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Children's Vaccines Health Center
Alternative Vaccine Schedule Stirs Debate
Dec. 29, 2008 -- A popular book that presents an alternative vaccine schedule for infants and toddlers is flawed, misguided, and puts children at significant risk of preventable diseases, the journal Pediatrics reports in a harshly-worded article.
The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child, by the widely-followed Robert Sears, MD, of Capistrano Beach, Calif., contains recommendations for vaccines that are at odds with those of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is dangerous, Paul Offit, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine, tells WebMD.
The book also undermines recommendations by the CDC and the American Academy of Family Physicians, Offit says.
His analysis of the book is published in the latest edition of Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Sears' book, which has become a best seller and is popular among parents leery of vaccines, has induced many to change vaccine schedules or avoid recommended vaccinations for their children, Offit tells WebMD.
"What he does is, he capitalizes on the current culture's fear of vaccines by saying, 'not only do I understand your fear but I will provide you with a mechanism whereby you can act on that fear,'" Offit says. "His method is to separate, delay, or withhold some vaccines. That means some children become more susceptible for a longer time to diseases, and there is no reason to delay."
Alternative Vaccine Schedule: What Sears Says
Sears' book provides parents with alternative "schedules" for having children vaccinated to protect them from diseases once common in kids. For example, he proposes splitting up the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, normally given all at once, into separate components spread over a few years, to keep from overloading children's immune systems. Although he writes that he has no research to show that giving the MMR and chickenpox vaccines at the same time is dangerous, he feels parents should have their children protected against the diseases gradually.
Sears tells WebMD that Offit and others have misunderstood his book, and that he believes in vaccines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical organizations. He says he plans to write a rebuttal to Offit's article for submission to Pediatrics.
"I almost see myself as an ally of the AAP in that I'm finding ways to encourage parents who otherwise would not vaccinate [their children] to go ahead and vaccinate," Sears says. "I believe that my options will actually increase the vaccination rate. My book is admittedly not pro the AAP's vaccine schedule. My advice does differ in the way vaccines are given, but ultimately, I agree that vaccines should be given. For parents afraid of the way AAP says to do it, I give them an alternative."
He says "there is no science that is conclusive enough to show any links between vaccines and autism" but that his book provides "ways to vaccinate if you are worried about autism that may decrease the theoretical link if you believe there is such a link."


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Herd Health
New online hub helps navigate transition cow management
Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition is focused more than ever on helping dairy producers successfully navigate the journey through the transition period, the most critical time in a dairy cow's life. FULL STORY »
Zoetis introduces ONE SHOT® BVD
Zoetis announced the addition of ONE SHOT® BVD to its comprehensive vaccine portfolio. FULL STORY »
Residue Free Guarantee
Pfizer Animal Health announces the new Residue Free Guarantee backing five leading anti-infective brands. FULL STORY »
BetaStar Plus Dairy Antibiotic Test
Neogen Corporation announces that it has received approval from the FDA and National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) for its quick and easy BetaStar Plus assay, developed for use in the United States to detect dairy antibiotic residues, including ceftiofur, in milk. This approval allows milk producers and processors in the U.S. to use Neogen's new test to comply with FDA regulations that require the mandatory testing of raw milk tankers for dairy antibiotic residues, under Appendix N of the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO). FULL STORY »
Baytril 100
Bayer Animal Health announces that Baytril 100 (enrofloxacin) Injectable has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of Mycoplasma bovis — a major pathogen for Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) that has a significant health and economic impact on cattle operations across the country. FULL STORY »
Triangle Vaccines Get a New Name, New Look
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., introduces a new look and updates names for Triangle vaccines, long-time staples of the Fort Dodge Animal Health vaccine line. As part of the expanded Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. portfolio, Triangle 5 has replaced Triangle 4 + Type II BVD, and Triangle 10 replaces Triangle 9 + Type II BVD. FULL STORY »
PortaSCC Quick Test
PortaCheck, Inc. introduces the PortaSCC Quick Test – the first rapid and affordable, semi-quantitative on-farm test that detects mastitis, including the low SCC levels associated with sub-clinical mastitis. FULL STORY »
MpB Guard Mycoplasma Bovis Bacterin
AgriLabs introduces a new cattle vaccine MpB Guard. FULL STORY »
Bovine GoldLyte
Bio-Vet, Inc., announces that it has reformulated Bovine GoldLyte to better meet the needs of cattle during hot summer weather and be more economical for livestock producers. FULL STORY »
Vira Shield earns new label claim
Novartis Animal Health announces that Vira Shield HB has earned USDA approval for a new label claim surrounding its Lepto hardjo-bovis protection. FULL STORY »
I.C.E. Probe Extension
E.I. Medical Imaging announces the launch of the I.C.E. linear probe extension for the Ibex family of ultrasound systems. FULL STORY »
Massey Ferguson 5600 Series
Our most advanced multi-tasking mid-range ever. Perfect for livestock, dairy, hay, and general all-around farm work, these exceptional loader tractors ... Read More
View all Products in this segment

subset: commoncrawl


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Getty Images
TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 07: Earl Bennett #80 of the Chicago Bears runs after a catch against the Buffalo Bills at Rogers Centre on November 7, 2010 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Earl Bennett
Chicago Bears wide reciever Earl Bennett is recovering from a car accident with a drunk driver that occurred early this morning, according to reports.
Bennett, who led the Bears with 4 receptions Sunday, tweeted early Monday on his @earlbennett80 account, that his car was hit from behind by a drunk driver. Bennett's car then smashed into a wall. He wasn't immediately available for comment, and details on the accident are spare.
Around 1:00 AM on Nov. 8, he tweeted "Ole Skool totaled SMFH!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." Shortly followed by, "Thanking God I'm alive!!!!"
When asked if he was OK by a follower, Bennett responded "yeah I'm good"
There is no word on what the extent of the damages were or if Bennett was taken to the hospital. He seems to be taking it all in stride.
"Guess it wasn't meant for me to have that car oh well!" was his one of his last tweets of the night.
Bennett's last tweet of the night gives way to speculation that DJ Moore was in the car with him during the accident.


