12 Days of Jennerette

The Buffalo Sabres play the Washington Capitols tonight at the Verizon Center. As I told you yesterday I would have something special for you Caps fans. Here it is, from the greatest hockey commentator in the business, Rick Jennerette's 12 Days of Christmas:



By: David

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Merry Christmas Canada!

In honor of both the Christmas season and the Buffalo Sabres beating the Toronto Maple Leafs last night I post this video; Bob and Doug McKenzie's 12 Days of Christmas. Happy Holidays Canadians!



Not to worry Caps fans, there's more for you tomorrow.

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

Cerrato Out; Allen In

Things are changing for the Washington Redskins, and the way things have been going lately (i.e. since Dan Snyder bought the team in 1999) that's a very good thing, at least if you're a football fan.

Snyders' longtime second-hand man and Executive VP of Football Operations, Vinny Cerrato, resigned December 17. Cerrato has taken a lot of heat from the D.C. media for overspending in free agency on over-the-hill free agents that were once great NFL players such as Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Irving Fryer, Jeff George, and Mark Carrier. He was also blamed for shortcomings in the NFL draft, with depleted picks (from trading up or signing restricted free agents) and neglecting the trenches (Chris Samuels and Derrick Dockery are the only standout offensive lineman drafted, in 2000 and 2003 respectively).

While the Redskins have produced off the field (they are currently the second highest grossing team in the NFL) they have had a pretty bad decade on it. Now, however, the Redskins hope to have a fruitful football future with their latest addition, General Manager Bruce Allen. Bruce is the son of the Washington Redskins Hall of Fame coach George Allen. He has NFL managerial experience with the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Although for much of his career Allen has worked with former coach and current Monday Night Football commentator Jon Gruden, his appointment has been linked in the media with the potential hiring in a new head coach in Mike Shanahan, two time Super Bowl winner and former coach of the Denver Broncos.

Washington Redskins hire General Manager Bruce Allen

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Dropcards

http://www.realtythoughts.com/

As a real estate professional your main focus in business has to be people. Converting those people into clients can be a tedious process which heavily weighs on trust and reputation. In the past the main avenue for getting new leads and networking was handing out business cards whenever possible. With the increase of social networks and the Web 2.0 culture, real estate pros must engage people where they frequent – the web. So I guess you’re wondering what this has to do with business cards? There’s a neat tool I want to share that encompasses both worlds of live interaction and social networking online. It’s called a dropcard, and it allows you to give people you meet your business card via text message or over the web. Not only does it allow you to give your contact and business information, it also enables you to connect with these new contacts via the various social networks you have a presence in.

www.mydropcard.com

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Zillow Home Value Index

Zillow.com has compiled a list of cities that are having the best year-over-year increases in home value. The study included cities with more than 20,000 residents and compared their October 2009 Zillow Home Value Index with it’s 2008 Index. The Zillow Home Value Index measures the median home value in an area. According to the research the cities with the most appreaciation of home values include a few near my hometown of Grand Island, NY in the Buffalo Metro Area. Here’s the top ten (Buffalo Metro Area in bold):

1. Charleston, WV (17.0%)
2. New Orleans, LA (14.2%)
3. Wilmington, DE (13.4%)
4. Amherst, NY (12.5%)
5. West Seneca, NY (11.5%)
6. Mequon, WI (11.4%)
7. Rochester, NY (10.6%)*
8. Cheektowaga, NY (9.8%)
9. Florence, SC (9.7%)
10. North Little Rock, AR (9.0%)

* Near SUNY Brockport where I attended college

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Best Music From the Past Decade

The latest issue of Rolling Stone includes several lists including the best songs and best albums of the decade. Being an avid music-lover I'm going to list my top 10 favorites from both categories. (Note: Music selected only from R.S. lists)

Favorite Songs from the Past Decade: 1. Crazy (Gnarles Barkley) 2. The Seed 2.0 (The Roots) 3. Welcome to Jamrock (Damian Marley) 4. Paper Planes (M.I.A.) 5. 99 Problems (Jay-Z) 6. Rehab (Amy Winehouse) 7. Hurt (Johnny Cash) 8. B.O.B. (Outkast) 9. Clint Eastwood (Gorillaz) 10. All My Friends (LCD Soundsystem)

Rolling Stone: 100 Best Songs of the Decade

Favorite Albums from the Past Decade: 1. Kid A (Radiohead) 2. Back to Black (Amy Winehouse) 3. Toxicity (System of a Down) 4. Raising Sand (Robert Plant and Alison Krauss) 5. Elephant (White Stripes) 6. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Wilco) 7. Kala (M.I.A.) 8. Sound of Silver (LCD Soundsystem) 9. The Grey Album (Danger Mouse) 10. The Marshall Mathers LP (Eminem)

Rolling Stone: 100 Best Albums of the Decade

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

The ATM: The greatest thing since the locked vault

Paul Volcker, the former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman and current chairman of President Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, dropped some heavy news on an audience of some of the world's most senior financiers. He claimed that the ATM was the single most important contribution their industry has made in the last 25 years.

Volcker told delegates at a business conference in Sussex, who had been discussing how to rebuild the financial system, to "wake up". He said credit default swaps and collateralised debt obligations had taken the economy "right to the brink of disaster" and added that the economy had grown at "greater rates of speed" during the 1960s without such products. At least the automated telling machine had at least proved "useful".

New York Times

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Real Estate Urban Legend

Courtesy of The Gory Details...of Real Estate:

"Be forewarned -- no, this is not about kidney harvesting, Nigerian Lottery winnings, or Bill Gates giving everyone lots of money for forwarding an email -- there is an email making the rounds titled "HR 2454: CAP AND TRADE ENERGY BILL", which purports that new legislation will require all homes to retroactively pass new energy standards before they are sold.

Some even say that all homes will now be required to get a "label" for your house every year, proving that your home meets new energy standards.

This is all patently and unequivocally FALSE. (and you can even check Snopes.com here to doublecheck)

Firstly, whoever started this email has a serious conspiracy theory complex. They also probably fall into the category of "birther", "teabagger party member", or "Glenn Beck-lover".

Bottom line, our gub'mint is not going to do anything - ANYTHING - that will adversely affect the real estate market, which is absolutely one of the key elements in our ongoing, slow economic recovery. Why do you think they recently overwhelmingly voted to extend the first time buyer $8K tax credit bill, as well as extend the $729K conforming loan limit? They want to encourage people to have more confidence in home ownership.

Anyway, I also consulted our National Association of Realtors (NAR) position on this, and below is what it said. The most revealing statement, which contradicts this email is that this bill "Does not create a federal energy audit requirement for real property".

"The U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act by Reps. Waxman (D‐CA) and Markey (D‐MA). Following NAR’s long‐standing policy to only take a position on legislation, or provisions within legislation that have a direct affect on real estate, NAR worked with our Congressional allies to strip the Energy Bill of provisions that would have adversely affected our industry.

After multiple consultations with the NAR Climate Presidential Advisory Group, the NAR Land Use, Property Rights and Environment Committee, and state associations who had dealt with energy audit legislation at the state level, the Land Use, Property Rights and Environment Committee directed NAR staff to concentrate on the real estate provisions in the bill. As a result, NAR issued calls for action and made this a talking point for Capitol Hill visits during its recent Midyear meeting.

Overall, REALTORS® succeeded in making a number of positive changes affecting the real estate provisions of the bill. The House‐approved bill:

• Does not create a federal energy audit requirement for real property;

• Exempts existing homes and buildings from any federal guidelines for new construction energy efficiency information labels.

• Prohibits the implementation of any labeling during a sales transaction.

• Leaves the decision to states as to whether to require energy audits, disclosures, etc.

• Provides property owners with significant financial incentives, matching grants and tools to make property improvements and reduce their energy bills;

• Prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating residential and commercial buildings under the Clean Air Act;

• Eliminated an early proposal to allow citizens to sue over minor climate risks under the Clean Air Act; and Establishes green building incentives for HUD housing, including a loan program for renewable energy, block grants and credit for upgrades in mortgage underwriting."
  

http://gorydetails.typepad.com/the_gory_details/

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

Rage Against Simon Cowell

London, England (CNN) -- At least half a million Facebookers are raging against Simon Cowell, trying to keep his British TV talent show "The X-Factor" from claiming the number-one spot on the British singles chart on Christmas Day.

They've vowed to download the Rage Against the Machine song "Killing in the Name" starting on Monday to make it the number-one single in the country on the Sunday before Christmas.
It might seem like a frivolous contest, but hundreds of thousands of pounds -- and a place in history -- are at stake.

