NASA: Apollo Missions

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the goal of sending astronauts to the moon before the end of the decade. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) met that challenge with the Apollo Program, which ran from 1968 to 1972. Apollo consisted of 17 manned flights with the ultimate goal of landing on the moon.
The first 10 Apollo flights tested various mission elements. Launched on July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 and its crew of three astronauts traveled to the moon. On July 20, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin boarded a landing craft and descended to the surface, becoming the first to ever do so. Armstrong and Aldrin remained on the moon for just over 21 hours, and only spent two and a half of those outside the spacecraft. During this time they set up several experiments and collected samples for later study. After reuniting with their fellow astronaut, Michael Collins, in orbit, the three returned to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24.
Six more missions (Apollo 12-17) followed, each mission remained on the moon for consecutively longer periods of time. Apollo 13, which suffered a mechanical failure that forced its return, was the only other mission that did not land on the moon.
Additional Resources:

• Apollo Program: 40th Anniversary
• Images of Apollo Landing Sites
• Kennedy Space Center: Apollo Program Overview
• Restored Videos from Apollo 11 Moonwalk
• We Choose the Moon: Apollo 11 Mission Replay
• NASA: History
• NASA: Lunar Exploration Missions

Mission Hills Life Team wins 2nd place at first annual Mission Hills BBQ competition 2011!

Our won second place at the first annual BBQ competition held at Pioneer Park. Thank you for your votes, see you all next year!  GreggHiddleson.com,  JuliaEngstrom - Bites from a La Jolla Foodie Blog and Mission Hills Life by Shelly Hiddleson.

Down the Drain: Garbage Disposal Dos & Don'ts

If your kitchen has a garbage disposal, you know how easy it makes mealtime clean up. But what you may not realize is that your disposal comes with some pretty important rules. Here are some of the most vital:
Do:

• Insert food slowly. Stuffing it all into your disposal at once can cause clogs and shorten the life of your system.
• Grind hard materials. Many people think food like chicken bones or small fruit pits are a no-no, but they can actually help clean the walls of the disposal.
• Use cold water for at least 20 seconds. This will solidify grease so that it can be ground up. Also, make sure that all food particles are washed completely down the drain.
• Keep it clean. One good way to eliminate drain smells is by grinding citrus fruit peels. You can also add a few drops of dish soap and let the disposal run for a few minutes.

Don't:

• Use hot water. This will make grease liquefy and build up, which can clog the drain.
• Grind fibrous or expandable foods. The former, like celery stalks and onionskins, can tangle up the disposal. The latter, like pasta and rice, can clog it.
• Turn off the motor too quickly. You'll want to make sure all food particles are completely ground. Once done, continue to run the water for at least 15 seconds to flush out particles.
• Wash coffee grounds down the drain. While they won't harm the disposal itself, they can clog pipes and drains.
• Forget to use it. Lack of use can cause rusting and corrosion, which can lead to premature system replacement.

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Homes need carbon monoxide detectors by July 1

Customers walk by a display of carbon monoxide detectors in a Home Depot store in San Diego. — Howard Lipin / U-T Photo

A new law requires single-family homeowners to install carbon monoxide detectors in their home by July 1. 

Buying a monitor
Prices for the monitors vary because of the different models and features. Some devices are battery operated and others are hardwired. Others feature a voice alarm or are a combination of smoke and carbon monoxide detector. The state fire marshal’s office has a list of approved devices and installation requirements on its website at http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/

What is carbon monoxide
Carbon is an oderless, colorless gas that is produced from furnaces, fireplaces, common household appliances, vehicles and other devices that burn fuels including propane, natural gas and oil.

Symptoms of poisoning
Headache, dizziness, loss of consciousness, nausea, weakness, chest pain and vomiting. (For tips on preventing poisoning go to www.fire.ca.gov)

Homeowners in California have less than two weeks to get a carbon monoxide detector installed in their homes.  A new state law that goes into effect July 1 requires the devices to be installed in all single-family homes that have an attached garage, fireplace or a fosil-burning heater. The detectors of the odorless, colorless gas can be bought at hardware stores for anywhere from $20 to $90. The bill requires that devices sold are certified by the Office of State Fire Marshal.


The State Air Resources Board, a regulatory board at the California Environmental Protection Agency, estimates that carbon-monoxide poisoning causes 30 to 40 deaths every year in California. The board said inhalation of the gas has led to about 175 to 700 emergency room and hospital visits within the last three years in California. But not everyone has to install the detectors by July 1. Owners of other dwellings, such as hotels, apartments and dormitories, have until 2013 to comply. Homeowners who fail to install the devices by July 1 will receive a 30-day notice. If they fail to comply, they face a maximum fine of $200 for each offense.

Tonya Hoover, acting State Fire Marshall, said it will be difficult to enforce the law but that the focus should be in increasing awareness. “It will be challenging because they are a lot more homes than people able to verify,” Hoover said. “That’s why one should focus on education and outreach, informing people about the law and how to install the devices properly.”

California joins 24 other states, including New York, Florida, Illinois and Texas, in its effort to curb carbon-monoxide poisoning by mandating the use of detectors.

