Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Avoid Halloween Mishaps

“An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.” -- Friedrich Engels

Home Maintenance Tip -Avoid Halloween Mishaps

Many homeowners get into the spirit of Halloween by turning their homes into haunted houses, carving pumpkins, and handing out treats to costumed kids who come to their door. If you're a homeowner planning on getting involved in the holiday, following a few precautions can help keep the night from turning scary in an unwanted way:

Make sure any hazardous obstacles such as a garden hose or lawn decorations are put safely away.

Check all outside lights and replace any that are burned out.

Keep sidewalks and walkways clear.

Consider using battery-powered candles for carved pumpkins - they're safer than a real flame.

If you do use real candles, make sure they are kept away from the areas where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing.

Properly light and clear the path to your door so that trick-or-treaters don't hurt themselves.

Secure all Halloween decorations. You don't want your decorations coming loose and injuring someone, or being stolen by vandals.

You might want to consider adding extra homeowner's insurance for Halloween night. Nothing puts a damper on fun faster than a lawsuit, a distinct possibility if a child gets hurt on your property or in your house. Contact your insurance agency to see if they are willing to do this.

If you're planning a rather gruesome Halloween display, you may want to post warning signs to give the weak-stomached a heads up.

Only give out kid-friendly treats. Items should be prepackaged and big enough that they don't pose a choking hazard to small children.

Courtesy of Move, Inc., www.move.com

Please share this with your clients and friends. You could make someone's day.
Warmly,Jim Scheidt Old Republic Home Protection

Monday, October 20, 2008

Through a Rapist's Eyes....Please Read

When this was sent to me, I was told to forward it to my lady friends, but I forwarded it to most everyone in my address book. My men friends have female friends and this Information is too important to miss someone. Please pass it along and share it with your children.A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1) The first thing men look for in a poten tial victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman witha ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed . They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair . Women with short hair are not common targets.

2) The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who's clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around specifically to cut clothing.

3) They also look for women on their cell phone, searching through their purse, or doing other activities while walking because they are off-guard and can be easily overpowered.

4) Men are m ost likely to attack & rape in the early morning, between 5: 00a.m. and 8:30a.m.

5) The number one place women are abducted from/attacked is grocery store parking lots. The number two:office parking lots/garages. Number three: public restrooms.

6) The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to another location where they don't have to worry about getting caught.

7) Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape carries a 3-5 year sentence but rape with a weapon is 15-20 years.

8) If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9) These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their handsKeys are NOT a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it.

10) Several defense mechanisms he taught us are: If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it?, or make general small talk: 'I can't believe it is so cold out here,' 'We're in for a bad winter.' Now you've seen their face and could identify them in a line-up; you lose appeal as a target.

11) If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell STOP! or STAY BACK! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

12) If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes), yell I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

13) If someone grabs you, you can't beat them with strength but you can by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the Arm (between the elbow and armpit)OR in the upper inner thigh VERY VERY HARD.
One woman in a class t his guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands - the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it - it hurts.

14) After the initial hit, always GO for the GROIN. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy's parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you'll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instruc tor is that they want a woman who will not cause a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble and he's out of there.

15) When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

16) Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don't dismiss it, go with your instincts!!!You may feel a little silly at the time, but you'd feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do : The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!

2. Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans : If a robber asks for your wallet and/o r purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you....chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc, and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.) DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.a. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you.& nbsp; If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

5 A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage:A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out.IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times. And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RU N, preferably in a zigzag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP! It may get you raped or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do,DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.

Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby --- This should be taken seriously because the Crying Baby t heory was mentioned on America's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana .I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life.

A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as well.

Friday, September 26, 2008

The first minutes of life for a baby giraffe

Good Morning Here is a great thought for the day from my friends at London Properties:

Bringing a giraffe into the world is a tall order. A baby giraffe falls ten feet from its mother's womb and usually lands on its back. Within seconds, it rolls over and tucks its legs under its body. From this position it considers the world for the first time and shakes off the last vestiges of the birthing fluid from its eyes and ears.

