The MEGACONVERTER!

Warning: The link I'm about to give you is addictive!

Taken from a weekly supplement provided to subscribers of Copyediting newsletter:

Last week, as I was preparing the resources page for the document that will be sent as a supplement for the November 13 audio conference on math errors, I was double-checking entries on metric units and conversions in The Associated Press Stylebook. I spotted something I'd somehow missed.

I've been using Google lately for conversions; you can type 5 pounds in kilos in the search field and find out instantly that it's 2.26796185 kilos. But if you're thinking about buying your ancestral farm in Ireland and want to know how many U.S. acres are in an Irish acre, you can't type 5 Irish acres in U.S. acres and get the conversion. You get links to things like the Irish Acres Antiques Store.

No, for that kind of conversion, you need the MEGACONVERTER 2!

I'm not joking. The Associated Press Stylebook has a quiet little mention of this amazing tool under its metric system entry, and boy, can it do things! One Irish acre is 1.61983 U.S. acres, in case you were wondering. There are, as of last week, 45 conversion categories, from Angles to Wire Resistance. I'm sure they'll find something that starts with a Z to measure soon. Our proofreader, Danny Marcus, noted that the category "Length, Ancient" doesn't have cubits listed. I agree with him that this is a serious oversight, especially for editors of construction manuals.

The Megaconverter 2: http://www.blogger.com/www.megaconverter.com/mega2.

Danny also shared two more sites for conversions that even the whopping Megaconverter doesn't have:

The first is for the Consumer Price Index. Find out how much more you could have bought in 1969 with the money you now spend on a latte: http://woodrow.mpls.frb.fed.us/research/data/us/calc/.

As if that weren't depressing enough, you can also find out how many milliliters your $3.29 would buy you in England right now by entering that amount in the Universal Currency Converter at XE.com: http://www.xe.com/ucc/.

HAVE AN AVERAGE DAY

Here's an article that I found to be very powerful. I hope you enjoy it too....

Have an Average Day, by Michael Neill

Excerpted from Catalyst (Sept. 2007), an independent journal of healthy living

I once was talking to my friend and mentor Steve Chandler when he said to me, "Have an average day!" Taken aback, I asked him what he meant. Isn’t the idea to have great days, even exceptional ones?

He told me a story about one of his mentors, Lyndon Duke, who studied the linguistics of suicide. After receiving doctorates from two universities, Duke began analyzing suicide notes for linguistic clues that could be used to predict and prevent suicidal behavior in teenagers.

Duke came to believe that the enemy of happiness is "the curse of exceptionality." When everyone is trying to be exceptional, nearly everyone fails because the exceptional becomes commonplace, and those few who do succeed feel isolated and estranged from their peers. We’re left with a world in which a few people feel envied, misunderstood, and alone, while thousands of others feel like failures for not being good, special, rich, or happy enough.

When I was in the thickest cloud of my own suicidal thoughts, I was at university and I remember wishing that I could run away from my scholarship, change my name to Bob, and take a job pumping gas at a full-service station somewhere in the Midwest. Only in my fantasy, people would start to notice something special about me. They would begin driving miles out of their way to have "Bob the service guy" fill up their cars and to exchange a few words with him, leaving the station oddly uplifted and with a renewed sense of optimism and purpose.
I was, to my way of thinking, doomed to succeed.

Delusions of grandeur? Quite possibly. Depressed and miserable? Absolutely.

One of Duke’s breakthroughs came when he was dealing with his own unhappiness and heard a neighbor singing while he was mowing his lawn. Duke realized what was missing from his life: the simple pleasures of an average day.

The very next weekend, he went to visit his son, who was struggling to excel in his first term at university. "I expect you to be a straight C student, young man," Duke said. "I want you to complete your unremarkable academic career, meet an ordinary young woman, and, if you choose to, get married and live a completely average life!"

His son, of course, thought Dad had finally flipped, but it did take the pressure off him to be quite so exceptional. A month later he phoned his father to apologize. He had gotten A’s on his exams, despite having done only an average amount of studying.

This is the paradoxical promise of an average-day philosophy: The cumulative effect of a series of average days is actually quite extraordinary.

