Twelve is the new sixteen

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By Kevin Kane kkane@ss-times.com The Olympics are behind us, but the controversy isn’t. The events are over, the scores tallied and the medals awarded, but the dispute over the real age of the Chinese female gymnasts is far from settled. In addition to multiple individual medals, the Chinese women won team gold for the first time ever behind a group of talented, but suspiciously young, gymnasts. The Chinese government says these young women are 16 — the minimum age required for competition — but proving otherwise would mean China’s disqualification and a gold medal for Team USA. So with Michael Phelps out of the pool, this is what we’re focusing on now. To shut us up, the International Olympic Committee and International Gymnastics Federation are conducting an investigation into the matter, reexamining the same information China originally provided. So far, the IOC has stated that it is still convinced that the gymnasts are 16 because their government-issued passports and identification cards say so. How do these global organizations not know about fake IDs? Yeah, the gymnasts are 16, and every college freshman in Indiana is a 21 year old from Louisiana. Apparently it takes the same amount of effort and resources to fool the IOC as it does for an 18 year old to buy a case of Keystone. The IOC is investigating this as thoroughly as a parent checking the closet for monsters. “Yep. Everything’s fine,” they’ll say. “Now no more talking.” But this once-over isn’t even necessary. The gymnasts look as if they’re several birthdays away from sweet 16, and supporting evidence seems to be very prevalent. If anything, we need an investigation to prove these girls are over 10. Xinhua, a Chinese news agency, released a story last year stating that He Kexin was 13 at the time, making her 14 during the Beijing Games. That article was recently erased, and the Chinese government probably did the same to whoever posted it. A few weeks ago, the Associated Press reported age discrepancies posted on the Web site of the China State General Administration of Sport. Gymnasts who were repeatedly listed as being born in 1994 were suddenly 1992 babies beginning last year. One day they’re 14, and then they’re 16 literally the next day. Today’s kids grow up so fast. We have evidence from Chinese agencies proving these gymnasts are 14, yet by the time we get a definitive resolution, the girls really will be 16. At that point it won’t matter anymore. But then again, does it really matter now? It may provide a slight advantage, but being in eighth grade is not a prerequisite for winning Olympic medals in gymnastics. Just ask Oksana Chusovitina (via translator). She’s the 33-year-old German who won the silver medal, out-vaulting competitors nearly two decades younger than her. The U.S. women didn’t lose the team gold because of age, but that’s not why we want to prove China’s gymnasts are ineligible. While there have been numerous American grumblings about biased scoring in multiple sports, illogical seeding in women’s beach volleyball and seemingly fabricated tiebreaker rules, this age controversy may be the only one we can prove. Taking away China’s first women’s team gold medal would certainly make up for any wrongdoings we suspect the country committed during the past two weeks. So we’re hoping these allegations stick like a Nastia Liukin dismount.

