House Shopping

House shopping as to be one of the most exciting, yet frustrating, events in our lives. In the last few weeks, we’ve decided to house shop when an opportunity for a cheap house came out of absolutely no where. We ended up bidding on the house, and then retracting our bid when we realized the timing of it just would be too overwhelming (they wanted to close asap, we needed to sell the condo, etc). But we opted to keep at the house hunting game and hope we can come across something that will allow us to save for approximately a year while it’s being built.

It’s appearing more and more that you can get a great home with large rooms, nice layout, and upgraded kitchens — yet absolutely no property space. Oh, and in, for lack of better wording, shitty neighborhoods. On Saturday, we went to a home that we were very excited about. However, as we drove to the development, we began to see why the homes were so cheap; the homes surrounding the new development were mostly boarded up and foreclosed. And the ones with individuals still living there, well, they didn’t maintain them all that well. For an added punch to the stomach, the elementary school looked like it was abandoned as well.

Later that day, we went to another development. They were nice homes and the builders were offering huge incentives. But again, the neighborhood just wasn’t comfortable and while the homes were spaced far apart, there was absolutely no backyard space. So where do you compromise?

It’s going to be rough, but I’m sure we’ll eventually find what we want.

After reviewing the links I’ve posted throughout September, I realized something.  I post some fucking shitty stuff.  I should work on it.  I probably won’t.  But I should.

· Rookie Buchholz no-hits Orioles.

· More than two-thirds of the world’s polar bears will be killed off by 2050.

· How to Turn Cheap “Choice” Steaks into Gucci “Prime” Steaks.

· Steve Jobs & Co. consider joining the FCC’s auction of wireless spectrum, and a win would give Apple many intriguing options—for the iPhone and more.

· LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!

· Joba Rules.

· Designer to brand asterisk on ball; Hall of Fame to accept it.

· iPhones are a bricking.

· Note to Apple: Stop thinking like a phone company.

· Iran: CIA a ‘Terrorist Organization’.

After realizing that the links I post don’t feed directly into the archives, and realizing I have ZERO time to implement such a feature, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ll make a “Quality Links” post once a month featuring the previous month’s, well, best links that I’ve posted. And by best, I really mean, the ones that stand out the most in my mind, which really means absolutely nothing — I just need a cheap way of archiving my links. And maybe one day, I’ll get to merging the links archive with my posts archive you see on the left-hand side of this whatever-you-want-to-call it. And then I’ll retire by the age of thirty. Right.

So, without further ado, I give you my “Quality Links” of August of 2007.

· How long foods stay fresh in the fridge.

· Nine words women use.

· Celebrities as children.

· Images that changed the world.

· How sleep works.

· Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance at a wedding.

· Family of 9 lives debt free on $35k per year.

Is it me, or is drunk driving trendy these days? A cop, who received an award for “Top Cop” from Mothers Against Drunk Driving , was pulled over last week for drunk driving. Ironic, don’tcha think?

I just picked up a $10million apartment in Dubai. Be jealous. /end dream.

I’d want to commit suicide if there were ever spiders living in my ears and crawling over my ear-drums.

Lost is ending in three more seasons, which puts us at 2010. We have three seasons remaining with each season showing sixteen episodes. “Lindelof and Cuse had wanted ‘Lost’ to end after two more seasons. They’re essentially still getting their wish: The 48 episodes they’ll produce over the next three years is the same number the show produced during its first two seasons.” (via Variety.com)

New Apple iPod tomorrow afternoon?  With touchscreen capabilities?   Damn you, consumer electronics!

Roger is coming back to the Yankees. I’m psyched that he’s coming back. He’ll give such a moral boost to this team, specifically the pitching staff. I’m also looking forward to him mentoring Philip Hughes — the kid has great stuff and having such a veteran on the team will only help him. But, Clemens has spent the last three seasons with the NL’s Houston Astros. Will/Can he handle the AL and the hitters? Will he be able to handle 6+ innings a start? We need to him put up quality innings — especially since our bullpen needs a ton of improvement.

Is Google testing a new UI for search results? I’ve always liked Google’s “less is more” approach.

Paris Hilton is going to jail for 45 days for violating her probation.  Idiot.

Wang almost had a no-hitter today. Then he threw a change-up. But hey, at least we got a solid performance from one of our starters, and the win.

Gladiator is still one of my all time favorite movies. TBS, tonight, cut a bunch of it out, but it still gave me chills. “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.”

I ordered a 22inch widescreen lcd monitor yesterday. I’m so psyched. /end geek.

According to AIM Fight, I kicked my girlfriend’s ass 34,522 to 19,038.  I rule.

Microsoft is looking, again, to acquire Yahoo! While I prefer Google services, Yahoo! does put out some quality products. Unfortunately, if Yahoo! does become apart of Microsoft, Yahoo! dies. IMO, Microsoft just doesn’t get it.

Carl Pavano may need Tommy John surgery.  I do not wish surgery for anyone.  However, by the time Carl is fully recovered, his Yankee’s contract should be expired.  Thus, we probably will never ever see Carl Pavano pitch as a Yankee — well, it’s not like we’ve really ever seen him pitch to begin with.

Well, Carl Pavano is once again seeking medical attention. “Pavano hasn’t pitched since April 9 and has made only 19 appearances for the Yankees since signing a four-year, $39.95 million contract before the 2005 season.”

Is Mercury from a Broken CFL Dangerous?  Those swirly energy-efficient light bulbs may have a longer life record and may save you hundreds on your electricity bill, but the mercury within it could be rather dangerous for you and your family.

Celebrities as Kids. De Niro has his typical “fuck you” face on. And I don’t think Drew Barrymore has aged one bit.

Well, it looks like Britney is back, somewhat.

Ceiling heights affect how you think and act. “When a person is in a space with a 10-foot ceiling, they will tend to think more freely, more abstractly.”

Kevin makes a great point pertaining to Digg and the AACS codes. “The only way Digg can redeem itself now in the minds of its followers is to be sued by the MPAA, fight it, take the case all the way to the Supreme Court, and have the DMCA deemed unconstitutional and overturned.”

Fan pleads guilty to shining flashlight at Braves pitcher and shortstop.

Terms of the 90s, Slang of the 90.  Some of my favorites: “po po,” “yo,” “like,” “word.”