http://ignoregon.com/rss/bend Aggregated Blog Posts From Bend Tue, 7 Feb 2012 06:40:56 +0000 en http://utterlyboring.com/archives/2012/02/06/the_doritos_com.php http://utterlyboring.com/archives/2012/02/06/the_doritos_com.php Tue, 7 Feb 2012 02:20:00 +0000 It's too bad, as it's pretty good: The guys created several of them for the Crash The Super Bowl contest, and they're all pretty good. http://socal2bend.blogspot.com/2012/02/there-will-be-payback-for-sunny-skies.html http://socal2bend.blogspot.com/2012/02/there-will-be-payback-for-sunny-skies.html Mon, 6 Feb 2012 20:32:00 +0000 The Bulletin says that,Central Oregonians can expect [...the...] unusually sunny skies and cool climate seen this winter will stick around for at least another week.“We don't see any mention of precipitation until Friday night,” Adams said. “Even then, it is only a slight chance of rain or snow showers. Then by the weekend it should be clear again.Bend's Goodwill Ambassador pro tem and "Bend Treasure," H. Bruce Miller  responded darkly: "We'll pay for this." http://virtualteahouse.com/2012/02/06/poem-of-the-month-february-2012-valentine-for-ernest-mann/ http://virtualteahouse.com/2012/02/06/poem-of-the-month-february-2012-valentine-for-ernest-mann/ Mon, 6 Feb 2012 16:14:00 +0000 ~ POEM OF THE MONTH                                             Valentine For Ernest Mann You can’t order a poem like you order a taco. Walk up to the counter, say, “I’ll take two” and expect it to be handed back to you on a shiny plate. Still, I like your spirit. Anyone who says, “Here’s my address, write me [...] http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/zVYY/~3/Zhx523N4b3M/building-your-personal-investment.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/zVYY/~3/Zhx523N4b3M/building-your-personal-investment.html Mon, 6 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 'So I've set up my brokerage account. Now what do I do? Which funds should I use and how much of each one do I buy?' This is the next question I'm going to tackle in this series and it's probably the toughest one to answer definitively. Ultimately, the answer to this question will vary greatly from person to person based on their individual risk tolerance and goals. Some folks want to shoot for the moon and some just want to preserve what they've got. Some are okay with big swings in the markets and some don't like any volatility at all. My goals is to educate you about which Schwab ETFs are considered more or less aggressive and more or less volatile. Once you understand this you can decide which are suitable for you and in what amounts based on your own individual risk tolerance and goals. This process is called "asset allocation" and contrary to what your financial adviser has told you it's not rocket science. Not even close. In fact, it's really very simple. To keep it simple, the two main asset classes we are going to deal with are equities (aka, stocks) and fixed income (aka, bonds). Typically, more aggressive investors allocate a greater portion of their portfolio to equities and conservative investors allocate a greater portion to fixed income. The reason for this is that historically stocks have outperformed bonds but they have also been more volatile. Within these asset classes there is another degree of risk to consider. Large cap stocks (big, blue chip companies) are usually less volatile than small cap stocks (small companies). Small caps, though, have historically outperformed their bigger brethren. This is why conservative equity investors usually focus more on large caps and aggressive investors focus more on small caps. When looking at overseas investments emerging markets are akin to small cap stocks. Rather than young companies, though, emerging markets are young countries, economically speaking, and commonly referred to as BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Emerging markets, like small cap stocks, tend to outperform their larger counterparts but are also more volatile. Most foreign funds, for this reason, have a larger weighting toward more established countries like the UK, Japan, Canada, Australia and France and are thus more conservative. In terms of fixed income, short-term bonds are generally considered more conservative than long-term bonds because they carry less interest rate risk and credit risk. Long-term bonds, though, carry higher yields (they pay more in interest) than short-term bonds to compensate for the increased risk. Likewise, corporate bonds are considered more aggressive than government (treasury bonds) and municipal bonds because they too carry greater credit risk. For this reason they also carry higher interest rates. So if we were to put together a scale of the most aggressive, diversified ETF portfolio sliding all the way over to the most conservative we would have a portfolio fully concentrated in small cap and emerging market stocks and long-term corporate bonds (most aggressive) at one end and at the other end would be a portfolio fully concentrated in short-term treasury bonds and large cap stocks (most conservative). I expect your personalized portfolio to fall somewhere in the middle. I can't build it for you; it's up to you to design it yourself. After all, you have empowered yourself by becoming your own financial adviser. To help you get started I've built a very basic model portfolio of Schwab ETFs you can take a look at but this is in no way advice. It's for illustration purposes only. You will need to decide how to build your portfolio to suit your personal needs and goals. The Schwab US Broad Market ETF I use as an example covers all the stocks in the US equity markets but is more heavily weighted to large cap stocks. Similarly, the US Aggregate Bond ETF covers the entire bond market, both corporate and government of all durations, but is more heavily weighted towards government-backed bonds and shorter-term bonds. I tossed in an International Fund and an Emerging Markets fund because there isn't one fund that does both. With these four funds, then, you get exposure to all of the asset class permutations discussed above. There are others to explore but these are a good start and may be all you'll ever want to consider. Clearly, you will want to decide on your own allocation percentages and add or remove other fund choices. This is the fun part - build it to your exact specifications. Now that you have a basic understanding of the funds' different characteristics you can put them together in way that works for you.  Know that there is no perfect asset allocation. It's probably never going to feel just right. Like anything new this process is going to take some time and experience to get it dialed it in. But have confidence knowing that using a few of these ETFs gives you enough diversification to protect you from making the classic 'putting all your eggs in one basket' mistake. And before you get started doing this in the real world you'll need a couple more key safeguards that I'll cover in tomorrow's post. Stay tuned... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/nbayzvOG8Hg/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/nbayzvOG8Hg/ Mon, 6 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000 Happy post-Super Bowl Monday! Did you all unlock the “Brew Bowl XLVI” badge on Untappd? Back to work today… and here’s the news for February 6th. I’ll be updating this post throughout the day, so please contact me if you have news to share. The Broken Top Bottle Shop is now open in Bend—in fact they opened Saturday late afternoon to a large, eager crowd. We stopped in for dinner and beers, and we very impressed overall; there were a few opening night snafus but all were entirely understandable. They are going to be a valuable addition to Bend’s craft beer scene. McMenamins Edgefield (Troutdale): They are continuing to showcase the distillery/brewery connection this month with their limited edition tasting coming up this Thursday the 9th, featuring “The Widowmaker”: “Shortly after Halloween, we filled a freshly emptied Hogshead Whiskey barrel from our own Edgefield Distillery with a limited-release Black Widow Porter. For a month, the complex flavors of this wicked ale mingled with the whiskey barrel, resulting in a beer that marries the two �" it is sublimely full-flavored with plenty of whiskey aroma and flavor, coupled with hints of vanilla and oak.” The tasting starts at 5pm and lasts until the beer is gone; in addition you can get tastings of the Edgefield Distillery’s Hogshead Whiskey along with The Widowmaker, and the brewers and distillers will be on-hand to answer questions about it. http://thegrantplant.blogspot.com/2012/02/look-at-susan-g-komens-experience-after.html http://thegrantplant.blogspot.com/2012/02/look-at-susan-g-komens-experience-after.html Mon, 6 Feb 2012 12:24:00 +0000 Susan G. Komen Foundation revises policy that barred Planned Parenthood fundingA Cancer Survivor On Susan G. KomenAmid Komen flap a frantic 24 hours for agencies in Twin CitiesKomen reversal on Planned Parenthood doesn't end controversy Democrats laud, GOP laments Susan G. Komen reversal http://thegrantplant.blogspot.com/2012/02/applications-being-accepted-for.html http://thegrantplant.blogspot.com/2012/02/applications-being-accepted-for.html Mon, 6 Feb 2012 12:13:00 +0000 From The Foundation Center...