http://area-forum.com/blog.php A discussion forum for real estate appraisers, real estate agents, and home inspectors. en Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:58:41 GMT vBulletin 60 http://area-forum.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://area-forum.com/blog.php http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=17 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:34:46 GMT Please re-read Irwin Schiff's letter to you from March of 2004 where he discussed various aspects of the economy. Find it at this link: http://paynoincometax.com/pdf/lou_dobbs_1st_letter.pdf

Isn't it amazing how accurately he predicted the untenable economic situation our government has created? What other individual has demonstrated greater insight in the past 40 years during which Schiff has been warning Americans about the likely cause and effect associated with government actions? Long before anyone, he realized that the social security system was a “Ponzi” scheme. He was also quick to point out the destructive nature of the income tax, the devastating result of eliminating specie based currency, and the cause and effect of continued trade deficits.

As he predicted, we are now faced with huge budget and trade deficits, very little manufacturing, a dollar becoming more worthless every day, high inflation, full employment at low wages, and an overworked and extended military – with nothing on the horizon to reverse any of those detrimental factors.

He not only was able to forecast the outcome of irresponsible government behavior, but he offered the solutions that may have helped reverse the outcome as the final chapter of the Rise and Fall of America is being played out.

Just curious as to why he or his solutions are not more prominent on your show.

I agree with you that Compean and Ramos should be released from prison. But so should Schiff. He is a political prisoner in every sense of the expression and should be consulted for his wisdom not incarcerated for his defiance.

Dick Viti ]]> Dick Viti http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=17 http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=16 Sat, 07 Jun 2008 19:35:03 GMT Wow it's seems like it's been a year since I posted here. I've been working way to hard, probably close to 280 to 290 hours the past 3+ weeks.

The light at the end of the tunnel is suppose to be June 25th, so hopefully that comes quick, I miss my family and I believe the miss me.

Right now I'm testing blogs and getting a new server up for my dad.

My hope is that this posting will automatically appear on area.dannyviti.com.

:eek: ]]> danny http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=16 http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=15 Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:54:40 GMT Congratulations to Chip Rogers for recognizing that property tax reform is needed. Over the past two generations, Americans have seen property taxes... Congratulations to Chip Rogers for recognizing that property tax reform is needed. Over the past two generations, Americans have seen property taxes increase to the point where they exceed the mortgage payment by the time the mortgage is paid off.

Many retired Americans have been forced out of their homes because they were not able to pay the property taxes which consume all or a major part of their social security income.

However, to truly resolve the inequities and disparities in Georgia property taxes, reform legislation must achieve the following four goals.

1. Appraisers employed by tax assessors should be licensed or certified appraisers (at the very least, Registered) under the Georgia Appraiser Classification Act. Currently, staff appraisers for tax assessment offices do not have to meet any of the educational and experience requirements necessary to make even a mortgage loan appraisal. The lack of education and training and the lack of understanding of market value concepts causes major discrepancies in assessor valuations. The valuations become a pronouncement of government that few homeowners are equipped to contest. This practice is shameful.
2. The law should be clear that valuations on ALL property should be based on the current or existing use of the property and NOT on the property's "highest and best use." No one should be forced to pay taxes based on someone else's perception of what a more profitable use for the property might be.
3. The homestead exemption should be increased to reflect the falling value of the dollar. Increased to reflect the tax savings intended at the time, the homestead exemption should be increased to approximately $40,000. At that level, property taxes would not begin to be imposed until the property value exceeded $100,000. And that number should be adjusted each year for inflation.
4. There should be a similar additional exemption for retirees who otherwise might be forced to sell their home due to the steady increase in property taxes.

Achieving those goals will result in a more predictable cost of government for property owners and eliminate many of the inequities in the system as it is presently structured. ]]> Dick Viti http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=15 http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=14 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:22:05 GMT We're about to launch blogs for some radio stations.

I was listening to Jamie Dupree talk about the super Tuesday results and really liked this article.

He's one of the few reporters that can maintain a non-biased report, even when push by Neal Boortz.

http://wsbradio.com/blogs/jamie_dupr...tml#trackbacks

Now none of you will be able to get to that, since its still on staging and I'm only doing testing now. ]]> danny http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=14 http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=13 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:23:22 GMT Neal Boortz is a local/national talk show host and years ago they played a news clip of this girl telling a reporter what happened. It's now pretty infamous and somebody put an animation to it. It pretty well explains everything.

