Mercifully, we are down to the final hours of a 700+ day election campaign.  And two things come to mind.

First, ever thought it strange that someone campaigns two solid years for a position that may only last four years.  Doesn’t seem like a very good ROI there… just sayin’.

And secondly, is there any more appropriate ending of a word for what these election cycles put us through than camPAIN.  Pardon the Freudian slip on the spelling.

Anyway, as most of us will be away from the TV, (again, maybe mercifully?) throughout the day, I came across a great set of links, courtesy of Mashable, that might help you stay on top of it via the web.

Electoral Map Projections

270ToWin.com – To win the election a candidate needs 270 electoral votes; this site shows you what the current projections are.  Breaks down polls, runs simulations and gives you a detailed history on how each state has voted.

Electoral-Vote.com – A map of the electoral votes that is updated daily with the newest data on how the states are breaking down.

ElectoralMap.net – This map is based off of the Intrade prediction market and can be backed up to May of 2008 to see how the map keeps changing.

FiveThirtyEight.com – 538 refers to the total number of electoral votes that are up for grab and the site provides a standard breakdown of how they see the electoral votes turning out, as well as news and in-depth analysis of possible election scenarios dependent on various factors.

Politico.com – The Politico’s map shows you the latest polling data, focusing heaviest on the states that are still too close to call and how they may swing to decide this election.

Poll Tracking

Gallup.com – The election 2008 poll results from Gallup, one of the best known polling companies.

Pollster.com – Tracks various polls and gives you updated charts on how each candidate is tracking.  Also offers an electoral map as well as analysis of what each poll means.

RealClearPolitics.com – Features poll breakdowns by state. You can also see a national overview that shows you which candidate is in the lead in each state and by how many points.

USAElectionPolls.com – Brings together information on national and state polls, battleground polls, house & senate polls, and more.

So there you go. Knock yourself out.

I have to admit, I have nearly abandoned twitter and facebook over the past week, as I grew weary of the non-stop, unproductive, fur that was flying on the web.  Don’t get me wrong, I took Political Science in college, and at one point, I was completely, unabashedly enamored of the political process. Big-time. It’s just a different political landscape out there now.

Despite that landscape, and regardless of who you decide to vote for, please, at least exercise your right to do so.

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The U.S. Department of Energy offers these simple tips and relatively inexpensive home improvements that will help ensure cold gusts stay out and your furnace doesn’t have to work harder than it should. The goal: Conserve energy and keep more of your hard-earned dollars in your pocket.  After all, who doesn’t need to save a little money these days?

1. Plug air leaks with caulking, sealing, or weather stripping. Save 10 percent ($190 per year) or more on energy bills. Focus on windows, doors, outlets or switch plates on exterior walls.

2. Properly maintain the heating system. Heating accounts for half the average family’s energy bill (approximately $950 per year). Make sure the furnace or heat pump receives professional maintenance each year. The small cost (about $75-100 for most service calls) will pay back in better performance all year long.

3. Install a programmable thermostat. Programming the thermostat from 72ºF to 65ºF for eight hours a day while no one is home, or everyone is tucked in bed, will cut the heating bill up to 10 percent ($90 per year), paying for a basic unit in less than a year.

4. Seal and insulate heating ducts. A system can lose up to 60 percent of its warmed air before it reaches the register (wasting $570 in warmed air per year) if ducts are not properly insulated in unheated areas such as attics and crawlspaces.

5. Insulate, insulate, insulate. Adequate insulation in the attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawlspaces can save up to 30 percent on home energy bills ($630 per year).  Focus on the attic. (Heat rises.) Most homes should have between R-30 and R-49 insulation in the attic. Learn more at www.eere.energy.gov/consumer.

6. Close fireplace dampers when not in use. When in use, reduce heat loss by opening dampers in the bottom of the firebox (if provided) or open the nearest window about an inch, close doors to the room, and lower thermostat setting to 50-55ºF.

7. Let the sun shine in. Open curtains on south facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat the home, and close them at night to reduce the chill from cold windows.

8. Stay out of hot water. Water heating accounts for 15 percent of household energy use. Reduce water heating costs by lowering the water heater’s thermostat setting. Each 10ºF reduction can save between 3-5 percent in energy costs. Also insulate the hot water heater and hot water pipes.

9. Install storm windows over single-pane windows or replace them with Energy Star qualified windows. Storm windows reduce heat loss by 25 to 50 percent, and storm windows with low-e coating that reflect heat back into the room during the winter months save even more energy.  Look for the Energy Star label to maximize savings. Energy Star qualified windows reduce heating and cooling bills by an average of $345, but could be higher in cold and hot climates, compared with uncoated, single-pane windows. Can’t afford new windows just now? Tape clear plastic sheeting to the inside of window frames if drafts, water condensation, or frost are present.

10. Net big savings with a little label. When replacing appliances, light bulbs, electronics, or heating and cooling systems, cut energy bills by up to 30 percent ($600 per year) with Energy Star labeled products. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in place of comparable incandescent bulbs. Find retailers at www.energystar.gov.

