In northwest Washington we have many waterfront homes. Homes so situated include wonderful bay and lakeside lots. As one would expect, when water views are involved, the prices go up.
When a home is right on the water, a dock might be involved in the real estate sale. I was scheduled for a home inspection the other day, for a past client, and he asked me if I could also inspect the dock. Well, "no" on that one. Inspecting a dock is, shall we say, "way over my head." That is a specialty field.
In doing some research, I found a good resource for dock inspections in this region. Peter Zuanich is a lifetime Bellingham resident. Those of us, in Whatcom County, will recognize the name. His dad was a longtime Port Commissioner and Zuanich Point Park, is a premier outdoor recreational area in Bellingham. Pete and his family have spent a lifetime in the marine industry and with boats. Pete is the owner of Sound Marine Surveyors Inc. and he is a member of the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors. Zuanich is a top boat inspector in the northwest. Even though his primary services involve inspecting boats of all kinds, Pete will, as an adjunct part of his business, perform quality dock inspections as well. This is a much needed service in our maritime region. The photo below shows Pete Zuanich checking a dock at a luxury home on Lake Whatcom.
Pete Zuanich is a name to keep in mind, if you are a realtor, a loan officer or an inspector who might be asked to refer a competent party for a dock inspection. Sound Marine Surveyors, Inc. may be reached at 360-734-2807.
In a recent blog post, I wrote about Leiber and Stoller. This pair of songwriters, who got together when they were only 16 years of age, wrote some of the most important songs of the early rock years.
The Leiber and Stoller songs include Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, Kansas City, Love Potion #9 and so many more. The boys, in the beginning, were writing for R&B performers and that audience. In the end, they became two of the greatest songwriters of the rock era.
Leiber and Stoller's all-time biggest hit was Hound Dog as recorded by Elvis. While that was their single biggest hit, another of their songs has the distinction of having been recorded by many different artists. In fact, this particular selection was even recorded by John Lennon.
Yes everyone, it is time for Twin-Pick. This is your chance to see how much you remember about the early years of the rock era.Your choices are below. Just click on your chosen answer and you will, instantly, find out if you are right or wrong. Get it right and you will see the original artist perform the original hit. Get it wrong and you will be humiliated by one of my rude cyber assistants.
Question:
Despite having a catalog of more than 25 big hits, Leiber and Stoller wrote one song that has proved to be a hit for several different artists. Of the choices below, which song was written by Leiber and Stoller and is displayed next to the name of the artist who had the most chart success with the song?
Things are changing in the home inspection industry in Washington State. Come September 1 of this year, home inspectors will be state licensed. For a large percentage of home inspectors, who are presently working in the field, to qualify to sit for the test they must complete 120 hours of state approved education and 40 hours of field training. Without meeting those requirements, they cannot be licensed.
There are presently three education providers, and only three, approved by the state. Two of these are franchises, for in-house training, and the third is Bellingham Technical College.
The last Bellingham Technical College course that will be run prior to licensing taking effect begins on Monday, July 6. If students in that course complete all work promptly, they should be able to apply to the state, test and receive a license before the September 1 deadline. For some inspectors, who need the education and field training --or they will have an interruption in business or have to close their business on September 1 -- this is a last chance to register for state approved training. For further information, click on the link below:
During the 1960's an interesting phenomenon occurred. Caucasian bands and performers were sounding like African-American soul artists. In some cases, these white performers -- at least for the first releases -- were flying under the radar. They did not immediately correct any wrong impressions about race, since the misconception that they were African-American was helping them chart well on both the R&B charts and the Hot 100. Back then we called it Blue-eyed Soul.
There was one artist who had such an authentic R&B sound that soul icon, Otis Redding, did not believe that the singer was white. Otis insisted on meeting this performer because he wanted to see, with his own eyes, that the performer was really white.
Yes, it is time for another Twin-Pick. Let's see how you do on this one. The quiz is self-correcting. Just click on your chosen answer. If you get it right, you will see an original performance by the original artist. Get it wrong and you will be rudely trashed by my cyber assistants.
Question: Which group/performer below had such an authentic R&B sound that Otis Redding wanted to see the lead vocalist/singer with his own eyes?
I have written a number of posts on music and songs. Recently, I have focused on interactive music quizzes that are popular with Active Rain participants.
These are usually based on the record charts -- Billboard, sometimes based on Cashbox which was a similar magazine. Recently, I have mainly looked at singles. Let's move to albums this time.
