Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!  We observe this day in remembrance  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who we all know to be one of the most influential people of his time.  With his powerful ‘I Have a Dream’ speech given in 1963, the nonviolent civil rights movement to end racial discrimination in the US was propelled into action.

King received numerous awards and recognitions, both before and after his death, for his brave and influential acts. His powerful words and ideas changed America as we know it.  And all of this came about because he had a passion to help others.  He dedicated his life to the well being and prosperity of his fellow Americans.

So, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., I challenge you to do something for others today.  Now, I’m not saying you need to start a political movement (although, if that’s what you desire, then by all means, go for it!).  Even the smallest acts of kindness can make a huge difference.  Not only will you make someone else’s day a little better, but the good feeling that comes with helping someone will generate a positive feedback loop: the better you feel, the more good you’ll want to do!

MLK Day coincides with the National Day of Service.  Today, organizations across the country will be volunteering their time and work to help those in their community.  If you’re interested in contributing, check your local organizations’ websites and see what you can do to help out!

I leave you with this quote, from Dr. King himself:

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘what are you doing for others?'”

---

Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

 

Louisiana’s unparalleled natural beauty, cultural diversity, state-of-the-art facilities, friendly communities and competitive incentive program make it a filmmaker’s dream.  Several major motion pictures have been filmed in Louisiana (American Horror Story, Dallas Buyer’s Club, Jurassic Park 4, Pitch Perfect and Fantastic Four, just to name a few recent ones). In addition, aspiring amateur or independent filmmakers, both native Louisianians and those from out of state, have made Louisiana their canvas.

Cinema on the Bayou an annual film festival held in Lafayette. The festival is dedicated to screening original, creative, and entertaining films created by filmmakers from a plethora of cultures and ideas. Cinema on the Bayou is Louisiana’s second longest running film festival behind the New Orleans Film Festival.  As a matter of fact, it is because of the New Orleans Film Festival that Cinema on the Bayou came to be.  The 2005 New Orleans film Festival was cancelled when Hurricane Katrina hit the city.

Upon the cancellation of the festival, Lafayette based filmmaker Pat Mire was contacted by the National Film Board of Canada offering a US premiere of the documentary “Maroon”, which was originally scheduled to premiere in New Orleans.  Thus, the inaugural Cinema on the Bayou took place in early 2006.

Since its first appearance, Cinema on the Bayou has caught the attention of Louisiana, US, and worldwide filmmakers alike.  Each year the event has screened more and more films to keep up with an ever-growing list of submissions and attendees.  Consequently, the festival has had to expand to multiple venues across Lafayette in order to accommodate its patrons.  Last year’s festival, which marked the 10th anniversary of Cinema on the Bayou, was the largest of all—over 100 films from across the country and the world were screened, and over 150 filmmakers, actors, and musicians attended.

Due to a major increase in popularity, Cinema on the Bayou 2016 will be extended from five days to eight days and will be held at several locations, including Acadiana Center for the Arts, Vermilionville, Pack and Paddle, and many more!  Over 1,000 film submissions were received and sifted through, so this year’s patrons are guaranteed a vast selection of films, the majority of which will be Louisiana, US, or world premieres.  Festival Director Rebecca Hudsmith commented:

“I am so proud of the quality and breadth of the films we will screen this year.  From the Canadian Yukon to the mountains of Nepal to the streets of Tokyo to the wetlands of Louisiana, these films present heartfelt stories that will entertain, yes, but will also enrich our lives.”

Cinema on the Bayou 2016 runs from January 20 to January 27.  Click here for a schedule of events and screenings.

---

Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

Have you resolved to be more charitable to your community this year?  What better day to get started than on the MLK National Day of Service?  Please join Second Harvest Food Bank in volunteer service with their Warehouse Food Repack Program for the MLK National Day of Service on January 18, 2016.

Each month, Second Harvest Food Bank distributes more than 2 million pounds of food to people in need, the equivalent of 1.6 million meals. In order to accomplish this feat, Second Harvest relies strongly on volunteers from schools, businesses and the community to sort donated food, assemble boxes, and repack food items into smaller boxes or bulk products to sizes appropriate to distribute to individuals and families. 

