Monday, November 1, 2010

The SF Giants are World Champs!!!


SF Giants World Champs!
San Francisco Giants Brian Wilson Celebrates
Posey, Wilson and Huff!
San Francisco Giants' Tim Lincecum Carries
Lincecum!
  Buster Posey #28 Of The San Francisco Giants Celebrates
Posey
San Francisco Giants' Edgar Renteria Holds
Renteria



  Buster Posey #28 And Madison Bumgarner #40 Of The San Francisco Giants Celebrate In The Locker Room
Posey & Baumgarner
San Francisco Giants' Cody Ross Holds
Ross



San Francisco Giants on brink of World Series title

By Todd Kaufmann (Featured Columnist) on November 1, 2010

Edgar Renteria Edgar Renteria #16 of the San Francisco Giants hits a sacrafice fly scoring Juan Uribe in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on May 8, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Edgar Renteria

Cliff Lee got a big strikeout of Pat Burrell that put two outs on the board and stranded two runners on the base paths for the Giants.

But, with one swing of the bat, Edgar Renteria may have just put the icing on the cake for the San Francisco Giants. Not only that, but he may have just ended the World Series.

It's amazing what one pitch and one swing of the bat will do in a series. One mistake by a good pitcher will be taken advantage of by a good hitter.

That's exactly what happened as Renteria hammered a ball that kept carrying to left center. Enough to get over the wall to give the San Francisco Giants a 3-0 lead heading to the home half of the seventh.

Is there a comeback left in the Rangers or are they waiving the white flag.


Original article found here

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Posey hits a home run!


ARLINGTON, Texas — Here's a nice story about Texas Rangers fans.

In the eighth inning of Sunday's Game 4, San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey(notes) became the youngest backstop since Johnny Bench in 1970 to hit a World Series home run. The blast came off a pitch from reliever Darren O'Day(notes) and the 23-year-old from Lee County, Ga., belted it into the grassy part of the batter's eye in center field. The ball attracted a scrum of running Rangers fans, even though the Rawlings was hit by a player in the wrong uniform. After a jump ball near the camera man (above), someone came away with the souvenir and that appeared to be that.

Only not quite. Somewhere between the homer and talking about the Giants' 4-0 win, Posey must have requested ownership of the ball with its special meaning. And the fan who caught it apparently complied because Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reported on Twitter that they coughed it up for a couple of autographed baseballs and a picture with the burgeoning star catcher. Here's his picture of the transaction.

Needless to say, after seeing stories like one fan holding out for $10K for Matt Carson's(notes) first homer or the Happy Youngster wanting a U-Haul worth of stuff for Chris Coghlan's(notes) debut dinger, it's nice to see this one resolved with a nice payoff for each side.

And with knowing how big of a star Posey might grow to be, I can't say that I would've been as agreeable to Posey's request for his souvenir back, even though it means a lot more to him than me.

So give yourself a hand, Texas fan. That was a very cool move.


Original article here

Bumgarner pitches Giants to brink of Series crown

ARLINGTON, Texas – The rookie pitched way beyond his years, sending a shudder through Rangers Ballpark.

Madison Bumgarner dominated for eight innings, Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey homered and the San Francisco Giants put on a fielding clinic in Game 4, beating Texas 4-0 on Sunday night to move within one win of that elusive World Series title.

Dressed in black-and-orange, the Giants were spooky good in taking a 3-1 edge. Bumgarner allowed only three hits and took all the fun out of a festive, Halloween crowd.

Ace Tim Lincecum will try Monday night to deliver the Giants' first championship since they moved to San Francisco in 1958. Now it's up to Cliff Lee to save the Rangers' season in Game 5.

The 21-year-old Bumgarner and closer Brian Wilson helped the Giants become the first team to post two shutouts in a World Series since Baltimore threw three straight to close out the Dodgers in 1966.

Huff's two-run homer in the third gave Bumgarner all the support he needed. Posey added a solo shot in the eighth — Bumgarner and Posey became the first rookie battery to start in the Series since Spec Shea and Yogi Berra for the Yankees in 1947.


Original article found here

Sunday, October 24, 2010

SF Giants are headed for the World Series!

