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Monday, December 29, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Jukebox V
The further along I get in the jukebox...the more I realize that I don't listen to a lot of new music. Most of my music is reflective of certain periods of my life. Kenny Chesney and Sugarland are going to be the music that reminds me of this period in my life.
Anyway...here is my latest installment of the iPhone.
1. These Arms of Mine - Otis Redding
I am not the only one who likes this song. Patrick Swayze is also a fan, or so it seems. This song is playing during two of his loves scenes Dirty Dancing (w/ Jennifer Grey) and Road House (w/ Kelly Lynch) .
2. Fire & Rain - James Taylor
I love this song. I am a complete dork!
3. If I Fall in Love - Shai
4. End of the Road - Boyz II Men
These two get bunched together because they are interlocked for me. When I was in the 10th grade my buddy Daniel and I walked from school to the Wherehouse to pick up a couple of CDs. These were the very first CDs that I ever owned. My first 5 CDs in order: 1.) ...If I Ever Fall In Love, 2.) Boomerang Soundtrack, 3.) Ooooooohhh...On The TLC Tip TLC, 4.) What's the 411? Mary J. Blige, and 5.) Doggystyle Snoop Dogg. End of the Road came on a soundtrack to the Eddie Murphy movie Boomerang. At one point they battled for the top spot on MTVs top 20 countdown (back when MTV actually played music videos).
5. Lately - Jodeci
I know that Stevie Wonder originally released this song, but the Jodeci version resonates with me. I am not totally sure why - except I am a sucker for ballads.
6. Keep You - Sugarland
Didn't I already mention Jennifer Nettles voice??? So soothing to me - Mac and I love listening to the Sugarland CD over and over and over again. It is playing whenever we are in the car.
7. Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers
C'mon who doesn't remember the scene from Ghost??? Here I go again with Patrick Swayze - Jennifer Grey to Kelly Lynch to Demi Moore - they just got hotter for him.
8. For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
It feels like this song should be in the movie Forrest Gump - I actually don't know if it is. Either way, I love oldies.
I realized that while I was writing this down, a lot of the songs remind me of movies. Therefore, I am going to post very soon my favorite movies.
Anyway...here is my latest installment of the iPhone.
1. These Arms of Mine - Otis Redding
I am not the only one who likes this song. Patrick Swayze is also a fan, or so it seems. This song is playing during two of his loves scenes Dirty Dancing (w/ Jennifer Grey) and Road House (w/ Kelly Lynch) .
2. Fire & Rain - James Taylor
I love this song. I am a complete dork!
3. If I Fall in Love - Shai
4. End of the Road - Boyz II Men
These two get bunched together because they are interlocked for me. When I was in the 10th grade my buddy Daniel and I walked from school to the Wherehouse to pick up a couple of CDs. These were the very first CDs that I ever owned. My first 5 CDs in order: 1.) ...If I Ever Fall In Love, 2.) Boomerang Soundtrack, 3.) Ooooooohhh...On The TLC Tip TLC, 4.) What's the 411? Mary J. Blige, and 5.) Doggystyle Snoop Dogg. End of the Road came on a soundtrack to the Eddie Murphy movie Boomerang. At one point they battled for the top spot on MTVs top 20 countdown (back when MTV actually played music videos).
5. Lately - Jodeci
I know that Stevie Wonder originally released this song, but the Jodeci version resonates with me. I am not totally sure why - except I am a sucker for ballads.
6. Keep You - Sugarland
Didn't I already mention Jennifer Nettles voice??? So soothing to me - Mac and I love listening to the Sugarland CD over and over and over again. It is playing whenever we are in the car.
7. Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers
C'mon who doesn't remember the scene from Ghost??? Here I go again with Patrick Swayze - Jennifer Grey to Kelly Lynch to Demi Moore - they just got hotter for him.
8. For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
It feels like this song should be in the movie Forrest Gump - I actually don't know if it is. Either way, I love oldies.
I realized that while I was writing this down, a lot of the songs remind me of movies. Therefore, I am going to post very soon my favorite movies.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Things they don't teach you in school...
Bill Gates gave these 11 rules at a High School a few years back. I got this forwarded to me by a friend years ago - I feel compelled to share it.
Rule 1
Life is not fair - get used to it.
Rule 2
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3
You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with car phone, until you earn both.
Rule 4
If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.
Rule 5
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping they called it Opportunity.
Rule 6
If you mess up,it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7
Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8
Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9
Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10
Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11
Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
The rules are taken from the book Dumbing Down our Kids by educator Charles Sykes. Maybe one day when I am feeling crazy I will write a post about my opinions of public education. Ah well, this is definitely a post for another day!
Rule 1
Life is not fair - get used to it.
Rule 2
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3
You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with car phone, until you earn both.
Rule 4
If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.
Rule 5
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping they called it Opportunity.
