Believe it or not, not everything you put in your backyard space will improve the value of your home. Kiplinger ran an article this week detailing some of the best "bang for the buck" projects as well as others that won't pay off when it comes to resale value. Having undertaken one of these projects at our house I found it interesting that some additions are more desirable than others.

Probably the biggest surprise to me was that professionally designed landscaping can not only transform your backyard but also add real aesthetic value to the property. The article suggests that you have a landscaper design the layout and the do-it-yourself as a low-cost solution.

The other surprise was the utter trashing that "water features" received. By their account small pools typically are abandoned after several years as they require costly maintenance. They also claim that outdoor fireplaces are "luxury" items due to cost and the limited resale value they add.

Then again if you plan to stay in your home for years resale may not be your primary concern. I would caution though that you consider the cost both monetarily and in time for certain improvements. Things like pools and gardens require maintenance as opposed to additions like covered porches and patios which are relatively maintenance free. The important thing is to do what pleases you, the home owner, and not what the real estate industry tells you will make your home more valuable.

It would be fitting to, just a day after the United State’s Fourth of July celebration, to talk of independence. I'm referring a recent article from AmericanLeMans.Com which states quite boldly: "Energy Independence" message deliver. More than 100 VIPs at a gathering New York City Central Park heard from ALMS CEO Scott Atherton and EPIC Executive Tom Slunecka about the ALMS's desire to showcase its relevancy with automotive technology and consumers.

The gist of the program was that the ALMS is the first racing series to adopt multiple "street legal" fuels for all racecars and that the series is open to additional, alternative energy sources in the future. Atherton has stated before that the series is open to running any type of fuel that is available to the broad consumer market, even if that someday includes hybrid and hydrogen powered vehicles. All of this is done, of course, to maintain a close tie between the on track technology and the available vehicular product sitting on showroom floors.

I've often said that the perceived threat of "off shoring" technology jobs is over hyped. A recent article in the New York Times seems to agree in such that while global outsourcing is a fact of life, it does not necessarily mean that American workers can't compete or offer value to the practice. This particular example illustrates how members of an IBM technology service team do just that.

The trick for companies like I.B.M. is to figure out what work to do where, and, more important, to keep bringing in the kind of higher-end work that needs to be done in this country, competing on the basis of specialized expertise and not on price alone.

Interesting facts about this year's 24

The win by Audi was the teams 7th and further reinforced the career stats of two drivers.

Audi :
- 7th victory for Audi at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
- Audi ties Jaguar for number of overall victories

Franck Biela (42 ans)
5th victory in 8 years of competition (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)

Emanuele Pirro (45 ans)
5th victory in 10 years of participation (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)