Jim Miguel, who owns several homes in Ocean Beach, Clairemont and Point Loma, said he has already installed carbon monoxide detectors in each of his homes. He says the detectors should not be mandated by the state. “I am for personal freedom of choice,” Miguel said. “It’s a smart choice to install detectors, but consumers should decide on their own.” Logan Heights resident Rebecca Gullans supports the law. Gullans said installing such a device is prudent because she has small children. But she’s concerned low-income families may not be able to afford the devices. “It seems like something they should subsidize,” Gullans said. Part-time county resident Loretta Alley, who owns three properties in Sun City Lincoln Hills near Sacramento, says the law is a great idea. “It’s the same as with smoke detectors, people resist it at first but look at how many lives it safes,” Alley said.

By Royna Madina Noristani, Intern

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 12:07 p.m

Homes need carbon monoxide detectors by July 1 - SignOnSanDiego.com

Perspective: A call for more useful real estate statistics

 

Perspective: A call for more useful real estate statistics

By David Charron, Tuesday, June 14, 2011.  Inman News™

Broad housing market reports are a dime a dozen these days, and if you ask me, that's a good approximation of their worth. Markets are sliced and diced and compared across the board, drawing multiple -- and often conflicting -- conclusions with shaky, obsolete data. The market's up, or maybe it's down. It's good, it's bad, and it's confusing.

For most people, even with access to all this information the results are more inconsistent than ever, often dated and out of context. But they don't have to be.

Timely and accurate information, provided on a local level with a real-world perspective, is the real estate market's most important commodity -- and the ability of the public, government, financial institutions, investors and real estate professionals to make informed decisions on local housing markets is the cornerstone of an eventual housing recovery.

Isn't it time we stop trying to drive by, looking in the rear-view mirror, and insist on seeing just the facts, clearly, as they unfold?

Considering the critical role that real estate statistics play in just about every housing-related decision, it is time for our industry to rally around better data. We owe it to ourselves, our clients and our profession to insist on timeliness and clarity while delving into the motivations and methodologies of every metric we disseminate.

The most recent Case-Shiller Home Price Index of May 31 is a perfect example: It noted, of all the U.S. markets it tracks, the Washington, D.C., metro area as the only market to experience an increase in housing prices for the first quarter of 2011.

While this index may be useful for Wall Street, it hardly constitutes breaking news. Improving market conditions were reported three weeks earlier in an index produced by an MRIS subsidiary.

Metric discrepancies are about more than selling products or securing a reputation in the marketplace -- they go to the heart of how we think about information. The one real estate mantra that has remained unequivocally true through some of the most tumultuous years in the history of our profession is that all real estate is local.

By focusing on broad market-to-market comparisons instead of individual markets, we undercut our value as real estate professionals. Instead of chasing fleeting affirmations that change day in and day out, we should ensure that real estate professionals know how to read and apply local data.

Let's focus more on whether single-family homes or condos are more prevalent in a single area, the variance of seasonal market shifts, or the changes in sales activity that often precede major trends.

Let's talk about the facts as they stand today and refrain from basing decisions on reports that are already five to seven months behind the market when they hit newsstands.

We're never going to move forward as a profession by basing decisions on old data, and we'll never overcome paralysis if we compare our local markets to every other market in the country without considering the context of local driving forces.

Most people won't buy stocks today based solely on six-month-old research, nor will they decide what to wear today based on the average temperature in New York. Why don't the same principles apply to real estate?

David Charron is president and CEO of MRIS, the largest multiple listing service in the nation. MRIS facilitates more than $100 million a day in real estate transactions in the mid-Atlantic region.


Timely, local real estate data trumps national reports | Inman News

Events - 4th of July Celebration & BBQ Competition...Come See Me!

Four years ago the Mission Hills Town Council started their signature event for the neighborhood, the 4th of July Celebration in Pioneer Park. This event has gotten bigger each year and the community looks forward to attending. It starts with a parade through the streets of Mission Hills where families dress in patriotic colors .  Back in the park, prizes are awarded for best costume and games for the kids are also organized.  A concert follows and everyone spreads blankets and chairs in the park to enjoy their picnics. The Mission Hills Town Council has added something special to this year's annual 4th of July Celebration in Pioneer Park - a BBQ competition! Competitors from the neighborhood will by vying for great prizes as well as bragging rights.  Local architect, Jim Gates, is sculpting a trophy worthy of being passed on year after year, the winners' names emblazoned on it for generations of Mission Hills residents to see.  Phil Pace of Phil's BBQ, who got his start in Mission Hills, is one of the signature sponsors of the event and also one of the judges.  Another local business, ForeverCali.com, is donating aprons embroidered with the official logo for the competitors.  Pulled pork, a BBQ competition classic, will be served as sandwiches to Mission Hills Town Council members at the 4th of July celebration.  If you are not a member of the Town Council, family memberships are available the day of for $20.  All are welcome to the 4th of July Celebration and there will be the family favorite parade, kids games, a concert featuring local band Mama Red, singing of the national anthem, and free cake.  So bring a picnic and blanket and get ready to enjoy some great BBQ, music, and celebrate with your neighbors.


Morea About the 2011 4th of July Celebration

Are you the grill master of your block? Are your BBQ parties the event of the summer? If you regularly smell like BBQ smoke and want to become the Pit Master of Mission Hills (at least for a year), then enter the 1st Annual Mission Hills BBQ Competition. We are working on some great prizes and a trophy worthy of being passed on year after year - your name emblazoned on it for generations of Mission Hills residents to see. Also, Phil, from Phil's BBQ, will be one of the judges - how cool is that?! I will be competing so stop by and say Hi!

More about the BBQ Contest 

Grilling Central : Recipes and Cooking : Food Network

Grilling Central : Recipes and Cooking : Food Network