of American elites. For example, most of them don’t understand that “Cordoba House” is a deliberately insulting term. It refers to Cordoba, Spain – the capital of Muslim conquerors who symbolized their victory over the Christian Spaniards by transforming a church there into the world’s third-largest mosque complex. “Cordoba,” in Islamic symbolic terms, means Islamic rule in the West. Today, some of the Mosque’s backers insist this term is being used to "symbolize interfaith cooperation" when, in fact, every Islamist in the world recognizes Cordoba as a symbol of Islamic conquest. It is a sign of their contempt for Americans and their confidence in our historic ignorance that they would deliberately insult us this way. Those Islamists and their apologists who argue for "religious toleration" are arrogantly dishonest. They ignore the fact that more than 100 mosques already exist in New York City. Meanwhile, there are no churches or synagogues in all of Saudi Arabia. In fact no Christian or Jew can even enter Mecca. And they lecture us about tolerance. If the people behind the Cordoba House were serious about religious toleration, they would be imploring the Saudis, as fellow Muslims, to immediately open up Mecca to all and immediately announce their intention to allow non-Muslim houses of worship in the Kingdom. They should be asked by the news media if they would be willing to lead such a campaign. We have not been able to rebuild the World Trade Center in nine years. Now we are being told a 13 story, $100 million megamosque will be built within a year overlooking the site of the most devastating surprise attack in American history. Finally where is the money coming from? The people behind the Cordoba House refuse to reveal all their funding sources. America is experiencing an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization. Sadly, too many of our elites are the willing apologists for those who would destroy them if they could. No mosque. No self deception. No surrender. The time to take a stand is now - at this site on this issue." The above comment was sent out by e-mail and I forwarded it to a friend of mine who lives in Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia. He had the following critique on Newt's statement: "Frank, I am disappointed that you forwarded this to me and disappointed with Newt that he wrote it. I am a little closer to this situation than most people. The airplane that hit the second tower went into the building about 10 stories below my daughter’s desk. Fortunately, she was running 15 minutes late that morning and wasn’t in or below the tower when it was hit. She knew people who died. She watched people she didn’t know jump to their deaths rather than die in the fire. She and her husband had to leave their apartment 3 blocks from the WTC for ten days because the health department forced them out of the health hazard area. They knew some orthodox Jews who lived in northern Manhattan and they walked to their home and were graciously taken in. They have a daughter now and they live three blocks from Ground Zero and five blocks from the site of the new community center/mosque. My daughter and her husband strongly support the community center/mosque project. (No, they are not Muslims but they are good Americans.) The organizers of this community center/mosque are not fearsome jihadists, they are Sufi Muslims – if you don’t know what Sufis are like, think “whirling dervishes” or look up Sufi. I talked to my daughter last night. (We call her every September 11 to let her know that we are so grateful that she is still alive.) She told me the Muslim planners of the community center plan a small prayer room* among a lot of other things like meeting rooms and a swimming pool. Having little experience with urban community centers, the Muslim planners worked with local Jews who already operate community centers in the area so they could plan their new center to be as useful as possible to the greater community. The facility will apparently serve the same basic function that Peachtree Pres. serves for our area – my wife goes there to use their gym; I go there to attend civic meetings – like many who go there, we are not Presbyterians. Likewise, the Manhattan center won’t cater only to Muslims – the area around Ground Zero is very multicultural, so a mosque will fit right in with everything else. In fact, I think there is already a real mosque five blocks from Ground Zero. And, incidentally, there were Islamic prayer rooms in the WTC which were destroyed by the terrorists. I believe that if some Americans intimidate the organizers of this community center/mosque and force them to relocate it elsewhere, little else could make the terrorists happier because America will be tarnishing its own ideals. If we turn against our Constitution (or bend the protections it guarantees just a little), that would be a far greater insult to the memory of the 911 victims than any building. We need to stay strong and honorable in spite of what the terrorists do to us. If Saudi Arabia denies some citizens their basic human rights, that is hardly a justification for us to do likewise to some of our citizens. We are America. We stand for something that hopefully the Saudis will understand sooner rather than later." “a neighbor in Atlanta’s Buckhead community” I added the picture. franklively.124online.com

Lame Ducks Will Still Step On Your Toes

This post was borrowed from my blogging friend, Michael Connelly. (www.michaelconnelly.viviti.com) I give him full credit for the research required to discover what is on the agenda for our representatives when they return from wherever to D.C. following their recess. Many of them are already calling the dogs and putting water on the camp fire because they know the party is over. However, they, even the 'lame ducks', can still impact your life, liberty and your joy before they leave and collect their pensions as having been your servant. Please read and act. I will take responsibility for the pictures.

