What is your City’s Misery Ranking?

February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Forbes put out the Most Miserable Cites in America

Forbes used many criteria to judge the misery level of the cities in the United States. The most important criteria started with; the violent crime percentage, political corruption, the unemployment rate in the city, and the number of foreclosures compared to the national average, the amount of taxes, (including personal income and property taxes), home prices, average income, education levels, down to the commute time, the weather and even professional athletic teams in the area. All of which contribute the misery of the city’s citizens.

They reported on the misery quotient of the top twenty or so highest cities in America. For these unlucky winners; the highest award goes to California with six cities on the list, next winner was Michigan with four, Ohio and Florida tied for 3rd with three cities each, Illinois came in 4th with two cities, and Tennessee and Indiana tied for number 5, with one city each.

Here is the List from Worse to Bad

Miami, Florida has the dubious honor at number one. They have more than 364,000 homes in foreclosure and 50% of the rest of Miami’s homes are underwater (the home is worth less than the outstanding mortgage balance) which can and probably will add to that enormous foreclosure rate.

Detroit, Michigan ranks in at number two with violent crimes, probably brought on by the reduction in police force due to the city trying to avoid bankruptcy. Home prices are also down 50% in the last three years.

At number three is Flint, Michigan. It ranks the third highest in the nation for violent crimes and is in the process of demolishing the empty homes left by foreclosures that have become drug houses and places for other criminal activity.

West Palm Beach, Florida is number four. For an extremely wealthy city, this was a surprise, but, the Obama Economy idea is spread the wealth or misery as the case may be. Home prices have dropped 50% in the last few years and then add political corruption and violent crime, money doesn’t protect you from misery.

Coming in at number 5 is Sacramento, CA. Sacramento ranks among the 10 highest cities in foreclosures in the US. It is also possible that they will be losing the Sacramento Kings to Anaheim, CA if they can’t come up with the money to build a new stadium. Kicking a guy (city) when its down is poor form, Kings. It not like the Kings is a winning team either.

Chicago, Illinois is number six. High property taxes and political corruption may seem like business as usual in Chicago, but add the worst housing market in history, the horrible commutes and weather and that misery level shoots straight up.

Number seven is Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It is the Spring Break destination for thousands of young people, out for a good time. But for its year round residents life isn’t quite so fun. Over the last few years, the housing prices have dropped nearly 50%.

Toledo, OH rates the number eight spot with the problems of political corruption, a very low income level and extremely high property taxes.

These are just a few of the cities on the list. If you would like to see the whole list, please go to Forbes.com and check it out. With all the talk about how well jobs and unemployment is going (according to the White House); it really doesn’t ring true out here in “main stream” America. The people, who have lost their jobs over the last three years, have given up. And of course, the President doesn’t count the millions of them in his unemployment numbers, the number of foreclosures hasn’t stopped, but continues to get higher, our health insurance rates have skyrocketed thanks to Obama Care and we are trillions in debt. Obama’s interest in this country has only come into play because he wants to get re-elected (too little too late). And what happens if he is re-elected? Do you think his new found care of the average American will continue? Not a chance, he will go back to pleasing his leftist friends and leave us out here to continue to lose our jobs and our homes and especially our dreams for a good life. The Misery level of the American people will continue to rise until we get someone in the White House who really cares about the American people.

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How to Make Your Home an Allergy Free Zone

February 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Listen to Your Home; It may be trying to tell you Something

Could it be your home that is making you feel bad? Do you have constant headaches, sinus and ear infections, runny, itchy, eyes and noses? Do you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach or out of breath? Some of these symptoms can be caused by your own home.  Check with your allergist and find out just what things you are allergic to. Your home can hold a myriad of allergens that can affect your health, make you miserable, and even cause death. Your home may be warning you of a serious problem.