There were #1 singles and #1 albums. One thing that might surprise readers is that the singles and the albums charts often have much different entries from one another. For example, artists who have had #1 albums, yet NEVER had a #1 single include elite performers -- Dylan, Hendrix, CCR, REM, Nirvana and others.
Billboard magazine charts just about everything. It is as esoteric as baseball history. One interesting publication is the Billboard Book of Number One Albums, which lists all of the top albums from the beginning of the rock era, 1956, until 1995 (they need to put out a new edition to update it but they have not done so yet).
I think this is a complex Twin-Pick that will silence the horde of critics who have whined privately and publicly that the last few Twin-Picks were sub-par and were designed for simpletons or wimps. This one will make you think, whether you are a simpleton or not!
You know how it all works, the quiz is self-correcting. If you click on the right answer, you will be taken to a performance of a song from the album (due to the age of some of these albums, a reasonable facsimile of the performer may be substituted). But, if you get it wrong, you will be soundly humiliated by my rude cyber assistants.
Question: According to Billboard's Book of Number One Albums, which album is the longest charting (54 weeks at #1) since the rock era began in 1956? (Just for the record, each selection below is in the top 50 albums as per Billboard, no losers here).
Two of the, arguably, most successful songwriters of the early rock era describe themselves as a pair of Jewish boys who liked to listen to and write music for the African American audience. We are talking about Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Stoller played the piano and Leiber wanted to write the blues.
They got together at 16 years of age and, over the years, wrote some of the most popular songs of early rock music, including Kansas City, Charlie Brown, Spanish Harlem, On Broadway and many others. They wrote top hits for Elvis and songs that were also recorded early on by the fab four. Their early songs helped launch the King's career.
One of the songs that they wrote was recorded by a well-known R&B singer. The song went to #1 on the R& B charts in 1952. The song, and we all know it now, was called Hound Dog. It became, perhaps, Elvis's signature song over the years. Elvis first heard the song, a cover, performed by a Vegas bar band.
It was early in his career, when he heard that cover -- Elvis was not the superstar he would become. Regardless, he wanted to play Hound Dog and record it. The rest is history. His version of Hound Dog and Don't Be Cruel opened the flood gates for Elvis Presley's popularity.
Yes, it is time for Twin-Pick. This your your chance to strut your stuff. A question is below. Get it right and you see the original artist perform the song. Get it wrong and my cyber assistants will humiliate you in public. No need to ask for the correct answer, merely click on the choices below and you will find out if you are right or wrong instantly.
Question: Which R&B artist was first to record Hound Dog, and had a #1 hit with it on the soul charts, four years before Elvis stirred the masses with his rendition of the same song?
I have noticed in the past that Active Rain members seem to have a strong interest in vermin -- more so rats than mice. Whenever I post any information about rats, it seems to get more clicks than my average blog post about less "sexy" topics. An example of that would be this post from earlier in the week.
I think that this phenomenon might be like watching horror movies and hearing about serial killers. The topics are fascinating but there is a creepiness factor too. The truth about rats, at least around here in Bellingham and Whatcom County, is that I see signs of them on AT LEAST 50% of the inspections that I perform. I often find them in expensive waterfront homes -- properties priced at over $1 million. Rats are equal opportunity rodents.
Some of the common places to find rat droppings would be in the crawl space, basements, under sinks or on top of the water heater. These are places people do not look, so the signs of rats are as likely to be missed in that $1 million dollar crawl space as in that low-end crawl space. Other than their droppings, rodents leave other signs -- seeds in the crawl space, torn insulation, insulation pulled down, plastic on flex heat ducts shredded. All those items are clues of rodent activity.
People ask if we inspectors are not afraid of the rats that are onsite. Even though I have heard mice in walls while I was working, I have yet to run into a live rat. When we find them, and it does happen, they usually look like this one.
So, the bottom line is this: It is not great to find rats onsite but rats are not usually intimidating in anyway....just gross. And, it is my suggestion that nobody, no matter where you live, should look down on another person if rats are found on his or her property. It is not necessarily a sign of low class to have rats, they might be lounging in your snazzy house too -- you just do not know about it YET! Obviously leaving food, garbage and bird seed laying around attracts them, but not everybody living with rats is a slob. Please remember that!
Among the most popular albums ever recorded were Meatloaf's two Bat Out Of Hell albums. The second album was released 16 years after the original Bat Out Of Hell. Both albums had phenomenal sales. The original album, from 1977, sold more than 25 million copies worldwide. And, remember, it was not as popular as part II, the 1993 release.