Not-so-happily playing the pack mule

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By Sherri Conner-Eastburn seastburn@ss-times.com Many times in the last few years, I have been my son’s pack mule. When he moved from home to the college dorm, I tearfully matched his socks, folded his favorite T shirts and stacked his treasured CDs. “It breaks my heart to move your things from your bedroom,” I sobbed. “But it’s time for you to grow up and leave the nest.” When he moved from the dorm to an apartment a couple of years later, I rallied again. “Now, you’re building your first beginning,” I sniffed. This time, we collected different pieces of hand-me-down furniture from an assortment of friends. By the end of the day, the truck bed was full of enough stuff to start my kid’s first official bachelor pad. Most of the time, while I was playing pack mule, I must admit that I was also yelling. (Those days of sniffing and sobbing were long gone by the second pack mule calling.) I was yelling about the fact that my son has always lived on the third or fourth floor of not-so-wonderful apartment complexes. Yelling because he moves on the hottest summer day, when there is no breeze. Yelling because the truck we borrow for the occasion never has an air conditioner or an exhaust pipe. Yelling because to drive the truck with the windows down so I don’t sweat to death also means that I have a brain tumor headache from sniffing gas fumes. My number one yell fest occurred when I showed up with yet another clunker truck and found the entire apartment filled with black trash bags. “This was a lot faster,” my son said with a grin. “I just threw my stuff in these trash bags instead of messing around with boxes.” A few seconds later, I was yelling again…very loud…on the narrow staircase of the apartment complex. A tear in one of the trash bags resulted in clothes, socks and a couple of pairs of tennis shoes littering the stairs. “This is exactly why boxes were invented,” I hissed at my kid. “Let’s not go the trash bag route again. OK?” Last weekend, again when the temperature outside was too hot for a camel, I was again a pack mule. This time, it was for a move from Fishers to Greenwood. My heart was happy since this time my only baby will be living much closer to me. The mattress and box spring, the ugly old couch and half of the mangy old desk were crowded on the back of the truck. The couch cushion was thrown in the passenger seat of the truck, along with too many boxes. To see out the passenger side mirror, I had to yank the couch cushion out of the way. “I’m fine,” I whispered under my breath. “I can make it from Fishers to Greenwood, driving a truck packed much like Jed Clampett’s. Not a problem.” But oh yes, it was a problem. It was a big problem. Driving faster than 11 miles an hour made the mattress whip around like a flag in the back of the truck. Construction on the interstate also freaked me out because I couldn’t always guarantee that the couch cushion would stay out of the way so I could see out the mirror. “Ma, where are you?” my son called my cell phone. “I don’t see you anywhere in the traffic.” Of course it was a moment when I considered having myself a big fat yell fest. But instead, I encouraged him to stay with the traffic flow, just keep driving. “I’ll get there when I get there,” I said. “So, I’ll see you in a few days.” Because I was experiencing heart palpitations, I got off the interstate. Let me mention here that I know absolutely nothing about driving in Indianapolis. So I just had to hope that I could remain in the right lane, never have to see out the mirrors and arrive somewhere close to Greenwood. More than an hour later, I arrived in Greenwood, with the mattress still on the truck. My son and his friend happily unloaded all the stuff while I nursed my stress-induced headache. Hopefully, Greenwood will be his nest for awhile. I’m not certain, but I’m thinking I might be too old now to be the pack mule.

Play Clothes aren’t for giving speeches — my mom said so

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By Mike Redmond Humorist A reader came up after a speech the other day and seemed disappointed in the way I looked. This is nothing new for me. I feel that way every time I glance in a mirror. Her complaint, however, took me completely surprise. “You’re too clean,” she said. “I expected you to come here in a t-shirt and jeans and boots with a do-rag on your head.” Well. That was a new one on me. I’ve been called lots of things in my life, but to my recollection, this was the first time “too clean” ever entered the picture. I guess I should explain that I was wearing one of what Jethro Bodine might have called his Fancy Speakin’ Suit. That is, I had on a charcoal suit with a nice crisp shirt and a perfectly knotted necktie. On my head was a Panama hat and my shoes were my all-time favorites, black and white spectators. I was clean. I was too clean. Now, this reader’s expectations were not without reason. I ride motorcycles – in fact, that’s my main form of transportation in all but the foulest weather. And when I do, I am dressed in jeans, boots, a t-shirt and a do-rag (or, as I prefer to call it, a headwrap; my friend Papaw, who has never approved of my headgear, refers to it instead as “that stupid red bandana”). And a lot of people seem to remember when that was how I looked much of the time, with a mop of long hair to go with it. But I don’t wear that outfit when I’m giving a speech, for pity’s sake. I was raised in the time when we had Good Clothes and Play Clothes, and you didn’t dare substitute one for the other. Good Clothes were for school, church and special occasions, such as going downtown. And I am not alone in this. Everyone my age remembers how we always had to take baths and put on good clothes when our mothers took us downtown. Heaven forbid someone should see us in less-than-immaculate condition, and think bad things about our mothers. Play Clothes were exactly as the name implied. They were intended to get grubby. Which I was quite good at. Now, over the years, casual fashions took a prominent role in American fashion. Casual Friday was only the tip of the iceberg. Now lots of workplaces have Casual Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, too. Some have Casual Summers. Some have Casual Decades. And it isn’t just for work. Dressing up was optional at the last couple of funerals I attended. Seems like nobody gets dressed up to travel anymore. Remind me to tell you about the time I flew back from Hawaii with a surf dude who traveled in his swimming trunks, flip-flops, and a t-shirt so rank it probably should have been classified as hazardous cargo. Look, I am by nature a casual guy. In fact, with the right combination of ridiculous shirt, ill-fitting pants and unusual footwear, I can stretch casual to the breaking point. But I still believe there are times when we’re supposed to make ourselves presentable – shoes shined, suit pressed, tie in place – not for ourselves, but to show respect to the people around us. Such as when giving speeches. Too clean? Nah. I was just tryin’ to look spiffy. And afterward, I went downtown.