San Francisco beat the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 of the NLCS on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

photos courtesy of San Francisco Chronicle
Closer Brian Wilson celebrates with catcher Buster Posey after the final out.

previous next
San Francisco beats the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 o... Michael Macor / The Chronicle

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The Giants celebrate their victory, with Juan Uribe in th... Michael Macor / The Chronicle




Tim Lincecum


Sunday, October 10, 2010

6 habits that keep couples happy

I had a WONDERFUL day today with hubby. Happy things we did today:

1) Had a leisurely morning

this photo courtesy of this website, click here

2) Went to mass:

this photo courtesy of this website, click here

3) Had a buffet lunch at:



this photo courtesy of this website, click here

4) Went to the De Young Museum Tower and enjoyed the SFO scenery


this photo courtesy of this website, click here

photo
this photo courtesy of this website, click here

5) And... went shopping at:

ROSS DRESS FOR LESS at Turkey Creek 11120 Parkside Drive Knoxville, TN 37923 Contacting us:
















Hubby and I really enjoyed our Sunday together even if it was doing very ordinary things. The just a few minutes ago, I came across an article on Yahoo about the "6 habits that keep couples happy" and I can totally relate. Just sharing the article with all of you. For original article by Kimberly Dawn Neumann, click here.

Here's the article below:
****************************
6 habits that keep couples happy
How is it that some couples seem to stay starry-eyed for years, and others let their sizzle, um… fizzle? Well, it appears that successful chemistry sustainers develop healthy coupled-up habits which allow them to keep their love alive and kicking. “People can have a lot of trouble staying close,” says Joyce Catlett, coauthor of Fear of Intimacy. “They get into relationships and think they’re automatically going to know how to make everything work, but figuring out how to stay passionate together is really a skill.” Luckily, they’re skills that anyone can learn. Here are six habits that you’d do well to adopt if you want your date to become your happily-ever-after mate.

Habit #1: Catch romance where you can
“You may start out with chocolates and roses, but the likelihood of being able to sustain that feeling with a busy schedule is pretty unlikely,” says JoAnn Magdoff, Ph.D., a New York City-based psychotherapist. Successful couples learn to build a bubble of romance at unexpected times — during their daily commute, while doing laundry — and in low-impact ways, whether that be a long, lingering smooch or just holding hands. In other words, the next time you hear yourself say “Oh, look, we’ve got 15 minutes to ourselves,” make use of it — that’s what keeps the spark alive.
Habit #2: Fight fair
Believe it or not, learning to fight right is an important part of keeping chemistry alive. Why? Because if you are constantly cutting each other down, it’s hard to feel mutually amorous. “There is no such thing as a relationship without disagreements,” says David Wygant, author of Always Talk to Strangers. “But if there is an understanding that your partner can come to you with any dissension without being attacked, you will have an honest relationship comprised of ‘open discussions’ rather than ‘fights.’” Debra Tobias, who has been happily married for almost 10 years to her husband Steve, agrees. “Steve and I have learned to listen to each other when we’re upset and we admit when we’re wrong,” says Tobias. “We also make a rule of never, ever saying ‘I told you so’ no matter how much we might want to say it.” The result is that their chemistry doesn’t wane because they never let their arguments escalate to a personal level. Focus on the issue at hand instead of throwing verbal punches.

Habit #3: Nurture your separate selves
Going off to your book club when your sweetie’s out golfing isn’t a sign you two are drifting apart. On the contrary, developing individual interests allows for a richer life as a couple. By taking little “couple breaks,” you gain a greater appreciation of the gifts your partner brings to your life and you have more to offer as well. “It’s very attractive to be independent sometimes,” says Magdoff. “You feel better about yourself and you’re less demanding of your partner when you’re together.” After all, taking some personal responsibility for your own well-being relieves the other person of the pressure to “provide” happiness — so go ahead and nurture some solo adventures. That’ll also keep each of you stocked with plenty of adventures to chat about, which also builds your bond.

Habit #4: Take on a project together
Separate interests aside, exploring new ground together is also important since it strengthens your history of shared experiences. Jo Smith and her husband of four years found this out when they committed to running their first 10K together. “We were training together, carbo-loading and hydrating together, running the race together and ultimately succeeding together when we both finished,” says Smith. “It brought a whole new level of closeness to our relationship because of the time we spent learning as a duo during this endeavor.” Couples who take on adventures together get a sense of daring and accomplishment that can really kick up their chemistry!

Habit #5: Don’t let your physical attraction for each other dwindle
No doubt about it, couples with healthy libidos have no problem keeping chemistry cooking. (That whole “couples’ desire for each other naturally fades over time” excuse? Not true.) The trick to injecting more electricity into a lagging love life has to do with trying new things — sure, it can be easy to work on tricks and techniques when you first meet, but people’s preferences can, and do, change over time. “In interviewing people on the topic of physical intimacy, it became clear that the couples who were the most satisfied were also the ones who were open to some experimentation,” says Catlett. This isn’t to say you suddenly have to become a wild thing, though. Even returning to the basics you may have abandoned along the way — lots of kissing and eye contact, for example — can make the usual encounter feel very different… and much more intimate.