“No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe, while the legislature is in session.” This is a quote that has been attributed to everyone from Daniel Webster to Mark Twain, but regardless of who first said it, the words have never been more applicable than they are today. The 111^th Congress is about to return from recess, and the year of “tax and spend” will get underway once again.

It is amazing that the lemmings in Congress seem to be preparing to run off the cliff and drown in the sea by sacrificing their seats in the upcoming election in order to continue to pass the Socialist agenda of President Obama. Americans need to be aware of what will be attempted in the next few months prior to the election and even after that in a lame duck session of Congress.

Much of this is being kept under the radar by the Obama administration in the hope that American citizens will not know until the deed is done that they are being savaged even more by their government. So here is what the Congress will have before it in the next few weeks.

1. A new stimulus package to add another $50 billion dollars to the deficit that is already the largest in history. This money is supposed to be used for building and repairing infrastructure such as highways, railroads, etc. It is also supposed to stimulate the economy and create jobs. However, since under the first massive stimulus package unemployment has actually gotten higher, and the economic recovery has ground to a halt, there is no reason that this bill would do anything but increase the deficit.

In reality, it is not really meant to help the economy. Instead, most of the jobs that would be created would go to members of unions that support the liberals in Congress. This is an unconstitutional use of taxpayer funds to bribe the unions into staying with Obama and the liberals in the upcoming election.

2. The Bush tax cuts are set to expire at the end of the year and that is exactly what Obama wants. If the tax cuts are not renewed it will result in the most massive tax increase in American history. It is rumored that Obama is considering extending the cuts for those making under $250,000 per year so that supposedly it is only the “rich” that will be taxed. The truth is that the vast majority of people in this country that make over that amount are small business owners that create most of the jobs.

There is already enough uncertainly among small business owners. Large tax increases on them will cause them to stop creating new jobs, and in some cases even go out of business. Unemployment will get even higher.

3. Another new tax idea being floated by the Obama White House is the so-called “transaction tax.” This tax will initially be a 1% tax on any transactions you make at any financial institutions such as banks and credit unions. If you make a deposit or withdrawal, move money from one account to another, or even take cash from an ATM you will have to pay 1% of each amount to the Federal government. Think about how many such transactions you make a month and you can see how quickly this amount can add up.

4. Probably the most dangerous action being considered is a cancelling of the tax credit given to American businesses for taxes they pay to foreign governments. Since the United States already has the second highest corporate tax rate in the world, this tax credit is one of the few things that keeps our businesses competitive with businesses in the rest of the world. Now Obama wants to end that. The repeal of this tax credit will be an enormous blow to American businesses while greatly benefiting some of our enemies like Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. This is because the oil companies will be among those feeling the greatest impact. Therefore foreign oil companies will have a competitive edge.

Energy prices in this country will increase across the board with American families probably paying an average of $1500 more per year for things like gasoline and home heating oil. At the same time our dependence on foreign oil will increase even more.

5. Finally, there is going to be another major push in the Senate to pass the Disclose Act in order to limit the rights of businesses and independent conservative organizations to participate and influence the upcoming elections.

Every freedom loving American needs to immediately contact their Senators and Representatives and demand that there be no more laws passed in this session of Congress increasing spending or creating new taxes, that Congress extend the Bush tax cuts for everyone, and that the Senate defeat the “Disclose Act.” In other words, we need to tell these people to leave “our life, liberty, and property” alone.

Michael Connelly

www.michaelconnelly.viviti.com

mrobertc@hotmail.com

franklively.124online.com

Are You Planning Financially For Your Retirement?

A Financial Planner may be your Best Gift to Yourself!

