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Ally Bank Commercial - Truck

I saw the funniest commercial the other day.  The reaction from the kid is so funny to me, I had to keep rewinding it and watching it again.

Check out the video:

About Ally Bank (From their site):

I have recently signed up for an account, it seems that it is an online bank, which can be good because they can have more competitive APR rates.  I need to fax in my identification to them to make the account active.  I will post my experience with the bank at a later time, but for now, enjoy the funny commercial!

Hunter 5 Minute Fan from Lowe’s

The Hunter 5 Minute Fan

I recently purchased 2 of the Hunter 5 Minute Fans from Lowe’s.  I bought the nickel fan base with the dark wood or black blades (you can flip them over).  Lowe’s had a special, for every fan you purchased you would receive a $20 gift card.  That brought the price down from $99 to $79…cool!

Installation:

I got home with the 2 boxes, they were light but larger than some of the other fan boxes, this is because it was 90% put together already.  The instructions were fairly easy to read, although I made the mistake of putting the washer that you should only put on the fan when you have a ceiling of less than 8 feet tall.  It was a little difficult to get off once I noticed it shouldn’t be there, but other than that…for my first fan installation, it was pretty painless.  I replaced an existing light with the fan, so I didn’t have to drill any holes and there was already a switch hooked up.  The mounting bracket screws into an existing wire box that is in the ceiling, or you can put a wire box in your desired location yourself.

Now, I wouldn’t say the first fan install was 5 minutes, but from start to finish, the second fan was probably 15 minutes or so.  That includes setting up the ladder, finding which breaker to turn off and taking down the existing light.

I would recommend any of the 5 Minute Fan series from Hunter.  I would also recommend Lowe’s, as they have specials from time to time and the special for the fans was a good deal and easy to obtain the rebate.  My fans have been installed about a week and provide plenty of air circulation, have reduced the amount of times my air conditioner turns on - while keeping my home at a comfortable temperature - and they use about the same amount of power as a 65W light bulb at high speed.

Is Global Warming True?

I’m not sure I believe ‘Global Warming’ due to humans is true.  I believe that us burning the fossil fuels at the rate we do causes the air we breathe to be more dirty.  I believe that the temperature of the Earth is more on its own cycle, than the current rise in average temperatures to be our fault.  To prove my thinking, think about the Ice Age…there could not have been anything that the Dinosaurs were doing to make everything freeze over.  Also, read this short article from the May 2009 Popular Mechanics magazine:

“An international team of scientists has uncovered the fossil of a 60-million-year-old snake that weighed 2500 pounds and was more than 40 feet long.  Aside from the creep factor, this is significant because the maximum size of cold-blooded animals is determined by temperature.  The size of the Titanoboa cerrejonensis indicates the South American topical forest had average temperatures of about 90 F - more than 10 degrees hotter than current norms.”

Now what do you think?

Things I Want in 2009

Everyone has a wish list, right? Well I have come up with the list of things I want in 2009.

ICON A5 Personal Aircraft

Maybe one day we will be flying instead of driving.

The ICON A5 is a low cost, 2-seater air plane. The instrument panel is not overwhelming, but is set up like road vehicles and the A5 has a built in GPS. To check out more about the company and see more videos and pictures, go to:

http://www.ICONAIRCRAFT.com

Sony DSC-G3 Cybershot

This Cybershot is amazing just like the previous versions. This camera has WiFi, you can easily post pictures and video from your camera to YouTube, Shutterfly and more, immediately after you take the picture and no need to hook the camera up to a computer. With WiFi just about anywhere nowadays, this camera is very cool for that social webber. I own a Cybershot now and love it, I always love upgrading when the new models come out.

http://www.SonyStyle.com

2009 Nissan GT-R

In a previous article, where I talked about the new Nissan GT-R, I forgot to mention that I’d like one of these! The 2009 Nissan GT-R is truly a sports car of great value. Priced under $80k, its performance matches cars in the $200k price range.

It has a twin-turbo 3.8L aluminum V6 engine that produces 480HP, propelling the car from 0-60MPH in 3.5 seconds.

http://www.gtrnissan.com/index.html?deeplink=globe|de

SEAmagine Ocean Pearl Personal Submarine

With the most expensive and highest maintenance cost, the SEAmagine Ocean Pearl is on my list of things I want in 2009. With this machine, you can navigate the ocean for 8 hours by itself. There is still limited information on this machine, but I can tell it strikes my interest.

http://www.seamagine.com

3M MPRO110 Pocket Projector

If you are into gadgets or are an on the go work professional, the 3M Micro Professional Projector is a really cool tool. About the size of a cell phone, the battery powered projector connects to most digital devices to project movies and photos anywhere. Personally, I am a gadget guy.

http://www.3mmpro.com

LiveScribe Pulse Smart Pen

Great for meetings. Not only can you write notes, but at the same time your notes are recorded digitally.

http://www.LiveScribe.com

OQO Portable Computer

OLED is the new technology when it comes to monitors. Unfortunately the technology limits the screen size to relatively small sizes. In the case of a small, portable computer, OLED is a perfect choice. The OLED technology allows for the screens to be thinner than regular LED screens and use less power, so you know the OQO Portable Computer is thin and has great battery life.

http://www.oqo.com

Not to sound like the Merrill Lynch CEO…well FORMER Merrill Lynch CEO - Click For Article.  I don’t want to sound too greedy, but even a few things on the list would be dank!

ICON A5 Personal Aircraft

Maybe one day we will be flying instead of driving.

The ICON A5 is a low cost, 2-seater air plane.  The instrument panel is not overwhelming, but is set up like road vehicles and the A5 has a built in GPS.  To check out more about the company and see more videos and pictures, go to ICONAIRCRAFT.com

ICON A5

2009 Nissan GT-R, 21st Century Supercar

The 2009 Nissan GT-R is truly a sports car of great value.  Priced under $80k, its performance matches cars in the $200k price range.

It has a twin-turbo 3.8L aluminum V6 engine that produces 480HP, propelling the car from 0-60MPH in 3.5 seconds.

http://www.gtrnissan.com/index.html?deeplink=globe|de

If you have any more information on the new GT-R, please post!

It’s Official, We are in a Recession

It is official, government acknowledges we are in a recession.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/01/news/economy/recession/?postversion=2008120115

Money Then and Now

I have heard more than once from people of the baby boomer generation, that growing up, their Mother either didn’t work or only worked part time. They lived well, not elaborate, but fine. Now you either need one really good income, lots of overtime hours worked, multiple jobs or, more easily, two incomes, to live the same way the baby boomers remembered growing up.

I’ve read from a few sources that studies have been done that show that seniors are the happiest Americans as well as some articles saying baby boomers may be the most depressed. I can see seniors being the happiest age group. Seniors have been through and figured out how they deal with stress the best, if they had children - they are most likely out on their own, their houses/property tends to be paid off or almost paid off, retirement becomes a reality and seniors tend to keep themselves entertained by joining social groups with their peers. It also seems that people grow up now saving from every paycheck for retirement, so when it starts to become a reality - it is exciting. Baby boomers are dealing with massive competition at work and the possibility of less or no retirement income from the government. For my generation, social security is most likely not going to be there for our retirement years.

For us Americans that are not seniors, we have some daily stresses that we may or may not have figured out how to deal with. Life is a learning process. Money can always be considered a stress to most people. There are ways you can save money, such as getting a roommate (if you are younger or single) or cut back on the amount you spend on your every day necessities.

As stated in one of my previous articles, I felt that items that were inexpensive, like store brand products and other no-name brand products, sales would increase. A recent article in the New York Times states the same theory. The article goes on to say that middle-class Americans are switching from name brand to the cheaper alternatives, eating in instead of dining out, flying at unusual hours to shave dollars off airfares as well as booking cheaper hotels and motels. We need to travel and we need to buy food, but there are other things we want to spend our money on than just every day necessities.

Is Eating Out Cheaper Than Eating In?

How Bad Will The Economy Get?

April 2008

Eat Out For Less

N&O Article

My Review - Samsung SCH-i760 and Motorola S9

Introducing the Samsung SCH i760 Smartphone and the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Headset

I have had my Samsung SCH i760 Smartphone (with service through Verizon Wireless) and Motorola S9 Bluetooth Headset for about 2 months now. I can and have recommended both of these products.

I previously had the LG VX8600, which is a thin flip phone, which I would also recommend as well.

The Samsung SCH i760 Smartphone has a ton of features. It has touchscreen operation (you can use your fingers or use the hide-away stylus), Windows Mobile 6 operating system, 1.3MP camera, video camcorder, WIFI, microSD slot and much more. With the Windows Mobile standardized operating system, this device is very customizable. Windows Mobile comes with the mobile version of Windows Media Player (WMA, WMV, WAV and MP3 capabilities with the feature of synchronizing your mobile Media Player with your desktop Media Player to update your playlists, music and videos), File Explorer, Games, Calculator, Office Mobile (Excel, Powerpoint and Word), Notes, Tasks, Picsel Browser (kind of like the Apple iPhone and Touch browser) and Internet Explorer, Active Sync and Wireless Sync, Task Manager (to close programs instead of restarting the phone when it starts to bog down), and Windows Update that keeps you up to date when new patches come out, without having to go to the wireless store to update your phone. There are many programs that are available for FREE or for a small price. Check below for some recommended items.

I find the i760 to be a very great phone. It keeps me organized by keeping all of my ideas in the Notes program (you can type, write or draw), I can set tasks which appear on the main screen and you can set alerts of your tasks, to remind you of things at certain times.