A Christmas Number One enters the history books, exciting passion, disgust, joy and, yes, rage.
British music fans sometimes take the high road. They put the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" at the top of the charts three times: First in 1984, then in 1989 and 2004 when anniversary editions came out.

Once upon a time, they got into the spirit of the season -- with "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Mary's Boy Child," and "When a Child is Born" all topping the charts on Christmas Day in days of yore.

And often they just buy the songs they like, paying no heed to the season's mistletoe and wine. The Beatles topped the Christmas Day chart four times. The Spice Girls claimed the title three times. Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Westlife all had Christmas number ones. So did Pink Floyd, with "Another Brick in the Wall." (Merry Christmas, everyone!)

Most infamous of all are the songs that drive you around the bend. Mr. Blobby's single "Mr. Blobby" -- no, really -- was the 1993 chart-topper. The theme song from the kids' show "Bob the Builder" took top honors in 2000. Slapstick comic Benny Hill ruled the charts in 1971 with "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West.)"

And, to the everlasting fury and despair of John Lennon fans, "There's No One Quite Like Grandma," by the St. Winifred's School Choir, claimed the top spot in 1980, weeks after the former Beatle was gunned down, knocking off his "(Just Like) Starting Over."

Historically, there has been a lively business trying make Christmas number ones -- and to predict what they will be, said Rupert Adams of the William Hill betting shop.

"It used to be massive -- five years ago you would have all the big record producers try to get in on the Christmas sales," he said. "Hundreds of thousands of pounds" would be wagered on the results, he added.

Then came Simon Cowell, the flat-topped, smirking, eye-rolling impresario behind "The X-Factor."

Winners of his talent show have taken the top slot for the past four years, and William Hill now runs a separate pool for betting on what will be the number two single -- behind "X-Factor winner," as they generically call it.

Cowell is the unstoppable force in front of which Jon and Tracy Morter are trying to put an immovable object.

"2009 X-Factor is in its final stages and we need to gain more people here to try once again to stop this manufactured crap stealing our national heritage of a CHRISTMAS No.1!!" they say on the page of their Facebook group.

"We were bored of the Christmas Number One being predictable," Tracy Morter said. "When we grew up it was always exciting wondering what it was going to be. (The song) was sometimes rubbish but it was fair."

Now, she said, people are pre-ordering the X-Factor winner's song without even knowing what it is.

They've signed up more than half a million members in a week for a Facebook group dedicated to putting Rage Against the Machine on top of the charts.
Rupert Adams, for one, is taking notice.

"X-Factor winner" still tops his list of most likely chart-toppers -- people who place a £5 bet on it at William Hill will win only £1 if they're right -- but the Morters are at least making it competitive.

Adams -- who runs the William Hill betting, or "book" on the Christmas Number One -- makes Rage Against the Machine the second most likely winner. William Hill will pay out £10 on a £3 bet if "Killing in the Name" takes top honors.

"X-Factor will sell somewhere around 800,000," guaranteed, Adams said. "For Rage Against the Machine, on Monday I would have given you 100 to 1. But since then, there's this Facebook group and they now have half a million members."

The critical question -- and what makes this fun for Adams, he said -- is whether group members will actually shell out money on the song.

"We have absolutely no idea how strong this group is," he said. "Having lots of mates on Facebook doesn't mean you are going to transfer that to sales."

Cowell himself dismissed the campaign as "stupid.

"It's not going to change my life particularly" if the X-Factor winner isn't number one on Christmas, he said at a press conference with the show finalists in London Thursday. "It does, however, change these guys' lives."

Cowell accused the Facebook group of "treating our audience as if they're stupid," and said the Rage Against the Machine movement was "quite a cynical campaign geared at me."
Tracy Morter laughed off the accusation.

"He's going to get his sales anyway -- we're not going to persuade people not to buy it," she said. "People are pre-ordering without even knowing who won."

What she hopes is that people who would not normally buy music will purchase the Rage Against the Machine single -- and donate money to Shelter, a homeless charity, at the same time.

She insisted she did not have a grudge against X-Factor contestants.

"We're not against the contestants in any way. I watch it. I enjoy seeing who's good and who's not," she said.

Cowell proteges are unlikely to spend Christmas unwrapping presents alone, whatever happens.
William Hill lists Susan Boyle as the fourth most likely Christmas chart-topper, at 25-to-1 (behind Walt Disney-backed Miley Cyrus at 20-to-1), and former "X-Factor" winner Leona Lewis as sixth, at 33-to-1.