A Clean Home Will Relieve Your Allergies

First off, go and buy yourself some allergy free face masks.  Giving your home a good spring cleaning could relieve a lot of allergy symptoms. Dust mites are all over your home. You can’t eradicate them, but you can lessen your contact with them. So use the mask while you are cleaning. Dust mites live everywhere, but most human contact with them is in our own beds. They thrive on dead skin cells. You can buy pillow, mattress and box spring covers (not the old hard plastic ones) that will keep dust mites from getting out and getting in. You will also need to wash your bedding every week with very hot water. The heat of the hot water will kill them and you could also put stuffed animals and pillows in the freezer which will also kill them. I guess; if you put them in big, sealed plastic bags; but the thought of putting dust mites in the freezer with my food is, well…I think I will stick with the washing machine and dryer or just throw it away. Dust mites also love dampness. Keeping a de-humidifier in your room can help.

Next, the bathroom can cause many health hazards. Mold allergies can escalate into asthma and the worse the mold the worse your health risk. Keep mold at bay, by using bleach solutions and industrial mold killers if your mold has found its way under the tile to your sheet rock. Make sure you stay on top of cracks in tiles, grout, back splashes and under sinks where mold loves to live. And speaking about cleaning chemicals; keep them far out of reach of the children. Keep the lids tightly on and do not reuse empty bottles or mix chemicals. All such actions can be deadly.

Animals

Most of us love animals. As puppies or kittens they are especially cuddly and cute, but, they can cause an allergic person severe health problems. Their hair and dander can cause not only sneezing, runny, itchy, watery eyes and noses; they can be the underlying reason for asthma. It is important to keep animals out of the place you spend the most time; like your bedroom. And use air purifiers in the rooms where the animals spend the most time.

Dust and Vacuum

With your mask on, you will need to dust the normal areas like furniture and blinds, but also don’t forget the ceiling fans, the air vents, the floors, floor and window fans, air conditioners. Buy a vacuum with a hepa filter system and keep clean of dust and dirt. Use a dry cleaning method of carpet cleaning. The moisture in the carpets will attract dust mites and maybe even mold. Don’t forget to dust your books, mites and mold love them. Change the filters in your furnace and air intakes every three month and use an 8 or higher rated filter.

If you have just put in new carpet you need to be especially mindful of the smell. New carpet lets off a gas that is harmful to you.  If you are getting constant headaches and vomiting you may need to take the carpet out. Wood floors are the best for those with allergies. Even after you have cleaned all this and you are still suffering you may want to call in the professionals to clean. Remember, when you are looking for a new home, spend some time there. Find out if the furnace and air conditioning units are yearly maintained, if there is new carpets, make sure that you can air the house out good and then smell the carpets. If they still smell strongly, you may want to rethink or go with wood floors. Make sure your inspector checks all gas valves and piping. Buy yourself a good carbon-dioxide monitor as well. Now go clean and live well.

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Credit Card Holiday Debt

February 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I Know You Couldn’t Help Yourself

We talked about this before Christmas. Remember, about having a debt free Christmas? No, I am not scolding. I have seven grandchildren plus nieces and nephews. All I can see are their darling little faces and I am off to the store. And it is not only the kids; it’s the toys and the clothes that are so fun to buy for them. I usually start shopping throughout the year; but there are things that they just need as Christmas nears. And honestly, I hide these gifts away and forget where I have hidden them and sometimes have to start over. My children and grandchildren love this about me; I wonder why? Many times they receive the” lost” gifts on random days throughout the year.