Then the mother giraffe rudely introduces her offspring to the reality of life. The mother giraffe lowers her head long enough to take a quick look. Then she positions herself directly over her calf. She waits for about a minute, and then she does the most reasonable thing. She swings her long, pendulous leg outward and kicks her baby, so that it is sent sprawling head over heels. When it doesn't get up, the violent process is repeated over and over again. The struggle to rise is momentous. As the baby calf grows tired, the mother kicks it again to stimulate its efforts... Finally, the calf stands for the first time on its wobbly legs.

Then the mother giraffe does the most remarkable thing. She kicks it off its feet again. Why? She wants it to remember how it got up. In the wild, baby giraffes must be able to get up as quickly as possible to stay with the herd, where there is safety. Lions, hyenas, leopards, and wild hunting dogs all enjoy young giraffes, and they'd get it too, if the mother didn't teach her calf to get up quickly and get with it...

Perhaps we're not that different. The challenges we have in life may at first seem harsh, but through them we grow and learn survival.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

HMMMM Something to ponder

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his tem per at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Remember that friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.'

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Another Thought from my friends at London Properties

Good Morning. Here is a great thought for the day:

Bill Gates once gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.


Rule 1: Life is not fair — get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year your first year.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping — they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine and make excuses, learn from your mistakes.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes, and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, have respect for your elders.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Have awonderful day.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Good Morning.

Here is a great thought for the day brought to me via London Properties:

A man happened upon a limo broken down along the roadway. "I can't figure out what's wrong," the driver confessed, so the Good Samaritan took a look under the hood. He quickly spotted and repaired the trouble. The driver offered to pay him, but the man refused saying he was just glad to help out.

As he started back to his truck, a backseat window of the limo opened.
"Thank you very much for your help," the passenger called. "How can I repay you?"
Looking inside, the man was surprised to see wealthy entrepreneur Donald Trump. Again, the man refused payment, but asked one favor: "Could you send my wife some flowers? She'd be thrilled."

"Consider it done," Trump replied, then asked the man for his address. They parted company, and the man only half expected to ever hear from Trump again.
But the next day, a florist arrived with flowers for the man's wife and a note that said: You're lucky to be married to such a caring person. When I offered to pay him for his act of kindness, he thought only of you.

Then there was a postscript: By the way, I've paid off your mortgage. You now own your house free and clear.

Have awonderful day.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

3rd grade already

Steven is so excited about 3rd grade and his new school. We went to meet his teacher and check out his class today and he just can't wait to get started. I really like his teacher this year. She actually read all of the info on file from my notes and the plans from his prior school. She and Steven have already worked out hand signals for when he is having issues and when she needs to remind him not to shout out. I think he will have a very good year. We have adjusted his meds. over the summer a bit and I think that will really help. I hope to get him involved in some after school programs this year and if he can demonstrate focus, follow direction, and not argue....then we will get him signed up for swimming lessons and we will get he and Scott signed up for karate.


Our new kitty Pismo is feeling better and actually putting on some weight. I am glad because we were pretty worried that we were going to lose her. The other two kitties have embraced the little pest and they actually snuggle instead of growl at each other. ahhhhhh. Now we have 3 kitties in our bed. Scott or I will usually cart them off to Steven's bed in the middle of the night because he loves having the little buggers in there.


We are hosting a huge open house at our newest listing on Saturday. We are bbqing tri tip steaks, hot dogs, and all of the goodies that go with it. We should have a great turn out (since we called 237 people within 1/4 mile of the house and invited them to join us) I have no doubt that we will have an offer sitting on our fax at the office Monday morning. :) Here is a picture of the home



This is the fun part of the job......other then handing over the keys to the buyer and the fat check to the seller :)
Well I better go pack Steven's lunch for tomorrow because it's almost story and bed time.