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2 nights at the Borgata: comments on the Buffet and suggestions for another nice dinner?
- KWynn Sep 19, 2007 11:23 AM
We'll be coming to Atlantic City from DC spending 2 nights at the Borgata (a Monday - Wednesday trip). One night we'll be doing their "Up All Night" package, which includes 2 tix to a comedy club, 2 drinks, and the Borgata Buffet dinner for two. The other night we're doing the "Wake Up Smiling" package with breakfast at the Borgata Buffet.
A few questions:
1. Any comments on the Borgata Buffet itself for Breakfast and Dinner? (We haven't finalized the pacakges yet so if the buffet offerings are just so-so, we might change our plan.) We LOVED the buffet at the Bellagio, for comparison's sake.
2. Can you AC Chowhounds provide suggestions for another place for a nice dinner the night we won't have the buffet? We'll probably want to end up staying at the hotel itself, but might consider meandering over to the Pier or to the Tropicana. (We will have a car.) I've read on the boards some pros and cons for Sea Catch and Bobby Flay's and am curious what the latest thoughts on those are. We like trendy but want something upscale as we are celebrating my husband's new job.
3. Any feedback on Brulee (the dessert place)? I saw a story on the Food Network about it a while back and am curious if anyone's been and if it's worth it. That might be a nice way to celebrate since my husband is a sugar addict!
Thanks in advance for your help!
Not to rain on anything, but, just so you know, the Borgata buffet is not the Bellagio. I took my family one sunday to the Borgata brunch and was also hoping to recapture some of the magic that we shared at the Bellagio, but it wasn't even close.
Bobby Flay's is not a bad choice if you don't want to leave the hotel, but check out a few of the recent posts about better local choices for a special meal. And fyi, since you would have to drive anyway to the Pier, you shouldn't rule out driving to any other local places.
My husband and I were at the Borgata for a concert a few months ago and had a few drinks at Ombra afterwards, their menu looks fantastic, at least something we would enjoy, it's upscale, it's got a great atmosphere.
The only place I've eaten at the Tropicana has been Hooters. *blush*
re: TarheelYankee
Ombra is excellent. Super food and a great wine list. If you go ask to be seated in Sandy's area.
re: TarheelYankee
Ombra is wonderful, my favorite restaurant at the Borgata. I would honestly skip Flay's and Puck's, and try Buddakan (Caesar's Pier-it's excellent) on the second night. If you're looking for a smaller meal or a snack while at the Borgata, don't miss Fatburger on the cafeteria level (its the only one I know of on the West Coast) or Gypsy Bar-a fantastic tequila bar with upscale bar food.
re: vvvindaloo
There is actually a fatburger in jersey city as well but you are right in that it is worth a visit- great fat fries.
I didnt know that buddakan opened up down there?? Thats great to hear- does it offer the same menu as the one in philly? If so, I need to pay it a visit.
The latest thoughts on Bobby Flay's and Sea Blue, which is what I think you meant when you sead Sea Catch, is that they charge top dollar for inconsistant food and service, just like almost all of the new wave of AC's high end restaurants. There have been several recent discussions on this board. That said, if you really want to check out the Pier or the Quarter, my recommendation for the Pier is Buddakan. I would expect the Continental to also be good, but I have not eaten in that one yet, although the one in Philadelphia is very good. At the Quarter my favorites are Red Square and the Palm. If you want to go off the beaten path, Little Saigon in AC is excellent and Dune in Margate is as well, both BYOs. Ate last night at Manna in Ventnor and would recommend it as an "up and comer". Lots of people rave about the food at Chef Vola's in AC. I'm not one of them, but I'd still recommend it as a place to experience for it's atmosphere.
Of course if you want to hedge your bets, there's always White House Subs.
Good Luck
re: Rocket88
Yes, I meant Sea Blue. Sea Catch is here in DC. Thanks for the fedback.
The Borgata Buffet is probably the best in AC - everything comes out in small batches to ensure freshness. That being said - don't expect anything amazing.
I read recently that Brulee is no longer open except by special arramgement for parties. It uses a shared space at the Quarter.
I agree with an earlier reply about Red Square at the Quarter - worth the drive over. I am still waiting for their sister restaurant - Rum Jungle - to open at the pier, the date keeps getting pushed back.
re: dkupersmith
Yes, Brulee has closed.
The Borgota buffet is good but nothing that will absolutely knock you out. If you want to stay in the Borgota, the Steakhouse is very good but I have not been to the Emeril or Flay places yet. I will say that Ive never been disappointed by Mesa Grill but Im not sure if that translates.
For your sake, do NOT miss out on a few white house subs, at least on the way home. The best you are ever going to eat- ask to buy some extra rolls too.
re: yankeefan
Where is White House? That sounds perfect for our drive home!
Emeril has a place in the Borgata? Is that new?
re: KWynn
enjoy... http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overv...
truly remarkable
re: yankeefan
Yum, looks great. Thanks for the link, yankeefan. What sandwiches do you recommend from there?
re: Rocket88
Sorry about that, I was thinking of Mina- got it confused with Emerils seablue.
re: yankeefan
We're not going there until the second week in October, but will post my thoughts upon our return. Can't promise the tuna hoagie though--that might get stinky in the car...
The Knife and Fork Inn www.knifeandforkinn.com great steak place. Upscale, classic. Definitetly a celebratory place. Celebrated 1st anniversary there, couldn't have been happier.
My son and I had dinner at the Old Homestead in the Borgata Hotel/Casino in Atlantic City on Tuesday the 25th. Below is a review that I submitted to the nj.com restaurant forum.
In celebration of my birthday, my son treated me to a great meal last night at the Old Homestead in the Borgata Hotel/Casino in Atlantic City.
We both started off with clams casino that were terrific. My son had the blackened boneless rib steak with crab meat and blue cheese. I had the petite filet mignon with hash browns and demi glaze. My son had a side of garlic mashed potatoes and we shared sides of mushroom caps and roasted long hot peppers. For desert I had the crème brulee and my son had the "Big Fat Chocolate Cake". We each had an espresso with anisette to finished things off.
It was expensive, but we both agreed that it was one of the best meals we ever had. It was certainly one of the best steaks.
Living near Trenton, I've eaten at Pete Lorenzo's a number of times and although their steaks are usually good these were better in both taste and tenderness and they were cooked to perfection.
If you're in AC at the Borgata, I'd highly recommend that you try it.
a stay at the borgata wouldn't be complete without making time for a visit downstairs to Tony Luke's for a pork, provolone, and broccoli rabe sandwich. unless you live in philly and get them all the time.
I will second the Old Homestead. Great steaks and a fun atmosphere. It is on the expensive side, but you get excellent quality.
Thanks for all the recs everyone. We're heading out to AC early next week...
As of now we have a reservation at Buddakan on Monday night, and one at Sea Blue on Tuesday night. We decided to forgo the "Up All Night" package since the breakfast option seems like a better deal, and this way we're not locked into checking out the comedy show or having the buffet for dinner. We also are definitely planning to go to the White House for a sandwich at some time while we're there (and hopefully snag some bread to-go). And we may end up staying one more night--if so, might go to Ombra or Old Homestead. Since it's during the week I assume we'll be okay without a reservation at either? Or we can make one once we're at the hotel?
Will repost here and let everyone know how our trip is.
re: yankeefan
Although the OP doesn't seem to have gone to Buddakan after all, I had dinner there on a recent trip to AC. From what I can tell, yankeefan, the menu at the AC Buddakan is not as extensive as the one in Philadelphia. I've never been to the one in NYC. Still, I really enjoyed my meal, as did the less-adventurous Texans who were on this trip with me. We split a few appetizers, including the beef satay and the chicken & ginger dumplings. I was regretting the fact that these choices were on the "safe" side, in deference to my companions' palates, but the flavors were truly good. The dumplings were not at all bland, even without the sesame dipping sauce. The Kobe beef used in the satay was tender and flavorful. I was also quite tempted to hoard all the mushroom pieces from the well-executed vegetable tempura that came on the side. For a main course, I had the pan-seared sea bass, which was perfectly cooked and pleasantly sweet in flavor. The fish was served over haricots verts, cubes of sweet potato, and maitake mushrooms. (The sea bass was the envy of the others at the table, who regretted their dull, and much less expensive, "chicken" selection.) For dessert, we had a couple of orders of the cream-filled donuts which, at this outpost of Buddakan, just came with chocolate and banana dipping sauces. I love warm-from-the-fryer desserts in general, and these sugar- and cinnamon-coated treats were quite good. The food, the friendly service and reception (even with no reservations), the over-the-top ambience, combined with several enjoyable Bonsai martinis—the ones with Grey Goose, cilantro, and lime—left us all very happy.
Thanks for the tip, vvvindaloo.
Report back on our trip to AC:
Monday Night: Bobby Flay Steak
Service was okay, but when you're paying close to $50 for a filet mignon, you want better than okay service. We started with some cocktails (both girls got the one that the waitress described as "the only girly drink on the menu"--without us asking for that suggestion, and the guys had a scotch and a vodka). Starters included tuna tartare (good but not the best I've had), lobster and steak skewers (very good) and the romaine salad (mediocre, at best). For entrees 3 of us got filets, which were cooked to perfection but came out lukewarm (mine was more room temperature). They were served with a small red pepper stuffed with a delicious onion relish, bernaise sauce and bobby's steak sauce on the side. Bobby's sauce was excellent--far from A1. I'm not a fan of bernaise but my husband enjoyed it. The other person in our party ordered a fish en papillote (can't remember the kind of fish) which he really enjoyed. For sides we shared the mushroom mashed potatoes with truffle (my favorite), sweet potato gratin (good but not great IMO, but my husband enjoyed), and sauteed spinach (this was soaking in butter--I prefer it sauteed in garlic and olive oil...took one bite and gave the rest of mine to my husband. It also needed more seasoning). We were too stuffed for dessert. Oh, and during the meal we ordered an inexpensive Syrah (< $40) which was a great deal and paired well with our steaks.
Tuesday night: Sea Blue
Yes, I read the warnings on here, but my husband's cousin claims it's his favorite restaurant in A.C. so we took his advice. And we were happy we did! Food was delicious and service was excellent. Perhaps those who complained about mediocre service had newer staff serving them as our waiter has been serving there since it opened and he was very responsive and helpful. We started with the mussel appetizer for the two of us to share. It was a very generous portion of steamed mussels in a butter, cream, and dill sauce. Normally I would prefer mussels in a tomato or garlic/white wine sauce but this was a unique preparation and I'm glad we ordered it since both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. For entrees I had the miso glazed chilean seabass. It came with 4 or 5 scallop raviolis in a light mushroom broth with various mushrooms which were quite tasty. The seabass had a light sweet soy glaze on it, which complemented the buttery flavor of the fish. My husband had the special which was a black bass in a pinot noir reduction with truffle risotto. This is quite possibly his favorite combination and I'm lucky I took a bite when it first arrived because before I knew it his plate was cleaned! For dessert we took our waiter's recommendation to try the special funnel cake (not on the printed menu). This was a large portion of cinnamon and sugar coated funnel cake (closer in flavor to a churro than funnel cake I've had in the past) served with 3 sauces: chocolate, bluberry, and a honey maple sauce. We loved them all but were unable to finish the dessert.
Wednesday night: The Continental
On Wednesday we went to the pier and really enjoyed our meal at Continental. While service was a bit shaky at first (we sat for 15 minutes before someone came over to take our order--and this was only after my husband said something to the hostess!), the tapas-style menu was fun and inventive. We shared several items, of which we really enjoyed most of them. We had the following: buffalo chicken meatballs (my favorite of the night), BBQ chicken quesadilla, cheesesteak eggrolls (my husband's favorite), kobe beef sliders (our least favorite as we have a place back home in DC--matchbox--which makes them much better), and one other one which I can't think of…
We ate breakfasts at the Borgata Buffet (tons of food, none of which stood out as phenomenal, but it had a huge selection and enough variety so that we ate different items the 2 days we ate there) and Bread & Butter (I had a split buttered muffin and my husband enjoyed his pb&j with banana concoction). Unfortunately we never made it to the White House, but will be sure to make it a destination the next time we return to A.C.