Your First Credit Card Bill has Come

The warm feelings of the Christmas holidays and giving are over and you now feel the force of that horrible knot you have been avoiding for a month. It’s not the end of the world, but it can be bad, depending just how crazy you got with the plastic. But, the damage is done and now is the time to put on the big boy or girl panties and face it head on. First, take account of all the credit card debt you have. Check out the interest rates. Choose the cards with the highest rates and start to pay them off first. Not just minimum payments but as much as you are able, above the minimum payment and continue to pay minimum amounts on the lower interest rate cards. As the highest rate card is paid off; you can then go to the next highest rate bill and do the same. Use the money that went for the first card and add it to the minimum payment of the next one and before you know it, that one will be paid off. Continue to do this until you have paid them all off. Now, put the cards away in a safe place and DO NOT USE THEM. It seems like Credit Card Companies send out millions of applications daily for credit cards with low interest rates for 6 to 12 months and then return to high interest rates. They advertise that you could transfer all your high interest balances to their card. Read all the small print very carefully and know that they will charge you a fee to switch your balances over. If you know you can pay all the debt off before their interests rates shoot up to the moon; it may not be a bad ideas for you, but if not, I wouldn’t do it.

Signing up for New Credit

You must keep in mind that every time you apply for a new card, it affects your credit score. Every time you close an account it can affect your credit score. So really make sure that new credit card with the great low interest will really work for you, before signing up. Also, keep an eye on your credit score to make sure that no one else has signed up for a new credit card in your name. You can get a free credit score from the government once a year that will not affect your credit score. Since there are three credit bureaus that make up your score; it may be a good idea to check with a different one of them every four months. They usually, but not always, will have the same things on them and this way you can keep an eye on your score three times throughout the year for free. If you want to close your credit card account you may want to wait about twelve month after you have the card paid off to close it. Closing accounts may also affect your credit score, even when you no longer have a balance, so put the card away and cancel after a year. This is a terrible economy and millions of American’s are hurting. Don’t let the Credit Card Companies entice you. The grass is not greener when you are in debt. Scale down, live within your means and save. These are the things that will get you through this government made mess.

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Let Your Backyard help you sell your Home

February 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

With your Curb Appeal Budget

You have up graded your curb appeal (the aesthetics of the front of your home). You worked hard  by taking care of  cracked and uneven concrete, repainting the house and porch, placing brightly colored planted pots on the porch, planting loads of color in the yard, hanging beautiful flowering baskets, built  retaining walls and focal points and perhaps even changed your front door. The front of your home is updated, beautiful and invites one in. Nice Job, all this work has set the tone of your home.

Your next step was the inside of your Home

You will have spent most of your budget here on the inside of your home. You have repainted, de-cluttered and minimized your personal items and furniture to make your home feel larger, clean and open.  You spent most of your budget on the kitchen, replacing out dated appliances and countertops and maybe even added new flooring throughout the house. You have upgraded your bathrooms with new tile and fixtures. You have staged your home in just the right way to be as, inviting inside as it is out front.

But, what can you do with the Backyard?

Well, with most of your budget spent and little left for the empty square in your backyard, where do you start? If your grass has seen better days, you could try and revive it or you can get creative. Put in an inexpensive patio area. With used bricks placed in sand and formed into a circle and an inexpensive birdbath or homemade fountain in the middle, you can create a wonderful and soothing focal point. Surround it with Butterfly and bird attracting plants of all colors. You could cut away more unsightly grass to make planting areas for flowers and shrubbery. You can even use large pots lined up against the empty fence and plant them with tall grasses and greenery. Now, with your grass area whittled down you can possibly afford to put in new sod or if you have the time and water you could replant it yourself. Invest in several bags of mulch to make your plants pop against the colored mulch. Planted pots and hanging baskets can also cover an empty slab of concrete and bring it to life.

If your patio furniture is looking past its due date; brighten it up with a can of paint or stain and accessorize with brightly colored pillows, glass bottles and lanterns. You can turn that empty square of bad grass into an oasis with a lot of elbow grease and imagination. You can find inexpensive ideas in magazines at Sunset.com, Southernliving.com, Coastalliving.com, betterhomesandgardens.com, and so many more. Check these out and use your creativity to make your backyard a place that will not only help sell your home, but make you not want to leave it.

