John Beckett's Real Estate Blog

• On New Year’s Day, people in certain countries gather on beaches and run into the water to celebrate the new year. Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States and Australia are the most popular countries for this. These events are sometimes known as Polar Bear plunges, and are sometimes organized by groups to raise money for charity. Polar Bear Clubs in many northern hemisphere cities near bodies of water, have a tradition of holding organized plunges on New Year’s Day.
• In Britain an extra round of football fixtures is played (unless New Year’s Day falls on a Thursday, Friday or Sunday).
• In Pasadena, California, United States, the Tournament of Roses is held, with revellers viewing the parade from the streets and watching on television, followed by the Rose Bowl College Football game. The game is one of several post-season bowl games played in college football in the United States (though in 2004 and 2006, due to its involvement in the Bowl Championship Series(BCS), the Rose Bowl game was not held on New Year’s Day).
• Vienna New Year Concert, in Austria.
• In Philadelphia, the Mummers Parade is held on Broad Street.
• Hindu New Year, which falls at the time and date Sun enters Mesha.
• Hindus celebrate the new year by paying respects to their parents and other elders and seek their blessings. They also exchange tokens of Good Wishes for healthy and prosperous year ahead.
• The New Years Day Parade is held in London. Performers include acts from each of the city’s 32 boroughs, as well as entertainment from around the world.
• Since 2008, the National Hockey League has held its annual Winter Classic, an outdoor regular season hockey game, on New Year’s Day.
• In the Southern United States, people traditionally prepare a meal of collard greens, black-eyed peas and pork for a year of good luck. A dime is often placed beneath the plate as a part of the tradition.
• Ski Jumping Garmisch-Parten Kirchen in Germany, a part of the Four Hills Tournament.
• In Pennsylvania and Ohio, mostly in or near Pennsylvania “Dutch” (Deitch/German0 areas, it is common to celebrate New Year’s Day with a meal of pork, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes. The practice comes from a Pensylvania Dutch tradition that dictates these foods will bring good luck in the new year.

People born on New Year’s Day are commonly called New Year babies. Hospitals, such as the Dyersburg Regional Medical Center in the U.S., give out prizes to the first baby born in that hospital in the new year. These prizes are often donated by local businesses. Prizes may include various baby related items such as baby formula, Baby Blankets, diapers, and gift certificates to stores which specialize in baby related merchandise.

Does anyone have another tradition that they know of?

                  Brett Favre and Peyton Manning already were Pro Bowl regulars when they were selected to this season’s game Tuesday. Favre was among eight Minnesota Vikings who made the NFC team, while Manning was one of six Indianapolis Colts on the AFC squad. It will be Favre’s 11th Pro Bowl and the 10th for Manning. No other quarterbacks have been to 10 all-star games. Favre will be a backup to New Orleans’ Drew Brees, the NFL’s top-rated passer. The other NFC quarterback will be Aaron Rodgers, who replaced Favre in Green Bay last year.
                 When you are voted in as a quarterback, you really represent the entire offense and the team,” Brees said, “because there isn’t anything I can accomplish without the offensive line, running backs, tight ends and wide receivers. So this is a recognition of what we’ve been able to achieve as a unit, and I’ve been thrilled to be a part of an offense that has worked together so well this season.”  Tennessee running back Chris Johnson, the league’s leading rusher, also made the AFC team, along with NFL receptions leader Wes Welker of New England. Manning will be backed up at quarterback by New England’s Tom Brady and San Diego’s Philip Rivers. All six of the quarterbacks made the playoffs and, of course, would prefer to be playing in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 in Miami. The Pro Bowl has been moved to the previous Sunday at Dolphin Stadium, and no Super Bowl participants will play in the all-star game.
                    Vikings RB Adrian Peterson, the league’s top scorer among non-kickers, will be in the NFC backfield. The other Vikings who made it: wide receiver Sidney Rice, defensive end Jared Allen, guard Steve Hutchinson, defensive tackle Kevin Williams, special teamer Heath Farwell and tackle Bryant McKinnie. Dallas and Philadelphia, which meet for the NFC East title on Sunday, had the next most players on the NFC roster with six each, followed by top-seeded New Orleans with five. There were 13 first-timers chosen in the NFC in voting by fans, coaches and players. Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers has earned another $1.5 million by making his fifth Pro Bowl, pushing his NFL-high salary to $18.2 million this season. Peppers has 10 1/2 sacks and was voted an NFC starter. Nobody made it from the Falcons, Seahawks, Buccaneers or Lions.
                       The other Colts on the AFC roster were tight end Dallas Clark, defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, wide receiver Reggie Wayne and center Jeff Saturday. San Diego, Denver and Baltimore each had five players chosen for the AFC team. There were eight newcomers in the AFC, while Cincinnati was the only division champion with no Pro Bowlers. Kansas City was the other AFC team without one, for the first time since 1978. Bengals wideout Chad Ochocinco wasn’t too concerned about the snub. “Just been informed myself nor any of my teammates made the Pro Bowl-bengal fans we wouldn’t be abe to play in it anyway! SUPER BOWL BABY!!!” Johnson said on Twitter.
                              Two rookies made the AFC team, Houston linebacker Brian Cushing and Buffalo safety Jairus Byrd, who is on injured reserve. “I’m just thrilled,” Cushing said. “It’s one of those things you always look forward to growing up playing football. When coach called me today I was just beyond ecstatic. I couldn’t believe that it actually happened.   ” Washington LB Brian Orakpo is the lone rookie on the NFC squad. Orakpo is the first Redskins rookie selected for the Pro Bowl in 31 years. “It really humbles me, because it shows people are watching and really know what I can do out there,” Orakpo said. “I appreciate this honor and hopefully will get some more in the future — and turn this team around, as well.” Record-setting kick returner Joshua Cribbs made the AFC team and joked it might help his stalled contract negotiations. Cribbs is planning to take most of the members of Cleveland’s return units with him to the Pro Bowl. ”I hope I get that contract so I can afford it,” he said, laughing. “It’s the least I can do for a job well done. I can’t leave those guys behind, they deserve it as much as I do. I’ve got to take care of my guys.”

