Guy Lombardo

Guy Lombardo (1902- 1977) leader of the big-band era “The Royal Canadian’s” and known for his yearly rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” which is still played on new years at Times Square in New York City, was born in London Ontario.

Housing market fires up

Momentum may be building in the London-area real estate market, with June sales up 5% over the same month last year.

Sales had not been in positive territory since last September and bottomed out last November -- when they were 41% below the same month in 2007.

But last month, the London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) said, 946 detached homes and condominiums sold in June, up from 903 in June 2008.

Year-to-date sales for 2009 are still down about 20% compared to the first half of 2008.

LSTAR president Joe Hough said consumer confidence has been steadily improving and low mortgage rates and federal government incentives are drawing more and more buyers into the market.

Hough noted St. Thomas had an especially good month in June, with 90 sales in the city -- an increase of 32.4% over the same month last year

"I'm feeling very positive. Every month, we're gaining a bit of steam."

A few months ago buyers were gaining the upper hand as the number of homes listed jumped about 25%.

But Hough said the market is getting more balanced and there have even been bidding wars.

"We have seen a few here. When a property is priced right, people recognize that," Hough said.

He said the market is still weighted toward modestly priced homes.

There was more improvement in prices last month. The average year-to-date house price was $211,584, down just 0.7% from the first six months of 2008.

The average price bottomed out in January when it was 2.8% below the same month last year.

The London-St Thomas area is following a national trend with sales and prices showing signs of revival in major markets across Canada.

"Sales activity is now closer to the pre-recession peak than it is to the recent low point reached last January," said Dale Ripplinger, president of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

Hough said homes sales act as economic stimulus. CREA has calculated each home sale generates $32,000 in spinoff spending on furniture, appliances and renovations.

Hough said the revival in resale homes would eventually filter through to the new home construction market as overall demand for housing builds.

"This is going to help everything. I don't think we will see a buying frenzy again but we will see a more stable market."

How to Clean Your Flat-Panel TV Without Damaging the Screen

The screen on your flat-panel television is much more sensitive than the CRT screens that came before it. Plasma, LCD and projection televisions require more care when cleaning them.

• The number one caution: Don't use regular glass cleaner. Chemicals in window cleaner can permanently fog your screen over time and could even remove its antiglare coating.
• Customer service techs at Westinghouse recommend using LCD cleaner, which can be purchased at any electronics store. At MG Chemicals, makers of one widely used LCD cleaner, they say most cleaners are mainly water. If you don't have special cleaner on hand, use a glass of distilled water with a capful of isopropyl alcohol in it. Or use a mixture of equal parts of water and white vinegar. Avoid cleaning products that contain ammonia, ethyl alcohol, acetone, toluene, ethyl acid or methyl chloride. These could yellow the screen.
• Whatever cleaning agent you use, never spray it directly onto the screen. Put it on a cloth instead. Spray can get inside of flat panels and damage them. It can also run down, get into the TV circuits and short them out.
• Flat panel screens are made of plastic and scratch very easily. Some makers advise using microfiber cloths such as those recommended for cleaning laptop screens, eyeglasses or camera lenses. These are the best choices. Many cloths and tissues feel soft but are actually somewhat abrasive.
• Don't use paper towels. They can scratch the screen's surface. They can also carry a static charge which could damage the set's electronics, according to the Geek Squad.

How to Clean the Screen

1. Turn the set off so you can see areas that are dusty or oily.
2. Dust the screen very gently. If there is dirt or oil remaining, dampen the cloth with a cleaning agent and wipe gently again. Never press on the screen because it can cause pixels to burn out.
3. The plastic edge of the screen can be cleaned with any multipurpose cleaner, but be careful so the cleaner doesn't contact with the screen itself.

July is for Hot Dogs

Call it a dog, sausage or frankfurter; it's been around since before the 9th century BC. Homer's Odyssey refers to a man by a roaring fire waiting impatiently for his sausage to cook.

In the centuries that followed, many references to the sausage are recorded throughout history. In the 19th century, German immigrants came here and brought their sausages and their dachshund dogs with them.

In 1867, a German butcher opened a stand in Coney Island in New York and sold 3,684 "dachshund" sausages in milk rolls. A cartoon was drawn featuring the sausages, but the cartoonist didn't know how to spell dachshund, so he called them hot dogs. The name stuck.

A study done a few years ago indicated that Americans eat more than 16 billion hot dogs each year. They eat 150 million on the 4th of July alone.

Have a happy Hot Dog Month!!