Homes for Heroes Stimulates Economy

Homes for Heroes affiliate Caleb Shaw brings us this video from Victoria, Texas.

Caleb I. Shaw, REALTOR
Redding & Associates
1909 John Stockbauer
Victoria, Texas 77901
Bus: 361-573-5225
Fax: 361-573-7125
Cell: 361-237-8727
www.victoriaTXhomesonline.com

Imitation is the best form of flattery, until……….

Until your good name is besmirched. Homes for Heroes in the past has taken people leveraging our brand as flattery. We often ask if they would like to continue to use our good name by joining forces with us, and if they do not want to we are okay with that decision also. But recently something came up that does need to be addressed. We will let the Morris Daily Herald explain it.

Illinois allegation hurts ‘real’ Heroes

Minneapolis, Minn–When Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan took enforcement action against the Minooka, Ill.-based Homes for Heroes Inc., says Brad Oosterhuis, it was not a reflection on the “real” Home for Heroes.

“Our organization has been serving heroes continuously since 2002, and we have a serious concern that the publication of the charge against the Homes for Heroes company in Illinois could seriously tarnish our good name,” said Oosterhuis, executive director of Home for Heroes, in a recent e-mail.

Since the founding of Homes for Heroes, a press release from the Minnesota-based organization notes, many organizations have tried to duplicate the Homes for Heroes model and have illegally used the trademarked name. The widespread recognition of the Homes for Heroes name across the nation has caused many groups to attempt to leverage this successful brand to their advantage.

“While Homes for Heroes encourages all companies to support our heroes, it is illegal for them to use the Homes for Heroes trademarked name,” said Ruth Johnson, president of Homes for Heroes. “It is especially disturbing when these organizations are providing false claims and tarnishing the good name and work that Homes for Heroes is doing.”

In an effort to advance its cause and protect its name, Home for Heroes, which is now in its seventh year of operation, recently created the Homes for Heroes Foundation.

Due to its highly recognized name and brand nationally, the press release notes, Homes for Heroes became inundated with calls that were predominantly from severely wounded military personnel asking for assistance.

“These requests went far beyond the scope of our business model and ability to help,” Johnson said. The shareholders of Homes for Heroes saw a need for a charitable organization that would have a similar vision to its own. After much thought and the desire to help, they formed the Homes for Heroes Foundation.

The foundation will endeavor to provide or coordinate financial assistance to the heroes of our nation, such as military, police officers, firefighters and first responders who are in need.

Meanwhile, with the busy spring housing market well under way, Homes for Heroes affiliates will continue to “give back” by providing significant savings to its local heroes, particularly military personnel, police officers, firefighters, teachers, health care workers and others who serve our country and communities everyday.

If you would like more information about the Homes for Heroes, please call Ruth Johnson at (866) 443-7637 or log onto www.homesforheroes.com or www.homesforheroesfoundation.org.

In her enforcement action against the Minooka-based company using the Homes for Heroes name, Attorney General Lisa Madigan alleged the company and its owner, Patrick Gleason of Minooka, conducted a fraudulent charitable solicitation campaign and engaged in deceptive practices by falsely representing the local Homes for Heroes is “a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.”

Gleason has gone on record calling the IAG’s action “absurd.”

“This is absurd,” he said. We filed for our corporation and status a long time ago. The IRS asked us to put it on good paper, not wallpaper. It was done, it was all signed and sent in again. So, they’re trying to smear our names with improprieties …”

Two things to ponder. Traffic laws and old age.

Have you ever been sitting in the office, amongst the acres of cubicles, and hear some one laughing? I did the other day at Homes for Heroes. What is it about us humans that has to find out what the laughing is about? If I had heard just normal talking I would not have given it a second thought. So I get up and hunt down the source of the laughing. I see my boss and my other boss standing by the water cooler having a chat. I ask them what was so funny. They looked at me and said nothing.

Being a Ninja prepares you for these moments. That awkward silence is easily handled. I let my eyes fill up with tears and ran away. Later I regrouped and did some stealthy sniffing around to find out what had them chuckling like old busy bodies. I was successful and I will share that information with you now.

A Police Officer was out patrolling one fine afternoon and witnessed a young driver that had just rolled through a stop sign. The Officer proceeded to pull him over and when he approached the vehicle he asks the young driver why he was pulled over.

“I don’t know.”

“Young man, you did not come to a complete stop at that stop sign.”

“I did too!”

“No, you did what we call a roll through. You slowed down but did not stop.