Obituaries for the week of 08.28.08

By Submission For The Southside Times

Olivia Erin Bradley, eight months, died Aug. 19, 2008.

She was born to Crystal and Chris Bradley on Nov. 23, 2007. Surviving are her parents, her step-sister, Hannah Jo Bradley; her grandparents, Greg and Debbie Parks, Grandpa Lionel Bradley and Sheila and Ed Hendrickson; great-grandparents, Lenora Peake, Edna and Merl Monday and Wanda VanMeter; and aunts and uncles and cousins. Services were Saturday and calling was Friday at G.H. Herrmann Madison Avenue Funeral Home, 5141 Madison Ave. Memorials to Pleasant Run United Church of Christ, 59 Pleasant Run Parkway, Indianapolis, IN 46225. On-line condolences to the family at www.ghherrmann.com.

Elnora “Jean” Bray, 80, of Indianapolis, died Aug. 25, 2008.

Jean was born March 16, 1928, to James and Ina Ray. She was a graduate of Ben Davis High School. Her husband, Leo R. Bray, preceded her in death. Jean was employed in retail sales for many years, having worked for L. S. Ayres and Lazarus for over 25 years. She was a charter member of Maranatha Baptist Church. Survivors include her daughter, Rebecca (Rev. Rick J.) Stone; son, James T. Bray; sister, Patty (Jim) Bohlander; brother, Jack Ray; three grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. Services at 11:30 a.m. today at G.H. Herrmann Madison Avenue Funeral Home, 5141 Madison Ave. Calling was Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens. Memorials to Maranatha Baptist Church, 4300 S. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46217. Online condolences to the family at www.ghherrmann.com.

Florence M. (Martlage) (Clugston) Brisbane, 82, of Indianapolis, died Aug. 21, 2008.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, William C. Clugston, her second husband, Arthur J. Brisbane; her daughter, Linda Kriech and her brother, Harry Martlage. Surviving are her children, Terry (Mary) Clugston, David Clugston, Judy (Steve) White and Patti (Joe) Snodgrass; her sister, Lois Bennett; nine grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. A Celebration of Life service was held Monday at G.H. Herrmann Madison Avenue Funeral Home, 5141 Madison Ave. Calling was Sunday at the funeral home. Burial in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens. Online condolences to the family at www.ghherrmann.com.

Martha L. Burnett, 91, of Indianapolis, died Aug. 25, 2008.

She was born Feb. 7, 1917 in Camby, Ind. To the late Bert and Floy Mendenhall Yeager. Martha married Harold O. Burnett on Aug. 6, 1944 in Indianapolis. He preceded her in death on May 25, 1955. She graduated in 1939 from Indiana State University with a B.S. degree in Business and Physical Education. She was a former Southport High School Business Teacher. She was an insurance agent for 44 years with Harold O. Burnett Insurance Agency, retiring in 1989. Martha was a Republican State Senator in the 1950s and 60s and served two terms. She later served one term as Perry Township Trustee in 1982. Her memberships included: Edgewood United Methodist Church, 50-year member Southport Chapter No. 442 Order of Eastern Star, American Business Women Association, Business and Professional Women, Psi Iota Xi Sorority, and former volunteer at the Indianapolis Art Museum. She was also a charter member and past president of Soroptimist Club and served on the Citizens Gas & Coke Utility Board of Trustees. Martha was honored as a Sagamore of the Wabash recipient. Surviving are her daughters, Sally Burnett and Sue (Dennis) Sandefur, both of Indianapolis; her brother, Joseph H. (Virginia) Yeager, of Indianapolis; two grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. She was also preceded in death by her brother, Dale M. Yeager. Services at 2 p.m. Thursday at Singleton Community Mortuary and Memorial Center. Calling was Wednesday at the mortuary. Burial in Greenwood Cemetery. Cornelia Anne (Eads) Geshwiler, 95, died Aug. 18, 2008 in Tallahassee, Fla. She was born Jan. 30, 1913. She graduated from Bainbridge High School and attended Indiana University. She taught elementary school in Beech Grove, at Bunker Hill in Franklin Township and in Indianapolis. As a founding member of the Beech Grove Public Library Board, she took part in the creation of that city’s library. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority for more than 75 years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Elton Geshwiler, former mayor of Beech Grove, and by her sister Mary Oakerson, and her brother , Roy Eads. Surviving are three sons, Joseph Geshwiler of Atlanta, Ga. William Geshwiler of Columbia, Tenn., and Richard Geshwiler of Tallahassee, Fla.; her sister, Nellie Tucker of Indianapolis; her brother, Joseph Eads of Lebanon, Ind.: seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Services and calling were Friday at Little and Sons Funeral Home, Beech Grove Chapel, 1301 Main St. Burial in Crown Hill Cemetery. Memorials to the Beech Grove Public Library.