If we put this together with another one of Duke’s discoveries—that the meaning of our lives comes from the differences we make with them, though these differences need not be huge to have a profound impact—we may well have the ultimate prescription for a happy, productive life:

Be an average, happy person making a small positive difference (and having a happy, average day). In doing this, you create a kind of exceptionality that everyone can share.

Michael Neill (www.geniuscatalyst.com) is a success coach, media commentator, and author. Copyright © 2007

BERNANKE EXPECTED TO CUT RATES AGAIN

In the face of what appears to be a worsening national economy, Ben S. Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, is expected to cut interest rates again, the goal being "to get people to borrow and spend more."

Bernanke was quoted in the New York Times today as saying:

'“The outlook for real activity in 2008 has worsened. We stand ready to take substantive additional actions as needed to support growth and to provide adequate insurance against downside risks.”'

Until recently Bernanke has been reluctant to forecast the U.S. economy as anything but vague; yet "disappointing holiday sales figures," a rise in unemployment, and a troubling spike in foreclosures all give evidence to an downturn.

Bernanke still steers clear of the word "recession," however, and seems to remain confident in the Fed's ability to prevent one in the near future.

Fed Chief Signals Further Rate Cut, By Louis Uchitelle and Michael M. Grynbaum, the New York Times

IMPORTANT: INFORMATION ON STROKE IDENTIFICATION

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.

My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. If everyone can remember something this simple,we could save some folks. Seriously...

Please read:STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall, she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .....she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die, they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the"3 " steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S * Ask the individual to SMILE.

T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) i.e. It is sunny out today)

R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks,call 999/911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke ------- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that
at least one life will be saved.

ATTENTION TRAVELERS! Lithium Batteries Restriction:

Passengers will no longer be able to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage on flights in the USA, effective from January 1st 2008. The new regulation is designed to reduce the risk of lithium battery fires and applies to all flights from, to and within the USA. Lithium batteries are considered hazardous materials because they can overheat and ignite in certain conditions. Lithium batteries in checked baggage are allowed if they are installed in electronic devices, or in carry-on baggage if stored in plastic bags (maximum of two extended-life batteries).

*US Department of Transportation*

For full article, see below:
http://www.photographyblog.com/index.php/weblog/comments/lithium_batteries_restricted_on_us_flights/

TAX BREAK FOR MORTGAGE DEBT FORGIVENESS

President Bush signed into law today a new measure giving tax breaks to homeowners who have mortgage debt forgiven. Under preexisting law, the debt forgiven by a lender, such as for short sales and refinances, was generally taxable to the borrower as debt discharge income. With the passage of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, a taxpayer does not have to pay federal income tax on debt forgiven for a loan secured by a qualified principal residence.

This tax break applies to debts discharged from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2009. Qualified principal residence indebtedness is debt incurred in acquiring, constructing, or substantially improving the residence (up to $2 million for refinances).

For purposes of calculating capital gains, any debts discharged excluded from income under the new law must be subtracted from the basis of the taxpayer's principal residence (but not below zero). However, taxpayers may generally exclude from capital gains income up to $250,000 (or $500,000 for married couples filing jointly) for properties owned and used as their principal residence for at least two of the last five years.

For a copy of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, go to http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-3648.

Brought to you by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

MIT PHYSICS LECTURES AND MUCH MORE, FREE ONLINE!

Did you know about the free on-line lectures available from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's OpenCourseWare program? Go take a look!

Click here to read Sara Rimer's article in the New York Times about Walter H. G. Lewin, one special physics professor who's "now emerged as an international Internet guru thanks to the global classroom."

Enjoy this video of the Indiana University men's a cappella group Straight No Chaser doing a special holiday medley!

THE COST OF STAND-BY POWER

Ever wonder exactly how much power is actually being used by appliances "that are always 'on' while seemingly 'off'," such as a television?

C. CLAIBORNE RAY of the New York Times has the answer right here, including a laboratory Web site of Standby Power Data that "provides tables of the minimum, average and maximum power used by appliances that cannot be switched off completely without being unplugged."

BEN STEIN'S "LESSONS FROM THE PITS"

When he isn't giving away his own money on Comedy Central or lending his talent to making memorable characters on the Big Screen, lawyer and economist Ben Stein has some pretty wise things to say about life.