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Can Obama win Arizona this year?
"Many commentators responded with incredulity when the Obama campaign announced its intention to win Arizona this year, and with good reason. After all, this was a state that Obama lost by 8.5 points in 2008."
—Ruy Teixeria, "Yes, Obama Can Win Arizona This year"
(Photo courtesy of nymag.com)
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God, lets hope so.
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Love was in the air of 2011 – From the Royal Wedding, the secret Daniel Craig wedding to Mizz Nina and Noh Salleh's wedding.
We're wrapping the year of 2011 up and we've got the weddings of the year lined up for you. While Prince William and Kate Middleton are still very happily married, Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries hit a divorce after 72 days of being married. Shocker? Right! This year saw sky high budgeted weddings such as the weddings of Coco Lee and Bruce Rockowitz (hitting a crazy $20 million) and Norman Hakim and Memey Suhaiza's RM12 million wedding.
There were, however, weddings as small and limited up to 4 guests even such as the secret wedding of Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz. Check this year's weddings of the year out!
2011: The biggest celebrity break-ups and hook-ups
OMG celebrity moments of 2011
15 of the biggest Hollywood scandals
Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/msnbuzz) and 'Like' us on our MSN Malaysia Entertainment Facebook page to get the latest celebrity gossip and exclusive interviews with your favourite local and Hollywood celebrities.
See Also
celebrity weddings
- MSN Malaysia-
Agent Provocateur's classic yet ravishing 2014 bridal collection.
- Stephanie Wood-
Prepare to swoon over some seriously gorgeous gowns, whether you're due to wed or not...
- AFP Relaxnews-
Hairstylist Mario Lopes is a member of Haute Coiffure Française, the prestigious French organization of hairdressers.
- Sheena Wan-
PHOTOS: Punto Intimo for the brides-to-be from the one and only wedding fair in the Dominican Republic.
- Frankie Mullin-
Looking for an on-trend bridal beauty look? Here's a round-up of the best runway looks.


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The loss of cheap gasoline should not be taken lightly by Americans, who use 10 percent of the worlds gas for passenger vehicle transportation. We must acknowledge and work through the myriad emotions surrounding this issue. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross five stages of grieving are a useful tool to help Americans deal with this loss.
The first emotional stage for a subject in pain is denial. Gas prices simply cannot have risen twenty cents in twelve hours, the subject desperately claims. Certainly the Amoco made a mistake on their advertisement board. Ill just go ahead and fill up anyway my credit card bill will affirm my suspicions that the price is merely mislabeled.
However, it is not long before the driver realizes a tank only lasts a few trips to and from work. Abruptly, stage two anger sets in.
The first victim of the subjects anger is usually an unsuspecting gas station employee or store manager; occasionally a gas pump itself will receive the brunt of the subjects rage.
His or her anger then radiates out from the concrete gas pump handle to the unknown: to the Bush administration, global warming, natural disasters or OPEC.
In stage two, subjects can become violent or hysterical in their anger toward unseen objects, and must be treated with utmost care.
When anger subsides, the subject enters stage three: bargaining. He or she may bargain with the aforementioned gas station employees, but may also go so far as to bargain with the powers of evil. With gas priced over three dollars per gallon, ones soul does not seem such a steep price to pay for a lifetime supply of gasoline.
Less extreme measures may include bargaining with neighbors, relatives or random old men on the street in order to obtain lower gas prices.
When the subject realizes that oil prices will not decline despite his or her valiant efforts, he or she enters a state of undeniable depression. Symptoms of stage four may include listless behavior and a loss of energy, lack of enjoyment of driving a car and spending days at a time locked inside ones sport utility vehicle watching reruns of I Love Lucy and binging on simple carbohydrates.
Only with proper counseling can the subject escape stage four and live the life which he once loved a life full of joy and an appreciation for simple pleasures. Then, and only then, can the subject enter stage five: acceptance.
Stage five is particularly pertinent to the budget-conscious college student today, as it involves the challenging of social assumptions and the saving of large amounts of money. Acceptance requires a subject to be truthful about the situation and evaluate ones choices.
Having pondered many lifestyle changes, I mustered the most logical solution possible: We must all suck it up and walk 10 minutes across campus instead of driving a Chevy Suburban. A tragic loss, perhaps, but well worth the money saved.
Contributing witer Miriam Samuelson is a sophomore from Atlanta, Ga. She majors in English and womens studies.


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LAPG - A Brief Introduction
The LAPG insists on the United Kingdom providing a Legal Aid system that protects all the vulnerable in society. We will positively fight any unjust Government decisions or policies wherever that protection is threatened.
We believe that any deviation of that protection undermines and manipulates the essence of a truly caring and safe democracy and demand a jurisdiction where access to justice is available to all without threat, discrimination or prejudice of any kind.
Through ongoing training, practical support and up-to-the-minute information, we support the delivery of high quality legal services by legal aid lawyers, whose hard work, skill and dedication are completely under valued.
LAPG does not give legal advice.
LAPG signed an open letter delivered to Nick Clegg on Friday 15th November. The Open letter is here.
LAPG's response to Transforming Legal Aid: Next Steps is here
LAPG's response to the consultation on Judicial Review is here


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I received a strange, delightful email today from someone named "peterbd." The subject line was, "alex j mann is a lifestyle," and enclosed was a poem.
From: peterbd <email@example.com>
Subject: alex j mann is a lifestyle
To: Alex J. Mann <firstname.lastname@example.com>
academics appreciate alex j mann because he's the shit
keep in mind that alex j mann won america's next top model twice
if you've ever heard alex j mann sing acapella and you didn't give him money afterwords then wtf is wrong with you?
alex j mann is the adele of not answering your phone calls
being responsible is something that alex j mann doesn't have to think about because he is a fucking celebrity
alex j mann brings all the girls to the yard
if alex j mann is apathetic to your existence then you probably should be freaking out right about now
whenever alex j mann gets hungry, he texts francis ford coppola and then francis goes over to alex's place and makes him a snack
seeking alex j mann's approval will get you everywhere
lmao @ you thinking that you can dutty wine better than alex j mann
jack and jill
went up the hill
to fetch a pail of water
jack fell down cause alex pushed him
then jill and alex decided to go out on a date
everybody knows that alex j mann is banksy's publicist
if you didn't cry the first time you realized alex j mann is a triple threat then smh
dis was good - a youtube commenter reviewing an alex j mann video
beyonce wrote 'flawless' after she spotted alex j mann pimp stroliing down atlantic ave
I Googled around and apparently others have received poems from peterbd. My friend Nic got one in June 2012. A guy named Chad wrote about his peterbd email in September 2011. Someone named Cody got one in August 2011. There's a whole tumblr dedicated to peterbd poems. (I submitted mine.)
I can't find much on peterbd's identity. A blog says, "Peterbd is a mysterious internet presence currently residing in internet city, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty. Occasionally he sends out emails which make the recipient's day. No one has ever met or heard of Peterbd."
Thanks to peterbd for making my day.
Every year for my birthday, as far back as I can remember, my Uncle David ships me a box of junk he's hoarded throughout the year. I don't think he even uses a trash can; he just keeps a cardboard box open somewhere in his office, tosses weird shit in it, and then ships it to me.
To call it a box of "junk" or "trash" or "shit" isn't completely fair; it's just what the range of items round down to. There were some standout items this year. After all, it is 2013. Why shouldn't there be?
Here are my favorites:
A March 2006 Hustler DVD with THREE hardcore scenes, perfect for someone without internet.
A free game of bowling, if anyone wants to go.
Self-tanner, just in time for winter.
A vintage cake knife, I think?
An american flag dog tag that will come in handy for the Olympics.
"God Bless My Grandparents" picture frame (solid brass)
A bell, perfect for calling my children to supper.
Decorations for Valentine's Day so I don't need to buy my own.
The rest of the items in Uncle David's 2013 Birthday Box of Junk:
You don't truly understand how "one man's trash is another man's treasure" until Uncle David's trash becomes your trash.
If you want to read the 2012 Uncle David's Junk round-up, click here.


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Level 960, Esto-Sadok
Krasnaya Polyana, Sochi 354392
+41 (0) 44 317 62 62
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▪ email@example.com
Local time:
Maps & Directions
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From recommending restaurants to planning an ideal weekend, Guest Services is pleased to assist you.
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BOOK SMART, STAY SMARTERAll reservations on Swissotel.com enjoy a room upgrade*, late checkout*, and free in room dining delivery charge. *Subject to availability upon arrival. Limited time offer.
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Experience this vibrant resort filled with entertainment, shopping, sightseeing, dining and history.


