Sales of Existing Homes at Lowest Levels Since l997

Last month, sales of existing homes sank unexpectedly to the lowest level in nearly 12 years. Potential buyers are worried about their jobs and were awaiting details of President Barack Obama's plans to stabilize the housing market. Sales fell 5.3 percent to an annual rate of 4.49 million last month, from 4.74 million in December. The National Association of Realtors said it was the weakest showing since l997.

I know there are an awful lot of "For Sale" signs in yards in our little town of about 3,000, so what must it be like in the bigger cities. There are a number of new houses that those people would like to buy if they could sell their existing home.

Kinesio Tape

When muscles have been hurt, kinesio tape if most often used to make sure the muscles don't overextend themselves. This speeds the healing process. This website is a good place to order this tape along with a good many other medical supplies. They serve over a million customers and have been in business since l996. Since that time, they have expanded their company to add a great many other items such as maternity and baby supplies, exercise equipment and outdoor gear. Check out their website for their large inventory of medical supplies. Everyone should always have a good First Aid kit on hand at home and work. This is a good place to get those also. You can count on them to have what you need.

Winnebago Industries, No. # Motorhome Manufacturer

Winnebago Industries announced that they are cutting back farther. Once having over 3,000+ employees, they now have about 1700. Beginning tomorrow, all their salaried employees will take a 3% salary cut. The Vice Presidents will have their salaries reduced by 10% and the President will have his salary cut 20%. All hourly employees have been told to take one week off without pay and most have opted to take this week over the 4th of July week. With the slowdown in the purchasing of motorhomes, Winnebago is doing everything it can to stay profitable until things pick up again. There have been tough times before and they have weathered the storms to come out on top and I believe they will do that again.

Business Forecasters See Slide Worsening

Brace yourselves folks. The recession is projected to worsen this year. The country stands to lose a sizable chunk of economic activity in 2009 as consumers pull back. The U. S. jobless rate, now at 7.6 percent, is the highest in more than 16 years and is expected to hit 9 percent this year. It is over 9 percent already in our area and companies are still cutting back and laying off.

These estimates are roughly in line with other recent projections. Some forecasters expect the economy to shrink by 1.9 percent this year, a much deeper contraction than the 0.2 percent dip projected in the fall. If this proves correct, the full-year contraction would be the first since 1991 and would result in the worst economic performance since 1982 when the country had suffered through a bad recession.

All Inclusive Vacation

A vacation should be a good time to rest up and de-stress. The best vacation is an all inclusive vacation and Karisma Hotels know how to provide that for you. El Dorado Seaside Suites would be just one of the hotels that would cater to your every whim. Doesn't a beachside spa treatment sounds just wonderful and relaxing. They have private beach beds out on the white sand beach with white gauze privacy curtains for those romantic moments. This resort is for adults only and features five star dining in seven delightful restaurants. The rooms are magnificently decorated to delight you with all the amenities you would expect at a fine hotel. Why not make a reservation now for your next vacation and give yourself a real treat.

"Slumdog Millionaire"

"Slumdog Millionaire" took eight Oscars and nearly $100 million and counting at the box office. Everyone knows that and that it has been good for the careers of its stars,like Freida Pinto. She has landed a juicy new role. Entertainment Weekly reports on its Web site about this. She will be starring with Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins in Woody Allen's next film. That's a feather in her cap for sure.

Colleges Warn Students About Mexico Travel

Because drug violence and kidnapping are on the rise in some areas, the U.S. State Department and universities around the country are warning college students headed for Mexico for some Spring break and partying. There has been a surge in drug related murder and mayhem south of the border and they are not necessarily telling the students not to go, but they are alerting them to what is happening there.

It sounds like a very good idea to me for them to stay away from Mexico. It has been on the news quite a bit the last few days and I would not want my kids going there for spring break. There have been Americans kidnapped and they should be aware of that. More than 100,000 high school and college age Americans travel to Mexican resort areas during Spring break each year.

Rare Gold Coins

One of the many great things to do in life is to collect rare gold coins. However, another fun thing to do is to take your family on a wonderful vacation to the white sand beaches of Riviera Maya. And of course, you would want to stay at a beautiful Karisma Hotel. I was thinking of the Azul Beach Hotel, one of the five fine Karisma hotels. The Azul particularly caters to families and plans activities for the children, along with special foods they would especially enjoy. While you can enjoy gourmet meals by some of the finest chefs. Parents are pampered as adults while their children completely enjoy themselves too. Doesn't that sound marvelous?

The Simple Things of Life

Our little great granddaughter is having so much fun with the more simple things of life. She loved to climb in and out of big boxes and now she has discovered how much fun it is to play with bubbles. Her grammy got out the bubble blower and Kaelyn would run after them and try and catch them. Such a small simple thing is so much fun for a little one when it is something new to them. If we could all only go back to enjoying the simple things of life a whole lot more I think life would be a lot less stressful, don't you?