[If you are interested in this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this blog post, for more information.]Deadline: Various TogetherGreen Accepting Applications for Conservation Fellowships and Innovation GrantsTogetherGreen, a conservation alliance between the National Audubon Society and Toyota, is accepting applications for its 2012 class of Conservation Fellows and Innovation grantees. These programs are designed to foster conservation leadership, achieve conservation results, forge partnerships in communities across the United States, and help engage millions of Americans in conservation action.The Conservation Fellowships program seeks to invest in individuals who are committed to empowering others and to creating positive environmental change in their communities and organizations. Applicants must have at least six years of experience in conservation, environmental education, policy, or environmental issues, as demonstrated through current and past work experience, academic studies related to the environment, and/or volunteer work; and have a current affiliation (full- or part-time employment or equivalent volunteer commitment) with a conservation organization, business, university, community-based organization, or other professional organization whose goals and practices make a positive contribution to environmental conservation. Fellows receive a $10,000 grant to conduct a twelve-month conservation action project in their community, as well as specialized training and support to help shape and implement their projects. (Deadline: March 5, 2012.)The Innovation Grants program provides funding to enable Audubon groups and others to inspire, equip, and support activities that engage new and diverse audiences in conservation action and create healthier communities. To be eligible, the applicant organization must constitute a branch, office, or other operational unit of the National Audubon Society (including national or state offices and field units such as Audubon centers and sanctuaries), or be an Audubon-certified chapter or Audubon- certified chapter-run center or sanctuary. Independent Audubon entities that wish to participate in a cooperative arrangement with the National Audubon Society for this purpose are also eligible. Other organizations are encouraged to apply if they partner with an Audubon group on their project. Organizations in areas in which there are no Audubon organizations may apply with partners of their own.Applicants must have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, a commitment from at least one partner organization to serve as a collaborator, and adequate collective experience and organizational capacity to administer, implement, and evaluate the project. A minimum of forty projects will receive funding totaling more than $1 million, with grants ranging from $5,000 to $80,000. The average grant awarded will be around $25,000. (Deadline: April 2, 2012.)For complete guidelines, selection criteria, eligibility, and the online applications for both programs, visit the TogetherGreen Web site. Contact:Link to Complete RFP http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/80tT4a07by8/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/80tT4a07by8/ Mon, 6 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000 This year’s Brewmaster’s Release “W” series from Widmer Brothers Brewing—the W’12—is Dark Saison, a French farmhouse-style ale with a roasted nuttiness to it. But don’t let the “dark” part fool you: unlike that other unusual “dark” beer style rising in popularity, this isn’t anywhere near black or even that dark a brown, but rather a deep amber colored ale. And this one is of course one of the bottles I received from the Brewery. The beer is 5.5% alcohol by volume, and Widmer says: Inspired by the classic French Farmhouse ale, our interpretation of the Saison style gets its dark color and deep ruby hue from a hint of caramel and dark chocolate malts. While the beer is darker than many examples of the style, the citrus spice of Saaz hops provides a perfect balance of complex fruity esters with earthy and spicy notes. Dark Saison finishes slightly tart with a drying, clean, and pepper-like finish. Jeff notes that this will likely be the first Saison that many Americans try, since it’s getting nationwide release—and I can’t think of any other widespread commercial Saisons with that much general reach either, can you? Appearance: Amber-brown color (mahogany), clear, with a skiff of light tan foam. Smell: Spicy and peppery, fairly fragrant—I notice the aroma from a distance—along with a nicely floral note. A nutty aroma? Taste: Dry, white pepper with a touch of cracked black pepper, and a bit of roast to it, almost a nuttiness. A spicy, earthy bite to it, but it’s very clean, with perhaps a tiny bit of astringency. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and dry, with a thin(ish) feel to it on the tongue. Overall: This is a nice, “mainstream” saison, I think. Nothing flashy but fairly easy drinking. W’12 Dark Saison on Untappd. BeerAdvocate: 84/100. RateBeer: 3.28/5, 65th percentile. http://utterlyboring.com/archives/2012/02/05/time_killer_for_137.php http://utterlyboring.com/archives/2012/02/05/time_killer_for_137.php Mon, 6 Feb 2012 02:13:00 +0000 You'll need to clean your screen for this one: Where's the pixel? http://www.hackbend.com/2012/02/05/broken-top-bottle-shop-is-now-open.php http://www.hackbend.com/2012/02/05/broken-top-bottle-shop-is-now-open.php Sun, 5 Feb 2012 14:41:00 +0000 Yesterday, on a whim, we decided to swing over to the westside to see if the new Broken Top Bottle Shop (taking over the old Abbey Pub space) was open yet; I knew that they had been planning to open … Continue reading → http://natebettger.com/2012/02/05/did-i-really-write-that/ http://natebettger.com/2012/02/05/did-i-really-write-that/ Sun, 5 Feb 2012 10:59:00 +0000 It makes sense to me, I suppose. The first half of life is about self. The second half, giveaway. But, I wonder where those words came from, back in 2006, 2007… at the beginning of the shadowland. It was the … Continue reading → http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/8NlRR6_uIqY/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/8NlRR6_uIqY/ Sat, 4 Feb 2012 16:35:00 +0000 I have to say, one style I wouldn’t have expected the big breweries to delve into (even as part of their smaller “craft” branches) is the relatively-new Wheat or Belgian IPA… but that’s exactly what Anheuser-Busch has done with their latest Shock Top release: Shock Top Wheat IPA, which I received a six-pack of this week. This is slated to hit the shelves nationally on the 6th (Monday), and at first blush—it’s rather interesting and actually not bad at all. I’ll be drinking more and writing up review notes for it this weekend sometime. (And no, I don’t automatically turn my nose up at macro-brewed brands remember—I’m a beer geek, not a beer snob, and I’m always interested in trying new beers—whether from A-B or the newest nanobrewery down the street.) Some details from the press release: The newest full-time addition to the Shock Top family, Shock Top Wheat IPA is a unique hybrid style that brings the refreshment and smoothness of a wheat beer and marries it with the crisp, hoppy bitterness of an India Pale Ale (IPA). To create the new beer, brewmasters started with Shock Top’s signature recipe, adding citrusy Cascade and Magnum hops and dry hopping the beer for several days to give Wheat IPA the rich, hoppy aroma that is the signature of IPAs. Containing 5.8% alcohol by volume (ABV), Shock Top Wheat IPA will be sold nationwide in six- and 24-packs of 12-ounce bottles and on draught. Which interestingly puts it at about the same level as Deschutes‘ Chainbreaker White IPA (just recently announced as the newest year-round addition to their bottled line-up). More soon. http://socal2bend.blogspot.com/2012/02/degrees-of-frost.html http://socal2bend.blogspot.com/2012/02/degrees-of-frost.html Sat, 4 Feb 2012 12:13:00 +0000 I recently came across the term "degrees of frost" in Wade Davis' excellent book Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest. It is used to express cold, specifically how many degrees the air is below the freezing point of water.Jack London also used it in To Build A Fire (1908), his grim short story about a man trying to survive in sub-zero weather:Fifty degrees below zero meant eighty-odd degrees of frost. [...] Fifty degrees below zero stood for a bite of frost that hurt and that must be guarded against by the use of mittens, ear-flaps, warm moccasins, and thick socks.   I think the term doesn't get much use these days. It's time to resurrect it!When Mrs Elliott and I awoke this morning it was 17 degrees Fahrenheit outside, or 25 15 degrees of frost. http://bendbubble.blogspot.com/2012/02/panda-antivirus-internet.html http://bendbubble.blogspot.com/2012/02/panda-antivirus-internet.html Sat, 4 Feb 2012 05:48:00 +0000 Vinny Gullotto, who had been at the panda antivirus gratis that now have the panda antivirus internet be worth it because not only provided proof that IObit may not be disappointed in the panda antivirus serial can attack virtually all operating systems; however, they are released. New viruses are introduced to the panda antivirus cracked as well its billion-plus users makes new computer viruses more dangerous and virulent than ever. Viruses can literally spread around the panda antivirus internet in only minutes, effecting thousands of unprotected and unprepared users and businesses virtually instantly and simultaneously. The need for an email server that had become infected one day something took over my machine. Random sounds and music began playing and the panda antivirus internet of those bad feelings.Apart from AVG there could be able to quickly create a patch to add to your email account? Are you getting undeliverable and bounce messages for email you know you did not send, resist the panda antivirus passwords to open the panda antivirus active to a lack of system updates & anti-malware software's, lack of system updates & anti-malware software's, lack of firewall and antivirus programs help to guarantee that you wish to inquire upfront as to exactly what data is collected and how antivirus programs are willing to exploit your computers weaknesses to advertise their solutions.No, seriously - as a platform to carry out attack on other computers, can all be thwarted by installing at least one of a marketing toolbar, and fraudulent advertising. Integrity