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Arizona State Sun Devils
Updated Jan 1, 2013 - 10:27 pm
Report: ASU running backs coach Larry Porter moving to Austin
According to footballscoop.com, Arizona State running backs coach Larry Porter is leaving the desert.
Porter is heading to Austin and reportedly joining Texas as their new running backs coach.
Sources tell us Arizona State running backs coach Larry Porter is moving to Austin, TX footballscoop.com/the-scoop— FootballScoop Staff (@footballscoop) January 2, 2013
Porter has gained a reputation for being a top-notch recruiter and helped transform ASU's running game under new head coach Todd Graham.
He interviewed Monday for the position and reportedly has ties to Houston and Southeast Texas as this was his territory when he was a recruiting coordinator at LSU. Those Texas connections likely helped make him an attractive candidate for the position.
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10 Ways to Build the Habit of Saving Money
Published on - October 8th, 2007 (Modified on - October 10th, 2007) (by J.D. Roth)
This is a guest post by Mehdi, author of StrongLifts.com.
How much do you save? I hope you put money aside. You don't? Neither did I until a few years ago. How do you become a money saver? I'll first tell you how you don't: Not by using discipline or willpower. Discipline and willpower only work in the short-term.
What works in the long-term is understanding your spending habits. Once you understand, you can change by building new habits. That's how you become a money saver. And that's the topic of this post — ten ways to build the habit of saving money.
1. Set a Goal. What do you want?
- Do you want to have your own place?
- Do you want to be financially independent?
- Do you want to get out of debt?
A goal will give you a reason to save money. If you have multiple desires, start with one goal. Once achieved, set a second one.
2. Set a Deadline. Set a date by which you want your goal achieved. Write both on a piece of paper. Put it somewhere you can look at it multiple times a day — your nightstand, for example. Look at your goal and deadline on waking and before sleeping. It will remind you why you're saving money.
3. Track Expenses. You probably have an idea of how much you spend, but unless you keep track of every cent, that idea is inaccurate at best. Here's a simple way to track your expenses. You probably carry a phone wherever you go. Note everything you spend in your calendar. When you get home, copy everything to your personal finance tool. At the end of the month you'll know exactly how much money you've spent and on what.
4. Analyze Costs. Check where your money goes. Reduce and remove costs. The first time you analyze your expenses can be shocking. The more the better. This is your first wake up call.
5. Make a Budget. Calculate how much money you need for:
- Food
- Rent
- Bills
- Clothes
- Leisure
- Etc
Remove costs from income. Now you know how much you can save each month. Even if it's not much, it's better than nothing.
6. Pay Yourself First. Make the first bill you pay each month the one to your savings account. Just like all your other bills, there's no way around. You must pay it month after month, unless you're in debt. Then the rule becomes: "Pay Your Debts First".
7. Earn More Save More. Save a fixed percentage of your income. This way, as your income goes up, so will your savings. 20% is a good start. You can't? Then you're living beyond your means. Time to wake up.
8. Think Saving. If you have money left at the end of the month: save it. You don't need to spend every cent earned. It's okay to buy things. But make sure you really need them — don't spend just for the sake of spending.
9. Wake Up. I wrote in the introduction that you need to understand your spending habits. You need to understand why you buy things. Do you buy things:
- To impress people?
- To be part of the group?
- To fill other's expectations?
Next time you buy something, ask yourself: Why am I buying this? What are my real motives? Don't judge. Just notice.
It takes time, but once you get it, it's eye-opening. Your life will be simpler and you'll avoid many financial headaches. Trying to keep the pace with others is a never-ending game, one you can't win. Wake up.
10. Read Get Rich Slowly. Your environment influences your personality, and thus your habits. If you want to build the habit of saving money, surround yourself with people who save money. Get Rich Slowly is a good place to start. Subscribe. Read it on a daily basis. J.D.'s tips will become your second nature. You'll become a money saver in no time.
Bonus Tip: Write this next to your goal and deadline: If I don't save now, I'll never have money. No matter how much I earn.
Mehdi is author of StrongLifts.com, a blog helping you build muscle and lose fat through strength training. Popular articles include the Beginner Strength Training Program and the Anabolic Diet.
This article is about Basics, Hints and Tips, Money Hacks
For sure, getting started is the hardest part. My savings account traditionally never topped about $25. Since getting serious about paying off debt and budgeting I have saved a $1000 emergency fund, started saving for a vacation, and I'm actually having fun saving money. Also, opening an account with a bank like ING really helps. Most traditional, large banks are going to give you a poor interest rate and the daily interest counter on ING is fun to look at.
Great post, I still have trouble with buying things I don't need. In the beginning they seem like a need but its actually a want, such as my desire for an xbox 360. My excuse is that its entertaining to its worth it, I'm trying to stop myself from buying one.
I think a very dangerous reason is when people buy to impress others, such as a high end car. You end up making huge monthly payments and your saving ability is gone. Then the cycle repeats itself with other aspects of life, it becomes a competition.
Good post, thanks.
I've started leaving my wallet at home.
I was in the habit of surfing the web at work and buying things out of boredom – racking up huge credit card bills. I also headed out every lunch hour to wander the local shops and pick up things I hadn't planned on buying. Sometimes I'd even try to think up things to buy.
So, now I have two wallets. One has my credit cards and cash in it, the other has $10 for the day, my i.d., a fuel card… and that's it.
I have been caught short once or twice, but it's been worth it.
Great post! I wrote earlier today on a similar topic, on the need to have patience with ourselves when we are trying to transform our relationship to money and our saving and spending habits: http://blog.boulevardr.com.
What's ING?
I haven't heard of them before.
Got a link?
[...] of the post is 10 Ways to Build the Habit of Saving Money. Different content of what you're used to on StrongLifts.com, but an interesting topic [...]
Tracking expenses and analyzing costs are the two things that affect my budget the most. It's so easy for my spending habits to get out of hand I've been shocked more than once when i realized how much I've been spending. Now i leave most paycheck in the bank.
Great post.
I couldn't have said it better myself. The biggest step – is starting ASAP!
With dieting and money management – so many of us are waiting for that "Perfect Monday" to start. Life is going to happen – and there will never be a perfect time -so start immediately.
[...] I think the best habit of saving money would be to keep a track of it. Observe your saving trends for a few months and then keep that as your target. Remember that your target shouldn't become a nuisance to your family and yourself. People need clothes, food, education and other stuff to live so don't start saving money by investing on these necessities less. Just re-orient your spending. Click here to read more. [...]
Having my daughter was my wake up call. It is like when I looked down into the pretty life face as the nurse brought her to me…I decided I need to secure both of us as fast as I can. I grew up the day my daughter was born.
Ugh. What simplistic tripe! Continually tracking each and every expense is time-consuming and annoying, and people just won't do it for the long-term. For a month maybe, but not more.
The author thinks people should save 20% of their income? How much does he think they make?! I'm in the process of paying down my debt, and my debt-free calculations certainly do not include 20% to savings. Though, maybe the author means to include things like 401k/IRA in that number. In which case, my opinion changes — but this needs to be made crystal clear, because honestly, I know people who make a lot more than I do and who are cc debt free, and they certainly can't save 20% when they're paying a mortgage.
Let's look at the 20% in numbers:
50k salary
13k taxes
11,1000rent/mortgage (based on 30% rule — and people, this is LESS than 1k/month)
=26k (rounded for ease)
10k 20% of salary for savings
=1333/month left over
Now, that 1333 will have to cover utilities, food, car payments, daycare, pocket money, whatever miscellaneous expenses come up.
Is this reasonable at this median salary rate? Certainly not. Imagine if the salary is less! And these calculations do not even take cc debt into consideration, though theoretically that would be paid from the 1333 left over per month. Yeah, the article said if there was debt then that would be payment #1. But what about striking some kind of balance between debt paydown and saving??
This is really an awful article. There is absolutely nothing new, and there are no insights that you can't find on any other basic finance website. Though, this article does have some questionable advice and recommendations.
You are wrong on several points, however, I will only attack one. You say that keeping track of each expense on a daily basis is impossible over the long term. When my wife and I got married she had already been doing this since she was in high school and had a professional degree. We continued the practice for the next 39 years of our marriage until she died in an auto crash. I still do it. I suggest that you stop trying to determine what other individuals might do in a given set of circumstances. You sound like a teenager who now knows everything. You don't.
Another tip: Setup part of your paycheck to auto deposit into a separate high interest saving/checking account. A lot of real world and online banks offer these at 4-5%. The best way to save money is really to delay your access to it!
20%? Who are you kidding?
SR, I've been tracking my expenses for 4 years now. I can show you to the cent what came in & went out up to 2003. It just a habit that you build, nothing more. You write it in your phone, once a week you put everything in your excel sheet, done.
If you can't save 20% of your income, you're living behind your means. Track your expenses & analyze your costs. There are always costs you can cut, it quickly adds up.
Oh btw, I live in Belgium, Europe, we pay 55% tax on our salary.
Good luck.
I think the "Pay yourself first" concept might be the most interesting ones. When I first heard of it, living right at my means (i.e., no debt, but no savings), I thought, "I can't afford that!" But I opened the ING account and set up the auto-deduct from checking. It's amazing how my spending will adjust to my paycheck. I still need to cut things from my budget, but I'm slowly working on it.
Also, I like INGdirect because I like the daily update in how much interest I've earned. I keep my annual expenses in savings accounts there (insurance, travel money, etc.), but the main bulk of my savings in higher-interest account. The .7% isn't really enough for me to panic about for the smaller amounts.
[...] Rich Slowly offers 10 Ways to Build the Habit of Saving Money. Definitely a good thing to be in the habit [...]
I agree, 20% is far too much to save in the US.
Mehdi, if I had to pay 55% income tax I would move or find a way to not pay taxes. How can you let your government do this?
Josh. There are many ways to get tax deductions which I use of course.
Belgium is heavily taxed because we have a strong social system. If you don't know what I mean, check out Michael Moore's movie "Sicko" which compares European's social system with American's system.
To give you an example: when I go to the doctor I pay a symbolic 3€. Tooth care is free. If you work one year full time & lose your job: you get 1000€ a month from the government while you seek another job. Etc.
Great system, but it has a price: 55% tax.
To SR, I save 33% of my gross salary ($3500 a month) and I live in Canada where taxes are higher than the US.
Too often, people who say something can't be done are just looking for an excuse.
email@example.com, The website URL is simply http://www.INGDirect.com. They have the best savings account the Orange account, and they even offer an electric orange checking/debit account. Setup an automatic monthly withdrawal from your checking and your savings will grow automatically. I love it.
My girlfriend didn't think she could afford $50 a month, and she never even noticed it. She's got over $1600 socked away now earning interest and boy has her attitude changed. I never let her see her balance until it was over $1000 and she was SHOCKED. She had forgotten all about it…
p.s. I agree that RDJ is going to be awesome as IRONMAN!!
I'm not making excuses, I'm being realistic and practical. I'm also NOT a believer that living a meager and uber-frugal lifestyle is healthy or interesting (and no, I'm not an uber-consumer — not by any stretch of the imagination). I also save a higher percentage of my income than anyone I know, and I know people that make upwards of twice what I do. I actually saved about 23% of my income last year, but there were factors that most Americans don't have (e.g. living abroad for part of the year in a poorer economy, but still earning US dollars).
A quick summary of where I'm coming from: I expect to pay off my cc debt and student loan within the next year. Then, I'll be saving to buy property. I live in an area with v expensive property values, and I've already figured out that at the bottom of my range (and really, the bottom of the decent market in my city), I will likely be paying $1400 per month for mortgage, dues, insurance. Sure, if some (family member) bought a place for me to live, saving 20% of what I make would work (the 50k is an example, not what I actually make). And telling me I should move just so I can have a lower mortgage is a bad move, I can tell you now.
If, however, someone is making 100k per year, then I could see them easily saving 20%. I think it's very, very dangerous to say that's how much someone *should* save, regardless of their income. Mehdi, are you really saying that a single working mom making 30k a year should think she is inadequate because she can't save 6k per year? A single mom in the US pays a great deal in daycare each month.
Yes, different countries outside the US have higher tax brackets. You also have other benefits that Americans have to pay for (hospitals, dentists are the primest examples). I am self-employed, and have to pay for my own medical and dental, and there is a lot that is not covered by my policy. Should I not get my teeth cleaned just so I can save that bit of money?!
Mehdi, stating that your tax is 55%, and making that sound insanely high, and then saying that you get lots of tax breaks (without revealing what your actual tax rate is) is mis-leading and entirely unhelpful. It's also unhelpful that you don't state how much you make, so there is a little more perspective. There is a lot of qualification that you need to be able to make, before making sweeping generalizations about how much someone should save, when using yourself as an example. Sure, there are freegans who exist on very little, and they're also "grocery shopping" in dumpsters. And as someone who is not an American citizen, working and earning and living in the US, using yourself as an example is not a viable way to justify your habits. There are people with ongoing medical conditions that have to pay a fixed amount for medications each month, and you don't even touch on anything that goes beyond your over-simplified generalizations. You don't even talk about the difference in saving between single people and couples, and people with children — and that is SIGNIFICANT. If someone is splitting a mortgage and basic bills with someone else, that dramatically changes their expenses.
As to the expense tracking, I can only sarcastically say "good for you." I don't know anyone anal enough to care about every single penny they spend. Myself and the people I know give ourselves budgets, and work within those. Occasionally we're under budget and we save that extra money, and sometimes we're overbudget and have to tap savings. Personally, I give myself a certain amount of pocket money each week, and that's that. It's my experience that being so anal about writing everything penny down is that the majority of people will not keep it up. To me, it also indicates a scary, unhealthy obsession with money. As long as someone can create a budget and stick to it, that's enough. It's not enough to be able to say "well, *I* spent 35.61 on ice cream last year. I mean, really, is that really a useful figure at the end of the year? Tracking, say, petrol is one thing and can be quite useful.
Oh, and Matt, according to the Canada Revenue Agency, you are not paying more income tax than an American. By your statement, you earn 3500 per month (42,000/yr). According to the CRA website, that means you are paying about 6541.10 in income tax per year. A typical, single American (with no kids) would pay 10,5000 in income tax, before standard deductions.
I'm not convinced that with your basic income tax rate, in addition to your higher sales tax rates, are higher overall than in the US.
But then again, going on about how you pay more for taxes, when medical care is subsidized is not a valid argument. If Americans had the option of paying more in taxes, in order to have free healthcare, I imagine the majority of Americans would agree to that.
Thanks for telling me more about IGN. I need to check them out now!
Thanks for reading my blog! Iron Man can't get here fast enough!
Maybe JD will do a review of the movie here? One can hope!
SR. I stand behind my words. You should be save at least 20% of your income, no matter what. The whole point of setting a 20% rule is that it sets constraints. And most people start to get creative when they set constraints. Frugality is great for your bank account, but it's also hard when you have to say "no" to things you'd like to have.
I would never have started to look into tax deductions, savings account with higher intrest rates & second stream of incomes, if I didn't had set the 20% constraint first.
You think it's hard or impossible to save 20% income? That's the whole point SR.
I'm going to agree with SR on this one: 20% seems a bit irrational for a beginner saver.
I think people should start with 10% first, then try to increase the percentage over time. Besides, going from no savings to 20% a year is like jumping from high school football to the NFL. Frugality takes time to make sense, and saving 20% during your first month of expense tracking is pretty absurd.
So my 2 cents is to do everything Mehdi said, but try 10% (like mentioned in The Richest Man in Babylon) instead of 20%.
I'm not saying 20% isn't possible. I'm saying it's too farfetched for the first time saver.
Anyways, Awesome article!
[...] On a related note, J.D. at Get Rich Slowly offers 10 Ways to Build the Habit of Saving Money. [...]
I find it's most helpful when people speak from their own experience–"I save x% of my income by having a roommate and not eating out"; "I can only save y% of my income because I choose to buy organic food/have very high alimony payments/[whatever]." Trying to predict what mythical other people can and can't or will and won't do is much less helpful.
I save a very high percentage of my income–at least 20%–by having very clear goals, and a roommate, and being frugal in all the usual ways. And I am on track to achieve my goals, and I am very happy with my finances and my life.
> SR wrote: Now, that 1333 will have to cover utilities, food, car payments, daycare, pocket money, whatever miscellaneous expenses come up.
First off, "car payments" is nothing else but paying off debt, so it should be excluded from this list.
Also, I think $1333 is plenty for one month to live on, that's more than $40 per day!
My current plan is to live on $700 for misc. expenses per month, therefore being able to save about 50% of my net income.
Investor Trip. 20% is perfect. It's not too low, it's generally too high. And to most people that's what they need: setting constraints.
Setting constraints is, as I posted above, the best thing you can do. It breeds creativity. It pushes you to cut drastically into costs.
SR wrote 20% savings is too much, but she also wrote she doesn't track her expenses. First mistake. You don't track expenses, you don't know where your money goes, you can't cut costs.
20% is perfect for most people as Mehdi has said. Plenty of people will say that it's too hard, it's impossible, unrealistic, etc. Those people are also the ones who aren't willing to put in the time to keep track of expenses, etc.
Now I believe that 20% does include 401k, and paying down debt (long term capital debt, not car loans, electronics loans, etc). The idea is that that 20% is going towards your future value, not current expenses.
So if you're putting away 20% in a 401k, you're already there. If you're putting away 10% in a 401k, and 10% towards paying down a student loan, you're already there as well.
The simple idea is that if you're not able to put away 20% of your salary for your future, you're living above your means. For your own good, you should move to a smaller place, get a new job, get roommates, eat out less often, etc. Of course that's a generalization, but something plenty of people just don't understand.
Thinking long term, you eventually will need to retire (unless you die first, which is a sad thing to hope for). So you eventually will need funds saved for retirement. Spending 100% of your income just means you're slowly walking towards being a broke old person.
Oh, and someone said having personal examples is good. I recently figured out that my wife and I are saving somewhere around 40% of our net salaries.
In percentages:
25% towards 401k
5% towards company stock purchasing
10% towards after tax savings
We make a lot more than the average person, but we certainly save more than almost anyone in our salary bracket. The more you pay attention to your spending, the more you notice things that aren't "needed". If you do keep track of everything you spend, you quickly notice how fast coffee adds up, how much a certain vacation set you back financially, or how that gym membership ended up costing $15 per workout when you weren't using it much, etc.
Being very aware of how much everything costs, how much that money would be worth if it was invested for 20 years, etc.. the more aware you are, the better you will be financially in the long term.
I follow a detailed budget, so don't even try to be snarky about my lack of being able to tell you how much I spent on shampoo last month. My money management is very healthy, sane, and goal-oriented. In fact, I've saved a significant amount of my income in the last eight months, in addition to contributing to an IRA, and paying down about 35% of my debt in the last six months. So see, you don't have to track every little penny (imagine!) – just create a budget and stick to it. It's really not that hard.
