The Westchester View » Freaky Fridays – Just for fun

Fotos on the fly: It’s Halloween!

Ruthmarie Hicks — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:41:12 +0000

Here are a few photos I have taken along the way over the past week or so while running around the county. Most were taken with my iPhone – as they really WERE on the fly while I was working with clients. But its fun to see what people are doing. Halloween has become such a fun holiday in Westchester that its getting up there with the 4th of July in terms of internet searches.

In any case – enjoy the pics…

The photo below was taken at Coffee Labs in Tarrytown. After a long day I decided to indulge in a latte and this is just as sample of Jefferson’s terrific Latte art.

Sometimes people protest in their own unique way. As the FASNY issue has escalated in White Plains and signs such as FASNO are springing up all over the place – some have a real sense of humor… I took this phto one night while walking the dogs.

Real Estate for Robber Barons…a new show for HGTV

Ruthmarie Hicks — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 05:03:19 +0000

This post is inspired by Tni LeBlanc who wrote about getting a steal of a deal in real estate today In her post she suggested that HGTV might want to take this one up….

So I have a proposal for HGTV – Let’s create a show entitled “The Real Estate For Robber Barons Challenge“ By turning it into a competition we can create criteria for the best Robber Baron. Think competition like Design Star with the ruthless cut-throat edge of The Apprentice.

Each week contestants need to find a distressed seller who is willing to sell their home for a fraction of its actual value. The ability to achieve this is based on the contestant’s capacity to con the seller to ignoring the basic principles of mathematics, common sense and their own best interests. The contestant then creates almost instant profits via the the slum Lord route or by flipping for an obscene profit. This is all done with minimal seed money that the contestants saved in a cookie jar over a period of six months.

The contestants need a suitable mentor figure…so I have chosen the Fabulous Fab himself – Fabrice Tourre of Goldman Sachs fame to host the show each week. He gained notoriety during the financial crisis of 2008 when he claimed to be selling financial products to “widows an orphans that he met at the airport” that were “pure intellectual masturbation…which nobody knows how to price.”

Bonus points would be awarded for the following:

Throwing a real estate agent under a bus.
Throwing a seller under a bus.
Throwing a buyer under a bus.
Throwing another contestant under a bus gives contestants immunity from elimination in the next episode.

The Take Home Message:
Greed is good. Poor people are losers. Making a fortune is easy, fun and anyone who just wants to get rich. And of course, just like the the 3 AM infomercial we all have the capacity to do this in our spare time with nothing but our loose change.

Real Estate for Robber Barons….

My Sidekick on the Road – Jade…

Ruthmarie Hicks — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 03:24:47 +0000

Real estate agents are known to spend a lot of time on the road. I am no exception. My car is my second office and depending on what I am doing on a given day – I sometimes bring along my social secretary, and friend – Jade. I have two other dogs but they are not what you would call great work companions. They are lively and active and a real blast – on a hike or any other doggie adventure - but not at work. Jade, however, is so mellow and relaxed that bringing her along actually makes the day run more smoothly. Gentle and quiet – and a bit shy, she makes any trip – work or otherwise – more fun.

Today was cool and comfortable. So Jade tagged along when I went out in the late afternoon….I was taking some photos quickly and when I came back to the car to put my camera away – there she was – apparently she had been tracking me and was looking out the back window…..I actually was able to grab a quick shot….since I already had the camera handy…

Freaky Friday – What Recovery? We can either laugh or cry – So lets laugh!

Ruthmarie Hicks — Fri, 20 May 2011 17:37:55 +0000

Save for a few Wall Street executives and the Big Banks just about everyone I know has been touched by this recession. Some very severely, some more lightly, others by association. At the very least, everyone knows someone who has been negatively impacted in some way. But sometimes you have to realize that it is always darkest before the dawn. Sometimes its just when things look like they will never get better – they just do. I’m not being a cockeyed optimist here – but I have seen this pattern before. Indeed – there are signs of just that in some sectors of the housing market.

In any case, there are times when you can either laugh or cry – and perhaps this is one of them. Right now – lets have a laugh. My friend Lisa, sent me this email. I sent it to some friends and it got a great response. So I am sharing it here with you. I wish I knew the author – but I don’t..

The Recession has affected everyone… Here are some prominent examples:

I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.

Wives are sleeping with their husbands because they can’t afford batteries.

CEO’s are now playing miniature golf.

Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.

A stripper was killed when her audience showered her with rolls of pennies while she danced.

I saw a Mormon polygamist with only one wife.

