Darien Sees Rise in Real Estate Activity

Weekly update...

Steady as she goes

Darien residential real estate ended the week today with an increase in activity.

Results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- 10 new listings of property for sale;

-- Eight price changes;

-- Six accepted offers;

-- Three properties going under contract, and

-- 20 closings.

For more:

Time to do LaGuardia...Again

Once more...

Artist's concept of the proposed new LaGuardia

LaGuardia has been redone one way or another at least three or four times in the years I've lived in the New York area.

This week plans were announced for another makeover for the airport Vice President Joe Biden famously likened to one you might find in a third-world country.

Writing on wsj.com, Jack Nicas and Susan Casey had this to say about the renovation:

The planned overhaul of LaGuardia Airport would make for a nicer experience for fliers, but it likely would do little to alleviate the congestion in New York’s skies or beyond, aviation analysts said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other officials unveiled plans this week to unify three of LaGuardia’s decades-old terminals into a gleaming single structure by 2019. The plan includes space for a tram, meeting areas, a potential hotel and rail and ferry links.

For more:  http://www.wsj.com/articles/la-guardias-makeover-likely-wont-ease-delays-1438122107

For a video showing with a before and after renovation look at the airport: http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2015/07/28/la-guardia-airport---rebuilt/30782181/

For more on Biden's third-world comment: http://time.com/5318/joe-biden-laguardia-airport/

Despite its problems, LaGuardia still is the most convenient, major New York airport, and I've flown in and out of it many times over the years. 

My most unforgettable landing there was in a night-time snow storm with cross-winds tossing us up, down, right, left and sideways.

That evening there were a lot of white-knuckled passengers on a plane that was utterly silent except for an occasional gasp and the changing pitch of engines as the pilot managed our rocky descent and put us down safely on a snowy runway.  He certainly earned his well-deserved, cabin full of applause that night.

Trumping Trump...and Everybody Else

Jet game...

A Saudi prince turned an Airbus A380 into the largest private jet in the world

Yesterday, we reported on Trump Force One, a nice way to travel.

But it turns out many other jet setters have some nice rides as well.

Take a look at how Harrison Ford, Oprah Winfrey, Jim Carrey and Tiger Woods, for instance, get around in the report below by Katie Amey on dailymail,com.

A Saudi prince led the jet games a few years ago with the largest private plane.

Al-Waleed bin Talal bought a double-decker Airbus A380 in 2007 and turned it into what was called a Flying Palace, according to arabianbusiness.com.

It was supposed to accommodate two Rolls-Royces and a number of horses, according to the Arabian website.

The prince, who owns a Boeing 747 and other planes, sold the Airbus in 2012, arabianbusiness.com reported.

Among other things, the prince is a large stockholder in Citigroup, Apple, Time Warner the Four Seasons Hotels and owns the George V hotel in Paris and the Savoy in London, arabianbusiness.com wrote.

For more of Amey's report: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2911322/The-incredible-private-jets-rich-famous.html

Aboard Trump Force One

Hot rod...

 

The Donald's personal Boeing 757

The Donald's plane figures prominently in a lot of Trump's news coverage lately, leaving me wanting to know more about it.

For some insights, including a slide show, here's Benjamin Zhang's report on the plane on businessinsider.com:

As Donald Trump's campaign for the White House kicks into high gear, the bombastic billionaire will be jetting across America on his private Boeing 757-200 airliner.

Unlike most presidential candidates, The Donald actually owns his campaign plane.

"Trump Force One" — as some have dubbed the jet — will be one of the most visible symbols of Trump's run for the Oval Office.

For more:  http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trumps-boeing-757-airliner-2015-7?op=1

For a video of Trump Force One that has had more than 4 million views: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZq3iCn2y74
 

Windows 10 Arrives Tomorrow Night

Sea change...

Windows logo

After nine months of waiting, Windows 10 is almost here, Russell Brandom reports on theverge.com.