Woman Critical - Mauled by Chimp

Sandra Herold was the owner of a pet chimpanzee. By now you have all heard the story and it is terrible. Her friend, Charla Nash, age 55 was in critical condition after suffering what Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy called "life changing, if not life-threatening," injuries to her face and hands. She was mauled by a 200 pound domesticated chimpanzee. They said the chimp actually bit both hands off the woman and ate them. Makes you sick just to think about it.

The 15 year old chimp is named Travis. He once starred in TV commercials for Old Navy and Coca-Cola. He was shot dead by police after the rampage. Its owner had wrestled with the animal, stabbed it, and hit it with a shovel when it attacked her friends for no reason they could explain. The chimp was familiar with Charla but she had gotten a new haircut and they thought maybe that set off the chimp for some reason. A wild animal is still a wild animal, no matter how domesticated the owners may think they are.

Ashley Judd Speaks Out

Ashley Judd is calling for an end to the mining practice known as mountaintop removal. She is a native of Kentucky and was among some 500 people who gathered outside the state Capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky. They held a rally last Tuesday in support of legislation that would essentially end the practice of blasting away mountaintops to unearth coal. The 40 year old actress says she visited mountaintop removal sites last September and described them as barren moonscapes and nothingness where Appalachian peaks once rose.

Jewelry

I have three family birthdays coming up in two weeks and I know all three of these women would just love a gift of jewelry. This fine store has been in business since l971 and has millions of satisfied customers both abroad and in North America. It is easy to see why they have shipped out 15 million products when you check out their website and get a good look at what they have to offer. You will not see it in the retail stores. It is exclusive at their site. Their fine craftsmanship has designed beautiful fashion accessories, along with so many gorgeous rings, necklaces, earrings and so much more. Any woman would love to own one of their designer watches or bracelets. I think it is time for me to get shopping, how about you?

Cooking Supper

Did you realize that they are more or less doing away with the word "supper"? When we lived in California, it was always "dinner" and now it has traveled to the Midwest and more people are speaking of going out to dinner, making dinner, etc. Well, we are going to switch things around and have breakfast for supper.

I am planning on frying up some sausages and eggs and have pancakes and Mrs. Butterworth's syrup with them. I love that syrup. Sometimes, I like to make a waffle on the waffle iron. That is something people don't do anymore either. They buy them frozen and believe me they are not nearly as good as homemade waffles. Well, I better get busy.

Australia Fire Toll Worst Ever

They were able to capture one man so far that they believe started the fires in Australia. He was a former fire fighter and they have no idea why he did this. Entire towns were destroyed by wildfires, burning people in their homes and cars in the deadliest blaze in the country's history. The last I heard on the news thee were 200 dead from all the fires.

Searing temperatures and wind blasts created a firestorm that swept across a swath of the country's Victoria state, where at least 750 homes were destroyed and all of the victims died. Before they found that they had been deliberately set, the Prime Minister said there were no words to describe it other than mass murder. I have to agree with him.

Family Photos

It is always nice to see new family photos. This one is very good and I would like to share it with everyone. We don't get to see this family much because they live in another state and it is many hours drive or you have to fly there. They come at Christmas time and we really enjoy that. They are hoping to move much closer in the next several months.

It is so much fun to watch the children mature and they grow up much too fast but thanks to the Internet we are able to keep up with them. Years ago, we would have to wait for the mail to bring photographs of the families but now you can see them in an instant. The computer has been a great invention for many things, especially families separated by the miles.

Breast Cancer and Pregnancy

There is a new study out that will put pregnant women's minds at ease. It said that pregnant women who develop breast cancer do not have worse odds of death or of cancer returning than other young breast cancer patients. Dr. Beth Beadle of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is the author of the study being published now. She said if they can get them early, they can treat them aggressively and have good and promising outcomes for both woman and child. This is really good news.

Gas Prices

What is with the gas prices going up again? I saw today that oil was at $37.92 a barrel which was lower than a couple days ago and our gas has gone up 10 cents here in town. They say the average gas price is up 6.4 cents across the country but ours went up 10 cents in one day. They say the average price had risen over the past two weeks, but ours had been going down here and it was looking good.

According to the paper, the average price of regular gas as of last Friday was $1.92 a gallon, mid-grade was $2.04 and premium was $2.16 a gallon. So I guess we are actually lucky that ours is only $1.89. Despite the increase, the price of regular gas is $1.02 below its last level of $2.94 a gallon and we are glad of it.

Hospitality

Our nephew came over tonight and we invited him to supper. We had beef and noodles and had plenty. He's single and grabs whatever is easiest for him to eat. He has two big paper routes and a job and keeps quite busy. He really enjoyed sitting around and visiting with my husband about his Army days. He wasn't even born yet during the Korean Conflict so he had no idea what my husband did in the Army. He spent 1 1/2 years in German in the Quartermaster Corp. and was in the Security Police. Our nephew really enjoyed listening to his Uncle's stories about he armed service. It was all new to him. We will have to have him over again as he doesn't live far from us.