Rule 6
If you mess up,it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7
Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8
Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9
Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10
Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11
Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
The rules are taken from the book Dumbing Down our Kids by educator Charles Sykes. Maybe one day when I am feeling crazy I will write a post about my opinions of public education. Ah well, this is definitely a post for another day!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
My Jukebox IV...
I really love posting about music. It is a huge part of who I am. I hope that you enjoy it...
1. Before I Let You Go - BLACKstreet
I don't know what it is about this song - I just love it!
2. Demons - Kenny Chesney
First, I love his voice. Second, he gives an amazing concert. This year is the first year in the last 4 that we have not been to one of his concerts. 2009 will definitely be different. I would love to see Kenny in Vegas - he always plays Mandalay Bay - I hear it is an amazing venue for a concert. Third, his lyrics definitely speak to me. Read the lyrics - listen to the song. Amazing!!!!!
3. I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles
When I hear this song - I think of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. No idea why!
4. In Christ Alone - Travis Cottrell
And as he stands in victory - sin's curse has lost it's grip on me
Amazing...listen for yourself!!!!
5. Just As I Am - Nichole Nordeman
My Pastor has been talking a lot about love lately. And these lyrics speak to me, what kind of love in injury's place, would leave instead the stain of grace? So I come in sorrow and I come in shame, I come to the cross with my pain.
6. The Day the Earth Stood Still - Brian McKnight
Years ago Hanssie and I went to a Brian McKnight concert at Universal Studios. We sat in the last row and got to hear first hand Brian's compelling vocals. During the concert he stopped singing his songs and gave his testimony and sang a few hymns. His concert truly endeared me to him - as I love each and every one of his albums. This song is great...
7. Please Don't Pass Me By - Fred Hammond
Tamara Lands was the secretary of the Christian Studies department at Cal Baptist when I went to school there. I did not live on campus, so I had nowhere to go during the breaks in my schedule, so most of the time I ended up in her office talking. She gave me a CD of a gospel singer (Fred Hammond) and I have been hooked ever since. This is my favorite Fred Hammond song...listen!
8. Imagine - John Lennon
I just like this song - although it probably doesn't fit in this list, it is what I am listening to.
1. Before I Let You Go - BLACKstreet
I don't know what it is about this song - I just love it!
2. Demons - Kenny Chesney
First, I love his voice. Second, he gives an amazing concert. This year is the first year in the last 4 that we have not been to one of his concerts. 2009 will definitely be different. I would love to see Kenny in Vegas - he always plays Mandalay Bay - I hear it is an amazing venue for a concert. Third, his lyrics definitely speak to me. Read the lyrics - listen to the song. Amazing!!!!!
3. I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles
When I hear this song - I think of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. No idea why!
4. In Christ Alone - Travis Cottrell
And as he stands in victory - sin's curse has lost it's grip on me
Amazing...listen for yourself!!!!
5. Just As I Am - Nichole Nordeman
My Pastor has been talking a lot about love lately. And these lyrics speak to me, what kind of love in injury's place, would leave instead the stain of grace? So I come in sorrow and I come in shame, I come to the cross with my pain.
6. The Day the Earth Stood Still - Brian McKnight
Years ago Hanssie and I went to a Brian McKnight concert at Universal Studios. We sat in the last row and got to hear first hand Brian's compelling vocals. During the concert he stopped singing his songs and gave his testimony and sang a few hymns. His concert truly endeared me to him - as I love each and every one of his albums. This song is great...
7. Please Don't Pass Me By - Fred Hammond
Tamara Lands was the secretary of the Christian Studies department at Cal Baptist when I went to school there. I did not live on campus, so I had nowhere to go during the breaks in my schedule, so most of the time I ended up in her office talking. She gave me a CD of a gospel singer (Fred Hammond) and I have been hooked ever since. This is my favorite Fred Hammond song...listen!
8. Imagine - John Lennon
I just like this song - although it probably doesn't fit in this list, it is what I am listening to.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Loan Updates for 2009
The Big Three executives spent two consecutive days on Capitol Hill this past week pleading for as much as $34 billion in loans to help their industry survive.
The focus of the economy has shifted in the past few weeks. The list used to be topped by failing banks (but those are a dime a dozen) and the growing unemployment rates. Now, the the failing Big Three seems to be the most important thing to our politicians.
Side Note - when did we stop allowing companies to fail? I am so anti big government it is ridiculous. I am against any form of bailout. We have allowed these companies to make SO much money, now after a series of bad decisions (don't get me started on these) we are going to bail them out.
