Articles written by John F Mann

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About me - John F Mann

Resisting unfairly strong urge to oH~pen with sarcastic (ironic?) "obit"......*sigh*.......say La Vee.

Though I write.....rather quixotically at times......I have not (yet) announced myself as a fuLL bLown writer.

Starting at what was very nearly "The End",

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Home & Garden > Architecture A look at famous bridges in the US: 1 of 11
Throughout time, bridge-building has been an essential activity for any civilization that had to connect lands previously divided by rivers and canyons. Bridges greatly increase potential for economic progress that improves general living conditions.Great bridges appeal to our longing for peaceful coexistence, with nature and... More..
Home & Garden > Home Repair (Other) Questions to ask a contractor before starting home repairs: 1 of 10
Home owners who have never hired a contractor for home repairs often approach the task anxiously, especially if they have heard or read about the all-too-frequent horror stories. Any home owner who has seen the 1986 movie "The Money Pit" (Tom Hanks, Shelley Long) should of course repeat "it's only a movie". My homeowner clien... More..
Home & Garden > Home & Garden (Other) Replacing your roof: 1 of 10
Roofing is typically evaluated during a general home inspection performed for the buyer. Between sales however, homeowners typically do not consider the condition of their roofing until raindrops are falling indoors.Considering extensive damage that a roof leak can cause, a visual inspection should be performed at least once ... More..
Home & Garden > Architecture The difference between an architect and a structural engineer: 1 of 5
By the time of senior year in high school, most of us have heard the terms "architect" and "engineer". If you work in the construction industry, had college friends who studied architecture or engineering, or paid for the construction of a building, you may have also learned that design (planning) is an essential part of the ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Climate Change Would higher gas taxes help fight global warming?: 1 of 5
Policies that result in the use of less gasoline will reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. With the key assumption that the theory of man-made global warming is correct, the logical conclusion must be that a reduction in gasoline useage must result in less global warming, compared to the previous outlook.Of course, if the t... More..
Personal Finance > Mortgages & Home Loans Compare today's mortgage rates to those of 15 or 20 years ago: 1 of 5
Current (summer 2008) US mortgage rates remain far lower than rates at almost any time during the past 35 years.The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) publishes tables of mortgage rates since 1971 (http://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/pmms30.htm).From a low of 7.3% in 1971, average 30-year fixed rates rose to 10.0... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Economic News Is the US economy in a recession?: 3 of 12
As of July 2008, we continue to hear tortured pronouncements, typically without much factual information, about how the US is in "recession", and has been for several months. The vast majority of such recession mongers conveniently neglect to tell us that they are more interested in their own political agenda than fair evalua... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Elections (Other) Is the US primary election season too long?: 3 of 12
The five-month stretch between the first (Iowa caucus) and last (South Dakota primary) contest to determine presidential candidates is long, but within reason. However, the much longer campaign period between mid-term congressional elections and the Iowa caucus is excessive, especially considering how the near-permanent campa... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political Issues A tax on gasoline could help America rebuild its older bridges: 1 of 4
Mention "gas tax" at your local watering hole and you will likely spark a lively "discussion" bordering on cries for revolution. If you dare to voice an inclination to support an increased gas tax, you risk, at a minimum, being taunted with the political "L" word.One defense to the "liberals as tax hikers" attack is to explai... More..
Personal Finance > Investing (Other) Investing in electric utilities: 1 of 4
The long-awaited arrival of practical electric cars may finally be on the horizon. Technological improvements, especially in batteries, have allowed for the development of electric cars that are currently on US roads. Although cost remains high, we appear to have reached a point where costs will be reduced to allow for mass p... More..