Turn out the lights tonight

Google’s doing it, so it must be ok.

google - turn out the lights - Charlottesville

Turn off your lights at 8pm EDT - It’s symbolic and probably won’t really save much energy, but right now, every nickel counts (and it’s probably not too bad for the environment). Step outside, look at the starts and enjoy a beverage.

More at cVillain.

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March 29, 2008 | Filed Under Green, Off-topic | Leave a Comment 

You weren’t meant to have a boss

The beauty and persistent, driving fear of being a Realtor is that I don’t have a “boss” (other than my wife). This essay by Paul Graham is simply wonderful and accurately describes personality traits held by many successful Realtors and other entrepreneurs I know.

I was in Africa last year and saw a lot of animals in the wild that I’d only seen in zoos before. It was remarkable how different they seemed. Particularly lions. Lions in the wild seem about ten times more alive. They’re like different animals. And seeing those guys on their scavenger hunt was like seeing lions in a zoo after spending several years watching them in the wild.

Sure, we “set our own hours;” sometimes that means working at 0600 and sometimes that means working at 10:47 pm responding to offers. But no “boss” is telling me to do that - just my drive to meet and exceed my clients’ and my expectations.

March 23, 2008 | Filed Under Off-topic | 1 Comment 

Thursday Links 02-21-2008

Is there a correlation between zoning and the subprime crisis?

What is a short sale? We aren’t seeing that many of these in the Charlottesville area (yet).

More on foreclosures

Impact fees a form of governmental support? This is a particularly timely post in light of SB768 in the General Assembly.

If not interchanges on 29, then what are the solutions?

US students cannot compete

February 21, 2008 | Filed Under Off-topic | Leave a Comment 

Never look at it

Thanks, Greg.

January 22, 2008 | Filed Under Off-topic | 2 Comments 

Everyone should read this editorial

Slowly but surely, we seem to be relinquishing common sense and freedom.

Six years after the terrorist attacks of 2001, airport security remains a theater of the absurd. The changes put in place following the September 11th catastrophe have been drastic, and largely of two kinds: those practical and effective, and those irrational, wasteful and pointless.

The first variety have taken place almost entirely behind the scenes. Explosives scanning for checked luggage, for instance, was long overdue and is perhaps the most welcome addition. Unfortunately, at concourse checkpoints all across America, the madness of passenger screening continues in plain view. It began with pat-downs and the senseless confiscation of pointy objects. Then came the mandatory shoe removal, followed in the summer of 2006 by the prohibition of liquids and gels. We can only imagine what is next.

To understand what makes these measures so absurd, we first need to revisit the morning of September 11th, and grasp exactly what it was the 19 hijackers so easily took advantage of. Conventional wisdom says the terrorists exploited a weakness in airport security by smuggling aboard box-cutters. What they actually exploited was a weakness in our mindset — a set of presumptions based on the decades-long track record of hijackings.

In years past, a takeover meant hostage negotiations and standoffs; crews were trained in the concept of “passive resistance.” All of that changed forever the instant American Airlines Flight 11 collided with the north tower. What weapons the 19 men possessed mattered little; the success of their plan relied fundamentally on the element of surprise. And in this respect, their scheme was all but guaranteed not to fail.

For several reasons — particularly the awareness of passengers and crew — just the opposite is true today. Any hijacker would face a planeload of angry and frightened people ready to fight back. Say what you want of terrorists, they cannot afford to waste time and resources on schemes with a high probability of failure. And thus the September 11th template is all but useless to potential hijackers.

More at Boing Boing.

December 30, 2007 | Filed Under Off-topic | Leave a Comment 

Links for 20 December 2007

If you are buying or selling a home or happen to be a Realtor - pay attention to this - Risk-based pricing. Why exactly hasn’t been this done in the past?

Like it or not, if you’re going to be in just about any business these days, you’re going to be considered both a producer and publisher of content.

Its time to admit that the US is a global superpower in hock to parts of the world that should make us nervous. That’s the story of 2007.

Can you spot the self-interest? I’m not sayin’ - I’m just sayin’

Be aware of what your kids are doing online.

The HooK’s Year in Review issue is out

December 20, 2007 | Filed Under Off-topic | 1 Comment 

Growth, wine and 2 billion dollars

Oakencroft Vineyard

ASAP’s take on population growth in Albemarle - how many people is “too many”?

You want wine? We’ve got wine in Albemarle (and surrounding counties, too)
(pic courtesy of)

2 Billions dollars to increase UVA’s research stature?

A major report by the Washington Advisory Group consulting firm found that UVa will have to spend an estimated $1 billion over the next five to seven years to hire rising star faculty researchers in an effort to improve the overall quality of its research.

Might any of these star researchers want to buy houses in the Charlottesville area? :) The University’s impact on the Charlottesville region - economic, social, cultural and psychological - cannot be underestimated.

A very good (and unusual) use of Realtors’ lobbying efforts.

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December 17, 2007 | Filed Under General Real Estate, Off-topic, Wine | 1 Comment 

Friday links 12-14-2007

What’s so wrong with gravel roads? A great post about the value of rural gravel roads - and the values in keeping them that way.Gravel Road, thanks to ambientfusion  - http://www.flickr.com/photos/makasu/1236434150/

Right now I hate paying taxes because I feel like I’m giving money to a known crack addict. However much you give, its not enough. They will buy their crack, get a short term high and soon be back asking for more.

Holy cow, local politics are expensive!

MyEnergyLoan

Who needs gas stations when we can have banks everywhere?

A bill to make texting illegal while driving

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December 14, 2007 | Filed Under Off-topic | Leave a Comment 

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