Just as a reminder of how random the Christmas Number One contenders can be, the Muppets are joint fourth with Boyle, the frumpy Scottish woman who went viral when she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" on Cowell's show earlier this year.

Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Take That and George Michael round out the top 10, while number 11 is World War II sweetheart Vera Lynn, whose greatest hits album this year fueled a mini-comeback this year for her -- at age 92.

Whatever the winner, oddsmaker Adams is delighted that the field is once again competitive.
"It could be a bumper year" for betting, he said. "It could be the best year since the X-Factor came onto the scene."

Then again, it might -- just might -- be another year like 1972, when Little Jimmy Osmond topped the charts with "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool."

Facebookers rage against Simon Cowell's Christmas juggernaut

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

2010 NHL Winter Classic

There is a game at Fenway Park on New Years Day. However, the Boston Red Sox will not be on the field. It will be their athletic city brethren, the Boston Bruins, taking on the Philadelphia Flyers on an outdoor icerink in the third annual NHL Winter Classic Presented by Bridgestone.

The game, played as a regular season matchup for 2 points, will serve as the NHL's showcase of the year since there will be no NHL All-Star game due to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The past Winter Classics were a huge success. The first, colloquially known as the "Ice Bowl", was played in 2008 between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY and seen by 71,217 fans in attendance. The second, between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings, was played this past New Years Day at Wrigley Field.

These games are truly wonderful. Between the size of the crowds, the throwback uniforms, and the amazing visuals there is so much to love about the Winter Classic. Being an outdoor event, it harkens back to a simpler time for the old-timey traditionalists, which hockey has plenty of. But it's also something kids can get a kick out of; many children laugh at the tuque's worn by the goalies to keep their heads warm.

The ice-truck is on it's way to Fenway as I write this and construction on the rink will begin within the week. I can't wait to view the sights and hear the sounds of this years Winter Classic on New Years Day.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/eventhome.htm?location=/winterclassic/2010

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

Is It Time to Start Taking Those Overpriced Listings?

I absolutely hate taking an overpriced listing and simply would not do it. It seems like one big waste of time to me since the market has been declining for the last 4 years. It is like going to work and not receiving a paycheck.

If a seller is overpriced from day one then they will really be overpriced 3-6-9 months down the road. However, the market is looking more positive as inventories are declining and unit sales are up. It appears that we are in or coming close to a bottom.

So should you start building your listing inventory even if the sellers are overpriced? If you ask some of the largest producers in your market they will probably say yes.

I’m always looking to learn in this business so I like to observe the biggest producers. Most of them take a lot of listings. There is definitely a direct correlation between being a huge listing agent and selling a lot of real estate. If you look closely at some these large producers you will notice that they don’t always take a listing at an aggressive price.
In fact, many of their listings are over priced. However, in time they manage to get the seller to see the light and eventually many of them sell. Start observing the larger producers in your market and I think you will see the same patterns.

I read recently that a seller accepting the realities of the market is similar to the stages of the grieving process.

Stage 1 – Denial

During this stage the seller does not believe that the value of their home has fallen that much. They read stories and hear the news about the horrible real estate market but somehow their home and neighborhood are different. Those things apply to everyone else.

Stage 2 – Anger

When reality begins to set in the home seller will likely get angry. “How can my home be worth this little? After all I bought it before the housing boom. I am not going to give my house away!”

Stage 3 – Bargaining

When the seller gets past the anger stage they will often look for ways to bargain. Reality has not totally set in. There is a search for ways to get most of the “perceived value” that they had in their heads. This might come in the form of listing with that one Realtor who gave us the price we liked (1st listing agent).

Stage 4 – Depression

When it finally becomes clear that the bargaining is not working the home seller may face a period of depression. They see no working solutions and cannot accept the fact that their home is worth much less than they thought.

Stage 5 – Acceptance

The final stage is acceptance. They realize that the perceived value in their head was wrong and the market dictates the value of their home. They are not happy about it but atleast they can now move on to the next chapter in their lives. This is where they might be on to the 2nd or 3rd listing agent. As a listing agent these are the sellers you want to find.

If the market is flattening out and you have the time and patience to hold the hand of a seller during the grieving process this may be a great time for you to start taking those overpriced listings. If you get a number of them chances are good that the seller will eventually see the light and accept the market realities. When that happens your overpriced listing can quickly become a very attractive, aggressively priced one.

