Wordy C repeats the warning with lots of laughter inside: If you want to know what's going on with the pages of my sketchbook, you will have to follow the conversation over here... The cartoons in my head are having a field day with our little game. The pages will be released one response at a time. 

Say hello to page 2... Michelle Viggiano

If you want to know what's going on with the pages of my sketchbook, you will have to follow the conversation over here... The cartoons in my head are having a field day with our little game. The pages will be released one response at a time. If the lovely Michelle is as quirky as I am, this could get very, very interesting... Consider yourself warned. :-)

Nervous? You should be... I have a wickedly delicious sense of humor if you push the right buttons and Michelle fascinates me.

Don't fret. My Granny still reads my blog (LOL). BTW, I've been drawing all day so yeah, that conversation you need to read to bring you up to speed is the only hint you'll get regarding what comes next. We have very active imaginations so play nice in the electronic sand box. Play especially nice on Michelle's blog. I have lots of parchment paper left in my sketchbook and the two of us have a lot to talk about.

Welcome to the cartoons in my head... ;-)

Page 2

I answered a question regarding the ActiveRain Community Guidelines and was asked to make it a blog post.

Okay. Here it is: Here's a short set of fave ActiveRain quotes that I spend a lot of time writing and chatting about when I'm not playing in the Rain:

"Being a part of any community requires a certain level of trust. Don't abuse the site or your fellow members. By joining the ActiveRain community you are given a platform to present your ideas and opinions to a large number of people. We trust you to be responsible with that platform; thousands of other ActiveRain members are also counting on your trustworthiness.

* The ActiveRain community and real estate industry as a whole will only be respected to the degree of character represented by the actions of it's professionals. Do not conduct yourself in a way that disgraces your fellow member's on this network.

* Do not take malicious action against the network.

* Do not advertise yourself or your services in the comment section of another members blog post.

* Do not personally attack another person.

* Do not slander another person.

* Do not send unsolicited emails, or faxes, or make unsolicited phone calls to another member."

Group Founders, Administrators and Moderators who are serious about their responsibilities and active in their groups take the community rules of the network very seriously. We love ActiveRain and when we form groups and work across the blogosphere together to advance our concerns and causes, we spend a lot of time recreational reading to monitor where our group dynamics are going. Comment spam is always annoying to deal with... Sometimes it is accidental and people don't understand what it is, so they put their spin on why it is okay when it is not and we have to work twice as hard to educate them why it's wrong.

If the owner of the post gives permission for a link to be there, or if the link is to further enhance the conversation, it is not the same as people who run around blatantly advertising their stuff at the expense of another writer. All links are not comment spam and randomly accusing writers of it is always offensive to the writer who is not engaging in the practice. I say practice because a lot of people do this and will immediately point to someone else doing it as an example as to why it is okay.

Members need to read the community guidelines and the examples and explanations given by ActiveRain rather than make up their own definitions. Just because I trade links with my friends doesn't mean I trade links with everyone. The relationships people cultivate here will determine the permissive will of the writers. Some people like links and will actually ask for them (like I do at times) and others wont tolerate a single one, even if it is to help explain the answer to a question, because they feel it takes traffic away from their post. Their post is about advertising their business and ideology.

Each writer must moderate their blog and determine what is best for them.

Each founder must moderate their group and determine its purpose and membership criteria.

I hope this explanation has been useful to you. Gotta get back to the Club Chaos members only par-tay here and here (LOL).

Enjoy your day in the Rain. Regards, C. :-)

ClubChaosAgents.com

(LMAO) I love irony... ;-)

RainJacking is a service and trade mark of TLW and can not be used by anyone. Violates her copyright. High-jacking is the same as rain-jacking except all members can high-jack but only TLW can RainJack. When she puts her stamp of approval on the ActiveRain high-jinx and shenanigans, that's one of the original members of the network putting her stamp of approval on the art and craft of a high jack well done. I do not want there to be a misconception about that fact. The RainJack icon was specifically designed for The Lovely Wife. No one can use it without facing copyright sanctions.