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In This Terrible Housing Market– There are a few Slivers of Sunlight

February 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Why a Few American Housing Markets are Showing a Little Hope

The cities showing a sliver of hope in this depressed housing market country wide; are the ones where the jobless rate has been lower than the national average. People with jobs will buy homes. For the past four years, millions of Americans have lost their jobs and have not been able to find replacement jobs. Many of these millions have given up even trying to look for jobs. This country’s depression has caused millions to become depressed and hopeless as they lost their jobs and homes and totally give up.

The jobless rate, below the national average combined with markets that were not so inflated like California and many other States have contributed to these few cities showing better signs of life than the rest of the country.

Texas Doing Better Than Most

Dallas, Texas has fared pretty well during this depression. Its unemployment rate, which has been lower than much of the country and its energy industries and business friendly laws have kept the foreclosure rates down. The home prices have stayed virtually the same throughout the last four years.  And Dallas and its surrounding areas are great places to live and raise a family. Plano, TX, a suburb of Dallas has been voted the best city to live in and the safest for the last two or more years. Come to Texas, ya’all.

Detroit, Michigan is another city on the list. With the revival of the auto business it has seen jobs come back and its unemployment rate has been greatly lowered. Once again, the people have jobs and therefore feel comfortable purchasing homes again.

Government Expansion Fuels Gains In DC

Washington D.C. is also on the list. With the enormous government job expansion, Federal job growth has grown exponentially. Hence, D.C. has very low unemployment numbers. Homeowners are able to pay their mortgages and the foreclosure rate is very low. But, it is a market that could be teetering on a precipice depending on who will be in power this next year. Large government  Democrats vs. small government Republicans.  D.C. could be facing the unemployment problems that face the rest of the country.

Cleveland, OH’s unemployment rate is dropping. And Clevelanders are taking advantage of low housing prices and low interest rates and purchasing homes. The city has been working to diversify its businesses and create more jobs. Another sliver of hope.

Denver, CO is also on this list. Denver’s housing market never experienced the escalation in home prices as others did. So its market has stayed fairly steady. It does however have a higher than the national average foreclosure rate, but not by much.

These cities and, other less populated areas in the US have fared better than most. They have leaders that are working to keep their States and Cities working by bringing new businesses and have less regulations to keep their economies healthier. And when you create a place where business thrives, people have jobs and employed people buy homes and then economy thrives. Now if the White House and the Federal government could only figure this out, we would be in much better circumstances all around.

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The Property Brothers

February 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Ah….the Property Brothers.   If you haven’t seen them, they’re identical twins who show homebuyers who want to outpace their wallets the benefits of buying an outdated property.  One brother (Drew) is a real estate agent; the other (Jonathan) is a contractor.  Working together and with the buyer, a home is purchased, designed, remodeled and unveiled it in all of its jaw-dropping glory—all in a single hour (or sometimes half-hour) episode.

The results are certainly amazing, and the show is entertaining.  After all, who doesn’t like scoffing a bit at the expectations of some buyers?  And for some, it’s sure to raise the question as to whether buying a fixer-upper is right for them.

 A Few Things to Remember

But before you run out and find the worst possible property with dreams of turning it into a suburban Taj Mahal, there are a few things to consider:

  1. Unless you’re on a TV show (or a general contractor) large-scale remodels are always more expensive than you think.   The renovation costs these types of shows quote generally do not reflect the real amount you would pay.  Although the Scott brothers have indicated in interviews that they work within the budgets on the show, a blog post by Mike Otto of Fair & Square Remodeling indicates the companies providing materials and/or labor for these shows generally doing so a little or no cost.  In short, what those homeowners pay and what you would pay are usually two very different things.
  1. The unexpected must always be expected.  Even on home remodeling shows, difficulties are encountered that will affect your budget.  If you can’t set aside a minimum of 20 percent of your remodeling budget for these types of issues, you shouldn’t get into a buy-and-rent property.
  1. The cardinal rule of real estate applies even with renovations:  Location, location, location.  Although the changes in the housing market over the last several years have put more properties on the market, you may still have a hard time finding one in your price range and in your ideal area.  And buying and renovating a cheap house in a bad location isn’t going to get you ahead, either; in fact, the odds of getting financing for such a remodel are greatly reduced.
  1. Slow and steady wins the race. Based on your financial position, ability to complete DIY projects and goals, buying a home that requires some renovation but is livable for now may be a better option than project that requires you buy the home and gut it before moving in.  It may also give you a feeling for the kinds of changes that you’d like to make before beginning such a project.   Living in a construction zone, while not ideal, may lead to fewer headaches, lower costs and greater return on your investment in the long run.

