Sayreville & Piscataway NJ Real Estate Blog

Hey just came across this Sony Digital Book Reader. It is about the size of a book but that is where it and a book parts ways. The reader can hold about 160 books and only weighs a pound. The thought of carrying in a one pound device a book to read at the doctor’s office or while waiting in a line make this device very attractive. It can also hold pdf files and MS Word documents. Since many books can be purchased in pdf format, this widens the list of available titles beyond those available though Sony’s Ebook Store. The reader can handle a memory stick so the number of titles it can hold in it library increases.

President Bush and King Abdullah have spent some time talking about he upcoming OPEC meeting. Bush hopes to get King Abdullah to persuade the other oil producing countries to increase production to stop the rising gasoline prices. The story I read says Bush is making an arms deal with the Saudis in an effort to help stabilize the region particularly with Iran’s increasing rise in power.

President Bush also wants to get support for the Israel - Palestine peace talks.

Here is the article.

Okay folks, this one you have got to read to believe but I will get a try at explaining it. Researchers from the California Institute of Technology and Stanford’s business school have directly seen that the sensation of pleasantness that people experience when tasting wine is linked directly to its price. What is the really funny part of this study is that pricing a $10 wine at $90 the study group found more pleasure in the taste of the wine!

“Contrary to the basic assumptions of economics, several studies have provided behavioral evidence that marketing actions can successfully affect experienced pleasantness by manipulating nonintrinsic attributes of goods. For example, knowledge of a beer’s ingredients and brand can affect reported taste quality, and the reported enjoyment of a film is influenced by expectations about its quality,” the researchers said. “Even more intriguingly, changing the price at which an energy drink is purchased can influence the ability to solve puzzles.”

Read the article here.

Okay folks, let’s look at the state debt realistically. New Jersey has $32 billion dollars of debt today. While there have been cuts in various areas, the state still has a staggering amount of debt. Something has to be done. No, I do not like the idea of raising the tolls on toll roads any more than I like the idea of selling off state assets. The thought of raising the tolls 50 percent is mind boggling but if it gets applied to the debt through infrastructure maintenance and transportation needs then let’s just get the debt down.

“We are in a hole, and if we want to get out, we have to stop digging,” Corzine said. “All in all, we need close to $40 billion over the next 10 years to fix and expand our bridges, roads, and mass transit.”

Frankly, I say ok to this first increase and the others contingent on the money being used for the above stated purposes. If it gets diverted in any way or borrowed against then all future increases are off. Period, no second chances. Perhaps by making the future increase contingent on the past one being used as intended, might (note I am saying might mind you), might keep the legislature from pinching bits from it here and there. If we are serious about lowering the debt, then make sure the legislature knows it is hands off this money!

One of the two prisoners who escaped from the Union County Jail on December 15th was captured last night. Found in an apartment just six blocks from the prison, Jose Espinosa was returned to Union County police headquarters. Also arrested was Odalys Cortez, 19, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Investigators say they intend to file charges against Ms. Cortez.

Otis Blunt, the other innate to escape the prison remains at large. In recent days, he has spoken with Rev. Al Sharpton to help negotiate his surrender. Blunt was in prison in lieu of $75,000 bail for weapon and robbery charges.

These escapees taunted a prison guard, Rudolph Zurick, 40, in a note they left “thanking” him for his help with the escape. The guard though he helped authorities after the escape on his watch, committed suicide in his Sayreville, New Jersey home. He leaves behind a wife and a four year old daughter.

Just under a month from now, on February 5th, New Jersey voters will select Democratic and Republican party nominees. That date has 21 other states holding elections for Democratic Party candidates, or candidates for both parties. The states holding elections on February 5th are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho (D), Illinois, Kansas (D), Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico (D), New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee,  and Utah.

In the Iowa caucus, Barak Obama won the Democratic nomination while Mike Hucklebee won the Republican. In New Hampshire’s primary today, Senator Obama is the early favorite for the Democrats with John McCain for the Republicans.