Trivia number 54 I want this to be information one just usually doesn’t hear.  If you have I would like to know if you haven’t all the better you’ve learned something today.  With that being said here is the information for you to consider today. Herbert Hoover was Stanford's football team manager. At the first Stanford-Cal game in 1892, he forgot to bring the ball.  The unkempt Shaggy of Scooby-Doo fame has a rather proper real name—Norville Rogers.  The last one for today is: From 1979-1985, G.E. Smith (of G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live Band) was the lead guitarist for Hall & Oates. Now go out and tell the world of your new found knowledge.  Smile it will make people wonder what you’ve been up to.  Join us tomorrow for another journey into the wonderful world of Wordsmith.  ... 11/26/2013

  I like bread what about you? I want this to be information one just usually doesn’t hear.  If you have I would like to know if you haven’t all the better you’ve learned something today.  With that being said here is the information for you to consider today. The FDA has guidelines for the amount of “filth” your food is allowed to contain, including insects, hair and parasites! Some of this is unavoidable – nature just isn’t sterile. But after reading this list, who would have thought Hot Dogs sound clean? Maybe next time you’ll think twice about grabbing a handful of jelly beans when walking through the office. Many commercial types of bread are devoid of nutritional value and contain a ton of sugar, so I’d recommend cutting back anyway. But they also contain a softening agent known a... 11/25/2013

  Trivia number 53. I want this to be information one just usually doesn’t hear.  If you have I would like to know if you haven’t all the better you’ve learned something today.  With that being said here is the information for you to consider today. For one day in 1998, Topeka, Kansas, renamed itself "ToPikachu" to mark Pokemon's U.S. debut.  Horses can't vomit. (don’t know why they threw that one in but they did).  The last one for today is: Before settling on the Seven Dwarfs we know today, Disney also considered Chesty, Tubby, Burpy, Deafy, Hickey, Wheezy, and Awful.Now go out and tell the world of your new found knowledge.  Smile it will make people wonder what you’ve been up to.  Join us tomorrow for another journey into the wonderful world of Wordsmith.  Click on the link below.  ... 11/24/2013

  Trivia number 52. I want this to be information one just usually doesn’t hear.  If you have I would like to know if you haven’t all the better you’ve learned something today.  With that being said here is the information for you to consider today. For $45, the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing will sell you a 5-lb bag with $10,000 worth of shredded U.S. currency.  Before going with Blue Devils, Duke considered the nicknames Blue Eagles, Royal Blazes, Blue Warriors and Polar Bears.  The last one for today is: At an NOAA conference in 1972, Roxcy Bolton proposed naming hurricanes after Senators instead of women. She also preferred "him-i-canes."Now go out and tell the world of your new found knowledge.  Smile it will make people wonder what you’ve been up to.  Join us tomorrow for a... 11/23/2013

  Trivia number 51 I want this to be information one just usually doesn’t hear.  If you have I would like to know if you haven’t all the better you’ve learned something today.  With that being said here is the information for you to consider today. About one in every 4 million lobsters is born with a rare genetic defect that turns it blue. In France, the Ashton Kutcher/Natalie Portman movie No Strings Attached was called Sex Friends.  The last one for today is: The famous "Heisman pose" is based on Ed Smith, a former NYU running back who modeled for the trophy’s sculptor in 1934.Now go out and tell the world of your new found knowledge.  Smile it will make people wonder what you’ve been up to.  Join us tomorrow for another journey into the wonderful world of Wordsmith.  Click on the lin... 11/22/2013

  I like apple pie. Apple pie anyone?  This is another strange fact (did not research it) brought to you by your US government.  What say all American than apple pie?  Apple pie filling, apple sauce and apple butter can contain up to 12% mold.  Just one more for today, the FDA says peanut butter can have no more than an average of one rodent hair per 100 grams.  Just more food for thought (had to throw that one in). Now go out and tell the world of your new found knowledge.  Smile it will make people wonder what you’ve been up to.  Join us tomorrow for another journey into the wonderful world of Wordsmith.  Click on the link below.  Who knows you may learn something along the way and some of the words may even bring a smile to your face.   Wise Custom Realty is hiring in AR., PA., MO., ... 11/21/2013