You haven't been RainJacked unless TLW says your post has been. When we do high-jack a post we are always hoping we do it well enough to be graced with the coveted stamp of approval. :-)

Comment spam is being confused with high-jacking, which TLW provides the history of and ActiveRain members definition on a members only post here. She was one of the founders of the art of jacking a blog. I am a third generation high-jacker on the ActiveRain Real Estate Network. Very proud of that distinction because TLW taught Amanda Hall and Melody Botting and those two taught me.

There are rules of engagement to an acceptable and unacceptable high-jack. Interchanging RainJacking with high-jacking is a no-no to those who understand the difference. These are very distinct things.

Interchanging comment spam with high-jacking concerns me. If you read the community rules on comment spam posted by the firm who hosts us you will see the distinction. If you click on the red blog post flag button you will also notice ActiveRain has an option to flag a post for a feature because of high-jinx.

The ActiveRain groups Jacked, Wacked, Club Chaos and a host of others devote ourselves to having fun in the Rain and periodically high-jacking blog posts to socialize together on. That's why our icon is a social butterfly (LOL). I believe it is important to point out there are subtle differences. People should be aware that regardless of all of our personal opinions on the matter, the terms RainJack, RainJacked, RainJacking are actually a copyright service and trade mark not for indiscriminate, casual use.

Think of it like getting an Emmy or Oscar. If the firm that grants them doesn't nominate and award you one, do not misrepresent and say it happened or you got RainJacked. That custom made ActiveRain stamp is the same as those statues. It's a blog award from Roar Productions ownd by Broker Bryant and Billie Bryant. 

Don't even think about snagging that icon's picture and using it...

I love Granny Carol's Blog. I am so glad she made this available for a re-blog. Enjoy!

I love eye candy and I have to say this picture makes me want to go check out Nevada. My friend Lisa was kind enough to make this post available for a re-blog. Thank you Lisa. Enjoy! :-)

Everyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I am a huge Donald Trump fan. I like the Trump University website and find them very interesting because of their think and do approach to investing. Today they have me wondering what type of investor I am... 

When you are working with scaled down resources you have to stop what it is you think you are doing long enough to figure this out. It's a huge mistake not to. Seriously. Warren Buffet figured it out. If it's good enough for Warren and Donald then my premise is that one may no longer assume the information isn't useful because he or she is not flinging millions at a project. If an astute Realtor figures it out before you do you may find yourself off on an adventure you did not anticipate. Depending upon the professional you retain, this can be a good or a bad thing, so you may want to get comfy so you can take a moment to figure this out. 

Like discovering one is an Alpha Male or Type E Personality, the type of investor you are colors what you decide to do when you finally get around to allocating funds for your project. Will you, as a buyer, be an owner occupant? Do you embrace the cash flow model and seek a continuous streams of income? Are you seeking tax shelters? Do you think your bottom line is capital growth? (Capital Growth is the biggie in residential sales. Did you know that most homeowners seek this sort of return on their investment not realizing they are engaged in this process? 'Tis true - LOL)

Turns out that I am an amenity purchaser, which sort of tweaks the above points a normal investor would be driven to accomplish into a different direction. My motivation for investing in land has to do with the location of my loved ones first, then I overlap into the regular investment considerations of best use, possible subdivision, sustainability, utilities, recreational versus residential rental, flipping the project, etc. 

As Realtors we have to keep in mind that investors generally value properties for their rates or return, and amenity investors add that extra quirk of desiring a property to fulfill a specific business need (e.g. like location). There really is a distinction that drives them. They can also overlap, so don't be fooled into thinking you have your buyer and seller pegged. You will have to listen very carefully to what a client is saying to figure out the two. It may require you to actually asked a few astute questions rather than assume (LOL). I'm, just sayin' ;-)

The Outside Blog Minion Report

YOTVETA

One of the things I love about Poppy Dinsey is that she, like I, enjoy taking pictures of her food. When you are really enjoying your meal it is very cool to be able to share it on Facebook, Flickr, ActiveRain and a host of other available social media blogging platforms.

