Money: Stay Cool When News Gets Scary

If you have been following this blog, you will know that I have been getting Money Magazine for free.  Here is reminder of how to stay cool when you get bad news.

The key points are:

• Know your history
• Know your portfolio
• Put it in writing
• Have a relief valve
• Put your core portfolio on autopilot

To view further details on Money Magazine's website, click here.

To subscribe, click below:

National Park Free Days

In the most recent Sunset Magazine, it reminds us that every national park offers free admission on the following days:

• June 21 (first day ofsummer)
• National Public Lands Day (September 24)
• Veterans Day weekend (November 11 through 13)

To subscribe to Sunset magazine:

Westways: Here Comes the Sun

Oh no...another interesting read.  This one is about protecting your skin this summer.

This one covers 10 things to know about UV protection:

• Skin Cancer is More Prevalent Than Ever
• Sunscreen Can Give You the Illusion of Protection
• You Don't Use Enough Sunscreen
• You Don't Apply Sunscreen Early or Often Enough
• You Have Too Much Faith in SPF
• You Needs UVB and UVA Protection
• You Can't Relay on your Cotton T-Shirt
• Sun Damage is Cumulative
• Suntan = Damaged Skin
• Lips, Eyes, and Scalp Need Protection

Click here to go to the Westways website for further details about the above key points.

Westways: Time to Re-Tire?

Wow, this recent issue of Westways has a lot of potentially interesting items of interest.

This is not an article about not having to work as much as you used to, but about whether it is time to replace the tires on your vehicle.

In the June 2011 issue of Westways, it mentions the steps to choosing tires for your vehicle, budget, and driving style.  They include:

• Get the right size and speed rating 
• Understand tire types and trade-offs
• Compare prices
• Read the warranty
• Check the "freshness date"  (do not buy a tire more than one year old)

Click here for further details on their website.

Visit? Palomar Observatory

Here is a potential place to visit if you are ever in the southern California area.

It was built in 1948 and weighs 530 tons.  The observatory is open daily except on December 24 and 25.  The hours of operation are from 9 AM to 3 PM while on Standard Time and from 9 AM to 4 PM while on Daylight Savings Time. They do not offer tours every day.  Check their website for more details.  They have a 10 minute podcast that you can download and listen to.

Check out their website below.  It also offers recommendations on places to stay and eat.

Related websites:

• Caltech's Palomar Observatory home page

Westways: Gas-saving tips

In the June 2011 Westways issue, they have a list of gas-saving tips. They are:

• Slow down
• Don't rev up the engine, and avoid "jackrabbit starts"
• Maintain your vehicle
• Anticipate traffic lights and stopped traffic
• Don't warm up your car
• Consolidate trips and errands
• Don't haul extra weight around

Click here for further details (you will need to scroll down a bit).

New Car Seat Advice for California

On the recent Westways June 2011 Issue it refers to new recommendations as follows:

• Children should be in a rear-facing car seat until the age of 2 years
• Children should sit in a booster seat with a seat belt until they are 4-feet and 9-inches tall and up to the age of 12 years

Currently, Westways says that California law currently requires children to stay in a booster seat until they are 6 years of age or weight at least 60 pounds.

Click here to view further details on their website (you will need to scroll down a bit).

AAA Westways: Don't Leave a Child in a Hot Vehicle

In the June 2011 issue of Westways there is a reminder to not leave a child in a hot vehicle.

Kaitlyn's Law makes it illegal to leave children 6 years of age or younger in your vehicle without being attended to. Make sure you do not leave pets there either.

Click here to read further details on their website (you will need to scroll down a little bit).

Ken Burns: Favorite Civil War Sites

The current USA Weekend issue features Ken Burns' favorite Civil War Sites.  I think everyone should be fascinated with the significance of this war and how it tore our country apart.

It would be great to visit some of these sites but logistics would be huge to try and take a "tour" of these sites since they are pretty spread apart and we are on the West Coast.

The sites include:

• Fort Sumter, South Carolina
• First Battle of Bull Run, Manassas, Virginia
• Shiloh, Tennessee
• Antietam
• Fredericksburg, Virginia
• Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
• Vicksburg, Mississippi
• Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Petersburg, Virginia
• Appomattox Court House, Virginia

Click here to go to USA Weekend

Protect yourselves

Last week Blogger was down for a while.  I ran across this brief feature on Yahoo! Finance that was posted by Consumer Reports that covers "How to Protect Yourself."

Here is an outline of topics it briefly covers.  Click on the link at the bottom for more details.

At Home

• Making a break-in too easy
• Leaving your garage door open
• Obscuring your house
• Leaving valuables in sight
• Advertising a vacation
• Being carefree with keys
• Tossing prescription bottles
• Thinking a gun is your best defense

With Your Electronics

• Using lazy passwords
• Falling for phishing
• Running outdated software

For Your Personal Finances

• Banking from a public computer
• Using unfamiliar ATMs
• Dropping your guard at gas pumps
• Ignoring your credit or debit cards
• Abandoning your receipts
• Trashing your bills

6 Ways to Stay Safer

• Watch out for imposters
• Learn to parallel park
• Hide the stuff in your car
• Change your PIN
• Keep a financial inventory
• Change your Wi-Fi password

Click here for the article and more details
Click here to go to ConsumerReports. org

The Art of the Handoff - When to delegate?

Okay.  It has been forever since my last post.  I have been submerged and coming up for a breath before going down again.  Well....we'll see...

I am still getting Inc. Magazine for free (except for my time, etc).  In it is an article by Jason Fried that is titled "The Art of the Handoff" where he talks about the decision to get an assistant for him.

Click here to view the article.