“Yeah, well what’s the big deal, slowing down is the same thing.”

“Please step out of the car, sir.”

As soon as the young kid gets out of the car, the Police Officer pulls out his baton and starts to mercilessly beat the snot out of him. As the kid is falling to the ground in agony the Police Officer asks him.

“Should I stop or just slow down?”

An interesting perspective. The next tidbit is just as telling. Read on you won’t be disappointed.

An elderly couple had just retired and were looking forward to a lot of travel and relaxation. They decided that with the new life style change they should see the doctor for a physical check up. They made their appointments and showed up at the set date. After the check up the doctor came in to give them the results.

“Well folks, you guys are both physically fit and really have nothing that I see to be alarmed about. Enjoy your retirement. However, your memory is not as it used to be and that is normal. I suggest that the two of you carry around a small notepad and pencil and jot what you are going to do so you won’t forget.”

That same evening the two were watching television. The husband decides it is time to have a beer and gets up to go get it.

“Hon, I am going to get myself a beer, is there anything I can get you?”

“Oh, thank you. I think I would like a bowl of ice cream.”

“Sure thing, dear.” He starts towards the kitchen.

“Honey, don’t you think you should write that down like the doctor told us?”

“Naw, it’s just a bowl of ice cream and a beer. I think I can handle that.”

“Vanilla ice cream.”

Okay, one bowl of vanilla ice cream and a beer.”

“Well I would like strawberry topping on it too.”

“Hmm, one bowl of vanilla ice cream with strawberry topping and a beer. Easy.”

“And don’t forget the whipped cream!”

“Is there anything else?”

“No. Thank you dear.”

“A bowl of vanilla ice cream with strawberry topping and whip cream and for myself a nice cold beer. You see nothing to worry about.”

The husband heads off to the kitchen and is gone for a half an hour. When he returns he sits down in his chair with a plate of scrambled eggs and a cup of orange juice.

As he starts to eat, the wife gives him a disgusted look and says to him.

“WHERE’S MY &#@*ING TOAST?!?!

Florida fonecall fuses fast financing flury!

Homes for Heroes is always pursuing ways to save our Heroes money. I have a good example of that below. Read on and save some money.

Today sitting in the Homes for Heroes office, as I often do, I was looking out the window, as I often do, wondering, as I often do, what could I do to get out of the office and into the blustery outdoors. My boss usually wants me to work but a Ninja must spend time with nature to keep his skills finely tuned. The drone of keyboards clacking and people talking on the phone can keep a Ninjas mind from remaining focused on the task at hand. That task at hand was figuring a way out for some simple Ninja exercises.

Ninjas do their best work outdoors.

I had tried everything from Ninja hypnosis to ancient Ninja mind control powders. Nothing was working, each attempt to get my boss to drink a fresh cup of coffee or a bottle of water was met with a “I have my own, thank you.” I resigned myself to indoor exercises. I started to focus on various people in the office, listening to what they say, blocking out all other intrusions. This was working until one young lady put down the phone and started to frantically hack away at her keyboard. This intrigued me and I wandered over to see what was up.

Before I even reached her desk, Kacy was telling me that Florida has some great first time buyer programs. Now this was weird. Normally I move through the office so quietly now one knows I have moved until I am at their desk. But it was soon forgotten as to how Kacy knew I was there, she was pulling up some very good information on some of Florida’s housing assistance programs.

Florida Housing’s First Time Homebuyer Program provides a continuous stream of lending throughout the year for eligible first-time homebuyers. If you’re not a first-time home buyer, you may still be eligible if you’re purchasing a home in one of 13 GO Zone counties that include Brevard, Broward, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie.

Here are some of the program highlights. She was scanning so fast it was hard to keep up. When she is on the trail of savings, all I can say is, step back and let her get you those savings.

The program offers low-interest 30 and 40 year fixed-rate loans, down payment and closing costs assistance as well as access to credit counseling.

Teachers, firefighters, health-care workers, police officers, as well as active duty and veteran military personnel could be eligible for lower interest rates.

These savings from Florida as well as the Homes for Heroes savings can pile up to a whole lot of dough. Now I gave you a quick run down, Kacy will know a lot more. You can get a hold of her by calling 1-866 4-heroes orrrrrr send her a message through the Homes for Heroes website. Either way you will save some money and get some good deals on buying that home of yours.

Homes for Heroes captures Realtor in bank!!