Reviews of the albums have gone from "brilliant", to "the best albums in history", to "the fare of over-sexed teenage boys". With songs like "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" one understands where those latter critics are coming from. A fact about the recordings -- they are like listening to a Broadway show soundtrack. These are not mere disjointed songs. There is a theme and Meatloaf's voice, and the backup singers, sound like part of a Broadway show. It seems like actions should go with the words and music.
The mastermind behind the hit songs and the Bat Out Of Hell albums is a man named Jim Steinman.
"Meat" and Steinman worked together in N.Y.C. in musical theater. Both of these men became famous as a result of their collaboration. Steinman, as a writer, and also as a sometime producer, was so well-respected that, after the Meatloaf was cooling off or between sessions with the Meatloaf, his skills were sought out by other big name artists -- Streisand, Manilow, Air Supply.
Yes my crabby Active Rain friends, it is time for another Twin-Pick. Last time my assistants and I were rudely criticized in public and at this site as having submitted a contest that was not worthy of your testing your memory glands and your skills of analysis. Universally, as in as a mob, you said it was too darn easy. That is a challenge to the universe.
This time, with the help of my obnoxious assistants, we will see if we can make it harder on you. Remember, with Twin-Pick, everytime, if you get it right then you see the original artist perform the original song. Get it wrong, and you will be flogged and humiliated in public by my rude assistants. Do not ask me if you are right or wrong, simply click below and computer science will tell you if you are a winner or another of life's biggest losers.
Question: Of the Hot 100 charting songs that were written by Jim Steinman, Meatloaf's "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I won't Do That)" is far and away his biggest success. However, Steinman has written and/or produced many songs that have become giants. Of the songs below, which one written by Steinman was #1 on the charts for four weeks in 1983 and is the second biggest hit of his career? Click away those of you who are Active Rain music snobs.
Back in the 1960's there was a singing troubadour, folk singer, who was often referred to as the British "Bob Dylan."
In fact, that was a pretty simplistic comparison in that they did not do similar songs at all. This performer did start out by singing folk and protest songs and he did play a guitar and have a harmonica around his neck. That part was "Dylanesque".
Since many looked upon this singer as an imitator, it is interesting to know that he was respected by the Beatles, the Yardbirds and some of the bands contemporary to his times. Even Dylan met with the man and considered him to be a talent. This mystery man had several hits. In the beginning he did pure folk songs. In the late 1960's, he switched to some pretty strange songs with odd titles and lyrics. Those, more flower power selections, provided his big hits and some of the words are weird but they are classics.
Yes, it is time for Twin-Pick, your chance to show your stuff. If you were around in the 1960's you ought to get this one right. If you do get it right, you will see the original artist perform an original hit. Get it wrong and you will be roasted by my spoiled rotten but nasty cyber assistants.
Question: Of the choices below, which artist was known as the British Bob Dylan? Incidentally, this artist had a #1 song in the USA in 1966.
I had an interesting situation the other day. I was asked to do a "rodent" inspection. I have never before, specifically, done an inspection for, in this case, Mr Rat. However there is a first time for everything.
The interesting thing is why I was asked to do this. A refinance is taking place. An appraiser came in and looked in the crawl space and he saw some torn insulation on a heating duct.
As inspectors know, appraisers too I guess, this does have the look of chewing vermin. So far it seems like we were dealing with a pretty much on top of it appraiser. Maybe we were.
But when the bank ordered this "rodent" inspection, I went out to the home. First I found the crawl space with the torn insulation. Sure enough, there were signs of rats. But then we get to the more interesting part, at least in my book. Walking around the house I found another very visible crawl space door. It was rotted away. It had a hole in it the size of a saucer.
When I pulled the cover off, thinking I would go in there too, I discovered that it was the most water I have ever seen in a crawl space in my life. There were polywogs or bugs or something swimming in the water. The water was 6" deep.
I put my camera down there and, obviously the water was not merely at the entry.
So my question is this: Did the appraiser, since it was inaccessible, just exclude that wet crawl space and not bother to call for a further inspection? Or did he report the water and the bank ignored that information, not knowing that water in a crawl space is bad? It is strange either way because long term damage from that lake will probably far exceed damage from rats. Maybe the rats will drown.
Home inspection information designed to be educate the real estate buyer and the real estate professional. Blog posts include general information and information specific to the Pacific Northwest region.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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