Part of the point of "pocket money" is to not have to itemize every little thing. If it's in my pocket, I can spend it, if it's not, I have to wait until I have more pocket money. If there's a high ticket item/vacation I want, then I save specially for it. It's really quite simple. It's not necessary to be a money nazi in order to keep yourself on a budget and meeting financial goals. It just takes a bit of discipline.
What Ruth says is spot on.
Making sweeping generalizations about how much someone should save, regardless of their income, is very dangerous. Telling someone on a limited income that they are living "wrongly" because they can't save 20% will not inspire them to try and save even 5%. I'd *really* like to see you have that discussion with a single parent on a limited income or someone living on the poverty line with an unstable income. A superior, narrow attitude will not successfully motivate people.
I would love to see other comments from parents, or other people with recurring expenses, and whether or not this is feasible in their world on their income.
I think that the context for the 20% savings recommendation is this: In order to be able to live off one's savings for a comfortable retirement, 20% of a decent income is a good guideline. There will always be many who cannot afford to do this. For most of those, "independent retirement" won't happen. They will either be forced to continue work to earn income or become dependent on others/society. Nevertheless, the advice to save 20% (or more) is good advice. If you aren't following it, there will be consequences later, whether the choice is out of your control or not.
[...] 10 Ways to build the habit of saving money [...]
Kris, while there is merit to what you say, there are still difficulties in statements like that. If you have a low income or you have a low income for a long time (before starting a higher income), 20% savings probably isn't going to cut it. It's much better to work with target goals.
It's really easy, with online calculators, to figure out how much to save in order to retire with a million (or another amount). If someone is 23 and wants to save 2 million, it takes less savings per month than for someone starting at 33.
This is the problem with sweeping generalizations about finances. What works for someone making 30k is different from someone making 50k, and someone making 150k. This is without even taking personal goals into consideration.
Finally, you assume that the 20% is for retirement purposes. The purpose of the 20% was never made clear, except in a derogatory "you're bad/incompetent if you can't save 20% regardless of your income" manner.
yes 20% does seem abit out of whack for most people, I'd suggust $50 a month as a good starting point and go from there. Also get in the habit and yes it's a habit of spending less and saving more each week.
Everyone can have their own opinion about it, but I have a personal belief that thinking something is impossible makes it almost impossible to achieve.
Part of the problem I've seen with people who don't save much, is that they think it's impossible to do so. They're often shocked at the amount we save (even though we could do much better)
So personally, I'd like to tell people "You should be saving 20%". If they say "Oh my lord, 20%, you must be joking", I would want to say "It is possible, but perhaps you could start on something easy, like 5%, and increase it monthly".
Anyway, it's my opinion that saying 20% is way too high, out of whack, etc, is self defeating.
[...] 10 Ways to Build the Habit of Saving Money ? Get Rich Slowly (tags: money productivity Finance lifehack) [...]
Saving 20% is not an impossible goal if your goal is to reach finical freedom while you still healthy to enjoy it. I am a single Mom with an eighteen year old and I have a net worth of high six figures with no debt. I would say my average savings rate for the past 25 years is around 25%. I don't own a home because I like to travel, but I do own a well diversify portfolio that is making more money for me now then my annual salaries. I think I can reach my freedom day within five to seven years and I am still young and healthy.
Live within the means is to think carefully on every expense item. Live within budget does not mean that you are going to eat cat food or live in a crazy neighborhood. What budget does for you is to allocate your limited resource to what you really want in life. Housing is a need, but owing a big house is a want. Through out the years, I've lived in a studio, a two bedroom house with an in-law unit, and even share a room with a friend of mine. I live in the space that I can afford without compromise my goal. I kept my housing cost under 20% of my gross income. Currently the housing cost is at 16%. It's a small studio in a decent neighbor. It's not an easy task living in the San Francisco bay area but can be done.
I don't earn six figures income and through out the year I've earned from low five to mid five figures. But no matter what I make, I've never have any debt and I've always managed to save. Once I lived in New York (1979) and I have $100 a week take home pay job, but I managed to save $1,000.00 within three months.
The key of financial freedom is to focus on your goal and know the difference between needs and wants. I update my balance sheet every morning the same way that I step on the scale every morning to manage my weight. I live in a small studio with my eighteen years old. I have very few furniture so my living space is quite roomy and comfortable for both of us. I have one dresser for my self and the other for my child and all the cloth we own has to be fitted into the dressers. Yes! I do own a HD flat screen TV and wii game at home. I don't buy any cloth unless I am giving up an old one. I am very careful with any material thing I purchase, because I realize the price of owing too much thing is the freedom you lost. I can not tell you the freedom I felt when I moved from a two bed room house to a small studio a couple years ago. I am so much happier with so little things.
I enjoy my life and budget about 2,000 to 3,000 a year for traveling. I love the Alaska cruise I took in the summer and am planning a trip to Mexico within six month. I still enjoy a small cup of latte from Pete or have a great dinner with my friend from time to time.
I truly think the attitude is very important in everyday life in everything you do. If you think you are going to have a great day, you will do everything you can to make your day beautiful. If you think 20% is an impossible goal, then it will be impossible.
Several people are very resistant to saving 20% (or more). SR, was very vocal on this point. On the one had, I have been there, believing that I could not possibly save a large amount. On the other I did jump from debt and living paycheck to paycheck to saving 20% or more.
When arguing that 20% is unrealistic, SR made several points.
In one example he gave a figure for rent and cited "the 30% rule". I presume he did so in order to make a claim to authority, and lend justification to his argument. As far as I know, this 30% rule is a heuristic used by real estate professionals and lenders to gauge how much debt for housing that a person can carry. In this context citing "experts" whose goal is to maximize the amount of money they can safely lend to consumers is not compelling.
He also said, that by using on-line calculators it is easy to find how much to save in order to retire with 1 or 2 million dollars. This argument also seems strange. Even at a rather tame inflation rate of 3%, using the examples he gave. 1 million in 35-45 years will only be worth between about 250K-350K in todays dollars. 5% income derived from 350K is only $17,700/yr. This is hardly a recipe for financial independence.
Gripe all you want about how 20% is unrealistic, or not possible for many. It is not. Do you "need" to live alone in a larger place? No. You just want to. And that is fine. If that is a high priority goal for you, it is your choice to pursue it. But take responsibility for that choice. Don't hide the fact that you make that choice by claiming that it is necessary or that higher savings rates are unrealistic.
You also said that single mother's had no choice. That, too, is false. In fact, the goal of raising children alone on small wages is what is unrealistic. The best strategy is often overlooked. In many small cities outside of urban cores (especially college towns) there are often a large number of old victorian houses split into 2 large rental units. After college I lived for several years with groups of off campus students and young workers. We shared rent, utilities and contributed to a communal food budget. We took turns cooking and doing chores. Many single parents can do a similar thing. By renting a large house with 5-10 bedrooms, several small families can lower their costs dramatically, and save 10%-20% even on low wages. This is how many people lived for hundreds of years. In America either in extended families, in boarding houses, or cooperatively as I describe, this was how most people were expected to live until after WW2. They save not only on rent and expenses but have more free time, better child-care, and camaraderie along the way.
You may still object because 20% just seems high to you. I suggest that you put that in perspective. A rule of thumb for several centuries was to put 10% of every dollar earned aside. The typical working life was about 30-35 years. Workers retired at 50 (much later at 55) and on average spent only 10-15 years in retirement before death. Assuming 10% savings rate and a real rate of return of 7% (accounting for inflation) A worker would put aside only 10-15 years of salary. Just enough to die broke or leave a very small inheritance.
Advances in health care, have dramatically increased life expectancy, so planning live only 10-15 years after leaving the work force is too conservative. Also, instead of spending the day reading, whittling, and rocking on the front porch, we now want to travel, golf, buy a boat, or do other things in retirement which are expensive. Health care costs have outpaced core inflation for over 50 years. It costs more money to live in retirement than it used to. We need to plan for longer lives. At a rate of 20%, and the same 7% rate of return, a worker will have 20 times a year of salary after 30 years of saving, and 29 times after 35 years.
This is where 20% comes from. If you save for 35 at this rate, you can have fairly good odds of being able to support yourself if you live 20-25 years in retirement. At 10% or less you cannot expect to do so. It is as simple as that.
I did not pull 7% return out of thin air (or a bodily orifice). It is the historical inflation adjusted average return of investing 100% in the stock market. Thus, it is more likely to be an optimistic expectation than a pessimistic one.
On a personal note. I was 33 years old before I wised up about finance. I was $20K in debt with no significant assets. I moved a few mile away to reduce my expenses, and began devoting 20% of gross income to pay down debts. In 2 years, I was debt free, and put 20% toward maximizing retirement contributions and had a bit left over to build a cushion. I advanced quickly in career, and had a 50% higher income. I gave myself a raise of only 10% and was now saving almost 1/3rd and putting it towards investments.
It was painful for the first 6 months or so to adjust to a smaller effective income. However, since that time, my income has slowly and steadily risen. So, my standard of living keeps rising and I am quite happy. However, my savings rate advanced much more quickly than my true income, allowing me to build wealth. 6 years ago I lost my job when the company went under. Instead of being forced to find work quickly I had the luxury of taking several years off for study and travel. I could afford to do so because I had low expenses (a low burn rate), and I was ahead of my goals for retirement. In fact, at the end of 2 years, I still had enough wiggle room to take a risk of becoming self employed as an independent investor. I could try and even fail at a second career because I could support myself for a while, take a risk, and then take time to find a job I would like if I needed to return to one. Unless I had learned to be frugal, and saved earlier, none of these opportunities would have been open to me.
Now, I make far more than I ever did as an employee. However, my expenses are still modest, and I pay myself a relatively small salary. Larger than before, to be sure, but my savings rate over the past 4 years has averaged 75% of gross (YTD it is 94% of gross). Why? Doesn't this seem extreme? Well, I am in a far riskier profession, thus I must save more to cover the probable down years when I may make no money or likely lose a lot of money. However, the real reason is simple. saving 75% is no hardship. The salary I have given myself since 1993 when I started saving, has steadily risen. Each year my disposable income rises and my quality of life improves. Thus, the idea that I am being stingy and depriving myself of enjoyment is illusory. I always have more than before! There is no loss here.
I maintain my slow rate of growth in expenses because my goal is to be financially independent. I do not want to have to work for my money (even if that means continuing to work for myself). I want to build my wealth until I can migrate to a lazy portfolio, consume 3% or less of capital, and have an income larger than I am used to. Instead of spending 40-50 hours per week investing, I want to wander, to study, to sail, to build a home. I want to spend time with people I care about doing things that I enjoy: to do anything with my time that I choose. I won't be able to buy a ride into orbit, own a private jet, or live the lifestyle of rich and famous. I simply want the freedom to be where I choose, whenever I choose, and support myself comfortably while doing so.
Jim, where I live, real estate is expensive, and 30% is a good basis for most people. I, in fact, live in shared housing, so I'm far below 30%. However, when people are looking at rentals/mortgages, it is still the rule of thumb — especially when you live somewhere with expensive real estate (e.g. in my city, it's generally difficult to find a decent 1br condo in a non-ghetto neighborhood for under 200k).
As to housing shares for single parents, it's a great idea. My (single) mother actually did that for a little while with a friend of hers. However, unless this kind of thing is advertised one way or another, single parents may not even consider this. It sounds like a potential, fantastic non-profit org idea.
And like I believe I've written previously, I've saved 20+% last year, and this year, too. People need to stop thinking I'm objecting to the 20% because *I* find it "impossible." I know it's possible – for ME. I also think I'm the only one of my friends who accomplishes this, and I have friends that make far more than I do (and I'm not exactly at poverty level).
Oh, and the "million dollars at retirement" was merely an example. The Motley Fool has a really great comparison table (complete with projections for different inflation rates) in their article "A Million Bucks Ain't Enough" and I really recommend the article. Me desiring $3mn minimum for my retirement (I'm 37), is far different than someone 23. OBVIOUSLY, someone 23 will need far more than $1-3mn. This ties back to identifying and planning for GOALS, not merely percentages.
Instead of saying "so and so, you should save x%" I am a STRONG advocate of sitting down with the online calculators and A. figuring out how much you will need at retirement, based on your desired lifestyle, and B. figuring out how much the value of the dollar/your currency will change by the time you retire, and C. figuring out how much you personally need to save to achieve those goals, and D. what, if any, social security or other government benefits you can realistically expect to receive. If someone living in NYC wants to retire there, they better have a helluva lot of money at retirement, IN ADDITION to being able to own some property outright. If someone wants to retire in a rural area, they obviously will need less money. If someone wants to retire and travel a lot (even just in the US), they will need more money.
In addition, I think it's interesting everyone has just assumed that the 20% postulated is for retirement *only.*
See, this is another problem with crass generalizations about how someone "should" save. To my recollection, Medhi only said "save 20%" — not "save 20% for retirement" or "save 20% so you can do things like buy a home before you're 40."
Ergo, since many people here have taken the position that THE ENTIRE 20% should be set aside for retirement, how is everyone then supposed to save for a home/travel/kids/etc??? Because that is just going to make the calculation of what "should" be saved far higher. So, if 20% of a condo is what I'm aiming for as a downpayment, I then need to save 20% of my income for retirement, IN ADDITION to saving roughly 40k for a condo? People, I make good money, but I don't make 150k per year, and saving 20% to retirement AND saving 40k [in a reasonable amount of time – e.g. before the prices go up and I need 60k for the same place when I have the 40k saved] for a condo just isn't going to happen. Everyone needs to step back and REALLY look at this advice. If someone is 25, they probably want to save for retirement and a home – and that is much easier to plan for. If someone is 37 (like me) and wanting to save for both retirement AND their first home, things must shift.
Is it just me who can see the baldly bad advice of a generic "save 20%"? I can do this, sure, and yes, for other people it's quite difficult. I can also agree that it's a generally nice goal to have. Medhi didn't even explain what this money was for, or how he earmarks his 20%. That's simply weak and incomplete financial advice. And if I'm being criticized for citing the generally accepted housing industry 30% rule, why is Medhi repeatedly being backed up when he has no financial experience and authority outside of what he claims to do himself, and a rehash of uber-basic financial advice found in any number of online sites or books. Is he a financial planner? No, he's a weightlifter.
Finally Jim, I am a woman.
A few things.
1. You seem to think that the housing industry 30% rule is better than Medhi's suggestion. Perhaps you're not getting the idea behind this kind of website. We're not looking for generally accepted standards. We are looking for better than normal, we are looking beyond the average person. The average person doesn't save 20%, and they spend 30% or more of their salary on housing. I think this is too much, and so do other people. I don't care if it's generally accepted, it's also generally accepted that people should take out loans for their cars, which I think is a terrible idea.
2. You say that you're requiring 3M minimum for your retirement (you're in your later 30′s), and those in their 20′s "OBVIOUSLY" need more than 1-3M? I highly disagree. If a 20 year old had 2M dollars, I think they could require extremely well immediately. If they started with a 3% withdrawal (60k) and increased it yearly with inflation, they would be extremely wealthy by the time they hit 65.
I'm 30 at the moment, planning on retiring before age 40, and I have no intention of sticking around until I have 2M or more. There are plenty of calculators out there (Firecalc is an obvious one, you can find it in google), that will allow you to see that retirement doesn't necessarily cost as much as you think.
3. Finally, I don't see anything wrong about generic advice of "save 20%". Giving specific advice is unlikely to be followed by mainstream blog readers. Sure, it might be more accurate to say "Save 20% towards retirement or towards an asset that will appreciate in value, such as a home or rental property", but that also takes a bit longer. We're often looking for simple rules, not highly detailed rules. Yes, it is incomplete financial advice, but if someone says "Ok, save 20%, I can try to do that".. they'll eventually learn all they need to know. Taking that first step is the hard one.
Dave, you misread. The implication was not that a 20 year old had $2mn *now*, but that as a [65yo] retirement goal, it's not enough. Obviously, most anyone with $2mn in the bank right now could retire. Theoretically it could be done with $1mn.
Retirement doesn't cost as much as you think, hmm? I've seen a variety of conflicting information on this.
Did I miss where Medhi talks about how much to spend on rent/mortgage? Because it's certainly not in the article he wrote.
As to the proclivities of the readers of blogs, I've found that people tend to take what is written and go with that without vetting the writer. There's also a lot of invalid and dangerous information in blogs. I read financial blogs with a grain of salt, and look for serious "I know I can trust it" advice from established financial writers (e.g. Motley Fool). I don't agree with everything JD posts, but most of it is good/interesting, so I read.
No, there is nothing wrong about "save 20%" *generic* advice. However, when the person who says that ALSO says things like "You can't? Then you're living beyond your means. Time to wake up." or "First mistake." is not someone that really inspires confidence or leadership. Sweeping statements need qualifications. Maybe you like a bully attitude when someone gives you advice. I don't trust bullies.
Blindly following percentages is just lemming behavior, and that is particularly dangerous. People need to know what works for their income and their needs *before* taking any financial action. Anything else is just foolish behavior and likely to get someone into trouble.
Why should I believe Medhi when he says 20%? What authority does he have to hand down this percentage? He says it worked for him? Great. But why not 25%? And no, I don't think it's too much information to say "x% for retirement, x% for buying a house, x% for [kids college/whatever].
[...] 10 Ways to Build the Habit of Saving Money at Get Rich Slowly. [...]
[...] [Saving] 10 Ways to Build the Habit of Saving Money ? Get Rich Slowly [...]
[...] [Saving] 10 Ways to Build the Habit of Saving Money ? Get Rich Slowly [...]
Great tips:) And these are especially helpful to parents trying to cover the whopping costs associated with raising a kid. I'm working on trying #6, one of three creative ways to stash away extra money I wrote about here:
[...] less as we age. This is likely due to a variety of factors. Steel suggests that, over time, we develop strategies to avoid procrastination and foster good habits. This sounds likely to me — certainly [...]
Ilove reading anything about finances.ived done all this steps..my main goal is to save for my retirement.i was 38 years old that time.listing every details i spend up to the last centavo.save every penny i have.its true i saved a lot of money.. then problem arises..with no spare funds to finance my issued checks to suppliers , i had no choice but to use my retirement funds for the meantime..but up to now that im 43years old.i find it difficult to start saving again. Any suggestion?