Enjoy:
http://boortz.com/more/video/boo_got_shot_animated.html

Eventually I'll get to posting more of my own stuff, maybe. But for now I hope you enjoy.

Also in case you drink a lot of diet coke, check out what you can do with it when you just add mentos, I believe I will have to try this sometime:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM ]]> danny http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=13 http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=11 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:02:29 GMT I can't believe its been nearly 2 months since my last posting. As I stated in the beginning there won't really be any rhyme or reason to this, more an experiment in how I can utilize this medium.

I do notice that I could probably benefit from the Save Draft mode, that way as I think of things I want to post I could just type them in really quickly and save as a Draft then come back to them to clean them up, but at least the content is there.

Since my last posting my son is 2 months older and out growing anything we try to put him in, my daughter has started pre-school which I firmly believe is harder on the father than the mom or child, to see their little girl go off and start school. At least that has been my findings from talking to other parents. I would say overall life is good, despite all of the coverage on the downward turn of the economy and potential of a recession.

I often think about where does all of the time go and how do I continue adding things to my to do list, so for my own curiosity I decided I'd document a typical day for me, it may be neat to see when the kids are older or even to compare when I start telecommuting in June.

5:30 Wake up
6:15 On the way to work
7:00 Arrive at work
4:30 (most days I leave on time) leave work
5:30 home
6:00 - 8:45 Play with kids and get them bathed and in bed
9 - 9:30 Supplemental work (hopefully it only takes half an hour)
9:30 - 10 Cardio exercise
10 - 10:30 Workout (every other night)
10:30 - 11 spend some time with just my wife
11:30 in bed to repeat process

I in no way think I have a busier schedule than most people but I do often hear people say where does the time go and if you were to sit down and think about your typical "work" day in this way, it's pretty easy to see where the time goes and why it's so important to enjoy everything you do and if you don't enjoy something, make a change so that you do.

Thanks for reading. ]]> danny http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=11 http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=10 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:23:29 GMT Mike Huckabee's success in large part is due to his affection for the Fair Tax. The Fair Tax is the second best proposal for over-hauling our tax system. It would do wonders for our economy, make us more competitive internationally, and stimulate job production. However, the proponents of the Fair Tax overlook one major obstacle.

The Fair Tax will never work or be enacted because it is incompatible with a paper currency. Enactment of the Fair Tax will require the abolition of the Federal Reserve and the restoration of a sound currency. If the Fair Tax were to be enacted with a paper currency and no income tax, there would be no means to control inflation - the government could continue to print currency and without a way for the government to remove the currency from circulation (as they have now with the income tax), the paper will build up and cause massive price increases.

Ron Paul presents a better alternative. He advocates elimination of the income tax replacing it with nothing; reducing government spending equal to the lost revenue; AND the return to a specie based monetary system. That would be the absolute best change that could be made in America today. ]]> Dick Viti http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=10 http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=9 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:38:33 GMT The only way that either Obama or Huckabee could be elected as president is if they ran against each other. Because of that, I suspect neither will... The only way that either Obama or Huckabee could be elected as president is if they ran against each other. Because of that, I suspect neither will become the party's nominee - even though either would be refreshing change from the status quo.

I suspect the bigotry that still resides in the hearts of many Americans will prevent Obama from getting the nod. It will be religion that ultimately keeps Huckabee off the top of the ticket.

Democrats would have a far better strategy if Clinton were the presidential nominee and Obama was on the ticket as vice-president. That would almost guarantee the democrats the Whitehouse for the next 16 years. Yes, I do believe Obama could get elected after serving as vice-president. Of course, expect that during that time America will face a currency crisis, be hopelessly in debt, with a lower standard of living, and totally at the mercy of nations who have waited patiently to destroy us. That result is not party specific – Republicans are bent on taking the same path – except for one.

The only candidate on either side who would really stop the mismanagement of our government and stop the inevitable collapse of American is Ron Paul. The majority of Americans will overlook him, however, just as they have overlooked the cause of the problems we are faced with today. ]]> Dick Viti http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=9 http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=8 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 01:50:49 GMT Could the spirit of our Republic be alive in Ron Paul’s message? It was most gratifying to see the number of Americans who still recognize and... Could the spirit of our Republic be alive in Ron Paul’s message?

It was most gratifying to see the number of Americans who still recognize and yearn for liberty and freedom. Supporters of Dr. Ron Paul’s message transcend racial, age, income, and locational differences. Americans from across this once great nation who have been ignored by politicians for decades have reason to rejoice this holiday season – knowing the spirit of our Republic still exists.

Ron Paul does not have the charisma or eloquence of the more polished politicians of our time. What he offers is character - and lots of it - and the message of the founding fathers – who understood that the price paid for growth in government was a reduction in individual liberty.

The final chapter of the Rise and Fall of America is being written. The outcome will not be changed by Americans who continue to choose the lesser evil of Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dum.

Ron Paul is a refreshing difference. His message could actually restore the American dream. ]]> Dick Viti http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=8 http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=5 Sat, 01 Dec 2007 12:57:59 GMT Here are some things/jokes I've collected from others:
Test your vocabulary and feed kids in Africa rice:
http://www.freerice.com/index.php

Buy a turkey you can handle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_Iqf7m8xKU

Try this:
1. WITHOUT anyone watching you (They will think you are GOOFY) and
while sitting where you are at your desk in front of your computer,
lift your right foot off the floor and make Clockwise Circles.

2. Now......while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your
Right Hand. Your foot will change direction.

I told you so!!!

12 days of xmas:
http://www.jibjab.com/view/214756

Lots of "getting old can be fun jokes":
An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%.

The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again."

The gentleman replied, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!"


Keep reading


Two elderly gentlemen from a retirement center were sitting on a bench under a tree when one turns to the other and says: "Slim, I'm 83 years old now and I'm just full of aches and pains. I know you're about my age. How do you feel?"

Slim says, "I feel just like a newborn baby."

"Really!? Like a newborn baby!?"

"Yep. No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants.


Keep Reading


An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen. The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, "Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great I would recommend it very highly."

The other man said, "What is the name of the restaurant?"

The first man thought and thought and finally said, "What is the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know.... the one that's red and has thorns."

"Do you mean a rose?"

"Yes, that's the one," replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, "Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?


Keep Reading


Hospital regulations require a wheel chair for patients being discharged. However, while working as a student nurse, I found one elderly gentleman already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet, who insisted he didn't need my help to leave the hospital. After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let me wheel him to the elevator. On the way down I asked him if his wife was meeting him. "I don't know," he said. " She's still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown."


Keep Reading


A couple in their nineties are both having problems remembering things. During a checkup, the doctor tells them that they're physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember.

Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair. "Want anything while I'm in the kitchen?" he asks.

"Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?"

"Sure."

"Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?" she asks.

; "No, I can remember it."

"Well, I'd like some strawberries on top, too. Maybe you should write it down, so's not to forget it?"

He says, "I can remember that. You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries."

"I'd also like whipped cream. I'm certain you'll forget that, write it down." she says.

Irritated, he says, "I don't need to write it down, I can remember it! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream - I got it, for goodness sake!"

Then he toddles into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs.

She stares at the plate for a moment, then asks, "Where's my toast?"


Keep Reading


A senior citizen said to his eighty-year old buddy: "So I hear you're getting married?"

"Yep!"

"Do I know her?"

"Nope!"

"This woman, is she good looking?"

"Not really."

"Is she a good cook?"

"Naw, she can't cook too well."

"Does she have lots of money?"

"Nope! Poor as a church mouse."

"Well, then, is she good in bed?"

"I don't know."

"Why in the world do you want to marry her then?"

"Because she can still drive!"


Keep Reading


Three old guys are out walking. First one says, "Windy, isn't it?"

Second one says, "No, it's Thursday!"

Third one says, "So am I. Let's go get a beer."


Keep Reading


A man was telling his neighbor, "I just bought a new hearing aid. It cost me four thousand dollars, but it's state of the art. It's perfect."

"Really," answered the neighbor. "What kind is it?"

"Twelve thirty."


And finally:


Morris, an 82 year-old man, went to the doctor to get a physical. A few days later, the doctor saw Morris walking down the street with a gorgeous young woman on his arm.

A couple of days later, the doctor spoke to Morris and said, "Wow, you're really doing great, aren't you?"

Morris replied, "I'm just doing what you said, Doc: 'Get a hot mamma and be cheerful.'"

The doctor said, "I didn't say that! I said, 'You've got a heart murmur; be careful.'" ]]> danny http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=5 http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=4 Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:58:31 GMT I had a few people ask me that after I started posting to this and after I included the link on my homepage. I thought that was a very good... I had a few people ask me that after I started posting to this and after I included the link on my homepage.

I thought that was a very good question, the obvious answer for me was it's a web page that people update with really anything. Like an online diary or a way for people to post their opinions on a subject and like a-holes everyone has one and they all stink. But I thought that may be too negative. So I went to wikipedia to find out what they said a blog was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

A blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

So at it's simplest form, a blog is just a place for someone to write stuff in chronological order and for others to read and/or comment. That stuff can be just that any stuff that the author wants to type.

I've been following a few blogs for a while now. One is pretty depressing but thought I'd share anyway, it's a former boss/friend of mine that has been battling cancer and his wife has been updating their friends around the world on his status.
http://fencehopper.blogspot.com/

The next one is almost the complete opposite, some friends of mine adopted a little girl from China and they've been blogging that journey.
http://daniellecomeshome.blogspot.com/

The next one is a local morning show that used to be on the air then got fired but one of the personalities continues blogging.
http://www.regularguys.com/

The last one is a talk show host named Neal Boortz. I actually work for Cox Radio and we host his website, while it isn't using "blog software" he has been posting in this format for many years, well before blogging was cool.
http://boortz.com/nuze/index.html

That's all for now. Thanks for reading. ]]> danny http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=4 http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=3 Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:39:36 GMT My middle brother David is the only one is the family on Vista so far and he has 2 machines on it. He's been having trouble opening links in emails so I decided to do some searching for him and here is what I found:

http://email.about.com/od/outlooktip..._fix_links.htm

The highlights were:

Make Links Work in Windows Mail, Outlook Express, Outlook and Any Other Email Program
Windows Vista

To restore links in email programs using Windows Vista:

1. Open the Windows menu.
2. Type "default programs" (not including the quotation marks) under Start Search.
3. Click Default Programs under Programs.
4. Now click Set your default programs.
5. Highlight Internet Explorer under Programs.
6. Click Set this program as default.
7. Now click OK.
8. Close the default programs window.

]]> danny http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=3 http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=2 Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:22:01 GMT I've been thinking lately that I should be able to use this medium a little more. Given that I'm already a geek and all the geeks I know have blogs I should probably get involved more.

Nothing big but maybe a weekly posting here or there just to give a quick update of what the week was like, anything new with our family, and anything new that I learned or toys I want to play with. For instance I may look at this for my next phone, iphone killer? I doubt it but it may be fun to try it out:
http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/10/04...ll-the-iphone/

The main reason I was thinking about this stuff is my Dad mentioned that he lost some emails from me where I was assisting him with technology related items and I thought that if we would have put them on a blog or wiki we never would have lost them and they'd be completely searchable and open to other ideas.

We'll see how I do updating this. I'm hoping to get my dad and oldest brother Richard to join in.

Richard and Tisha and Ruby and Eleanor are in Guangzhou, China for 2 years and then who knows where after that but hopefully we can catch a visit with them in the next place. We sure do miss them!

I'll include a link to some updated pictures. I'm also planning on linking to this blog from dannyviti.com.

http://www.dannyviti.com/images/ss.p...=nathan/month1 ]]> danny http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=2 http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=1 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 19:44:40 GMT Some people have never heard of blogging or know what to do here. This is a pretty free forum for expressing anything and everything. Have something... Some people have never heard of blogging or know what to do here. This is a pretty free forum for expressing anything and everything. Have something on your mind jot it down and let everyone see it and possibly comment on it.

Know of another good blog tell us about it. Know of a funny video, joke or story tell us about it.

I'm going to see if I can come up with a funny little tale. ]]> danny http://area-forum.com/blog.php?b=1