  Trivia number 50 I want this to be information one just usually doesn’t hear.  If you have I would like to know if you haven’t all the better you’ve learned something today.  With that being said here is the information for you to consider today. In Peanuts in 1968, Snoopy trained to become a champion arm-wrestler. In the end, he was disqualified for not having thumbs.  The female opossum has 13 nipples. The last one for today is: Mark Twain invented a board game called Mark Twain's Memory Builder: A Game for Acquiring and Retaining All Sorts of Facts and Dates.Now go out and tell the world of your new found knowledge.  Smile it will make people wonder what you’ve been up to.  Join us tomorrow for another journey into the wonderful world of Wordsmith.  Click on the link below.  Who kn... 11/20/2013

  Vanilla Ice Cream anyone? I want this to be information one just usually doesn’t hear.  If you have I would like to know if you haven’t all the better you’ve learned something today.  With that being said here is the information for you to consider today. The FDA has guidelines for the amount of “filth” your food is allowed to contain, including insects, hair and parasites! Some of this is unavoidable – nature just isn’t sterile. But after reading this list, who would have thought Hot Dogs sound clean? Maybe next time you’ll think twice about grabbing a handful of jelly beans when walking through the office. If you’re a label-reader like me, you may see castoreum listed on vanilla & raspberry ice cream.  What they don’t say on the label is that castoreum is the anal secretions & urine... 11/19/2013

  Mushrooms can we say tasty? I posted the other day about the FDA and some rules they have.  For the next few days I'll keep that momentum going so why not start with mushrooms? I want this to be information one just usually doesn’t hear.  If you have I would like to know if you haven’t all the better you’ve learned something today.  With that being said here is the information for you to consider today. The FDA has guidelines for the amount of “filth” your food is allowed to contain, including insects, hair and parasites! Some of this is unavoidable – nature just isn’t sterile. But after reading this list, who would have thought Hot Dogs sound clean? Maybe next time you’ll think twice about grabbing a handful of jelly beans when walking through the office. Fresh is always better than ... 11/18/2013

  No one can tame the tongue. What gets us into more trouble the thought or the words we speak?  Of course it is the words we speak.  I have trouble speaking my mind before I think about what I’m about to say.  I also have an explosive temper and once someone crosses that line I speak my mind before I really think about it.  When we write or now when we type or text we have time to think about what we text, type but during a conversation or an argument we don’t think about it often before we engage the tongue and start on a downhill spiral. My tongue is a restless evil as much as I try and control it.  In the end we will all be judged by our actions and words.  Control your actions but especially your words and be looked upon in one way instead of another.  That my friends is my two cen... 11/17/2013

Trivia number 49 I want this to be information one just usually doesn’t hear.  If you have I would like to know if you haven’t all the better you’ve learned something today.  With that being said here is the information for you to consider today. “The USDA’s Food and Safety Inspection Service allows the use of the term ‘wyngz’ to denote a product that is in ‘the shape of a wing or a bite-sized appetizer type product’ but that contains no wing meat but only under certain conditions. These conditions include the stipulation that the poultry used is white chicken (with or without skin) and that ‘a prominent, conspicuous, and legible descriptive name (e.g., ‘contains no wing meat’) is placed in close proximity to the descriptive name and linked to ‘wyngz’ by use of an asterisk.”  That peopl... 11/16/2013

  Trivia number 48 Looks like I'll make the 30 for 30 November challenge.  Once you get started it comes easier and now we are on a downhill run. I want this to be information one just usually doesn’t hear.  If you have I would like to know if you haven’t all the better you’ve learned something today.  With that being said here is the information for you to consider today. Asperger syndrome is named for Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger, who described it in 1944. He called his patients "Little Professors."  . The term "lawn mullet" refers to a neatly manicured front yard with an unmowed mess in the back.  The last one for today is: There was a long-lost fourth member of the Snap/Crackle/Pop gang. "Pow" represented Rice Krispies' explosive nutritional value. Now go out and tell the wor... 11/15/2013

  Trivia number 47.   I want this to be information one just usually doesn’t hear.  If you have I would like to know if you haven’t all the better you’ve learned something today.  With that being said here is the information for you to consider today. Michael Jackson's 1988 autobiography Moonwalk was edited by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.  Brenda Lee was only 13 when she recorded "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."  The last one for today is: Dr. Ruth was trained as a sniper by the Israeli military.Now go out and tell the world of your new found knowledge.  Smile it will make people wonder what you’ve been up to.  Join us tomorrow for another journey into the wonderful world of Wordsmith.  Click on the link below.  Who knows you may learn something along the way and some of the words ma... 11/14/2013

  Trivia number 46.   I want this to be information one just usually doesn’t hear.  If you have I would like to know if you haven’t all the better you’ve learned something today.  With that being said here is the information for you to consider today. Only one McDonald's in the world has turquoise arches. Government officials in Sedona, Arizona, thought the yellow would look bad with the natural red rock of the city.  The last one for today is: The Lebowski-inspired Church of the Latter-Day Dude says it has ordained over 100,000 Dudeist priestsNow go out and tell the world of your new found knowledge.  Smile it will make people wonder what you’ve been up to.  Join us tomorrow for another journey into the wonderful world of Wordsmith.  Click on the link below.  Who knows you may learn so... 11/13/2013

A lot has been said and written about staging the interior of listings but little has been said about really staging the exterior of a home for sale. Most talk about putting some flowers out are cleaning up but a lot can be done without spending a ton of money. I've always told people I talk to, especially builders, that people don't care about what the inside of your home looks like if they don't like it from the curb. First impressions count. As a buyer's agent it's normal for me to hand a stack of listings to a buyer and tell them to drive by the homes and make me a list of the ones they want to see the inside of. Here are some before and after examples of a home we just finished staging. Before:                                                                               After: We ... 08/18/2012

The real estate market in Joplin Missouri continues to slog along in an overall buyer's market. While the gap between new listings and solds has improved somewhat, Joplin is still far from a seller's market. Current projections show the gap between new listings and solds narrowing by about 300 homes by the end of the year nut we're still a long way from seeing a seller's market again. If projections hold, the total number of homes sold in Joplin will be down some 25% over 2011. This is however an anomaly because of the devastating tornado that hit Joplin on May 22nd of 2011. The tornado wiped thousands of homes resulting in a temporary "bubble" in the Joplin area. That has settled down now and a more accurate comparison of year to year sales would be to compare 2012 to 2010. Right now ... 08/09/2012

1811 Elm Joplin, MO 64801 MLS #: 129533 $154,000 3 bedrooms 2.00 bath Great description of this fine home in Hickory Hills. Situated on a large corner lot with privacy fence surrounding the back yard you'll love calling this house your home. Great kitchen and dining room spills out onto the back patio for those summer barbecues. Large living room features a wood burning fireplace for those chilly winter evenings or quiet romantic evenings. Huge Master suite is a perfect get away when needed and there's plenty of storage too. Have a look at this fine property and you'll want to stay. View the Photos and Virtual Tour: Click Here Keller Williams Realty of SW MO Walter Hayes Phone: 417-623-9900 Mobile: 417-649-6776 This information is deemed reliable, but is not completely guaranteed. Buye... 05/01/2012

The AmeriCorps volunteers have set a deadline of Jan 31, 2012 to apply for demolition assistance. Skilled volunteers have been assisting homeowners with demolition of tornado damaged structures, removal of concrete and tree stumps free of charge. Homeowners who have not already signed up for assistance will need to sign up by calling 417-625-3558 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. before the Jan 31st deadline. The deadline is only for sign up. Work will be completed in the future. 01/29/2012

   Good Bye 2011!!  The Year of the Joplin Tornado!  2011 December Blogging Challenge. Day 31, Blog 24 2011 is winding down and in a few hours it will be 2012!  This past year has been a rough year here in Joplin, Missouri. The days preceeding May 22, the day the EF5 tornado totally destroyed about 33% of the town, is hard to remember.  When ask about events before the tornado we all have to stop and really concentrate to come up with anything. One of the 2 major hospitals (7 stories) is gone.  Our high school is gone.  One brand new middle school is in the process of being torn down.  3 grade schools are gone.  One Catholic grade school is gone along with one Catholic church.  10 or 12 total churches were destroyed.  A large super center Walmart was destroyed along with Home Depot, 2 W... 12/31/2011

After being hit with an EF5 tornado on May 22nd 2011 my town has displayed to hard work and community spirit that makes us all proud to call Joplin home. I'll admit in the days following the tornado that destroyed nearly a third of the city including our business district and displaced over 9,000 people I, like most residents, was scared. How would people ever be able to go on with their lives after seeing loved ones ripped from their arms? I wondered what was going to happen to us and how we would ever be able to recover.  If we were to recover, how long was it going to be before things felt "normal" again?    It all seemed so unfair and like an impossible journey that lied ahead. However, it became clear during that first week that we were not going to wait and see.  Neighbors helped ... 12/14/2011