Yotveta is becoming a fave spot to dine when in Fresh Meadows. I must tell you about desert. It's yummy. Creame Burlee, Chocolate Mousse, Strawberry with Whipped Cream... lots of seasonal fruits to do very interesting dishes. It is the first dairy kosher restaurant I've had the pleasure of experiencing. I'm working my way through the menu with my gal pals. I may have to do a slide show. So many dishes, so little time (LOL). It's a great place for a social media tweet-up. Had three so far. Looking forward to many more. For all you people who don't get Twitter, Facebook, ActiveRain, here's a thought:

Social media is harnessing real time events for leisurely digestion or instant gratification. There is a wealth of knowledge floating through cyberspace. You can find just about anything if you look diligently for it. Once discovered, or created, you can savor the virtual moments with your friends and always catch up in real life at some point. No rush. Just log in and see who is updated, live, missing, tweeting or direct messaging. Sometimes my favorite posts are simple, small micro-blogged statements like, "brought a new CD/DVD," "about to go watch a movie," "bubblebath time," "meet me at the bar..." and my all time silent favorites: " :-)  ;-)  :-P  :-D :-S  :-/  :-J "(LOL). If you spend enough quality time in cyberspace with the people you care about you can discover just about anything at any given moment. Where we like to eat, vacation spots, music picks, gaming habits... I recently discovered I like flipping quotes back and forth with some of my friends. Being an ardent Dr. Seuss fan, you never know what kind of quote you're going to get from me (LOL). My last three flips:

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Dr. Seuss

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." Dr. Seuss

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." Dr. Seuss

Needless to say we DM a lot. If we didn't, our home pages would be a disaster (LMAO). There are some conversation that shouldn't be posted on one's Facebook wall. ;-) The fun thing about flipping quotes is that it makes you think about what you're going to share or tease your buddies about. Here's a few more nuggets from the Life Is Short - Have Desert First crew:

"As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do." Zachary Scott What do you regret not doing? I regret not traveling more, so I've been making up for that by visiting with my friends and driving them stark raving mad. I don't always blog about where I've been or where I am going, but I have been quite mobile lately, spreading my special brand of insanity one county at a time. Yes, there is eye candy to be had from my wanderings... and many a drooling lunatic left in my wake. I'm sure when they get off their meds they'll think of a deliciously wicked way to retaliate with their love gifts. My friends always give as good as they get, that's why we're still friends (LOL). ;-)

"To change one's life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly. No exceptions." William James You do not have to tell me this twice. I get it. Seriously... This is the button my gym buddies love to push. I am now a New York Sports Club fanatic. ;-)

"Life is not lost by dying. Life is lost minute by minute, day by dragging day, in all the thousand small uncaring ways." Stephen Vincent Benét I played an awful lot of phone tag behind this one (LOL). Can you say touchy-feeeeely? Bet they regret pushing the old mush button (LMAO). Word of advice, never hint to lunatics that they don't care about you. They may agree (Oh horror!!!) or they may go out of their way to prove you wrong. ;-)

"If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have another chance." Andrea Boydston I love this quote. It's on my fridge. It makes me laugh everytime I start whining about something that I ought not to be whining about.

Life is short. You really should have desert first. May I suggest the Chocolate Mousse? (LOL) BTW:

"May you live all the days of your life." Jonathan Swift

Every person you meet, whether a client, customer or prospect, has (1) unique requirements, (2) special needs and (3) specific motivations when he/she/they decide to work with another person.

It doesn't matter what profession you are in. What matters to him/her/them is whether or not you can help them.

No one is perfect.