Habit #6: Engage in some mutual admiration
In order for chemistry between two people to thrive, there needs to be mutual respect. “It’s about putting yourself in the role of an observer of your partner,” says Magdoff. “Watch them ‘perform’ — I’m not saying they need to do a song and dance for you — just pay attention to the everyday things that remind you why you find them so special.” Then, make it a point to lob compliments their way. “A good exercise is to occasionally create a mental list of the qualities you dig about your partner, and to occasionally share one of your thoughts with the one you love,” says Wygant. Because the reality is, you’ll always want to be around someone who thinks you’re fantastic.

Kimberly Dawn Neumann is a New York City-based writer whose work has appeared in such publications as Cosmopolitan, Redbook, and Fitness.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

10 Reasons To Buy a Home by Brett Arends


(picture not from original article)

******Thank you Brett Arends for this wonderful article on owning a home. Its about time that a positive perspective is placed on owning a home!!! You are right in saying "enough with the doom and gloom about home ownership". *******

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Brett Arends explains why owning a home is a good thing.

Enough with the doom and gloom about homeownership.

Sure, maybe there's more pain to come in the housing market. But when Time magazine starts running covers that declare "Owning a home may no longer make economic sense," it's time to say: Enough is enough. This is what "capitulation" looks like. Everyone has given up.

After all, at the peak of the bubble five years ago, Time had a different take. "Home Sweet Home," declared its cover then, as it celebrated the boom and asked: "Will your house make your rich?"

But it's not enough just to be contrarian. So here are 10 reasons why it's good to buy a home.

1. You can get a good deal. Especially if you play hardball. This is a buyer's market. Most of the other buyers have now vanished, as the tax credits on purchases have just expired. We're four to five years into the biggest housing bust in modern history. And prices have come down a long way— about 30% from their peak, according to Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller Index, which tracks home prices in 20 big cities. Yes, it's mixed. New York is only down 20%. Arizona has halved. Will prices fall further? Sure, they could. You'll never catch the bottom. It doesn't really matter so much in the long haul.

Where is fair value? Fund manager Jeremy Grantham at GMO, who predicted the bust with remarkable accuracy, said two years ago that home prices needed to fall another 17% to reach fair value in relation to household incomes. Case-Shiller since then: Down 18%.

2. Mortgages are cheap. You can get a 30-year loan for around 4.3%. What's not to like? These are the lowest rates on record. As recently as two years ago they were about 6.3%. That drop slashes your monthly repayment by a fifth. If inflation picks up, you won't see these mortgage rates again in your lifetime. And if we get deflation, and rates fall further, you can refi.

3. You'll save on taxes. You can deduct the mortgage interest from your income taxes. You can deduct your real estate taxes. And you'll get a tax break on capital gains—if any—when you sell. Sure, you'll need to do your math. You'll only get the income tax break if you itemize your deductions, and many people may be better off taking the standard deduction instead. The breaks are more valuable the more you earn, and the bigger your mortgage. But many people will find that these tax breaks mean owning costs them less, often a lot less, than renting.

4. It'll be yours. You can have the kitchen and bathrooms you want. You can move the walls, build an extension—zoning permitted—or paint everything bright orange. Few landlords are so indulgent; for renters, these types of changes are often impossible. You'll feel better about your own place if you own it than if you rent. Many years ago, when I was working for a political campaign in England, I toured a working-class northern town. Mrs. Thatcher had just begun selling off public housing to the tenants. "You can tell the ones that have been bought," said my local guide. "They've painted the front door. It's the first thing people do when they buy." It was a small sign that said something big.

5. You'll get a better home. In many parts of the country it can be really hard to find a good rental. All the best places are sold as condos. Money talks. Once again, this is a case by case issue: In Miami right now there are so many vacant luxury condos that owners will rent them out for a fraction of the cost of owning. But few places are so favored. Generally speaking, if you want the best home in the best neighborhood, you're better off buying.

6. It offers some inflation protection. No, it's not perfect. But studies by Professor Karl "Chip" Case (of Case-Shiller), and others, suggest that over the long-term housing has tended to beat inflation by a couple of percentage points a year. That's valuable inflation insurance, especially if you're young and raising a family and thinking about the next 30 or 40 years. In the recent past, inflation-protected government bonds, or TIPS, offered an easier form of inflation insurance. But yields there have plummeted of late. That also makes homeownership look a little better by contrast.