Picture this. You are walking down the streets in Bryan-College Station TX. There is not a cloud in the sky and the temperature is just cool enough as to keep the perspiration at bay. As you walk into your bank to turn in your change jar for the families vacation fund you happen to notice a young lady with her two small girls talking to a Police Officer.

The Police Officer is describing something to the young woman. The animated hand gestures and the attentiveness of the young woman gives you pause. What is going on, you think. Is it a warning about a crime spree or something more nefarious? You steer your way closer in hopes to catch a snippet of what is being discussed. If what you hear is alarming you can step in and find out more. As you near the group you hear something about Homes for Heroes and witness the Police Officer accepting a business card from the young woman and her two small girls. Puzzled but not alarmed you continue to the counter and ask the teller to please deposit your change into your vacation account.

The teller takes your jar and heads to the back of the bank and dumps the jar into the change sorting machine. A couple of minutes later she returns the jar and several pesos from your last vacation that were rejected by the machine. You look at the amount and start to wonder if it is worth lugging 10 pound jars around for 10 bucks of change. You give no other thought to the Police Officer and the young woman. You head out to the street and start thinking about what should be placed upon the barbecue for dinner.

What this person failed to see, was that Homes for Heroes had just captured another Realtor. Let us introduce you to Dawn Thompson of Bryan-College Station, Texas.

Dawn Thompson

Dawn Thompson did what any good Realtor would do, she overheard the Police Officer talking about finding a home and promptly handed over her business card. Little did she know that by the days end she would be part of the Homes for Heroes team.

Speaking to Dawn about that day, she told us. “As I was walking out the door, the Police Officer called to me and asked me if I would help her and if I had heard of Homes for Heroes.  I got her number and told her I would check into it.  By the end of the day,  we were searching for her home.  The more I found out about Homes for Heroes, the more I wanted to be a part of it!  Wow!  What a great way to say “thank you” to those who, many times, lay their life on the line to serve & protect our communities, our cities, our states, and our country!   It is not a widely known program here, but I want all of the police officers, fire fighters, teachers, etc. to know of this program and it’s benefits.  After several years of real estate, I still had not decided on a niche market..  My heart was not set any where particular.  But Homes for Heroes has captured me, and I look forward to giving something back to those who dedicate their lives to help, serve, and protect us.”

Dawn has been a Realtor for over 5 years now and has lived in the Bryan-College Station area for the last 15 years. The two young assistants that were with her on that fateful day at the bank are also her daughters, Miranda (10) and Kyla (2). They assist her quite often and many of her clients have become great friends with them. Dawn is a web savvy Realtor that maximizes technology to make your real estate transaction not only simple but very rewarding.

So if you live in the Bryan-College Station area and want a Realtor that will get to know you and what kind of home you are looking for, then deliver. Dawn Thompson is who you are looking for. You can reach Dawn at the Homes for Heroes website.

Good Luck and happy home hunting!

NEWS FLASH!! First time home buyers race is on.

Attention all Homes for Heroes affiliates!

Attention all Homes for Heroes affiliates!

For you Homes for Heroes affiliates in the Twin Cities area pay attention. There is some serious coinage being thrown around by Minneapolis and St. Paul first time home buyers. A federal program called Take Credit is providing $8 million in federal tax credits. First time home buyers need to purchase a home in Minneapolis or St. Paul before December 1 in order to get an $8,000 tax deduction. According to the article only 130 first time buyers will be able to take advantage of this program. To get the details on the Take Credit program do the obligatory click here and read more.

To sweeten the pot and make it more interesting, the City of St. Paul’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority has just voted on a first time home buyers program. They are putting up $500,000 for 33 first time “Hero” home buyers that want to live in St. Paul. Veterans, Police, Firefighters etc. will be able to get up to $15,000 in a zero percent loan to use towards down pay or principal reduction. In fact, no payments are necessary until you sell the home or no longer use it as a primary residence. Even bigger news is that if the buyer lives in the home for 10 years the loan will be retired.

Spread the word, the tax credits and the 33 loans will not last long. This HRA program combined with the benefits of the Homes for Heroes program will surely make home ownership for our heroes an easier reality. This program will launch later this month, so get moving and get some heroes into homes.

This will link you to the HRA’s web site. Click on yesterdays date and the meeting notes will be there.

There are a few more details outlined in the attachment from the HRA meeting notes.

Okay, quit dilly dallying around and get your hero into these programs.

Knotek knows his tech.

Since Homes for Heroes started doing Bio’s on our affiliates, we have asked the affiliate to provide some background information for us. With that info we would put together a post and put it out there. Reading this affiliates bio, there was not much more we needed to do. In his own words, Homes for Heroes, would like to introduce you to Mikal Knotek.