You can not help everyone, but you can be there for someone. When you decide to be there for a person, then be there for that person. It doesn't mean you wont have issues, it just means they are relying on you and you have to do the best with what you have at the time of each individual life event.

It doesn't mean jumping through ridiculous hoops, being afraid to disappoint them, or that you will not make a mistake or two down the road. It simply means do the best you can and be honest about your business. There will always be an issue to resolve.

What separates the professional from the amateur is how you decide to resolve it.

The Outside Blog Minion Report

YOTVETA

187-20 Union Turnpike  Fresh Meadows, NY 11365  (718) 454-1636/37

I love food. Eating is one of my favorite pastimes. Ever have an Israeli salad? They dice it very fine. Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, parsley dressed in olive oil and lemon juice. Sweet potatoe soup goes very nice with that. It's creamy in texture and they serve it with potato squares. Mmm...

Like Pasta? An excellent appetizer would be their Jumbo Ravioli. It's cheese ravioli with hot salsa and Parmesan cream. My fave dinner dish is the Rose Sauce Cheese Ravioli. You seriously have to try it. It's cream and tomato sauce, chili garlic and Parmarella cheese. I have my eye on six pasta dishes I need to work my way through them all. This was the first one I tried at Yotveta. It made quite an impression on my taste buds. Absolutely lovely. :-)

Fish is a favorite. You can do so much with it. Sana and I really enjoyed their Tilapia dish. They have a spicy one with Moroccan pepper, chickpeas and coriander. Tonight, I am going to try the Sea Bass. Their sea bass fillet is served on eggplant with tehina and sillan with cheese ravioli on top. Did I mention how much I like their ravioli? I think I did (LOL). We'll be popping by after we do our evening work out at the New York Sports Club. Can't eat the way we do and not work out (LOL).

Will tell you about desert later. Gotta get the kids to school. ;-)

The Outside Blog Minion Report

Yotveta

Jerusalem Post

Vaad Harabonim of Queens

The Newton D. and Rochelle Becker Family Foundation

I want to learn Hebrew. I started reading the Jerusalem Post on-line because while Googling for resources I discovered this wonderful page. Pretty soon I was also hooked on websites like Vaad Harabonim and the Newton D. & Rochelle Becker Family Foundation's  http://www.learnhebrewprayers.com

Let's not forget iTunes. You can download a lot of free language courses from there. Very interesting stuff if you bother to take the time to look. Coffee Break Spanish from the Radio Lingua Network was my first attempt at learning another language in over twenty years (LOL). I discovered them on iTunes and absolutely love their approach. Funny what you are determined to do when you have small children who will one day be bringing home homework you as a parent may have absolutely no idea how to do. Surely you've heard of the "new math" that every generation of us older folks seems to suffer through. In some states, like Florida, learning Spanish is a mandatory part of the curriculum. Since hubby is Jewish, Hebrew automatically goes on the table. Thus my adventures in language and culture begins with something yummy for the tummy (LOL). Everyone has an intangible incentive-button to push. Mine happens to be eye and food candy. You can get a lot out of me if you bring the right Hagen Daz over, or introduce me to a Spanking-A restaurant, but I digress... :-)

It is not enough to want to learn the language. You should immerse yourself into the culture. You need to understand people to communicate effectively with them. It may seem like a small statement to say, but it is huge if you really get the power of interpersonal communications. You can learn a lot about people by breaking bread with them. The next time you go out to eat, observe your surroundings and ask yourself why you frequent a place. Sometimes we do things out of habit, other times we do what is convenient...