So does that mean you shouldn’t watch Drew and Jonathan work their magic?  Of course not.  Shows like Property Brothers can provide great renovation ideas…and some fairly decent entertainment at the same time.

Property Brothers Link:  http://www.hgtv.com/property-brothers/show/index.html

Budget link: http://www.realstylenetwork.com/blogs/celebrities/2011/01/interview-property-brothers-jonathan-and-drew-scott-fix-up-canada/

Mike Otto link: http://www.fairandsquareremodel.com/2011/12/15/what-they-don%E2%80%99t-tell-you-about-home-remodeling-tv-shows/

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Occupy Movement Isn’t Helping

February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

As the country moves day by day and month by month through the current economic difficulties around unemployment and the housing market, a number of measures can and would be helpful if enacted.   The Keystone Pipeline project comes to mind, but for now, let’s focus on what’s not helping.

A Movement Without A Cause

The Occupy Crowd seems dedicated to their cause, but what exactly is their cause?    From listening to interviews with actual Occupy members who are onsite, currently occupying in certain cities across the country, I’m don’t think they know what they are raging against.   Is it Wall Street?   Is it big business?   Is it capitalism?   Or is it a rage against cleanliness and order?

Protesting is an interesting business, and like all worthwhile endeavors, it takes some organization and skill to pull it off successfully.   As an example of a successful gathering to protest a current situation in the country let’s examine an average Tea Party protest that happened on the Mall in Washington D.C.

The organizers let everyone involved or who wanted to be involved know when and where the rally would be held.   I suppose that’s also true for the Occupy crowd.   They do let their members know which city they will be gathering in.   Next, Tea Party protests are scheduled for a particular time during the day.   Occupy gatherings do not have a specified time, in fact, they expect to be there forever.   A difficult effort and goal to accomplish.   Next, the Tea Party rallies have scheduled speakers who talk to the crowd specifically about the American people being “taxed enough already.”   There are no speakers or even leaders (that they want you to find) at the Occupy gatherings, and no one is there to focus the crowd on the issue at hand.

Clean It Up or Leave It Filthy?

Next, when the Tea Party rallies are complete, on the same day they began, the attendees clean up the area and head back to their jobs, families and daily responsibilities.    Contrast that with the Occupy folks, who do not leave the area.   They pitch tents, usually illegally, use the outdoor facilities to relieve themselves, expect free food from the local merchants, buy and sell drugs in the midst of the gathering, and there have been a variety of crimes committed by these Occupiers.    Eventually, the local authorities have to expel the crowds in order to simply clean up the human waste, garbage and personal belongings.   The Occupiers don’t leave voluntarily, and continue to be in violation of the law.

If you a protesting a worthy cause, it always helps to do it in a credible way.    The Tea Party folks, regardless of whether or not you agree with their cause, pull off a rally or protest in a way that is credible and deserves consideration.   The Occupy group behaves in a way that their cause, which isn’t clearly defined, doesn’t require a serious reply or reaction.

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Let Them Eat Cake

January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

According to pollster, Scott Rasmussen, government spending has gone up every single year since 1954, despite constant voter demand for spending cuts.   The Washington politicians continue to pursue their personal agendas without regard for the will of the people, or for the sake of economic recovery.

Politicians Ignore Public Will

As long as our elected officials continue to ignore the spending cuts the public overwhelmingly support, our housing market and outlook for creating jobs will remain bleak.   Even more astounding is that the politicians blame voters for the problem and insist that there is no public support for targeted spending cuts.   Polls show that this claim is simply untrue.