Tuesday night at midnight ET, Microsoft will release the first full release of Windows 10, the biggest sea change in PC software in nearly three years, Brandom wrote.

It's kind of a big deal! We've been getting previews of Windows 10 since October, and the rollout of the actual software will happen in stages, but midnight will still be zero hour for answering a lot of the questions that have swirled around Windows 10 since it was first announced, he added.

 How do you build a single OS for laptops, tablets, and smartphones? Tuesday night, we'll find out.

For more of Brandom's report:  http://www.theverge.com/2015/7/27/9036907/microsoft-windows-10-release-date-download-preview

For a good preview of Windows 10:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwc5jKc-EgE

A Fun Way to Start the Week

Enjoy...

Flo, I'll Stand by You

Some creative commercials that offer a smile or a chuckle or two to start off the week:

Geico: Free Range Chicken: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z38evlC-EiY

VW: Rear End Event:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnYuCVhRgK8

TD Ameritrade: Psychic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MJOUUQzWyA 

Buick: Shaq: You Don’t Know Buick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvVNY2YC5zI  

Progressive: Flo: I’ll Stand by You: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52pQqoxT3BM

Musical Moments: Carson, Always on my Mind

Old favorite...

Wayne Carson: In memoriam

Wayne Carson, who wrote Elvis Presley's Always on my Mind and Joe Cocker's The Letter, died on Tuesday at age 72, bbc.com reported.

The two-time Grammy winner said he had written Always on My Mind in 10 minutes at his kitchen table in Missouri.

"Our music community has lost an immense talent much too soon," said Recording Academy president Neil Portnow.

Here's Willie Nelson with one of my favorite renditions of Always on my Mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7f189Z0v0Y

Closings Lead Latest Darien Real Estate Results

Weekly update...

Macedonia Brook Park, Connecticut

Eleven closings led Darien residential real estate results for the week ending today.

Other results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- Five new listings of property for sale;

-- Eight price changes;

-- Four accepted offers, and

-- Two properties going under contract.

For more: 

NASA Discovers Earth's Bigger, Older Cousin

Another world...

Kepler-452b 1400 light years away

NASA said Thursday that its Kepler spacecraft has spotted "Earth's bigger, older cousin": the first nearly Earth-size planet to be found in the habitable zone of a star similar to our own, Michael Pearson reports on cnn.com.

Though NASA can't say for sure whether the planet is rocky like ours or has water and air, it's the closest match yet found.

"Today, Earth is a little less lonely." Kepler researcher Jon Jenkins said.

"There's a new kid on the block," he said.

For more, including a NASA video about the newly discovered planet: http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/23/us/feat-nasa-kepler-planet-discovery/

What You'll be Remembered For

Hedge trimmer...

Nailed it.

How will we be remembered?

Bill Barol, writing on nytimes.com, takes a tongue-in-cheek look at how some folks were remembered.

For a chuckle or two:  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/opinion/what-youll-be-remembered-for.html?smid=nytcore-iphone-share&smprod=nytcore-iphone

Ignoring warnings risks Internet gotcha.

For itself speaks.

What do Google Searches Say About the Candidates and Us?

Early days...

Checking them out 

What do people want to know about the 2016 U.S. presidential candidates, Megan Specia asks on mashable.com.

Look no further than Google Autocomplete, which offers a spectacular window into the way we think, she reported.

With daily political fireworks, new candidates jumping into the race and a little more than a year before the November 2016 vote, Americans want to know everything about the Republicans and Democrats who might be on the ballot, she wrote.

Here are some insights into what they are searching, she said: http://mashable.com/2015/07/19/google-autocomplete-politics/

Whither Interest Rates?

Conundrum...

Predicting the future is hard

In case you missed it, Neil Irwin offered some valuable insights concerning the age-old, recurring question about where home mortgage rates are headed the other day on nytimes.com.

If you try to time your mortgage decision based on a hunch about future rates, you are betting that you have outsmarted the entire global bond market, he wrote.  

Irwin's article should be must reading for anyone thinking about buying a house or refinancing.  