There are many ways in which you can plan for your financial retirement. Do not wait any longer! You cannot live on Social Security or a meager pension that you may lose at any moment. The first step in making the right moves is always the step that involves actually creating a plan of action that you can follow as a family. Many people focus too much on the now or too much on the later and have a great deal of difficulty when it comes to creating a happy medium for savings and investing.

Throughout our lives we will have both long and short-term goals that need to be assessed, addressed, and often revisited. Whether you need to find a way to pay for your children to attend college, home improvement projects, or a method for saving for your retirement you can find information and assistance for all these things and so much more if you seek the services of a qualified financial advisor.

A good financial advisor will help you find that balance that so many people and families lack. He or she will also help you assess your means in comparison with your long and short-term needs in order to see where your funds would experience the greatest return in order to suit your specific needs with minimal risk. It is important to remember that going with a financial planner or advisor does not eliminate the risks that are an integral part of investing but it does help you learn to better calculate those risks.

Investing is a risky business. Learning how to weigh the odds and go for the prize is the best way to earn the biggest possible return on your investment no matter how modest your investment may be. We are all starting from different means, isn't it amazing to know that we could all end up with very similar abilities when all is said and done and we are living out our 'golden years'?

Good financial planning is the key to success when it concerns your financial retirement. With so few people around the world adequately prepared to retire it is great to know that there are options and assistance that is available to help you get started on your retirement no matter how late in the game it is. Even better is the knowledge that limits are lifted a little once you reach the age of 50 and retirement is much more eminent. This allows those who got a late start on their retirement planning or who have hit a speed bump or two along the way the opportunity to 'catch up' on their investing and work up to the place they need to be in order to establish a more comfortable retirement for themselves and those they love.

401 (k) plans offer some of the best retirement benefits your money can buy at the moment. They certainly allow you to make the maximum possible investment for your money. If you aren't taking your company up on their offer to match your investment in a 401(k) then you should seriously rethink that thought. Seriously, you're throwing away free money.

When it comes to the murky water of retirement investing it helps to have a guide to get you through. Utilizing the services of a financial planner may be the best move you've ever made in your life when it comes to the financial health of your family and your retirement.

I have been rich and I have been poor and believe me, rich is better and much easier. We used a financial planner to put us into some good financial investments and he did. I didn't always understand it, but it seemed to work out to our benefit. The investing I did on my own, more often than not, turned out bad. I lost many thousands of dollars to a business partner Mr. L-----, and, I thought, friend. He decided to join an equally dishonest retired military colonial and they got better and bigger financing so they left me and the other investors hanging and unable to complete the program. I didn't know Mr. L----- was such a liar until I caught him in the truth one day. He still wonders why his wife divorced him!

It was hard for me to believe that a person would do such a thing after I had bailed him out of jail; paid child support for him to keep him out of jail on several occasions; paid to put groceries in his house when he was without and had a son coming home from the hospital; etc., etc., etc., I do not wish him ill, but it was very hard to see several thousands of dollars of investment vanish and then to have him deny that I had loaned him any money for his personal needs. I know God is the Owner of vengeance, but I do hope He will allow me to be an instrument of it.

My financial planner would have advised against me getting involved with anyone like Mr. L-----. A person without morals probably doesn't have any honest codes, but if does, he believes "you need to walk in another man's shoes before you judge him." That way, he is a mile away and he has the shoes.

I recommend that you immediately get involved in this retirement plan. This is a plan that you can control with safety measures in place to insure that if you continue each month to stay active, you will be able to retire wealthy within 24 months.

Cause Joy!

Things A Senior Golfer Needs To Become A Senior Golf Pro

Eight things will help make you a great senior golf player. There is attitude, concentration and focus, recovery of the game, practice, fitness, technique and foundation, balance and distance. Keep in mind that these are the foundation to becoming a seasoned golf player and will help you become as first-class as the pros and maybe even a pro. You need to play the game of golf with determination and stay with what works for you the best.

Your attitude about the game has to be focused on the win. Having a positive, "I can do it" attitude is the only way to succeed as a professional golf player. If you want to play the senior golf tournaments, you have to work up to it and dedicate your schedule to enhancing your game. Your concentration and focus, plan your shot before you even get to the tee. Never change your mind once you are over the ball. Second-guessing yourself does not make a pro golfer. When you address the ball, you already know where the ball is going and how you are going to get there without any hesitation.