Having said that - mortgages really need to be on our radar too. There are some changes coming. Here is a cliff notes version of some of these changes:
FHA
* 3.5% minimum down
* 620 minimum FICO
* 580 FICO with compensating factors (if the other 2 are strong they may over look the lower FICO)
- FICO
- Income
- Down
* 6% maximum allowable concessions
* $355k maximum loan - Inland Empire
Conventional
These loans vary so much from one mortgage company to another. However, there are a couple of interesting items:
* $417k maximum loan - Inland Empire
* 10% minimum down
* 30 yr fixed 5.375% (currently) - possibly as low as 4.5% - more on this later!
* 5/1 ARM 5.875% I/O (currently)
The focus of the economy has shifted in the past few weeks. The list used to be topped by failing banks (but those are a dime a dozen) and the growing unemployment rates. Now, the the failing Big Three seems to be the most important thing to our politicians.
Side Note - when did we stop allowing companies to fail? I am so anti big government it is ridiculous. I am against any form of bailout. We have allowed these companies to make SO much money, now after a series of bad decisions (don't get me started on these) we are going to bail them out.
Having said that - mortgages really need to be on our radar too. There are some changes coming. Here is a cliff notes version of some of these changes:
FHA
* 3.5% minimum down
* 620 minimum FICO
* 580 FICO with compensating factors (if the other 2 are strong they may over look the lower FICO)
- FICO
- Income
- Down
* 6% maximum allowable concessions
* $355k maximum loan - Inland Empire
Conventional
These loans vary so much from one mortgage company to another. However, there are a couple of interesting items:
* $417k maximum loan - Inland Empire
* 10% minimum down
* 30 yr fixed 5.375% (currently) - possibly as low as 4.5% - more on this later!
* 5/1 ARM 5.875% I/O (currently)
Monday, December 8, 2008
Family Photos 2008
A few weeks ago my family went to Redlands (the town I grew up in) to take our family pictures. I thought I would take a moment and share them with all of you.
Thank you Cean for the beautiful pictures.
Thank you Cean for the beautiful pictures.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
USC 28, UCLA 7
I was going to write a huge post about USC v. UCLA - but at the end of the day, all that matter is that SC won 28-7. Outside of a horrible game in 2006, Pete Carroll has dominated UCLA. Pete avenged the 2001 loss to Rick Neuheisel's Washington Huskies.
Bring on the Nittany Lions.
Fight On!!!!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Are you running today?
A few weeks ago I was at Berrysweet getting frozen yogurt with my family. We were waiting in line and I lost my balance and fell into this guy (probably because I was acting like a spaz). Anyway, he helped me regain my balance and we went on about our business. This was on a Sunday night...
Wednesday night my family and I are at church registering for Awana for our daughter and I bump into the same guy. Again we go about our business without any introduction.
On Friday, we are at lunch for my wife's birthday and wouldn't you know it - the same guy! Three times in one week is too much, so I walk up to him and introduce myself. He is a mortgage officer and we exchange cards.
A couple of weeks later he calls me and tells me that he wants me to look into Mona Vie - I guess he is a distributor of the fruity beverage. A long story short, he and I met this morning for a cup of tea at a local coffee shop so he can share the story of Mona Vie.
It really was a pleasant time. Stephen is a great guy and we talked for about an hour. He gave me a bottle of Mona Vie and shared the following proverb - and I can't stop thinking about it.
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up and knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up and knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve.
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you better start running.
- African Proverb
As someone who is in business for himself - and someone whose wife is about to be in business for herself (visit her site at Hanssie Trainor Photography)...this is a valuable (albeit cliche) lesson. Successful people are not standing around waiting. They are moving. They are making things happen.
My grandfather spent the last 30 years of his life as a Chaplain. I remember going to work with him and barely being able to keep up. He was in his sixties and I was a teenager. He was a great example to me.
Just a thought - good luck today!
Wednesday night my family and I are at church registering for Awana for our daughter and I bump into the same guy. Again we go about our business without any introduction.
On Friday, we are at lunch for my wife's birthday and wouldn't you know it - the same guy! Three times in one week is too much, so I walk up to him and introduce myself. He is a mortgage officer and we exchange cards.
A couple of weeks later he calls me and tells me that he wants me to look into Mona Vie - I guess he is a distributor of the fruity beverage. A long story short, he and I met this morning for a cup of tea at a local coffee shop so he can share the story of Mona Vie.
It really was a pleasant time. Stephen is a great guy and we talked for about an hour. He gave me a bottle of Mona Vie and shared the following proverb - and I can't stop thinking about it.
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up and knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up and knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve.
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you better start running.
- African Proverb
As someone who is in business for himself - and someone whose wife is about to be in business for herself (visit her site at Hanssie Trainor Photography)...this is a valuable (albeit cliche) lesson. Successful people are not standing around waiting. They are moving. They are making things happen.
My grandfather spent the last 30 years of his life as a Chaplain. I remember going to work with him and barely being able to keep up. He was in his sixties and I was a teenager. He was a great example to me.
Just a thought - good luck today!
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