Wes Ashworth Blog

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

How Planets Got Their Names

How Planets Got Their Names

Have you ever wondered how the planets in our solar system got their names? Like the names of days of the week, they were named after Roman and Greek gods. For example…

➢ Mercury was named for the winged Roman deity of travel because it moved through the sky so rapidly.
➢ Venus is the namesake of the Roman goddess of love because it was considered the brightest and most beautiful heavenly body.
➢ Mars, with its angry red color, was named for the Roman god of war.
➢ Jupiter was given the name of the king of the Roman gods because it is the largest planet in the sky.
➢ Saturn was the Roman god of farming and the father of Jupiter.
➢ Uranus bears the name of the Greek god of the sky.
➢ Neptune, a blue planet, was named for the Roman god of the sea.
➢ Pluto, the smallest planet in our solar system and farthest from the sun, was named after the Roman god of the underworld, who was able to make himself invisible.

From Wes Ashworth's Service For Life Newsletter

Thinking of Selling Your Texas Home?

Thinking Of Selling Your Texas Home Soon?

Don’t attempt to sell your home without contacting me first. I’d be happy to come over and talk with you about taking the necessary steps to get your home ready to put it on the market and provide you with a Comparative Market Analysis for your neighborhood. Call Wes Ashworth at (972) 393-9604.

From Wes Ashworth's Service For Life Newsletter

How To Protect Your Family From Harmful TV

Is your family being exposed to inappropriate TV programs? The television rating system designed in 1997 was supposed to help people monitor the viewing habits of their families. But, does the system really work?

According to the rating guidelines, all programs except news, sports, and premium channel movies are required to display an on-screen rating. The rating system can be a very useful tool if you understand it and recognize its flaws.

Television ratings have been divided into six categories. For the sake of your family, you must educate yourself on the requirements of each category so that you can determine which programs are appropriate for your children.
➢ TVY – Appropriate for all ages of children. So innocent it wouldn’t even frighten a small child.
➢ TVY7 – Appropriate for children ages seven and above. These programs usually include mild violence.
➢ TVG – Appropriate for both adults and children. They usually contain limited or no violence, no strong language, and no sexual content.
➢ TVPG – Parental Guidance is suggested. The program may have some violence, crude language, or sexual content. It also may have an overall theme that is too mature for young children.
➢ TV14 – Parents are strongly cautioned when letting children under 14 view these programs. They may have mature themes, violence, sex, and strong language.
➢ TVM – For mature audiences only. Due to their overall mature content, these programs are meant for adults only.

The rating system has some major flaws. One is that programs are only required to show the rating at the beginning. So, if you tune in mid-show, you won’t know the rating of the program you’re watching. Second, the ratings are inconsistent because producers are allowed to rate their own shows. Thus, the producer’s interpretation of the guidelines may vary from your own. Finally, the TV rating system designates age groups for which the program is appropriate. But, unless it contains an “extra-defining content rating” you can’t tell specifically what offensive items it contains. Watch for content ratings of V for violence, S for sexual content, L for strong language, D for sexual dialogue, and FV for fantasy/cartoon violence.

Many newer TV’s are equipped with the “magical” V-chip, which helps monitor what is being viewed. But, if the ratings are skewed because of one of the mentioned flaws, your family may still be viewing shows you would categorize as inappropriate. Most watchdogs suggest the V-chip not be trusted to screen out all inappropriate programming. Adult supervision is still the best screening device. You can visit www.fcc.gov/vchip/ for more information on this subject.

Deciding what shows your family watches is a challenge. Think about your family’s reaction to specific content. For instance, if your older children are unable to handle strong language, you may need to steer them toward programs rated for younger children. Programs need to be chosen based on the maturity level of the viewer, not the chronological age. For assistance in choosing appropriate programming visit www.tvguidelines.org.

Links to Find Dallas County Real Estate

Coppell Texas Real Estate Search Made Easy!

Searching for Coppell Real Estate and Property Listings? Find what you are looking for by using the following Texas Real Estate and Homes for Sale resources:

coppell-texas-real-estate-and-homes-for-sale.com
coppell-real-estate-and-homes-for-sale.com

More Real Estate Resources At WesAshworth.com

Monday, September 21, 2009

The Best Time To Buy A Home Is Now

There has never been a better time to buy a home especially for First Time Home Buyers. Or, more acturately someone who has not owned their own home for at least 3 years. In my blog post below from September 17th you will find a link to qualifications for the tax credit. Check it out.

Now interest rates have fallen even further from the great rates of just a month ago.

http://www.newsgeni.us/articles/Rates_Down_for_Third_Straight_Week.html

Combine the Tax Credit with Great Interest Rates and this makes for a perfect time to buy a home. You can't say I didn't tell you!

For more information go to www.WesAshworth.com.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

$8,000 Tax Credit for First Time Home Buyers

TIME to take advantage of the $8,000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit is RUNNING OUT! This program is currently set to expire November 30th. You must close the purchase of a home by this date. We in the real estate profession are lobbying congress hard to extend this program, but we can’t count on it. So, don’t take a chance and miss out on this super opportunity to own your own home. TAKE ACTION NOW!
You could just take my word for it, but don’t.

Here is a link to a short YouTube video explaining the program.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2leBqxcwhvI
Here is a link to a CNN Money article about the program.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/13/real_estate/homebuyer_tax_credit_finalized/index.htm
Here is a link to the Federal Housing Tax Credit webpage which outlines program eligibility.
http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/2009/faq.php

The truth is that with this program you can move into a home that you own, cheaper than a new rental property. Call me and I will explain how!!!!

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