Why not do something different? Go to Union Turnpike and 188 Street in Fresh Meadows. Find Yotveta. Ask them to select the most popular dishes requested and enjoy a fine dining experience.  I am still working my way through the menu, so we shall be having a few more conversations about this subject. It is time for me to go, but before I go, I must say thank you:

May God bless my most excellent girlfriend Susana Isakharova. She has been my cultural guide to all things Israeli in Queens County, New York.  She has impeccable taste when it comes to great kosher restaurants so I decided it would be fun to share what we've been up to while I stumble through my Russian-Jewish etiquette and enjoy delicious food candy for the soul. If you read my blog you already know how I feel about my eye candy so toss food candy right up there with me being crazy about my little minions. If you don't, let's just say I am a foodie paradise kinda gal. Yotveta is a foodie paradise kinda place. Unassuming, intimate, tasty... well... very, very tasty (LOL). I will keep eating until I've tried almost everything on the menu at least once. This may take a while... (Yay!)

I guess we know what my next blog post will be about... (LOL) Go enjoy your day and pick a new place to eat of your choice. Stop doing what you always do. Do something new. Have fun with it. :-)

The Outside Blog Minion Report

ClubChaosAgents.com

CTannStarr on Yale University, New Haven

If you are traveling to Massachusetts, New Haven is conveniently situated between Boston and New York. When I think about going to Boston I always think about stopping in New Haven to see my friends. I was blessed to enjoy a tweet-up with Dan Cummings, Sandra Cummings and Donna Bigda. Although it rained the entire day, we had a blast hanging out and I learned a considerable amount of new and fascinating information about my beloved blogging buddies (LOL).

We had the most marvelous dining experience at Modern Pizza which has a very interesting menu. They have created a few dishes that I have never seen or heard of, so of course I have to come back and try them. In case you have not been paying too much attention I am a foodie paradise sort of gal. I have no problem driving 85 miles for an excellent meal, especially if it means spending quality time with my friends and family members. One has to enjoy the little things in life while one can. :-)

Yale University inspired me to capture 77 photographs in the rain with my friends. They were a great sport about my predilection for eye candy and did not complain once about strolling around and playing in the rain. Photography takes patience and I thank them publicly for their affection and restraint (LOL). It was cold, wet and gray but they did it anyway, which makes me smile everytime I think about my visit there. Looking forward to filming New Haven in the sunshine. Horses may be involved on our next ActiveRain Road Trip. The idea od capturing a CT farm fascinates me...  

Here is a little visual teaser from our day together. Will be posting and sharing more photographs after the little minions help me sort through the rest of the pictures. These are Stephen's selections. The Minion Blur took his sweet time picking them out. It will be interesting to see what Noah picks out to share with you. I'm thinking the Yale collection deserves a slide show. A handful of pictures will not do my visit justice. I may have to write some new music to go along with the pending virtual presentation. I am a bit overdue for arranging some new cyber-noise. The kids are always gung-ho when it comes to making music. ;-)

I also went on a New Haven tour of homes with the Cummings but that joy ride deserves another blog post. We had a lot of fun and I'm still trying to make up my mind regarding what to chat about (LOL). So much to blog about, so little time... so much fun dropping a dime... Yup. It's true. I am having a Dr Seuss moment because we laughed an awful lot and some of the text messages were priceless. But I digress...

Yale.edu has an interesting overview of the area on their website that I'd like to quote from: "New Haven has been home to Yale University for nearly three centuries. As a center for business and a mecca for the arts, New Haven is recognized as a city of innovation, culture and prosperity. Approximately 20 square miles with nearly 130,000 residents, New Haven is conveniently located between Boston and New York. As Yale President Richard C. Levin, a thirty-year resident of New Haven, notes, New Haven is “large enough to be interesting, yet small enough to be friendly.”  You can read more about the community here. Since it is 2009 they may want to update that page to reflect over three decades (LOL). I'm just sayin... but what do I know, eh? ;-)

Wikipedia also has some very interesting observations to make: "Yale traces its beginnings to "An Act for Liberty to Erect a Collegiate School," passed by the General Court of the Colony of Connecticut on October 9, 1701 in an effort to create an institution to train ministers. Soon thereafter, a group of ten Congregationalist ministers led by James Pierpont, all of whom were alumni of Harvard (the only North American college during their youth), met in the study of Reverend Samuel Russell in Branford, Connecticut, to pool their books to form the school's first library. The group is now known as "The Founders." You can read the entire article here.