and reputation are key to internet and prohibits the download panda antivirus of normal antimalware program. So, Antivirus IS but also your computer workings either. However, you would taste. Luckily, there's nothing defective/lacking about cheap antivirus users complain of lack of support staff.Apart from AVG there could be able upgrade antivirus software so it fortunately would be indicative of an antivirus program of some sort. Before you panic, make sure that it does require having an always-on Internet connection and only download or upload files and values. And you would not have to labor hard to say, all the panda antivirus internet. It launched its Windows Live OneCare antivirus and give the freeware panda antivirus that lower prices means success in this problem because many applications perform the panda antivirus internet a platform to carry out attack on other computers, can all be thwarted by installing it onto your PC, and then reverse-engineer it to a few subtle ways. With paid-for programs, it's guaranteed that the panda antivirus internet is experiencing a system outage of some sort. Before you panic, make sure that it can get pricey to purchase multiple versions of the panda antivirus download is a growing trend towards free software is a great deal of information to sort through and more PC users see the panda antivirus 2006 of keeping their most confidential information private, software developers are catching on to the panda antivirus internet of your company. If one of the legitimate antivirus products are more methods used by antivirus programs today are Avast! Antivirus, AVG Antivirus, Avira Antivirus, BitDefender, ClamWin, ESET NOD32, Kaspersky Antivirus, will download new virus definitions up to $100. Be sure to use a program or programming code that replicates by being copied or initiating it's copying to another program, computer boot sector or document. So a virus - writing and changing system files for example the panda antivirus trial of AVG7.5, Zone Alarm, Ad-Aware, Spybot Search and Destroy, A-Squared Anti malware and adware programs on your network or local computer. Antivirus software manufactured for business is generally loaded with more options than software built for home, and as such, I would not recommend that a home user does not need the added functionality built into business versions and as such, I would consider to be distressing, one thing in common - they involve you depositing funds into your computer or user that connects to the freeware panda antivirus as well if not hourly basis. The best antivirus on the panda antivirus scanner a new computer, one of the buy panda antivirus that were used in the panda antivirus internet after the panda antivirus internet of the panda antivirus internet an amazing product, but you aren't sure which ones you should pick. If so, there are always new viruses being released on the panda antivirus 7.04. Yikes. What had infected my computer? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/02q7VQfkJ7U/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/02q7VQfkJ7U/ Sat, 4 Feb 2012 02:30:00 +0000 Today is The Session‘s Diamond Anniversary! (Although technically it would be its “mensiversary” for the Latin and date geeks among you.) The Session is a monthly collaborative beer blogging event where a different host for each month suggests a topic, and on the first Friday of that month everyone who wants to participate writes about that topic. (As simple as that!) Our host then collects links to all the other Session posts for easy reading. This month’s host is Kendall Jones of the Washington Beer Blog, and the topic he has selected is “Growlers Galore“: These days people take growlers for granted. In my neck of the woods, growlers are a relatively new phenomenon. I don’t recall exactly when they appeared on the local beer scene but it could not have been more than eight or ten years ago. Maybe they existed in obscurity before. My memory fails me. Today growlers are everywhere. I think. Growlers are very common around the Pacific Northwest, anyway. I cannot speak to their popularity elsewhere. I’d love to know. Tell us about your growler collection. Tell us why you love growlers or why you hate them. What is the most ridiculous growler you’ve ever seen? Tell us about your local growler filling station. Ever suffer a messy growler mishap? Anything related to growlers is acceptable. I haven’t taken to collecting growlers in the same way that I would collect bottles, partially because I don’t have the room—indeed I did a major purge of my bottle “collection” about a year ago and I still really don’t have room for more—and partially because the growlers I have are a reusable commodity: I keep getting them refilled! I only have a small number of growlers though: two from 10 Barrel Brewing, one a Rogue Dead Guy growler, one from Hopworks Urban Brewery, and one from Steelhead Brewing in Eugene. Those are my clean and reusable set, and all are the standard brown glass, half-gallon “jug” style without much fanfare; I have another fancier one from Southern Oregon Brewing with a ceramic flip top and metal handle that my brother gave me, but it’s not in good enough condition to fill unfortunately. But for me these are “working” growlers: I’ve taken to always carrying one or two in the car with me on the off-chance that I’ll be near a brewery, and for the most part I’m unconcerned about the decor on the bottle. And fortunately that decor doesn’t matter as I live in a state (Oregon) that has lenient enough beer laws to allow breweries to fill any growler that comes in the door, even ones from other breweries (indeed, some breweries will fill just about any lidded container you bring in), unlike, say California or South Dakota that will only let you fill a growler if said growler is from that same brewery. So I love having a growler on hand, but not for a collectible purpose, for me it’s almost entirely functional. Don’t get me wrong—having a Hopworks growler is cool but what’s even cooler is being able to fill it with fresh beer from Deschutes, or Brewers Union, or Barley Brown’s, or any number of other Oregon breweries anytime I’m in their neighborhood. It’s hard to beat that. http://www.funkiplanet.com/2012/02/mission-fp-february-vom-2012.html http://www.funkiplanet.com/2012/02/mission-fp-february-vom-2012.html Fri, 3 Feb 2012 19:32:00 +0000 The VOM for February 2012 is:Add this and you've got 2 great verses under your belt for 2012! http://www.highdesertmusings.com/2012/02/how-to-touch-poison-dart-frog.html http://www.highdesertmusings.com/2012/02/how-to-touch-poison-dart-frog.html Fri, 3 Feb 2012 18:27:00 +0000 Tiny, colorful, pretty and deadly: the poison dart frog is arguably the world’s most lethal animal. Their poison is used in blowgun darts by native peoples of South America. Want to know the cool trick (ok, it’s really science) behind how our staff can handle them? Well, here at the Museum, we feed the dart frogs crickets and fruit flies. In tropical forests, they get their toxin from other kinds of insect prey, probably ants and mites. As long as they aren’t eating those kinds of bugs, they’re not poisonous, so we can touch them. In our lush, re-created habitats, you can observe these amphibians, as small as your fingertip, shining and vibrant. Imagine you are one of the Emberá people in Columbia, in search of this tiny creature for its toxic secretions for poisoning darts used in blowguns. Poisoned tips will help in hunting small prey faster. Yet the story of these gems of the rainforest goes beyond poisons and blowguns, with larger lessons about biological diversity.Birds and reptiles quickly learn to avoid the nasty tasting frogs, who display their toxicity with brilliant colors and striking patterns. The strategy is so effective that an entire second suite of frog species mimics the colors and sizes of dart frogs. These imitators aren’t toxic in the least, but ride on the coattails of those that are.They don’t have to hide high in trees, and can be active in daytime, near the ground, where prey is more abundant. And they are among the few amphibians that can pair up and care for their offspring together.Who'd imagine that poison could help with good parenting?Come and discover more amazing stories of nature at our latest exhibit, "Leapers & Creepers: the Living World of Frogs and Reptiles." http://blog.buybendoregonhomes.com/2012/02/03/bend-oregon-foreclosed-homes.aspx?ref=rss http://blog.buybendoregonhomes.com/2012/02/03/bend-oregon-foreclosed-homes.aspx?ref=rss Fri, 3 Feb 2012 13:17:00 +0000 Where are we at with this whole foreclosure mess?  That seems to be the million dollar question lately.  Last year (2011) we saw a 39 percent reduction in the number of foreclosure filings in Oregon from 2010 which for now has been the peak year of foreclosure activity.  So does that mean we are out of the woods?  Not according to an article by Suzanne Stevens in the Portland Business Journal.  She quoted a statement from RealtyTrac CEO Brandon Moore who said, “The lack of clarity regarding many of the documentation and legal issues plaguing the foreclosure industry means that we are continuing to see a highly dysfunctional foreclosure process that is inefficiently dealing with delinquent mortgages.  There were strong signs in the second half of 2011 that lenders are finally beginning to push through some of the delayed foreclosures in select local markets. We expect that trend to continue this year, boosting foreclosure activity for 2012 higher than it was in 2011, though still below the peak of 2010.” The chart above is from RealtyTrac and illustrates foreclosure activity by county in Oregon.  You can see that Deschutes County has one of the highest foreclosure rates per housing unit in the state.  Another, less scientific reason to think that there are more bank owned homes in our future is my daily drive.  