Be sure to catch his concluding paragraph.  Even the pros have problems predicting the future: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/17/upshot/thinking-about-taking-out-a-mortgage-dont-obsess-over-the-fed.html   

BBC Fun: Alexander Hamilton and American Capitalism

Bargaining for bulls...

Alexander Hamilton

Comedian Colm O'Regan takes a look at the history of capitalism in the US and in particular at one of the country's founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, for the BBC.

Hamilton was chief staff aide to General George Washington and went on to hold the position of first Secretary of the Treasury.

See why O'Regan ends his fun video with:  I'm really going to have to up my game:  http://www.bbc.com/news/business-33566729

Musical Moments: Tchaikovsky, Waltz of the Flowers

Delightful...

Waltzing beauties 

Musical Moments features music and artists I've enjoyed over the years.

Today's selection is by Tchaikovsky, one of the first Russian composers whose music made a lasting impression internationally.

Here is Tchaikovsky's delightful Waltz of the Flowers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxHkLdQy5f0

Darien Closes Active Real Estate Week

Weekly update...

Welcome home

Darien residential real estate finished an active week today with:

-- Five new listings of property for sale;

-- 11 price changes;

-- Five accepted offers;

-- No properties going under contract, and

-- Nine closings.

For more: 

 

 

10 Words to Avoid on LinkedIn

Bonus: Photo tips video...

When you’re describing your experience and applying for a job, do you let potential employers know that you’re motivated?

Nice word—but everyone else uses it, too, Stephanie Vozza reports on fastcompany.com.

 "Motivated," in fact, is the most overused buzzword on LinkedIn profiles, followed by "passionate" and "creative," she wrote.

  

Why are so many of us motivated, passionate and creative, she asks.

These words are easy, says Catherine Fisher, senior director of corporate communications for LinkedIn. "People are looking to describe who they are, and they probably understand that hiring managers would want to look for a motivated, creative and passionate individual," she says.

"I would stay away from these buzzwords, though, because you sound like everyone else. These words almost lose their meaning the more that people use them."

  

For Vozza's top 10 words to avoid and a useful video on the power of good photography:  http://www.fastcompany.com/3048408/know-it-all/the-one-word-you-should-remove-from-your-linkedin-profile?partner=rss

What Would Eloise Think About The Lanesborough?

Posh...

 

The Lanesborough overlooks Hyde Park

 

One of London’s most luxurious hotels is set to officially reopen this week after being closed for extensive renovations for more than 18 months, Chris Kitching reports on dailymail.com.

 

With its 93 rooms and suites available for booking this week, The Lanesborough will reclaim its position as one of the most expensive hotels in the UK capital, he wrote.

 

Rooms at the five-star hotel, in Knightsbridge, start from £715 a night, while its most extravagant suite - the seven-bedroom Royal Suite - costs a staggering £26,000 a night.
 

For more of Kitching's report, including photos: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3158202/The-Lanesborough-hotel-officially-reopen-London.html

 

For a neat video about the new Lanesborough:  http://bloom.bg/1dZZgWh

 

I wonder what Eloise of The Plaza in New York might think about The Lanesborough.  I once stayed at The Plaza, overlooking Central Park. Quite an experience.

 

For more about Eloise:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eloise_(books)

 

 

Eloise's portrait at The Plaza 

 

 

Eloise looking down on Central Park from her room high in The Plaza

 

New Horizons Spacecraft Flies-by Pluto

Pluto's close-up...

New Horizons approaching Pluto

NASA's New Horizons space probe completed an historic fly-by of Pluto today, becoming the first spacecraft to pass over the small, icy planet, Amanda Barnett reported on cnn.com.

The unmanned piano-size spacecraft went over Pluto at 7:49 am ET, traveling at nearly 31,000 mph about 7,750 miles above Pluto's surface, NASA said, according to Barnett.