Talent and recovery are what help you win the game. If you have a talent for thinking and hitting the ball right where you need it to be, you have a better chance of coming in with a scratch shot, however even the senior golf pros do have an eagle or a bogy here and there. If you do give birth to a bad hit, you need to know how to recover from that shot and make your next play make up for the previous bad shot. This is all apart of golfing. If you have a two over par on the previous hole, try to go under par on the next hole. It is all in the recovery and the planning.

To become a senior golf pro, you need to stay fit and practice. Just because you have been playing golf for years does not mean, as you get older you do not need a little more fitness in your day. You need to stay in shape and practice your game frequently. Keep in mind, you might need different equipment as you get older and this is going to require plenty of practice time with the new equipment to improve your game.

You need to learn techniques that show the way to a solid foundation in your game. A senior golf pro does not stop learning and improving their techniques. You want to change as your age changes to get the same distance that you were getting before you started reaching the senior age. You are going to need your balance and your Zen for golfing to play with the pros. If you keep practicing and stay fit, you should be able to play golf well into your nineties if you want. Most importantly, keep your distance or enhance your distance to stay in the game and compete on the same level as the rest of the senior golfers.

Cause Joy!

Play Golf With A Calloway Golf Club

The Callaway golf club is one of the most well-liked and also reliable types of golf club in the market today. There are so many people (particularly retired men) that are fascinated with golf today and it is no wonder why the Callaway golf club is now in the peak of success in the world of golf clubs.

The Callaway Golf club is headed by Ely Callaway. He bought half of Hickory Stick USA and renamed it Callaway Hickory Stick USA. After purchasing it, he decided to hire the best people that would be an instrument in sustaining his dream of Callaway golf club. He hired Richard C. Helmstetter to be the Chief Club Designer and this as others would say is the point of no return. The designs for Callaway golf club are truly revolutionary and innovative which is why the Callaway golf club is dubbed as the type of golf club that is unique and also high-performance kind golf equipment. After that, Ely Callaway renamed his company into Callaway Golf and then relocated from Cathedral City, California to a peaceful seaside town called Carlsbad, which is just north of San Diego.

One of the most innovative designs that the firm came up with was to create a stainless steel driver that had a larger and more forgiving head than any previous design. The CEO, Callaway dubbed it as �Big Bertha� which was derived from a German cannon back in WWI which was famous for its capability of shooting lengthy distance range. This type of design was the one that made Callaway golf club a house hold name in the states because it experienced millions of sales and the Big Bertha type of Callaway golf club was the reason why Callaway became the number one manufacturer of golf clubs not only in the US but in the entire world which shows how popular golf is to the whole world.

At present, there are six classifications of the Callaway Golf club. The first classification is the drivers which are comprised of two models which are the Big Bertha Fusion FT4 and Big Bertha Titanium 454. The next classification of Callaway golf club is called the Fairway Woods. Fairway Woods have three types of clubs which are Big Bertha Fusion Fairway Woods, Big Bertha Titanium Fairway Woods, and Big Bertha Fairway Woods. The next classification of the Callaway golf club is a hybrid which is designed for long and distant shots. The model for this type of Callaway golf club is called Big Bertha Heavenwood Hybrids. The next classification is called irons which are divided into five types of models and these are Big Bertha, Big Bertha Fusion, X-Tour, X-18, and X-18 Pro. Another classification of the Callaway golf club would be the wedges and the model here is called Forged+ Wedges. The last classification for Callaway golf club is called the Putters. The Putters have two models in its classification which are Callaway golf I-Trax Putter and tour Blue.

The classification and models of Callaway Gold Club mentioned above are the ones that the firm manufactures. All of these models were made with the aid of science, research, and practice. All of these models are worth a try and who knows? You might be the next week-end golfer to break 75.

Sounds like a bunch of fun and not just for retired guys. If you are still working but would like to retire as soon as possible, go to my URL at franklively.124online.com If you like what you see and you have about an hour each month, then put yourself on my waiting list and I will get you into the company as soon as a spot opens up. A powerful concept that can get you on the links or on a boat sooner than later.