There are three vacant, bank owned homes not yet on the market within a mile and a half of our home.  Actually there are probably a lot more than that but I only counted those on my route.  There is no way to know exactly how many homes in Bend are in the same situation but I think it is safe to say that if I can find three without trying, there are many more.  Here are photos of those homes.  The second and third homes have views of the Cascade Mountains.    Copyright BuyBendOregonHomes.com, all rights reserved. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/SbnvMQCpGO4/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/SbnvMQCpGO4/ Fri, 3 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000 Happy Friday! Here’s the beer news from around Oregon for Friday, February 3rd (and going into the weekend). I will be periodically updating this post throughout the day with news bits, so if you have something to share please contact me and I’ll get it updated. Old Mill Brew Wërks (Bend): The original owners of the brewpub/restaurant in Bend’s Old Mill District have sold the pub to focus entirely on building out their own (production) brewery, according to a local Bend Bulletin article (which is unfortunately behind their paywall). They will be renovating the brewery space formerly occupied by 10 Barrel Brewing tentatively beginning in March, installing a 7bbl system. They’ve tapped Michael McMahon from Langley Brewing in Langley, Washington to be their new head brewer. (I’m not sure how/if the name will change considering they’ve taken the brewery out of the “Old Mill”.) Brewpublic has a nice article on the new Golden Valley Brewery Beaverton which opened recently, giving a nice overview and introduction to the new brewpub and former Chili’s location. “The bar now offers up large TV’s to catch some sports while sitting at some tall bar tables in the middle and shorter tables around the perimeter. Speaking of the bar, Golden Valley offers a full liquor selection along with 6 wines on tap and 10 taps of their beer that they bring in from their McMinnville location. The ten selections offer some excellent variety in styles that you’d expect from a brewpub with this history.” And they just recently released their first beer brewed at the new Beaverton location, “Exit 65 IPA” which is looking to be a popular addition to the GVB lineup. http://www.funkiplanet.com/2012/02/fp-kids-academy-ipod-touch-in-classroom.html http://www.funkiplanet.com/2012/02/fp-kids-academy-ipod-touch-in-classroom.html Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:11:00 +0000 As you have read, we added the iPod Touch to our daily activities in the classroom last fall.  What started out as a fun experiment has turned into quite an integral part of our daily activities.   You can see how we started utilizing it HERE. The next step in our use of the iPod has been to find out what is happening in the news each day.  Via Safari, each kid has to visit Scholastic News and find out the day's headline, then write it in their journal.  (For my Jr. Kindergartener a picture of the headline is required.)  While the kids are pretty young to understand everything we read about in the news, they are still learning quite a bit.  Just this week they learned the difference between "jeans" and "genes." Obviously older kids will be able to read full news stories and discuss them in detail, but even younger students can learn and discover with this useful website.How do you use the iPod in your classroom? http://www.hackbend.com/2012/02/02/first-friday-feb-2012.php http://www.hackbend.com/2012/02/02/first-friday-feb-2012.php Thu, 2 Feb 2012 22:54:00 +0000 It’s First Friday and Art Walk in Downtown Bend and the Old Mill District tomorrow: art galleries and other businesses stay open late to showcase art and often live music, and many also offer complimentary food and wine. The festivities … Continue reading → http://socal2bend.blogspot.com/2012/02/proper-dry-stout.html http://socal2bend.blogspot.com/2012/02/proper-dry-stout.html Thu, 2 Feb 2012 20:47:00 +0000 Mrs Elliott and I visited Brother Jon's newly-open Alehouse today for a late lunch. The place was jumpin', only a couple seats short of full; the staff were friendly but not pushy, the food plain and hearty, and the clientele cheery. Several largish screens were tuned to manchannels: ESPN and Fuse.Midway down an interesting list of 12 or so beers on tap I spotted an Irish-style stout from the Double Mountain Brewery in Hood River. Aware that St. Patrick's day is not too far away, and that it has been my avowed goal since I moved here to discover the best Irish-style dry stout in town, I really had no choice but to order a pint, now did I?Yep. A real dry stout. It wasn't on nitro, like how they pour it at the brewery, so it wasn't just like a Dublin Guinness, but Double Mountain's description for the nitro version reads, in part, "[...] this brew is a quintessential Double Mountain interpretation of a classic style. Rich, creamy, roasty and beautifully bitter."*As opposed to the more common versions of stouts I normally encounter, where the focus seems to be on a sickeningly sweet mess of caramel and chocolate flavors.A beer is not a dessert. Double Mountain gets that. Theirs is the stout to beat for St. Patrick's day 2012.Brewmasters, start your engines.=============* The way I like my womenTM. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/zVYY/~3/-YrSvtDWobY/how-to-choose-right-brokerage-firm.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/zVYY/~3/-YrSvtDWobY/how-to-choose-right-brokerage-firm.html Thu, 2 Feb 2012 18:49:00 +0000 I don't care if you're investing one thousand dollars or ten million, you can do a better job at a much lower cost by avoiding most traditional financial advice altogether. There are a handful of advisers out there worth their weight in gold but my point is that the vast majority don't "make their money the old fashioned way." In most cases avoiding them is a huge step in right direction. Yesterday, I mentioned all you will need is, "the right products at the right brokerage firm, a little knowledge about asset allocation and then a couple of safeguards to prevent you from dropping the car while you're still underneath it" changing your own oil, so to speak. So let's get down to the nitty gritty.  As far as brokerage firms go any discount broker will do, really, but I like Charles Schwab for a few reasons. First, they are very competitive on costs. Second, they have their own index ETFs that they will let you trade for FREE. Finally, they have branches across the country and other conveniences many other firms lack. All in all, choosing the right firm and the right products really go hand in hand. If you want to trade Schwab ETFs you should probably do it with a Schwab brokerage account. If you would prefer Vanguard index funds you can buy those directly through Vanguard but it might be more convenient to do so within a brokerage account. I'll let you figure out what works best for you. For now let's get back to those Schwab ETFs and trading for FREE. Most index-based investment securities are like like generic medicines. They all do exactly the same thing. What differentiates them is their cost and Schwab's ETFs are very cost competitive. It also really helps that they charge you zero commissions to buy and sell them. This brings up another point: the benefit of ETFs over mutual funds is that they can be traded at any time during regular market hours. Mutual funds are only traded after the market closes and the fund's net asset value is calculated. Now I'm not recommending you start day trading these things but if you need to trade intraday or just see the intraday value of your investments for whatever reason you can only do so with ETFs. Schwab offers ETFs for all the asset classes you will want to consider, as well. Using them you can get exposure to foreign and domestic stocks, real estate and bonds of a variety of durations. Next post will discuss which of these you may want to consider using and how to allocate your investment capital among them. Full disclosure: though I receive no compensation for recommending Schwab I do have a professional relationship with the firm. http://blog.buybendoregonhomes.com/2012/02/02/no-ironman-bring-on-the-leadmantri.aspx?ref=rss http://blog.buybendoregonhomes.com/2012/02/02/no-ironman-bring-on-the-leadmantri.aspx?ref=rss Thu, 2 Feb 2012 16:13:00 +0000 The Bend Bulletin reported Tuesday that an Ironman triathlon will not be coming to Bend this year.  For the last two months the Oregon Sports Authority had been leading a push to bring an Ironman event to Central Oregon.  The problem was, Visit Bend had already signed a contract with Lifetime Fitness Athletic Events to host a Leadman Triathlon in September right around the time the Ironman would have been held. There was even one report that the events could be held on the same weekend.  Needless to say, Lifetime Fitness was less than thrilled with the prospect of the bigger Ironman potentially stealing their thunder and who can blame them?Century Drive and Mt. Bachelor will play a part in the cycling leg of the LeadmanTriThe Ironman is definitely the more well known triathlon and would likely bring more money and shine a brighter light on Central Oregon however the Leadman had already signed a three year deal with Visit Bend.  That deal was announced in November.  I’m not sure how all the confusion happened exactly but it sounds like communication, or lack thereof was the main cause of confusion and trepidation.  Now it appears that all of the local tourism agencies have come together and agreed to put their support behind the Leadman triathlon and the event will proceed as planned September 20 �" 23.  I realize that a triathlon is not much of a spectator sport but I am definitely looking forward to trying to catch some of the action. Copyright BuyBendOregonHomes.com, all rights reserved. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/rL8KA0vc0Yg/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/rL8KA0vc0Yg/ Thu, 2 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000 Welcome to the start of a new regular feature here at The Brew Site for 2012: Apocalypse Beer. This is a (mostly tongue-in-cheek) subject I’ve been thinking about for awhile and since nobody else appears to be doing it, I thought it was high time to tackle it. What follows is the introduction to “Apocalypse Beer” and I’ll be unpacking the concept over the next few weeks before getting into practical matters. Or as “practical” as post-apocalyptic brewing can be, I suppose… Just what is an “apocalypse” anyway? The original definition of the word refers to a writing or work which acts as a disclosure of hidden information, akin to a prophecy, and from the Biblical Book of Revelations it came to be associated with the end of the world. Modern usage defines “apocalypse” to mean a great disaster, and commonly it’s viewed as leading to the end of the world as we know it. And while this sounds pretty straightforward, modern times and pop culture has given us a variety of apocalyptic scenarios to choose from: Zombie epidemic Meteor strike New Ice Age Technological collapse Nuclear war Epidemic/disease outbreak Environmental catastrophe Natural disaster The Mayan 2012 “end of the world” Alien invasion Sort of a “Choose Your Own Adventure” for the end times, and shows that we have a (unhealthy?) fascination (obsession?) with the Apocalypse. Or rather, it shows that we have a fascination with the post-apocalypse, as much of the focus is actually on life and survival in the post-apocalyptic aftermath. One of the most common visions of the Post-Apocalyptic world is one of a societal and often technological collapse, with survivors banding together to scavenge, forage, survive, and rebuild. Often they have to start from scratch. We get details of food (foraging, hunting, growing), defense (weapons, fortifications, building armies), building (shelter, agriculture, attempts to recreate “lost” technology), but one question has been repeatedly coming to my mind lately: Where are the beer brewers? Continue reading “Apocalypse Beer” » http://blog.buybendoregonhomes.com/2012/02/02/registration-open-for-us-bank-pole-pedal-paddle.aspx?ref=rss http://blog.buybendoregonhomes.com/2012/02/02/registration-open-for-us-bank-pole-pedal-paddle.aspx?ref=rss Thu, 2 Feb 2012 13:01:00 +0000 Registration for the 2012 U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle is open.  This year's race will be held on May 19.  If you know you will be racing this year, now is the time to register as prices increase April 20 and then again May 8.Above is this year's winning poster design by Nick Diemel.  I like it.Copyright BuyBendOregonHomes.com, all rights reserved. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/-g_Y2SaI3FE/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/-g_Y2SaI3FE/ Thu, 2 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000 Happy Groundhog Day! Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today which means six more weeks of winter, traditionally. Do any Oregon brewers make a “Groundhog Day Beer”? At any rate, here’s the news in Oregon beer for Thursday, February 2. I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so if you have some news you’d like to share please contact me and I’ll get it updated. Alameda Brewing (Portland) today is celebrating their My Bloody Valentine Release Party, their Valentine’s Day-themed Blood Orange Farmhouse Saison: “Dried orange peel and hand squeezed blood orange juice adds to the citrus and peppery essences from the yeast.” As part of the celebration, pints are available for $2 all day long, and limited-edition wax-dipped bottles will be for sale all day as well. The release party itself runs from 5 to 9pm tonight and will feature live music from the Alice Kollinzas Trio. And speaking of Valentine’s Day events, Brewpublic and Saraveza are teaming up again for the third year in a row to present My Beery Valentine on Sunday, February 12th starting at 6pm (no tickets required to enter): “This is an event designed especially for lovers of craft beer, sweethearts, and sweettooths, and features some of the region’s best breweries concocting specialty one-off brews with a Valentine’s Day theme.Dessertif and delicioso decadent ales will be married with the tantalizing treats of Sugar Pimp, Saraveza’s own Lori Adams Clinton’s divine cupcakes. Beers brewed with fruit, chocolate, liqueurs, barrel-aged, and other fanciful ingredients will be featured from Alameda, Block 15, Breakside, Cascade, Coalition, Fort George, Laurelwood, Mt Tabor, The Commons, Upright, Vertigo, and more. If you love craft beer the way we do, you are not going to want to miss out on this event!” The beer list has also been published to the event page, and all I can say is “Wow!” Yes it’s that impressive! http://utterlyboring.com/archives/2012/02/01/reading_materia_67.php http://utterlyboring.com/archives/2012/02/01/reading_materia_67.php Wed, 1 Feb 2012 20:14:00 +0000 Ladies: Having a hard time figuring out your clothing size? This little web app will help.Fun with math: Dividing one by 99801 yields surprising result.Fun Android toy: Wreak havoc on (and RickRoll) unsuspecting Wi-Fi users with the click of a button using Network Spoofer. Might as well just install Linux on your phone while you're at it.Redbox puts the kibosh on WB's 56-day waiting period.Monty Python troupe to reunite for film Absolutely Anything.Tom Green (not that one) vs Tom Green (that one) and who has the rights to @tomgreen (Tom Green the comedian and his fans are idiots, basically).How can a free conference call be free? Here's how.Using Wireshark to capture, filter, and inspect packets.In 24-hours, Reddit saves an orphanage (read more).SOPA Protest Day: the largest digital protest ever. Now we just need to get rid of ACTA.HTML5: Use the new and shiny responsibly. Look up HTML5, CSS3, etc features, know if they are ready for use, and if so find out how you should use them.Looking for a car on craigslist? Carsabi will make that process a lot easier.Ever wanted to grab the dominant color or palette from an image? This tool will help (get the code from github).You knew the day had to come: A Fleshlight-holding iPad case (link safe for work, can't guarantee that anything past that is).One hour of video is uploaded to YouTube every second -- and YouTube is helping you visualize that.45 Incredibly useful web design checklists and questionnaires.Getting e-mail notification overload from all the social networks you're a part of? Use this site to tame things.Bellbot is a simple little bit of code you can put on your site that will play a noise (bell, applause, etc...) whenever somebody buys something or does something on your site that triggers the code.ThemeSquirrel is a great collection of Wordpress themes.Google Public Alerts is Google’s new platform for disseminating emergency messages such as evacuation notices for hurricanes, and everyday alerts such as storm warnings. http://blog.buybendoregonhomes.com/2012/02/01/strong-rental-market-in-bend-oregon.aspx?ref=rss http://blog.buybendoregonhomes.com/2012/02/01/strong-rental-market-in-bend-oregon.aspx?ref=rss Wed, 1 Feb 2012 19:31:00 +0000 Each January the Central Oregon Rental Owners Association (COROA) publishes the results of their annual member survey.  The survey is not scientific but does offer some insight into the Central Oregon rental market.  This year there were 175 responses to the survey compared with 199 in 2010.  Bend, Redmond, Madras, Prineville, La Pine, Sunriver and Sisters are all represented in the survey.  Unfortunately the survey does not compare year over year statistics so I am left to do that myself.  The one number I was really interested in comparing to 2010 was vacancy rates but for some reason that number was left off the 2010 survey.  In 2011 the average vacancy rate for all of Central Oregon was 5.17 percent.  That is a great number especially when you consider that it includes single family homes in Sunriver that are likely vacation rentals.  The vacancy rate in Sunriver at the time of the survey was 30 percent.  Going back to the COROA 2009 survey, the vacancy rate for all of Central Oregon was 12.43 percent.  In Bend the apartment vacancy rate according to the survey is 1.67 percent while the vacancy rate on single family homes is 3.16 percent.  Remember this is a volunteer survey so while the numbers are a reflection of the market they are not aboslute indicators of what is happening. For purposes of this post I will just focus on rent prices in Bend.  If you would like to see rent prices from the survey for other cities you can view the surveys here.  In Bend, prices were up across the board in 2011 compared to 2010.  The biggest improvement was in apartments where rents were up more than 12 percent.  Single family homes saw rents increase 6 percent in 2011. Since we started this blog in June of 2011 we have been saying that Bend (and Central Oregon) is a great place to invest in real estate.  Here is a sampling of the posts I have written on the subject.  We continue to see a lot of competition from investors when writing offers on homes for our clients.  Some of that has to do with the reductions in inventory we have been seeing over the last few months but it also is because investors (especially those with cash) are working their way back into the market in pursuit of good deals.  There are still great deals available in Bend and Central Oregon and now is a great time to get start getting ready for the Spring selling season.  If you are a buyer call us and we will help you get ready to pounce when that perfect house hits the market.  If you are an investor call us to find out how we can help you reduce the pressure and hassle of managing your properties.Copyright BuyBendOregonHomes.com, all rights reserved. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/zVYY/~3/3T_q3oPUxGs/empower-yourself-and-be-your-own.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/zVYY/~3/3T_q3oPUxGs/empower-yourself-and-be-your-own.html Wed, 1 Feb 2012 18:59:00 +0000 If it wasn't clear enough from the last post, when it comes to investing costs kill. They kill your returns and ultimately your financial goals. Using index funds and index ETFs is the most effective way to reduce this cost because they remove a huge layer of costly advice (the mutual fund manager) and give you as close as you can get to returns that match the major stock market indexes - this at a 90% discount to those actively managed funds your adviser recommends. Step two is to fire your financial adviser. Why pay someone to buy you index funds when you can save another 90% by doing it yourself? That's like paying a mechanic to change your oil except he just kicks back with a beer while you figure it out and then do all the work. No - once you fire your adviser you will have taken another huge step toward eliminating that $3 million in costs on your $100k account. But this is where most folks balk. It's scary going it alone. They need someone to hold their hand but in reality this is much easier than learning how to change your own oil. Once you learn how to manage your own investments wisely you'll never even consider going back to the dealer for service. All you need are the right products at the right brokerage firm, a little knowledge about asset allocation and then a couple of safeguards to prevent you from dropping the car while you're still underneath it. In fact, this is probably your financial adviser's last line of defense: pay me to protect you from yourself! And it works. People are afraid of making mistakes and every broker and financial adviser knows that fear is the most powerful of all human motivators. In fact, it's how they get most of their clients. It should help to know, though, that in my experience individual investors are more cautious and conservative with their own money than professionals are. After all, who cares about your financial well-being more than you do? Becoming your own adviser is empowering. I believe you'll find that when you do it right you will have much more confidence and far less anxiety about the markets and your portfolio. I'll get into the details of how you're going to do this in tomorrow's post. http://www.gatheratthetable.com/2012/02/beef-stew-secret-ingredient.html http://www.gatheratthetable.com/2012/02/beef-stew-secret-ingredient.html Wed, 1 Feb 2012 16:58:00 +0000 True conversation: W: Good stew, mom. Me: Thanks. Want to know the secret ingredient? W: Umm...was it made with love? Me: No, beer. Well, love too, but mostly beer. And not just any beer. Jubelale, from Deschutes Brewery right here in Bend, works magic in stews. And it's not bad for drinking either! The brewery tasting gurus describe this winter ale as "deep garnet in color, medium bodied, with notes of chicory, earth, spice and fruit" -- and without a doubt it lends an umami quality that satisfies the soul on cold winter nights.* Now that you've got the secret ingredient, here's the rest of the dish, as made in a six-quart slow cooker: First, generously oil the crock, and set the temperature on high heat. Allow it to warm up while you begin preparing the beef, to minimize the time that the meat stays at a low temperature. Cube the beef into bite-size pieces, and place in a large baggie (save an old bread bag for this purpose.) Add flour, dry mustard, sea salt, ground pepper, and paprika. Shake the bag thoroughly until all the beef pieces are coated with the flour mixture, then dump the beef and flour mixture into the crock. Cover, and let the meat start cooking. Vegetables make the next layer in the crock, over the meat, and I start with those that take more cooking time. Slice up two large carrots. cube two medium potatoes (I like to use Yukon golds). Fresh, chopped green beans can be layered on top of the potatoes, along with a small diced onion. Now for the sauce: Whisk together the Jubelale, the beef broth, the tomato juice, and the garlic. Pour the mixture over the contents of the crock WITHOUT  STIRRING THE MEAT AND VEGETABLES. It's important for the meat to stay in the hottest part of the crock. Cover and let it bubble and brew for at least an hour. After an hour or more, give the stew a good stir to mix in all the gooey flour that has been cooking; this will thicken the sauce. Now you can add any vegetables that require less cooking time: mushrooms, cauliflower, celery, peas, green pepper--all cut into bite-sized chunks. If the stew seems to need more sauce, or you just want an excuse to open another Jubel, add a little more at this time. Adjust seasoning as needed, then cover tightly and lower the heat to medium or low. Allow to simmer two to three more hours, then serve it up with a good baguette. INGREDIENTS: 1-2 lbs. stew meat, from a chuck or round roast 1/2 cup flour 1t each mustard, paprika, sea salt (or to taste) 1/2 t black pepper Vegetables (adjust quantities to taste): 2 carrots, 2 potatoes, 1 cup sliced mushrooms, one small onion, 1/2 green pepper, 1 cup cauliflower florets, 1/2 cup frozen peas and/or corn, 1 sliced celery.  For the sauce: 1 bottle Jubelale (other quality dark beers can substitute, as long as you lower your expectations for the final result!) 1 cup beef broth 12 ounces tomato juice or V8 1 T diced garlic, adjusted to taste. *This stew also freezes quite nicely, and makes the perfect gift for grandpas. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/95yvDxDtQSU/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/95yvDxDtQSU/ Wed, 1 Feb 2012 15:15:00 +0000 Here’s the news in Oregon beer for Wednesday, the first of February. As usual I’ll be updating this post periodically throughout the day so if you have some news to share, please contact me and I’ll get it updated. Lots of beer news going on in Bend today: Deschutes Brewery is holding their official Grand Re-opening of their expanded and remodeled Pub starting at 5pm. Owner Gary Fish will be on hand to welcome everyone, the first 1000 people in will receive a commemorative pint glass, and there will be a special “Imperial Bachelor Bitter” on tap for the opening. And, literally across the street from the Deschutes Pub in downtown Bend, Brother Jon’s Alehouse is also opening today: this is the second location spun off from the popular Brother’s Jon’s Public House, which offers great food and an impressive taplist on Bend’s westside. The opening of their new downtown location provides another great spot for finding good beer in Bend. Silver Moon Brewing in Bend is closed today and tomorrow (the 1st and 2nd) for a kitchen remodel, and will be back open on Friday for their new “Keg Killer” special: a single keg of Dark Side Stout barrel aged and infused with coffee and hazelnuts, that will go on tap at 4pm and only be available until the keg blows. Last week they also offered a deal where the person that orders the last pint from the keg gets a free Silver Moon pint glass, though I don’t know for sure if that is happening this week as well. Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 02/01/2012” » http://socal2bend.blogspot.com/2012/01/republican-idol.html http://socal2bend.blogspot.com/2012/01/republican-idol.html Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:36:00 +0000 The GOP's primary process is basically "American Idol," but with more racism and less rhythm. http://utterlyboring.com/archives/2012/01/31/i_need_to_go_to.php http://utterlyboring.com/archives/2012/01/31/i_need_to_go_to.php Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:02:00 +0000 For two reasons: One, so I can see my wife's birthplace, and two, so I can see this amazing model railway: Model railroads have always fascinated me, especially well-done ones. The East Cascades Railroad HO-Scale is impressive and is the largest and most detailed that I've seen in person (that I can remember), but they have nothing on this thing. http://blog.buybendoregonhomes.com/2012/01/31/foreclosure-review-scam.aspx?ref=rss http://blog.buybendoregonhomes.com/2012/01/31/foreclosure-review-scam.aspx?ref=rss Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:37:00 +0000 The Oregon Department of Justice has issued a press release warning home owners to beware of people calling and offering an indepenent foreclosure review for a fee.  The federal government already has an Independent Foreclosure Review program in place and it is FREE.  You can read the full release below.  