By: Marc Rasmussen

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

Ever Buried Someone in Your Backyard?

Are you having trouble selling your home in today's down market? Do you enjoy new fads? Do you believe in good luck charms? One desperate home-seller in Brooklyn, NY sought the help of St. Joseph; the Catholic saint long believed to help with home related matters.

According to lore now spreading on the internet burying St. Jospeh in the yard of a home for sale promises a prompt bid.

After she and her husband held five open houses, even baking cookies for one of them, she ordered a St. Joseph “real estate kit” online and buried the three-inch white statue in her yard.
These statues are flying off the shelves and website pages as skeptics and non-Catholics seek some sort of leg-up in these troubled times.

You can read the entire article on the RealEstateJournal website.

Update: Her house has sold! Congrats to her and apparently burying St. Joseph in her yard helped.

David Cowgill Real Estate Blog

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Group of Death

The draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa took place on Friday, December 4th in Cape Town. The purpose of the draw was to find out which countries will face each other in the group stage of the tournament.

Qualification for the World Cup finals began in September 2006, right after the World Cup in Germany. After four years the nations involved have been widdled down to just 32 (see "2010 FIFA World Cup" blog) which were placed into eight groups of four teams. Each team will play one game against the other three in the group in order to determine which two countries, based on highest point total, will move on to the knock-out stages. Teams get three points for a win, one for a tie, and zero for a loss. In the event of a tie in total points the tie-breaker is goal difference, then goals scored.

Teams were seeded into four pots of eight teams for the draw. The teams in group one were chosen based on the FIFA World Rankings from October 2009 and also includes the host nation. The remaining groups were based on FIFA confederations. Group two was from Asia, North America and Oceania, group three from Africa and South America, group four was from Europe.

As it happened, with the help of special guests including actress Charlize Theron and footballer David Beckham, the groups were chosen as follows:

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France. Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece. Group C: England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia. Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana. Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon. Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia. Group G (aka Group of Death): Brazil, Korea DPR, Cote d'Ivoire, Portugal. Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile.

Get ready to cheer for your team this summer.

WorldFace - What if World Politics was Social Networking?

Have you ever wanted to tell People's Republic of China to "Free Tibet" or Brazil to "shut up and play soccer"? Now you can!

A friend of mine recently introduced me to a social media site from England called WorldFace. It was set up by the group Team Fishcake. The premise was inspired by a conversation between friends on msn. What came out of it was a Facebook-type website involving nations.

"What if world politics was social networking? This site shows you what's going on in the world today using a format that the kids of today might be a little more familiar with." It's also "an interactive, which means you can add your own bitingly satirical statuses and comments." Though "any inapproapriate, offensive, or just plain rubbish suggestions will be immediately rejected."

A few of my personal favorites:

Hugary: Is going to have Turkey cooked in Greece.

United Nations: Is very, very, very angry with North Korea, and is in the middle of debating a very strongly worded letter stating how angry it is.

South Africa: Can't wait for the World Cup draw. How did we get seeded? Spain: You get seeded because you're paying for the competition as hosts. We are going to win it though. Brazil: @ Spain - try to make it out of the first round for once.

http://www.teamfishcake.co.uk/worldface/index.php

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Green Energy Wind Farms Don't Affect Property Value

DENVER - Wind farms have no measurable effect on nearby property values, according to a government report published Wednesday.

In the latest study, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory spent three years examining nearly 7,500 sales of homes in 10 communities near two dozen wind farms in nine states.

The findings, however, are unlikely to cool the debate over the placement of massive wind turbines which to some represent progress, but to others an intrusion.

Questions about the integrity of the $500,000 Berkeley study were aired even before the report was released.

New energy infrastructure almost always runs into opposition, and in many cases for good reason.

There is a lot of research showing that nearby coal-fired power plants, transmission lines or other permanent fixtures can suck the value out of a home.

The Berkeley study, however, is not the first to show that wind turbines might be different, and previous studies have not tamped down opposition.

About 150 miles south of Denver in the tiny town of La Veta, many believe a proposed 7,000 acre wind farm would forever alter the postcard view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Two other projects have been proposed as well.

Mayor Mickey Schmidt is aware of previous studies, but says he still believes it's just common sense that wind turbines will hurt property values when it is the mountain vistas that bring many people to La Veta.

