Archive for January, 2003

Investing in Land

// January 29th, 2003 // 2 Comments » // General

This is a tax shelter while you’re working (since interest in a mortgage is deductible) and land always appreciates in value over time (even in Arizona :) ). When you retire you can sell the land and if you’re over 59 you can skip paying the taxes (this is a one-time benefit). And if you invest in land by buying a home and you live in the home for 2 of the last 5 years, you can keep the gains from the sale of the house tax free up to 250k (500k if you’re married). Go put that into some IRA’s and life will be gooood come retirement age.

Interfacing with Car Computer

// January 22nd, 2003 // Comments Off // General

I was half-wondering how I could, at some point, interface a computer or PDA with my car computer to get diagnostic readouts. I found this page that lists a bunch of fault codes for my Jeep, but it also listed another page that had software and interface cables, albeit on the pricey side. They even have a wireless option.

Francis Cabrel, “Photos de Voyages”

// January 3rd, 2003 // Comments Off // General

Like a child of the islands,

wearing nothing on his skin.

He quietly watches the tourst boats cross.

You get off the boat and walk up to him,

money in your pocket, and take his picture.

At the end of your trip, sitting

in your living room, you see his

face again staring up at you from

the bottom of a shoe box.

You have your money.

He has the sun.

He has all his time.

You have your camera.

You take back your pictures, your travel photos. You think you’re as happy as he is.

You have your business lunches

and your nights spent at work.

He’s sitting outside, hair down

to his waist, repairing a net

to catch fish at the coral reef.

In the middle of your city,

you’re all bundled up.

Sometimes the temperature drops

to 15 degrees below 0.

Sitting in his little cabin in

the hot sun, he’s drinking

coconut milk.