How To Write A Blog

To be honest, I do not have the faintest idea how to do so. I just write articles the way I do. Sure, I have had a lot of years experience in doing this but what I did was just write the way I thought it made sense to do so.

I think that my style is a bit different these days compared with the way I used to write when it was my “job.” I am not going to talk very much about my past but more about how I write today.

My process is relatively simple now. Usually, at the beginning of one of my Blog set of articles, what I write is a personal matter. I might tell you about what happened to me personally or to a member of my family. I might describe a situation that I have seen and how it impacts me. I might even talk about silly things like the weather conditions or what it is like to go for a walk and what I see as I do. In other words, I do not talk at the start about the big events that take place and which could well have an effect on us.

The big stuff I write afterwards. I try to undertake the research I need before I dictate my article. That can take quite a bit of time depending on the subject and my knowledge of it. I am not that good a typist so that the dictation system that I am using is quite excellent in making it easier for me to complete my story. As I trust you understand, the articles in this Blog can take me hours to complete so that I feel comfortable with them.

When I write, I always try to think of what someone may say about what I just put down on here. I want to make sure that what I have finished is supportable and that if someone challenged me, I would be able to provide strong answers back. Of course, I set out what is my perspective and hope to convince my readers to support my position.

I suspect that I have been reasonably successful in convincing people about the strength of what I have written. Over the years, I have not received many notes from readers objecting to what I have set out and then stating their position on the particular subject matter.

I do try to be consistent in my position. No, I do not go back and check out everything that I have written on the subject before I write my next one. I trust my skill in remembering what my position is and, unless there is a reason for major change, I try to remain in the same position that I have set out before.

I hope that you understand a bit better now the manner in which I complete articles for you, dear reader. I trust also understand that you understand the reasons for the nature of my articles in this Blogsite.

Now it is time for me to discuss these matters for you, dear reader.

SELLING YOUR HOME HERE

About four years ago my wife and I made the decision to sell our house in Windsor and buy our new one in Tecumseh. We did that because of my illness as you may recall.

To be direct about it, I was very concerned about selling our home. We had tried to do so before, several times, and were absolutely unsuccessful. In fact, I do not recall many people coming to take a look at our house. It was a very good one on a very large lot in South Windsor. Yet we just did not seem to have many come even to take a look at it nevermind to buy it.

Let me tell you, dear reader, that selling our house was hardly a problem this time! At the time when we put it on sale, I was so ill that I could not even get out of my bed in my bedroom. In addition, we had not even taken many steps to fix it up for the sale. That was scheduled for the following week. No problem… We had appointments made on the first day by five couples who were interested in buying it. They all went through the home including my bedroom. One of them actually put in an offer right away to purchase at almost exactly the amount of money that we wanted for the sale. We even turned down some more visits because we accepted the offer.

Was our deal the beginning of what is now going on in the real estate market? It seems to be based on this comment that I saw in a story recently:

“Despite a sharp slowdown in home sales across southern Ontario in recent months, these cities are still the places where houses "fly off the shelves," as it were, at breakneck speed. The shortest time period in the country is in Windsor (yes, population-of-200,000 Windsor), where it typically takes 12 days to sell a house.” (Daniel Tencer, HuffPost Canada, February 7, 2019) 

Yes… “in the country!” It is so unbelievable isn’t it.

Of course, that is just an average number. Another condo located near where I live now took quite a bit of time to be sold. Who knows why.  Perhaps it happened because the price was too high although it seemed to be reasonably close to what I thought a sale price would be these days.

All that I know is that the prices seem very high to me today compared with the past but it does not seem to cause any concerns to new purchasers. If houses are sold so quickly at such a high price these days, then our area is a great place to sell real estate. To buy though is another story, unless you are moving from say, Toronto, where the average price so high. Even buying an expensive house here is much less than a comparable house is sold in Toronto.

I must admit that I do not how long this pricing will last. I have seen prices in the past skyrocket upwards and then totally collapse a short time later. That does not seem to be taking place this time. Will that still happen here? Who knows if it will and when it will take place.

MORE CAR STORIES

It is so hard to write a story about what might happen to the automobile industry in our country. I am not even going to try to do so. All that I will do, dear reader, is post stories that I find interesting especially those that are important for our area.

Here is one which is a matter which I cannot possibly predict. I do not know whether GM will change its approach to manufacturing products in this country by not closing down its operation in Oshawa as is its plan now. It might have to keep this operation going, you might think, with all this opposition against it. However, here is what Gord Henderson just wrote which might be very accurate:

“By making life miserable and costly for GM over its Oshawa decision, he’s upping the price of a close-out agreement while putting the company on notice that further downsizing, either in Ingersoll or St. Catharines, will meet feverish resistance.

By bringing all this heat, Unifor is sending a message to other automakers, including here in Windsor, that any future shutdown would be both costly and immensely damaging to its reputation. Dias is drawing a line in the sand. I just wish there had been that same passion when GM closed its transmission plant and left Windsor in 2010.” (Gord Henderson, Windsor Star, February 9, 2019) 

Ford is never going to close down here will it with all of this great news. Or is the real answer not at least in the reasonable future:

“a yet-to-be-determined number of workers will be ramping up to full production in the coming year.

“The 7.3 is expected to be the most powerful gas V8 in its class, providing durability, ease of maintenance and all the towing and payload capabilities our customers want,” Tony Savoni, site manager for Ford operations in Windsor, told the audience.” (Brian Cross, Windsor Star, February 8, 2019) 

That is all for this Blog. Just keep watching out for the next one which I hope you will enjoy