Researchers at the Berkeley National Laboratory looked at homes 800 feet to five miles from wind farms. About 1,000 sales involved homes that had views of the turbines, including sight lines through trees or just blade tips.

Researchers say the took into account the recession and other characteristics such as the number of bedrooms in a home or location of schools, said Ryan Wiser, a study co-author and project manager for the Berkeley Lab.

"That's not to say there are not individual homes or small groups of homes that have been impacted by the presence of wind projects," Wiser said.

If there is an impact, Wiser said, the frequency was to small to measure statistically.

Conflicts will likely become more frequent in coming years. About 1,649 megawatts of capacity from wind farms was added from July through September — enough to power 480,000 average households. That is about 18 percent more than the same period last year and more projects are coming on line next year.

Texas dwarfs any other state as far as wind power goes. Not far from Big Spring, about 300 miles west of Dallas, hundreds of turbines churn out power at one of the biggest wind farms in the country, without much effect on home prices, said real estate agent Sherri Key.

Some potential buyers say turbines are too noisy, while others say "they're so gorgeous," said Key.

Associated Press

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Ovi Out Again

Washington Capitols superstar Alexander Ovechkin has been suspended by the NHL for a knee-on-knee collision with Carolina Hurricane Tim Gleason that left the two time Hart Memorial Trophy winner limping off the ice Monday night. He was given a five minute major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct by the referees.

Ovechkin, the Capitols goals and points leader, will miss the next two games against the Florida Panthers on Thursday night and the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night. He is listed as day to day with a knee injury but is expected to be back for the December 7th game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

While this is the first suspension of his career it's Ovechkin's second game misconduct in the last three games. He recieved a five minute major and was ejected from last weeks game against the Buffalo Sabres for a boarding call on Patrick Kaleta. He also missed six games earlier this season with an upper body strain. In his first four seasons he had only missed two games due to injury.
Ovechkin has stated that there was no malicious intent behind the hit and that he's glad Gleason was not hurt too badly. However, controversy visited him during the playoffs last year following a knee-on-knee collision with Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar for which he suspiciously recieved no supplemental discipline by the league.

Capitols coach, Bruce Boudreau, concerned about the players health, has said "He plays pretty reckless...I don't want to see him getting hurt. Maybe he has to pick his spots a little bit better. It's something that will have to be addressed by us, I guess." Ovechkin has stated that he will not change the way he plays.



The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Things I Learned While on Vacation

I travelled to Buffalo for Thanksgiving last week to see my family and friends in the place where I grew up and here are a few things I learned:

1) D.C. transportation is great.

I took a cab to the Ballston Metro, the Metro to Union Station, the MARC train to Baltimore, a shuttle to the airport, and a plane to Buffalo. I didn't need to drive to the airport and park my car in long term parking which was nice. It took some time (3 hours, I think) but I didn't mind. I didn't have any problems and made it with plenty of time to spare. And I got away relatively cheaply (under $20 excluding the flight).

2) As soon as you move out of your parents house, you no longer have a room at your parents house.

I learned this several years ago when I went away to college. I didn't have a room after I graduated so I rented an apartment in the city. And now that I have moved away from Buffalo it hasn't changed when I come home for the holidays either. Even with the many rooms in my folks' house, there are even more relatives that come visit (it truly is great to see everyone, and who can blame them after enjoying the delicious feast we had). So the couch is my kingdom for now (and I secretly enjoy passing out on it anyways).

3) There is no such thing as vacation if you visit after closing.

My brother closed on a house a few weeks before my visit. So I spent most of the week painting and cleaning to get it ready to move in because my brother/father/mother were at work all week. I'm hoping it will pay off in the form of an available bed come Christmas.

4) It's a lot easier to elude the designation of D.D. when you don't have a car.

My car was left at my apartment in Arlington, obviously. So while going out with old friends (the night before Thanksgiving is annually the biggest party night of the year) I was not stuck as the designated driver. But, as always, I made sure I had a safe way home.

5) There's no place like home.

It was great to go back home and see my family, friends, and old stomping grounds (I think local food is always the thing you miss the most while away). Catching up, reminiscing about old memories, and creating new ones is something to cherish. On my return, however, I was pleasantly surprised. I haven't been in Arlington for very long, but I got the same feelings as I touched down last night. It felt great to be "home". It's a long process but I'm slowly getting acclimated to my new surroundings, making new friends, and I am learning everyday. I'm slowly becoming an Arlingtonian.

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: www.northernvirginiahouses.com