Cause Joy by going to my website at franklively.124online.com

Adults Can Stay Fit As A Fiddle

Walk into any department store and you’ll find hundreds of beauty products lining the shelves for men and women. Each one of those products has something else as a miracle ingredient, something unique to offer. Most promise to hide the signs of aging. Some make claims of being able to erase the years and to have you looking 10, 20 or more years younger. But, in truth, there is no way to avoid aging other than die young, is there? The choices are limited and so far all you have seen on the shelves is perhaps a new paint job for the old body or maybe someway to make the wrinkles seem shallower.

Consider some numbers for a moment:

In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the average life expectancy in the United States was that of just 42 years of age! Today, that age has nearly doubled its size and that’s no short feet to accomplish. The fact is that people are living longer because of the benefits of modern medicine and the benefits that technology offers.

In fact, today, there are over 70,000 people in the United States alone that are at the age of 100 or more! That is an outstanding number. My mother-in-law, Ruth, lived to 103 and was mostly happy and fit when she died. She looked forward to each day and kept up with current events. She lived in three different centuries. She was born in 1899 and passed on in 2,002. She lived thru wars, the untimely demise of her only husband, a few wars and skirmishes, and she couldn't believe Bill Clinton was impeached. She could not believe it when she saw the World Trade Center Buildings collapse. She was able to enjoy her life until the very end. She lived alone and refused gently to go to a nursing home. She stayed fit and in control of her life.

What if we told you that it really had nothing to do with those beauty products on the market, but that it had to do with the things that you are capable of making changes with today, right now? Would that excite you? It does me! Understand that I am not interested nor do I want to live to be 103 or anywhere near that unless I am healthy. If I am sickly and a burden to others, then I pray that God will take me home to my Heavenly home.

I am 75 years old - three quarters of a century - with three joint replacements and over thirty surgeries. Now understand that I consider a ‘surgery’ to be anytime the doctor or medical professional breaks my skin for any reason with a scalpel. Naturally, simple shots do not count.

I had my left shoulder completely replaced with titanium and it works great. I can lift, throw, push, and still hit a golf ball 250 yards. I have had both knees replaced with titanium joints and they are doing great. No problems! I still have a stainless steel screw in my right wrist from having damaged the bones that make up that joint. I had one screw removed because it began to protrude suspiciously beneath the skin. Even with all of those major surgeries, I feel very good.

That is what this post is all about. It is important for you to understand that you don’t just want to look younger. You need to dig deeper into your lifestyle and feel younger this message is saying that it is better to feel good than to look good. That is just the opposite from what Billy Chrystal tells us thru one of his characters who says, “Dahlinc, you look Mahvelous.” "And you know dahlinc it is better to look good than to feel good!" That is similar to statements usually heard at the funeral home, “she looks really good and so natural.” For me, I had rather be vital and have people say, "hey man, it is good to see you. I am just pleased to be seen. I had rather be seen than viewed.

More often than not, if you do keep yourself in good health, even if you are ever to suffer from a sickness like the influenza du jur or some other sick, if you are in good physical, mental and emotional health, the siege will not be as severe as it could be if you have not taken care of yourself.

Click on any of the hyper links and sign up for your free book, "Ten Minute Guide To Health and Fitness."

Cause Joy!

Start-up Ideas for Your Home-Based Business

So you've determined to begin a home-based business? That's great, but where do you start? If you are online quite a bit, then there's nary a reason you can not start a business from your own home on the Web. There are so many resources usable online today you can benefit enormously from the research of others while ramping up your own business enterprise. There are many companies that will do loads of the work for you when you join with them.

Here are five easy start-up thoughts for your home-based business to spare you time and money.

1. Decide Your Hours

Determine how much time you are able to invest in your home-based business. To be realistic, there are many new business owners who never make it since they are not willing to commit their time. If you work a regular occupation and plan to keep it while your home-based business catches on, then you had better determine how many hours you can spend working on your home based business. Can you empower a few hours per day, or week perhaps to spend on your business?

Once you choose your hours, make an effort to stick with them on a ordered basis. Treat your business just as you would a store with working hours. If you open a store from 9 to 5, then someone must be there during those hours. So, if you plan to work on your new business from 8:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. five nights per week, then let this be your "working hours!"