The battery life extends as you begin to stress it and charge it. The first few times you use it hard, listening to music, etc, it only lasts a few hours on the slim battery, a little longer on the extended battery. The life takes about a week or two to work at full capacity. Now my slim battery lasts about 6 hours listening to music all day and maybe half an hour on the phone, after the 6 hours I tend to turn the music off and leave the last of the battery for a short call if I need to make one on the way home from work. The extended battery will last all day listening to music at work and still leave battery left for phone calls and some moderate web surfing. Using both batteries will allow you to do just about anything you want all day, especially great if you are traveling.

PROS:

Not many phones have WIFI, although there are adapters you can buy, this phone has WIFI built in, meaning you can connect to the internet for free, just as you can on a laptop. (You can connect online through the cellular network as well for an additional cost)

Small, not much bigger than my LG VX8600.

Slide out keyboard, easier to type than a touchscreen only keyboard phone - and may be easier than T9 for some people.

Touchscreen as well as ‘joystick’ usability.

Works very well with the Motorola S9.

Keeps you organized.

Upgradeable and customizable.

Comes with a standard and extended life battery.

Charges quick.

Light to carry on a waist clip or pocket.

Better reception than I’ve had in a phone previously.

Well built, strong, does not feel like you’re going to break it while using it.

Simple but professional looking design.

Built in speaker, which is pretty loud for the size, so you can play music while entertaining or going to sleep.

CONS:

When you are doing a lot on the phone, text messaging can be a pain; I’ve had the phone skip letters, having to go back and retype. If you type slower or use the word-hints, you will have more luck.

No T9 texting option.

The SEND and END buttons can be in a weird place when talking on the phone. Since I use the S9 to make most of my calls, it’s not such a big deal, but I have hung up on people by accident when using the phone up to my ear - you just need to get used to a higher placement of your fingers to avoid that mistake.

WIFI uses a lot of power. Not that it’s really a con, just turn off the feature until you want to use it.

The Motorola S9 Bluetooth Headset

The Motorola S9 is a stereo headset for listening to music (if your phone has the ability, which the i760 does) and mono (left side) when making a phone call. The S9 is very lightweight and as long as the buds are adjusted correctly, it will not hurt your ears.

It comes in a few colors, red as shown, mine is blue on the inside and I believe there may be one other color.

There are 3 buttons on each side of the headset. On the left side, there is a touch-sensitive + and - volume, with a Phone push-button in the middle. The right side has skip forward and skip back, touch-sensitive buttons with a Play/Pause push-button in the middle. If you are listening to music when you get a call, the music will pause, the i760 rings as well as the headphones in stereo, push the Phone button and start talking. The S9 has a built in microphone for phone conversations. Once the phone call is done, you can push the Phone button to hang up the call and push Play to begin listening to music again. You may also initiate a call by pushing the Phone button, waiting for the tone and speak, “Call Mom, Home,” for example. It will repeat back to you, confirm by saying yes and within seconds the phone is ringing. You can do all this within 30 feet of your phone, though I’ve had luck up to 60 feet, depending on line of site with the headphones and the phone.

I am unsure how it sounds on the other end of the phone, but I have never had a complaint about not being able to hear what I am saying. The S9 is rather simple, convenient and works very well with my Samsung SCH i760. The battery life is about 7 hours of constant use. It charges very quickly and is a great addition to any cell phone you may have.

Things you need for your Samsung SCH i760:

• FREE Microsoft Live Search - Search movies, gas prices, get directions and much more
• FREE MSNBC Mobile News - Watch videos, look at photos of the week, read headline, technology, business and more.
• FREE Playlist Manager - Hasn’t been updated in a while, but is the only good free program I’ve found. Allows you to select the MP3s you want to play instead of having to select another song after the current song is done. You can use the S9 to switch songs on the playlist and pause songs that are playing.
• FREE Weather Watcher
• Seidio Rubberized Slim and Extended Case with Holster

LINKS:

• CNET Review (8.0/10)
• Samsung Website for i760
• Motorola S9 Website

Read the rest of this entry »

Employment Tips For The Recession

It’s apparent we are in a recession. From the US dollar declining 45% in value compared to the Euro since 2002 and a staggering 15% (of the 45% total) just in this first quarter this year. Imports are down 2.9% from February to March, exports are down 1.7% in the same time frame. Donations to organizations are down. Commodities are up considerably from this time last year; corn is up 41%, eggs up 68.5% and gas is up 25%.

The average inflation that employers give you is 3-4% per year.

I came across some great tips from the CareerBuilder section in the News & Observer that I would like to share. Below are resume tips, strong career fields and links to more articles from CareerBuilder.

