25 REASONS WE OWE OUR MOTHERS

As Mother's Day approaches I keep wondering what we would do without our Mom's wisdom, love and understanding. 

I stumbled across the list of 25 reasons we all owe our Moms. Enjoy! 

1. Our mothers taught us TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE . 
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning." 

2. Our mothers taught us RELIGION . 
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet." 

3. Our mothers taught us about TIME TRAVEL . 
" If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!" 

4. Our mothers taught us LOGIC . 
" Because I said so, that's why." 

5. Our mothers taught us MORE LOGIC . 
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me.." 

6. Our mothers taught us FORESIGHT . 
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident." 

7. Our mothers taught us IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about." 

8. Our mothers taught us about the science of OSMOSIS . 
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper." 

9. Our mothers taught us about CONTORTIONISM . 
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!" 

10. Our mothers taught us about STAMINA .
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone." 

11. Our mothers taught us about WEATHER . 
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it." 

12. Our mothers taught us about HYPOCRISY . 
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!" 

13. Our mothers taught us the CIRCLE OF LIFE . 
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out." 

14. Our mother taught us about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION . 
"Stop acting like your father!" 

15. Our mothers taught us about ENVY . 
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do." 

16. Our mothers taught us about ANTICIPATION . 
"Just wait until we get home." 

17. Our mothers taught us about RECEIVING . 
"You are going to get it when you get home!" 

18. Our mothers taught us MEDICAL SCIENCE . 
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way." 

19. Our mothers taught us ESP . 
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?" 

20. Our mothers taught us HUMOR . 
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me." 

21. Our mothers taught us HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT. 
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up." 

22. Our mothers taught us GENETICS. 
"You're just like your father." 

23. Our mothers taught us about my ROOTS . 
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?" 

24. Our mothers taught us WISDOM . 
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand." 

25. And my favorite: Our mothers taught us about JUSTICE 
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you.

Appreciate your Mother.  It is a blessing that has been proven time after time, if your Mother never had children...you won't either.


Happy Mother's Day!  Make sure you buy her candy, some nice flowers, a beautiful card, and take her to a nice dinner. By the way, take your Dad along, your mom had help raising you.


Appreciate your Mother and let her know it while you can. .  I LOVE You , Mom!  Happy Mother's Day! 

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Posted: March 06, 2010

Do you Remember Captain Chesapeake?

I was thinking back to the days of my childhood when you finished school and headed home to watch great programs like Speed Racer, Land of the lost and Captain Chesapeake. I still remember Mondy the Sea monster, Andrew Claws the lion and Bruce the bird. I always wanted to see that bird!!! Nonetheless, I hope this triggers a few memories of days past. 

By the mid '70's, "Captain Chesapeake" boasted more than 50,000 card-carrying "crewmembers," and the station received as many as 3,000 letters to Lewis a week. At the end of each program, the good captain would encourage his youthful viewers to "be someone important--be yourself," then he followed with his signature sign-off, "so loooonnnnggggg 

The Captain Chesapeake show began with the poem: "A shipwrecked sailor found himself in a plight. Lost at sea he was really a sight. He swam and swam 'til he thought he'd die, when a wondrous sight appeared to his eye. A derelict boat that saved his life and put an end to his watery strife."

The theme song was the Bob Crosby Tune "Stumbling" by The Three Suns.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Captain Chesapeake was a morning and afternoon children's show on WBFF (channel 45) in Baltimore, Maryland hosted by George A. Lewis ( born:November 24, 1926, died:December 18, 2000 at Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland) who portrayed "Captain Chesapeake". The show aired from April 1971 - 1990. Lewis hosted a similar show, Captain Pitt on WPTT (channel 22) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (which is now WPMY and is owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., the same group that owns and operates Baltimore's WBFF). Lewis began his career as the children's host of the Steamboat Bill and Mr. Cartoon shows on WSAZ-TV in Huntington, West Virginia from 1957 until 1970. Lewis also acted as Ghost Host on WBFF's late night horror movie show, and did news on WBFF prior to 1988.

MD Homeowners-Energy Efficiency Incentives for Homeowners

 Learn how you can take advantage of these tax credits, rebates and loans

Going green is good for the planet and your wallet. Check this out:

• Installing energy efficient windows can reduce heating bills by 25 percent.
• Energy-saving air conditioners can reel back cooling bills by 50 percent.
• Energy Star-rated clothes washers use about 50 percent less energy than conventional washers.
• Using the latest bulb technology can cut lighting energy use by up to 75 percent.

Despite these benefits, homeowners are reluctant to pay more for energy efficient products upfront. Now, thanks to several federal, state and local programs, you can get help to pay for energy efficient home improvements, such as new insulation, double-paned windows, solar panels and other products that make your home more eco-friendly.

"Tax incentives help people with initial costs so they can start saving money on energy bills," says Tom Simchak, a research associate at the non-profit Alliance to Save Energy. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocated more than $40 billion to incentivize energy efficiency, and state and local programs devote even more funds for helping folks green their homes.

Federal regulations can be confusing, so we talked to the experts to break down the different incentives available for homeowners. Read on to learn how you can take advantage of tax credits, rebates, loans and mortgages to help offset the cost of energy efficient improvements.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA):
People who purchase products that meet certain energy efficiency standards are eligible for tax credits under this act. A tax credit lowers the amount of tax you owe Uncle Sam and is claimed when you file your annual tax forms. Two kinds of home improvements are eligible for federal tax credits: general energy efficient upgrades and larger renewable energy systems.