Martha Jane Goebes, 84, died Aug. 18, 2008.

She was born Aug. 10, 1924 in Indianapolis to the late Leo Joseph Goebes and Catherine Yetter Goebes. Martha graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1942. Shortly after graduation, she started work at the Indiana Insurance Company where she worked for more than 50 years. She belonged to the Indiana Underwriters’ Association and was a member of the Indiana Insurance Women’s Association for more than 25 years. She was a lifelong member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church where she served on the Mercy Meal committee. Surviving are her sister-in-law, Helen Goebes; nieces, Mary Helen Goebes, Carole Goebes and Joan (Charles) Adams; nephews Robert (Diane) Goebes, Alan Goebes, Bill (Donna) Goebes and John Goebes; 13 great nieces and nephews; and six great great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her brother Albert L. Goebes. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Saturday at Sacred Heart Church, 1530 Union Street, Indianapolis. Calling was Friday at Daniel F. O’Riley Funeral Home. Burial in St. Joseph Cemetery. Memorials to Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Mark A. McFarland, 53, of Indianapolis, died Aug. 20, 2008.

He was born May 11, 1955. He worked for Sohn Construction. He was preceded in death by his father, James, and his brothers, Joseph and Eric. Surviving are his children, Lisa, Amy, Christy, Samantha, Andrew and Matthew; his companion, Tonya Wardrip; his mother, Rayberta McFarland; his siblings, Robert, William, Richard, Roxanne, James, Shannon, Desiree, Shaun, Gary and Fallon; and several grandchildren. Services and calling were Saturday at Wilson St. Pierre Funeral Service & Crematory, Chapel of the Chimes.

James A. Morris, 62, of Indianapolis, died Aug. 17, 2008.

Calling was Friday at G.H. Herrmann East St. Funeral Home, 1505 S. East St. Graveside services followed calling at New Crown Cemetery.

Malinda (Linda) L. Tapp Taylor, 69, died August 4, 2008 in Tampa, Fla.

She was a former resident of Franklin Township. Her parents, Richard and LaVerne Tapp preceded her in death. Surviving are her son, Kevin J. Taylor, daughter, Michele S. Robinson, and son, Damon R. Gluff; brothers, Richard L. Tapp of Tampa, Fla. and Michael J. Tapp of Greenwood; and several grandchildren.

Mary J. Young, 83, died Aug. 19, 2008.

Services were Monday at Calvary Tabernacle, 902 Fletcher Ave. Calling was Sunday at G.H. Herrmann East St. Funeral Home, 1505 S. East St.

Locals complete basic training

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For The Southside Times news@ss-times.com Army National Guard Pvt. Jasson C. Oudin has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches and field training exercises. He is the son of Curtis Oudin of South Davis Road, and Stephanie Luke of Spurrington Way, both of Indianapolis, Ind. Oudin is a 1998 graduate of Warren Central High School, Indianapolis. Army National Guard Pvt. Ryan J. McMillen has graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga. During the nine weeks of training, the soldier received training in drill and ceremonies, weapons, map reading, tactics, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid and Army history, core values and traditions. Additional training included development of basic combat skills and battlefield operations and tactics and experiencing use of various weapons and weapons defenses available to the infantry crewman. He is the son of Daniel McMillen of Alion Drive, Greenwood.