In 2006, the economy was beginning to unravel. The mortgage industry was the stone that broke the camels back with fraud and poor lending practices acting as the heaviest weight. I saw misinformed loan officers through out the industry using poor judgment and taking advantage of unknowing clients.

In 2007 I re-evaluated my business plan and included room to give back. I wanted to give back because the greedy side of our industry had taken so much. I wanted to change public perception and bring confidence back to my clients. It was important for them to know that Bell Mortgage was one of the good guys in the industry

I searched for several months to find an organization to align myself with that would take advantage of my skills in the finance industry. I knew right away after speaking with David Cohen and Ruth Johnson (Homes for Heroes) that Homes for Heroes would be the perfect fit.

The HFH philosophy is easy, do what’s best for our heroes. Homes for Heroes unites a whole industry on behalf of the Hero. No other program that I have seen does this. Becoming a Homes for Heroes affiliate has given me the opportunity to say thank you to the people who give everything of themselves every day.

MIkal Knotek

Mikal Knotek has been a successful mortgage professional, manager, technology entrepreneur, and industry consultant.

 

Mikal entered the mortgage industry in 1991 after the purchase of his first home.  Learning the business from the ground up, he quickly moved his way up the ladder and became a leading roll in production.  In 1997 he co-founded The Harrison-Knotek Group with his residential business partner, Kathy Harrison.  In 1998 they moved their group to Bell Mortgage and helped evolve Bell into one of the area’s premier residential mortgage lenders.  His residential origination’s exceed 300 million dollars over the past 15 years.

 

While still in the mortgage industry, Mikal founded Audit Technologies, a lender based audit and consulting firm.  His keen industry insight gave new light to how lenders manage their service portfolio.

Audit Technologies and Mikal’s growing residential mortgage business led to the founding of Clear View Software, Inc. in 2001.  Mikal used his industry knowledge and technical background to develop ground breaking industry technology that moved data to and from consumers and lenders with the highest level of speed and security.   His company was later purchased by a leading Minnesota lender.   Mikal’s extensive technical insight keeps Bell Mortgage at the forefront of industry changes and improvements.

 

In addition to Mikal’s residential originations, he is also co-founder of the Bell Mortgage Commercial Lending Group and oversees its day to day operations.

 
 
 

Did you get your free lunch? Mine cost me.

Did you get out to Denny’s for the free Grand Slam meals yesterday? I planned on going very early thinking I would beat the crowd. I called some staffers at the Homes for Heroes office asking if they would be interested in joining me for a free breakfast. Most of the staff at Homes for Heroes are Realtors and I know how much they enjoy free food. The first call I made was at 4:30 a.m., I wanted to make sure they were ready for Denny’s 6 a.m. opening.

I learned another thing about Realtors this morning. None of them, for some reason or another, like to be woken at 4:30 in the morning. I can only conclude they like their sleep more than 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon, 2 pieces of sausage and 2 flapjacks for free. So alone I wander out into the below zero weather and head over to the nearest Denny’s. I get there at 5:45 a.m. and cannot find a parking spot. I park about 3 blocks and walk back to the restaurant. I am surprised by the amount of elderly people standing outside the door. Especially their rudeness. I learned that I should keep a 4 to 5 foot distance from the ones with canes.

Why all this hostility from our “Greatest Generation”? It took about four whacks and a couple of stitches to figure out why. These people have been going to Denny’s for years and it comes to them as a surprise the Denny’s wants to reward the nation for their patronage. They are not happy with Denny’s poor decision. I had to learn this the hard way, I hope most of you figured it out after the first smack.

On my way back from the emergency room, hungry and sore, I saw something that made me think I got hit harder than I thought. This is something one should not witness after being hit in the head with a cane. I entered the office and was asked why I was late. I was hoping the bandage on my head would gain sympathy, but I think the fake cast last week severely impeded those chances. My boss could see I was visibly agitated and her eyes softened a small bit. Is there anything I should know about, she asked.

Forgetting about my bandages and bruises, I started to tell my boss about the incredible thing I saw on the way back from the hospital. The softness in her eyes went away and I was told to get to work. I am not sure what a demerit is but some how I received another today. I got to my desk and immediately got a cup of coffee. As you know I had an incident with my morning rituals at work. I have been changing up my routine to keep the office ninja from messing with me. I now get my coffee first then sit down and turn on my computer. I have had to make other adjustments in the office and some of them have been very successful in sabotaging any plans the ninjas might have. We’ll have to discuss that later, I can’t let the ninja know I am on to him/her.