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Elections Director Lynn Bailey has worked in the office for 35 years, and it's always been this way,get Justice Department approval for changes involving voting or elections.
"Anything out of the ordinary we would send up to Washington to receive pre-clearance most certainly it would have included any polling place relocation any precinct realignment," said Bailey.
But after the Supreme Court ruling election changes will no longer require the OK of the Justice Department.
"I don't think we've needed it for years you can look at our voting patterns I think everybody who wants to vote has the opportunity to vote," says State Representative Barbara Sims.
But many in Augusta do not agree with Representative Sims opinion.
"While we respect one's opinion we do not agree with her opinion we'll not ever agree with her opinion based on what's been presented," says Dr. Charles Smith President of the Augusta Chapter of the NAACP.
Last December this was presented to Augusta officials a Justice Department objection to a state law changing Augusta's city elections from November to July.
The Justice Department called it an effort to dilute minority voting participation.
Sims authored the bill and disagreed with the objection.
What we wanted to know does the Supreme Court ruling open the door to July city elections?
"We'll have to wait and see I wish I knew the answer to that," said Sims "but I don't."
Does it need to be in July?"
"I think it should everybody else who's consolidated is in July except Augusta," said Sims saying her bill was designed to clarify when the consolidated governments in Georgia hold their municipal elections.
"Why should you suppress an opportunity for an individual to exercise the most precious fundamental right you can have the right to vote," argued Smith.
Bailey knows how the Supreme Court voted but she doesn't know the impact on the bill moving Augusta's elections to July.
"The last official word we have is the same as everyone else has that our elections would remain in November," says Bailey
Bailey says it likely the Board of Elections would have been sending paper work to Washington later this year asking for approval to change precinct lines and to consolidate polling places, with the Supreme Court decision that will not be needed.
As well as getting pre-clearance on a Sunday Sales election for Hephzibah scheduled for November 5th.
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Today, the crossword question is "Lightly scented perfume". First we find similar definitions for Lightly scented perfume, Next we will look for a few extra hints for "Lightly scented perfume". Finally, using all gathered information, we will solve , slangily crossword definition and get the final answer.
The best crossword puzzle solution and answer for "Lightly scented perfume" is:
"Eau de toilette" (toilet water) is a diluted perfume.
Please note! There may be multiple solutions to "Lightly scented perfume" with a specific crossword puzzle definition. We apologize in advance, if there is another solution for "Lightly scented perfume". Please send it to us or leave a comment below and we will add it too, ASAP!


