humor: Selling of the White House -- Oooops - 06/26/10 02:46 PM
I do not know how or why, but this story popped-up in my Email and, low and behold, for an unsolicited story it seems to be accurate.
There are many thesis turned into books out there, over the years, on the making of the President and how Presidents sell themselves into high places. Well, this one is different.
Apparently Redfin, the real estate Goliath, inadvertently listed the White House as a "for sale by owner".
It does not seem to be a joke, since it is linked to CBS news. You can read of this rather major real estate website "ooooooooops" … (12 comments)

humor: Art Appreciation -- By Nutsy - 02/06/10 07:54 AM
On the recent Mexico vacation, when the boss went to the beach, I stayed in Oaxaca city. As many of you know, I spent that time doing good deeds and having fun. For example, like the boss, I had my photo taken with Frida Kahlo.
 
I also spent many hours watching another great artist. There are many artists in that part of Mexico. But I was particularly impressed with an artist who prunes shrubs. In fact, that artist was so intelligent about what makes a good subject that he asked my permission to sculpt my likeness. Let me be the … (9 comments)

humor: Nutsy's Fascinating Labor Day Revelation - 09/07/09 03:32 AM
Many years ago, when I was raised in another state, I was at Oakwood elementary school and the instructor told me that, throughout modern history, two names are more famous than those of past Presidents and world leaders.
One of those two names was a fictional character -- Sherlock Holmes. The other was a real person -- Harry Houdini. It was the real person, not the fictional one, that had close ties to the Wallenda family.
My great, great uncle, Pinenut Wallenda, was Houdini's right hand squirrel. Uncle Pinenut was Houdini's best hope to avert tragedy.  If something went wrong, Pinenut would … (19 comments)

humor: Testing One, Two, Three - 07/17/09 10:46 AM
Many home inspectors in Washington State are now busy taking the state licensing test. The state test consists of 175 questions on the national part, which is the National Home Inspector Exam. The state component consists of 35 questions that encompass standards of practice, records retention, license renewal and basics that are written into the law.
The two-part exam, which is taken at testing centers in various parts of the state, is done while sitting at a computer and the questions are multiple choice with four possible answers. Anyone who has read National Home Inspector Exam study guides should be reasonably … (34 comments)

humor: Squirrely Idea At The Long Branch Saloon - 03/24/09 04:30 AM
This is a short piece on the restoration of a replica building. Probably everybody my age and older remembers the Long Branch Saloon. That is where Marshall Dillon hung out, with Chester or Festus and Miss Kitty and Doc, in the hit television series Gunsmoke. Before that, the series was heard on the radio. 
 
 Below is a replica building, a tree house. It is run down but it was originally designed to look like the famous Long Branch. That cowboy on the right, if you do not recognize him, is pretty famous himself. 

That is Nutsy's great Uncle, on his … (14 comments)

humor: The FBI Is Still Looking -- D.B. Cooper Where Are You? - 02/09/09 12:04 AM
Recently, I wrote about one of the Pacific Northwest's most notorious residents: Mr Bigfoot. Today I am going to write about another northwest legend. If you do not believe in Bigfoot, then you have to believe in this one because it is all reality, no fantasy.
If you lived in the northwest, maybe anywhere in the U.S. and Canada, in the 1970's you will remember the name D.B. Cooper. Whether he is viewed as a modern Robin Hood (helping only himself it would seem) or an extortionist, he was very real. Just in case some of us have forgotten, D.B. (Dan) Cooper … (57 comments)

humor: Dispatch From The Heart of Bigfoot Country -- Sasquatch is Alive! - 02/08/09 06:48 AM
I do not know if most Active Rain members know just how brave those of us inspecting in Whatcom County, Washington have to be. Everybody living on earth has, probably, heard of the Bigfoot or, as we call it, the Sasquatch. This is an ape-like creature known to inhabit forests in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, more than half of all the Bigfoot sightings have occurred in the Pacific Northwest. For the record, many of these PNW sightings have taken place around the Lummi Nation. That is here in Whatcom County.
The Sasquatch is described as humanoid, large -- like 6 ft 10" high -- … (38 comments)

humor: Squirrel Out of Hell -- By Nutsy - 02/01/09 02:10 AM
The prevailing opinion is that, if you can make it in the entertainment business, you will end up with large sums of money. My second cousin, on my half-sister's side, is going to become a star. He, like all of us in my family, has a wonderful singing voice. The fact is that my cousin, Wheatloaf, is on the verge of putting out his first major album release.
Wheatloaf, performing on stage, displays an intensity that few mere mortals could ever hope to achieve. I am offering a wonderful opportunity to Active Rain members. Wheatloaf has extreme talent, but he does not have any financial … (16 comments)

humor: December 5 -- Custer's First Stand - 12/01/08 02:15 AM
Friday, December 5, marks the birthdate of one of America's most famous military men. General George Armstrong Custer was born 169 years ago. We might call that day, Custer's first stand.