Church

Today is Sunday and we always go to church. This winter has been hard though as we have had to miss a number of times due to blizzards, way below zero or freezing rain and blowing snow. We look forward to this time of fellowship with fellow Christians and we all greet each other with handshakes and hugs. It is like one big happy family. Today one of the Youth leaders made breakfast for everyone and that was very enjoyable.

We have a wonderful Praise and Worship team with guitars, drums, keyboards, flute and singers and the music is just great. We always have a lively video at offering time with up-to-date upbeat Christian music. We really look forward to those times. Then our Pastor has an up-to-date teaching on the Father's love and Jesus. It was a beautiful sunny day too with very little wind. Snow is melting really well.

The Delta Queen to Become a Hotel

This 82 year old steamboat, that has been designated as a National Historic Landmark, is poised to make a final trip to its new position as a riverfront hotel. The Delta Queen once ran up and down the Mississippi River. But now it is docked in Cincinnati and will leave its winter home in New Orleans on Wednesday for Chattanooga, Tennessee.

On October, the mostly wooden boat which is the last of its kind, lost its exemption to operate overnight river cruises for up to 176 passengers. The Federal law prohibits such boats from carrying more than 50 overnight passengers. The boat was designated a National Historic Landmark in l989 but the exemption to continue operations requires annual renewal. Critics have objected to the exemption, saying that the boat is a fire hazard and that its crew should be unionized.

Vicki Webster, a freelance writer who moved from St. Louis to Cincinnati to help the boat's preservation efforts, has fought since l970 to keep the Delta Queen running. She's doing this for the love of the boat. She isn't in it for the money or an ulterior motive. She plans to continue lobbying lawmakers to renew its exemption. She says she can't imagine the river without the Delta Queen.

Online College Courses

It is tough these days to get a really great job without a Master's Degree. Perhaps you have been struggling along with classes here and there at a local college, trying to get yours completed. But have you considered online college courses? This is something you can do on your own time, in the comfort of your home, in your pajamas if you like. Take the stress out of driving to class all tired out after a hard day at work or the office. Get in touch with this fully accredited online university and check out their courses at their website. If you have questions, they will be happy to help you. Just call their toll-free number. How do you apply? You will find you can make an application right there online. They have over 24,000 learners enrolled and serve 45 countries and 50 states. What are you waiting for?


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Jobless Benefit Numbers Hit Record

Did you know that the number of people receiving unemployment benefits has reached the highest level on records that go back more than 40 years. Now that is scary indeed. The Government said Thursday that more layoffs are spreading throughout the economy. Accordiing to the Labor Department, the number of Americans continuing to claim unemployment insurance for the week ending January 17 was a seasonally adjusted 4.78 million. This is the highest since records started in l967. That is an increase of 159,000 from the previous week and worse than economists expectations of 4.65 million. I know in our state thousands have been laid off and more are going to be laid off. Winnebago, one of the largest employers in our area, has cut its employee numbers more than half.

Buy Diet Pill Online

Did you know that at buy diet pill online you can find out which ones really work? You can read reports from others who have taken them. But I think most important is that you can read about the ingredients in the diet pills and know that this company has checked out their safety. Do they really do all they claim? Why is one better than another? If you are like me, you have so many questions about them and especially which ones work and which are safe for you. So take some time, and search through this website and learn what you need to know before you buy them online or at the store.

Polar Watches

With Valentines Day coming up soon, how about getting your loved one of the fine Polar watches at this website. This is the place to find the best sports watches. Would you believe they have over 7000 styles and over 150 brands of all types of watches. They all have a full warranty and if you order by 2 p.m. EST, you can have the watch in your hands in 24 hours. They have a toll free number so you can pick out the watch you desire and give them a call and it will be on its way to you. And you will also receive the lowest price around because if you can find a better price, just tell them because no one can beat their prices. Just do a search of any watch and you will quickly find it.

Women Accused of Dumping Friend in the Cold

With friends like this, you do not need any enemies. In a long planned attack by three friends who were angry with her over an insurance claim, a 19 year old woman was abandoned in 8 degree weather. She thought she was going with them to a party and was instead driven to a rural wooded area and left there. The poor girl was only wearing a dress and one shoe, having lost the other shoe in a struggle as she was dragged from the car.

Lucky for her, a motorist soon stopped and let the victim use a cell phone but refused to give her a lift. I cannot imagine anyone driving off and leaving someone like that out in the cold when they could have driven her to town. The girl did use the motorist's phone to call one of the women who had abandoned her, according to Lt. Frank Cannella of the North Bergen police. This happened in New Jersey. The 19 year old girl spent more than an hour in the freezing cold before flagging down another motorist who took her to a hospital. At least there was one good Samaritan or she could have died out there. Then I wonder how her so-called friends would have felt.