These and other improvements that impact the energy efficiency of a home can save home owners money in the short term and serve as a selling point to potential buyers later. Be sure to save receipts, documentation, and manufacturer’s information.

Not sure where to begin? Try the Department of Energy’s online energy audit tool at http://hes.lbl.gov.  And remember, you can always grab a blanket.

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I’ll admit, I still scratch my head when thinking of the company’s decision to build here, when there is another Applebee’s at the very next exit south (99th Street) on I-5.

And nothing personal against Applebee’s, but with another one of their restaurants so close, it would have been nice to see an Olive Garden, Outback or Friday’s at this location.

Regardless, Applebee’s, welcome to the neighborhood.

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Regardless of your preference, as far as I’m concerned, you can keep ‘em all.  The real game of football, the one played by those who simply love the game, the school, and the community… well that game starts now.

For the High School players with dreams of a playoff run as well as the small tykes who live with the simple goal of seeing how muddy they can get, football starts in earnest this weekend.

So get out there Friday night and support your local high school team.  Or better yet, grab a front-row seat to the way sports of all levels should be played and catch a local Clark County Youth Football game at one of the local stadiums on Saturday.

You’ll find yourself reflecting back on all that was good about sports and envisioning all that can be good about them again.

For more information on local schedules:

Skyview schedule
River schedule
Bay schedule
Fort schedule
Evergreen schedule
Mt. View schedule
Heritage schedule
Union schedule
Battle Ground schedule
Prairie schedule
Camas schedule
Washougal schedule
Ridgefield schedule
La Center schedule
Hockinson
Woodland schedule

There… that should keep you busy this fall!

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But since all the action is happening half-way across the world, unless you keep (my kind of) night-owl hours, you will miss most of the fun.  Of course, NBC seemingly owns has broadcast rights to the Olympics, and you can see lots of programming there… but what if you tire of their announcers or angle?  You are out of luck, right?

Not necessarily.

Thanks to the wonder that is Internet technology, there are now loads of other ways to watch the Olympics. Here is a list of websites that offer various Olympic coverage.

Enjoy, be sure to cheer on our local and native Clark County participants, and look forward to Vancouver hosting our own Winter Olympics two short years from now.

Oh, wait, that’s the OTHER Vancouver.  (I was wondering how they were going to do the Giant Slalom on St. Helens…)

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Locally, we had our little brush with the force of nature recently. We were fortunate. There are thousands who are not so lucky.

Fellow bloggers and just all around good human beings, the folks at AgentGenius and RErevealed have put together a program to help those recently devastated by the wicked twisters that wreaked havoc on America’s southern heartland.

They have asked for our help. If you think about how lucky we were in withstanding our recent tornado, you can only imagine how tough it is for those who weren’t so blessed.

While this site can not post donation links for these assistance efforts, you can go directly to any of these sites and help, any way you can.

AgentGenius
RErevealed
Phoenix Real Estate Guy

They would do the same for us.

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According to The Columbian, WalMart paid about $6.78 million for the parcel on which they had been previously denied the ability to foist yet another traffic-clogging megamart on an unsuspecting and ill-equipped neighborhood. Almost $7 Mill, for a site in which their proposed store had been declined. That’s some serious coin to throw after a failed deal. Or is it?

That may sound like a lot of money, but if you put it in perspective, it’s nothing more than some loose change on the street to the behemoth corporation.

According to the most recent filing, WalMart did an annualized run-rate of $363.5 Billion in Net Sales (yes, with a “B”). I had to count the zeroes twice to make sure I got it right. Just so you can see the magnitude of it, that’s $363,520,000,000. (Thank goodness I had a big calculator.)

So, in perspective, that purchase is about .000185 of their annual net sales. That’s like the average person, based on average per capita income, spending about .68. (I had to do that math twice, too). Again, just so you can see the magnitude of THAT, that’s about SIXTY-EIGHT CENTS to you and me. Must be nice!

Sounds to me like the county commissioners are in for a tussle. WalMart was willing to toss $7 million at the site – after a denial. How much will they throw at it now that they have a couple of bucks invested into the mix.

That type of corporate arrogance and defiance (let alone the money to fight the will of the people) doesn’t bode well for the community.

Some of you may say, “but Mitch, you’re in the real estate business, you should be happy about that type of money flowing in to property sales.” Yes, I am in the real estate business, but first and foremost I’m in the quality of life business, both for my own family and those of my neighbors and clients. Another megamart at an already over-packed interchange (which is only one freeway exit away from an existing WalMart, by the way) just isn’t a step in the right direction.

Here’s hoping our local commissioners don’t turn tail and run like the recent events that transpired surrounding the WalMart in Woodland. Our Clark County Commissioners found some backbone when they listened to their constituency and stood up to the corporate titan to reject the flawed, unneeded and unwanted development application… let’s hope the weight of all that money being tossed around by WalMart doesn’t ultimately break their backs.

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