• Energy Efficient Upgrades
  Biomass stoves, HVACs (central air conditioning, heat pumps, boilers and furnaces, and circulating fans), insulation and air sealants, metal and reflective asphalt shingles, water heaters, or windows and doors can earn a credit. Folks who purchase these products anytime in 2009 or 2010 are eligible for a tax credit of 30 percent of the product's cost, with a $1,500 maximum for the two years. All products must meet energy efficient requirements established by the Department of Energy (DOE), which can be found here. Request a Manufacturer Certification Statement before you buy a product. This statement outlines the item's energy efficiency specs and can be obtained by calling the manufacturer, looking on the product's Web site, or asking a contractor or retailer.
• Renewable Energy Systems
  Products in this category include geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, small wind turbines and fuel cells. Fuel cells are eligible for a tax credit of 30 percent of the cost, up to $500 per 0.5 kilowatts of power capacity. All other systems in this category can get a tax credit that's 30 percent of the total cost (including installation). Unlike the previous category, adopting these technologies anytime through the end of 2016 can earn homeowners a credit. Again, request a Manufacturer Certification Statement to make sure systems meet DOE requirements.

Energy Star Rebates:
The ARRA gave the DOE $300 million to establish Energy Star rebates -- refunds to consumers who purchase Energy Star-rated appliances. Since appliances account for about 17 percent of an average household's energy use, using energy efficient appliances and getting a rebate for buying them is a really great deal. While all 50 states and six territories have an Energy Star rebate program in place, they vary. "All states have different products they cover, different timelines, different rebate amounts and different processes," says Kate Schneider, a spokesperson for the EPA's Energy Star program. To find out which appliances are eligible for rebates in your area, check out Energy Star's Rebate Programs site.

State, Local and Utility Incentives:
ARRA is currently the only federal program providing incentives for energy efficient home improvements, but there are a ton of bonuses offered by states, municipalities and utility companies. To find out what programs are available where you live, check out the DOE's online Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) or call your state energy office.

Green Financing Programs:
Some municipal financing districts and companies offer homeowners low-risk loans to make energy retrofits. Property Assessed Clean Energy bonds, or PACE bonds, provide the upfront costs for installing energy efficient tech, and homeowners repay the loan over 20 years through an additional sum on their property tax bill. Cities like Berkeley, San Diego, Boulder and Annapolis have PACE programs in place, and San Francisco has launched the nation's largest green financing scheme. Some local lenders and banks also offer green mortgages. Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) or Energy Improvement Mortgages (EIMs) offer a larger loan than normally permitted so people can purchase an energy efficient home or make upgrades to the house. The idea is that the extra dough spent on property taxes or a mortgage is less than homeowners' energy bills before retrofitting, saving people money in the long run.

Pending Legislation:
The only federal incentives for making energy efficient upgrades come from ARRA, but that may change soon. Congress is close to approving a bill that would create the HOMESTAR program, which provides rebates for specific energy efficient products and for whole home energy retrofits. Climate and energy legislation is currently kicking around the Senate, which may provide incentives to promote energy efficiency. Another bill may extend the currently expired homebuilders tax credit, which offers a $2,000 tax credit for new homes that achieve a 50 percent energy savings. And while many ARRA tax credits expire at the end of 2010, Simchak and other energy experts agree that they will likely be extended in some capacity.

Bang for Your Buck:
Everyone loves a federal handout. But the fact that energy efficient products cut power use means they typically make up for their initial costs by saving you serious dough on utility bills. "The payback on upgrades varies from a couple years for new windows to six months for CFLs in your hallway," says Simchak. "Some upgrades are no-brainers. It will cost you eight dollars for a caulk gun and a couple tubes of caulk, and that will save you a bunch of money on heating and cooling."

By Sarah Parsons, FrontDoor.com 

Economists Say Recovery Looks Strong

Is the economy poised for recovery? CC photo courtesy of ephicpharmus

USA TODAY

The recovery is shaping up to be stronger than expected and there is little risk the economy will slip back into a recession, according to USA TODAY’s quarterly survey of 46 leading economists.

Yet most still say the rebound will fall short of the sharp, V-shaped upturns that often follow severe slumps, and the 9.7% jobless rate will fall slowly.

As the Fed meets to assess the economy this week, seven in 10 economists say they’re more optimistic than they were three months ago.

“I think we’ve gotten to a point where it’s a self-sustaining recovery,” says Standard & Poor’s chief economist David Wyss.

The experts predict growth of 3% this year, up from forecasts of 2.8% in January. In V-shaped upswings, growth is often 7% or more.

None see a return to recession by next year, and those who see some risk say it’s lessened markedly.

“I feel more confident … there’ll be no relapse,” says Stuart Hoffman, chief economist of PNC Financial Services Group.

Yet while the economists say unemployment will fall steadily this year, their median estimates are for a 9.4% jobless rate at year’s end and 8.5% at the end of 2011. More than 80% say the U.S. won’t regain all jobs lost in the recession until 2013 or later.

Why the brighter outlook? Consumers are opening their wallets more widely than expected. Retail sales climbed at a 10.1% annualized rate the past three months, highest in four years. Economists cite rising incomes, a stock market rally that makes shoppers feel wealthier and abating fears of layoffs.

Also, manufacturers are feverishly replenishing stocks to meet growing demand. And exports are swelling company earnings.

Wyss, though, cites “big headwinds.” Consumers, he says, are too burdened by high debt to continue their spending sprees. The expiration of a home buyers’ tax credit Friday will dampen housing sales. And the government’s $787 billion economic stimulus package will be gone by late 2010.

Dean Maki, chief U.S. economist of Barclays Capital, is more bullish. He says the stock rally and growing incomes will let consumers pay off debts while increasing spending. And homes are cheap enough to goose sales even after the tax credit expires, he says. He predicts 3.8% growth this year.

Some economists worry mortgage rates will drift higher now that the Fed has ended its purchases of mortgage-backed securities. But 67% say rates will rise less than half a percentage point this year.

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