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Make a Note
August 1st, 2007
CIRCULATION - 33,925 (From Around the World! :-)
WEB SITE VISITORS - 124,922 http://home.att.net/~make-a-note/index.htm
A Free Twice Monthly (1st and 3d Wednesday of each month) Ezine with
(Hopefully) Useful Info on a Wide Variety of Topics
In This Issue:
~~Info for Glove Compartments of Cars
~~Finding Lost Children at the Beach
~~Selling Your Home/Open Houses and Deposits
~~Postage Thickness Tip
~~Recipe: Top Chef Recipes Website
~~Back Issue Treasure: March 1st, 2006 Issue
(Best Companies to Work For, Realtor Lockboxes, Alzheimer Helps, 5
Can Casserole, & More)
~~Missing: JESUS MERINO-MENDOZA
~~Final Words (Joke, Quote, Contact Info)
NOTE: Each entry has a suggested "POST IT..." location
at the end. We recommend that you print out the ezine,
cut out each entry, & post it in these locations to
make it easier for you to find when you need it. And
if you like what you read, be sure to pass it on to
someone else who can use it.
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INFO FOR GLOVE COMPARTMENTS OF CARS
A loved one is unconscious after a car accident & can't give an emergency
contact's number, your car breaks down and you have to try to find a
reputable tow service by just looking in the phone book, and do you know
your mechanic's address so you can tell them where to tow it? A reputable
body shop's address if you are in an accident? There was a big
misunderstanding and you have been arrested, do you have the number of a
reputable bail bondsman or criminal attorney? Now these types of situations
may not happen every day, or even every year, but when you are in trouble,
you may not have time to ask around & do some research to find the best
person to call. You should have a card or paper in your glove compartment,
probably as well as your wallet with the following info. First, a list of
any family members who might be in the car with names, phone numbers (home,
cell, work), address, dates of birth, and any allergies or medications that
might affect emergency treatment. Second, the name & phone number of a tow
service that works in your area; ask your mechanic for a recommendation or
check the Better Business Bureau's website ( www.bbb.org ). You might also
want to Google their name for articles that might indicate whether they are
reputable or have had problems. Third, the phone number and address of your
mechanic, if your car has mechanical problems, so you can have it towed
directly there. If you don't have a good mechanic, ask around & check the
Better Business Bureau. Fourth, the phone number and address of a body
shop, in case you are in an accident, so you can give the tow service the
location to have it towed. If you don't know a good body shop, ask your
mechanic to recommend one. On the mechanic & body shop, call them & make
sure you can have the car towed there without advance warning after hours or
if they have a locked lot. On a side note, even if you have to pay a little
extra, it is usually better to have it towed to the businesses you know are
good. Fifth, the name & phone number of a good criminal attorney, just in
case. Even if you are innocent, you should get a criminal attorney if you
are facing criminal charges. If you don't know a good one, then ask other
types of attorneys that you have used for a recommendation. Finally, ask
the criminal attorney to recommend a good Bail Bondsman. God willing,
you'll never need any of this info, but there's no computer or unlimited
phone calls at the scene of an accident, or in a jail cell, to research
businesses. There are a lot of people who take advantage of you in
situations like these, so do the research and pray you'll never need it. If
you spend a lot of time in another area, it is also good to research that
area as well. If you need info while on the road, in an unfamiliar town,
ask the police or a local church for recommendations. POST IT...in your
glove compartments.
* * * * * * *
FINDING LOST CHILDREN AT THE BEACH
As the summer winds down, a lot of you may be heading out for that last trip
to the beach. If you have younger children in your group, then I think you
will find this article, very informative. Go to...
http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=25&sid=1196523
The AP interviewed Ocean City, MD lifeguards who provided info that would
help anyone looking for a lost child. It is a busy beach with as many as
100 children reported missing in a day, about 2,000 a season, and the beach
is only 10 miles long! Some of their tips are knowing what the kids are
wearing, that lost kids tend to stick out like a sore thumb, that they are
rarely in the water (and even more rarely have drowned, this particular
lifeguard hasn't seen a drowning in his 36 years working the beach), don't
underestimate how far the child might have walked (some have walked to
Delaware), and they tend to walk whatever way the wind is blowing, so the
wind would be at their backs. Help kids to pick out a landmark near where
your gear is set up, teach them to go to a lifeguard, police officer, or
even a mom with kids to ask for help in finding their family. POST
IT...with your beach gear.
* * * * * * *
SELLING YOUR HOME/OPEN HOUSES AND DEPOSITS
This is a tough market, but here a couple of tips to minimize the hassle.
