Spurred by my recent plumbing problems, MJ wrote an excellent post on his blog concerning dealing with contractors, getting quotes, and following up on progress.

Anyone who’s never worked with contractors before will learn a thing or two based on MJ’s experience as a manufacturing engineer.

…any actual contractor should be able to cover all the costs of the work until it is complete, if it is a big project expect to pay 75% of the project costs when the work is 75% of the way done. In other words, the project should be close to finish at that point, and hold the last 25% for …

Read more…

It seems like 2007 blew by in a flash, and I’ve been trying to think about all the accomplishments that have been made over the last year, and I find myself distracted by all the opportunity lying in wait for 2008!

I think it will be a great year to buy into undervalued investments, namely real estate and financial institutions (i.e. stock), and oil and gas investments will continue to turn out healthy gains but may not pose attractive buying opportunities.

At any rate, here’s to a happy and prosperous 2008!

For the first time ever, you can send your new years wishes to time square… via confetti.

Go to the Wishing Wall Online and enter your new years message. Click on submit and your message will be printed on a piece of multicolored confetti and dumped on visitors to Times Square on New Years eve. The message-carrying pieces will be mixed among the more than one ton of confetti.

Also, there will be a new look for this years New Years Ball.

The new Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball is more than twice as bright as the old one, with enhanced color capabilities and state-of-the-art LED lighting effects. …

Read more…

From the Corner Office to you and yours, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Christmas Canon Rock

A quick note, comments posted to The Corner Office Blog will be reviewed and approved for posting after the Christmas Holiday.  Merry Christmas!

-Grant

If you’d like to send a Christmas card to a wounded soldier, an organization called Soldiers’ Angels is teaming up with the Red Cross to deliver holiday mail to service members recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Send your holiday cards to either of the following addresses:

Soldiers’ Angels
1792 E. Washington Blvd.
Pasadena, Calif. 91104

Or

We Support You During Your Recovery!
c/o American Red Cross
P.O. Box 419
Savage, MD 20763-0419

You can find more information at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil

An additional note:

Be sure to affix adequate postage. Multiple cards without envelopes may be placed in one mailing envelope or a …

It’s very unsettling when you open the mail box and pull out any piece of paper with a U.S. Government return address.

It was a long walk back up the driveway, when I pulled out not one, but two official documents from the U.S. District Court, one addressed to me, and the other addressed to my wife. The text “…REFUND NOTICE” slipped by me as my mind wondered why the Government thought it necessary to “get in touch” with my wife and I.

After sitting down, I opened the letters, and to my surprise, the U.S. District Court would like to give me $25, or more if I can show that I’ve been out of the country between February of 1996 and November of 2006.

Evidently, there is a class-action lawsuit claiming that Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and others conspired to set and conceal markups and fees, typically of 1-3%, on foreign transactions. (i.e. when you withdraw cash against your credit card at a foreign ATM, the dinged you for an additional percentage on top of the published fees).

So somehow it was determined that we’ve been out of the country during this period. It shouldn’t surprise me that they were able to find this information…

Are you a member of the settlement class?

If you made a foreign transaction on your Visa, Mastercard, or Diners Club card between February 1 of 1996 and November 8 of 2006, you are a winner!

You can check out the settlement website, www.ccfsettlement.com for more information; however you have three basic options:

Refund Option 1: an “Easy Refund” of a flat $25 and is recommended if you travel outside of the U.S. for less than one week or had foreign transactions of less than $2,500 using your eligible cards during the class period.

The twelve days of Christmas, a-cappella style, with a little humor injected to keep things interesting…

Buy the DVD here.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Corner Office Blog!

Be sure to devote some time to reflect on the past year, and as always, keep our troops in your thoughts as they continue to sacrifice for our freedom.

Two weeks ago we finally broke down and traded in my wife’s ‘95 Honda Accord. The airbag light came on out of nowhere, and it would have cost us about $500 to fix it. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

So after much agony, we went to the local Honda dealer looking for the last car we’ll buy. At least for the next 13 or so years.

With eyes set on a new, 2007 light metallic blue Accord, we started talking numbers. Most of you frugal readers are thinking: “You bought a NEW car, and took the …