Seems one ought not to discount the library as the beginning, don't you think? Isn't Branford in New Haven County? That's why I'm leaning towards the "over three decades" observation. Technically, it moved to New Haven in 1718, so the website is correct from a narrow geographical standpoint. However, just seems to me if Apple started in a garage and everyone knows that, why not state where Yale started so everyone will know as well. I feel as if they are discounting the ministers for putting it all together. They deserve the credit. Yale would not exist if not for them. :-)

BTW, that last thought made quite an impression on me while I was wandering around. I felt as if I were on hallowed grounds and some of the students were on devine appointments to change the world one person at a time. I wondered what it felt like to enter those gates with thanksgiving because everyone does not get accepted at Yale University. I wondered how many people entered believing God had a hand in its creation through a handful of inspired men.

I will spread the rumor that for over three hundred years the beautiful grounds of New Haven County have been home to Yale University in one form or another. If you have never been, it is a must see for your bucket list. The blessings of the founding fathers are still on the institution. When you walk it in the gray of a dim and gloomy rain you can almost feel the ghosts of educators past, angels and demons influencing the atmosphere. There is nothing quite like it.

Several of our Presidents hailed from there so in that respect alone Yale has certainly changed the world through one person seated in a position of power. I look forward to imagining my children going to University one day and I wonder where their quirky Autism / PDD-NOS traits will take them... I wonder who they will influence and what they will leave behind. I wonder if they would ever consider striving to attend Yale...

I have always wanted to invade CT with my Nikon (LOL). I hear the eye candy is particularly lovely during the Spring. I am really looking forward to it because there are a couple of people there I can't wait to spend some quality time with. I have a blast on ActiveRain and have no intention of squandering my social media relationships, so if I am in an area on business I will always check in with a few of my friends.

Daddy has taken over the little minions so I can do my social media gigs and collect some lovely photographs with the help of a couple of my Club Chaos bay-bays. I may or may not do a sleep over. I have a lovely hotel picked out just in case (LOL).

So much to blog about, so little time. Will update you all when I get back from Yale. I have always wanted to see that place up close and personal. I hear I should be checking out Mystic Pizza as well. :-)

Hmm... wonder where we're having dinner for this particular tweet-up. Pizza on a Friday night sounds lovely. ;-)

BTW, if you want to know where I am you are going to have to track down Sandra Cummings and Donna Bigda. They have no idea that they both are now the mini-me-Mel-boss-of-me while I'm in New Haven (ROTFL). Rumor has it I need lots of supervision to keep me out of mischief with that camera of mine while I work on my social media book. It's all about the eye candy and our behind the scenes bantering while developing the creative concepts (LOL). How could I not write about what I know? You have no idea how much fun it is to create a painting based upon a collection of photographs. It's a part-time gig (mischief, the book and/or being the boss of me?  LOL) so I expect we'll have a lot of fun while I play with the video camera and snap some photographs. Wont see the lovely lady bloggers until the afternoon so if you want to come out and play with us in the Rain you will have to ask them because I'm going to be mobile until they take me over.

BTW, I do have a social media presentation to make first so my cell may be off for a brief while. Will be on the road and attending a corporate function in the AM. Leave a message if you miss me. Whatever Donna and Sandra says goes.