2. Choose a Business

Even if you plan to start a business distributing products of your own, you may find it useful to join with a company to sell their products as an affiliate to build extra income at first. You can even do both if you can commit enough time and effort into both businesses. Select a product or service that you enjoy selling and that you can believe in. No business is fun if you dislike it. The more you enjoy it, the more likely you are to be successful.

With the Net, MLM business organizations are expanding down lines like mad. This is the perfect chance to earn some extra cash or even a satisfying profit. The reason MLM businesses are so good online is because it is so comfortable to contact people by email and through your own website. Many MLM companies do just about all of the work and contacts for you to save you time and money. Communicating is very easy online even if you're not actually a "salesperson."

If you project to link up with an MLM group, make sure to select a company that has been in business for at least several years, or one that does not require an entry fee. Ask to talk with others who have been involved with the company a while. Check with the Better Business Bureau Online to be sure there have been no (or very few) complaints. There are several swindles online today, so sign on with a company at the suggestion of someone you know to be safe!

3. Set up Your Home-Based Business Work Area

Before you embark on a home-based business, be sure your home base is up to par. If necessary, Upgrade your computer to a faster one with a topnotch Internet connection so your work will not be hampered by outside factors. Also, get a comfortable desk chair with plenty of back and arm support. Pick out a keyboard and computer mouse that you are comfortable with, and prepare your desk. Doing work in a well-organized environment opens your thought so you can do work and promote without distraction. Get started even before your 'office' is set up. Once you determine to get going, get going.

4. Investing Your Money

Before you commit a dime, be sure it's the right line of work for you. When marketing products for others, you may be required to invest money before getting rolling for stock, membership, a website, etc.. If so, analyze every aspect of the business before doing so. Any business start-up will require some investment either a purchase of the product or a fee, but you need to think before you commit.

Once you've picked out a business to invest in, arrange a budget entirely for your commercial enterprise. Having a business account at your local bank will help. In addition, set up an account with an internet payment processor if possible. PayPal and StormPay are two of the most popular ones online now. If signing on with an MLM company, find out how they issue their payments

5. Exercise Your Talents and Skills

Whether you sign up with an MLM company or begin a concern marketing your own merchandise and services, remember to use all your talents and skills. Perhaps you're a bang-up typist or a really savvy Internet user. Maybe you know how to design websites, print flyers, or promote online. Use your gifts to maximize your home-based business incomes.

Do not merely sit at home and dream of owning your own business. Use these start-up tips to get your home-based business running today!

Cause Joy!

Cigars and Single Malt Scotch Whiskey--

Cigars and Single Malt Scotch Whiskey--

There are quite a few recreational golfers who do not consider the days match complete
without spending a while in the club house lounge enjoying a good cigar and a glass of
fine old single malt scotch whiskey. Myself, I do not care for the cigar part of the
tradition. I do not smoke anything anymore and especially not cigars unless I am already
sick. It would be a shame to end a beautiful day on the links on a sour or sick note.
The few times I have smoked cigars I was left with a foul taste and feeling the
next morning like a parrot had slept in my mouth. However,I do partake in a bit
of single malt scotch whiskey.

I read in a Spring edition of Golf Digest an article by Sarah Max that it is possible
to have your own cask of single malt scotch whiskey. Tullibardine distiller has taken the distinction to a new level. Casks come in three sizes. The smallest, a bourbon barrel, holds the equivalent
of 350 bottles of 10 year old scotch and costs about $1,700.00, including 10 years of
insurance and storage in Tullibardine's bonded warehouse. A hogshead holds about 455
bottles and costs $2,900.00. A butt holds 870 bottles and costs about $5,000.00.
The owner's whose names are stenciled onto their casks, have visitation rights and can
sample their whiskey at various stages while it ages for a minimum of 10 years. That is
probably more than you wanted to know about scotch whiskey, but now you can have something
else to talk about if you played badly.


I am leaving for a few days of 'honey do's'so I'll pick up on this next week and relate
more about a fine cigar. If you cannot wait, I suggest going to the news stand or the
doctor's office and pick up a copy of Golf Digest INDEX 2. It is a good read. Think long
and straight. FL

Golf - More Than An Interrupted Walk Through The Pasture

Mark Twain once wrote playing golf was a good way to spoil a walk through the pasture.

