Life In The Weeds

How Big is Yours?

The first week of January always brings out the latest and greatest in electronics with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.  The NY Post ran a great article on some of the BIG televisions that are on display (and sale) right now...

With the Super Bowl on the horizon, it might be time to get one of these:

* Mitsubishi 82-inch -- The SUV of TVs. It's two yards wide and suitable for a (gulp) 8,000-square-foot room. $3,200 (add another $1,000 for 3D)

* Mitsubishi 75-inch rear projection with laser -- Includes a service for streaming new movies. $7,000

* Mitsubishi 73-inch 3D -- The biggest bang for the buck. So popular, Amazon is sold out. $2,700

* LG 72-inch "Dynamic" 3D -- Darling of the upcoming electronics show. Not on the market yet and no price listed.

* Panasonic 65-inch, flat-panel Plasma -- Considered a professional-quality picture for gamers at a price few stoners can afford. $2,000

* Samsung 65-inch LED LCD -- The biggest and baddest out right now. It has its own WiFi, and they throw in a couple pairs of 3D glasses. $6,000

* Vizio 65-inch 3D -- The Chevy of big sets. A lot of 3D for the dough. $3,500

* Samsung 63-inch Plasma -- You can get high-quality plasma smaller, but then you'll always wonder what the bigger one is like. $2,000 ($3,000 with 3D)

Talk about an inferiority complex!

mj

This Winter, Make it a Full Cord

It's getting cold outside, and as such, many folks will be turning to their fireplaces for some extra warmth...there is really nothing quite like a roaring fire during the cold days of winter.

I'm lucky enough to have lots of fallen trees off the back of my property, so purchasing wood is not part of my winter routine. However, many people need to purchase wood and get it delivered.  

I am going to go out on a limb and bet that most people really do not just how much wood they are buying.  They call up and ask for a cord of wood and find a pile in their driveway when they get home...seems right?

For the record, one cord of wood equals a volume 4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet, or 128 cubic feet.  For a visual reference, imagine a 4-by-8-foot sheet of plywood on the ground, stacked with 4 feet high of wood. 

A filled half-ton pickup is not a cord of wood.

mj

Miracle Product

Do you take your dishes out of the dishwasher and wonder if the dishwasher is working correctly?

Do you live in an area where this hard water?

Let me introduce you to a product that will make your dishes look like new when removed from the dishwasher: Lemi Shine.

Buy it, use it, love it!

mj

Hyundai Sonata - Review

My buddy Irish and I have been talking about what a great value the Hyundai Sonata is...it looks great and is definitely worth considering on the next car purchase.  So, two weeks ago, my brother pulled the trigger on the Sonata...

Here is a [guest blogger] review of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata:

Keeping in mind I painfully relinquished my ultimate driving machine for a more affordable and family-friendly set of wheels...that said, the marketing campaign for the Sonata seems pretty accurate to me…a LOT of car for the buck.  I got the Limited for mid 20k’s…

Even with a BMW, I never have been an “engine/power guy” so I really don’t spend a lot of time thinking about pick-up and RPM’s...no doubt, however, the Sonata is not a growler under the hood, but after those 6 seconds the car drives the same speed as any other car commuting around town.  Also, unlike an Avalanche (my other car) or Suburban where the fuel gauge moves as you watch; I have driven for a week and still have half a tank of gas!

Love the exterior styling and I’m pretty impressed with the interior.  Very comfortable, nice headroom and spacious…please note we test drove with 3 kids in the back to confirm leg room etc…Plenty of space.  My kids are not full grown however, and this won't be the primary family vehicle, but it works for the 10% of the time I’m hauling them around in this car.  Very different than stuffing them in the back of my very unpractical coupe with only 2 seat belts and no rear leg room for a Sunday Paper.

Trunk is huge…which means I can now actually fit my sticks without a six step process and probable damage to my R9 driver.

Sonata has lots of technology that was really easy to learn and implement.  Love the key-less entry/start.   More places to store/misplace my phone and sunglasses than I’ve been able to count quite yet.

Ran over a large squirrel last night, and saw no visible damage which is a good thing.  Not sure it would fare as well against your deer population which I heard is almost a 1:1 ratio with cars on the road.

Think I covered everything…here’s to Korean know-how.  Of course, my Marine father/ Korean War Vet has disowned me as a traitor!

hjs for mj

 

Clean Your Gutters!

Yes, my mind is always in the gutter...I'll admit, I'm gutter obsessed!  Hhmm, okay, for this 'post" we are talking about the gutters on your house!

As Fall approaches, do yourself a favor...look up at your gutters; iflife is growing from them, they need to be cleaned.  One of the single most important things you can do to avoid water problems in your basement is cleaning your gutters!

For me, there is nothing better than a little peace of mind during a rain storm knowing that my gutters are doing their JOB!

It doesn't take all that long and it well worth the trouble!

mj

Good works - for whom

Upon their death, would you be willing to assume the responsibility for repaying your parents and grandparents debt? You might say ... yes, no, or it depends on how much it is. Suppose it was the law that you had to repay. Let's further suppose that your parents were maxing out numerous credit cards and double-mortgaging their home. But, they used those funds for good works - buying internet connections and computers for schools, new bathrooms in national parks and needles for heroin users to lessen their chance of getting Aids. You'd probably beg, plead and argue with them to stop accumulating debt - you might even take legal action to stop them. 

If you wouldn't let your parents or grandparents do this to you, then why are you letting your politicians do this to you, your kids and your grandkids? The government debt that has already been accumulated and will continue to pile up from spending on programs that are either unnecessary or could be delayed is going to stifle your kid's life. The debt load will cause taxes to skyrocket because the government is obligated to repay the debt and taxes are the government's only source of income. More government debt = higher payments = higher taxes = less income for citizens = less  opportunity for your kids to live the life they want. Your kids will have less opportunity than you did to buy a house, start a business, support their favorite charity, send their kids to college or care for an elder parent because the government will be taking over 70% of their hard earned income.

Don't let the fancy jargon, politicians or talking heads fool you, this issue as is as simple as the example outlined above. If you wouldn't let Dad or Gran spend needlessly, don't let your politician do it.

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

Can you do better?

Tim Manners publishes "Cool News of the Day", which - surprise, surprise - includes short interesting stories about marketing, culture, business and entertainment. I read it everyday. 

So, you want to save money when you shop but haggling is not your style because you either feel intimidated, shy or incapable. Tim tells how easy it can be. 

When Brenda Perkins is shopping at Wal-Mart, her mantra is not quite the retailer's slogan, "Save Money. Live Better". It's: "Can you do better?"

That simple question netted Brenda a two-dollar discount on a blue-paisley fabric that otherwise would've cost her $4.99 per yard. Brenda scored another bargaining coup "at Macy's last summer when she asked the manager if he could dig up any discontinued flatware." She explains: "If you can take that merchandise right then and there, you'd be surprised what you can take off the floor."

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.