Flipping isn’t easy

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By Kevin Kane kkane@ss-times.com

MAKING MONEY IN REAL ESTATE

With so many TV networks introducing viewers to the process of flipping houses, more investment seekers are putting their money into fixer-uppers, hoping to quickly remodel and resell them for a fast profit. But Dan Moriarty said simply jumping into such ventures is very risky. “It’s not as easy as people think,” he said. “It can easily be a full-time job. (The TV shows) all make it look so easy and fit it into that one-hour time span, but you can’t do things halfway. You have to do it right.” Moriarty is the managing broker of the Coldwell Banker branch at 500 US 31 South in Greenwood. Over the years, he’s completed an estimated 15 flips for himself, stating that a person can’t be in real estate as long as he has without attempting a flip. Though he wasn’t always actively seeking potential projects, his line of work introduced him to a few opportunities that couldn’t be ignored. “Most of them I came on by accident,” he said. “(A seller) would say ‘I’ll take X just to get rid of it.’” Moriarty stumbled upon some of his opportunities, but he said that in most cases, the search for the right house should be very extensive. The house price, location and condition will largely determine a flipper’s potential profit, so for someone who is new to such projects or can’t afford to risk much money, finding the “perfect” fixer upper can take a while. “You’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince,” Moriarty said, adding that he passed on what seemed like 100 houses for every one he purchased. Though their options would be limited, Moriarty advised that potential investors only look in areas they know. Going outside these areas, he said, is one of the easiest ways to lose money, as resellers are less likely to understand trends and property values in unfamiliar territories. “If you don’t know values and you don’t know what the market’s doing, you’re going to have a hard time,” he said. “If you misjudge either one of those, you can burn up your profit in a hurry.” With so many uncontrollable factors, Moriarty stressed the importance of extensive preparation and limiting potential surprises. No house, he said, should be purchased without a complete and detailed remodeling plan in mind. Flippers should significantly overestimate their costs because initial estimates are never sufficient, and houses should be purchased in cash whenever possible. Furthermore, Moriarty said that investors should at least consider hiring knowledgeable real estate agents and contractors. “Those aren’t expenses,” he said. “They are assurances.” Moriarty hired contractor Garry Ballard of Woodrow LLC for some of his past projects. Ballard said in addition to providing quality work, his job is to help resellers allocate their budget for the biggest potential profit. Kitchens, paint and flooring need to be addressed in almost every flip, he said, but sometimes his advice on more serious problems determines whether or not a client chooses to invest in a particular house. Ballard said words like “structural” and “mold” will scare many investors, but these issues don’t necessarily mean a project cannot be profitable. “It’s a matter of how much money it’s actually going to cost,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that there’s anything that’s always a deal breaker.” Assuming no major renovations are needed, Ballard said most basic flips can be completed in four to six weeks with the right help. The process isn’t easy, but Moriarty said now is the time to buy. “The market is not bad; it’s just different,” he said. “There are pockets in Indiana that are doing phenomenally well.” With so many houses on the market, buyers have many good, affordable options, he said. Homes are being sold for less their actual value, and Moriarty said this could mean significant profits. “I think people who will buy now and use their heads will do very well,” he said. The market’s status has yet to deter Moriarty, who said he submitted two offers in the last 30 days. Though it’s very easy to do so, he said he has yet to lose money on any of his projects because he was selective and did things the right way. “There’s an awful lot of variables,” he said. “If you’re going to jump into it, don’t be afraid to hire the professionals.”

Swim team offers plenty of preparation

By Brandon Gentry

By Sara Gentry sgentry@ss-times.com The Olympics may have closed, but Michael Phelps mania will probably stretch a few months longer, and swim coaches on the south side are expecting a larger than usual turnout for their teams this school year. Perry’s Southside Swimming Tsunami is preparing for swim season with swim school and stroke clinics. Coach Heze Clark has a simple test to decide his swimmers’ abilities. Those who can swim 25 yards in both freestyle and backstroke can join the team right away; if you can swim 25 yards, but your freestyle is a little iffy, you go to the stroke clinic. Kids who can’t quite make it to the end of the pool go to swim school.