Here is a link to my November post announcing the Independent Foreclosure Review.Oregon Department of Justice In November 2011, federal bank regulators ordered certain mortgage servicers to identify consumers whose homes faced foreclosure between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. These consumers should have received a letter by the end of 2011 indicating that they may request an independent review of their foreclosure. If the review finds that the homeowner suffered financial injury caused by deficiencies in the foreclosure process, they may be eligible for compensation. There is no cost associated with the federal government's Independent Foreclosure Review program. Unfortunately, scam artists are also contacting Oregon consumers and offering to conduct an "Independent Foreclosure Home Loan Review" or a "securitization review" for a fee. Attorney General John Kroger warns Oregonians to steer clear of independent foreclosure review scams. Beware of anyone who wants payment to assist you with an independent foreclosure review or any other homeowner assistance or foreclosure prevention program If you receive a letter suggesting that you qualify for compensation or received a grant without having requested an independent review from the federal government, it is a scam A government agency will never request your contact information, Social Security Number, banking information, or credit card numbers in an email Steer clear of anyone who claims they can guarantee a permanent mortgage modification or halt the foreclosure process More information can be found at http://www.independentforeclosurereview.com/. If you received a notification about an independent foreclosure review and are unsure of its authenticity, contact the Federal Reserve Board at 888-952-9105 or learn more at What You Need to Know: Independent Foreclosure Review. If you or someone you know is facing foreclosure, there are many free HUD-approved housing counselors around Oregon. Visit http://foreclosurehelp.oregon.gov/ for more information. Contact:Tony Green, (503) 378-6002 tony.green@doj.state.or.us |Consumer Protection Hotline: 1-877-877-9392 Online: www.doj.state.or.us |Online: www.oregonattorneygeneral.gov |Copyright BuyBendOregonHomes.com, all rights reserved. http://www.hackbend.com/2012/01/31/battledecks-tonight-free.php http://www.hackbend.com/2012/01/31/battledecks-tonight-free.php Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:53:00 +0000 Tonight at GoodLife Brewing is the Ignite Bend Battledecks event and voting party: the free “Ignite improv” event where you can come and sign up to do an impromptu presentation to a bunch of slides you’ve never seen—or simply come … Continue reading → http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/zVYY/~3/Pg9kYGV-RDU/true-cost-of-financial-advice.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/zVYY/~3/Pg9kYGV-RDU/true-cost-of-financial-advice.html Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:48:00 +0000 So I recently explained why a broker is not fit to be an adviser. I'd like to now take the next step to show why you shouldn't even hire the typical financial adviser. As opposed to a commission-based broker relationship, a financial adviser charges a flat fee usually in the range of 1% to 1.5% of the assets they manage. This is better than paying commissions because it doesn't incentivize the adviser to churn your account or recommend overly expensive products like most annuities. However, the typical adviser will put your money into actively managed mutual funds that charge an average of 1.5% of the assets in their care. All in then you're going to be paying close to three percent per year for "advice." On $100,000 this amounts to a mere $3,000 per year but when you have a timeframe of 10, 25 or even 40 years this $3k can explode into $3 million in true costs. Let me explain: It's a well-known fact within the industry that the vast majority of actively managed mutual funds underperform the major indexes by an average of 2% per year, year after year, mostly due to their higher cost. Ironically, this underperformance is the fruit of the "advice" you're paying for. All in, then, your true cost is not 3% but 3.5% per year (1.5% to your adviser and 2% in after-fee underperformance). So let's assume that the S&P 500 continues to generate 9.68% per year, its average for the past 25, for perpetuity. Your net return after fees and underperformance will be 6.18% annually (9.68% for the index - your 3.5% in true costs). At these rates an account worth $100,000 will give up $75,000 in gains over a decade and over $500,000 in gains in 25 years. Finally, on a 40 year time frame your typical adviser will ultimately cost you nearly $3,000,000. Einstein said, "compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn't, pays it." I wouldn't be surprised to find out he learned this lesson from analyzing the true cost of his financial adviser. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/CWpeU7jD9d4/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/CWpeU7jD9d4/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000 Oregon Beer News for Tuesday, January 31, 2012. News in beer and brewing from all around Oregon, including events, tastings, festivals, and more. If you have news to share, let me know! Continue reading → http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/48xz_qCrd38/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/48xz_qCrd38/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000 On Saturday, we were able to hit up Deschutes Brewery‘s Bend Pub for the soft opening of their expansion and remodel, and while there I snapped a few pictures. It’s really nice, and they’ve done a good job of sprucing up the older space as well. And, later today I’m attending a media event at the Pub, so there’s a good chance I’ll have more photos (and maybe video) as well. http://www.funkiplanet.com/2012/01/cafe-soleil-circle-of-self.html http://www.funkiplanet.com/2012/01/cafe-soleil-circle-of-self.html Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:53:00 +0000 Have you been thinking about community this week?  Have you been thinking about the health and wellness of YOUR friendships?  I have.  I loved what Rebecca had to say last week about being authentic and about being picky when it comes to the people we surround ourselves with.  This is so true.I have been thinking and talking about this idea of pickiness for the past decade or so.  I like to call it the Circle of Self.  Think of yourself as the center of a circle.  Radiating out there are concentric circles.  Within each circle is a group of people.  Their proximity to you depends on which circle they are in.Who controls that proximity?  You do. The secret is to learn how to put people in the right circle.  It is just as important to keep some people distant as it is to keep others close.  Healthy boundaries are essential when building your Circle of Self.  As Rebecca mentioned last week, deep, sustainable relationships are the ultimate goal.  People who are honest, supportive, caring and fun belong nearby.  This means they are in your inner circle or in the next ring out.  People who have only a couple of these qualities belong farther out.Someone who is honest but not very supportive doesn't belong in your inner circle.  She (or he) belongs a little further out because while the honesty is important the lack of support is too.  Someone who is fun to be around but not caring or loyal can be a great friend to see a movie with, but not someone to ask advice from.Are you seeing the pattern here?  How we set up our Circle of Self is vital to our mental well being, which affects so many different parts of our lives.  So how are you doing putting people in their proper circle?  Do you have some people that may need to be shifted around?   Be encouraged, Jesus is a great example of this.  He surrounded himself with 12 guys who were about as diverse as they come.  But they were hand-picked by Christ himself.  He knew what and who he needed to be surrounded by.  These 12 guys had their whole lives transformed by Jesus, but they also gave him support, companionship, they were the ones who asked the hard questions that required parables, stories and even exasperation.  Their questions are our questions and I am so glad they were there to prompt a real-life explanation of this thing we call faith and a great example of friendship - they ended up dying for him, just as He did for them.  Wow!Peter and John on their way to the tomb.After the 12 there were 70 who followed Jesus around who He personally sent out.  Remember Luke 10?  These were the workers, the ones who really started to spread the gospel and who were not in the inner circle but people he trusted to get the word out.  That trust was such an important factor. Finally, there were the masses.  Those who followed Jesus from town to town or came to hear him speak in places like Capernaum or Bethsaida.  This group was filled with people who wanted something from Jesus, like healing, but who gave little in return.  But He saw them for what they were, people with needs and He was willing to talk with them, pray for them and show them what true love really is.  Many, many lives were transformed through that contact so never underestimate the power of that outer circle.Creating a healthy Circle of Self is so important.  I hope you will take a look at the people around you and start creating healthy boundaries so that the people in your life are in the proper "circle".  The work you put in to this one area will reap immeasurable benefits for you and you will see and feel your community become a wonderful, healthy and vibrant place. http://www.hackbend.com/2012/01/30/broken-top-bottle-shop.php http://www.hackbend.com/2012/01/30/broken-top-bottle-shop.php Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:52:00 +0000 I wrote at the beginning of the month about the Abbey Pub changing hands, to become the Broken Top Bottle Shop, and by the end of this week (if all goes well) the new beer bar (or Ale Café as … Continue reading → http://utterlyboring.com/archives/2012/01/30/most_commented_1.php http://utterlyboring.com/archives/2012/01/30/most_commented_1.php Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:09:00 +0000 It's been years since I've done this, but it's time to check on the most-commented-on entries for this site over the years. Most of these were from way back in the day but are still indexed well in Google. The top two still get comments nearly every day for silly, totally un-related stuff. It's an always-entertaining trip down memory lane, back to the glory days of this site -- back when far fewer people had blogs and far more people commented on the blog itself instead of via Facebook or the like. I also had more time to dedicate to the site, which I don't have nearly as much now. This blog had some serious Google Juice back in the day, hence the high number of comments on some of these. Because some of these really dated entries are listed so well on Google, I was able to get a few sponsored text links on the pages, which is always a bonus. So without further ado, the 30 most commented-on entries on this site: 