Madison, Guilford, Branson... I've never been but will be there shortly, among other places (LOL). The phrase "scenic overlook" makes me pull over a lot. :-)

Time to take the motorway and let TomTom guide me to my next ActiveRain adventure. For those of you unaware of my TomTom misadventures, believe you me when I say this will be very interesting (LOL). I wish Mangiggly the I-talian were with me (LMAO). I shall visit Susan Mangigian some other time. I like invading PA. I've lots of family over there. Gotta run. See ya later in cyberspace. ;-)

The World According To Twitter

Sesame Street

BookExpo America 

Carolyn Tann-Starr on David Pogue

BookExpo America 2009 introduced me to several new concepts regarding "book blogging." There was a very interesting forum going on where the publishing houses were very interested in bloggers doing reviews and linking back to works so that their readers could discover what new titles were coming out. I think if I ever had to hire help to do this the best ActiveRain group for the job would be Realtors and Friends Who Read.

I knew RAFWR did this because they love sharing their reading lists but what I didn't know was that publishing houses were actively looking for teams of bloggers to review their titles. I think that would be a mad cool way to acquire new reading material, don't you? It almost makes me want to stop paying for book club titles and volunteer from one end of the country to the other (LOL). I didn't realize how much fun blogging about books could really be (or even there was a specific employment phrase for it) until I went on a photo-shoot with Margaret Rome and stumbled across a few presentations regarding this subject.

I guess when you hang around publishers and writers you start a slow slide down that subtle shift of attitude adjustments people experience when they become part of the process instead of being on the outside looking in. If I could pick my subject I would definitely want to do children titles and fun authors who collected or created useful content that I had a love or technical interest in.

Being a tweet-peep of some very interesting individuals who use Twitter, I decided I would review a fascinating and fun book on communal writing by David Pogue except it hasn't been released yet (LOL). I remember the first time he made a serious social media impression on me was when he did a real time Twitter demo that was fun which you can read about here. My fave quote from the post regarding Twitter is "harnessing the power of the Web, the collective wisdom of strangers, in real time!"

My sole reason for making a beeline to the B D & L tables was to see what was up with the little minions fave PBS show Sesame Street. Mommies are always buying their wee people educational things. The more fun you make it the faster we'll snatch those puppies up. Ya gotta admit, it's hard to top Sesame Street. I still watch it with the kids when they are not obsessing over Disney's Cars or Sponge-bob. :-)

I love Twitter so I can't wait to read his book. While you and I are waiting for David Pogue's book to come out you can catch him as a columnist for the New York Times and on CBS News. You also can buy his tech books directly from his site here: http://davidpogue.com/books/index.html  or at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

If you want to know more about the twitter project, click here. I'm going to be talking about the BookExpo for a while. I've lots of interesting pictures and titles to blurb about (LOL). You know there's going to be another Trump University book in there somewhere. I love their stuff. Elizabeth Weintraub has a new book coming out as well regarding short sales. If you think I was a smiley faced kid with Margaret Rome's book, wait until E's book hits the shelves. :-)

http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2007/707/essentials/p60.htm

She wrote a wonderful post about what makes a person part-time that got me poking around trying to figure out different aspects of my business model that may need to be tweaked. If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm into upgrading for the future.

The NYS Society of CPAs has a very interesting on-line journal which includes the subject of part-time employee exclusions. It made me realize that I really don't want to be a part-time anything because I am not working to be excluded, I am working to gain everything that I can gain.

I selected a post, "IRS Guidance for Part-time Employee Exclusions Under 401(k) Plans," written by Sheldon M. Geller (July 2007) to share with you that I thought was a very interesting read. Click the link up top if you want to learn more.

Enjoy your day. Regards, C.

Melissa Polce, author of,  "FHA Appraisal Came in too high on Short Sale" has a simple request, but no answers. I'd like for you guys to go over there to her original post and answer her. 

It's not a huge post. There are no pictures, just a straight forward blurb on needing advice. She reports that she has never had this problem until now and that her clients' home has been on the market for approximately a year. They have been blessed with obtaining full price offers from buyers, however, each incident where the bank sends out appraisers the values consistently return for "higher and higher values, which knocks out the offers and now the bank wants us to relist the property." Hmm...

Melissa would like to know if you have any suggestions?

I am fascinated by this.

So would I.