On MLK Day – Monday, January 18, 2016 – from their warehouses in New Orleans and Lafayette, Second Harvest’s Warehouse Food Repack Program will host a morning shift from 9:00 am to noon and an afternoon shift from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. 

Lend a helping hand to ensure that the 210,000 south Louisiana residents Second Harvest serves every year have the nutrition they need to be healthy, happy, and successful!

Click here for more information about the event.

---

Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

Every office building is equipped with at least one scanner for you to use at work.  But what if you don’t have time to wait in line?  What if you aren’t even at the office?  For the longest time, we’ve solely relied on office scanners to scan our documents.  Thankfully, today’s smartphone cameras are so high quality that a simple snapshot of a document can give you results reminiscent of using a scanner.  All you really need is a “scanner” application that will suit your personal or business needs.  Here are the top picks for iOS and Android devices.

iOS: Scannable
Scannable is a foolproof app that easily lets you scan printed documents, receipts, and even business cards.  Simply point your smartphone camera at the document you wish to scan and Scannable will automatically snap a picture of it.  From there, the document is automatically rotated, cropped, and adjusted to provide the clearest picture. 

Once your documents are scanned, you can save them to your Evernote account or export them to iCloud Storage or your Camera Roll.  You can also share your scans in messages, emails, or other apps on your phone.

Scannable uses optical character recognition (OCR) which detects words and numbers in the documents you scan so you can search for words or phrases within your documents.  One of the best uses of OCR is its ability to pull contact information from business cards so you can add it to your phone contacts!  

Unfortunately, Scannable doesn’t keep a list of previous scans, so in order to scan a new document, you’ll have to either save or delete the previously scanned document.

Scannable is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, and it’s free to use!

Android: CamScanner
CamScanner is everything you want in a scanner app and more.  Scanning documents is similar to using Scannable, but with CamScanner, your scanned documents are automatically organized by type, separating business cards, receipts, and paper documents into dedicated folders.  

Another bonus is that CamScanner allows you to scan photos that you’ve already taken, so you don’t need the document in front of you presently in order to scan it.

Documents scanned with CamScanner are pristine quality, and you can manually edit your images by adjusting color, contrast, or brightness.  Images can be cropped, watermarked, or annotated, and tags can be added so you can search your scanned documents later.  The app also has built-in collaboration tools which let you invite other people to view and edit your scans.

CamScanner, like Scannable, also uses OCR, but in order to use it you’ll need to download a plugin.  You also need to create an account to use the app, but this is actually beneficial; with an account, you can upload your scans to CamScanner’s website so you can retrieve them from your computer.

CamScanner is also available for Windows Phone and iOS.  It’s free to use, but some features can only be accessed by upgrading to the premium version.

---

Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

The first “Remodeling Impact Report” from the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) surveyed agents and remodelers to determine the resale value and owner satisfaction of various remodeling projects.

The report shows which projects had the greatest cost recovery and calculated a “Joy Score” based on owners’ happiness with the results of their project.  The project that rated high both in cost recovery and a high Joy Score was a new roof, which has a 105 percent recovery of the average
$7,600 cost and a Joy Score of 9.6 out of 10.

The five projects out of the 20 reviewed that had the greatest cost recovery, including the new roof, are:

• refinishing hardwood flooring (100 percent cost recovery on $2,500)
• insulation upgrade (95 percent on $2,100)
• new wood floor (91 percent on $5,500)
• new garage door (87 percent on $2,300)

While the projects with the greatest cost recovery were all under $10,000, the renovations that provided the highest Joy Score were more expensive.  The top five interior projects ranked for Joy Scores include:

• adding a bathroom ($50,000, Joy Score of 10)
• complete kitchen renovation ($60,000, Joy Score of 9.8)
• new master suite ($112,500, Joy Score of 9.7)
• hardwood refinish ($2,500, Joy Score of 9.6)
• new wood floor ($5,500, Joy Score of 9.5)

Among the exterior renovations, the top five ranked for Joy Score besides the new roof include:

• new fiber-cement siding ($19,100, Joy Score of 10)
• new fiberglass front door ($2,500, Joy Score of 9.7)
• new steel front door ($2,000, Joy Score of 9.7)
• new garage door ($2,300, joy Score of 9.5)

---

Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News