Clark is currently conducting a stroke clinic. It started on August 18 and wraps today. They started out with freestyle and moved on to breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly. Next week, they start swim team practice. “We worked a lot on rhythm, and we worked a lot on kick today,” Clark told his swimmers, who range in age from 5 to 15, on Tuesday. “And we’ll continue that tomorrow.” Of the 23 kids in the pool, only three of them have been on the team before. The majority of the stroke clinic students are between 8 and 11, and his assistant teachers are middle schoolers and high schoolers who are on the team themselves. “When we first started — when they registered — some had been on summer leagues,” Clark said. “Some of them just got out of swim lessons.” Some of the kids can just barely swim the 25 yards, and some are what he considers intermediate swimmers. Clark sees what they can do, and sorts them into groups based on that. Swim team meets start in October and continue about every three weeks through March. They include both invitational (more than two teams competing) and dual meets. High school swim season starts right in the middle of the Tsunami schedule, and IHSAA rules state that high schoolers can’t do both. Middle school swim season, however, starts later, in January, and they can compete on both the school team and Clark’s team. “In middle school season, we see them on and off,” he said, as they have to schedule around school practices and meets, which come first.

The couple that crashes together

By Brandon Gentry

By Torry Stiles tstiles@ss-times.com Some families go camping, some hit the theaters and some just sit all night together in front of the television. Tony and Melissa Adams have a different idea of family togetherness. They like to spend the night in the garage, welding and hammering on their demolition derby cars. Tony is a lifelong Beech Grove resident and grew up going to demolition derbies with his father, Joe. He met Melissa in 1999, and they wed August 19, 2000. He was working as a union electrician and she was starting her accounting career. In 2002, Tony was diagnosed with lymphoma and began chemotherapy. The treatment sent the cancer into remission, but Tony suffered a horrendous reaction to the program. The most severe complication was a condition known as osteonecrosis — his bones were dying. Further therapy slowed the progression, but the damage was done. Adams was left with severely weakened bones and required a hip replacement. He had to quit his union job but found a sit-down position at the Wanamaker Gun Shop. Most folks would have called it quits and begun collecting Scooter Store brochures. Not Tony and Melissa. The Adamses celebrated Tony’s fourth year in remission by launching their careers as demolition derby drivers. Tony summed up the jump, “We were fresh. It was something we always wanted to do, and we finally did it. I talked her into it. It was pretty easy to talk her into it.” They picked up a pair of cars for $300 each and began stripping and modifying in their garage on Cherry Street. The neighbors and the Beech Grove Police Department suggested a change of location, and a new garage was found a bit further from civilization. Traveling to events and the Internet gave them lots of ideas for the “creative engineering and rules interpretation” that is an accepted part of the sport. Family and friends contributed time and tools, and after many weeks they made their debut at the Marion County Fair. Melissa ran in the Friday show but the car was banned from the Saturday run. “Apparently I learned to cheat pretty good, but not good enough to get away with it,” Tony admits. The pair had to wait for the last day of the State Fair to finally hit the track together. The rookies would be taking on the best builders and drivers in Indiana, as well as a few travelers from Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois. To be fair, it was not a bad showing. Tony got in a few hits before his ride was laid to rest in the first heat. Melissa takes credit for shedding a bumper which managed to take out a competitor’s transmission before her hopes ended fender-deep in a hill of sand. The Adamses are pleased and proud but looking for more.

Dispatches

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Five Bargain Stocks -

Looking for a great investment? If you are following the long-term investor’s time-proven strategy of starting with a small position and then adding more each month by dollar-cost averaging, these five stocks may just be for you, according to Jim Jubak of MSN Money: General Cable (BGC), McDonald’s (MCD), Proctor and Gamble (PG), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM), and Toyota Motor (TM). In case you’re wondering, in dollar-cost averaging, you buy the same dollar amount of a stock each month. That means you buy fewer shares when the price per share is high and more when it’s low. - moneycentral.msn.com

Four Duds in the Stock Market -

Jubak also has four stocks which he refers to as “fundamentally damaged.” Citigroup (C) tried too hard to become the one-stop-shop for customers’ needs beyond consumer banking, and in the process lost more than it gained. Boeing (BA) can’t get its new products out on time, and the delays are costly, especially when new products from other manufacturers are available now. Nvidia (NVDA), a graphics chip manufacturer, is facing increased competition from a variety of sources, including Intel. Finally, Valero Energy (VLO) will face problems due to squeezed profit margins as oil prices have escalated and competition from refineries being built in the Middle East. - moneycentral.msn.com

Real Estate Conference -

The Real Estate Communications Group and Midwest Real Estate News, in conjunction with the Indianapolis Economic Development group, are proud to present the 21st Century Development Conference: Building for the Future in Central Indiana. The conference will strive to put into context the social, environmental, political and financial changes occurring in the world that directly affect the real estate industry. The conference will take place on August 28 at the Westin Indianapolis (50 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis, Ind., 46204). For more information or to register, please contact Hannah Wieland at (312) 644-6942 or hwieland@rejournals.com.

Online Coupon Sites -

With the cost of everyday items continuing to rise, clipping coupons has rarely been more popular than it is today. If you really want to get more bang for your buck, check out the following free coupon web sites and email lists: www.customcoupon.com, www.ppgazette.com, www.couponsurfer.com, and www.ebates.com. Cool Savings (www.coolsavings.com) is also a popular site, but beware: they are tremendously spammy.

5 ways to take control of your expenses

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For The Southside Times news@ss-times.com The economy’s recent rollercoaster ride may make you feel like shouting, “I want to get off!” But while you can no more seize control of the national economy than you can exit a rollercoaster car mid-way through the ride, it is possible to take control of your personal economic situation. “In the face of national economic uncertainties, getting a handle on your own personal finances can be both financially and emotionally empowering,” said Stephen Semprevivo, president of LowerMyBills.com. “There are many steps you can take, both great and small, to stabilize your personal economic situation.” Here are five simple steps that can help you take control of your finances:

Track your spending

If you really want to stabilize your finances, it’s essential to have a clear picture of where your money is going. Start out by writing down every cent you spend for one month — from your daily cappuccino to your mortgage or rent and utility bills. At the end of the month, you’ll have a snapshot of your spending habits. Armed with this knowledge, you can look for ways to trim your expenses and put more money into savings.

Get out of your ARM

Even if your adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) is currently at a comfortable monthly payment, it may still be to your advantage to get out of it. By definition, the interest rate on your ARM will reset eventually. The new rate will almost certainly be higher than what you paid at the inception of the loan. Having such a loan can make it difficult to predict and stabilize your monthly expenses. A fixed-rate mortgage, by contrast, remains constant for the duration of the loan and therefore can provide a greater sense of stability and predictability. It may also save you money in the end. When you’re ready to shop for refinance rates, look for Web sites that can connect you with mortgage providers who will then compete for your business by offering competitive rates and terms.

Buy a house

Homeownership can help you stabilize your monthly expenses as well as help you build your long-term wealth. If you rent, there is a good chance you’re paying your landlord more this year than last year, and may pay even more next year. With home prices on the decline, now may be a good time to buy your own house or condo. If you can lock in a fixed-rate mortgage, your payment will be the same every year until the loan is paid off. What could be more stable than that?

Use public transportation

At this time last year, did you ever imagine gas would cost $4 a gallon? Now, it’s not hard to imagine prices topping $5 or more per gallon. No one knows for sure whether gas prices will drop, stabilize or continue to rise. Instead of reworking your budget every time gas prices change, consider using public transportation or riding a bike. Public transportation costs are historically slow to increase. So you’ll know month-to-month what your expenses will be — and they will almost certainly be lower than what you would have spent on gas. Plus you’ll be doing something good for the environment by taking one more car off the roads.

Investigate your rates

Look at your cell phone, Internet, insurance and credit card bills. Are you getting the best rates available to you? If not, you’re likely spending more money than you need to for those services — money that could be put into savings or allocated to other areas of your budget. Take control of these recurring monthly expenses by comparison shopping for rates and terms. “Taking control of your finances can positively impact both your wealth and your stress level,” Semprevivo said. “You can’t control the stock market or the price of oil, but you can take specific steps to stabilize your personal financial landscape and increase your savings.”