The inimitable Mr. Twain, from this statement, could be believed not to be a golfer.
After all, there is more to golfing than just walking through a pasture. First and
foremost, golf is a way to either work out stress and frustration, or, for many, to get
even more stressed out and frustrated.

Golf can be the most infuriating game ever played or invented, or the most fun. And, no two trips to the golf course will ever be the same, regardless of how good a player someone is. This is because the weather conditions are never identical, and weather does play a big part in golf. The more intelligent golfers will not go near the course in a thunderstorm, but there are a few brave, and foolhardy, souls who will brave the elements just to play.

The wind also plays a major factor in golf, as the wind will affect the way the ball travels. When hit, golf balls have spin. The spin can be enhanced by the wind, causing the ball to drift away from its intended target. Therefore, the golfer has to take the wind into consideration and plan his or her shot according to the velocity and direction of the wind. Throw up a pinch of grass and watch which way it blows; look at the tops of the trees to see if there is more wind aloft and the flag on the green - if visible - to judge the wind on the green.

Golf is also a good form of exercise, for those golfers who walk the course. Most regulation golf courses measures about two miles for each nine holes, so playing eighteen holes is roughly equivalent to walking at least four miles. That distance is measured straight down the fairway and increases as you walk in woods looking for a ball. Any doctor will tell you that such a walk can only be beneficial to the walker's heart and lungs. Additionally, playing golf is good for getting out of the house and being outdoors. The best rounds of golf are usually played walking the course rather than riding in a golf cart.

On some courses, riding is not allowed except for people with a physical challenge. They may get the golf professional to allow them to have a cart so they can continue to play the game. I have played golf with people with only one arm and others with artificial limbs which would hinder their ability to walk and carry their clubs. Most golf clubs have the 90 degree rule which requires you to follow the cart path until you are near your ball and then turn out onto the fairway to take your next shot.

There are some golf courses where walking is not allowed. It takes too long to play a round of golf if you are walking and carrying your clubs. Or, perhaps even taking a caddie to lug your clubs and help in other ways such as 'reading the greens.' Pebble Beach Golf Club is mostly a riding course and they prefer you do not walk. Pebble Beach Golf Club is a privately owned public golf course and the owners try to push as many people around the course as possible in a single day. There are also many marshals around the course to encourage you to move along.

Golfers have the opportunity to enjoy the out-of-doors and appreciate the beauty of nature they find around them. The majority of courses are well landscaped and quite pleasing to the eye. Golfers also have the chance to see squirrels and rabbits on the course and take pleasure in the antics of these creatures. Many courses regularly have deer visit the course and watch the golfers. Be careful when you venture into the woods to find a ball or for other reasons as you may encounter an animal with no shoulders, a snake. This can happen on wooded courses or on desert courses. Be careful and watchful. The animals were there before the course. Some courses in the south such as Hilton Head, South Carolina will give you the chance to see alligators around the course. Stay away from them because they can move deceptively fast and are usually more bothered and hungry than friendly.

For others, however, playing golf is a great way to beat stress. These distractions help free the golfer from thinking about the mistake he or she made on the last shot or previous hole or at the office or at home. It is necessary to concentrate on your golf game in order to shoot a good score and to make the most of the game of golf. Golf also allows you to hit something as hard as you want to and perhaps even get applauded for it.

Golf is also a game of honor. Surprised? Don't be. After all, golf is the only game where a person can call a penalty on themselves, and those who play with honor do just that. Legendary amateur golfer, Bobby Jones of Atlanta, called a penalty on himself because when he addressed his ball, the ball moved slightly even tho' the ball had not been touched. No one saw the slight movement other than Jones, but he called a one stroke penalty on himself and lost a major tournament by one stroke. Of course, there are the jerks who claim to play golf, but wouldn 't think of calling a penalty on anything they have done. Their scores, though, are meaningless, and this kind of behavior will also show up in their day to day lives. Jack Nicklaus said that "they are playing a game with which I am not familiar."

Cause Joy! Get out of the house!