The World Has Turned And Left Me Here

John Edwards has been indicted on six counts, accused of conspiracy, taking illegal campaign contributions and making false statements.  I can't help but feel that it's deserved, and that karma will find it's way back to him.  Maybe this is the start.

Clarice Taylor, the stage and screen vet who found her greatest fame playing Bill Cosby's mom, Anna Huxtable, on The Cosby Show, has died at the age of 93.

Her publicist says Taylor succumbed to heart failure on Monday in Englewood, N.J.

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b244972_grandma_huxtable_rip_cosby_show_star.html#ixzz1OQ0Q1wyr

The Sixth Sense's Haley Joel Osment is 23?  Good lord, I feel old.

I read an interesting article on Live Science about how our genes have an influence on who we become friends with.

You may have more in common with your friends than a shared sense of humor or a penchant for the same bar. A new study finds that friends often resemble each other at the level of their genomes – though certain genes may influence people to bond with others who aren't like them.

Research has shown that birds of a feather do, in fact, flock together most of the time: People tend to become friends with people similar to themselves. Studies have also shown that that people's friendship styles – the number of friends they have and how central they are in their social network – are influenced by genetics.

You Are Mellow

You prefer music that is on the ambient and chill side. You're big on setting the right mood. You are allergic to drama, and you often find yourself wishing that everyone would just calm the heck down! You think the world is a beautiful place if you step back and look at it. It's all about perspective. You believe it's important to appreciate what you have - no matter how big or small. Gratitude is key.

The Cassette Tape Test

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

 I'm not a huge football fan.  I'll check it out occasionally, and I do watch the Super Bowl, but I'm not a live-by-my-team, die-by-my-team kinda guy.  I AM a fan, however, of using your position to do good in the world, and that's what the NFL did today.  With October being cancer awareness month, some of the players were using pink gloves and pink cleats (ok, not ALL pink).  There were pink towels, and the balls all had a pink cancer ribbon on them.  I know baseball does this, and I'm pretty sure hockey does too.  Not sure about the NBA, though.  Anybody know for sure?

Taste is going on now, which I love.  Spent some time there yesterday and got to hear Gavin Rossdale (of Bush) perform.  That was pretty sweet, and he was great.  Next week is Rob Thomas, which I'm really looking forward to.

Patrick and I are gonna go work out, and then I think Amy and I are going out to see a movie and have some dinner.

Weekends go by way too fast.

I'm not a big hockey fan, but I am happy that the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup last night.  People around here on pretty excited.

1. Protect Your Stuff with Renter’s Insurance

Nearly two in three college-age adults have no insurance protection, despite almost half reporting belongings worth more than $10,000, according to a recent study from Allstate Insurance. The reason? Misperception of cost.

The truth is renter’s insurance is perfectly affordable; the national average is just $16 per month, according to Allstate. And the insurance protects your stuff against fire, theft and vandalism. Think of it this way: If a fire sweeps across your apartment destroying everything in it, is the ability to replace all of your stuff worth just four fancy cups o’joe a month?

2. Lease Your Apartment during Low-Season

Just like there’s a purchase season for homes, there’s a high- and low-season for renting. These seasons vary depending on your location, but typically follow demand. For example, in northern states, high season is often in the summer or when college kids are scooping up apartments. Low season, on the other hand, ordinarily occurs during the winter.

With apartment leasing, inventory dictates price, so your best bet is to lease your place during the low-season. Not only will you have a greater variety of apartments available to choose from, but you’ll be in a better position to negotiate price.

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Negotiate

You’re likely stuck with your rent payment for at least a year, so get the best deal you can! Before you start negotiations, make sure you have all the information your landlord has about you, including your credit report and score. To take a peek at your credit report and score for free, no strings attached, swing by Quizzle.com.

To be a smart negotiator, you don’t have to be a seasoned salesman. Here are five tips to help you get the best deal:

• Know Your Neighborhood: Find out what comparable apartments are going for in your area, including any specials that are running.
• Know Your Apartment Complex: Is your complex completely occupied or are there a lot of units available? The more empty apartments your landlord has, the more willing he may be to negotiate.
• Time It Right: Make sure to give yourself enough time to negotiate so if dealings fall through, you can find another place.
• Promote Yourself: Tell your landlord why you make a good tenant and give him reasons to keep you around.
• Think beyond Money: Your landlord might not be able to budge on rent, but may be willing to give you other perks like free storage, flexible move-in/out dates, premium parking or new carpet.

4. When Money’s Short, Talk to Your Landlord

This tactic doesn’t count if you spent your rent at the mall, bar or casino. But if you’re truly strapped for cash, talk to your landlord. There’s no guarantee a landlord can or will help, but if you don’t ask, you’re never giving him or her a chance. If you’ve experienced a hardship, your landlord may be willing to work out a payment plan with you, cut you some slack on your rent payment due date or help you get into an apartment that’s better suited for your situation.

5. Know Your Lease Terms and Termination Fees

Many landlords offer a variety of lease terms: six months, one year, two years, etc. Make sure you choose the lease term that fits your situation. Typically, the longer the lease term, the sweeter the deal. But, if life happens and you need to bail, breaking your lease could cost you. Before signing anything, take a look at your lease-break fee. Can you negotiate it? Is the potential cost worth it?

6. Know Your Rights

Just because you don’t own your home, doesn’t mean you don’t have rights. For example, if you rent a home from a landlord who then lets the house go into foreclosure, you may remain in your home through the end of your lease unless a home buyer purchases the home to live in, in which case you have 90 days to find a new place to live. You may get scary letters from the bank, lender and everyone who has financial interest in the house telling you to get out, but you signed a binding contract that protects you from being kicked out of your home without notice.

Different states have different protections for renters, so do your homework. If your landlord does something that feels unfair, you may have a legal recourse. There are numerous free law resources online for renters, as well as tenants’ rights organizations that you can contact for help.

7. Uncle Sam Likes Renters Too!

Many states offer a “Renter’s Credit” or “Homestead Property Tax Credit” when you do your income taxes. The credit is typically based on the difference between your household income and property taxes. As a renter, you may not directly pay property taxes, but your landlord does, and those taxes are figured into your monthly rent payment. Make sure you hang onto any receipts showing you paid your rent so you can provide the IRS with documentation should they request it.

In fact, demographers say this year could be the "tipping point" when the number of babies born to minorities outnumbers that of babies born to whites.

The numbers are growing because immigration to the U.S. has boosted the number of Hispanic women in their prime childbearing years. Minorities made up 48% of U.S. children born in 2008, the latest census estimates available, compared to 37% in 1990.

"Census projections suggest America may become a minority-majority country by the middle of the century. For America's children, the future is now," said Kenneth Johnson, a sociology professor at the University of New Hampshire who researched many of the racial trends in a paper being released Wednesday.

Johnson explained there are now more Hispanic women of prime childbearing age who tend to have more children than women of other races. More white women are waiting until they are older to have children, but it is not yet known whether that will have a noticeable effect on the current trend of increasing minority newborns.

Broken down by race, about 52% of babies born in 2008 were white. That's compared to about 25% who were Hispanic, 15% black and 4% Asian. Another 4% were identified by their parents as multiracial.

The numbers highlight the nation's growing racial and age divide, seen in pockets of communities across the U.S., which could heighten tensions in current policy debates from immigration reform and education to health care and Social Security.

 

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