If the bank returns your check marked “Insufficient Funds,” you call them and ask if they meant you or them.

McDonald’s is selling the 1/4 ouncer.

Angelina Jolie adopted a child from America .

Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their
children’s names.

My cousin had an exorcism but couldn’t afford to pay for it, and they re-possessed her!

A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico.

A picture is now only worth 200 words.

When Bill and Hillary travel together, they now have to share a room.

The Treasure Island casino in Las Vegas is now managed by Somali pirates.

Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. Oh Great! The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear!

And, finally…

I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars, jobs, my savings, Social Security, Medicare, retirement funds, etc., I called the Suicide Hotline. I got a call center in Iraq, and when I told them I was suicidal, they got all excited, and asked if I could drive a truck.

Freaky Friday – Snake about town – a.k.a. the Bronx Zoo Cobra is a Twitter sssssenssssation…

Ruthmarie Hicks — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:40:26 +0000

Every once in a while someone does something very clever on Twitter. The Bronx Zoo cobra has done just that – telling of her exploits while traveling NYC.

For those who have literally been hiding under a rock with their pet cobras – The Bronx Zoo reported a missing female Egyptian cobra. Until last night she was out on the town and having a great time according to her twitter page. Within days she had almost 222,000 followers….Wish I was that popular – but then I don’t lead nearly as an exciting a life as she does…..

If you want to follow Bronxzooscobra follow the link. Meanwhile – here are a few entries….

If you see a bag of peanuts inexplicably moving along the ground at Yankee Stadium today. Just ignore it. It’s probably nothing.

Does anyone know if the Whole Foods in Columbus Circle sells organic mice?

Getting on the ferry to Ellis Island. Let’s hope this goes better than that time on the plane.

Getting my morning coffee at the Mudtruck. Don’t even talk to me until I’ve had my morning coffee. Seriously, don’t. I’m venomous.

On top of the Empire State Building! All the people look like little mice down there. Delicious little mice.

Gonna listen to some Jazz tonight. You know I love some great flute work. Do they provide it or is it bring your own basket.

What does it take to get a cab in this city?! It’s cause I’m not white isn’t it.

Donald Trump is thinking about running for president?! Don’t worry, I’ll handle this. Where is Trump Tower exactly?

Holding very still in the snake exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. This is gonna be hilarious!

Leaving Wall Street. These guys make my skin crawl.

Enjoying a cupcake @magnoliabakery. This is going straight to my hips. Oh, wait. I don’t have hips. Yesss!

The @bronxzooscobra is visiting places around NYC. Can anyone tell it how to get to Sesame Street?

Anyway – you get the idea. Cute, clever and truly – only in America would this actually have traction….

Confessions of a smart-phone addict…

Ruthmarie Hicks — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:26:48 +0000

Right now I’m suffering from smart -phone envy. Since my robbery of three weeks ago – I have been sans much of my smart-phone capacity. The police are holding my sleek new iPhone captive as “evidence.” And getting that phone back has become something close to an obsession. The old phone that a resurrected was not in great shape. the battery drains fast, but it charges slowly. The letters aren’t allowing me to type messages. On a good day I can read my email but can’t answer it. For a real estate agent spending time on the road – it makes me want to tear my hair. Horror of horrors – I’m taking the laptop and searching for WiFi to plug into the internet. I knew things were getting out of hand when I felt insanely jealous of a client receiving and opening an email while I was showing homes. Its amazing how addicted I have become to a piece of technology that I have only possessed for a little less than three years.

After all – during my lifetime back in dark ages of my youth….

I can remember a time when there were no cell phones. I know this may sound madly primitive – but when I was growing up the phone came plugged into the wall. If you wanted to talk to someone, you had to stay where the phone was. Some people added looooooong cords so they could move around. Sometimes you would get tangled in a long cord as the cord had a mind of its own and liked to wrap around things – including people, objects and itself. But we loved our primitive phones and kept them close at hand. And close at hand they needed to be – because there was no other way to answer the phone – except to – well – answer it yourself. Voice Mail? Don’t even think about it. If you wanted to know who was calling – you had to answer the phone yourself.