Read entire story at: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Pro-bowl-team-named-122909

With winter here, temperatures are going down and heating bills are going up. Heating and cooling account for about 56% of energy use in a typical American home, making it the largest energy expense for most homes, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Many heat-saving tricks can also save cooling costs in the summer. And they help the environment in addition to helping your pocketbook. To stop your money from flowing out your windows, under your doors and through your electric outlets, follow these tips.

Find energy-sucking culprits:
Pass your hand around windows and doors on a cold day to find cold spots. Other heat-loss suspects include window-mounted air-conditioning units, dryer vents, outdoor faucets, cable TV and phone lines, and electric and gas service lines. On a cold windy day, turn on bathroom fans and stove vents and walk around the house holding a burning incense stick. Drafts will blow the smoke. Or turn off the lights at night and have a friend shine a flashlight around door and window edges and electric sockets; you can see light through larger cracks. Close a window or door on a piece of paper. If you can pull it out without tearing it, you’re losing heat. You can also ask your electric company if it offers free energy audits. An inspector might point out energy saving tips you’d never think of yourself.

Windows are heat losers
Close drapes and blinds at night. Open them during the day, especially for south-facing windows, to let the sun in. Heavy drapes can also help, and make sure your storm windows are closed. If you have older windows, replacing them with new energy-efficient ones is a large investment but worth the cost in the long run. A cheaper, temporary alternative is to buy window insulator kits to cover the window with a sheet of clear plastic. Attach the plastic to the window frame with double-sided tape, then shrink-wrap it with a hair dryer.

Seal the air
You don’t always need to spend a ton to save money. Air sealing, done with caulking and
weatherstripping, is one of the biggest energy efficiency improvements you can do. And it not only cuts heating costs, it also improves your home’s comfort and durability, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. To judge how much weatherstripping you’ll need, measure the window and door frames and add 10% to 15%. Think about the location and expected wear and tear when picking the type of  weatherstripping. Felt and open-cell foams are less efficient and more visible but are cheaper and easy to apply, making them fine for low-traffic areas. Vinyl, though slightly more expensive, holds up well and resists moisture. Metals such as stainless steel or aluminum last longer and are affordable. Caulk is usually sold in disposable cartridges and applied with a caulking gun, but you can also buy aerosol cans, squeeze tubes and ropes for easy application. A draft dodger, a snake-like piece of cloth wrapped around sand and placed at the bottom of a door, will block the cold. The ones sold at stores may look like cute little animals, but a rolled up towel will also do. Unscrew outlet covers on outside walls and put foam gaskets on the outlets or reseal them with caulk.

Insulation investment
Make sure your heating system is serviced. Replace the filter monthly. Check that vents, including return ducts, are not blocked by furniture, toys or piles of clothes. Cover your air ducts with insulation. Drain your sprinkler pipes to make sure underground pipes don’t freeze and break. Check for old, dirty insulation in the attic that needs to be replaced. You can add new insulation on top of old if you don’t add the kind with paper backing (the paper side faces down, by the way). Determining the proper amount of insulation is tricky. A quick guide is that you should have at least 12 inches, enough to cover the ceiling joists. The final tip that everyone already knows is to watch your thermostat. Make sure the house really is too cold before you crank it up; try grabbing a sweater first. Get proactive about saving energy and you’ll not only help the environment, you’ll help out your wallet.

Read more: http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=22798201