Once the computer comes up, I go to You Tube and try to see if others have seen what I saw on the way to work. It took some time but I found it. I don’t know how it is done, but I am relieved that I was not hallucinating from the concussion the elderly provided for me.

My boss calmed down a bit after seeing this video, it seems like I wasn’t being my usual self after all. But that was short lived. Some students at the University of Minnesota had a great idea. They had a garbage truck dump a load of garbage in front of the student hall to go through it and see how much could still be recycled and or reused. I started to call around and found a local refuse company that was willing to come by and drop a load off in the parking lot.

The lot was full and I had to call the refuse company to reschedule the drop off at lunch. At the prescribed hour the garbage truck arrived and there was an available spot. I instructed the driver where to make his deposit and he started to back up to the spot.

Now you might be wondering why I would want a load of garbage dumped in our parking lot? The answer is quite simple. I figured I could do a whole week of reuse articles from stuff that people threw away. Coffee filters could be washed and bleached then used to line your pots for plants. Keeps the dirt from coming out of the bottom. Cans can be turned into small camping stoves, plastic bottles turned into…… See, the ideas are endless and the articles produced would save money for families across this blessed nation. As the truck started dumping it’s load my boss happened to come back from lunch early. She got out and stopped the garbage man mid dump. As I came around the truck my eyes met my bosses and I immediately turned and ran.

Ninja instincts took over, I hopped behind a bush. Being hidden from view I changed into my ninja garb and climbed the wall to the roof. On the roof top I made my way back into the building. With extreme stealth I made it back to the office and got under my desk. This hiding place would offer me sanctuary until things blew over. About 15 minutes later I hear some one call out, “look what I found in the trash out in the parking lot.” I extract myself from my desk to see what was found, upset with myself for not finding it, whatever it was. As I stand I come eye to eye with my boss. She drops a coffee can on my desk then points to her office. Let me get back to you.

See ya tomorrow, I hope.
Semper Fi

Is a free pizza worth a heart attack? Ninjas on the loose.

I think we have ninjas in our office. Homes for Heroes is a small office and we all know each other pretty well. So it is hard for me to believe that one of them is a ninja. But I have no other explanation. This morning I arrive at my desk and turn on my computer. I get up and mosey on over to the the new kitchen and pour my self a cup of coffee. The kitchen is only 4 feet away and in complete view of my desk. When I return to my desk, I set down my mug of brew and turn on my monitor. The monitor comes on but “no video present” is all it says. I am the first one in so I know that no one could have turned off my computer. I push the power button on again and get up to see if there is any one lurking in the shadows. I see no one but I feel a breeze across my face and turn back to the desk. The computer has been turned off again.

If that is how it is going to be, I say out loud, then let the duel begin. I myself have studied the ways of the Ninja and am not afraid to stare at the face of death. I quickly make my self unseen and change into my ninja outfit. Using ninja stealth, I reach my desk undetected and take a position underneath it. With a ninja masters grace I turn on the computer. I watch the power button for 3 full minutes, waiting to catch the office ninja in the act.

My plan is simple. When the office ninja reaches over to turn off my computer I will secretly sprinkle onto his hand my special ninja detection dust. I will let the ninja come out of disguise and resume his or her role as office worker. I will then make my way around the office and with my ninja trained eye sight, I will detect which office worker is the ninja.

Nothing, no sign of office ninja trying to turn my computer off. I may not have discovered who the office ninja is, but I did foil his/her attempt to turn off my computer again. I relax and come out of my hiding spot to take a look at my monitor. As my head rises over the desk top I am immediately distracted. My boss is standing there with hands on hips asking me, “just what in the h#$@ are you doing?”

I gain my composure as I notice that the computer is still not on. I explain to my boss that there is a rogue ninja in our midst and I was just trying expose and keep him/her from turning off my computer. She listens, then bends down and plugs my computer into a power source. There is your ninja, she says as she walks back to her office. Darn! Office ninja won’t trick me again, I think to myself as I reach over and successfully turn on my computer.

Who gets nervous when you are being followed by a police officer? Let’s say you are driving down the road minding your own business. You glance up in your mirror just in time to see a police car pull in behind you. If you are like me, you go into a an immediate and chaotic panic. I check my speed, I make sure I not only use my turn signals when I make a lane change, I use hand signals. I don’t dare look over to my passenger for fear it will be reason to be pulled over. Heck, I get so nervous I signal when my car wanders close to the line on the road.