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dreadskull said...
That would be annoying, but not surprising I guess if Blizzard ripped off WAR's Tome of Knowledge feature and added it to WoW.
But, I doubt they'll do that any time soon, because Blizzard really doesn't seem to care much about RP. Otherwise they'd probably take a page from LotRO's book and add in stuff like cosmetic clothing slots/pieces, dyes, player housing, a family tree system, in-game character descriptions, surnames, more titles, etc.
Their RP servers have become the same as normal servers now, except there's a smaller % I guess of poor names (examples: Lolheals, Ysosrs, Nuckfut, etc.).
Meh, call me pessimistic, but WoW is really not the place for finding good RP.


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Job numbers tank in film industry:insider
VANCOUVER - A film-industry studio boss says there's high unemployment among crews in British Columbia because the province isn't offering enough tax rebates.
Peter Leitch of North Shore Studios says productions are moving to Ontario and Quebec, where tax credits are about 10 per cent higher overall.
He says his studio has had the worst financial quarter in its 23-year history, and the province's $1-billion film industry is in trouble.
Leitch says he has been lobbying the government for more tax rebates to lure film and TV projects to B.C., but so far that has not happened.
He says a return to the provincial sales tax on April 1 will cost even more for the industry, which is also struggling against a high Canadian dollar.
Premier Christy Clark says the government shells out $285 million in tax credits to the film industry and suggests more money won't be available as the province aims to balance its budget.


