oh the law...

Aristotle once remarked that, the law is reason free from passion. I have to disagree. In my experience, law, which is meant to be carefully interpreted and followed in a very logical and strict way, is rarely done so. The legal system in place is meant to define the rules of civility and for society to quite simply follow them. Stray from the accepted societal principles and heed the consequences. Simple enough. Truth is, however, that it rarely is that simple.

Because we are flawed human beings, oh so clever and manipulative, the law and therefore justice has become less clear-cut and a lot more gray. The lines that divide good and evil have truly become blurred and it can often become difficult to ascertain innocence and guilt. Reason may be the catalyst for a law but it is the passion behind it that often violates it, seeks to enforce it and often changes it. There is no clear cut, no tried and true, no absolutes and no perfect models to follow. In the blink of an eye your life can change because someone, somewhere broke the law. How you decide to handle it that is where reason and passion come into play. Do you follow the rules and seek appropriate justice? Or do you take matters into your own hands and seek revenge? Either way, you are dealing with both reasoning and passion. Aristotle may have missed the boat on this one.

The Short Sale Saga

Buyer beware!  The short sale is here and it is anything but.  The truth is that a short sale is anything but a short process.  Our housing market has become a hotbed of foreclosures, declining values and scrambling to unload what used to be people's dream homes.  Exit the American Dream.  Enter the short sale.
In a nut shell, a short sale is:

a sale of real estate in which the sale proceeds fall short of the balance owed on the property's loan.^[1] It often occurs when a borrower cannot pay the mortgage loan on their property, but the lender decides that selling the property at a moderate loss is better than pressing the current debtor. Both parties consent to the short sale process, because it allows them to avoid foreclosure, which involves hefty fees for the bank and poorer credit report outcomes for the borrower.  (Wikipedia)

For those of you out there looking at the purchase of a short sale property, I have one word of advice - patience.  With my first hand knowledge of the short sale experience, I am now confident in coining it "the short sale saga" and a poor friend of mine is still in the midst of it.

It started in late June with agreements on price, contracts drawn, deposits given and off to the bank for approval.  The parties were told everything would be wrapped up in six weeks.  Here we are now in early December and everyone is still waiting.  What the lenders don't seem to realize is that while their desks are backlogged with properties, there are real life people out there just trying to buy a home.  It would seem that in many cases getting these properties off their books can be a win-win-win for lender, owner and new buyer.  Now, I don't pretend to understand the minutia of the real estate market but it seems that somewhere out there, a breakdown in the system has definitely occurred.  Why is it that bureaucratic nonsense always takes precedence over common sense?  I have no answer to that question.  And when will this process finally be over?  Not sure about that either, but stay tuned.

A Helping Handheld

We all know that October is breast cancer awareness month - the pink ribbons have become the perfect symbol and reminder.  But how many of us know that September is ovarian cancer awareness month?  Today's Candy from DailyCandy Everywhere edition is reminding us about the importance of ovarian cancer and encouraging us to support the cause.  Electrolux has teamed up with Kelly Ripa for Electrolux and Kelly Ripa’s Text-a-Thon for a Cause.  Making just a $5 donation toward ovarian cancer research by texting the word KELLY to 85944.*  Have no fear - if you are "textually challenged" you can log on to kelly-confidential.com and show your support in just a few clicks.  Each day you log on, whether you donate or not), you’ll be entered for a chance to win a luxury Electrolux front load washer and dryer in Turquoise Sky, the color inspired by the ribbon of ovarian cancer awareness.  So let's all spread the word and start texting to support ovarian cancer research. You'll be glad you did.

article courtesy of Daily Candy - A Helping Handheld
additional information at Ovarian Cancer Research Fund - www.ocrf.org

BYOE - Bring Your Own Entertainment

I read with some amusement the Yahoo! Tech article about how in-flight entertainment systems might possibly become a thing of the past. I can’t even remember the last time I paid one iota of attention to anything that was offered on the in-flight menu, entertainment or otherwise! In this day and age when travel has become more of a hassle than a luxury, I don’t think many of us expect much in terms of an on-board experience. On the contrary, I am always well prepared with a good book, a fully charged IPod, a crossword puzzle and pen, and for the longer flights, a laptop with downloaded movies. And my fellow travelers? They seem engaged in the same activities – books or newspapers, IPod, laptops. So I’m not sure why we’re lamenting the loss of the outdated movie on a tiny screen or the limited loop of songs on the barely audible in-flight radio. The airlines are broke so why not let passengers BYOE? Maybe, just maybe, they’ll save some money.

Help! It's Summer and I'm Melting!

Summer is not my favorite time of year. Honestly, I am not a sun worshiping kind of girl so I have always found it ironic that I was born and raised in Southern California (can you say perpetual summer and now live in Florida (can you say sweltering summer). Someone is having quite a laugh at my expense! So when June rolled around with it’s "summer is here!" promise of heat and humidity, I decided to pack up the car, pack up the kids and drive up to Maryland to visit my sister. The Washington, DC Metro area was having the mildest of summers and the beautiful 70-degree with a light breeze weather was a welcome relief from the dog days of Florida summer. Everywhere you looked, green, green and more green. It was like Spring had sprung and decided to stick around longer than intended. Okay by me! We had the best two weeks ever – visiting museums, spending time with old friends and enjoying the unseasonably wonderful weather. If all of summer could be like this! But alas! Like all good things, the trip had to end. We had to go home and back to our Florida oven! As I made my way back to Florida on I95, watching the temperature go up, up, up, I kept thinking to myself, oh well, at least Fall will come soon enough!

Hurry Up and Wait

I have friends that I am constantly waiting for. I get phone calls or text messages making plans to do things and they usually come with a “see you in 10” or something like that and then I am ready and waiting for a good half hour. What is it with these people that they have no concept of time? If you need 45 minutes to get ready, then say so. Not a problem. If it doesn’t work with my schedule I will let you know. And oh the excuses – I love these. Got caught on the phone, had to take out the dog, had to deal with X (insert someone’s name or some household chore). I could go on. You’d think I would learn by now though to just tell these friends, hey, I simply can’t meet you because you screw up my entire day! But I am too nice, too polite. I rarely say I can’t be there. And I am certainly no more than a few minutes late. But usually, I am the first one there, the first one to arrive, the only one on time. And so, I wait. And wait and wait.

First Amendment - ?

Yes, it’s a question mark. I came across a documentary about how free speech part of the First Amendment can be easily put aside during times of national security. It is an age-old question examined throughout history because while the constitution of the United States ensures our civil liberties, the safety of our nation and of its people cannot but aside and must be protected. Hence, the First Amendment becomes a little sketchy. But at what point does “for our own good” go too far?

I cannot imagine being a Japanese-American after Pearl Harbor. I cannot imagine being a person of interest during the Red Scare. I cannot imagine being an Arab-American after 9/11. Our country is built on the fundamentals of democracy that gives every American certain inalienable rights. The first and foremost of these is the First Amendment. But not always or at least, it isn’t always that black and white. Often in the name of national security the line blurs where rights are concerned. Sometimes the media has a hand in it; sometimes a person’s colleagues from a differing viewpoint have a hand in it; sometimes the government has a hand in it. Whatever the case, it is clear that our country has little tolerance for those who speak out and use rhetoric that might be considered controversial or incendiary. We can quote and use the First Amendment, but it will not always protect you. Free speech is free speech, right? It should go both ways, but human natures shows that it is never that simple. Differing points of view must also be respected, argued yes, but ultimately regarded as what makes this country a great nation – a country with a free flow if ideas and thoughts. A country of truly free speech. That's the beauty of the First Amendment. Unfortunately, we have become intolerant, self-promoting and have stopped listening to each other choosing instead to accuse first, ask questions later. Our actions will have consequences. Our actions have had consequences. Just look at the paper, turn on the news, listen to a web cast. Free speech?