7. It's risk capital. No, your home isn't the stock market and you shouldn't view it as the way to get rich. But if the economy does surprise us all and start booming, sooner or later real estate prices will head up again, too. One lesson from the last few years is that stocks are incredibly hard for most normal people to own in large quantities—for practical as well as psychological reasons. Equity in a home is another way of linking part of your portfolio to the long-term growth of the economy—if it happens—and still managing to sleep at night.

8. It's forced savings. If you can rent an apartment for $2,000 month instead of buying one for $2,400 a month, renting may make sense. But will you save that $400 for your future? A lot of people won't. Most, I dare say. Once again, you have to do your math, but the part of your mortgage payment that goes to principal repayment isn't a cost. You're just paying yourself by building equity. As a forced monthly saving, it's a good discipline.

9. There is a lot to choose from. There is a glut of homes in most of the country. The National Association of Realtors puts the current inventory at around 4 million homes. That's below last year's peak, but well above typical levels, and enough for about a year's worth of sales. More keeping coming onto the market, too, as the banks slowly unload their inventory of unsold properties. That means great choice, as well as great prices.

10. Sooner or later, the market will clear. Demand and supply will meet. The population is forecast to grow by more than 100 million people over the next 40 years. That means maybe 40 million new households looking for homes. Meanwhile, this housing glut will work itself out. Many of the homes will be bought. But many more will simply be destroyed—either deliberately, or by inaction. This is already happening. Even two years ago, when I toured the housing slump in western Florida, I saw bankrupt condo developments that were fast becoming derelict. And, finally, a lot of the "glut" simply won't matter: It's concentrated in a few areas, like Florida and Nevada. Unless you live there, the glut won't have any long-term impact on housing supply in your town.

Original article found here

Monday, September 6, 2010

Billboard on Market Street San Francisco

Funny, but sometimes TRUE!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Net Worth: How do you stack up?

I did an online survey on how much savings I should already have and the survey came up with 2 figures. One took my age into consideration, and other computed by my income. Here are the results:

For my age, the Median net worth should be:
$51,575
35-44
For my salary range, the Median net worth should be:
$34,375
$25,000-$49,999

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Beautiful San Francisco Saturday!




















We had some house guests this weekend! I was so glad that the sun cooperated and decided to come out so that they could enjoy the great San Francisco views! Of course, top on the list was the magnificent Golden Gate bridge! Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Liudmila Kondakova

There is something to be said about this tough economy. It makes us do more "creative" things without spending. Last night, hubby & I decided to walk around the Ghirardelli square area in San Francisco and happened to enter the Martin Lawrence Galleries.
Liudmila Kondakova - Rome
"Rome"

The reason we entered this art gallery was because they were featuring "Marc Chagall", one of the artists I like. Although I enjoyed looking at the artwork by Chagall, it was the painting of a new artist to me that really caught my attention. Her name is Liudmila Kondakova. According to the information about her there, she was born in Russia in 1956, and moved to the United States in 1991 and is a current resident artist in the Bay Area! Her paintings are mostly of European cities : Rome, Paris, Prague, etc, so she is considered an international artist!

What makes her paintings so mesmerizing is the technique she uses. The time of day of most of the paintings we liked are "dusk". The gallery director brought us to a small room and brought in the painting. A spotlight was placed on the painting and the lights were slowly dimmed. What beauty we experienced. The background of the painting dimmed, as if the sun was slowly setting, but the lamp posts, reflection on the water, "moon" got brighter! It was a really beautiful effect! The first painting was the one she used to demonstrate this effect, but the second painting was also there and was the one I really wanted. Fingers crossed that the economy improves so that I can get one of her paintings "without guilt"! (first 3 photos courtesy of this site)

Liudmila Kondakova - Rooftops of Paris at Night
"Paris Rooftops at Night"
Liudmila Kondakova - Prague
"Prague"
Succeeding photos courtesy of this site
http://www.paragonfineart.com/images/kondakova/SantaMariaDellaSalute.jpg
"Santa Maria della Salute"
http://www.paragonfineart.com/images/kondakova/le-pont-neuf.jpg
"Le Pont Neuf"
http://www.paragonfineart.com/images/kondakova/pont_alexandre.jpg
"Pont Alexandre"
http://www.paragonfineart.com/images/kondakova/paris_evening.jpg
"Paris Evening"
http://www.paragonfineart.com/images/kondakova/quai_de_conti-actual.jpg
"Quai de Conti"
http://www.divart.com/CityByTheBay.jpg
“City By The Bay”
http://www.divart.com/GoldenGate_Kondakova.jpg
“Golden Gate”

San Francisco scenes courtesy of this site.

The "Martin Lawrence Galleries" is located at 747 Beach Street, San Francisco CA 94109.