First, after experiencing 2 months of closing delays with a less than honest
realtor myself, another realtor had a great tip. On any deposit paperwork,
where they put down the initial deposit, have a clause in the paperwork that
any delay in closing dates requires an addition to the original deposit. So
if the potential buyers put down a $3000 deposit with a closing date of
April 1st, then they have to delay for whatever reason, then, in order to
continue holding the house for them, they are required to put more money
into the deposit, say $1000. This would apply to EVERY delay. This will
help to limit delays, and also balance the risk the sellers are taking by
continuing to deal with the buyers. Second, on the topic of Open Houses, I
just don't think they are worth the hassle. When I researched the topic, I
found only one statistic, that only 3% of homes are sold through open
houses. I found a LOT of articles and postings by realtors, saying that the
majority of people who come to open houses are neighbors or people who can't
afford the house. Realtors like open houses because they make contact with
potential new clients, it "makes" the people clean up their house (but if
you keep it clean anyway...), they can redirect people to houses they might
buy, it makes the seller feel like the realtor is doing something, and the
publicity helps get the realtor's name out there for viewing. All of these
reasons were listed by REALTORS in the articles. But it is very rare that
houses are sold through open houses, which is why a lot of realtors send a
novice associate to host the open house. Now if that 3% is worth it to you,
a buyer is a buyer, but in our experience (about 8 open houses in 3 months),
it isn't worth it. To me, being put out of my own house for several hours,
over several days, is not worth the 3% chance a buyer might attend. Now the
realtors did say that an Open House for Agents was a good thing, because it
gives the agents a chance to see the property & bring clients back to see
it. In the end, it just depends on just how much 3% could affect your
situation. POST IT...with your mortgage paperwork.
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POSTAGE THICKNESS TIP
As we reported earlier, the new postage rules don't just factor weight, but
also size and thickness of envelopes. A postal clerk gave me a great tip
for trying to figure out the thickness of items. She said that the clerks
are taught that if an item is 1/4" thick, then it would be like someone
sticking a pencil into the envelope. If an item is 3/4" thick, then it
would be like someone standing a penny on edge in the envelope. POST
IT...with your new postage rates chart.
* * * * * * *
RECIPES: TOP CHEF RECIPES WEBSITE
Many of you have appreciated the info on websites that have a variety of
recipes to choose from, so here's another Make a Note favorite.
http://recipes.bravotv.com/top_chef/season_3/
In this Bravo TV show, 15 successful chefs from across the USA, compete to
win Top Chef title, plus money and other prizes. The competitions involve a
Quickfire Challenge, where they have to prepare something in 30 min with
particular rules for the dish (winner is immune from elimination for that
round), and the Elimination Challenge, which usually involves preparing a
larger project over several hours. It truly is like watching artists work,
and it always amazes me how creative the competitors are. If you are
looking for quick recipes, look for the Quickfire ones; if you're looking
for something fancier, then check out the Elimination Challenge recipes.
POST IT...on your computer, and maybe in your TV Guide.
* * * * * * *
BACK ISSUE TREASURE: March 1st, 2006 Issue
(Best Companies to Work For, Realtor Lockboxes, Alzheimer Helps, 5
Can Casserole, & More)
Summer is a great time for looking for a new job. Check out our article on
the Best Companies to Work For to see where you might want to apply. Find
out why you might want to ask your realtor for an over-the-door lockbox. We
also have tips for those whose loved ones have Alzheimer's, as well as a 5
Can Casserole recipe. All this and more in this great Back Issue Treasure.
To retrieve this back issue and many others, follow the directions below.
POST IT...on your computer.
BACK ISSUE RETRIEVAL
~~Via Web Site (All Issues...Eventually):
http://home.att.net/~make-a-note/index.htm , then click on "Back Issues",
then scroll down to desired issue.
~~Via Automated Email (Issues from 8/98 to Present): Send a blank email to
make-a-note-issues@xc.org and follow directions you will receive by return
email.
~~Via Request to Editor (ONLY Issues Prior to 8/98 for Readers UNABLE to
Access Web Sites): Send date of requested issue to Editor at
make-a-note@worldnet.att.net
* * * * * * *
MISSING: JESUS MERINO-MENDOZA
Jesus (3-yr-old, Hispanic male, brown short cropped hair, brown eyes, 3', 30
lbs, faint V-shaped birthmark on forehead, last seen wearing a blue jersey
style tank top w/a number on the front, blue shorts, and sandals) was last
seen at his Portland, OR, USA home on July, 26, 2007. He is believed to have
been kidnapped by his mentally unstable father, Jesus "Chu Cho" Leyva
(37-yr-old, Hispanic male, black hair, brown eyes, 5'5", 180 lbs). They may
be headed to Mexico, but were last seen in Merced, CA. CAUTION IS ADVISED.
Here is a link to photos (NOTE: Father is now clean shaven & has shorter
hair than in the photo on the poster) and a poster you can print out.
http://www.ncmec.org/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster
&caseNum=1076073&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US
Remember to type in the full link if it wraps to the next line. Or go to...
www.ncmec.org and enter in his name. POST IT...in your car or business,
esp. if you are in the area between Merced, CA and Mexico.
* * * * * * * *
FINAL WORDS
JOKE
Recently, when I went to McDonald's I saw on the menu that you could have an
order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen Nuggets.
"We don't have a half dozen nuggets," said the teenager at the counter.
"You don't?" I replied. "We only have six, nine, or twelve," was the reply.
"So I can't order half a dozen nuggets, but I can order six?" "That's
right," said the teen. So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets.
QUOTE
"No person with inner dignity is ever embarrassed!"
~~Frank Gilbreth (1868-1924, bricklayer, building contractor, but primarily
remembered for being an efficiency expert with 12 children, immortalized in
the ORIGINAL movie, "Cheaper By The Dozen")
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