Email Etiquette

March 10, 2010 by EnnisP · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Computing

Computers and the advent of the internet have literally changed everything. The way we do business, research, watch movies, manage music, play games, create and socialize have been hugely affected by this technology.

Communication has never been easier. We can call (Skype), instant message or email anyone in any part of the world from any place we might be at any moment in time. Thanks to IT, information is more accessible, life is more convenient and the pace of progress has been accelerated dramatically .

There are, however, a few downsides to all these conveniences. For one, in regard to mores, all the good this technology enables can be matched equally with bad. Read more

Investing In Foreclosed Property

Think About This

February 16, 2010 by EnnisP · 2 Comments
Filed under: Making Money

I just spent the last two weeks searching and arranging details for my first home purchase. It was a time consuming process but I learned a lot and hope to share some of that learning with you. I haven’t closed on the property yet and will post information as we proceed but I wanted to write about some of the initial stages while it is still fresh.

Because this was my first purchase I proceeded very cautiously and I recommend that approach for every new home buyer. It can be a complicated process and mistakes in the early stages could create pressure in the latter stages. You can get into trouble if you aren’t sufficiently prepared or knowledgeable. The large number of foreclosures on the market is evidence of that. I have been planning for this transaction for a few years and the planning involved several key issues three of which I will address here. Read more

E-Monsters In The Home

Think About This

January 29, 2010 by EnnisP · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Christian Living, Making Money

How much money are you willing to throw away during the course of a day?

Not give away or spend or share or lose to a bad investment? I’m talking about money you pull out of your pocket, throw on the ground and walk away from. Maybe we should call that “money left on the ground” or better yet “leaked.” It isn’t misspent or frivolously used, like when you make a bad financial decision. It’s just not there, as if you never had it to begin with.

So, how much of your hard earned money are you willing to treat as if you never had it in the first place? Four or five dollars a day? Maybe just one? Most people, I’m sure, are thinking none but are you aware… Read more

“Give Peace A Chance” Mr. Chopra?

Think About This

January 26, 2010 by EnnisP · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Philosophy, Political Issues

The Huffington Post has a habit of featuring well known but sometimes senseless writers. The strategy is good for attracting readers but it fails at the point of objectivity. These writers come with an agenda – usually personal, are not philosophically neutral, offer no specific solution to any problem, real or not, and if one is not familiar with all the material that made them popular in the first place its difficult to see where these writers are coming from or headed to. Like preachers who make unsubstantiated, illogical statements, bolstered mostly by emotion, they state a point without actually making it.

That is the case with Mr. Chopra; Deepak that is. Read more

God Blesses Israel

Think About This

January 23, 2010 by EnnisP · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Abraham, Christian Living, Theology

The neighborhood in which I grew up was very middle class. We had all types living there from professionals to laborers but everyone got along, at a distance, and it was “safe.” There were no drugs or serious mischief of any kind and the parents let us kids romp freely without worry. We rode bikes in the street (very little traffic), played baseball or football, depending on the season, and we even had woods and a creek nearby that gave us many opportunities to do a bit of safe exploration.

Our street was a long slow curve the ends of which attached to a moderately busy throughway but we always felt comfortably isolated from the mainstream. From our neighborhood we could see the world without being in it and yet we were very close to every possible amenity. Within two minutes “walk” we had a drive-in theatre, a children’s hospital, a church, a community hall (we had Cub Scout meetings there) and just a bit further away was an orphanage (with a dairy farm), a well developed shopping center and most of the kids could ride bikes to the local elementary school. It was a nice neighborhood situated close to everything you might need.

From the age of 8 to 16 I lived some of the most formative years of my life in this neighborhood. It was there that I developed some of the closest friendships I ever had and experienced many personal firsts: kiss, smoke, caught a fish, fight and there are a few I won’t mention. That neighborhood molded the perspective I have on life and the world. Even today, many years later, my experiences there are still the reason for many of my idiosyncrasies.

The one interesting thing about this neighborhood was the presence of several Jewish families. I recall at least six but there may have been more. Of the six, two lived on either side of us. The Rothenbergs lived on the left and the Aptakers lived on the right. We were close to these families. The kids from all three houses played together. The adults talked across the fence. My dad and Mr. Aptaker often discussed their common interest in gardening. From my youthful point of view I thought they were the only two people in the world who could enjoy gardening. I’ve since learned that there are many other people with this same affliction. Read more