Click here to read some of his thoughts on travel, investment, spending, and heroism--all with a good dose of his usual wit, of course.

The 53 Places To Go In 2008!

"What’s on your travel itinerary in the new year?"

From Laos to Hvar to Death Valley to Mozambique, click here to see beautiful photos from around the world and find out which destinations made the list!

List compiled by Denny Lee, courtesy of the New York Times.

INFORMATION FOR TAXPAYERS IN FORECLOSURE


Provided courtesy of the Internal Revenue Service

The IRS has developed information and Web resources to assist taxpayers with the tax issues presented by foreclosure.

Key Points:

*The Internal Revenue Service unveiled a special new section on www.IRS.gov for people who have lost their homes due to foreclosure.

*The IRS also reassured homeowners that although mortgage workouts and foreclosures can have tax consequences, special relief provisions can often reduce or eliminate the tax bite for financially strapped borrowers who lose their homes.

Resources:

*IRS 2007-159 – The news release IR 2007-159 provides additional background. The
news release and FAQs can also be found at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=174022,00.html

The direct link to the FAQ’s is http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=174034,00.html

SURFING THE WEB FROM INSIDE YOUR CAR

Accessing email from your Blackberry or iPhone is soon to become only the most basic of high-tech activities for the car-bound commuter.

According to John R. Quain of the New York Times, major cellphone carriers such as AT&T, Verizon and Sprint now offer unlimited monthly subscriptions to high-speed wireless data services. Just slide the wireless data PC card into your laptop and you're on!

Granted, the picture quality for on-line video technologies is not the same as your cable connection, and the strength of the wireless signal depends on your proximity to the carrier's cellphone towers. Still, the technology can only get better.

Just remember to leave the web surfing to the passengers. Someone needs to get us there safely!

To read the entire article, with pricing and product details, click here.

2008 California Market Forecast & Statistics Galore!

That's right! On October 10, California Association of Realtor (CAR)'s Vice President and Chief Economist, Leslie Appleton-Young, released the 2008 Real Estate Market Forecast for all of California.

Click HERE to access regional and state-wide statistics, detailed charts and graphs, a 2008 forecast and 2008 market opportunities!

For more information on taking advantage of this forecast and more, be sure to call me at 831-457-5550 or shoot me an email at frank@frankmurphy.net!

Pin The Tail On The Bottom Of The Market!







All of us Realtors have been working with would be home buyers here in Santa Cruz. It seems all of them feel that they should wait until the housing market is at the bottom before they buy a home. Let’s look at an interesting take on "the bottom of the market" and how it will effect your buying decision....








This is a graph that represents the Santa Cruz housing market. The left side of the V represents the market going down, the right side represents the market going up, and of course the bottom of the V represents the bottom of the housing market.







If I asked you to plot on this

graph where you thought the housing market

was right now ...












... would you pick this spot or something close?

So you think that the market is going towards the bottom. If the market isn't at the bottom yet, how will you know when it does hit the bottom?

How will you know when the housing market hits the bottom?

Experience tells us you won't know that the housing market has hit the bottom until prices start to go back up. It will be difficult to be sure that the market has hit bottom for a few months. It’s not a sudden shift, it’s a gradual shift. You'll be able to tell that the market has turned when prices reach this point (green arrow).



What is the difference in housing prices between the red arrow and the green arrow?

Not much... but there is another difference: a major difference.

If you buy a home on the left side of the graph, it is considered a buyers market. You would be more likely to get concessions from a seller including price reductions, repairs, upgrades, closing costs, maybe even personal property.

If you wait until the market turns and you buy on the upswing, you and every other buyer that has been waiting for the market to hit bottom will be bidding on the same house.

There really is no better time to buy a house than now, and here are some reasons why:

1. There is a wonderful selection of homes to choose from right now.
2. Sellers are very willing to negotiate on price, terms and perks.
3. Interest rates are still at a historical low.

I'm suggesting we take a good look at the above examples and decide what percentage the prices will have to drop before a buyer thinks housing prices have hit bottom, and then offer that price. For example, if you think that prices will go down another 5%, then submit an offer at 5% below the asking price. Sellers will either counter, accept or decline. Then look at a loan payment based on current low interest rates. On an $875,000 home with an accepted offer 5% below asking, you'd end up at $831,250. Putting 20% down ($166,250) your loan would be $665,000. At 6% payments would run $3,325. If interest rates were to go up only half a point to 6.5%, the same home with the same $166,250 down would have to sell for $797,000 to end up with a similar loan payment.