Voters want politicians to act on their behalf, keeping in mind that they were elected by the people not to do their own will, but to carry out the preferences of those who cast votes in their favor.   The lure to enrich themselves at the expense of the voter and the country’s fiscal well-being lies at the heart of this ongoing problem.

Politicians Out of Touch

Those holding elected office in Washington live a privileged and opulent life style.   From their well-furnished and spacious offices, benefits that fix them financially for a lifetime, generous retirement plans, a flock of subservient staffers, insider trading privileges, well paid speaking engagements based on their title and elected position, consulting arrangements, food allowances, access to corporate leaders, access to lobbyists, and on and on, these politicians are unable to resist the ease and benefits provided through their position.    What’s more, when faced with decisions that would further the needs of the country and of individual citizens, politicians are hard pressed to prioritize on behalf of the people if there is comparatively more personal benefit in deciding in their own favor.

This behavior in Congress, the Senate and the Presidency is most evident as they live in collective ease at the same time the general public is wading through the worst economic times in a generation.   “Let them eat cake,” is a refrain too easy to resist when describing their behavior.

Tea Party Drives Effort For Less Government

With the rise of the Tea Party in 2010, the politicians received a harsh wakeup call as incumbent after incumbent was swept from office by voter preference in favor of candidates who believe we are taxed enough already, and government should spend only what the people provide.   The election of 2012 is beginning to look like act two of this rebellion against government arrogance and out of control spending.

The party in power is using the principal of ‘fairness’ to try and convince the public that the spending should continue and the wealthy should be brought down to meet the masses with regard to income and taxation.   This is a false argument, meant only to fool the voters and allow the powerful to remain in their present state.   Capitalism, the economic philosophy that built American into the greatest nation on Earth, is being vilified as the cause by which the middle class is being disadvantaged and directed into poverty.   Of course, the opposite is true.   If capitalism was allowed to flourish, and the American individual freed from the taxation of regulation of government, our country would soon be on the path to recovery.

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A Simple Cross-cut Paper Shredder is an Essential for Every Home

January 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

We Live in a World Filled with Identity Theft and Fraud

According to the United States Department of Justice Website, identity theft and identity fraud is described through the words of the Justice Department and those of William Shakespeare, as follows:

“But he that filches from me my good name/Robs me of that which not enriches him/And makes me poor indeed.”
- Shakespeare, Othello, act iii. Sc. 3.

“The short answer is that identity theft is a crime. Identity theft and identity fraud are terms used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain. These Web pages are intended to explain why you need to take precautions to protect yourself from identity theft. Unlike your fingerprints, which are unique to you and cannot be given to someone else for their use, your personal data ­ especially your Social Security number, your bank account or credit card number, your telephone calling card number, and other valuable identifying data ­ can be used, if they fall into the wrong hands, to personally profit at your expense. In the United States and Canada, for example, many people have reported that unauthorized persons have taken funds out of their bank or financial accounts, or, in the worst cases, taken over their identities altogether, running up vast debts and committing crimes while using the victim’s names. In many cases, a victim’s losses may include not only out-of-pocket financial losses, but substantial additional financial costs associated with trying to restore his reputation in the community and correcting erroneous information for which the criminal is responsible. Also, according to the Justice Department, in 2010, 7.0% of households in the US, or about 8.6 million households, had at least one member, 12 years or older who experienced one or more types of identity theft. Of those 8.6 million, 64.1% experienced the misuse or attempted misuse of an existing credit card account.”

 Worried Yet?

It is important to do all you can do to protect yourself. Shred all bill stubs and anything that may have your address, phone number, social security number, cell phone number or credit card and bank account information. Do not throw away anything you can shred. Criminals do go through garbage or even your mailboxes and steal credit card applications and account numbers. When you order checks, have them sent to your bank and pick them up there. It may sound a little overboard, but, in Folsom, California; the inmates at Folsom Prison were given the job to sort the garbage. Guess what happened?! Do not take anything for granted, it is war out there with hackers and thieves. Protect your computers with the latest and best protection.