Revise Your Resume

Employers want to see that you are the perfect match for the position they are trying to fill. Have different resumes that are directed to the different jobs you are interested in, using specific keywords that relate to the position you are applying for.

List Your Career Summary

Mention your career highlights, past roles and strong skills. List a summary that gives the employer and idea of who you are by your experiences and briefly mention your goals.

Proofread

Nothing is more embarrassing than incorrect grammar or a misspelled word. Take your time and have someone read over your resume to get a second opinion.

Lying

As the old saying goes, “What goes around, comes around.” Lying may come around to bite you. Lying should not be considered when writing your resume.

Appearance

You only have one time to make a first impression. You want to make your resume short and sweet, memorable, clear and easy to read. Employers read resumes multiple times while they try to come up with candidates to schedule interviews with. If you make key points on your resume easy to find without relying on them to make notes, your resume will be more memorable.

Network

Sometimes the best thing you can do is know people. Education is a key, but to keep more doors open and opportunities available, networking, being friendly and helping people out will come around to help you in the future. I’ve found this to be true myself. In most company management manuals, fraternization is frowned upon. I believe you need to do the right thing if a weird situation pops up in the future, but connecting with people at a personal, non-work level, will help you out. Everybody wants to feel they have friends and not just people they speak to at work because they have to. Check out LINKEDIN.com.

Target Your Job Search

Don’t apply for every job available at a company. This will show management that you are unsure as to what you excel at and may put you out of consideration for any of the positions.

Recession-resistant Careers

• Health care
• Education
• Security
• Environmental Sciences
• Government

More Information From CareerBuilder

Recession Proof Jobs

Resume Blunders

All CareerBuilder Articles (VERY Informative)

Own or Rent

I am looking to buy a house.

I came across this great article that makes you think to be sure you are choosing the right option for your situation.

This came directly from the News and Observer Parade:

“Before the housing boom went bust this year, homeownership was considered a good investment. But now, with the rash of mortgage foreclosures, renting may be a more attractive option. Here’s why.

Renting can save money.

According to the popular myth, renters are just throwing there money away. But the reality is that when you buy a home, you’re paying for closing fees, mortgage interest, property taxes, private homeowners’ insurance and maintenance — costs that return nothing on your investment. You’d be better off banking that money or putting it into the stock market. IN fact, a recent study by Fidelity Investments indicates that stocks provided investors with nearly 4.6% higher average returns in the last 45 years than real estate.

Homeowners’ tax deductions are overstated.

Conventional wisdom says that buying a home saves you money because the mortgage interest is tax-deductible. But a study by the National Multi Housing Council points out that half of homeowners don’t get a break, because even with mortgage interest and property taxes, their total deductions do not exceed the stanard federal tax deduction ($10,900 for couples and $5450 for singles).

There are more options available to renters.

With fewer houses and condos selling, more owners are converting their properties into rentals or providing incentives to lure prospective tenants. In condo-heavy cities such as Palm Beach, Fla., for example - where the vacancy rate has jumped 2.5% - investors are undercutting apartment rates to generate interest.  A lot of people are offering three free months to attract renters, says Robert Smith, a real-estate adviser in Orlando, Fla.  And modern apartments offer amenities that may be unaffordable in a new home.

Renting Give you Flexibility.

Buying a home is a big commitment.  If you have to move for any reason-say, for work-your property would need to appreciate by at least 10% for you to recover your sales costs, which typically takes about five years.  Renting allows you the freedom and mobility you need to find the right job before you tie yourself to a massive home investment.”

With all of that said, I think that if you are planning on staying some where for 3 years or more, it would be a good idea to buy a house.  The way I see it, most of the money you put into a house, you get back - instead of renting, you get absolutely nothing back.  Even if your property starts to decrease in value, which is a one in a million chance, you still aren’t losing as much money as if you were renting.

I am actively looking for a house/townhouse as of now.  My lease for my apartment is up August and hopefully I will find a place before the deadline for me to resign comes up.  I would like to find a roommate that I know and trust so I would have more spending money - but I am very independent, so it will be hard to find anyone I’d want to live with.  Either way though, I will be updating my experience of purchasing a home, or, if I have to sign a lease again because I ran out of time.

Hillary and Obama Gas Tax Debate

Hillary wants to temporarily and minimally reduce gas prices by putting a cap on the gas tax. This sounds great to people in need right now. Obama wants to create alternative fuels, which would help us out in the long run and he does not support the temporary and minimal relief that Hillary is calling for. Hillary is taking that fact and portraying it as negative in her television ads. When the real fact is, he doesn’t support it BECAUSE he wants to do something BETTER.

I would support Obama over Hillary at this point in the race. The long-term economy is more important than today, in my opinion. Hillary can help us out and save us $30 a year right now with the gas tax cap, but that will not solve the use of gas with the increasing amount of vehicles on the road. The ideas Obama has spoken about show he is more for the people.