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Police have identified a man they believe was fatally shot in a home on Tucson's southeast side.
Tucson police announced Thursday that the victim was 26-year-old Kyle Riley.
He was found dead inside a home Wednesday morning after police officers responded to a 911 call about a shooting.
When officers arrived at the home, the homeowner let them in and police Riley's body was found inside a bedroom.
Police say Riley was pronounced dead at the scene.
They believe the shooting happened early Wednesday and they're waiting for the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner to determine the official cause of death.
Police say homicide detectives are working to determine exactly what happened inside the house.
They didn't immediately say Thursday if there are any suspects in the case.
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49 Kids Die in Hot Cars in U.S. This Year
Over the weekend, yet another child died after being left in a hot car. She was the 49th child in the U.S. to die that way this year. When will it STOP?!
According to the Daily Mail, 14-month-old Kimberly James was allegedly left in the family vehicle in a church parking lot for more than three hours while temperatures in Florida reached over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The dead girl's father is believed to be a pastor at the Holiness Born Again Church and had been taking part in the morning service.
Kimberly is the 49th child to die this way in the U.S. this year, according to statistics gathered by the group Kids and Cars.
The number of deaths eclipses a previous record of 45.
It will stop when we stop being human. We all make mistakes and I can't imagine the horrible guilt that these parents will now have to live with for the rest of their lives. Maybe someone could develop a car warning system for this type of problem.
stupid irresponsible people who call themselves parents
Appreciate it for this article! Nevertheless, I had a challenge viewing this article in IE 7. Just desired to carry that to your interest! Many thanks.


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easy to make and delicious....I had a handful of fresh rasberries that I threw in to the mixture.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble Pie
Yield: 8 Servings
Cost per Serving: $2.28
More From Allyou
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
- Calories: 696
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Protein: 4g
- Carbohydrate: 133g
- Fiber: 4g
- Cholesterol: 13mg
- Sodium: 129mg
- 1 (9-inch) unbaked piecrust (homemade or store bought)
- [EMBED_WITH_BR {Filling:}
- 4 cups rhubarb, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 4 cups strawberries, each cut in half
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup instant tapioca
- Topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a rack in lower third of oven and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Prepare filling: Mix all filling ingredients in a large bowl and let rest for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Make topping: Mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Using your fingers, rub in butter until mixture forms clumps. Stir in almonds.
- Spoon filling into pie shell and sprinkle evenly with topping. Place pie on lined baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350°F and bake 1 hour longer, until fruit is bubbly and topping is brown and crisp. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before serving.
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Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble Pie Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Desserts, Pies/Pastries
- CONVENIENCE: Entertaining
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Fruits
- COOKING METHOD: Bake
- PUBLICATION: All You
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Farmers typically operate their business as one of four types of entities: sole proprietorship, partnership, C corporation or S corporation. Limited liability companies are also common, but they can be taxed like any of the others, depending on the circumstance. Of the entities listed, the C corporation grants farmers the greatest number of tax-free fringe benefits. The following is a summary of the benefits available to C corporations (in rare cases, they are also available to other entity types).
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ProfessorPh.D. Stanford 1985
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Thomas Whigham has worked as a Fulbright scholar in Argentina and Paraguay, and was the recipient of the LeConte Memorial Research award for 1996. His published books include The Politics of River Trade: Tradition and Development in the Upper Plata, 1780-1870 (Albuquerque: UNM Press, 1991), La yerba mate del Paraguay (Asuncion: CPES, 1991), and El Paraguay bajo el Dr. Francia. Ensayos sobre la sociedad patrimonial (Asuncion: "El Lector," 1996) (with Jerry W. Cooney). His book The Paraguayan War, Causes and Early Conduct (Lincoln and London: U of Nebraska Press, 2002), the first volume of a comprehensive study of the 1864-1870 conflict, was a CHOICE 2003 Outstanding Academic Title.
The Paraguayan War: Causes and Early Conduct (University of Nebraska Press, 2002) More Info
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Vizzini, Bryan Edward, "Through the Looking Glass: Mexican Conservatism, 1821-1853" (1992)
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Within three days of advertising the building's 13 newly redeveloped apartments this month, Hajj had rented all but four. And prospective tenants kept on calling to tour the century-old former school on West Chase Street.
The renovation of the old Calvert School is one of numerous projects that have been recently resurrected along the North Charles Street corridor in the heart of downtown. From the Inner Harbor to Charles North, construction and renovation projects are resuming or being planned as investors gain confidence in the economy and developers find deals they can't pass up.
"You're seeing little sprouts [of new development], which is very healthy," said M.J. "Jay" Brodie, president of the Baltimore Development Corp., who said Charles Street is perceived as the heart of Baltimore. "People are more optimistic about development in future years than in the last couple."
Brodie also said small might be the way to go: "Maybe the future is not huge projects, but bit by bit, incremental," he said.
Aside from a couple of visible projects — such as the University of Baltimore's $107 million John and Frances Angelos Law Center going up at North Charles and Mount Royal Avenue — much of the latest progress may not be easy to spot or even be visible at all. The projects revving up tend to be less grand than some of the pre-recession plans for harbor-area skyscrapers and hundreds of pricey new condos.
City officials say years of trying to acquire blighted properties here and there are finally paying off and sparking private investment, with property owners fixing up buildings and developers buying and transforming properties.
Regional development experts say that areas such as Mount Vernon are benefiting from the growth of "destination" institutions, such as the University of Baltimore, the Johns Hopkins University and Chase Brexton Health Services, which recently acquired the Monumental Life building at 1111 N. Charles St. All help bring business to the corridor.
Projects in the planning stages or under construction include the UB law school and a nearby student housing project at Biddle and Cathedral streets, as well as new apartments in the former Danny's restaurant at 1201 N. Charles.
Farther south, plans are being considered to expand the Baltimore Convention Center and link it to a new, 18,500-seat downtown arena. Another proposal would redevelop the shuttered Mechanic Theater into a 30-story, 400-unit apartment tower with street-level retail, and yet another plan would create a 15-story apartment building at One Light Street.
By this Friday, city, state and federal officials hope to receive proposals for a mixed-use project that would be built on North Charles Street just north of Penn Station on an Amtrak-owned parking lot.
Other projects that have been talked about for years and now are moving ahead include the conversion of the closed Chesapeake Restaurant in the 1700 block of N. Charles St., which developers are revamping into a restaurant with upper-level offices, and the long-vacant but historic Parkway Theatre on North Avenue near North Charles Street, where developers plan a performing arts center.
Hajj, a former CB Richard Ellis commercial broker who founded WRH Property Holdings two years ago, teamed up with local businessman and developer Jack Luetkemeyer to form Chase Street Apartments LLC and buy the original Calvert School.
Hajj and Luetkemeyer saw a need for apartments that would appeal to young professionals or students who wanted to live within walking distance of restaurants, bars and Penn Station. They bought the building for $550,000, a price Hajj says allows for competitive rents.
"I've gotten tremendous amount of interest in the property," Hajj said. "In my five years in dealing with multifamily [buildings], this is as strong as I've seen the rental market. People aren't buying as much as they used to."
The Mount Vernon location and the building itself — with large windows, heavy wood doors and 14-foot ceilings — all appealed to Natalie Novak, a 26-year-old University of Baltimore School of Law student. Novak, who planned to live with a roommate, was also attracted by the rents, which range from $950 to $1,800 a month.
Novak was one of about two dozen people to tour the newly completed Calvert Apartments when the project was finished this month. The Chicago resident had come to Baltimore for a couple of days to hunt for an apartment and quickly sized up the marketplace.
"The best places are leased before you see them," Novak said. "Coming from Chicago, I feel like prices here are reasonable."


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SYCAMORE, IL, December 7, 2007 – Providing important labor savings plus convenience to the professional electrician, IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. today introduced its patented Lil' Ripper Stripper, an innovative hand tool that rips, strips and clips ROMEX®wiring with unprecedented ease.
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Breaking the mold of traditional ROMEX®tools, the Lil' Ripper Stripper sports a compact, rounded form factor that fits into hard-to-reach places, such as crowded wiring boxes. Textured Santoprene overmolded on the rugged plastic handle helps the user achieve a comfortable, slip-resistant grip.
For more information, contact IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC., Becker Place, Sycamore, Illinois 60178. Or phone 1-800-435-0705. On the web, www.idealindustries.com.
IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. has been serving the electrical industry since 1916. IDEAL is one of the world's leading manufacturers of professional quality tools and supplies serving installation professionals in the construction, maintenance, data communications and original equipment manufacturing industries.
Dan O'Connell
O'Connell Communications, Inc.
West Howard
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