The message here is to take advantage of the market today! Opportunity is knocking now!

Fed Cuts Interest Rates by A Quarter Point

Interest rates have indeed been cut again, moving down from 4.75% to 4.5%.

While the cut was expected, it is now thought to be unlikely that rates will be cut again for quite sometime.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was forced to make a decision in light of both a "faster-than-expected" growth in the economy and the threat of falling home prices and a falling dollar. And now, of course, the argument arises over whether Bernanke and the Fed are truly able to keep inflation under control.

To read about the Fed's decision in more detail and the controversy that surrounds it, go to the Wall Street Journal's article: Fed's Rate Cut Could Be Last For a While

24-Hour Hotline Available to Help Avoid Foreclosure

According to Sentinel Staff Writer Jondi Gumz, "A national survey released Monday by the AFL-CIO reports that 49 percent of homeowners with adjustable rate mortgages admit they do not know how their mortgage adjusts and 73 percent do not know how much their mortgage payment will be after the adjustment.

"'This survey shows that many homeowners simply are not prepared for the steep rise in mortgage payments that this market inflicts on ARM [adjustable-rate mortgage] holders,' said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

"To help union members, their parents and their children who are trying to avoid foreclosure, AFL-CIO officials have opened a 24-hour hotline staffed by Money Management International, a HUD-certified counseling agency."

The "Save My Home" hotline is at 1-866-490-5361

To read Jondi's article in its entirety, go to Union Homeowners Know Too Little About Their Mortgage Payment

WHY YOU SHOULD PRICE YOUR HOME REALISTICALLY

TIME Chances are that your home will sell at its fair market value. Pricing it realistically at the outset simply increases the likelihood of a timely sale with less inconvenience and greater monetary return.

COMPETITION Buyers educate themselves by viewing many homes. They know what is a fair price. If your home is not competitive in value with those they have already seen, it will not sell. Buyers typically look at homes within a $10,000 price range. If your home is not priced within the correct range, it very likely will not be exposed to its potential or targeted buyers.

REPUTATION Overpricing causes most homes to remain on the market for too long. Buyers who are aware of a long exposure period are often hesitant to make an offer because they fear "something is wrong" with the house. It often happens that homes that are on the market for a long time eventually sell for less than their fair market value.

INCONVENIENCE If overpricing keeps your home from selling promptly, you can end up owning two homes - the one you've already purchased and the one you're trying to sell. This can prove costly and worrisome, as well as inconvenient.

EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE MARKETING OF YOUR HOME IS DONE THE NIGHT WE DECIDE AT WHAT PRICE WE WILL LIST YOUR HOME.

IF YOU ARE UNWILLING TO LIST YOUR HOME AT, OR JUST BELOW, THE
CURRENT MARKET VALUE YOU ARE BETTER SERVED NOT PUTTING IT ON
THE MARKET AT ALL.

FRANK MURPHY

831-457-5550
email Frank@FrankMurphy.net www.LiveInSantaCruz.com

REVISING MORTGAGE RULES: CAN THERE BE AN AGREEMENT?

With the expectation that hundreds of thousands of homeowners are likely to lose their houses as subprime mortgages are scheduled to raise interest rates over the next 18 months, Democrats propose that "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which guarantee conventional mortgages of up to $417,000, [be allowed to] buy and hold many billions of dollars’ worth of additional mortgages in their own portfolios."

The Bush administration has been, and still remains somewhat, opposed to such a move, reasoning that taxpayers everywhere are put at risk if the investments turn out to be bad for such government-sponsored companies.

To read about how the Bush administration and the Federal Reserve are moving closer to an agreement with House and Senate Democrats regarding this issue, click here.

FED CUTS RATE; MARKETS SOAR!


Fed cuts prime lending rate by 1/2 % from 5.25% to 4.75% in a dramatic move.

Stock market reacts with large gain.

Impact on mortgage rates and the housing market not clear at this time.

To read the whole article click here.