Search Results for: blog planning for a tsunami

Interview: John Hauserman on Retirement Planning

This morning I had the chance to chat with my friend John Hauserman of RetirementQuest.com. I’m a little ways down the road from retirement, but that’s the perfect time to start thinking about it—when it’s not an urgent, pressing need. By then it’s too late. I asked John a couple of questions that have been on my mind. John, I’m not a risk-taker, and I love it when people can give me a heads-up so I don’t make a huge mistake. What do you consider the single biggest mistake people make when it comes to planning for retirement? The single … Continue reading →

Financial Tsunamis

We’ve all watched the news reports from Japan with sorrow and horror. The devastation is unbelievable, and it’s hard to imagine having to endure such tragedy. Our hearts go out to the victims and we pray for them to find comfort and peace as they seek to rebuild their lives and mourn the loss of loved ones. As we contemplate these things, it’s natural for our thoughts to turn to the ripple effects of the event on our world economy, and to wonder how this tragedy might affect us down the road. Obviously, we didn’t just see our town washed … Continue reading →

Elderly Women and Retirement

Whenever I think about elderly women, of course my grandmother comes to mind. She and I were very close. I remember going up to stay with her from time to time, often for five days or a week, and enjoyed her simple, laid-back lifestyle. She canned, she gardened, she did crossword puzzles, she wrote in her journal—and she always had a cookie jar full of various home-baked treats for her grandchildren. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-teens that I realized something: Grandma didn’t have a lot of money. It wasn’t something that had ever been an issue, so … Continue reading →

End of the Year Fun

My daughter recently came home with a list of end-of-the-year activities that she and her classmates will be participating in before school lets out for the summer. I still marvel at the rate at which this academic year flew by. Soon I will be back in charge of entertaining my 6-year-old on a daily basis. Of course, there’s still a month or so left of school, and my daughter is thrilled that she will be participating in the following fun (and educational) activities: Letter Writing Doesn’t seem too exciting, right? Fortunately, my daughter’s teacher is extremely creative and loves to … Continue reading →

Spring Travel to Aid Japan

Japan and its country of innovative and generous residents are typically on the minds of visitors to the D.C. area this time of year, but since the devastating 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami obliterated parts of the “Land of the Rising Sun” the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington has taken on new meaning this year. Organizers of the annual festival, which centers on thousands of gorgeous trees given by the mayor of Tokyo to the American people 99 years ago, are urging visitors to donate to the American Red Cross to aid relief efforts in Japan. In addition to … Continue reading →

Cherry Barb

One more easy beginner fish for your tropical aquarium is the cherry barb. These fish can tolerate a wide range of water parameters. They are active and peaceful, and get along well with other fish — cherry barbs will mostly stay out of the way of bigger fish. Also known as the crimson carplet, the cherry barb is a smaller fish — between one and a half and two inches long (up to five centimeters) when fully grown. Because they are on the smaller size, they can live a long and happy life in a smaller tank of five gallons … Continue reading →

What Do Pets Know That We Don’t?

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Do animals have a sixth sense when it comes to natural disasters? We can see how our pets are sensitive to human moods; are they also sensitive to the planet itself? Some scientists are skeptical, but there is plenty of anecdotal evidence. In 1975, animal behavior prompted an evacuation of the city of Haicheng in China days before an earthquake, saving more than a hundred thousand lives. Ancient Greeks noted that even rodents, snakes, and insects fled the city of Helice before an earthquake in 373 BC. Even the folks who do believe that animals can sense disaster aren’t sure … Continue reading →

Exploring A Coral Reef Without Getting Wet

Last month first lady Laura Bush traveled to the 50th state to unveil the new Hawaiian name for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument. Mrs. Bush announced the new name would be Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which symbolizes the genealogy of the Hawaiian Islands. Unfortunately, she didn’t stick around long enough to see the marine life that calls the waters off the uninhabited chain of small islands home. The atolls, reefs and submerged banks around the islands are populated with more coral reefs than anywhere else in the nation. However, because of its isolated location there are few people … Continue reading →

Celebrities And The Spirit Of Giving

Many regard Christmas as the season of giving. But, for some big-hearted souls helping others is a year round effort. No surprise. However, when the big-hearted soul is also a big-name Hollywood star then it may be a shocker… to some. The following is the story of a Hollywood heavyweight who has made it his mission to help those less fortunate in a rather unique way… see if you are more stunned by who it is or what he’s doing. Some know Jesse James as the host of TV’s “Monster Garage.” Others know him better as actress Sandra Bullock’s husband. … Continue reading →