2255 comments: We All Hate Work (04/22/04) 1266 comments: Have a small penis? (09/30/03) 540 comments: Do Not Call List -- Red Hot, Big Loopholes (07/06/03) 403 comments: Another Great Gmail Hack (09/06/04) 402 comments: Panties Just For Men (01/13/05) 398 comments: Extreme Dodgeball (04/18/04) 390 comments: Do You Have Bright Green Poop? (11/24/03) 317 comments: Yet another reason to hate PETA (12/29/03) 302 comments: Only a band geek will appreciate this (03/13/03) 281 comments: Help pay for a girl's boob job (01/09/03) 258 comments: How to cancel an AOL account in 3 minutes (06/13/03) 146 comments: Are hyphenated Yahoo names that rare? (03/16/04) 142 comments: BendBroadband is Giving You More Speed... (03/21/08) 138 comments: Sick and Politically Incorrect Jokes (09/19/04) 119 comments: Sciatic nerve pinches hurt like hell - Update: It's more than just a nerve (07/09/03) 115 comments: Kurt Kobain a better guitarist than Jeff Beck and Carlos Santana? Not bloody likely! (09/08/03) 115 comments: Man gets jail for licking woman's feet in grocery store (08/27/03) 103 comments: Learn to throw cards like a ninja (07/01/03) 101 comments: That's One Killer Christmas Light Display (11/22/05) 99 comments: Smack the Penguin (03/10/04) 94 comments: Fun "Monkey Kick Off" Flash Game (03/18/07) 90 comments: Michael Jackson has never had plastic surgery (02/03/03) 89 comments: Another Reason to Hate AOL (06/24/04) 89 comments: Anybody Actually Using Clearwire? (12/14/05) 89 comments: Dateline to focus on Michael Jackson's face (01/19/03) 88 comments: What comes after trillion? (09/10/03) 76 comments: Man doubts his "World's Smartest Person" title (02/03/03) 73 comments: A 2,200 Acre Mushroom in Eastern Oregon (07/07/04) 62 comments: DHTML Lemmings (08/17/03) 58 comments: Why not drug test teachers? (04/18/03) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/s7tOoTmEbq0/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/s7tOoTmEbq0/ Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000 You might remember earlier this month I wrote about how Bend’s Abbey Pub was changing, to become the Broken Top Bottle Shop & Ale Café; this past week one of the owners commented on the blog with details on the new beer bar, and this weekend I (along with my wife and kids) was able to visit, meet the owners and get a pre-opening tour. Here are the details from the comments: Broken Top Bottle … Continue reading → http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/ute1ng0JM7s/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBrewSite/~3/ute1ng0JM7s/ Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000 Just before the weekend I received a big package from Widmer, containing an imperial pint glass and four beers: two of the new W’12 seasonal, Dark Saison, and two of the latest in the Rotator IPA series, Spiced IPA. The W’12 should be hitting the shelves now, and the Spiced IPA is upcoming. As in the past, the package came in large, handsome wood box filled with shredded used coasters for packing material. They also included … Continue reading → http://thegrantplant.blogspot.com/2012/01/national-council-of-nonprofits-declares.html http://thegrantplant.blogspot.com/2012/01/national-council-of-nonprofits-declares.html Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:56:00 +0000 The National Council of Nonprofits has called 2012 'The Year of Nonprofit Video' - See Nonprofit Knowledge Matters 2012 - Year of Nonprofit VideoCrowd sourcing is a recently popular mode to raise funds online in which many different nonprofits describe themselves to the public (who votes for which organization should receive a grant) and often the organizations describe themselves through the medium of video.  In recent years Pepsi has offered nonprofits the chance to do this.  My thought on crowd sourcing?  It is not good fundraising for any nonprofit.  For more on my thoughts on this see Is Crowd Sourcing A Viable and Sustainable Way for Nonprofits To Raise and Retain Support?  No.Specific to the web and grants, for nonprofits, see my post How Your Nonprofit's Website Can Increase the Grants Your Organization RaisesHave you never seen a webinar or online video (it's alright to admit it - not everyone has), or are you not clear  how an online video would help any nonprofit?  Then see You Tube's (the per-eminent location online for all web video - including nonprofit organizations' videos (fundraising or otherwise) free, one minute and fifteen second You Tube video explaining what a web video can do for nonprofits at The You Tube Nonprofit Program http://thegrantplant.blogspot.com/2012/01/grants-for-lgbtq-youth-who-have.html http://thegrantplant.blogspot.com/2012/01/grants-for-lgbtq-youth-who-have.html Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:28:00 +0000 From The Foundation Center...[If you are interested in more information on this grant opportunity, click "Link to Complete RFP" at the end of this post.]Deadline: February 29, 2012 Nominations of LGBTQ Youth Activists Invited for Colin Higgins Youth Courage Awards A program of the Colin Higgins Foundation, the Colin Higgins Youth Courage Awards annually honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, queer, and questioning youth who have transformed their experiences with bigotry and discrimination into opportunities to inspire others by taking action, rallying support, building community, and working to change the systems and institutions that impact their lives.Unlike scholarships based on grade-point average or written essays, the Colin Higgins Foundation looks to communities across the United States to nominate and lift up LGBTQ youth activists who inspire them and play critical roles in their schools, organizations, and community spaces.Nominations should describe obstacles the nominee has faced due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, how the nominee has overcome these obstacles through community-level activism for LGBTQ rights, and how the award could transform the life of the nominee and help them achieve their dreams.Nominees must be 21 years of age or younger and must be U.S. citizens. Self-nominations are not accepted.Three award winners will be selected to receive $10,000 each. Awardees also will receive an expense-paid trip to the 2013 National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Creating Change Conference.Complete program guidelines and nomination forms as well as information on previous awardees are available at the Colin Higgins Foundation Web site. Contact:Link to Complete RFP http://www.chuggnutt.com/2012/01/29/anatomy-of-a-blog-hack.php http://www.chuggnutt.com/2012/01/29/anatomy-of-a-blog-hack.php Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:52:00 +0000 So, last weekend I found out that my blogs had been hacked. Actually, it wasn’t just my blogs, nothing personal involved or anything like that: the shared server space my sites were hosted on was compromised, and a good number … Continue reading → http://utterlyboring.com/archives/2012/01/29/video_dump_14.php http://utterlyboring.com/archives/2012/01/29/video_dump_14.php Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:22:00 +0000 Some great videos to kill off some copious amounts of time (and bandwidth). Enjoy! http://socal2bend.blogspot.com/2012/01/you-cant-camp-here-anymore.html http://socal2bend.blogspot.com/2012/01/you-cant-camp-here-anymore.html Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:25:00 +0000 If you're someone who doesn't like to camp in fee campgrounds and is used to camping wherever you could drive to in the Deschutes or Ocheco National Forests or the Crooked River Grasslands, you may find that your favorite lovely dispersed campsites where you could set up a tent are no longer legal sites.According to this press release "Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River Grassland to Implement New Motor Vehicle Use Rules" decisions were made in 2011 to enforce new Motor Vehicle Use Rules in 2012. Among other things, the new set of rules changes the conditions for motor vehicle access off of designated roads for dispersed camping."There are two salient points that affect Mrs Elliott's and my camping.First, prior to this new set of rules, unless a forestry or use road was posted as closed, you could drive it. Now, all roads are closed unless they are posted as open on a Motor Vehicle Use Map.Second, where previously a fellow could camp any place that was not posted as closed, "Motorized access for dispersed camping is only allowed to existing sites within 300 feet of roads shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Map [...]."This means that you can't camp on any site that is more than 300' from the road, and that road has to be one of the ones shown as open on the map.Jack picked up a set of the new Motor Vehicle Use Maps (free) from the Deschutes National Forest Headquarters in Bend (new location on Deschutes Market Road) last week. The seven maps that cover the two national forests are large, 3 foot by 4 foot, and printed both sides. They are very detailed and very depressing. This because the riverside and lakeshore places where he and Mrs Elliott like to camp are outside the 300' corridor and even the pretty sites that Jack hoped would not be affected, such as the south end of Crane Prairie Reservoir, are off-limits.See the press release for more information. http://socal2bend.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-bakery-downtown.html http://socal2bend.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-bakery-downtown.html Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:24:00 +0000 Located in the space formerly occupied by the Bond St. Market, La Magie Bakery opened their doors for business for the first time today. High-end French pastries are what they are about, according to the nice lady working there who somehow tricked Jack into buying an apple turnover.949 NW Bond St.lamagiebakery.com