 What Else Can You Do?

There are several Identity Theft Companies out there. From asking around, I found out that LifeLock was the most recommended and affordable. Their services range from $10 to $25 per month for their Ultimate service. They offer advanced internet monitoring, credit bureau monitoring, they even search public and court records and check all names you have used in your lifetime. They let you know when your checking and savings accounts have unusual activity. And monitor credit alerts and much more and then back it all up with a guarantee to help you recover and restore your life with lawyers and investigators up to 1 Million dollars. There were other companies that were mentioned like Identity Guard and Trusted ID which were given high marks. Even with these companies; you have to do your part by SHREDDING. Also, if your debit card has a Visa or MasterCard logo and can be used as credit; use it as credit and avoid using your PIN not only for protection, but it will save your money in bank fees. Take all of your receipts from restaurants or stores on which you signed your name; having your signature can get thieves one step closer to ruining your life. And above all be careful and watchful.

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Newspapers Cramping My Style

January 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Keeping the Yard Clean

I live in a reasonably nice neighborhood situated in a reasonably nice city.   We do our best to keep our yard clean, the lawn mowed during the growing season, and the flower beds free of weeds and trash.   In the fall when all the leaves fall to the ground, and there are an awful lot of them, we rake them up and dispose of them as directed by the city.

Inside and Out

We keep out house clean and free of clutter, we scrub the toilets, sinks, tubs and showers to make sure they are germ free and nice to use.   Our refrigerator isn’t full of rotting food, and we take the time to vacuum the carpets and clean the non-carpeted floors on a regular basis.    As we come home from being out at any given time we all throw our car keys in a bowl so they don’t get lost and the counter space remains uncluttered and clean.

 Keeping Things Off the Ground

When we get up in the morning our beds are usually made.    After coming home, having some dinner and later getting ready for bed, we don’t throw our clothes on the floor, but instead we hand them in the closet, fold them away and place them in drawers or accurately throw them into the dirty clothes hamper.    Periodically, if we are tired and it’s late we might not put every article of clothing back where it belongs, but within a day or so they manage to find their way back into the closet, drawer or dirty clothes basket.

 Garbage Goes In The Can

I can also tell you that without exception we don’t throw garbage, wrappers, food, plastic or anything else out of our car windows when driving around in the neighborhood.   Not once have I opened the window and randomly thrown out a plastic drinking cup that was empty, or a straw wrapper that I no longer need, or even the last piece of a hamburger or sandwich that I don’t feel like finishing.

I can also vouch for my neighbors with regards to keeping the exterior of their homes looking nice and remaining free of wrappers, tools and other junk.   Lawns get mowed regularly, and the neighborhood looks nice 99.9% of the time.

With all this in mind, could someone tell my why the people giving out newspapers that we haven’t subscribed to find it necessary to just throw their paper rags in our yard everyday?    This is not how civilized people act.    We don’t just fold together a bunch of large pieces of paper, wrap them in plastic to keep them dry and then randomly toss them into people yards who never asked for them, do we?

 Cleaning Up The Front Yard

Well, every few days I have to go out in my front yard and pick up the four of five newspapers that have been thrown around in my yard.   I didn’t ask for these papers because I don’t read newspapers, and I certainly haven’t paid for them to be tossed at me.    Why do the people in charge of these free papers feel the need to throw garbage in my yard and then drive away?    It’s beyond me, and I wish someone would hide out and catch these people when they are busy messing up everyone’s yard.    If they could be caught I would support flattening their tires, maybe cracking a window, or maybe even filling their cars with some of the garbage out of my trash can in the back yard.    Seems like just what might be needed to get them to stop throwing their unwanted garbage in my yard.

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