Tuolumne, CA

"There is no such thing as public opinion. There is only published opinion." ~Winston Churchill

Okay, I'll just be frank. It's "published opinion" in the East Valley Tribune (Phoenix area) piece: "American dream over? At least for a while, housing experts say" on the msnbc.com website.

(To read article, click here or the thumbnail on the left. It will be helpful to understand what I'm talking about if you read the article first. It's not long.)

And you can always tell when someone (a writer, the press) wants to prove (and/or promote) something (see my "sustainable communities" comment at the end). Because that's when the parade of so-called "experts" begins. (It started in the headline.) An "expert" (my definition) is someone with a degree that's lost his common sense.

And what is it that's to be proved / promoted in this article? That overall, Americans' desire to own their own homes (public opinion) has diminished.

And the case is made first by throwing cold water on the "dream" to begin with...

For anybody thinking about buying a home as an investment, the week started with a bad report that continued a years-long trickle of news to discourage homeownership.

The nationwide plunge in real estate values has triggered some experts to say it now makes more sense to rent than own, challenging the idea that homeownership is an essential part of the American dream.

And it's just too much work to purchase a home any way, another "expert" warns...

Americans will continue to want to own homes. ...Yet those looking today will find a smaller supply than usual — and at times frustration as they find themselves competing against multiple bidders and investors.

So why even try? (is the conclusion being hoped for?)

Yet another "expert" just comes right out and says it (published opinion crafted to sound like public)...

The excesses of the real estate bubble are changing attitudes about ownership. ...Homes that are selling now tend to be more energy efficient, and high gas prices are making urban development more attractive. Homebuyers are less interested in the massive houses built during the boom.

So is this really true? Is the American dream really over (at least for a while)? Or does the article (writer, press) just want it to be true? (There isn't a hidden agenda like the promotion of "sustainable communities," is there?)

What we can know for sure is the housing market is in the doldrums (whatever the reason is that got it there). And that it will come back (if the bureaucrats get out of the way). It is at that point that the measurement of Americans' desire to own their own homes ("massive" or otherwise) should be measured and not replaced with published opinion.

You might also be interested in:

• Great Housing News! (Or Is It?)
• Numbers That Lie (Or Do They?)

We're celebrating moms this coming Sunday and so I was thinking about the various gifts that they receive on Mother's Day and the ones they like the best. I tried to rank them in an order keeping in mind what my own mom would probably most prefer (especially the top 5). It might be different with yours, but I'm hoping I came pretty close to how you would list these yourself.

So here I go answering the question...

What Do Moms Like Best on Mother's Day?

15. Flowers

14. Candy

13. Hugs and kisses

12. Phone calls

11. No dishes

10. No laundry

9. Breakfast in bed

8. Balloons

7. Cards

6. Brunch

5. Pampering

4. Peace and quiet

3. Dinner out

2. Kids coming to see them

1. Hearing: "I love you"

You might also be interested in:

• 10 Words That Say, "I Love You" (for Valentine’s Day)
• It’s the Great Real Estate Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

If there ever was a time to budget, that time is now. (Oh, you're saying, "What's a budget?") A budget is simply a plan. It's a plan on how to spend your money and keep from going broke. (Now you're saying, "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?")

Everybody should have a budget. Families should have a budget. Businesses should have a budget. Churches should have a budget. Governments should have a budget. (When it comes to that fourth entity, we can only dream.)

But it goes beyond just having a budget. (Right?) One needs to stick to his budget for a budget to work. It's the "sticking" part where many of us get in trouble.

With this in mind, I've come up with the following quick list. May it add adhesive to your approach to financing (Get it? "Adhesive." Well I tried)...

5 Tips that Will Help You "Stick" to Your Budget:

Tip #1: Generate a list of monthly expenses.

(You have to have a budget to "stick" to one!) At the end of the list write down all your sources of income. Subtract expenses from income. You now have a good idea of how you've been operating to this point. (Negative or positive?)

Tip #2: Get rid of unnecessary expenses (especially if you've been operating negatively).

Do you really need to eat out for lunch every day? Do you really need Cable TV? You'd be surprised at how much you can save for other necessities when you cut out things you really won't miss.

Tip #3: Before each purchase, ask, "Is it in the budget?"

If the answer is "no," don't buy it. "Stick" to your plan.

Tip #4: Include a category for emergencies in your budget.

By adding a small amount to it each month you will find yourself prepared for unforeseen circumstances. (They happen to us all.)

Tip #5: Re-evaluate your budget every six months.

Make appropriate adjustments as needed (up or down).

Have you ever wondered why God only created a 24-hour day? And then beyond that, why didn't He just make it so human beings didn't need to sleep? Just think. We could work all day and then work all night. And then we could just work all day and then work all night again. Wouldn't that be fun? Oh, I know, I know. You wouldn't work yourself to the bone like that. You wouldn't fill every waking moment with business. You would take a break. You would make room for relaxation. You would spend time with your kids (or grand kids).

Not some of you. Some of you wouldn't. Some of you instead (and if you're not one of these, you probably know somebody like this) ~ you live and breath burning the candle at both ends. Some of you have been doing it for years. News Flash: It was you God created the 24-hour day for (cuz He knew you'd just fill it up if it was 48 or 72 hours). It was you God made sure you would need sleep (cuz He knew you'd just work all night if you could). Enough's enough! Don't wait until you're in the Emergency Room getting an EKG to take a break.

(Maybe you need to pass this note to someone you know?)

It was my day off. That's when it happened. My kids said, "Dad, there's a whole bunch of police cars in our front yard." I said, "What?" Sure enough, there was a SWAT Team right outside our window in the street ~ about 8 or more of them all in formation, all ducked behind a shield. They were headed to the house two doors down. That's when the second thing happened. Boooooooooom! An explosion. It shook our house. Initially, we thought they'd shot the dog. (There was a pretty fierce pit bull in the home they were entering.) We found out later that it was "only" a grenade to disarm those inside. I told my kids, "Get away from the window. Do you think this is a game?" That's when I went outside to take pictures. (Yep. I did.) I would come in soon (my heart racing) especially after I saw three of the SWAT officers entering the backyard and heard another explosion. It really was dangerous. My kids would gather around me later and say, "Dad, you told us to get away from the window, then YOU WENT OUTSIDE!" And I guess the moral of this story is: Sometimes we tell others to be careful and then we go right out and do something stupid / put ourselves in the line of fire. Maybe it's time we (I) took our (my) own advice? (The story ended with 6 arrests and 25 lbs. of marijuana seized. Read more about it: HERE.)