In the 1980s we emerged from the dark ages of phone technology into the light of the late 20th century. By the time I was in college – answering machines using a cassette tape created the phone that could answer itself. Caller ID was still merely a dream – but – for the first time we didn’t have to actually answer our phones to find out who was calling. Voila! The ability to screen your calls became more than merely a dream. Phones became more mobile as well – with the “cordless phone.” Sure it had a long antenna – at least you didn’t spend your phone time tussling with a cord that tripped you, got tangled and was a general annoyance.
Personally, I sailed into the 90s with nothing more than an answering machine though I added a pocket pager around 1991. My first CELL phone was bought c 1996 – a large clunky thing that fit into my bag like a small piece of lead that weighed down my my briefcase almost as much as laptop would today. This marvel of technology had practically no service anywhere in Westchester NY – but you could get a signal in NYC which is where I was working. But the bottom line is this: I actually went through over a quarter of a century of life with NO CELL PHONE. My God – how did I manage?

Anyway, when I was explaining my plight to my friend Marie Graham – she mentioned that someone she knew sent her an email from his Blackberry that said at the bottom “sent from my Crackberry”. I think that pretty much sums it up….

For Dog Lovers Everywhere – Dog O’ Lanterns

Ruthmarie Hicks — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 20:22:43 +0000

Some things just come across my desk or into my email in-box that are just too cute not to share. This is one of them. They didn’t have a Siberian Husky, but I can forgive them for that because the dog o’ lanterns that they created were just amazing – particularly when put next to the “source of their inspiration.”

Freaky Friday – My Favorite Real Estate Videos…

Ruthmarie Hicks — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:36:45 +0000

Lets not take ourselves too seriously:

If one of the signs of maturity is that people cease to take themselves too seriously – then I guess I’m very mature – bordering on ancient. Making fun of real estate agents appears to be a favorite indoor sport of many. But of all the videos out there that make fun of agents – these two are favorites.

The first is about an agent that takes “pushy” to a whole new level. Its amazing how the actor morphs from a jolly young man into a Boris Karloff look-alike.

The second is truly a study in how an how a sales person can deflect the negative – in this case the negative was an obviously haunted or “possessed” house.

Freaky Friday – Jon Stewart Takes No Prisoners – Nor should he in this case..

Ruthmarie Hicks — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:15:58 +0000

Plenty of blame to go around on this one. The only blameless soul in the mix was the center of attention Shirley Sherrod. So much of this has to do with the partisan bickering that seems endless these days. But at the end of the day EVERYONE was guilty of reacting to quickly. Jon Stewart is able to put everyone in their place with a sense of humor and sarcasm that would be more hilarious if it weren’t such a sad commentary on the state of our union.

Enjoy the clip – and have a great weekend!

(Here is the link to the video – from the Daily Show Site – should the embed not be working.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c

Lost in Race

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Freaky Friday: Pretend you are POTUS: Eradicate the deficit using the CEPR deficit calculator

Ruthmarie Hicks — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:11:18 +0000

A friend of mine sent me this link – and I was having a great time playing with it. I can’t embed this deficit calculator on this blog, but here is a link to the Center for Economic and Policy Research’s Deficit Calculator.

With the 2010 House of Representatives elections as well as the 2010 Senate races coming up and the majority in both houses up for grabs – the budget is going to be a huge bone of contention.

Although I can’t embed the calculator – I did play with it – here is what I came up with – There I just solved one of the nation’s most pressing problems!

1. Meet the Deficit Calculator:

The blue bar indicates where the deficit will be by 2020 if things are unchanged. The deficit will be approaching the 90% mark which is a tipping point according to Ragoff & Reinhardt where growth performance in economics starts to deteriorate. (When the debt/GDP ratio = 90%) By clicking the options on the left side – you can select “Policies” that will either reduce or increase the deficit.

2. Change the World! Decide how to reduce the debt to GDP ration!

Some surprising results:

The two most effective methods of reducing the deficit were:

A. Being allowed to negotiate medicare drug prices. This whacked 10% off the deficit by taking $2.1 trillion out of the budget. That put the debt to GDP down to 75% in one shot.

B. Another 2.1 trillion would be whacked off if our government would impose a financial speculation tax. This is a tax that would barely touch long-term investors. It would impose a 0.25% transaction tax on equities. First of all, I find that number staggering because it implies how much trading is going on. People who are trading by the hour or by the minute – large hedge funds and the investor class are largely responsible for the massive amount of trading that this figure indicates.

So, how does that blue bar look after implementing these two actions?

In this scenario the debt to GDP ratio is down to 66% or just 6% shy of the Maastrict Treaty – which was the debt target set for membership in the Euro Zone – a largely ignored number – but a goal that would put our country into safe financial waters.

C. A quick end to the wars in the Middle east would take another 5% out of the debt to GDP ratio – putting the ratio just 1% above the Maastrict Treaty.

But those are my ideas – What are yours? Have fun with the link.