For a short, interesting video about the New Horizons mission and Pluto, which is 4.67 billion miles from Earth:  http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=pluto+mission&FORM=HDRSC3#view=detail&mid=06E01F5F8ED65A392D9B06E01F5F8ED65A392D9B

Happy Bastille Day

Vive la France...

 

Bastille Day in Paris

 

La Marseilles: Edith Piaf:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu3eSNi__4w

 

 

Eiffel Tower fireworks 

Facing a 150 MPH Tennis Serve

Power serve...

Novak Djokovic, the 2015 Wimbledon winner, today.  In this 2014 photo, he celebrated the same win last year.

What's it like facing a 150 MPH tennis serve?

Graham Roberts, Joe Ward and Jeremy White on nytimes.com agree it's no picnic.

How would you like to face the amazing serves in this video? http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/10/sports/tennis/facing-a-150-mph-tennis-serve.html

Musical Moments: Star Wars

Beautiful, it is...

Wow. The force sure is with him.

Musical Moments features music and artists I've enjoyed over the years.

Today's selection: The beautiful and famous...Star Wars:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTHXIzHPyqE

Do. Or do not.  There is no try.

Darien Closes Active Real Estate Week

Weekly update...

Whaling ship Charles W. Morgan , Mystic, CT

Darien residential real estate closed the week led by 11 new listings of property for sale, 10 price changes and 10 closings.

Other results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- Six accepted offers and

-- One property going under contract.

For more:

The Origin and Meaning of OK

Yester-year's OMG or LOL...

 

We say it almost everyday. When friends text to meet at 7. Ok. When your boss hands you an assignment. Ok. When you need to pay the bill. Ok. And so on, Casey Chan reports on gizmodo.com.

But where did the term come from? What did it first mean?

Arika Okrent dives into the origin of OK and reveals how it’s similar to the OMG and LOL of today in a short, enjoyable video: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/where-did-the-word-ok-come-from-and-what-does-it-actual-1716122767?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_twitter&utm_source=gizmodo_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

For more on OK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK

US World Cup Victory: See Four Quick American Goals

Hat trick...

Carli Lloyd after scoring two goals yesterday in Vancouver

After going on one of the greatest 16-minute stretches in American sports history by scoring four quick goals to start the Women’s World Cup final against Japan, the United States wrapped up a comfortable 5-2 victory to claim its third World Cup title in four visits to the final, Jeremy Stahl reports on slate.com.

To watch all four beautiful strikes: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_spot/2015/07/05/united_states_vs_japan_watch_carli_lloyd_s_women_s_world_cup_final_hat_trick.html

Monty Python: Germany vs. Greece

Philosopher soccer...

A different kind of game

Many top English-speaking economists are either alarmed or aghast over Europe's handling of the crisis in Greece, Max Ehrenfreund reports on washingtonpost.com.

Several Nobel Prize winners say it has been exacerbated, time and again, by an unnecessarily rigid approach by Germany, Europe's economic powerhouse and decision-maker. Greece simply cannot repay its debts, economists argue, no matter how much the country slashes public services or raises taxes. So by insisting it keep on trying, the thinking goes, Germany seems to be intent on punishing Greece, Ehrenfreund wrote.

The Germans see it differently, saying what they are doing may be painful, but necessary, to get the country on a sustainable footing for the long term, he noted.

To understand the massive gap in opinion, it might help to watch a Monty Python sketch from 1974 about a soccer match between Germany and Greece:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur5fGSBsfq8

Musical Moments: The Star Spangled Banner

Happy Fourth of July...

Washington, Fourth of July

Musical Moments features music and artists I've enjoyed over the years.

To celebrate the Fourth of July: The Star Spangled Banner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ETrr-XHBjE

About the national anthem:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Banner

Hope you have a great Fourth.

Closings Lead Latest Darien Real Estate Results

Weekly update...

Statue of Liberty on the Fourth of July

Fourteen closings led Darien residential real estate results for the week ending today.

Other results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- Four new listings of property for sale;

-- Nine price changes;

-- Seven accepted offers, and

-- Three properties going under contract.

For more: