Meltdown was the term used to describe the 2008 financial disaster. Now your retirement picture feels like a full on Chernobyl. You were only ten/five/one year from retirement and now retirement seems like a pipe dream. Will you have to keep working the rest of your life? Will you have to take major cuts in your lifestyle? Not only has your portfolio taken a beating, but your house value crashed and you can’t sell it if you wanted to. What do you do? Continue reading “Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall: Rebuilding your nest egg”
Category: Lifestyle
Should I Adopt or Buy?
When looking for a pet, you have two main options. You can adopt a rescue pet from a shelter, or you can buy a pet from a store or breeder. But which option is better? Some people have the misconception that rescue pets carry baggage. Pet store pets often come from inhumane puppy mills, and unless you find a reputable breeder, can have a longer history of abuse than their shelter pet counterparts. Continue reading “Should I Adopt or Buy?”
Fear and Loathing in Your Parent’s Basement
For some time now, the youth of America have been paralyzed by fear. Not fear for safety, or fear of hunger, but fear of the unknown. This large contributor to complacency and unemployment has paralyzed a generation, no longer children but not yet adults. Without the easy outs, such as corporate employment straight out of college, these youths have more often than not chosen to do nothing rather than face the fear. As a result, many live with their parents in a state of limbo. Continue reading “Fear and Loathing in Your Parent’s Basement”
The Biggest Spousal Secret: An Affair
Nothing tears apart a marriage like a good, old-fashioned affair. This is one secret that you neither want to hear nor tell. Unfortunately, you’re more likely to feel philandering’s ugly grip than you are to have voted in the 2010 mid-term elections. Continue reading “The Biggest Spousal Secret: An Affair”
Terror in the Home: What household dangers do we fear and are they justified?
What is the most dangerous object in your home? Is it the stairs, the stove, or the shower? Or is the greatest danger external; burglars and home invasion? Or are the people you live with the greatest danger? We all have our preconceived notions about the dangers surrounding us. But are they real, or just imagined? Continue reading “Terror in the Home: What household dangers do we fear and are they justified?”
Why Do I Put Up With This Garbage? The rise of HOAs
There is a purpose to home owners associations, even if it comes at a heavy price. These half-government, half-corporation hybrids emerged in response to the rise of American suburbs, where the actions of one homeowner substantially impacted the others. Continue reading “Why Do I Put Up With This Garbage? The rise of HOAs”
It’s My Land: A homeowners’ guide to HOAs
Would you believe that you can get your house foreclosed on for having a fence that is 4 foot 1 instead of an even 4? It happened. How about that swing-set you just installed for your kids? It’s just another liability. With all the regulations that your own property is subject to, you might think this is communist China. No, it’s just life in a home owner’s association (HOA). Continue reading “It’s My Land: A homeowners’ guide to HOAs”
As We Grow Old
Aging is the reward for living: the more you do the more you get. Turning 40, 50, and 60 can be milestones to celebrate, instead of dread. As we age, we gain perspective and wisdom, yet we rarely ever truly feel “grown up.” Continue reading “As We Grow Old”
From Pets to Pests
Invasive species can destroy ecosystems and they are often introduced by your average, every-day pet owner. For example, the Burmese python has been found in the Florida wilds fighting alligators and was first introduced to the region through the exotic pet trade. These imported animals compete with natural species for resources and can sometimes have devastating effects on an ecosystem ill equipped to handle them. Continue reading “From Pets to Pests”
Predators and Pets
When Andrew F. Oberle was mauled by chimpanzees, it brought an important issue to national attention: wild animals are dangerous. Yet some people still think that bears, alligators, and chimps make great pets. Continue reading “Predators and Pets”
Ronin Pen 