I mention this because I read this article. Police in Florida are pulling over drivers to give them tickets for driving well. The tickets are gift certificates to the local pizza joint. My first reaction was positive, thinking this is a great way to stir up public support for the police. Then I started to think about it. How would you feel if you came to a complete stop, the take your turn passing through a 4-way stop, only to be pulled over by the cop behind you. I do not think I would be in a calm and relaxed state wondering why I was being pulled over. I know I would be very agitated and quite possibly let out a string of obscenities when police officer arrived at my door. I might even say “screw it” and take off, justifying the bold action by my faith in my innocence.

I would be on the news in a high speed chase, my blood pressure rising with every mile driven. Soon the old ticker starts to sputter and I pull over hoping for a quick ride to the emergency room. As the car stops, 934 police rush the car, jerk me out and slam me to the ground. As I protest my innocence and my urgent medical needs, one officer bends down and hands me a slip of paper. “Sir I just wanted to give you this certificate for a free pizza. You did a complete stop back at the 4-way and I just wanted to thank you for your safe driving.

I take the offering and thank the officer as the light fades from my vision………..

See you tomorrow.
Semper Fi.

400 Lbs., Tetris and Flame outs!

The big news of the day is the successful water ditching by US Air pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger. To think he dead sticked (no power) that plane in so perfectly as to not even break off a wing is truly amazing. My hats off to his skill, demeanor and cast iron B**ls. The aircraft was an Airbus A320. What is the significance of that you ask? It is a fly by wire aircraft, meaning that there is no cables connecting the pilots control stick to control surfaces. On older aircraft when you pulled the joy stick to go up you would feel the resistance of the wind over your wings. Not with this aircraft. On the A320 the joy stick is a super duper computer mouse. You move the stick and the stick sends a message to the computer, the computer sends a message to the flaps and the aircraft elevates. So to put it in terms of driving your car with the same controls as the A320. When you want to stop you just push a button on the dash and the car comes to a stop. If you want to stop faster you can’t just push the button harder like you could if you were pushing the brake pedal. So Mr. Sullenberger gets a Homes for Heroes huge salute and our thanks for being an American Hero.

Just to give you an idea of what a bird strike can do to an aircraft engine, I have a couple of videos from both inside and outside the cockpit. I have personally witnessed the after effects of a bird strike on an jet engine. In the Philippines a F4 Phantom had hit a turkey buzzard. Those turbines spin so fast they can actually send the flesh through metal. When you watch these two videos pay attention to how calm the pilots are. Training pays off.

This video is a F16 Falcon. You can see the bird suddenly gaining speed as it gets caught in the suction of the intake. Then the pilot tries to go through a restart. Now keep in mind the F16 only has one engine. So when it goes out he has no back up.

This next flame out is on a Boeing 757. Again listen to the calm in the pilots voice. Also you will notice the engine modulator is desperately trying to keep the engine firing but can’t. I have been on an aircraft when this happened. Fortunately the plane was on the ground. We were doing routine maintenance on the plane and some one started the engine. Inside we heard a loud bang and saw a flash. As the engine tried to gain speed the bangs and flashes came faster and faster. They shut down engine and started it again. Problem solved. I was not reassured though and it cost me my favorite pair of skivvies.

400 pounds. If it is made up solely of penny’s. Or 40 lbs. if it is solely made up of quarters. What? You know what I am talking about. Come on! Your memory can’t be that bad. We talked about it the other day. Fine, read this article. Some rube broke into a house and stole $800 worth of change. The police caught him a short distance away desperately lugging buckets of coins. My question was how much does $800 worth of coins weigh? 400 lbs. if penny’s, 200 lbs. if nickels, 40 lbs. if dimes or quarters. I couldn’t talk about it sooner because I had to brush up on my math. I hope your curiosity has now been satiated. If not read on.

We all complain that the younger generations spend too much time on the computer playing games and facebooking. (Is that a word?) Well now those Oxford University people may have stumbled on something that may provide help to our heroes suffering from Post Traumatic Stress. Playing the video game Tetris has shown to dramatically reduce flash backs. Think of that? What does Tetris do to the brain that it can rewire it just by playing? That may explain some things about me. It was my favorite game back in the days of Donkey Kong and Mario Brothers. I would play at least 2 hours a day. From experience I can tell you that you do completely zone out. Check out the article and start playing!

See you tomorrow

Semper Fi