While Custer is one of the most famous of the US Generals, he is not the most respected. As everyone probably knows, Custer lost his life, and the lives of his men, in the Indian Wars at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

It is generally accepted that he seriously miscalculated the strength of the enemy. Custer and his troops died on June 25, 1876. Sitting Bull was … (8 comments)

humor: Stories Behind the Music -- The Best Halloween Songs - 10/30/08 03:09 AM
There are a number of songs that might, arguably, be in the category of the best ever Halloween song. The three below are on most top ten Halloween song lists -- by the experts in such matters. Personally, as an old radio guy, I would say that these three picks by me are in ascending order. In other words, the first one is probably not as high on the heap of Halloween favorites as the one at the bottom.
First we have Warren Zevon. This song, late 1970's, established this former session musician as a major talent in his own right, … (9 comments)

humor: My Amazing Discovery Found While Enlarging Satellite Photos - 10/15/08 07:16 AM
As you probably know, it first became common knowledge many years ago, in the Tom Clancy novels and the movies that followed, that the U.S. government, and some other foreign governments, have the ability to track human activity, anywhere in the world, through satellite imagery.
While some of the entertainment satellites might be 22,000 miles from earth, the spy satellites tend to be about 100 to 300 miles above earth. They are far away, but closer to us. That is where we get into my interesting discovery this morning. This is a photo taken from a spy satellite of what is believed to … (39 comments)

humor: The Cold Hard Facts About My Home Inspector Assistant - 10/06/08 02:57 AM
I think it is time to get real frank .  My certified home inspection assistant Nutsy Wallenda has, in just the short month he has been with the firm, gained a number of supporters and a few detractors here at Active Rain. The detractors have not taken the time to understand his qualifications. The detractors act like he is just some squirrel I shook down out of a tree.
Honestly, Sean Allen from Florida is astute and was the first to realize that Nutsy's background involved more than meets the eye. He posted a photo and asked if it was Nutsy.

Turns out it was not, but little did Sean know … (40 comments)

humor: Worthless Human Inventions -- by Nutsy - 10/01/08 05:05 AM
As a professional squirrel, with technical training and gainful employment, I by necessity have to associate with humans on a daily basis. Although I find many of them to be nervous creatures, I am often overwhelmed by the ridiculous products that humans create or invent. Some of these consumer items, in my view, have no worthwhile benefit or any socially redeeming value. Please check out the link below. I, for the life of me, cannot think of any reason for this heavily marketed product to be on the market at all. Have a wholesome dinner, Not! 
There are similar, and quite despicable, inventions out there … (14 comments)

humor: Economically Disadvantaged Rodents - 09/22/08 04:41 AM
The economy, for the average rodent or hare, must be really depressed at this time. You might wonder how I know that. Well, ever since I hired Nutsy the squirrel as my home inspection assistant (much to the chagrin of Charles Buell who is too cheap to pay an employee in addition to his own inflated salary) I have been inundated with rodents seeking jobs in the field of home inspection. In fact, they are now crossing the US/Canadian border in efforts to present themselves and their resumes.
Just last week, I took the photo below of the most recent applicant. … (13 comments)

 
Steven L. Smith, Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.)

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Bellingham, WA

More about me…

King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.

Address: 1609 East Maplewood Ave, Bellingham, WA, 98225

Office: (360) 319-0038

Mobile: (360) 319-0038

Steven L. Smith, King of the House Home Inspection, provides information for real estate buyers, sellers and real estate industry professionals. Blog posts emphasize issues commonly found in Bellingham, WA and Whatcom County. Smith is Washington State Licensed Home Inspector #207, a state licensed structural pest inspector, ASHI certified inspector #252760 and one of the most experienced inspectors in the northwest corner of the Pacific Northwest. Steven L. Smith is lead instructor of home inspection at Bellingham Technical College and teaches classes for Washington State University and the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Steve was a two-term member of the state licensing board.


Listings

Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog