Martin Rogen

Airline carriers gain hundreds of millions of added fees

2011-06-05T06:44:00.000-07:00

Baggage fees and similar “extra” charges are unavoidable for the current air vacationer. They can be expensive and annoying. However they are gravy for the airlines. They bring the industry billions, suggests a new study.

The extras on the new report

The Amadeus Review of Ancillary Revenue Results explains the industry was able to make $21.46 billion off of non-transportation charges last year. This involves co-branded credit cards, frequent-flier programs and baggage expenses.

Who made the most money?

About $5 billion was brought in in extras with United Continental Airlines, which was the most non-transportation money an airline brought in. Delta was second. About $3.7 billion was brought in. The third was American Airlines at $2 billion. All of these are U.S. based businesses.

Extras cost more with low spending budget

More money is spent on extra expenses for income at bargain airlines because of lower ticket costs. They lead the pack if the data is analyzed as a percentage of their total income. The big three earners, percentage-wise, were Allegiant Airlines, at 29.2 percent, Spirit Airlines, at 22.6 percent, and Ireland-based Ryanair, which brought in 22.1 percent of its revenue with those little extras.

Increase in charges to be anticipated

Jay Sorenson is president of IdeaWorks and co-author of the report. He believes that every person should watch out for even more non-transportation charges. “Oil prices spiked in 2008, which was also the year in which the U.S. industry introduced baggage fees. We’re nearing those historical oil prices again, and I believe we’re going to see another round of new à la carte fees.”

A study from before

The Customer Travel Alliance, a Washington D.C.-based lobby, did a comparable study earlier this year. Open Airlines for Airfare Transparency helped with the study. This means many travel agencies were involved. Air passengers paid about $36.80 in fees every round trip in 2010, according to the study.

Wanting the government to intervene

The two groups have collected, as of last March, more than 60,000 online signatures in an attempt to urge the federal government to force airline carriers to make their charges more transparent.

Articles cited

MSNBC

overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/06/01/6764501-nickeled-and-dimed-for-21-billion

Denver Business Journal

bizjournals.com/denver/news/2011/03/10/airlines-cost-coloradans-1486m-in.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search

Business Week

businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9IBOU7G6.htm

A monthly service for Call of Duty is all any person wants

2011-06-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

Online multiplayer first-person shooter supporters that enjoy the “Call of Duty” series should expect to spend more for their full metal carnage, reports GamePro. “Call of Duty: Elite,” a monthly membership program, is currently planning for beta testing phase and is accepting summer individuals. By the end of 2011, Activision might offer “CoD: Elite” to gamers for $7.99 or for even less per month.

The ‘CoD: Elite’ sure to do good for Activision’s wallet

It is not surprising that Activision has decided to work on the online multi-player FPS as a popular PC and console game considering how popular regular subscriptions are for “World of Warcraft” and other massively multi-player online role-playing games, or MMORPGs. Most games now and day will lock gamers into their worlds just like “Call of Duty” is planning, claims Jamie Berger. Berger is the Activision VP of Digital Business.

“In an always-on world, the competition for our players’ time has exploded,” he told Wired. “Online interactivity and community is critical for us to face that world. It’s what sets apart games with growing audiences from really great games struggling to find an audience.”

'Black Ops’ will go ‘Elite’

”Call of Duty: Black Ops” will be featured in “Call of Duty: Elite.” Black Ops was the best-selling game in U.S. history in Feb., NPD research confirms. Over 30 million people play one of the “Call of Duty” games online each year, spending over 170 hours each year doling out hot video lead.

The beauty of “Elite,” suggests Activision, is that “Call of Duty” enthusiasts will not have to run out and buy another $60 game. ”Call of Duty: Elite” is not a game at all. It really is a social network that continues the “Call of Duty” saga in several chapters online. Activision will use the game as a “Holy Grail” of sorts, says the blog Dubious Quality’s analyst Bill Harris. It should also get several FPS online multi-player fans very interested.

'Call of Duty: Elite’ works really well

More than just player-versus-player will occur with “CoD: Elite,” according to GamePro. The “Elite” game will have several categories. They’ll break down like this:

Career: Play map details and analysis of your play and weapons choice will occur here. If you think you’re an FPS pro but haven’t seen what ‘Elite’ can do, reconsider your professional status.

Connect: Social media for “Call of Duty” fanatics. Chat, join groups, share highlight reels and simply go crazy.

Compete: The way eHarmony match makes was copied for FPS matchmaking. A ton of firepower should be anticipated.

Improve: Pump up your “Call of Duty” game with loads of tips.

Articles cited

Call of Duty: Elite

callofduty.com/elite

Dubious Quality

dubiousquality.blogspot.com/

GamePro

gamepro.com/article/previews/219778/call-of-duty-elite-full-details/

Wired

wired.com/gamelife/2011/05/call-of-duty-elite/

‘Call of Duty: Elite’ Legend of Karl trailer (Note: Contains video game violence)

youtube.com/watch?v=s3Ixz7pHXdg

House foreclosure rates go up and prices drop

2011-06-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

The price of homes falls even more in the United States as foreclosure rates grow. This should make house buyers happy. Sellers, however, would be advised to give it more time.

How the FHFA report shows it going

According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, there was a huge drop in the home-price index this quarter. It fell quicker than any time since 2008 falls. There was a 5.5 percent decline from last year. This is because prices went down 2.5 percent in last quarter. The report, however, covers only homes purchased with mortgages provided by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. It excludes cash only sales.

Foreclosures remain a key factor

FHFA acting director Edward DeMarco said, “In many local real estate markets, particularly those hit hard by this cycle, foreclosures and other distressed properties are still a key factor in recorded and anticipated future sales and may be delaying price stability or recovery.” There has been a decrease in the price people are willing to pay for foreclosures. It has been going down considerably, RealtyTrac explained. There was a 1.89 percent decline from the last quarter to an average sale price of $168,321. That is a 1.46 percent decline in price from this time last year. Foreclosures end up lowering house values in the whole neighborhood. The rest of the index ends up impacted by the foreclosures.

Fewer foreclosures going to third parties

James Saccacio is the CEO of RealtyTrac. “While foreclosure sales continue to account for an unusually high percentage of all residential home sales, sales volume is well off the peak we saw in the first quarter of 2009, when nearly 350,000 foreclosure properties were sold to third parties,” he said. There was a 16 percent go down from the last quarter and 36 percent drop from a year ago in the number of homes sold to 3rd parties which was at 158,434 in the first quarter.

States have different foreclosure rates

Foreclosure rates depend on the state. Some have more while others have less. It was at 41 percent in both Ohio and Illinois. California and Arizona had foreclosure rates of 45 percent. About 53 percent of the industry was foreclosures in Nevada.

Beware of foreclosure frauds

There have been more foreclosure scams recently. These scams involve upfront fees for promises of foreclosure prevention that never happen, leaving the distressed homeowners high and dry. Mortgage reduction plan negotiations can’t have upfront fees anymore with a requirement made in Feb. with the Federal Trade Commission.

Information from

Wall Street Journal

blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2011/05/25/home-prices-fall-at-fastest-pace-since-late-2008/?mod=google_news_blog

DS News

dsnews.com/articles/home-prices-post-biggest-drop-in-two-years-as-foreclosures-depress-market-2011-05-26

DS News

dsnews.com/articles/home-prices-post-biggest-drop-in-two-years-as-foreclosures-depress-market-2011-05-26

Daily Finance

dailyfinance.com/2011/05/27/foreclosure-prices-fall-again-how-your-state-stacks-up/

New mobile payment program forthcoming from Google

2011-05-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

Google has declared it will introduce its own mobile payment program that will let individuals to use their cell phones without a wallet. Google is launching its own near-field communications program, which utilizes a system of readable computer chips mounted in smart phones that can be linked to credit or checking accounts to make payments. Google is the latest business to join in trying to phase out the ancient technology of the wallet.

Sprint debuting new payment program on Nexus S mobile phone

It has become popular to have mobile payment processing on your smart phone. There is already a joint venture between AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon in developing and installing ISIS, a proprietary type of near-field communications technology, on smartphones in the next few years. Near-field communication, or NFC, technology works by planting a readable chip in a phone that contains the user’s credit card or financial institution account information. Merchants will have to have NFC readers for the customer to use the technology. With the reader, the consumer can simply tap the phone to initiate a purchase with the account information. Sprint, according to Bloomberg, is unveiling its own NFC system developed in part with Google, and will be available on Sprint phones starting with the Nexus S Android mobile phone.

Google offers it to everyone who’s willing to purchase it

The first way to get Google mobile payment systems going will be on the Nexus S. This is an Android cell phone you would have to buy. With more and more phones coming out on the Google-based Android platform, the Google payment program will become more readily accessible. The NFC technology will start in LA, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and New York for Google. The technology needed for Google NFC systems comes from two places. This includes ViVOtech and VeriFone Systems. About $370 million worldwide was spent last year with mobile-phone based commerce. That’s a good chunk of money. An NFC system is being looked into by Apple right now. Forbes states that ISIS plans on partnering with Apple, Google and all banks and charge card corporations including NFC system producing forms to make sure the same thing is going on throughout the nation. NFC technology is really pretty old, although it is rarely used for purchases.

Even more mobile payment systems on the rise

There are always several opportunities. There are more than “mobile wallet” types around. A smart phone is just like a credit card machine with Square. You’ve to download the Square app. Then, the charge card reader needs to be put into the headphone jack for using. The user then can simply swipe a charge card to receive a payment. Square debuted in 2009 and initially only received and didn’t spend payments. CNN reports the Square app now has a way for an individual to purchase goods at participating stores pretty effortlessly when purchasing from a clerk. The store clerk simply checks the store’s database for Square-using customers and bills the customer’s charge card. It does not require a chip at all.

Citations

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-24/google-to-unveil-mobile-payment-service.html

Forbes

blogs.forbes.com/elizabethwoyke/2011/05/17/mobile-payments-jv-isis-eager-for-apple-google-sprint-to-join/

CNN

cnn.com/2011/TECH/mobile/05/23/square/

Hochul (D) won the seat from GOP in special House election

2011-05-28T04:04:00.000-07:00

Tuesday’s special House election in N.Y.’s 26th Congressional District showed Democrat Kathy Hochul taking the seat from the GOP. Hochul’s opponent was Republican Jane Corwin who lost by the modest margin of 47 percent to 43 percent. Democrat-turned-Tea Party candidate Jack Davis took 9 percent of the race.

Not happy about changes made for Medicare

The changes House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan suggested for Medicare were addressed quite a bit by Hochul. Hochul does not like the changes. They’re ridiculous. Hochul debated Corwin just last week about the budget plan. Hochul said: “I will fight any plan that tries to decimate Medicare. That is something people in this district feel passionately about, and I do as well.”

A comment was given by Rep. Steve Israel of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He said: “Even in one of the most Republican districts, seniors and independent voters rejected the Republican plan to end Medicare.”

Medicare changes approved by House

There were 15 democrats and 4 republicans that voted opposes Ryan’s Medicare plan on April 15. It was passed by the House still. Individuals younger than 55 would be able to take advantage of the changes which would allow federally subsidizes premiums for those younger than 55.

The win gets Obama’s attention

Obama praised Hochul in a statement Tuesday. “Kathy has shown, through her victory and throughout her career, that she will fight for the families and businesses in western New York, and I anticipate working with her when she gets to Washington.”

Medicare decisions for Republicans

House Republican Leader Eric Cantor disputed the claims the victory was based on the Medicare reform issues. ”This race is about the fact that it’s a three-way race,” according to Cantor.

Chair vacated in sex scandal

Hochul will take the seat vacated in the wake of Republican Rep. Chris Lee’s sex scandal. In February, Lee stepped down after shirtless photos of himself that he had sent to a woman on Craigslist surfaced.

Special elections continue

Two more special House elections will be held later this year to fill vacancies. In July, there will be a political election in California. California Democrat Jane Harman will be replaced. Republican Dean Heller will be changed in Nevada in September. Now Heller will be put in U.S. Senate. She is taking John Ensign’s spot.

Information from

Huffington Post

huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/24/new-york-special-election_n_866074.html

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/43161820/ns/politics-capitol_hill

Chicago Tribune

chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-pn-ryan-special-election-20110525,0,3908152.story

Cost of beer rising still

2011-05-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

No product is immune from inflation. No matter how much we’re forced to cut corners, prices still go up. As the barbecue season rapidly approaches beer prices is still rising at a rate we haven’t seen for three years.

Increase of beer price common

In January and February beer prices went up 2.6 percent, showing a steady increase in 2011. And domestic, specialty and non-alcoholic beer prices have gone up 5 percent to 8 percent from a just a year ago. Craft beers have been hit especially hard. Director of the Brewers Association, Paul Gatza, explained that prices are up from last year 42 cents a case.

Hops are hard to discover

Hops are one of the ingredients needed to make beer. Most of these come from Germany. It is where about 35 percent come from of the world’s supply. Three years ago Bavaria, the largest state in Germany, was devastated by a poor hops crop. Prices increased because of the lack of supply and have stayed that way ever since.

Growing grain has been hard

Grains are also significant to beer. Without them, it would be extremely hard. Malted barley is the one most commonly used. Grain production is down this season due to a drought in China and a devastating heat wave in the Ukraine region of Russia. beer prices have gone up due to this too. The IMF reports that barley costs have gone up a lot from last year until now. They went from $137.30 per metric ton to $196.37.

Increasing price of gas

Transportation is another factor. Not only does the final product have to be shipped from the manufacturer to the customer, but all these raw materials have to be delivered to the brewer in the first place. Bio-fuel costs continue to increase. This means beer prices increase too.

United Kingdom pub shut down

Everywhere in the world is having this problem. It isn’t just in the U.S. The local economy in England is really hurting. This is as the pubs just keep shutting down. The biggest reason is because it is cheaper to drink at home than it is to drink at a pub, although also to blame are the smoking bans and the tax hikes.

Pete Jayes in Corby, England had a comment. “I would drink in pubs if the prices were not so high,” he said. “You can buy it for half the price in the supermarket.”

Articles cited

Daily Finance

dailyfinance.com/2011/05/19/whys-my-beer-so-expensive-the-forces-behind-a-sudsy-economic-i/

Evening Telegraph

northantset.co.uk/news/local/corby/jobs_fear_over_the_rising_cost_of_beer_1_2503350

Fox Business

foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/03/17/raise-glass-higher-beer-prices-st-patricks-day/

Investment corporations investigated for precious metals investments

2011-05-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

For the third time in the last few weeks, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has taken action against precious metal investors. American Precious Metals, LLC is the latest company to be shut down in this review of precious metal investments. Businesses have been guaranteeing fraudulent investments in gold, silver and other precious metals.

What the suit against American Precious Metals LLC is about

The American Precious Metals LLC company is situated in Florida. It is in Lake Worth, Fla., to be exact. Customers were pressured by telemarketers into purchasing gold, silver, platinum and palladium investments being sold. The consumer could get financing from the company, according to the salespeople, and would get the physical metals stored as well. A huge down payment was required though. In exchange, the company promised several hundred percent returns on the customer’s investment. The business gave people short-term loans for investment in very special metals. Still, these metals didn’t really exist. The company also never registered with the Federal Trade Commission or CFTC as an investment business. Regulation on precious metal was not followed by the company. It also violated the Telemarketing and consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act. Now the business does not have access to its assets. They were all frozen.

Increase in precious metal prices

Precious metal investment scams have become more prevalent recently. This is because there has been a rise in the precious metals price tags. There has been an increase from $1,200 to over $1,500 in the per-ounce price of gold in just the last year. This isn’t just for gold. Other precious metals have also been increasing. This is partially because precious metals are often viewed as a “safe haven” when worldwide currencies are weakening. Some industry watchers have warned that gold and precious metals are getting close to bubble status, with prices that have expanded beyond their “real” value.

Invest carefully

Investing could be an activity fraught with dangers. You are able to get your own precious metals and store them. No matter how you choose to invest, always work with businesses that have been vetted by the Better Business Bureau. Any business that can’t be verified with the FTC or CFTC should not be invested in.

Citations

FTC

ftc.gov/os/caselist/1023212/110517americanpreciousmetalscmpt.pdf

Futures Mag

futuresmag.com/News/2011/5/Pages/CFTC-charges-Fla-firm-with-precious-metals-fraud.aspx

Overdraft and your credit: Watch it

2011-05-21T04:04:00.000-07:00

Most people know that failing to pay bills on time or maintaining a high balance on several charge cards can result in damaging marks against their FICO score. However, there are some gray areas that exist. Do you know whether checking overdrafts can dirty up your FICO? The answer may surprise you, suggests Bankrate.com’s Dr. Don Taylor, a Certified Financial Planner and Certified Public Accountant.

More than just an overdraft fee is needed to hurt credit

Bankrate’s “Dr. Don” column got a hit from a college student asking for help worried that a checking scam would hurt her credit. Her checking account went into overdraft after someone stole her checkbook and wrote some checks. She was wonder if her FICO would be impacted while waiting a couple of weeks for her bank account to go back in the black. After she sent a fraud notification to her bank and one of the three major credit bureaus, no other identity theft happened.

Credit scores are not changed from transactions on a customer checking ledger, Taylor said. Typically it will change based on missing bill payments. Overdrafts typically do not then. When a financial institution does a “hard pull” of credit when opening a new checking account, it will impact the credit score.

Don’t pay anything to keep tabs on your banking

Taylor suggests that all customers who are interested in monitoring their banking history as a matter of periodic maintenance look into ChexSystems. This business enables consumers to pull one free banking history report every 12 months, as stipulated in the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA). Negative marks remain active for five years.

When applying for a bank or credit union account, sometimes a customer gets denied. This consumer can discover out why by going to ChexSystems. Even if that isn’t really your scenario, it’s worth checking out ChexSystems Customer Assistance page once per year to review your financial record.

Do not get caught in a scam

Get a hold of your banking institution and law enforcement in case you are in a financial scam. HSH.com can help you if you want to talk to your state’s banking commission to protect others from the same scam.

Citations

Bankrate

bankrate.com/finance/checking/overdrawn-account-won-t-ruin-credit-score.aspx?ic_id=tsThumb4

Consumer Debit

consumerdebit.com/consumerinfo/us/en/freereport.htm

HSH

library.hsh.com/read_article-hsh.asp?row_id=67

Get your bank account history once per year

youtube.com/watch?v=xazfPvwCMTw

Scientist says humans can acquire mega abilities

2011-05-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted a Spider Man-like “Spidey sense” that would signal you before any kind of danger threatened your being? Or perhaps get an echolocation sense like the amazing superhero Daredevil? According to U.C. Berkeley scientist Dr. Bradley Voytek, human beings may be able to use mega senses that aren’t developed yet.

Humans have always had super human senses to access

There are mega senses that humans can acquire, according to U.C. Berkeley scientist Dr. Voytek. He said human beings have always had access to them. The power of the human mind is extraordinary, Voytek reminds us. Our perceptions are facilitated by receptors that enable us to see and hear. Our senses work with and from our conscious awareness. The degree of sensitivity isn’t basic by any means.

More than standard senses accessible

Where our abilities can go is much farther than we believe, Voytek explains. As few as two photons in the retina can be seen by humans. As such, it would theoretically be possible to see a candle flame from miles away, provided the right landscape and weather conditions.

Most expect hearing to be between 20 Hz and 20,000 kHz. It is possible that a human could hear the Brownian motion vibrations with enough effort, or the particle theory movement of atoms.

Referencing yet another sense, it is known that human beings can smell as few as 30 molecules of certain substances.

Use of the ’super senses’

According to Voytek, the reason humans don’t use their abilities more fully is because it demands too much attention. The amount of focus required is daunting for most people. There are some tests on the physical limits of human abilities. Other abilities have to be ignored while doing the test though. You have to tune out abilities consciously. This is how you get a hold of super-human senses. It is important to focus on perception. The longer we focus, the more 3-D images can be created.

Every person hopping to change

This idea points to an age-old belief that if you lose one or more abilities, the remaining abilities become hyper-acute. Two remarkable examples among blind people are Ben Underwood and Terry Garrett. Echolocation is used by Underwood, who is a teenager, to get around on a skateboard, roller blades or any way. His brain is able to work together to create a sonar sense with clicking, just like a bat or dolphin. Similarly, Underwood and Garrett can play video games based on sound alone.

As scientists like Dr. Voytek continue to acquire their understanding of how the brain and our abilities work, we’ll be that much closer to understanding how we can develop the mega abilities that often lie dormant within.

Citations

CBS News

cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/19/earlyshow/main1817689.shtml

Oscillatory Thoughts

blog.ketyov.com/2011/05/we-are-all-inattentive-superheroes.html

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownian_motion

Wired

wired.com/gamelife/2011/04/blind-gamer-plays-zelda-by-ear/

Ben Underwood has overcome his blindness without surgery

youtube.com/watch?v=G1QaCeosUmw

Cadillac replaces two old models with new XTS

2011-05-20T03:44:00.000-07:00

Cadillac plans to replace both the DTS and STS car models with the new XTS, due out next year. No date has yet been declared for production to start. GM plans to sell off the remaining DTS and STS first, however.

Based off concept car show

The Platinum concept automobile at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show was what Cadillac used to start its XTS. The auto will be built on a stretched form of GM’s front-wheel-drive Epsilon II platform (which underpins automobiles as diverse as the Chevy Malibu and the Buick LaCrosse) and will be built at GM’s Grand River plant in Lansing, Mich.

Built for comfort and convenience

The idea with the automobile is for it to be narrower and have a longer rear overhang than the concept auto had. Both the front and rear seat passengers will experience connectivity and infotainment features. GM’s direct-injection, 3.6 liter V-6, will power the auto. For a gentler ride, it will employ electronically controlled shock absorbers.

The model would have to have several different added possibilities to be true to the concept. That means the XTS would end up with a plug-in hybrid drive line, possibilities for all-wheel drive and several V-6 power plants. There has been no confirmation, however a rumor is that there could possibly be 8-cylinder engine opportunities.

Cadillac and BMW against one another

In an attempt to rival MNW’s 5-series and the Mercedes E-class, Cadillac is replacing the DTS and STS models with the entry-level CTS. This will allow in summer 2012 for a smaller ATS sedan to go up against the BMW c-class and 3 series.

Out with the old cars to make way for the new

The STS is not being made by Cadillac already. DTS is almost done too. The last will be built in the next month. There are only 900 STS models and 3,000 DTS models left to sell. It should be simple for Cadillac to sell them before the XTS replacement is produced.

Citations

Car and Driver

caranddriver.com/features/10q1/2012_cadillac_xts-feature

Autoblog

autoblog.com/2011/03/11/spy-shots-latest-cadillac-xts-prototype-caught-inside-and-out/

Automotive.com

blogs.automotive.com/6737284/miscellaneous/saying-goodbye-to-cadillac-sts-dts-sedans/index.html

Internet pharmacies growing prescription drug abuse

2011-05-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

A study has found that prescription drug abuse has gone up in recent years, and it might be thanks to more individuals having access to high speed internet. Researchers have suggested that more people were using online drug distributors to fill false prescriptions from 2000 to 2007, judging from increasing internet access and rates of treatment for prescription drugs addiction. However, the link is only speculated on. The authors and researchers of the study doubt that there was much of an effect.

Guidelines make no difference for online drug distributors and prescriptions

A study was done recently to connect internet usage and prescription drug abuse. The LA Times states that this study made the connection clear. The study will soon be published. The journal Health Affairs is going to publish it. The data was compiled in a joint effort between researchers at the University of Southern California and Massachusetts General Hospital. The number of individuals put in rehabilitation studies from narcotic abuse and the internet usage on average was reviewed in the study. There was a rise in narcotic abuse with internet usage. They also went down together. Online pharmacy businesses located offshore are partially blamed, as they don’t fall under United States jurisdiction and make it easier to get prescriptions for painkillers, sedatives, stimulants and anti-anxiety medications.

How speed matters

The study connected abuse and speed of the internet together as well. The researchers found that for every 10 percent increase in the availability of high-speed internet in a given area, a 1 percent increase in admissions to treatment facilities for prescription narcotic abuse took place also, according to Reuters. It is easier for users to get the drugs they want when the internet is at higher speeds. Submissions with alcohol decreased. Illegal narcotic submissions decreased also. However, the authors readily admit to the research proving a coincidence, not a trigger with an effect. Drug dealers sometimes purchase the drugs, according to Time, in order to sell them. Less than one-tenth of 1 percent of prescription narcotic addicts said they really got their narcotics online.

Those who die from prescription narcotics

The CDC stated that as of 2007, fatalities due to overdose of opioid painkillers for instance OxyContin were 1.93 times more common than fatalities from cocaine overdose, and 5.38 times more common than fatalities from heroin overdose. Prescription narcotics were abused in 2009 by 7 million people over the age of 12, reports the Narcotic Enforcement Agency. Regulation on prescription narcotics online can be put into action by the Obama administration. It is hoping to stop the addictions from happening. Illegal narcotic enforcement is something the White House wants to have. This would cost $15.5 billion in the 2012 fiscal year. The FDA, the agency in charge of regulating pharmaceutical narcotics, had a spending budget of only $3.2 billion in fiscal 2010. Legal narcotics cause more deaths.

Information from

Los Angeles Times

latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-internet-drug-abuse-20110513,0,5119985.story

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/05/12/us-internet-drugabuse-idUSTRE74B6LP20110512?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

Time

healthland.time.com/2011/05/12/study-internet-access-may-increase-prescription-drug-misuse/

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/04/20/health/20painkiller.html

Drug Enforcement Agency

justice.gov/dea/concern/prescription_drug_fact_sheet.html

Centers for Disease Control

cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Poisoning/brief_full_page.htm

Centers for Disease Control

cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Poisoning/data.html

White House Drug Enforcement Budget

whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/policy/11budget/fy11Highlight.pdf

Food and Drug Administration

fda.gov/AboutFDA/ReportsManualsForms/Reports/BudgetReports/ucm153154.htm

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau facing bills that would undercut its power

2011-05-18T15:24:00.000-07:00

In July, a new federal agency is going to launch. That CFPB has been in the preparing stages for years. Despite strong consumer support, three new House bills are attempting to weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. None of these bills have become law yet. All three, however, have been approved for House debate.

Current status of the CFPB

The Dodd-Frank Act started the CFPB to “promote fairness and transparency for mortgages, charge cards and other consumer financial products and services.” The beginning of the bureau is coming up. It is designed to start July, 2011. Even with the deadline, there still is not a director. The CFPB may have to wait a while for one. Without a director, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will continue to run. It will be under the direction of the Security of Treasury.

Possibilities of changing the CFPB

There have been three bills introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would make the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau weak. Rather than a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director, there would be a five-member commission with HR 1121. This is called the Responsible Consumer Financial Protection Regulations Act of 2011. Any rules made by the CFPB might be overturned by the Department of Treasury’s Financial Stability Oversight Council with HR 1315. It is also called the Customer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Act. The last bill is HR 1667, or the Bureau of Customer Financial Protection Transfer Clarification Act. It would make it impossible for the agency to start without a director. These three bills have been approved by the Financial Services Committee and will be debated in the House.

What the CFPB will do

Though the duties and responsibilities of the CFPB may change, there are several things the Bureau will likely remain responsible for. First, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will review and monitor financial goods with an eye toward consumer protection. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would be in charge of enforcing any federal financial laws in place already. Consumers will be able to get information from the Bureau too.

Citations

Treasury.gov

treasury.gov/initiatives/Pages/FSOC-index.aspx

WalletPop

walletpop.com/2011/05/12/5-things-the-consumer-financial-protection-bureau-will-do-for-yo/

House.gov

house.gov/

Waiting over as Ron Paul announces he plans to run for president

2011-05-18T05:04:00.000-07:00

Congressman Ron Paul has just announced that he will run for president in 2012. It will be the 3rd time he has run for election to the highest office in the land. All sides have been at loggerheads with Paul, who’s considered an influence in the tea party groups and candidates. However, Paul is 75 years old. He also ran with practically no success in 1988 and 2008.

Congressman says third time is the charm possibly

Nobody knows what will take place with Ron Paul. He could end up being a presidential candidate that wins. Paul, 75, is a Representative from Texas with a Libertarian streak that has put him at odds numerous times with Republican orthodoxy. The LA Times reports that he was on “Good Morning America” when he declared that he prepared to run for Republican as well. In 1988 and 2008, Ron Paul has run in some capacity making this the third time.

Tea Party wants Paul

Dr. Ron Paul, an obstetrician by trade, is considered a sort of “godfather” to tea party groups and causes. The Christian Science Monitor reports that because he won’t vote for anything that isn’t in the constitution, he is considered “Dr. No.”. There are several unconstitutional entities that he does not support. These include the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security and Medicare. Other positions have put him entirely at odds with mainstream conservatives. He thinks weed should be legalized according to a CNBC blog post. He is against aggressive foreign policy and criticized it often. Paul is notoriously antagonistic to the Federal Reserve, which he wants to get rid of, according to Reuters.

Will turn 77 before elections

In November 2012, Paul will be pretty old. He will be older than the average death age in the U.S. Currently 75, he will be 77 in Nov of next year. He claims that it is “an absolute possibility several, several times better” than before that he could win the Republican primary. When it comes to Paul compared to Newt Gingrinch, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, Paul is more popular among young people. He raised $35 million for his 2008 presidential bid. He ran as a Libertarian in 1988 to be a presidential candidate too.

Articles cited

Los Angeles Times

latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-ron-paul-president-20110513,0,626706.story?track=rss

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/05/13/us-usa-campaign-paul-idUSTRE74C2XB20110513

CNBC

cnbc.com/id/36267220/End_Insanity_Of_The_War_on_Drugs_Start_With_Decriminalizing_Marijuana_at_The_Federal_Level

Christian Science Monitor

csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/2011/0513/Election-101-Ron-Paul-sets-sights-on-2012.-Ten-things-to-know-about-him/Why-is-he-running-again

Repaying the first-time homebuyer tax credit

2011-04-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

The Philadelphia Inquirer reminds us that the 2008 first-time homebuyer’s tax credit of $7,500 wasn’t a credit at all, but a loan. And repayment on that loan must start on tax day 2011. That’s since the first repayment on stimulus is due with the 2010 tax return on April 18.

All about the first-time homebuyer credit

There were several home buyers able to get an excellent tax credit in the U.S. These buyers could get a maximum of $7,500 for 10 percent of the home purchase price. The tax credit could possibly be divided by unmarried homebuyers or married individuals filing separately could get $3,750 each, according to the House and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. Any homes bought between April 8, 2008 and January 1, 2009 was able to get the credit.

The tax credit was very popular for many individuals. The issue was that it was being called “credit.” Really it was just an interest-free loan be given out. For the next 15 years, first-time homebuyers who claimed the tax credit will be repaying the government in equal installments each year. A $7,500 first-time home buyer tax credit will break down to $500 per year, unless the home is sold before the total amount is paid off. At that point, the entire remaining amount comes due instantly.

More tax breaks for homebuyers

In addition to the first-time homebuyer tax credit, Congress extended two other tax credit opportunities to U.S. customers. There was an $8,000 credit given to first time home-buyers. Between January 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010 was when this credit was valid. As long as the contract had been signed by April 30, the sale could be completed by September 30, 2010, and the taxpayer could qualify for the credit. There was also a $6,500 credit available. This was for long term homeowners that bought, between Nov 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010, a new or existing home.

If the home becomes a secondary residence or is sold within three years, there are consequences. With both tax credits, the amount had to be repaid. If the property is sold within three years, there’s a way to get away with it. If the profit on the sale (when compared with the original purchase price) is less than the amount of the tax credit, then homebuyers only need repay the amount of the profit.

Troubles the Internal Revenue Service is facing with returns

Numerous glitches that impacted tax refunds for married couples filing joint returns have brought on frustration for the Internal Revenue Service, writes the Inquirer. The Internal Revenue Service had to process any returns filed before February 22, 2011 manually if Form 5405: “First-Time Home buyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit” was submitted with it.

Internal Revenue Service projections indicate that about 1 million U.S. households can be repaying the $7,500 first-time homebuyer tax credit. You can go to IRS.gov and look at the “Where’s My Refund?” link to discover out more if you don’t have your refund.

Articles cited

Housing and Economic Recovery Act

frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h3221enr.txt.pdf

IRS

irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204671,00.html

Philadelphia Inquirer

philly.com/philly/phillywomen/119915874.html

How Canada helps first-time home buyers

youtube.com/watch?v=lg_i8SRhMO0

Initial settlement in federal robosigning probe reached

2011-04-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

A preliminary settlement has been reached between banks and the federal investigation to the robosigning scandal. Foreclosure paperwork was approved without checking it thoroughly, resulting in foreclosure proceedings being brought against individuals that had done nothing wrong. A legal probe into foreclosure practices has reportedly reached a settlement with those lenders.

JPMorgan exec discloses deal with some federal agencies

After all the robosigning controversy, there mortgage loan companies being investigated, reports Reuters. A deal was made with the government though, according to JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon who’s the Chief Executive Officer. There weren't any fines yet. Still, Dimon knows they are coming. About a dozen federal agencies and every attorney general in each state was doing an investigation into the largest mortgage loan providers. The agreement isn’t complete; it is only the settlement between the financial institutions involved and the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Office of Thrift Supervision. There has yet to be a negotiation reached with all 50 state attorneys.

Soon there can be state settlements

The controversy stemmed from the discovery that a lot of foreclosure proceedings started when paperwork to begin foreclosures was approved in a robotic fashion, or "robo-signed," without proper review. The resolution of the robosigning foreclosure debacle is important, as foreclosure practices may change. In order to fix the problem, JPMorgan plans on hiring at least 3,000 employees. Bloomberg states this will make sure the settlement is reached. In other words, there can be an increased amount of regulation in the mortgage industry when it comes to foreclosures, which means it will cost the lenders in the mortgage industry more to lend and service a loan. Eventually the banks have to pass those costs on. The consumers are likely to have to bear them. Since banks have been more worried about foreclosing recently, there is a huge backlog of foreclosures on the books.

Mortgage modification failed participants

The Obama administration did a lot of stimulus programs during the recession. Several mortgage modification programs were huge failures though. Individuals who were behind on their mortgages or facing foreclosure could apply for a refinancing. Any lender that was willing to modify a borrower's mortgage would be getting incentive payments from the government. There were not very several individuals helped. Hardly any person qualified, states USA Today. Only about 630,000 individuals were able to modify their mortgages permanently while 3 million to 4 million families were the goal.

Articles cited

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/04/13/us-financial-regulation-foreclosures-idUSTRE73C3DV20110413

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-13/jpmorgan-says-foreclosure-accord-with-federal-reserve-occ-may-come-today.html

USA Today

usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2011-04-12-mortgage-borrowers-letters.htm?loc=interstitialskip

iPad causes unemployment, states Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.

2011-04-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

Illinois Democratic congressman and iPad owner Jesse Jackson Jr. has turned on the system he used to love. In March, Jackson trumpeted the tablet’s power to revolutionize the U.S. education system. Friday, however, Jackson did a 180 and condemned the iPad as a pariah that will “probably be responsible for eliminating thousands of American jobs.” Resource for this article – Jesse Jackson Jr. says iPad is killing publishing, costing jobs by MoneyBlogNewz.

iPad making writing obsolete

The Illinois junior congressman seems really annoyed about the iPad considering there are so many textbookless campuses now while Borders Books went bankrupt.

“What becomes of publishing companies and publishing company jobs?” Jackson asked the House. “What becomes of bookstores and librarians and all of the jobs associated with paper? Well, in the not-too-distant future, such jobs simply won’t exist.”

China’s role in the iPad also made Jackson mad.

“There is no protection for jobs here in America to ensure that the American people are being put to work.”

U.S. getting help

According to Business Insider, there are some things Jackson isn’t considering. He is forgetting the iPad has helped out many industries outside of Apple. According to MarketCues, there is so much the iPad can do. It can help get billion dollar industries going. E-readers and the iPad provide publishers with myriad opportunities to create interactive textbooks while greatly reducing the costs of producing frequent new editions, a boon for students.

It was anticipated that traditional writing was to change. According to @Craigmod, the evolution was needed. It may be more helpful to have electronic books to save on paper and give the books immediately. Morgan Stanley points out that with the over $2 billion in revenue on the iPad every quarter, over 65 percent of owners use the gadget to read books.

How the publishers will adapt

Publishers must adapt to the revolution and not flip-flop like Jesse Jackson Jr. When looking at 2010 figures, there are a ton of e-books on Amazon. There are more electronic books than paper books. It is supported by iPad users. This is also making the change happen. According to YUDU Media, iPad users spend as much as 30 times more time on sites like GQ.com, VanityFair.com and Wired.com via iPad app compared to a desktop computer browser. The Wired print edition in 2010 sold less than the Wired.com iPad app.

As the iPad TV ad claims, “It’s already a revolution, and it’s only just begun.” Jesse Jackson Jr. missed out. He may not be invited anymore.

Citations

@Craigmod

craigmod.com/journal/ipad_and_books/

The Hill

thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/148879-jackson-an-ipad-for-every-schoolchild

Huffington Post

huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/17/jesse-jackson-jr-ipad-unemployment_n_850227.html

Market Cues

marketcues.com/blog/2010/02/will-apples-ipad-impact-the-printing-and-publishing-industries/

Neiman Journalism Blog

niemanlab.org/2010/02/the-ipad-business-model-for-news-strategies-publishers-must-embrace/

Publishing Perspectives

publishingperspectives.com/2010/11/simba-releases-statistics-on-ipad-e-book-reading/

Real Clear Politics

realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/04/15/rep_jesse_jackson_jr_blames_the_ipad_for_killing_jobs.html

TSTC Publishing’s Book Business Blog

tstcpublishing.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/ipad%E2%80%99s-potential-impact-on-textbook-publishing/

YUDU Media

slideshare.net/yudu/the-apple-ipad-trends-and-statistics

Economies evolve, pontificators pontificate

youtube.com/watch?v=D5X8W7MgbhM

Securing the credit supply is not on Federal Reserve calendar just yet

2011-04-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

The Federal Reserve has a lot of responsibilities, including maintaining the supply of credit in the nation’s economy. The Fed declared recently that it does not intend to stiffen the credit supply just yet. The Fed controls how much currency is in circulation among banks used for lending, which it expands or contracts as needed. The Fed does not intend to stiffen the credit supply, as the economy is still fragile. Source of article – Federal Reserve not planning to reign in credit supply yet by MoneyBlogNewz.

Not ready yet, Fed states

Costs of customer goods, for instance food and gasoline, have begun increasing recently, causing many to worry about economic inflation. Whether or not the Federal Reserve should start restricting credit has been brought up by many because of this. A tighter credit supply would be hard on the economy though. MSNBC reports that, this is why the Fed is unwilling to make changes anytime soon. At a recent speaking engagement at Yale University, Fed Vice Chair Janet Yellen said that conditions weren’t right, however the central financial institution would be easing off its current policy of keeping interest rates at near zero.

Not a low enough joblessness

The Fed partially controls the supply of accessible credit funding for the banking system of the U.S. and influences the interest rates that banks charge. When a recession happens, the Fed decides to lend to banks. To be able to stimulate lending, these loans are close to zero percent interest. Then, everyone could be lent to by the financial institution including personal installmetn loans, mortgages or even to financial institutions. There are more parts than credit to the Federal Reserve’s operations. Nevertheless, credit is probably the most important. If the Fed thinks that the price inflation is being too hard on the nation’s currency, the Fed can stop putting as much capital out there. There has been a huge increase in the price of oil and food. Now, a dollar doesn’t mean as much.

The financial institution concern of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

After the central bank feels like the economy is doing good again, the Federal Reserve will likely start restricting the supply of credit meaning there should be a rise in loan interest rates. Banks may also have to follow rules from the new CFPB, which will levy fines for legal violations. The bureau will start operating in July, and spokesperson Elizabeth Warren has promised the first new regulations set in place by the bureau by Jan of 2012, according to Reuters. The amount the CFPB can do has not been decided in Congress just yet. Still, there will soon be more regulation to deal with.

Citations

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/42520140/ns/business-eye_on_the_economy/

CNBC

cnbc.com/id/42532601

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/04/11/us-cfpb-warren-idUSTRE73A5FQ20110411

Stay away from fees and fines by contacting the IRS about issues

2011-04-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

The Internal Revenue Service deadline for 2011 may be three days later than usual, but a lot of people nevertheless need extra time. Filing your taxes on time is very important. If you can’t file or pay your taxes on time, then you need to contact the Internal Revenue Service as easily as possible. If you ignore the issue, then you’ll only be making the situation worse. Resource for this article – Can’t pay your taxes? What to do about extensions and interest by MoneyBlogNewz.

Getting an extension on filing

You may not be able to get your tax return filed by April 18. If this is the case, an extension might be helpful to you. Internal Revenue Service Form 4868, properly filed, will extend the deadline for you to file to Oct. 17. Filing could be extended very easily. Still, the deadline for paying taxes will not change. When you file form 4868, you are required to estimate what your taxes will be. That has to be paid with the extension form. Failure to file an extension or a return will result in a 5 percent per month penalty, up to 25 percent of your total tax bill.

Payment deadlines also accessible

There are different deadlines for tax payments and tax filings. You will have to file taxes still, even if you can’t pay the entire tax bill when it is filed. At the very least, you won’t get a filing penalty. You may only end up paying a fine for a late payment. When paying, pay it as fast as you are able to. If you are able to, pay 90 percent or more of your tax liability whenever you file. This will cancel all penalties for six months, until the extended filing deadline. Wait 30 to 40 days for a bill from the IRS if you can’t pay at all when filing. Interest and penalties on unpaid balances compounds by 4 percent daily, so therefore paying easily is the key. Get a hold of the IRS if there is no way to pay. You need to call 1-800-829-1040 and discuss payment extension or installment opportunities.

Tax settlement choice

There are always ads for tax debt settlement. Television uses these often for commercials. Do not try to use the tax settlement services. Typically it is not a good idea. Getting same day loans to pay the debt would be a safer choice. All that the tax settlement services do is file an Offer in Compromise with the Internal Revenue Service. Any taxpayer can do that to themselves. After attempting to work with the IRS, an Offer in Compromise is the last thing to do. There are individuals standing by to talk to individuals at the Internal Revenue Service. Just call and figure things out.

Articles cited

IRS

irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=104593,00.html

H&R Block

hrblock.com/taxes/tax_tips/irs/extension_info.html

Twitter tax break leaves some scratching heads

2011-04-20T02:04:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times states the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has voted 8-3 in favor of a brand new employee payroll tax holiday for Twitter and other area tech companies. Over six years, Twitter will enjoy a 1.5 percent payroll tax shelter. San Francisco Mayor Lee lauded the vote as an economic boon for the city, however critics on the city board see a negative precedent set by such a large city having to stoop to court a business with tax shelters. Source for this article – City of San Francisco grants Twitter a payroll tax break by MoneyBlogNewz.

It is essential to have Twitter around

The payroll tax break was significant for Twitter to get, states Lee. This will keep the business in San Francisco for a while.

“This moment represents a real step forward in the effort to revitalize and transform the Central Market area,” he said. “Central Market and the Tenderloin have been burdened with high vacancies and blight for decades.”

The tax exclusion on Wednesday didn’t get Twitter comments on it. Nevertheless, The San Francisco Chronicle reports, Less said he is glad Twitter has been able to help. San Francisco would benefit quite a bit from the creation of jobs.

“There is great synergy between Twitter and the arts organizations and small retail businesses who are looking to expand in the area," said Lee. "The city can work collaboratively with businesses, community-based organizations, property owners and area residents to catalyze meaningful change.”

Businesses will expect the tax holiday, critics claim

The Twitter payroll tax break should be able to conserve about $22 million in taxes for the company in just six years, according to the Chronicle. The $22 million isn't something everybody is thrilled about. City supervisor John Avalos explained that San Francisco really needs the money.

“I don’t believe giving an exception to our payroll tax is the way to go,” he said. “I believe that businesses in San Francisco and around the country should be socially responsible. … If we allow a company to threaten to leave, then give them a tax break so they don’t, we’re setting a bad precedent."

Citations

Los Angeles Times

latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/04/twitter-gets-6-year-payroll-tax-break-from-san-francisco-board-of-supervisors.html

San Francisco Chronicles

sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/05/BA7R1IQM9D.DTL

San Francisco Mayor's Office

sfmayor.org/index.aspx?page=330

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty on corporate tax holidays and offshoring

youtube.com/watch?v=MIRncAiu9Vw

Racial discrimination apparent in continued bank redlining

2011-04-08T04:24:00.000-07:00

African-Americans and Hispanics are beginning to lose ground when it comes to the use of traditional banking, according to the CRL. Discriminatory practices like redlining have once again risen up as the U.S. struggles to emerge from the economic recession. Such financial discrimination, which includes mortgage denial and lack of access to short term loans from banks, highlights an ever-present form of racism, critics suggest.

Statistics show minorities are losing households twice as fast as Caucasians are

Center for Responsible Lending President Michael Calhoun told USA Today that U.S. minorities have "received the worst treatment, at a very high cost." Estimates that 20 percent of African-American and Hispanic householders will lose their houses in the mortgage crisis – a rate more than double that of white householders – suggest that the gap between the minority and the majority is growing.

Christian Weller of the University of Massachusetts and Center for American Progress did a 2008 study called "Credit Access, the Costs of Credit and Credit Market Discrimination," where he found out that African Americans were 41.7 percent more likely to be denied a traditional bank loan than a Caucasian. The gap widened considerably when mortgages were in question.

The ‘dual system of finance’ is not equal

John Taylor, CEO of National Community Reinvestment Coalition, sees a double standard.

"It's about a dual system of finance," he says. "People of color do not have the same access that most American citizens enjoy.

Minorities are often denied traditional bank loans. Then, these individuals have no other choice however to go to a payday lender for no credit check payday loans. The short term installment loans, for an emergency, are a convenient choice that many might choose. Nevertheless, Hilary Shelton, NAACP Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy, explained that the fees are often larger than traditional loans. Payday loans are too small to make up for a lost mortgage. Minorities are out of luck.

Changes with deregulation

Everybody noticed the 1990s when several neighborhoods were not able to get bank loans, mortgages or insurance. These entire neighborhoods were shut out. At this time, banking and utility deregulation started. That was when redlining started to occur. The practices were able to continue in several forms such as reverse redlining where minority neighborhoods would get bank loans with bad rates although the Community Reinvestment Act and Home Mortgage Disclosure Act started to combat this. This is what caused the Wall Street Crisis to take place. The country is still attempting to come back from it.

Changes regulators are making

A two-year short term personal loan program is being piloted by 28 banks. The FDIC suggested this.
A fair lending unit will be able to monitor redlining by the Department of Justice.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will open in July 2011.

Information from

Peri

peri.umass.edu/fileadmin/pdf/working_papers/working_papers_151-200/WP171.pdf

IBEW

ibew1613.org/library/redlining.html

USA Today

usatoday.com/money/perfi/general/2011-04-04-real-estate-financial-discrimination.htm

Did banking deregulation stack the deck against minorities?

youtube.com/watch?v=FDYXAywWWdk

Cable invoice for $16 million proves autopilot can be hazardous

2011-04-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

Computerized billing systems are advertised as a way to make life easier. The latest charge in a string of accidental overcharges is a $16 million invoice for watching March Madness. While Time Warner has already corrected the invoice, the incident reveals the danger of putting your finances on autopilot.

Bill of $16 million for resident

The Time Warner cable service is something Ohio resident Daniel DeVirgilio subscribes to. DeVirgilio got a message that, when attempting to pay his cable invoice, his credit card was dropped. A charge of $16.4 million, $1 million for every March Madness pay-per-view basketball game, was put on his account by Time Warner. Time Warner changed this after the glitch occurred.

The reason to keep away from autopay

The cable invoice Daniel DeVirgilio pays was on autopay, as many people experience. Monthly bill pay services where consumers just give over their credit or debit card number take place often. Each month, the invoice gets paid on its own. Invoice payers don't have to worry about it. After noticing his charge card was dropped for his bill, Daniel DeVirgilio realized he had gotten a $16 million charge.

Don't forget to pay the bills

The $16 million cable bill teaches at least one thing. It may not be a good idea to use autopay. Sometimes it could be really difficult to remember when all of your bills are due though. It is simple to do watchful waiting. There are things you are able to do to keep away from forgetting though. If you simply pay your bills as they come in the mail, you’ll never be late. It might be helpful to track the dates on a calendar since sometimes that is not always an option. Auto invoice pay may be a great choice for you. If you do this, make sure you are spending a few hours each month checking your payments to make sure they are all right. A $16 million cable invoice is unlikely. Nevertheless, you may end up losing a lot with a couple additional dollar charges each month.

Articles cited

Digital Life Today

digitallife.today.com/_news/2011/04/04/6405791-time-warner-charges-man-164-million-for-cable-service?GT1=43001

Yahoo News

news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110325/ts_yblog_thelookout/ohio-man-gets-a-16-4-million-cable-bill

Brand new jobless claims declining as businesses hiring again

2011-04-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

Employers may be setting out to hire again, as a drop in the jobless rate was observed in government publications. Long term joblessness is also diminishing, so this might not be just a typical week to week fluctuation. This could be the year that hiring seriously picks up again. Post resource – New jobless claims decline; employers may be hiring by MoneyBlogNewz.

Less individuals losing work

The U.S. Department of Labor recently released some weekly data about the job market. CNN states that a 6,000 decrease in initial jobless claims were filed in the week that ended on March 26. These are new applications for joblessness benefits. The initial jobless claims four-week average was still over 3,000. The first unemployment claims went up on average. The number of brand new individuals claiming joblessness benefits was increasing for few weeks, but then turned right around and dropped. USA Today reports that layoff announcements are decreasing among private companies.

Steady and slow

Short term joblessness claims aside, long term joblessness claims — the number of people continually filing for joblessness benefits — fell by 51,000 during the week that ended March 19. The four-week moving average decreased by more than 31,000; so fewer people is continually unemployed as of March. Hiring has started to occur again, especially in smaller private companies. Automatic Data Processing, Inc., is a payroll administration company. It explained that the private sector had over 201,000 new jobs on payrolls added. Manufacturing jobs are also starting to increase, according to Reuters, as more factory jobs were observed to have been created in the Midwest. Even incredibly wealthy firms are commencing to have a rosy outlook on hiring, as multiple news outlets reported that a survey of CEOs of large corporations revealed that more than 50 percent of the respondents were intending to hire individuals during the coming year.

Paying less for more in The United States

There is good news that came from the few years of high joblessness. MSNBC reports that it caused Americans workers to become more productive. The American economy has an output at about the same place as it was before the recession began. At the same time, there are fewer employees. It is great because it means there are fewer employees. The same amount of work can get done though. That also means they’re being paid less for it. However, if the recent trends in employment data are signs of growth returning, that means some of the overworked and underpaid may become less overworked in coming months. Getting paid more is unlikely. It could take place though.

Citations

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/03/31/news/economy/initial_claims/index.htm

USA Today

usatoday.com/money/economy/2011-03-30-hiring-picking-up.htm

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/03/31/us-usa-economy-idUSN3027570820110331?pageNumber=1

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/42349181/ns/business-world_business/

Microsoft throws down on EU Google antitrust complaint

2011-04-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

An antitrust investigation of Google by the European Union started late past year. Google, its Euro opponents say, is taking steps that result in lower search rankings for its competitors and other techniques that limit their advertising competitiveness. Microsoft backed up the companies it holds interest in Europe and joined the Google antitrust complaint.

Microsoft’s antitrust grievance against Google

Alleging that Google is limiting its access to critical data it needs to compete using YouTube and other Google services to the detriment of European consumers, Microsoft filed a formal antitrust complaint in Europe towards Google. Currently, Google is already being investigated by the European Union Competition Commission for antitrust issues. Adding Microsoft could really help the issue. Google controls about 95 percent of the Internet search market in Europe while Microsoft’s search engine, Bing, swims with the other minnows. There have, in the past, been a lot of antitrust grievances that Google has been used to dealing with about competition as it is Europe's center place for advertisers to go. After fighting antitrust investigations into Windows and billions in fines from the European Commission for years, Microsoft has reversed roles with its complaint towards Google.

Bing upsets Google

Background technologies that give one access to Google goods such as "application programming interfaces" are the center of Microsoft's European antitrust criticism. To be able to get more Google users, Google messes with application programming interfaces to make it hard for competing search engines for instance Bing to get access to YouTube, claims Microsoft. Both the Android and iPhone don’t experience the problems Windows phone users experience when trying to access YouTube. It is very hard due to the programming Google does, states Microsoft. There is an issue with the Windows phones only because Apple is not in the competition. Bing is in the search engine industry with Google making Microsoft a target. Microsoft also alleges that Google blocks some advertisers from access to data they have to optimize advertising on rival platforms, allegations already being investigated by the EU antitrust probe.

Revenues drop for Google in Europe possibly

A European Union Commission spokesman said it will give Google an opportunity to tell its side of the story. What Google said was that advertisers are allowed to access all of the data they want while the third-party restraint is only due to Google ad consistency. However Microsoft’s involvement in Europe raises the stakes. Google could face a fine of up to 10 percent of annual global revenues, which exceeded $29 billion in 2010. There might also have to be other changes. This would be done to business in Europe. The European Union commission said that Google would be able to defend itself and stay away from a fine by changing its business in Europe before Microsoft got involved.

Information from

Associated Press

finance.yahoo.com/news/Microsoft-throws-weight-apf-1337664829.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=6&asset=&ccode=

Los Angeles Times

latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/03/microsoft-files-european-antitrust-complaint-against-google.html

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/04/01/technology/01google.html?src=busln

Dodd-Frank will cost nearly $3 billion, says Government Accountability Office

2011-04-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

What will the cost of consumer financial reform under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act be? Working class individuals will be on the hook, however not for anything. In fact, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has revealed in a report that it will cost $2.9 billion over five years. Source for this article – Dodd-Frank will cost nearly $3 billion, says GAO by MoneyBlogNewz.

Paying taxes don’t mean financial stability will occur

While it might seem as if working class individuals are being asked to pay without end, the Dodd-Frank Act reportedly won’t require full taxpayer subsidization to function, writes the Wall Street Journal. There are 11 agencies that are there to enforce the Dodd-Frank law. Six of them are already funded for the most part. Congressional appropriations cover three others while the Federal reserve will give money to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau which money comes, not from working class individuals, but from revenues such as assessments.

Banking institutions will pay the government more

Banks, credit unions, investment houses and short term loan outlets are slated to pay the United States government more to operate under Dodd-Frank laws. This has elevated concerns within the financial community that competitiveness will be hampered by over-regulation, and House Republicans have taken up that torch, using GAO report findings to support the idea that Dodd-Frank is too much for a slowly recovering economy to bear.

In order to support the 11 agencies in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, $975 million will be needed. This is a statistic the GOP loves to remind everybody of. The five year tag is closer to $2.9 billion. There will have to be a total of 2,600 full-time workers employed for the laws. This contains a total of 1,225 workers for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau being started.

The other stuff the GAO report has to show

The Journal explains that these things were noted in the GOP presentation to the House Financial services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations:

A Fed estimate from earlier this year projected a cost of $77.5 million to pay 290 full-time staff dedicate to Dodd-Frank implementation. The Dodd-Frank laws need three offices to help it run better including the Financial Market Infrastructures Risk Analytics, Financial Market Infrastructures Oversight and the Office of Financial security Policy.
The first of the three Fed sub-offices, the Financial stability Oversight Council, will pay seven full-time staff up to $7.9 million beginning in fiscal 2012.
In order to perform Dodd-Frank duties, the Office of Financial Research needs to hire 135 full time staff in the fiscal 2012 paying $74.5 million.

Articles cited

Senate

banking.senate.gov/public/_files/070110_Dodd_Frank_Wall_Street_Reform_comprehensive_summary_Final.pdf

Government Accountability Office

gao.gov/

Wall Street Journal

blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/03/28/dodd-frank-2-9-billion-over-5-years-gao-says/

GOP on what Dodd-Frank might cost small businesses

youtube.com/watch?v=6iB2fWk7Rho

Corporations make an effort to hide rate increases by diminishing food product packaging

2011-04-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

Food corporations have been surreptitiously reducing quantity on grocery shelves. The cost of food and the size of packaging have been heading in opposite directions. Even as the manufacturers are called out on their deception, they pivot with rationales such as concern for the environment and other such nonsense. Resource for this article – Companies try to mask price increases by shrinking food packaging by MoneyBlogNewz.

The incredible shrinking food package

Shrinking food product packaging is not a recent phenomenon. Corporations cannot raise costs and still make a profit when joblessness is high and wages are low. The amount of product has been reduced in the past 20 years by food manufacturers to save money. In the summer of 2008 there started to be a decrease in food packaging, several noticed. Food packaging gets smaller yearly as unemployment stays up. There has been lots of food inflation lately though. This has brought on smaller product packaging and higher costs to happen. Customers should know that they will be getting even less in the future considering costs for commodities for instance corn, cotton and sugar and anything for energy is costing more.

Keeping consumers from noticing shrinking food packaging

Food manufacturers figured out long ago that customers notice increasing costs more than shrinking quantities. Most people won’t notice smaller food in the very same product packaging. This is something companies have learned by now. The height and width of a box might stay the exact same, but the depth will be reduced so the package looks unchanged on the shelf. Glass jars will have larger indentations in the bottom to lower volume. More air and fewer goods can be put in chips and salted snacks. Businesses have to discover more clever ways of doing this. It’s becoming harder to hide the belief that there are fewer products than shown. Since the Proctor & Gamble product used less energy, water and product packaging, they were marketed as "Future Friendly," in order to continue to have the sales, reports the New York Times. Tropicana reduced the size of its orange juice container with an “easy-pour lid”, which the business said retained th! e value of the product with added features.

Changing unit costs can change so much

The majority of the food manufacturers are hoping consumers will not read the labels. If they do, it hopes they don't read labels in depth. In accordance with the Times, a can of Chicken of the Sea albacore tuna now holds five ounces rather than six and costs more. Compared to 2009, there is no 20 percent less product in bags of Doritos, Tostitos and Fritos. Look at what is being put with your purchasing cart if you would like to protect yourself. Do you would like to know what you are paying for? Simply look at the price per ounce or at least the unit cost. Want to know which costs are going up and how much you are getting charged? Simply keep your receipts for months at a time and compare. Most grocery receipts show the quantity of items along with the cost. By comparing a receipt from March with one a month later, the true impact of diminishing food product packaging on a grocery budget becomes crystal clear.

Information from

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/03/29/business/29shrink.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

USA Today

usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2008-06-11-shrinking-sizes_N.htm

TIME

money.blogs.time.com/2011/03/29/all-new-packaging-less-food-same-price-what-a-deal/

Google Books settlement declined by federal judge

2011-03-31T02:24:00.000-07:00

Google’s ambitious plan to digitize the world’s novels was derailed by a New York federal judge . Using copyright and antitrust arguments, Google’s opponents successfully overturned a $125 million deal between Google and the publishing industry to complete the project. The negotiation could nevertheless be approved in the future, depending on recommendations made by the judge issuing the ruling. Source of article – Google Books ruling based on copyright and antitrust concerns by MoneyBlogNewz.

What Google Books settled on

To be able to make an effort to scan all published novels and make them accessible to anyone who wants them, the program Google Books was started. The Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers sued Google in 2005 over its book-scanning project. Google paid $125 million in 2008 in a settlement. It agreed to make sure that every time a book was viewed online, a publisher and author would get paid for it. Many groups argued against the settlement such as Amazon, Microsoft, the Justice Department, foreign governments and copyright experts making it go into the legal system. Google Books would be able to have a monopoly and would have the right to, without copyright holder's permission, exploit works according to Manhattan federal court judge Denny Chin in court on Tuesday.

The opt-out program

Google Books would be able to digitize any book without permission unless the author and publisher opted out of the agreement because of a provision with Judge Chin objected to the most. An "opt-in" choice was one Chin liked better. This was his suggestion. The "orphan works" issue was why there was an opt-out provision though. Anytime a book has a copyright holder that cannot be found or is unknown, it’s an orphan work. According to Google, requiring an opt in leaves millions of orphan works out of Google Books, out of print and unavailable — exactly the problem Google Books was created to solve. Many say that Congress, not a negotiation or lawsuit, should be in charge of making the decision on orphan texts.

Issues on all of the antitrust

You will find over 130 million novels being put to the database, says Google. It’s just attempting to "democratize knowledge" with the program. But the settlement’s opponents also raise antitrust worries, saying no other company is capable of building a library that can compete, freeing Google to gouge consumers for access. All the books accessible to Google Books would leave it always being used. There is no way anybody would ever be able to beat the business. As the battle goes on, Google has scanned about 15 million books. You will find about 20 percent of copyrighted titles accessible on Google that the company licensed from publishers. Also, Google's Book Search has expired copyrighted novels accessible. Sample text could be accessed from copyrighted titles that have not been licensed to Google.

Information from

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/03/23/technology/23google.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Financial Times

ft.com/cms/s/2/f7ee4948-54bf-11e0-b1ed-00144feab49a.html#axzz1HR3IHDr1

PC World

pcworld.com/article/222963/judge_rejects_google_book_deal_over_monopoly_concerns.html

Social Security Disability Insurance may go dry in 4 years

2011-03-26T02:44:00.000-07:00

By 2005, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) fund was cashing checks its tax body could not money. As nearly half a million people went on Social Security past year, an obvious financial problem arises. This has led experts to predict that Social Security Disability Insurance will exhaust surplus funds in 4 to 7 years, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Paying out $22 billion more than it makes with Social Security

Social Security will have spent $153 billion in benefits by 2015. There will be a $22 billion deficit from what is being taken in. Americans are going to have to deal with this issue. The Social Security retirement fund is anticipated to last until 2040 while Medicare is only anticipated to last until 2029. Federal intervention will be required to keep Social Security Disability Insurance alive for more than 7 years, say government auditors.

Number of applications Social Security has

The recession sent a huge wave of new applicants into the Social Security program. Over the past decade, numbers swelled from 6.6 million beneficiaries to 10.2 million. There are a lot of U.S. and territories that use Social Security Disability Insurance funds. They are needed by many. In the last 10 years, there has been an 85 percent increase in Texas enrollment while, at the same time, New Hampshire has had a 69 percent growth. West Virginia gets more SSDI than any other state when considering the percentage of total population.

There are difficulties that agriculture and manufacturing states are facing. Manual labor health difficulties have been increasing. United States territories like Puerto Rico heavily depend upon Social Security, considering the rash of factory and military base closures in recent years. Also, the states have lots of unemployed. Generally these are some of the highest numbers reported. Puerto Rico politics are another issue. There’s a lot of corruption.

Social Security Disability Insurance depends upon doctor’s orders

Unlike age-based programs like Medicare and Social Security retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance is closely tied to medical opinion. In these cases, someone else pays for what is going on. That means there is no reason for local medical officials to stop allowing enrollment. Government benefits are given with Social Security Disability Insurance benefits although they’re around $1,064 a month on average in 2009. Working class individuals end up picking up the tab. David Autor works at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Social Security Disability Insurance expert. He said that regular SSDI benefits to one person can add up to about $300,000 over a lifetime.

Is possible to have higher taxes?

Without increasing taxes, Congress could help SSDI for a short time. The Social Security fund would have to be used for this. Retirees would lose benefits pretty easily since the retirement fund would be lost. However, as Nancy Altman of the activist group Social Security Works contends, something must be done.

“This is a program of crucial importance to every working American and his or her family,” she said.

Citations

ssdi, social security, social security disability insurance, social security bankrupt

Where will Social Security Disability be in four years?

By 2005, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) fund was cashing checks its tax body couldn’t money. As nearly half a million individuals went on Social Security past year, a clear financial problem arises. This has led experts to predict that SSDI will exhaust surplus funds in 4 to 7 years, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Social Security will spend $22 billion more than it makes

By 2015, projections indicate that Social Security will spend $153 billion in benefits and other costs. Americans could have to face the problem that comes with this considering $22 billion less is expected to be taken in with this. It is anticipated that Medicare will last until 2029. The Social Security retirement fund is anticipated to go much longer to 2040. Federal intervention could be required to keep SSDI alive for more than 7 years, say government auditors.

Too many individuals applying for Social Security

The Social Security program got more applicants than normal with the recession. Over the past decade, numbers swelled from 6.6 million beneficiaries to 10.2 million. The SSDI funds are needed by lots of states and territories that the U.S. owns. Texas’ enrollment has reportedly increased by 85 percent over the last 10 years, while New Hampshire’s has grown by 69 over the same span. As a percentage of total population, West Virginia receives more SSDI money than anywhere else.

The trigger that many suspect is the manual labor related health problems that many states with manufacturing and agriculture are facing. In the last few years, military bases and factories have been closing in United States territories such as Puerto Rico. That means more people are relying on Social Security there. Not coincidentally, such states also tend to have the highest unemployment numbers. There are lots of problems with political corruption in Puerto Rico too.

SSDI depends upon doctor’s orders

Social Security and Medicare are both age-based programs. Social Security Disability Insurance, on the other hand, is about medical opinion over anything else. As someone else pays the bills, local medical officials don’t have the immediate incentive to keep enrollment numbers down. Government benefits are given with Social Security Disability Insurance benefits although they’re around $1,064 a month on average in 2009. Working class individuals end up picking up the tab. David Autor works at the MA Institute of Technology as an SSDI expert. He said that regular Social Security Disability Insurance benefits to one person can add up to about $300,000 over a lifetime.

Are higher taxes on the way?

Increasing the Social Security fund would be the only way to save Social Security Disability Insurance without increasing taxes. This would drain away retirement funds, forcing retirees to swallow benefit cuts faster than they would have otherwise. Something has to be done nevertheless, says Social Security Works' Nancy Altman.

“This is a program of crucial importance to every working American and his or her family,” she said.

Citations

Social Security Online

ssa.gov/disability/

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703752404576178570674769318.html

Milton Friedman on Social Security: Save your money

youtube.com/watch?v=rCdgv7n9xCY

Social Security Online

ssa.gov/disability/

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703752404576178570674769318.html

Milton Friedman on Social Security: Save your money

youtube.com/watch?v=rCdgv7n9xCY

How a good credit rating puts money inside your pocket

2011-03-11T05:44:00.000-08:00

Customers who don’t know their credit score or do not think a credit rating is essential are robbing themselves. Simply put, people with stronger credit scores can achieve a better standard of living. Getting on the right track starts with a review of your credit report so you know where you stand.

Money lost with a bad credit rating

When it comes to credit score information on deciding on the interest rate, almost everyone is affected by it, whether it is from a landlord to mortgage brokers to wireless carriers. The main difference between a good credit score and a bad one can add up to $5,000 in interest payments on a $20,000 auto loan. Keeping bills unpaid or maxing out credit cards can increase a car cost quite a bit. It can add 25 percent to the automobile cost. The time and effort it takes to optimize a credit rating can conserve an individual hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime.

Correct credit history errors

Many people like to frequently check credit states. This keeps everything accurate. Credit scores are available online through FICO and the three credit-reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Annualcreditreport.com is the government site that gives a credit rating each year for free to anybody who wants it, without a credit score on it. It is best to check all of the agencies though since information is interpreted differently with the agencies. Sometimes the credit report information is not very accurate. It will be flat out wrong too. The federal law states anything wrong has to be changed for free. The credit reporting agencies are required to do this. The process to correct credit history difficulties is really hard though. Occasionally, a lawyer has to be employed to be able to get this fixed. It isn't worth all the fees associated with this sometimes.

Keeping a high credit rating is like saving

The cost of a bad credit score is clearly seen. Mortgage interest rates show it the best. Mortgage interest rates are lower than they have been for decades, however not for everybody. Having a bad credit rating means more could be paid on a fixed rate loan. Several percentage points higher will be shown. On a $200,000 30 year fixed rate mortgage, FICO says a borrower with an excellent credit score would have a 5.9 percent interest rate paying, over the life of the loan, a total of $259,074 in interest. On that very same loan, a borrower with a poor credit score might end up with $355,200 in interest with an 8.5 percent interest rate. Over $127,000 could be lost because of the bad credit score.

Information from

MarketWatch

marketwatch.com/story/keep-your-credit-scores-from-costing-you-2011-03-01

FinanceTalks

financetalks.co.uk/how-to-remove-inaccurate-information-from-your-credit-reports.html

Bankrate.com

bankrate.com/brm/news/debt/debtcreditguide/different-scores1.asp

Slow down legislation, says large business to regulatory bureau

2011-03-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

The CFPB is slated to start official operation on July 21, 2011. The impending change recently prompted business groups to send the Obama administration a “wish list” letter that expresses what they think the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should do first, states CNN Money. While focusing on financial institution regulation is considered a top priority, the notion of the CFPB proposing new financial reform before confirming a director is unpopular.

Possible CFPB director

Harvard University professor and Obama administration adviser Elizabeth Warren at first conceived the idea for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and she has been considered probably the most likely candidate to direct the bureau. However, Warren’s strong stance for the consumer and against the machinations of Wall Street makes her an uncertain choice for confirmation, in accordance with Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), a co-founder of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. Warren has had to meet bank executives, lobbyists, chambers of commerce, consumer groups and investors while getting the agency staffed even though this is the case.

“They were wary, but polite, and quite surprised,” Warren said Monday of the meetings. “Some were sure I’d walk in with blood dripping from my fangs.”

Getting businesses what they want

In order to stay away from burdensome or regulatory duplication, business groups are clamoring for the CFPB to approach banking and finance legislation with laser-like precision. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness is Jess Sharp. She said that there are already troubles with the Dodd-Frank Act, states CNN. The CFPB must do more.

“Targeted regulation to weed out bad actors is good for consumers, but there’s huge and ambiguous authority granted under Dodd-Frank,” Sharp said. “That can lead to huge regulatory burdens for Main Street businesses.”

Specifically, Dodd-Frank would empower the CFPB to supervise consumer finance corporations that aren’t traditional banks, like short term loan businesses. However, in the letter to the Obama administration, business groups frown upon such an idea.

“Deferring an expansion of supervision and examination requirements would allow businesses to devote resources to job creation rather than save them to cover what might well be unnecessary regulatory compliance costs,” the letter reads.

Warren happy with credit card businesses right now

While the United States mortgage industry still needs repair, Warren praised the credit card industry for taking proactive measures to improve its relationship with customers, writes Credit card Studio. It may not be necessary to even have the CFPB legislation.

“The data we have assembled indicates that much of the industry has gone further than the law requires in curbing repricing and over-limit fees,” Warren said. “Leaders in the industry deserve credit for moving in the right direction.”

Information from

Advisor One

advisorone.com/article/deputy-secretary-wolin-outlines-treasurys-steps-implementing-dodd-frank?page=0,1

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/03/01/news/economy/chamber_consumer_bureau/

Credit Card Studio

creditcardsstudio.com/news-article/the-card-act-one-year-later/

The CFPB: Arresting the development of a new financial meltdown

youtube.com/watch?v=1V0Ax9OIc84

Much more carry-on luggage costing TSA hundreds of thousands

2011-03-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

The explosion in cost of checked on airline bags has customers scrambling for the carry-on luggage, reports the Washington Post. The extra carry-on baggage could eventually mean that working class individuals will have to pick up the check the TSA is currently writing. Currently, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano estimates the influx of carry-on baggage is costing TSA at least $ 260 million per year. Article source – More carry-on luggage costing TSA millions by MoneyBlogNewz.

More carry-on baggage calls for much more security

Travelers will continue to be able to bring baggage on the plane with them as long as carry-on baggage is allowed. However, as Napolitano reminded Senate Appropriations subcommittee chairwoman Sen. Mary Landrieu, nothing comes free:

“When you have to pay to check a bag, it increases carry-on luggage, and that means there is more to inspect at the gate and so forth for passengers to get on planes,” she said.

Absorbing costs is very important for the Transportation Security Administration to continue to function. What’s at stake currently is whether the airlines or United States taxpayers should be covering the cost of additional carry-on luggage. Putting higher airport safety charges on airline tickets was a suggestion Napolitano had for Sen. Landrieu. About $600 million a year would be taken in by the TSA, claims Napolitano, if $5-$10 a ticket were added.

Airport security charges haven’t made it through Congress

The idea of an airport safety fee isn't new in any way. Annually it is proposed. It first started in 2002. Congress hasn't approved this yet. The airline ticket cost increase needs to be approved still. There have been higher passenger fees, higher ticket prices and fewer flights added already. It has led to the first profitable year since 2007 for the industry. Huge profits are anticipated from the government for the airline industry. About $5 billion in 2011 and $5.6 billion in 2012 are anticipated. Putting much more charges on things is something congress doesn't want to try to do.

Luggage policies for economy airlines

Before getting to the gate, know precisely what the luggage policies are. You might be surprised by what’s free and what isn’t. In general, wheelchairs are checked in as free baggage and don’t count toward a traveler's baggage allotment. Sometimes the children's strollers will even be checked free. This is just like wheelchair needs. Most don't allow very heavy luggage. This counts anything over 100 pounds. Most economy airlines have these luggage policies:

Take a look at Southwest- Bags up to 50 pounds are accepted as free. Up to 2 can be checked. Got oversized baggage? You are able to pay between $25 and $100 to get it checked.
Another is JetBlue- One bag is checked for free. It cannot weight over 50 pounds though. A second bag could be checked. It will be $50 though. Carryon luggage up to 40 pounds is acceptable. One can be checked for free. You are able to get oversized luggage on. Between $50 and $100 can be paid for it though.
Virgin America is also there- Pay $25 for the first luggage. It has to be less than 70 pounds though. Pay $25 for extra check-ins. They have to weigh less than 50 pounds though. Anything additional will cost. This can go between $10 and $50.

Citations

About.com Air Travel

airtravel.about.com/od/whatyoucancantpack/a/stuff2.htm

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/03/AR2011030305679.html?wprss=rss_print/asection

Cenk Uygur vs. Ana Kasperian on carry-on luggage

youtube.com/watch?v=vrM2eOnheo0

Study discovers connection among blood pressure and sugary drinks

2011-03-04T02:24:00.000-08:00

Sugary beverages may raise blood pressure, as a probable connection was documented in a recent medical study. People who regularly drank sugared beverages for instance sodas, energy beverages and fruit juices had higher blood pressure than people who did not, in accordance with the study’s findings. The data does not prove a real link among the two, and the research notes that blood pressure can be influenced by a wide range of factors. Article resource – Study finds sugary drinks may increase blood pressure by MoneyBlogNewz.

One sugary drink daily can boost blood pressure

There is an increase from 0.8 to 1.6 points in a person's systolic blood pressure from drinking one sugary drink. ABC states that a group of English researchers discovered this. Blood pressure is a ratio of the highest pressure recorded in blood vessels to lowest blood pressure, or systolic to diastolic. Since systolic is the high pressure reading, several are concerned that hypertension will be created with higher blood pressure leading to heart difficulties. Dr. Ian J. Brown of the Imperial College London did the study with other colleagues and published the research in the Hypertension journal.

Simply an observed link

Every little thing eaten and drunk during the study was recorded by patients. It was discovered that there was a lower blood pressure for those who did not regularly consume heavy in sugar drinks than those who recorded that they did. The study done by Dr. Brown and his colleagues didn't conclude that blood pressure and sugary beverages were connected. The connection is very unclear. Dr. Brown admitted, according to WebMD, that the correlation was only observed, and a causal connection could not be established. Soft drink businesses are a part of the American Beverage Association. The association made a statement saying the changes were "inconsequential" for blood pressure while the study was "seriously flawed," in their opinion. The authors noted as much in the research.

Soda needs a limit also

People who drink one soda a day would get 400 more calories than others, the study found, even though high blood pressure is not something anyone who beverages soda will get. Health can be really bad with the sweeteners used such as Splenda. Nevertheless, in The United States, drinks tend to me made up mostly of sugar.

Citations

ABC News

abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartDiseaseNews/sugary-drinks-drive-blood-pressure/story?id=13021646&page=1

WebMD

webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20110228/sodas-sugary-drinks-may-raise-bp

Increasing gas costs come at bad time for U.S. economy

2011-03-03T02:24:00.000-08:00

Last week in the U.S. average gas costs soared. As the price of oil rises, the price of fuel is expected to also . While the United States economic climate tries to regain its footing, rising oil prices have elevated concern that consumer spending will be negatively affected.

The highest gas costs will go

There was the largest one day increase in fuel costs since 2008 that occurred. This is because oil costs have been going up. The highest level of oil price has been hit since October 2008 at $98 a barrel Friday and $103 a barrel the day before that. There has been a 10 percent increase in just the last week. Pump prices vary widely in different states, dependent upon the gasoline tax. The highest gas costs in the U.S. were in HI. The average was at $3.757 per gallon. Wyoming motorists only paid an average of $3.014 a gallon. The fuel price increase is anticipated to continue as it lags behind oil increase typically. Oil prices might go up in the next few weeks drastically. Moody's Analytics expects it to go up another 37 cents a gallon on average.

America’s petroleum ball and chain

Rising fuel and oil costs are being driven upward by speculators getting oil futures on the bet that the popular unrest and an emerging civil war in Libya could spread instability across the major oil-producing countries of the Middle East. For every $1 increase in the oil prices, there is typically a 2.5 cent per gallon increase in fuel, says Moody. About $1 billion is taken from consumer spending every time there’s a 1 cent gasoline increase. In 2011, oil prices staying at $90 a barrel would be really bad for the tax cuts that are anticipated to stimulate the economy. The $120 billion tax cut will end up having about a quarter of it spent on gas. The U.S. economy doesn't get the majority of the gas money that is spent. The oil-producing countries that let their individuals stay poor while they live with riches are the ones to get the money.

Information from

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/02/25/news/economy/gasoline_prices/index.htm

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/02/25/business/economy/25econ.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&src=busln

Boston Globe

boston.com/business/articles/2011/02/24/rising_oil_prices_could_slow_recovery/

New SBA financing program to begin February 28 with large limitations

2011-03-02T22:44:00.000-08:00

A New financing program through the SBA opens on Friday. The rules were just released, and applications are now being accepted. The program was designed, by Congress, to help companies who have buildings facing foreclosure. Companies that could benefit, however, may not get the money. The restrictions on the program are very heavy. Source of article – New SBA lending program to start Feb. 28 with heavy restrictions by MoneyBlogNewz.

Rules announced for New Small Business Administration financing

Several companies have been waiting for the lending program rules from the Small business administration since Jan of this year. The program was passed by Congress in 2010, and the Small Business Administration has been working on implementing the rules since then. Thurs, February 24, was good for companies. This was when the rules came out after a long wait. In the next 24 months, mortgages will be due for the businesses that can get New loans while underwater mortgages are covered. About 10 percent of the loan amount is going to be something the business has to have in money or equity to be able to put down.

What limitations are placed on the Small Business Administration program

Help from the SBA lending program is meant to give businesses a helping hand. This should stop foreclosures in the business. Several companies could be cut out of the deal with the rules that have been set. The majority is concerned that these limitations are too much. Any businesses that do not have the down payment cash available, that can't pay the extra 1 percent fee or that already have short-term SBA mortgage loans aren't allowed to get the loans. The Small Business Administration claims that these limitations are to ensure that companies that are truly on the edge of shutting down, but viable, get the most help first.

Getting a small company loan started

Keeping smaller businesses open is a very hard thing to do. This is because it is hard to get a cash advance to the companies as they’re typically too small. Whether or not the economy is doing well, companies might just fail. The chance of success in a business is the first thing to determine. About $15 billion is being loaned to small businesses from the government. It needs to get paid back. The hope is, though, that the Small Business Administration is able to offer help without cutting legitimate businesses in need.

Articles cited

LA Times

articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/18/business/la-fi-sba-loans-20110218

Upkeep payment could be added on MD homeowners

2011-02-26T12:44:00.000-08:00

Some areas of the country are facing still-growing foreclosure rates. In Maryland, it’s even higher. One county in MD is hoping to address several of the associated troubles with a fee. Allowing a home to fall into disrepair would also trigger a legal charge, under this new bill. Resource for this article – Maryland charging a foreclosure maintenance fee by MoneyBlogNewz.

Large number of foreclosures in MD

Ever since the 2008 housing collapses, Maryland has had a lot of foreclosures. In 2011 so far, there has been a lot of foreclosures in Prince George County in MD alone. There has been 1 foreclosure for every 457 households. In Prince George County, the property value is decreasing while inventory goes up. This is because now of the homes are being maintained well. This is bad in the first place. Add on top of that, that the Prince George County tax revenues are going down, and it is catastrophe.

Asking for foreclosed fee

Prince George County has been appealing to the state lawmakers for the right to do something about homes that aren’t maintained. The county wants to charge owners of foreclosed homes $75 per year. In order to pay contractors to clean abandoned houses, the money would be put in a county fund. Another fee would have to be paid on top of every little thing. This is even worse when you consider a foreclosure is just a short term personal loan. The county would also be given the right to send inspectors to check on foreclosed homes.

Difficulties with foreclosure fees

Property values would improve a lot with the short term personal loan that foreclosed fee would be. It would help the foreclosed homes stay taken care of. The fee would not be easy to get. It would become a significant issue. The county states it won’t be trying to collect the $75 payment from homeowners in debt. Banks would end up having to pay the payment on any properties that aren't maintained. In fact, it would be a per-house payment sent to banks. A legal or civil misdemeanor for not “keeping a property up to neighborhood standards," may be added to make sure the payment really gets paid.

Articles cited

Washington Examiner

washingtonexaminer.com/local/maryland/2011/02/pg-council-wants-charge-fee-foreclosure-cleanups

Bahrain protests turn deadly as army shoots on unarmed crowds of people

2011-02-24T06:04:00.000-08:00

Demonstrations comparable to the recent occurrences in Egypt have been spreading, however demonstrations in Bahrain have turned deadly. Bahrain security forces have shown no compunction about shooting at unarmed crowds of protesters. Political protests have begun erupting all over the Middle East, with individuals of several nations requiring reforms and greater amounts of democratic input. Bahrain has seen successive days of demonstrations, all of which were met with fatal force by security forces.

Reforms demanded from Bahrain demonstrators

Countries in the Middle East are more and more volatile currently. The protests for democratic reforms have yet to cease. The Telegraph reports that there have been demonstrations for days in Manama starting on February 14. This was just days after Egyptian president Mubarak resigned from his position. Bahraini security forces have dealt with protesters harshly, using force to dispel demonstrators, and have opened fire on several occasions. Protests on Friday, Feb. 18, were met with tear gas and firing of live rounds, which has led to at least two fatalities after demonstrators had been fired upon the previous day, which resulted in five deaths. Bahraini protesters have been engaging in peaceful protests and have not been openly carrying weapons or firing on police.

Those in Bahrain simply want democracy and civil liberties

Protesters in Bahrain are demanding greater civil rights for the Shi'ite majority in the Middle East nation. Shi'ites isn’t equally addressed with Sunnis, the NY Times reports. This is because the royal family of Bahrain and King Hamad bin-Isa al-Khalifa is Sunni. They also think that a democracy be the change where the country go. Demonstrators had been warned to stay out of Pearl Square, in the heart of Manama, however Bahrainis were emboldened after funerals of individuals slain by police during Thursday's protests, proclaiming it as a "Day of Rage.".

Demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt spreading to other countries

After long entrenched rulers left office in Tunisia and Egypt following uprisings requiring they leave, protests started in Yemen, Libya and Bahrain. Libyans have taken to the streets, calling for the ouster of the long time ruler of Libya, Muammar al-Gaddafi. Libyan forces have responded harshly, as 24 protesters from several cities in Libya have been killed by Libyan security forces over the past few days, in accordance with USA Today.

Citations

The Telegraph

telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/bahrain/8334771/Bahrain-royal-family-orders-army-to-turn-on-the-people.html

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/02/19/world/middleeast/19bahrain.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&src=me

USA Today

usatoday.com/news/world/2011-02-18-libya-protests_N.htm

Amazon Prime sets sights on streaming movie market

2011-02-23T23:04:00.000-08:00

Streaming movie is big entertainment business today, and Amazon Prime has gone for the brass ring with the addition of unrestricted film and TV internet streaming as part of the $ 79 annual program for two-day merchandise delivery. Amazon Prime users can enjoy the streaming video program on their computer or Internet-ready TV. The $ 79 annual price for Amazon Prime undercuts the minimum Netflix price of $ 95 per year.

Joining the Netflix/Hulu battle will be Amazon Prime

The audience for streaming movie ventures of 65 million, plus the capital needed to get it started, are both things that Amazon Prime is looking for, reports CNET. That is why it’s entering the business, Dana Rayburn of Frost & Sullivan described. Adding such value to an already popular free shipping program at no additional cost was a no-brainer, said Amazon Prime Vice President Robbie Schwietzer.

“Millions of Amazon Prime members already enjoy the convenience of free two-day shipping,” said Schwietzer. “Adding unlimited instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows at no additional cost is a great way to give members even more value.”

With the online internet streaming movie sector already taken over by Netflix, Hulu Plus and Apple television, Amazon Prime can have a lot of competition. Many already use and know Amazon.com really well. This is due to the books, movies and music sold along with subscriptions ton Netflix and Hulu Plus that are available. Hulu Plus requires that viewers watch commercials during the videos, reports New York Magazine. Amazon Prime will not have this requirement. Amazon.com has a great relationship with Hollywood studios for DVD distribution already. That means it shouldn't be difficult to get the rights to streaming movie.

More people interested in Netflix

Out of the box, Amazon Prime won’t have a directory near the size of Netflix, which currently has more than 20,000 movies and TV shows available for internet streaming. In order to contend well, Amazon Prime can have to grow pretty quickly although movies like "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "Syriana" along with shows like "Doctor Who" and "Farscape" are already accessible. Amazon will probably have troubles with the broadband provider giants like Comcast. The very same obstacles Netflix faced will be there.

Articles cited

CNET

news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-20034714-261.html

New York Magazine

nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/02/phase_one_of_amazons_plan_to_d.html

Amazon Prime: A ‘massive shot’ at Netflix

youtube.com/watch?v=olG4zGDWPQg

Top Troubled Asset Relief Program auditor Barofsky quits as banks struggle to repay

2011-02-18T18:04:00.000-08:00

As the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program winds down, a surprise defection occurred, reports Reuters. Barofsky, inspector general of TARP and the top financial industry bailout auditor, handed President Obama his resignation letter. Barofsky, whose term will not officially end on March 30, did not give a reason for the departure. Chances are that he didn’t resign just to take out payday cash loans to live off of .

Inspector General Barofsky appointed by President George W. Bush

Barofsky served over two years at age 40 after being appointed in Nov 2008 during the financial crisis. A resignation was written by him to President Obama. He states it "has truly been an honor to serve, particularly during such a critical time." His dedicated service in pursuing fraud allegations, as well as pointing out where the Troubled Asset Relief Program program fell short of expectations, earned Barofsky respect among his peers.

Barofsky was able to get up to 140 employees in the Office of the Special Inspector General for the TARP (SIGTARP). These included anything from auditors and investigators to attorneys. SIGTARP will is operating in several places. Among these are Atlanta, Los Angeles, the SF Bay Area and New York.

So long as financial institutions owe, TARP will live on

Getting financial firms and automakers from Federal Reserve investments is something the United States Treasury is encouraging since TARP has no more jurisdictions over spending. Nevertheless, because so several banks continue to struggle making payments on their massive personal financing, TARP’s mission is ongoing. The 150 and more Troubled Asset Relief Program banks that have had difficulty making payments are ones that Christy Romero will work with while taking over for Barofsky for a while. In addition, the largely unsuccessfulHome Affordable Refinancing program continues to require oversight, said Barofsky, as foreclosures have not abated considerably.

Dealing with money management making it work

Barofsky’s parting advice to the Obama administration and the Federal Reserve is to manage with care the taxpayer money that remains on the Troubled Asset Relief Program table.

"With more than $150 billion in TARP funds outstanding and close to $60 billion still available to be spent, robust and effective oversight of TARP remains vitally important," Barofsky wrote.

The Obama administration forecasts that TARP can be over $28 billion. This is on top of the belief that Troubled Asset Relief Program banks own on delinquent payments billions of dollars.

Citations

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/02/14/us-usa-bailout-barofsky-idUSTRE71D4EZ20110214?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&WT.tsrc=Social%20Media&WT.z_smid=twtr-ReutersPolitics&WT.z_smid_dest=Twitter

barofsky, neil barofsky, federal reserve, tarp

TARP head Neil Barofsky submits resignation

The Troubled Asset Relief Program, a $700 billion endeavor that has created questionable returns, may have pushed a passionate public servant out the door. Barofsky, the head auditor at TARP, has tendered his resignation to Obama, writes Reuters. Barofsky, whose term won’t officially end on March 30, didn’t give a reason for the departure. Chances are that he did not resign just to take out payday advances to live off of. Article resource – Top TARP auditor Barofsky resigns as banks struggle to repay by MoneyBlogNewz.

President Bush appoints Inspector General Barofsky to position

Appointed in November 2008 at the height of the financial crisis, Barofsky, 40, served for more than two years. He explained in a letter to President Obama in resignation that it "has truly been an honor to serve, particularly during such a critical time." Barofsky has been respected because of his pursuit in fraud allegations also as explaining that the TARP program was not good enough.

Under Barofsky's direction, the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) grew to 140 staffers, from auditors and investigators to attorneys and others. SIGTARP will is operating in many places. Among these are Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco and NY.

Payments owed by banks means no end to Troubled Asset Relief Program

Spending is something Troubled Asset Relief Program no longer has jurisdiction over. The United States treasury is attempting desperately to make Federal Reserve investments something automakers and financial firms stay away from. The giant private loans have been really hard for banking institutions to pay back though. That's why Troubled Asset Relief Program could be continuing for a long time. Christy Romero, who will take over at least on an interim basis for the departing Barofsky, will continue to work with the 150-plus Troubled Asset Relief Program banking institutions that have missed regular installment loan payments. In addition, the largely unsuccessfulHome Affordable Modification program continues to require oversight, said Barofsky, as foreclosures have not abated substantially.

Money management needed

The Federal Reserve and Obama administration got words of advice from Barofsky. He said that the TARP funds need to be managed very carefully now.

"With more than $150 billion in TARP funds outstanding and close to $60 billion still available to be spent, robust and effective oversight of TARP remains vitally important," Barofsky wrote.

In addition to the billions of dollars in installment loan payments delinquent Troubled Asset Relief Program banks owe, an Obama administration forecast indicates that the administrative costs of TARP will exceed $28 billion.

Articles cited

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/02/14/us-usa-bailout-barofsky-idUSTRE71D4EZ20110214?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&WT.tsrc=Social%20Media&WT.z_smid=twtr-ReutersPolitics&WT.z_smid_dest=Twitter

SIGTARP

sigtarp.gov/

Barofsky grants a window into Federal Reserve mismanagement

youtube.com/watch?v=b_s_YtwAH3U

sigtarp.gov/

Barofsky grants a window into Federal Reserve mismanagement

youtube.com/watch?v=b_s_YtwAH3U

South Dakota bill attempts to justify eliminating abortion doctors

2011-02-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

Women seeking abortions in South Dakota might have to face already tough laws made even tougher. Dedicated clinics have been outlawed since 1994, and Planned Parenthood has no presence in the state. If South Dakota House Republicans have their way with House Bill 1171, things will become deathly serious. As law, 1171 would place abortion doctors in the line of fire, making it a justifiable murder to kill them if they threaten the health of an unborn fetus. Individuals take out huge pay day loans to see abortion doctors.

Issues with sensible death in South Dakota

House Bill 1171, which made it out of committee by a 9 to 3 party-line vote, is sponsored by South Dakota state Rep. Phil Jensen, a long-time opponent of abortion rights. His stated intention with the bill is to bring "consistency" to South Dakota’s criminal code, which allows prosecutors to charge people with manslaughter or murder in crimes that cause the death of unborn fetuses.

House Bill 1171 proposes very different things though. This is because the crimes involving murder of pregnant women aren't included. What Jensen is hoping for is that women who want an abortion can only get one with the illegal help of somebody else getting illegally involved while changing the meaning of sensible murder.

Evidently, ‘This is not an abstract bill’

Rep. Jensen's House Bill 1171 is "an invitation to murder abortion providers," according to National Abortion Federation's Vicki Saporta who spoke with Mother Jones. It gives extremists the necessary fetal-defense statute to escape punishment for murder. Giving a fetus personhood is what the bill is about according to Kristin Aschenbrenner of the South Dakota Advocacy Network for Women.

House Bill 1171 might not be abstract, however it might be legally dubious, states law Prof. Sara Rosenbaum of George WA University.

"It takes my breath away," Rosenbaum said via e-mail. "Constitutionally, a state cannot make it a crime to perform a constitutionally lawful act."

House Bill 1217 would require entrance counseling

In addition to House Bill 1171, House Bill 1217 would require that women considering abortion first undergo guidance at an anti-abortion, Christian-run Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC). A 2006 investigation found that information was misleading most of the time in CPCs like this.

Citations

Mother Jones

motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/south-dakota-hb-1171-legalize-killing-abortion-providers?page=2

South Dakota House Bill

legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2011/Bill.aspx?File=HB1171HJU.htm

An interesting question posed to anti-abortion demonstrators

youtube.com/watch?v=iD97OVJ4PNw

Silvio Berlusconi will go to trial for prostitution in April

2011-02-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy could be brought to trial on prostitution charges. Allegations of using the services of an underage prostitute have caused a lot of ruckus for Berlusconi, though it definitely won’t be his first trip to court. Berlusconi’s hold as Prime Minister is growing increasingly shaky, and the first court case on the matter is scheduled for April 6. He will need a pretty large personal unsecured loan to get out of this one.

Italy Prime Minister getting charged

The controversy of prostitute services in the past few months for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy has been a major concern. The telegraph reports that now law enforcement officials are bringing criminal charges against him. Berlusconi is alleged to have paid for the services of a now-18-year-old who calls herself Ruby the Heartstealer. When the transaction occurred, Ruby, or Karima el-Mahroug, was only 17. Judge Cristina Di Censo, will fast track the cause meaning the first case could be April 6. Court case for abuse of power as Prime Minister will be another thing Berlusconi face.

'Rubygate’ is the scandal in accordance with protestors

Several protestors, while most were women, were in a protest over the scandal, called "Rubygate" saying Berlusconi needed to be removed. This is the first time he is being brought to trial for personal conduct instead of business related violations. The New York Times reports that he doesn't have much support right now; even though Berlusconi's party is currently a majority in parliament. Berlusconi will not have to appear for the initial hearing in Milan. The legality of prostitution is okay in Italy. The problem is that the prostitutes have to be 18 already.

Prostitution didn't occur, says Berlusconi

Last year, Berlusconi had "bunga bunga" parties. Karima el-Mahroug was 17 when attending the party. Berlusconi gave her 7,000 euros, just less than $10,000 the first time they met, in accordance with MSNBC. Sex was being paid for, according to prosecutors. Berlusconi and Ruby deny ever being intimate. Berlusconi is also charged with abuse of powers, having personally pressured a police officer to let Ruby out of theft court case. He didn't want an international incident to occur as she said she was granddaughter of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

Citations

Telegraph

telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/8325340/Silvio-Berlusconi-ordered-to-face-trial-over-sex-allegations.html

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/02/16/world/europe/16italy.html

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/41594875/ns/world_news-europe

Law enforcement seize drug smuggling submarine in Colombia

2011-02-17T07:04:00.000-08:00

Drug smugglers have had a diabolical plot foiled by the Colombian authorities. A sting business resulted in the seizure of a drug smuggling submarine. The seized boat was able to entirely submerge in water. Typically, drug subs aren’t able to entirely submerge, and are not true submarines. Narco subs, the nickname given drug smuggling submersibles, can’t be picked up on sonar and are hard to spot.

Teaming up to discover business of drug smuggling

Drug smugglers were captured by Colombian law enforcement, reports the Daily Mail. It included the air force, navy and Colombian Inspector General's office. In Cauca, near the town of Timbiqui, a drug bust happened. There was drug smuggling discovered in the swamps. The Pacific Coast of Colombia is the place where Cauca is. That means the sea was where the swamp led. In the drug submarine there was 8 tons of cocaine identified. There were also bunks for a four man crew along with computers for navigation. In the cargo there were firearms also even though nobody was on board when the boat was found.

Smuggling what is done next logically

The boat was a new breed of drug smuggling submersibles or Narco Subs even though they have been used for years. Fiberglass and other materials are used to make the subs which cost drug cartels millions of dollars. Still, they’re only used once lots of the time. When it comes to drug smuggling submersibles, they can't fully submerge. That means they aren't true submarines. The difference for the Timbiqui was that it was able to submerge. It could go for extended periods of time down nine meters, or 40 feet. It would have been possible for the 105-foot boat to get to land, the Wall Street Journal reports. It might have hit Mexico or the United States.

Drug cartels caught

Drug cartels are becoming craftier in the methods employed to get drugs into the United States. Since no drug submersibles had been caught or even seen, they were known as "Bigfoot" although they had been known about for several years. However, one was eventually captured several years ago, and more are being found. The after that move will probably be remote operated drug submersibles since the subs that can submerge are being created now by drug cartels.

Articles cited

Daily Mail

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357040/Submarine-loaded-tons-cocaine-seized-Colombia.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703703804576144752329031500.html

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narco_submarine

Marijuana use and psychological illness discovered to be linked by new research

2011-02-11T06:24:00.000-08:00

A new research has found a link between marijuana use and greater chances of developing mental illness. The study was a review of 83 studies involving more than 8,000 patients. The study found that marijuana use was linked to psychological condition symptoms emerging faster in people at risk for mental illness, such as schizophrenia and other types of psychosis. It is "Reefer Madness" all over again.

Those with Cannabis getting psychological illnesses

WebMD explained that those predisposed to psychological illnesses are more likely to get quicker mental illnesses when using marijuana. An issue of Archives of General Psychiatry will come out in June with the study in it. The research was compiled by a team of researchers led by Dr. Matthew Large from the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, Australia. There were over 8,000 individuals that got reviewed in the 83 studies done. It was discovered that psychological illnesses, especially schizophrenia, are more likely to come earlier with marijuana use.

Using cannabis and other narcotics too

Symptoms could be developed earlier by those already at risk for mental illnesses like schizophrenia with cannabis use as shown in the research. Subjects in the research which were weed users developed schizophrenia symptoms 2.7 years earlier than those who did not. Then there were the people who would use multiple substances. These individuals got symptoms 2 years earlier than those who didn't of mental illnesses. The Time reports that alcohol would not accelerate symptoms as long as it was the only thing used. There wasn't enough evidence in the research to suggest that mental condition wasn't impacted by tobacco use.

Higher risk of mental condition suggests you use fewer narcotics

For years people have been told not to use psychoactive substances. This is especially the case for those at risk for mental illnesses. Links between schizophrenia and the use of weed has been shown in several studies. There is a faster onset of symptoms for mental illnesses because of marijuana. There hasn't been any evidence to suggest schizophrenia is brought on by weed though.

Articles cited

Web MD

webmd.com/schizophrenia/news/20110207/earlier-onset-of-schizophrenia-linked-to-pot

Health Land

healthland.time.com/2011/02/07/marijuana-linked-with-earlier-onset-of-schizophrenia-in-research-review/

Archives of General Psychiatry

archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/archgenpsychiatry.2011.5v1

Bellagio Casino arrest: Judge’s child took $1.5 million in poker chips

2011-02-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

The Bellagio Casino theft has been fodder for crime theorists since it happened in December. Now, the added angle of the Bellagio Casino criminal arrest makes it seem even more "Ocean's 11." A 29-year-old municipal judge’s child has been caught for the crime. It makes you wonder if his dad is going to take out a cash advance loans to bail him out, or let him sit in jail.

Bellagio Casino criminal arrest

On Thurs, February 3, police arrested and charged Anthony Carleo for the robbery of the Bellagio casino. Carleo was allegedly caught in a sting, trying to sell some of the $1.5 million in Bellagio chips which were stolen in December. Reports say Carleo had met up with undercover police officers in order to sell controlled substances and high-value poker chips taken in the robbery. Theft, of a deadly weapon and trafficking of a controlled substance are all charges he will face.

All the Bellagio Casino contacts

The accused Bellagio Casino thief is not your average criminal. Not only did the man have the guts to walk directly into the Bellagio and walk out with $1.5 million in poker chips, he also has contacts. The 29-year-old is the son of a Las vegas Municipal Court Judge — George Assad. Judge Assad has not yet spoken out about his son’s arrest, and he isn’t expected to.

youtube.com/watch?v=NktlrixHG78&feature=player_embedded

More concerns need to be answered after Bellagio Casino arrest

You will find several concerns that have to be answered still, even though the Bellagio Bandit has been arrested by police. The way that Carleo got to the casino and back out with chips is unknown. It’s also interesting that the poker chips were valuable. The Bellagio and LVPD have not talked much about high value ships. There may be RFID within the poker chips implanted if they’re too valuable. There are several casinos that aren't going to use casinos anymore starting in April, at least for the $25,000 poker chips.

Information from

The Republic

therepublic.com/view/story/d9bbcf3da710417ea02133d8137e42bf/US–Bellagio_Hold-Up/

NPR

npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/02/03/133462535/only-in-vegas-judges-son-arrested-in-armed-robbery-at-bellagio-casino?ps=cprs

Watch 2011 Super Bowl ads with no annoying football game

2011-02-08T18:44:00.000-08:00

Sure, you will find football teams playing – however the actual enjoyment for several is the 2011 Super Bowl ads. A few commercials have already been posted to YouTube. Other companies are keeping their commercials under wraps. Super Bowl Sunday commercials don’t require a television to watch. You are able to catch all the ads online easily. You can view most the advertisements without a payday loan, all you need is the internet. Resource for this article – Watch 2011 Super Bowl commercials without pesky football game by MoneyBlogNewz.

Super Bowl commercials to see in 2011

The 2011 Super Bowl commercials can be seen many places. They’re put up on display. You can have a Super Bowl party where you watch the game on the TV. Some really want to watch the commercials however not the game. You might also just not have FOX or not have a TV. Luckily, you will find several locations to go to see the commercials. Hulu’s AdZone will show the commercials, plus it allows you to vote on them. The ads are also typically posted quickly on YouTube.

Paying for the 2011 Super bowl commercials

As usual, Fox is charging a significant amount of cash for Super Bowl commercials 2011. Each 30-second TV spot during the Super Bowl will cost between $2.8 and $3 million. It costs quite a bit just to create a Super Bowl too. Doritos is an example of a business that let YouTube individuals creates Super Bowl ads. Others spend millions of dollars on super star endorsements and production value. The benefits of these commercials, though, could be huge. If done right during the super bowl, new product announcements and "water cooler buzz" will do really well. The publicity could be given to corporations that are not even competing ads for the Super Bowl. To get publicity, the Super bowl "banned" ads list is put out. Groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals really like to use this. The 2011 ads for the Super Bowl is the only reason why 40 percent of those younger than 35 even tune in.

2011 Super Bowl commercials preview

There were ads for the 2011 Super bowl going on for quite a while. In fact, they have been competing for months before the game. Many commercials are already leaked online, so you are able to get a good sneak peek of the 2011 Super Bowl ads, no matter where and just how you plan on watching.

youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0&feature=player_embedded

youtube.com/watch?v=JqQl5RIuR0E&feature=player_embedded

youtube.com/watch?v=VRDx18GYITw&feature=player_embedded

Articles cited

Hulu

hulu.com/adzone/

Genuine stories from apartment supervisors clarify the need for insurance

2011-02-05T01:44:00.000-08:00

If you do not own the home, loft, room, space or RV that you live in, you probably need renter's insurance. Things can go wrong in so several very ways. Just ask for genuine tales from apartment managers. Living in close quarters with others means another person's mistake can affect you. Renters insurance does not cost much, you usually won’t need so much as a payday cash advance to afford it.

The tale apartment supervisors tell

Apartment supervisors are the first line of defense when things go wrong, and they have seen just about every little thing. One apartment manager in Chicago remembers when a resident tried to deep-fry a turkey inside the apartment — and set the whole complex on fire. A Reno, NV, manager had another story. A resident tried to microwave a dry towel causing a room to catch on fire. Floods, fires, snowstorms, vandalism, burglary and electrical surges all happen to rental units, too.

What takes place after an apartment unexpected emergency

What do you do if you have a problem for instance a breaker blow out, your room gets spray painted by someone, or your apartment goes up in flame? If you do not have renter’s insurance, you can find yourself in need of an emergency loan. Most state laws have no recourse. This is legally the case. Sometimes you might need the loan as it will help you get all lost house-wares, clothing, electronics and dishes back. Still, your budget might not like it as much.

Get renter's insurance to safeguard

Renter’s insurance may sound like an expensive add-on. At a cost of $100 to $300 per year, however, it is relatively inexpensive. After hearing true stories from apartment supervisors, renter’s insurance sounds like an even better idea. With it, your budget could be saved. The no fax payday loans can be saved for a different emergency not related to your apartment.

New drinking water specifications target perchlorate

2011-02-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

Wednesday morning, an announcement was made that EPA drinking water standards are getting a revision. This reverses a 2008 edict of the Bush administration disallowing these brand new regulations. These new rules deal with 17 individual chemicals. The biggest headline chemical is perchlorate. People hopefully won’t have to take out a payday cash advance to buy their drinking water filtered. This is supposed to help everybody have healthy drinking water.

Drinking water standards for the EPA

Specifications of allowable contaminants in drinking water have been set by the EPA. Minerals, dissolved solids and many other chemicals can be found in water supply. In fact, pure hydrogen dioxide in water supply is rare to find. The EPA regulates how much of a wide variety of chemicals and bacterial contaminants can be in water before further purification steps have to be taken.

Perchlorate within the Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards

Rocket fuel, bleach, fertilizers and fireworks all use perchlorate that is a naturally occurring chemical. The iodine uptake within the thyroid could be affected by the perchlorate although it isn't dangerous to human health otherwise. Clinical depression, neurological disorders, preterm births and obesity are all things that less iodine does. Several states already limit perchlorate, however up to 4 percent of municipal water, consumed by about 17 million people, could have heavy perchlorate contamination.

The specifications the EPA has for water supply with VOC compounds

The brand new 2011 EPA restrictions for drinking water contain limits on more than just perchlorate. You will find also restrictions on unstable organic compounds. These are also known as VOC. There could be brand new limits on 17 chemicals, including perchlorate. There could be terrible effects from VOC although they are typically found in industrial manufacturing and solvents. In general, VOC compounds are considered dangerous. The brand new EPA regulations are set to take effect this year.

Citations

CNN

cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/02/02/epa.water.chemical/index.html?npt=NP1

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroid_hormones#Related_diseases

Just how Candlemas and Imbolic evolved into Punxsutawney Phil’s Day

2011-02-04T10:04:00.000-08:00

Feb. 2 is a day for festivity around the globe, for a wide variety of motives. In some customs, it is Candlemas or Imbolic – the midway point amongst winter solstice and vernal equinox. For others, Punxsutawney Phil's 2011 visual appearance has marked an early springtime on its way. It is getting close to the time to take out a pay day loan and plan your spring getaway.

Past Candlemas

In the “wheel of the year,” the division of the year according to the seasons, February 2 is a “cross-quarter” day; it is halfway amongst equinox and solstice. This day was set aside to prepare soil in agrarian society. It was so grain could possibly be grown. Candles were needed to do work. This was because lots of the plowing happened during the dark time of day. The dawn of the new year was symbolized with this "candle mass." It also symbolized purification and renewal.

World festivities of Candlemas

European countries have a different name for Candlemas. "Imbolic" is this name. "Ol-melc" is the word it comes from which means ewe's milk. This was because after winter was over, sheep gave milk once again. The fields had a goddess statue washed and carried through often. This was as the planting and harvest was to be celebrated. Jewish and Christian customs also recognize the day of festivity. St. Brigid is the Christian patron saint of grain, and her day is often celebrated by planting seeds and baking bread. Jewish Mary would have purified herself the very same day as Candlemas/Imbolic also. This is because it is 40 days after the festivity of Jesus' birth. Purification is done on this day due to this. This is also a day to celebrate the growing season and plant.

Celebration changes from Candlemas to Groundhog Day

Imbolic or Candlemas was often the time of the year that humans started leaving the house and working out in the fields, and animals did the exact same. There were 18th century German settlers that brought over a tradition to go with Candlemas. On that day, if a groundhog saw its shadow, then that meant there would be six more weeks of winter ahead. February 2, 1887, is the real first day of Groundhogs Day. This was because it was the first time Punxsutawney Phil had to come out of his hole to predict the weather. But Punxsutawney Phil is not always right. He has a 39 percent success rate. No matter what tradition you commemorate — Candlemas 's plowing, Imbolic’s purification, St. Brigid’s Day, Mary’s purification or watching Punxsutawney Phil come out of his hole — Feb. 2 is a day to appreciate the returning of light, warmth and the coming spring season.

Articles cited

School of the Seasons

schooloftheseasons.com/candlemas.html

The Telegraph

telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/8298417/The-history-of-Groundhog-Day.html

Taco Bell initiates ad campaign to slap down beef court action

2011-02-02T15:04:00.000-08:00

Taco Bell has hit back in opposition to the legal action in opposition to the company with an ad strategy. The business is being prosecuted over the beef content of its ground beef blend. The issue is being addressed by a full page ad in key newspapers from Taco Bell, which slams the claims made against it. The fast food chain probably did not need to obtain a payday cash loan to do this either.

Taco Bell responds with ‘Thank you for suing us’

A lawsuit about beef was filed towards Taco Bell recently. False advertising is what the suit is about. The Taco Bell corporation has fired back with a broadside in main newspapers, in an open-letter style ad bearing the caption “Thank you for suing us, ” according to CNN. The ad directly references the controversy, and claims that if the business only used ground beef, it would taste uninteresting and thus wouldn’t “make for great-tasting tacos.”. The mixture has 12 percent "secret ingredients" and 88 percent ground beef. This is what Taco Bell states. Oats, yeast and caramelized sugar are all put in there for taste. Three percent is water too.

Suing over the meat in tacos

The legal action over the actual ground beef content within the beef mixture on the Taco Bell menu was filed in CA, by the Alabama-based law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, and Portis & Miles. Testing done by the firm revealed that the beef blend contained only 35 percent beef, and thus fails to qualify as beef under U.S. DOA guidelines of what could be advertised as “beef.”. The facility and that it was tested at hasn't been revealed. MSN reports that the method of testing hasn't been made public either.

Holy Molé

The Federal Trade Commission is generally responsible for false advertising regulation. However, oat product is used in ground beef mixtures sold in grocery stores and other fast food chains. Parent company of Taco Bell, Yum Brands Inc., has been quiet on the matter, though Taco Bell executive Greg Creed called the accusations “ludicrous” and is reportedly looking into pursuing a countersuit.

Information from

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/01/28/news/companies/taco_bell_beef/index.htm

MSN

money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=AP&date=20110128&id=12832684

Eater.com

eater.com/archives/2011/01/28/taco-bell-ad-thanks-firm-for-law-suit.php

Discussion over educational funding reductions heating up in Nevada

2011-02-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

The legislature of NV has a new lobby group to handle. University pupils are teaming up. The students come with their own sets of statistics and proposed legislation. Students are fighting against the proposed schooling financing cuts. The state cannot just take out a payday loan to repair this issue, so hopefully the students have a good plan.

NV schooling reductions possibilities

Most states have a budget balancing issue that needs to be worked on right now. NV is one of these states. Nevada’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes a $162 million cut to higher education programs. The Tobacco Settlement cash is one in which the legislature currently is planning on taking a payday advance no fax from. Right now, scholarships are financed with that money. The cash would go other places within the state. These would be for state programs that are running out of funding.

Brand new corporations of students

There is a brand new way that university pupils are taking on the schooling spending budget problem rather than doing sit ins and demonstrations. Committees are being created by pupils. This is done for the legislature specifically. In order to discuss the financial details and legislation, pupil activist groups are having pre-legislature meetings. Groups of pupils could be taking buses to the statehouse. Hearings may have students testifying. The students have a ton of information the show legislatures. The legislatures will be forced to listen.

The short term loan of paying for schooling

The biggest point that students are making about the proposed reductions to education is that they’re effectively a short-term loan. Within the short term, the state might get just a little bit more cash. The state might not do well in the end though with less educated professionals. There have already been closures with the University of Reno, NV. The student-support services and career center have been shut down. There is a reason for the cuts. It means the school won't have to shut down. Students end up paying too much for an education that is not that great with this.

Information from

Nevada News

nevadanewsbureau.com/2011/01/27/amid-budget-cuts-debate-university-students-organizing/

Fahrenheit to Celsius method gets same outcome at 40 below

2011-01-26T17:24:00.000-08:00

Fahrenheit to Celsius becomes a hot topic during weather extremes, especially on the cold end of the scale. Fahrenheit and Celsius give different readings except for one point on each scale. When an arctic blast hits 40 below zero, thermometers of both persuasions read the same. Fahrenheit and Celsius had a brief encounter on the exact same point of the thermometer in International Falls, Minn., on January 21, as the temp eventually bottomed out at minus 46, or 43 below zero Celsius. People will be applying for a pay day loan and moving to warmer climates if the temps ever got that low.

Cold weather on Fahrenheit or Celsius

You will find many tools on the internet in order to convert among Fahrenheit and Celsius. But sometimes it gets so cool that temp becomes as relevant as a one-sided blowout in a football game. “The Nation’s Icebox” is the claim to fame for International Falls, which hit the lowest temperature there since individuals began keeping track in 1897. From Maine through New York and Pennsylvania and even into Michigan, the National Weather Service has issued chill warnings. Wind chill warnings are issued when the combination of wind and temperature on bare skin makes it feel like minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit (-32 Celsius).

How Fahrenheit developed his scale

Fahrenheit to Celsius temperature conversion became necessary in the 1960s. Until then, Fahrenheit was the standard temps scale for the English-speaking world and several other nations. In 1724, the Fahrenheit scale was started. German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit developed it. He figured out what zero was by putting a thermometer in chilled brine. Someone's mouth was how he got 100 degrees. That was the way he got his numbers. The 180 degree difference among the 32 degrees freezing and 212 degrees boiling were noticed by other scientists. It was changed to be exactly 180 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale. That meant the human body temp was changed to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit which is the very same as 37 degrees Celsius.

Fahrenheit to Celsius conversion method

The Celsius scale is named after a Swedish astronomer who created it in 1742. At first Celsius had the numbers reversed. This meant boiling point was at 0 while 100 war freezing point. Humans normally perceive temperature the opposite way though. That's why, by 1744, the scale had been reversed. For the majority of the world today, water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100 degrees. A degree of Fahrenheit is equal to 5/9 of a degree Celsius. Before simply typing in the numbers on the Internet, Fahrenheit to Celsius temperature conversion required a mathematical method: (F – 32) x 5/9 = C. (98.6 F – 32) x 5/9 = 37 C is one example.

Citations

AFP

google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jZnirgpNLnUmm3I14-GU1ImIrLvg?docId=CNG.7ffd4f2e62ccb3576e8e09bd39028670.e71

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-24/new-york-u-s-northeast-face-one-more-day-of-frigid-cold.html

Alternative Energy Blog

tampile.com/blog/2011/01/temperature-conversion-guide/

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit

Steelers and Packers are headed to the Super Bowl

2011-01-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

The AFC and National Football Conference Championship games have wrapped, and the winners are off to meet within the Super Bowl. In just a couple weeks, it will time for Super Bowl XLV, or Super Bowl 45. The game will be between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game is taking place in Arlington, Tex., at Cowboys Stadium. The teams play on Feb. 6. If you plan to go to the Super Bowl and do not already have tickets, you would be getting a huge personal bank loan to buy one.

XLV Super Bowl with Packers and Steelers

When it comes to the Super Bowl, you will find very few events on TV that come even close to comparing to it. Just the Super Bowl commercial spots are worth millions. There is a good chance the 2011 Super Bowl will beat the record for most viewed television event in United States history. Currently, the 2010 Super Bowl has the record after beating out the "MASH" finale last year. Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX is where the game will be held on Sunday, February 6. About 6:30 p.m. will be the kick off of Super Bowl XLV. The Fox network will undoubtedly be showing it. The Black Eyed Peas will perform in the halftime show, and the Fox NFL Sunday team will handle the pregame analysis, with Troy Aikman, Joe Buck and Mike Pereira within the booth for the game.

The game where the Jets burned to Pittsburgh

In the American Football Conference Championship, Rex Ryan and the NY Jets traveled to Pittsburgh with hopes of upsetting the 3rd Super Bowl champion QB in as many weeks, after besting the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots. The Jets were not able to move until the fourth quarter. The Pittsburgh defense did a good job of that. The Mean Gang Green did put up a fight. Still, the American Football Conference title and win went to Ben Roethlisberger and company.

Pressure to Chicago is unbearable

When it comes to the Chicago Bears Green Bay Packers rivalry, one of the most significant games happened when the Green Bay Packers went to Soldier Field. During the game, Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler left the game with an injury, backup Todd Collins was benched after one series, and rookie QB Caleb Haine came in to make an effort to finish the game. Even though Haine did well, the Packers' defense was amazing which included a touchdown made by B.J. Raji that was originally an interception. There was another interception from the Green Bay Packers. Sam Shields did it and won the game.

James Bond returning in 2012 with Craig in head role

2011-01-19T08:04:00.000-08:00

After a long absence, James Bond could be returning to movie theaters in 2012. Metro Goldwyn Mayer has had a long bout of monetary issues, putting a new Bond film on hold. However, things are back up and running, and Craig is coming back as the gentleman secret agent. The film also marks an occasion, being that 50 years have gone by since Sean Connery debuted as Bond in the very first film. I know I for one would be willing to take out a payday advance just to purchase presale tickets. Resource for this article – James Bond returning in 2012 with Daniel Craig in lead role by MoneyBlogNewz.

2012 bringing back James Bond

After a long running series of financial issues at Metro Goldwyn Mayer studios kept the franchise on hiatus, it has been confirmed that James Bond can be returning within the year 2012, as outlined by The Guardian. James Bond can be played for a 3rd time by Daniel Craig who played Bond most recently. "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace" were the last movies he did. About $600 million each was made by these films. Bankruptcy and new ownership happened which caused Bond 23 not to happen. MGM had a string of financial troubles like these.

The anniversary of the first film being seen

This is the longest running and most financially successful film series of all time. For the year of release, a special one could be done. The year 2012 is the 50th anniversary of the release of “Dr. No,” the first Bond film released. Sean Connery was a star as a result of the movie that was very popular. Sam Mendes is attached to direct the next Bond film, according to The Telegraph. About $590 million was brought in by "Quantum of Solace" despite the fact that many fans weren't pleased with Marc Forster's direction.

Series with 23 on it

The Bond series is possibly the longest running film series of all time. Within the world, over $5 billion was made by the series. Only "Harry Potter" and "Star Wars" have made more than that. Many were very happy that Craig was brought back to the film. He is considered one of the best characters. Craig is at the moment filming the English language version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” directed by “Fight Club” director David Fincher.

Details from

The Guardian

guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/12/bond-23-daniel-craig-mgm

The Telegraph

telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/jamesbond/8255072/Sam-Mendes-may-have-problems-directing-new-Bond-movie.html

Pastor Fred Phelps blames Tucson shooting victims, praises gunman

2011-01-15T10:24:00.000-08:00

The Stir reports that Westboro Baptist Church Pastor Fred Phelps has sounded off over the shootings in Tucson, Arizona. In a move which should surprise no one who has followed the activities of Phelps and his flock, the contentious pastor has called Jared Lee Loughner a "soldier hero" and proclaimed plans to boycott the funerals of the six people who were gunned down in a Tucson Safeway on Saturday, one of them a 9-year-old girl. Where does Phelps get his money to travel and boycott all these funerals, someone has to be giving him a personal loan of some sort.

Fred Phelps finding out what the line between free speech and hate speech is

There was no compassion in Jared Lee Loughner's heart when he gunned down Rep. Gabrielle Giffords along with others. It is said that it was a higher power being followed by Loughner. While the U.S. Constitution grants individuals the right to free speech, resolving where to place the line before hate speech – of which Fred Phelps and other members of the Westboro Baptist Church have been accused in the media – has proven to be a legal quagmire.

Currently on the docket for the Supreme Court of the United States is a case in which Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church are being accused of using hate speech during their protests at the funeral of an Iraq war veteran. The dead soldier’s father was initially granted millions of dollars in damages by a Baltimore federal court, but that ruling was later overturned by an appeals court.

Phelps says ‘Thank God for the violent shooter’

A loaded and concealed Glock-19 went with Jared Lee Loughner to the Tucson, Ariz, Safeway which was a higher power being followed according to Fred Phelps interpretation of the Bible. Phelps believes that what happened was the will of God. This meant that the 12 wounded, the five killed and the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords was all supposed to happen. As the Westboro Baptist Church doesn't believe in homosexuals or divorce, Phelps believed that all those victims were just being punished for supporting those things. He then went on to say more should probably have died. Even the 9-year old girl was wronging society.

As The Stir puts it, "neither common sense nor respect" are characteristics of Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church.

Citations

Café Mom

thestir.cafemom.com/in_the_news/114798/arizona_shooting_victims_vs_fred

Phelps weighs in on tragedy in Tucson (WARNING: Contains speech/images some may find offensive)

YouTube

youtube.com/watch?v=Qpkxoql4xz0

Brisbane floods set to worsen as Australia is pounded by water

2011-01-14T06:44:00.000-08:00

The storm season is worsening in Australia, and the Brisbane floods are getting worse. The rain season, as Australia and also the Southern Hemisphere are at the moment in summer, has been brutal as the state of Queensland has become covered in floodwater. The flooding is the worst it has been in over a century. There are going to be mass amount of installment loans taken out to try and repair these damages.

Brisbane seeing more flooding

The Telegraph reports that there are even worse floods in Australia being seen while more water is coming in Brisbane. In the northeast region of Australia, Brisbane is a city in Queensland. There has been a ton of flooding for over a month in the state of Queensland while the rains were heaving in December after a spring that was already wet. There has been a flash flood in Brisbane, which is the third largest city in Australia with over 2 million, while the rainwater causing the Brisbane river to swell is causing more flooding. Over 9,000 homes may end up awash with water, and power will be shut off in the city for safety. In over a century, the flooding hasn't been recorded as this bad.

Both La Nina and hurricanes are bad news for Australia

The Australian spring, which begins in September, saw heavy rains come with the La Nina weather system. Flooding began in early December, which was made worse by the Christmas arrival of Hurricane Tasha. Queensland started to see a tropical storm that had a lot of rain, swelling rivers and flash floods. All of northeastern Australia saw that happen. Fully one third of Queensland is under a state of emergency. The area that is being flooded terribly is the size of Texas. That's how big it is.

Problems with Brisbane

Brisbane along with the whole Lockyer Valley region has floodwater all over it. Swollen above its bank in the Brisbane river. There's a good chance the high tides and rain will keep the flooding going for a while. It might cost over $10 billion for recovery efforts while the third largest city in Australia is continuing to be flooded.

Citations

The Telegraph

telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8252699/Brisbane-braces-itself-for-worst-floods-in-more-than-a-century.html

Timeline of Australia flooding on the Telegraph

telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8251906/Australian-floods-timeline.html

John Edwards engaged - Another denial, another day

2011-01-12T22:04:00.000-08:00

As per the National Enquirer, John Edwards is engaged. Sources that are “close to” both Hunter and Edwards are being quoted as saying this both is and isn’t true. The Enquirer was the first news source to report that Edwards even had a mistress. Let’s just hope that personal loans are not being used to keep people from talking to the press.

Rumors of John Edwards being engaged

Supposedly, Edwards proposed to Rielle Hunter less than a month after his wife’s death, reports the National Enquirer. The report also indicates that the couple is purchasing a $350 million beach home to live in together. "Sources close to the couple" is how the report says it is valid. MSNBC reports that the engagement isn't true based on "sources close to the couple" as well. Right now, the engagement of the couple may or may not be actually true. In fact, only John Edwards and Rielle Hunter will know that.

How the National Enquirer/Edwards relationship works

There is a history that the Edwards and National Enquirer have while celebrities are typically in the tabloids. The affair of John Edwards was shown by the National Enquirer. It was the first tabloid to report it. While it was initially denied, Edwards did eventually admit the affair. The National Enquirer was also the first source to report that Hunter and Edwards had a daughter together, another report that was initially denied but eventually admitted.

All about the affair John Edwards had

Elizabeth Edwards, the estranged wife of John Edwards, died from cancer less than one month ago. Her will was unsealed very recently. The estate and possessions she had were all given to her three children while she left John Edwards out of her will completely. It had been months since John and Elizabeth separated. There aren't always tabloid reports that are correct though. It was denied over and over that the couple was buying a house together.

Articles cited

MSNBC

today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40962757/ns/today-today_people/

Do Jumpin Jammerz signal a kiddy PJ renaissance?

2011-01-12T02:44:00.000-08:00

You without doubt remember the place you were when Kid ‘N Play exclaimed that it was time for a pajama jammie jam in the film "House Party". Be still your beating hearts, customers, because it is time to take the floor in your footed pajamas again, thanks to Jumpin Jammerz. Go to JumpinJammerz.com today and get your fleece on. Many people are even going as far as applying for payday loans to get their own pair of footed pajamas.

You will feel great with Jumpin Jammerz

You should wear Jumpin Jammerz all the time as your inner child is found with footed pajamas. You will be rejecting "adulthood" with the Jumpin Jammerz fleece pajamas while also being very comfortable. It may not matter that much. Keeping warm is what is important.

Jumpin Jammerz come with options

Go check out JumpinJammerz.com. There you will see tons of choices for yourself. There are licensed college footed pajamas; polar fleece; hooded footies; soft chenille for the ladies; various costumes (rock star, frog, mouse, monkey, giraffe and tiger); kids’ sizes; and silly blankets (think Snuggie). When it comes to Jumpin Jammerz, there is the ultimate for old fashioned work. The drop seat footed pajamas are all there too. You only have to pay $49.95 for them!

There is bathroom humor involved in the JumpinJamerz.com clearance section. In fact, the tag line reads, and "We are blowing out hundreds of footed pajamas!"

Jumpin Jammerz something celebrities love

Many celebrities have been using Jumpin Jammerz, according to the "About Us" section on JumpinJammerz.com. There are many names listed. Some include Dakota Fanning, Joan Cusack and Ellen DeGeneres. At the 2007 Oscars, the grab bags had Jumpin Jammerz in them. The PajamaJeans and Forever Lazy now have more competition than ever.

You can join the Jumpin Jammerz Discount Club if you are a celebrity. At JumpinJammerz.com you can get 5 percent off coupons for free when joining. Call Jumpin Jammerz between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. MST Monday Through Friday at 888-884-5526 if you want more information on this.

Citations

Jumpin Jammerez

jumpinjammerz.com/

Café Mom

thestir.cafemom.com/beauty_style/114748/jumpin_jammerz_would_you_wear

No Jumpin Jammerz were harmed in the making of this video

youtube.com/watch?v=tUwahMIumxM

Chinese stealth fighter delivers global shockwaves

2011-01-08T18:04:00.000-08:00

China’s ascendancy as the world’s major financial power has made many people anxious. The NY Times reports that sketchy data concerning a brand new Chinese stealth fighter has continued to stir the pot. The stealth fighter Chinese status – the potential threat of the J-20 – has set minds to wondering. Resource for this article – China flexes muscle with new Chinese stealth fighter by MoneyBlogNewz.

Chinese stealth fighter and concerns of conquest

The J-20 is the Chinese stealth fighter. It’s China's first stealth fighter jet that is radar evading. While international media accounts and official accounts from China vary greatly, it’s believed that the J-20 was runway tested at a China airbase on Wed and can be flight tested Thurs afternoon. This is all just conjecture, China explains.

Supposed Chinese fighter in fuzzy pictures

Monday was when the Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine wrote a J-20 article. Mostly indistinct photographs showed what was allegedly the Chinese stealth fighter on the tarmac of an airfield near Chengdu. Since mid-December, there have been pictures like this appearing on blogs. This is what the New York Times reports.

If weather allows, then the Kanwa Defense Weekly editor Andrei Chang claims the Chinese stealth fighter J-20 could be flying officially, according to "authoritative" word. The standing of the stealth fighter Chinese was leaked intentionally too. This was so that nationalism in China would get better while also building interest. United States Defense Secretary Robert Gates is going to have more to consider Sunday in his visit to Beijing. Chang claims that is the real reason for the announcement.

"They want to show the U.S., show Mr. Gates, their muscle," said Chang.

China's stealth fighter now as high tech as Russia

Various international news reports state that the J-20 Chinese stealth fighter is "well behind" Russia’s T-50 stealth fighter aircraft and the U.S.-made F-22 and F-35, in both technological sophistication and ability to stay away from radar. Experts who have analyzed the sketchy photographic evidence believe the J-20 could be capable of launching cruise missiles and be eligible for mid-air refueling. Estimates are the stealth fighter Chinese status needs 10 to 15 years before it will catch up to United States and Russian stealth fighter jets.

Citations

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/01/06/world/asia/06china.html?_r=2

Patriotic unveiling of J-20 Chinese stealth fighter

youtube.com/watch?v=uOOHTthSo3E

National Whipped Cream Day - A new twist for the new year

2011-01-07T22:24:00.000-08:00

National Whipped Cream Day is officially on January 5. National Whipped Cream day may not have huge political or social importance, but it is nevertheless worth celebrating. This day is as good of an excuse as any to test out a brand new style of whipped cream.

The history of National Whipped Cream Day

Whipped cream has, for a lot of people, been reduced to cream-in-a-can. Dairy cream with a bit of air is the very same thing as whipped cream though. This is how to make it yourself. The proteins within the milk react to being vigorously stirred by stringing together and “grabbing” onto air. There’s a downside to making homemade whipped cream rather than just buying it manufactured. It falls and breaks apart more easily.

Damaged whipped cream does not have to remain that way

You should nevertheless celebrate National Whipped Cream Day even when you have damaged whipped cream. Just stay away from letting your whipped cream sit for more than 12 hrs. That's when it starts break apart like that. Before whipping, you can add another ingredient to prevent this. First, heat 2 tablespoons of the whipping cream in a microwave or saucepan and combine it with 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin. It can then be added to the sugar and leftover whipping cream. Make sure it sits for a few minutes before this. Whip with a whisk or whisk attachment on a mixer, and you’ve got whipped cream that ought to remain stable for 2 to three times as long.

Add an angle to your whipping cream

Everybody loves whipped cream. Part of this is because it is naturally sweet. By adding just a few brand new ingredients, though, your whipped cream can become the centerpiece of your main dish or appetizer. Do you would like a bit of a hot and spicy mix? All you’ve to do is mix 1 pint whipping cream with 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons chili powder. You don't have to add sugar. Instead you are able to put 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. You might even test adding ½ cup pureed avocado to your whipped cream. Then, you may use it with baguette slices or grilled shrimp. National Whipped Cream Day is the perfect time to test out a new spin on whipped treats.

Girl Scout Cookies fund-raising to start once again shortly

2011-01-07T02:44:00.000-08:00

Girl Scout Cookies are going available for sale shortly, and you will find millions of people waiting with anticipation. Each and every region of the country has a different season for Girl Scout Cookies. Each box of cookies sold means more cash for the troop. Every box sold means less than $1 for the troop. Source for this article – Girl Scout Cookies – Tracing money from the fund-raising by MoneyBlogNewz.

The season to buy Girl Scout Cookies

Girl Scout Cookies are only available once a year which makes them very popular. The place you live will determine when Girl Scout Cookie season ends up being at. The next couple months can be when it starts for most though. Girl Scout Cookies are only there for limited time periods. This is what makes them so marketable with high value.

The money from girl Scout Cookies

You can purchase a Girl Scout Cookie box for fairly cheap. It is between $3.50 and $4 usually. That is lots of money to put out for between 10 and 20 cookies, but thousands of people willingly pay the cost each year. Between 50 and 57 cents per box is given to each troop, accounts the national Girl Scout organization. About 85 cents are given to the baker for the cookies. Then, the "neighborhood unit" gets 1 cent. Summer camps, training and adult volunteers are where the rest of the Girl Scout Cookies cash will go to with the regional council in charge. The Girl Scout Cookie name, images and cookies are given to businesses such as Dairy Queen with the thin mint blizzard by the national Girl Scout organization in order to make cash.

Do-it-yourself Girl Scout Cookies

Many have tried out Girl Scout Cookie recipes at home as Girl Scout cookies are only accessible for just a little while. If you are really feeling like you need one, then try some copycat Girl Scout Cookies recipes. If you would like to give cash to Girl Scouts, you can donate directly to every troop or regional council — or give yourself the gift of cookies. Either way, Girl Scout Cookies will likely continue to be one of probably the most popular and successful fund-raising efforts for scouting.

Articles cited

Wallet Pop

walletpop.com/2010/02/06/girl-scout-cookies-by-the-numbers-just-where-do-all-those-dolla/

MMN

mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/homemade-versions-of-girl-scout-cookies

Harmon Killebrew claims he is fighting esophageal cancer

2011-01-04T22:44:00.000-08:00

Killebrew, a member of baseball’s Hall of Fame, has announced that he is suffering from esophageal cancer. As a man, Killebrew was 3 to 4 times more prone to contract the disease than a woman, however regardless, the American Cancer Society indicates that roughly 15,000 people perish from esophageal cancer annually. This is something that Killebrew cannot use a payday advance to fix, he just has to hope for the best with treatment that is available.Post resource – Harmon Killebrew announces he has esophageal cancer by MoneyBlogNewz.

The way ‘Killer’ will be effected by esophageal cancer

There was a statement issued by 74 year old Killebrew on Thursday, reports Northwest Cable News. Evidently he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. While the survivability rate for esophageal cancer is better than some other forms of cancer, the former Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins slugger is preparing himself for a battle. The Mayo Clinic will be where he is treated. This is one of probably the most experienced, with esophageal cancer, medical centers within the world.

“While my condition is very serious,” said Killebrew in a statement, “I have confidence in my doctors and the medical staff, and I anticipate a full recovery.”

From the state of ID came Harmon “Killer” Killebrew as one of the best Idaho athletes. In fact, he was 11th all time with his record of 573 home runs while still playing major baseball. When playing he played for the Washington Senators (1954 to 1960, the Minnesota Twins (1961-1974 and also for the KS City Royals last (1975). Killebrew nevertheless has some of the best stats ever even with the home run statistics inflating between the 1990s and 2000s.

About esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer happens within the esophagus according to the Mayo Clinic. This is how food gets to your stomach from your throat. Anywhere on the esophagus can be where the esophageal cancer ends up going. Typically the cells on the inside of the esophagus are the ones affected though. The lower portion of the esophagus that connects to the stomach is where most U.S. cases of esophageal cancer ends up occurring.

The cancer has progressed more than it should if you start to see esophageal cancer symptoms. This is what the American Cancer Society reports. Forms of pain might be a symptom to search for, especially if it is in the chest. Other symptoms consist of frequent choking, weight loss and difficulty swallowing. You will find a few different common treatments. These contain radiation therapy, surgery or chemotherapy.

Articles cited

American Cancer Society

cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@nho/documents/document/esophagealcancerpdf.pdf

May Clinic

mayoclinic.com/health/esophageal-cancer/DS00500

Northwest Cable News

nwcn.com/sports/Pride-of-Payette-Harmon-Killebrew-has-cancer-112671059.html

Harmonic history

youtube.com/watch?v=hffB9um2Q8g

Federal Communications Commission in negotiations with Comcast over video competition

2010-12-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

The merging of Comcast and NBC Universal has drawn judgments from numerous places, centered on the potential danger that the mega-company could become a monopolistic gatekeeper of televised and online media. In theory, Genachowski and the FCC support open competition, where no single company regulates the flow of data. Thus, the Federal Communications Commission is now in discussions with Comcast to make certain Comcast Corp. won’t seize control once the NBC Universal purchase is complete, accounts the Associated Press.

Leaving video completion in the dust

U.S. broadcasters and consumer groups are really worried that Comcast will beat out all the video competition as Comcast is hoping to make a $13.8 billion deal to purchase the majority share in NBC Universal from General Electric. Broadcasting media companies still need to be able to compete with Comcast for viewership. This is a concern both Genachowski and the FCC have. If broadcasting companies are squeezed out of being able to obtain the necessary programming to grow and compete, those companies will fail and further strengthen the front-runner.

Facts on the Comcast/NBC Universal merging

Purchasing NBC Universal is a smart move for Comcast. The company would end up with a huge amount of media network that it would control. Included in this would be the NBC and Telemundo networks; 26 local TV stations; a host of popular cable networks like CNBC, Bravo and Oxygen; Universal film studio and related amusement parks; as well as a significant stake in Hulu.com. As Comcast already is in control of cable channels like E! Entertainment, Versus and the Golf Channel – and has controlling interest in various Philadelphia pro sports teams and their corresponding cable networks – the mega-corporation’s already staggering reach would be off the scale. Right now, Comcast has about 17 million broadband internet subscribers. Also, about 23 million On-Demand video subscribers use Comcast too.

The loopholes to be seen

”Too many loopholes” have been left by the FCC with the net neutrality ruling for playing favorites with telecommunications companies. The competition that the FCC says it is trying to keep is being ignored.

Information from

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/40794364/ns/business-us_business/

Sen. Al Franken blasts Comcast-NBC merger

youtube.com/watch?v=fRJ4YoZ-uzg

Congress blasted by Jon Stewart for obstructing Zadroga bill

2010-12-28T05:44:00.000-08:00

The Zadroga bill, which could fund health care costs for relief workers from the Sept. 11 attacks, has been largely ignored. The lackadaisical attitude of Congress regarding the bill has not amused Stewart, not one bit. Tax bills could possibly get higher political factors, it seems.

No passing of Zadroga bill happened in Congress

It would be given to those who were rescue workers during the September 11 attacks that happened in 2001. Congress hasn’t pulled it out and looked at it yet. $7 billion would be funded to the 9/11 rescue workers that need health care because of being at ground zero when the attacks occurred while also being named the Zadroga Bill after a New York police detective James Zadroga who may have died because of being at the World Trade Center during the attacks and getting respiratory problems. The bill, according to CNN, was recently stalled on the Senate floor thanks to Republicans after it was passed by the House.

The Daily Show host unhappy about it

One of the champions in the media of the bill has been comic and host of “The Daily Show” Jon Stewart, according to ABC. Since the bill wasn’t passed, Stewart has been really made at Republicans. The cost of giving health care benefits to the 9/11 responders and survivors is too high for Senate Republicans to agree with. The bill was all Stewart discussed in the last episode of the year that he had. He said that “the party that turned 9/11 into a catchphrase” had a “convenient pre-9/11 mentality when it comes to this bill.”

No more time

Getting the bill passed likely won’t happen in the next few days. No matter what the bill is, most Republicans don’t want to pass any more spending bills while members of Congress are really looking forward to a holiday break. The new tax bill passed in Congress is good news for “firefighters that make $200,000 a year.” This is another thing that Stewart pointed out.

Articles cited

CNN

cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/09/senate.9.11.responders/

ABC News

abcnews.go.com/Politics/jon-stewart-rants-republican-filibuster-911-responder-bill/story?id=12422872&page=1

Julian Assange law enforcement officials report released; legal team angered

2010-12-26T22:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks to an ever-inquisitive media, WikiLeaks inventor Assange’s sexual assault case might have taken a dark turn. Julian Assange’s police statement has released to the press, and the British paper The Guardian was happy to print the alleged facts. Based on reports, not only was the report intended to be private, however the intimately graphic details leaked out are allegedly incriminating against Assange.

All about the Julian Assange law enforcement officials statement

While Assange’s camp considers releasing thousands of private intelligence cables as fair play in the quest for free info and transparency, his lawful team does not consider the alleged police statement leaked out recently to be a case of turnabout.

Due to the police report leak, Bjorn Hurtig can be filing a formal complaint as Julian Assange's Swedish lawyer.

"It is with great concern that I hear about this because it puts Julian and his defense in a bad position,” Hurtig said.

Litigation because of the press

Jemina Khan, Michael Moore and Bianca Jagger were all those who helped pay the £275,000 ($432,305) bail by celebrity backers for Julian Assange. Nevertheless, sexual assault charges nevertheless face Assange in Sweden. The Assange police report being released has been characterized as a "smear campaign" intended to bring the 39-year-old journalist/provocateur before the judging eye of the press and circumvent due process.

What The Guardian is calling a "brief summary" of the sex allegations towards Assange, his lawful team calls an unbridled attempt to convict their client in the court of public opinion.

The Swedish/American conspiracy theory

Based on Julian Assange, the United States and Sweden have been working together in a conspiracy in order to punish him for the United States intelligence cables that were released ever since the information of his sexual assault says were released. Getting Assange extradited and tried on U.S. treason laws possibly will not happen as Assange's lawyer Mark Stephens is sure that the lawful team can prevent it. Because Assange isn’t a U.S. citizen – he’s Australian – such a turn of events would be a stretch. Furthermore, as Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard recently made the pronouncement that Assange had broken no Australian laws, it could be interesting to see how far the United States might go to cause an international rift.

Articles cited

The Australian

theaustralian.com.au/news/world/lawyers-cry-foul-over-leak-of-julian-assange-sex-case-papers/story-e6frg6so-1225973548657

Julia Gillard says Assange broke no Australian laws

youtube.com/watch?v=IqaRK_STjdw

Can underwater mortgages be preserved with principal reduction?

2010-12-25T19:44:00.001-08:00

Government policymakers are arguing about the efficacy of principal reduction as a solution to a growing number of underwater mortgages. The program is strongly supported by the Obama Administration. Officials are attempting to convince Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae that their participation is crucial to its success. Financial specialists have said that principal reduction will only be effective if the federal regulator of Freddie and Fannie lets the agencies buy to the system.

Reducing the foreclosure problem off

Principal reduction — reducing the amount owed on a mortgage loan — is viewed as the advantage to both borrowers and loan providers. The idea is that underwater borrowers can be able to keep their home and it will benefit everybody more than going into foreclosure. Currently a quarter of all home loans are underwater. That percentage will only rise as home values continue to fall. There are around 1.5 million underwater mortgages, and the government hopes to help them out by adding the principal reduction plan to the Home Affordable Refinancing Program.

Freddie and Fannie need to take part in this plan

Part of the HAMP plan offered banks that reduced principal on underwater mortgages additional subsidies. For someone to qualify they cannot be behind on their mortgage and must own more than 15 percent more than their home is worth. The Administration and bankers agree that without Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae going together, the program will not probably work. Around half of all home loans are owned by Fannie and Freddie. So far banks have been reluctant to support principal reduction. Many large banks will likely participate once Fannie and Freddie are on board.

The reason why Freddie and Fannie won’t play

The Federal Housing Finance Agency doesn’t support Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac participating in this plan. Back in 2008 when the Government took over the mortgage industry Freddie and Fannie had been having the loses thrown at them by FHFA. $134 billion and rising is the amount of money thus far the mortgage industry has costs tax payers. The Obama Administration is pressuring the FHFA to let Freddie and Fannie in. Short term principal reduction will pay off in the long run, rather than just taking long run losses. But the FHFA claims as long as underwater borrowers keep making their payments as is, Fannie and Freddie will keep taking their cash.

Details from

Pro Publica

propublica.org/article/fannie-and-freddies-govt-regulator-opposes-reducing-mortgages-for-strugglin

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703963704576005990436624546.html

Mortgage11.com

mortgage11.com/2010/12/hamp-loan-modification-help-to-know-more-on-principal-reduction-for-underwater-homeowners/

Kroger recalls animal food for aflatoxin threat

2010-12-25T19:44:00.000-08:00

A toxin that affects the liver, aflatoxin, has been found in some pet food. In response, Kroger is recalling their food. The Kroger animal food recall includes nineteen states. The recalled animal food could cause liver failure and illness in animals.

Pet food recalled by Kroger in 19 states

Pet food sold at Kroger, Food 4 Less, Dillons and Gerbes, Baker’s, Jay C, Hilander, Owen’s, Pay Less, and Scott’s stores is being recalled for a safety threat. The states affected by the recall were Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, SC, Tennessee, TX, Virginia, West Virginia and Arkansas. The animal food recall is something Kroger stores are attempting to look after. In fact, they are trying to get a hold of consumers who bought it.

Kroger recalls animal food of 3 manufacturers

There are 3 brands included in the Kroger pet food recall. Pet Pride brand name merchandise included within the recall:

Cat Food three.5 lb packages with UPC code 1111088128
Any 18 lb packages of cat food. The UPC code 1111071357 can be on them
Tasty Blend Poultry & Seafood Cat Food 3.5 lb packages with UPC code 1111071357
Tasty Blend Poultry & Seafood Cat Food 18 lb packages with UPC code 1111074580
Kitten Formula Food three.5 lb packages with UPC code 1111071903

There is also within the Kroger animal food recall some Old Yeller Chunk Dog Food. It includes:

Packages with UPC code 1111074566 that are 22 lb
Packages with UPC code 1111074563. They’ll be 50 lbs

Recall Kroger Value brand of pet food:

three lb packages of Cat Food with the UPC code 1111000018
The UPC 1111071559 on Chunk Dog Food that comes in 15 lb packages
50 lb packages of Chunk Dog Food that has the UPC 1111000108

Threat with Aflatoxin in animal food recall at Kroger

Aspergillus fungus is where Aflatoxin comes from. Grains like corn usually trigger the fungus to grow. Aflatoxin can be found in several foods, for instance peanut butter, however becomes dangerous when consumed in large doses. Liver disease could be caused by Aflatoxin when animals consume it. If you’ve any of the pet foods recalled by Kroger, you are able to return it to the shop where you purchased it.

Citations

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aflatoxin

Kroger

kroger.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Recalls/Kroger%20Recalls%20Pet%20Food%20FINAL%2012-18-10%20%282%29.pdf

Did CDC food-borne sickness estimate undercut food safety bill?

2010-12-24T01:44:00.000-08:00

Previous estimates of food-borne illness cases were inflated, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC revised estimations of food-borne illness situations to a lower number than had been reported within the past. Because the report was issued shortly before a food safety bill was killed in Congress, some food safety experts believe the timing was politically encouraged. Timing could indeed conserve a number of people from taking out a pay day loan for marketing.

CDC does a study on food-borne illness

On December 15, the CDC released a report on food-borne illnesses. Every year within the United States alone, there are 28 million cases reported. The record published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, as Congress argued the food safety bill, also said about 128,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die from eating tainted food. The CDC reported 76 million cases of food-borne illnesses since 1999 including 5,000 deaths and 250,000 hospitalizations. Both CDC studies only used lab confirmed numbers from 10 states. This was how they got national estimates for it. They almost always used telephone surveys. CDC explained that there isn't less of a problem as a result of lower numbers in the report.

The food borne illness report has unknowns in it

Food safety experts said the CDC’s new food-borne illness numbers show how much is still not known about the problem. The report said about 38 million cases — four-fifths of the total estimate — are caused by “unspecified agents.”. The reason they are called unidentified agents is because they’re chemicals that aren't known to be harmful yet. They’re typically used in food processing. Even the CDC explains it is just guesswork. They put guesswork into it too. The median range from 29 million to 71 million got the 48 million food borne illnesses. The CDC has plans to be more specific about things next year within the record. This includes which pathogens are in which foods.

Killing the food safety bill

The CDC record on food borne illnesses was likely times to go with the Congress food safety bill debate, some expert believe. The food safety bill was killed on December 16 in congress by republicans. This was along with the spending bill. A doctor interviewed in Food Safety News questioned the timing and said the CDC submitted the record to Emerging Infectious Diseases about a year ago. The Food and Drug Administration would be able to recall tainted food, quarantine regions and investigate food manufacturer records if the food safety bill passed. Democrats say they have not given up on the food safety bill, but Republicans vowed to block it.

Details from

Food Safety News

foodsafetynews.com/2010/12/why-now-was-cdcs-timing-on-estimates-political/

New York Times

nytimes.com/2010/12/16/business/16illness.html

The Hill

thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/food-safety/134201-democrats-havent-given-up-on-food-safety

Normal water in thirty-one cities impure with hexavalent chromium

2010-12-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

A compound identified as a carcinogen was present in tap water samples from several U.S. cities. The EWG released an analyze Monday that documents the presence of hexavalent chromium within the normal water of 31 cities. A total of 35 cities were tested overall. Hexavalent chromium also goes by the name chromium-6 and was the deadly chemical behind the legal crusade portrayed within the movie "Erin Brockovich".

The hazards of hexavalent chromium

Hexavalent chromium is dumped to the environment by steel and pulp mills, metal-plating and leather-tanning industries, based on the Environmental Working Group. EWG paid labs to test normal water in 35 locations identified to be contaminated by the cancer-causing compound, which leaches into groundwater from eroding soil. A EWG scientist has discovered a correlation between chromium-6 and stomach cancer. There have been correlations of the highest amounts of hexavalent chromium in Norman, OK, Honolulu, HI, Riverside, CA, and Madison WI.

The exploration into chromium-6

The Environmental Working Group study is the first hexavalent chromium analyze done ever in city water supplies. The study was made public as the Environmental Protection Agency considers a regulatory limit for chromium-6 in faucet water. The National Institutes of Health classified hexavalent chromium as a possible reason for cancer back in 2008. 0.06 parts per billion is the limit California already put on hexavalent chromium back in 2009. The Environmental Working Group research found that in Norman pubic drinking water exceeded that limit by 200 times. 25 of the 35 cities in the analyze were above the limit CA considered safe.

Environmental Working Group suggestion: reverse osmosis water filter

You may remember Hexavalent chromium from the movie "Erin Brockovich," Brockovich, a real person, successfully sued Pacific Gas and Electric for contaminating the water supply of Hinckley, California, with chromium 6. The utility company paid more than $330 million in damages. The EPA is intending to regulate hexavalent chromium, but until they really do the Environmental Working Group recommends using water filters to keep yourself safe. Thinks like chromium and other heavy metals can be removed through reverse osmosis water filtration systems. You can pay anywhere.

Articles cited

CNN

pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/20/carcinogen-found-in-31-of-35-cities-water-supply/?npt=NP1

USA Today

content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/12/tap-water-of-many-us-cities-has-probable-carcinogen-study/1

Medical News Today

medicalnewstoday.com/articles/212079.php

HIV unintentionally healed by stem cell transplant

2010-12-21T16:24:00.000-08:00

Scientists in German have declared a breakthrough of sorts. an HIV positive man received a stem cell transplant which unintentionally cured his Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Nonetheless, the therapy can only work using stem cells from people with incredibly uncommon genes. This is the newest Human Immunodeficiency Virus related breakthroughs, but there is no full heal at this point. A large ample pay day loan could possibly finance research for more cures.

Healing man of HIV with stem cell transplant

An American man living in Berlin received a stem cell transplant that healed him of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, according to Popular Science. In 2007, the "Berlin patient," or Timothy Ray Brown, got the stem cell transplant. Healing his leukemia was the real purpose of it. His condition was monitored after the transplant, and the traces of Human Immunodeficiency Virus have totally disappeared. However, there’s a hitch, in that only certain stem cells from certain individuals can work, and those cells are incredibly hard to discover.

Tough to discover the breed of cells

A very specific gene is needed within the person who can have the needed stem cells. The gene being looked for has a component of white blood cells called CD4 receptor. It will lack the CCR5 receptor with this gene. Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, targets the CCR5 receptor most often. Having the CCR5 receptor missing means that HIV can't infiltrate white blood cells. The person is immune to HIV, more or less. Fox News accounts that only 1 percent of only Western and Northern European males really have this gene.

Heal won't really help much

It may seem like a miracle treatment. It’s not even close to being available though. The stem cell transplant was done to heal Brown’s leukemia, which it did, however he had to endure years of painful treatments and immune system suppressing drugs to make sure his body didn’t reject the transplanted stem cells. There are not very many donors. Even so, the exact right donor has to be matched to you. More than just pain comes from the treatment. It’s expensive and experimental as well.

Articles cited

Popular Science

popsci.com/science/article/2010-12/german-doctors-think-theyve-accidentally-cured-patients-hiv-stem-cell-transplant

Fox News

foxnews.com/health/2010/12/14/doctors-claim-hiv-positive-man-cured-stem-cell-transplant/

Dayton, Ohio, personal loan

2010-12-21T06:04:00.000-08:00

Financial trouble happens to just about everyone at one time or another. Are you in a rough position right now? You are just a few clicks away from financial help in Dayton, OH. Your financial institution account could be filled with a bad credit loan in just a couple hrs.

Getting your poor credit loans when in Dayton, Ohio

Sometimes it can feel like there is nowhere to go if you have poor credit or even no credit. Getting traditional varieties of credit or loans could be tough when lenders check your credit. Bad credit loans, though, can help you develop or rebuild your credit report. You need to be paying all your bills in full and on time. This is the first thing you need to do if you want your credit report to look good. When you are at a rough time with your finances, you can get a bad credit loan. You could be able to stop your bank account from going negative and pay all your bills on time. The predictability of being able to pay your loans back on the day and time that you agree to is just one more thing to help you improve your credit.

Numerous needing cash loan loans in Dayton, Ohio

An Ohio cash advance loans for Dayton can take just a couple minutes to apply and be approved. There isn't that much paperwork associated with applying for a personal cash loan. Only a few minutes are needed to do it. You are likely to need a phone number, a bank account, an income of some kind and a state or federal ID. These will your cash advance application will require. You only have to wait a few minutes to get your application processed. You don't have to worry or wait for an answer. If you are approved for the loan, it can be deposited in just a few hours into your banking account.

Do you need a personal loans in Dayton?

It is very safe to fill out an online personal loan or personal loan application in Dayton. The entire process keeps your application info safe through the encryption that is way better than standard. You get a chance to look over your application and your loan offers before you agree to anything. That means you’ve got the chance to review everything before you commit to anything. Getting financial help in Dayton is all about finding the open window in front of you.

Topeka, KS on the internet payday loans

2010-12-18T22:04:00.000-08:00

It can take you just a couple minutes to get a Topeka, KS cash advance. When you need financial help, a Topeka, Kansas cash advance could be your best option. Online payday loans are fast — often depositing money into your financial institution account within hours. Getting financial help is the best way to make ends meet when you are coming up short. A unsecured loan could be exactly that help you need. Article source – Topeka, Kansas online payday loans by MoneyBlogNewz.

Getting a payday advance in Topeka

It will only take you a few minutes to apply for a payday advance in Topeka, Kansas. The application form is no-obligation. Not only that, but only three minutes are needed to complete it. Only another 180 seconds is needed after that. Then, a payday advance lender for situation will respond to you. You get to look at the full payday advance offers. They are easy to read. You can get the money on its way after digitally signing the loan if you like the offer.

Advance payday loans Topeka can give

There is one main reason many will get advance payday loans. This is because it is quick and easy to get additional cash. Credit checks are typically absent. Military members and those with limited income may still qualify for the loan. This includes those with bad credit and no credit also. You are going to have to have income, an identification, a bank account, a phone number and be legally an adult to get a loan.

Topeka loans to be paid back

It is easy to pay back a Topeka, Kansas, payday cash advance loan. It is just as easy as it had been getting it. The money will go right into your bank account after you’ve read the terms and conditions and approved it. The payment to pay back your payday loan can be debited from your account with the bank whether it be a onetime payment or installment payment. It is as simple as it sounds. There can be money there when and where you need it. The money is also super easy to pay back. This can be on the date you agree to, of course. Having predictability in your finances is very important when you’re trying to build or rebuild credit, and that is what a Topeka payday advance loan can do for you.

Communal workout gear for business people, Westin style

2010-12-18T16:24:00.000-08:00

When you have to travel for business enterprise purposes often, you know that luxury tends to obtain tossed out the window. Carrying additional bags for workout clothing may sound like no big deal, but traveling light becomes more essential the more someone travels. Based on the Wall Street Journal, Westin Hotels can feel the pain of health-conscious businesspeople planning to travel light. That is why they are providing communal workout clothing – including public sports bras. Lots of people might instead sign up for a payday loan and just purchase brand new exercise clothing. Article resource – Westin Hotels offers exercise gear for business travelers by MoneyBlogNewz.

Could it be worth it to get used workout gear?

Many wonder if public shoes, socks and sports bras will really bring in crowds although many who like to continue working out while on the road will more than likely see the advantage of leaving behind a bulky bag.

Beginning today, Westin Hotels provides women a New Balance gear-lending program that includes Capri pants, sports bra, shirt, socks and shoes. A shirt, shorts, socks and shoes will be exactly what men get. The service is for all guests. Requesting the apparel is all you have to do. The hotel assures guests that all clothing items undergo "intense hot-water laundry" treatment between utilizes, much the exact same as Westin bed sheets and towels. Insoles are swapped out between each use while shows are cleaned externally.

Catering to business enterprise travelers

According to Marriott Hotels & Resorts Senior VP of Global Brand Management Paul Cahill, "The business traveler who stays 40-plus nights a year represents about 50 percent of our revenue." Thus, catering to business enterprise travelers is very important. Hotel fitness center facilities are previously owned by more than 70 percent of guests, Westin Hotels explained to the WSJ. That means the apparel lending program should be in place.

What the opinion of travelers is

The communal exercise clothing is something that Jenn Blazejewski likes the idea of as a 31 year old management consultant who runs daily and travels four days a week.

“Running socks aren’t very intimate compared with bed sheets and towels,” she told the WSJ.

Articles cited

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704681804576017702959786720.html?mod=ITP_personaljournal_1

Using a hotel fitness center

youtube.com/watch?v=KlBWxAPtVQc

Green vehicle buyers no more to obtain instant money as rebate expires

2010-12-18T01:24:00.000-08:00

Shoppers looking for immediate cash from a hybrid car tax credit had better purchase soon as the tax credit is ended. On Jan 1, 2011, the tax credit for purchasing a hybrid automobile or truck and a few diesel models will expire. Plug in electrics will nevertheless have a rebate available, though. Purchasing a hybrid could keep you from needing to register for a payroll loan to fill the vehicle’s gas tank. Resource for this article – Instant money from hybrid vehicle tax rebate expiring by MoneyBlogNewz.

Tax rebate granting immediate cash for green vehicles to run out

Instant money was given to any person who was willing to buy a hybrid car or certain diesel powered car starting in 2005. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 was what started this tax credit. The Alternative Motor Automobile Credit, for those who could or did take advantage of it, offered a fantastic incentive to consult a loan business to finance a greener car. However, according to USA Today, that incentive is expiring. Purchasing a hybrid automobile like the Toyota Motors Prius or even the Volkswagen Jetta TDI which is a diesel model won't get you a break on your income tax bill anymore starting in Jan 2011.

Some rebates still available

There could be some rebates still accessible although most of them are expiring. Tax rebates will nevertheless be available for plug-in electric automobiles, for instance the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Motors Leaf. A person is required to get a personal loan for more to get those automobiles though. Without the money from the tax bill being taken away, the Leaf will cost you $32,000 and the Volt will cost you $40,000. The Prius, by contrast, goes for less than $25,000, although the Prius is no more eligible for a rebate. The rebate can no longer be accessible for a vehicle in the bill after 60,000 green cars are sold.

Leaping on chance

Some hybrid and diesel models still allow for rebates to be used. Only 2 weeks are left for the credit though. The vehicles nevertheless accessible for a rebate until Jan 1, 2011 are shown on a list on either USA Today or Consumer Reports.

Articles cited

USA Today

content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/12/federal-hybrid-diesel-tax-credits-run-out-at-end-of-month/1

Consumer Reports

blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/12/hybrid-and-diesel-tax-credits-will-soon-expire.html

Payroll tax holiday: monetary stimulus or political show?

2010-12-17T02:44:00.000-08:00

The Bush tax cut package features a payroll tax holiday that gives most employed Americans a two % increase. Legislators regard a payroll tax holiday as a way to stimulate the economic climate. The theory is that customers will invest the excess income. But some economists say that customers will probably save more of that money than the politicians hope. If all should go as prepared, individuals really shouldn’t need to acquire a personal cash loan. Source of article – Inside the payroll tax holiday and how to have a happy one by MoneyBlogNewz.

Is it an economic stimulus with the Payroll tax holiday?

The employees' share of income tax will go from 5.2 percent to 4.2 percent if the payroll tax holiday proposal goes through. This is only up to $106,000 though. Announcing the tax deal gave firms like Deutche Bank a reason to change 2011 economic growth predictions. They went from 3.3 percent to 4.1 % because of this. Want to know the math behind that? Here it is:

Wages and salaries in the U.S. in 2010 total $6.44 trillion. That figure grew nearly 5 percent in the second and third quarter. If that rate continues, wages and salaries will total about $6.75 trillion a year from now. Deutche Bank estimates about 85 percent of total wages and salaries are dinged by the payroll tax. A 2 % reduction in that tax puts $115 billion back in workers’ wallets. Based on the current personal savings rate of 5.8 %, $108 billion — 0.7 percent of estimated 2011 GDP — would be spent. Therefore, 3.3 + 0.7 = 4.1 %.

There is the Permanent Income Hypothesis to consider

Many are saying that there is too much optimism. This would be from Deutche Bank. Spending won't increase that much though. John Carney at CNBC suggests that knowing the 2 % raise is only temporary can be why informed consumers don't spend more. Economists call this the Permanent Income Hypothesis. Future earnings are what people spend based upon off of. Current take-home pay doesn't do that. Most people didn't conserve anything and would always spend more than earned before the financial crisis. After that, the financial crisis came. More is saved now when people aren't spending nearly as much. This is because nobody has an expectation for the future.

The payroll tax holiday plans

What should you do with that payroll tax holiday raise? Spending it isn't the suggestion SmartMoney gives. Putting it in a Roth IRA, a traditional IRA or a 401(k) is the suggestion. The money will then be worth something. It will still be worth something after 2012 when the payroll tax holiday ends. Next year, the health care costs will likely rise. This can be what you'll spend it on. Buying new appliances is a new option. You could save hundreds of dollars in a few years with more energy efficient home appliances.

Citations

SmartMoney

smartmoney.com/personal-finance/taxes/what-to-do-with-a-payroll-tax-cut/#ixzz17WrUvmtU

CNBC

cnbc.com/id/40553481

Business Insider

businessinsider.com/deutsche-bank-explains-why-the-payroll-tax-holiday-is-a-game-changer-and-could-push-gdp-to-41-2010-12

Worldwide yuan trade going ahead for 1st time in history

2010-12-16T14:44:00.000-08:00

China has performed its hand not far from the vest with regards to managing its currency, but as the Wall Street Journal accounts, time has come to distribute the prosperity. The yuan, which Beijing once banned from being bought or sold outside China’s edges, has been launched into international currency exchange trading for the first time. China has the economic punch, and traders want to get their hands on yuan. It could possibly be worthwhile for a person to obtain an short term loan to get to the trade business with the yuan. Source for this article – Global yuan exchange underway for first time in history by MoneyBlogNewz.

Yuan exchange: from 0 to $400 million

Trading with yuan had a quick acceleration. Accounts show a change from zero to $400 really fast. As China has loosened the reins on its currency exchange, other nations are now able to transact with China in yuan for the 1st time, whether it be in finance trade, investment or borrowing. The Wall Street Journal explains that China thinks this will keep the currency from fluctuating like the dollar and euro are with world business changing using the yuan worldwide, although he value of the yuan isn't going to change. Many want the yuan. There’s a demand that is high for it.

‘Full convertibility of the yuan’

Norman Chan, head of Hong Kong’s central bank, told the WSJ that "This is a step moving to full convertibility of the yuan … a major change of the international financial landscape."

While the dollar, yen and euro currently dominate the $4 trillion global currency industry, the yuan is fast-approaching critical mass, according to traders. Chinese businesses financial institution their yuan in Hong Kong accounts – where offshore investing is permitted – in tremendous amounts. Experts suggest that about 300 billion yuan, which is about $45 billion, will be ready to be converted by the end of the year.

What yuan trading will look like

A Hong Kong bank account could be needed if you would like to do worldwide currency investing. This is the only way to get yuan. Chinese companies could be allowed to move yuan offshore for business purposes like exports and imports. Getting the yuan to the offshore account leaves you with freedom. That means the currency exchange could be used in any way.

It is clear that there will not be any slowing of the yuan exchange for a while thinking about banks like Citigroup and HSBC are offering investors yuan prices opportunities currently while McDonald's and Caterpillar are selling debt priced in yuan.

Articles cited

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703380104576015824083855578.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection

Just when inflation was going so well…

youtube.com/watch?v=BwHuHxzBBx8

Barbara Walters titles ten most fascinating people of 2010

2010-12-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

In her annual special, Walters has titled her list of the “ten most intriguing individuals of this year”. For the last several years, Walters has put out this list. You will find some highly questionable figures on the most fascinating figures list. This is depending on not only Walters’ own viewpoint but others as well, and no one took out a fast cash loans to get their way onto her listing. Article resource – Barbara Walters names 10 most fascinating people of 2010 by MoneyBlogNewz.

The official Barbara Walters list of 2010 most fascinating people

You will find politicians and celebrities on the 2010 Barbara Walters most fascinating people.

General David Petraeus is one
There's Betty White
Justin Bieber is on the list too
There's the Jersey Shore cast
Don't forget about Sandra Bullock
There's Jennifer Lopez too
Then there's Sarah Palin
Kate Middleton is listed
There's also Mark Zuckerberg
LeBron James

Most interesting people of 2010 listed on special by Barbara Walters

The hour-long special about the 10 most interesting people aired on Thursday night. In the special, interviews of all 10 of one of the most interesting people were listed. Barbara Walters had this set up. Only 60 to 70 percent of interviews were really conducted by Barbara Walters herself. Of course, all 10 people on the list were still interviewed. The 10 most interesting people of 2010 consist of individuals who are "victorious, not notorious." This is what Barbara Walters explained. She wanted mostly positive individuals to be listed there.

Barbara Walters special recap

There are few very interesting moments within the 2010 most interesting people interviews although there many special moments. This is the 3rd year that Sarah Palin has made the 10 most interesting list. Many people are asking Barbara Walters if she thinks Sarah Palin will run, and the reaction is a strong “maybe.”. Jennifer Lopez could be replacing Simon Cowell on American Idol, in his seat if not with his attitude. Barbara Walters said General David Petraeus is "a fixer" when talking about one of the most interesting person of 2010. The "most entertaining people of 2010" list has become more entertaining with this as it sounds like " person who cleans up after illegal activities" although she really meant he fixes issues.

Info from

Buzznet.com

justjared.buzznet.com/2010/12/09/barbara-walters-announces-most-fascinating-people-of-2010/

Hollywood Reporter

hollywoodreporter.com/news/barbara-walters-reveals-fascinating-person-58776

10 most fascinating people 2010 according to Barbara Walters

The most fascinating people of 2010 according to Barbara Walters are a list of 10 people. There are politicians and celebrities on it.

General David Petraeus
Betty White
Then there is Justin Beiber
She also listed the Jersey Shore cast
Don't forget about Sandra Bullock
There's Jennifer Lopez too
Sarah Palin was obviously listed
The list also includes Kate Middleton
There's also Mark Zuckerberg
LeBron James

Barbara Walters 2010 most interesting people special

An hour worth of time was allotted to the 10 most interesting people. Thursday night this happened. The Barbara Walters special includes interviews with all 10 of the most interesting people. Barbara Walters herself does only about 60 to 70 percent of the interviews herself, but features all 10 people on her list. The 10 most interesting people of 2010 include people who are "victorious, not notorious." This is what Barbara Walters explained. This means she tries to choose at least mostly positive individuals for her annual list.

The news Barbara Walters' special had

The 2010 most interesting people interviews involved a lot of interesting things. There were some that stood out though. The 10 most interesting list has Sarah Palin on it again. This is the third year it has happened. Barbara Walters responds with "maybe" anytime someone asks if Sarah Palin will run. She gets asked a lot too. The seat of judges on American Idol will see Simon Cowell replaces by Jennifer Lopez. As far as her most interesting person of 2010, Barbara Walters said that General David Petraus is “a fixer.”. The "most entertaining people of 2010" list has become more entertaining with this as it sounds like " person who cleans up after illegal activities" although she really meant he fixes problems.

Citations

Buzznet.com

justjared.buzznet.com/2010/12/09/barbara-walters-announces-most-fascinating-people-of-2010/

Hollywood Reporter

hollywoodreporter.com/news/barbara-walters-reveals-fascinating-person-58776

Meteor shower: Geminids illuminate predawn sky

2010-12-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

The finest meteor shower of 2010, the Geminids, peaks in the early morning of Dec. fourteen. Veteran air watchers look forward to the Geminids. The show is generally more intense than other yearly meteor showers. Of the many things that make the Geminids unusual, their origin from the path of a nearby asteroid enhances the visual impact of the meteor shower. Source of article – Geminids meteor shower said to be the best of the year by MoneyBlogNewz.

Where you can try to find the Geminids meteor shower tonight

The Geminids meteor shower can be at its best after midnight. You might see a ton of meteors every hour. Up to 120 meteors per hour could be observed during the shower. There is a reason why the shower has been called the Geminids. Near the constellation Gemini, called the "radiant," you’ll see the majority of the shooting stars. Since the Geminids radiant is above the horizon during the whole night, the meteors in the Geminids shower are seen earlier than most other meteor showers. Start by looking low within the northeast. This is in the early evening time. By 1 a.m. EST the radiant is directly overhead. When the radiant is low in the west about 6 a.m. EST, the Geminids will reach their peak.

Why Geminids are very different from others

Most meteor showers, including the Perseids in August and the Leonids in November, occur when Earth’s orbit around the sun passes through the dust particles left behind by a comet. It is different for the Geminids though. The asteroid Phaethon left specks of debris to go through. Phaethon’s particles hit the atmosphere at a lower velocity than most meteor showers — about 21 miles per second. The particles vaporize slower meaning there’s a bright trail within the sky a bit longer than normal. That is why it is so easy to view the Geminid meteors. The early morning of Dec. 15 will continue to view the Geminids peaking. That means that even if clouds ruin the view Tuesday, watchers might be able to get another change Wed before dawn.

The source of the Geminids

The asteroid Phaethon is appropriately named after the son of Helios, the sun god in Greek mythology. Phaethon threatens to burn up the earth after going for a ride in his father's chariot and loses control. Zeus intervenes with a lightning run that kills Phaethon and saves the world. Phaethon’s orbit takes it from the asteroid belt all the way inside Mercury’s orbit and back again in 524 days. Typically a comet has a tail. Experts are confused as Phaethon has not tail yet is nevertheless has a stream of particles behind it.

Citations

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/40530733/ns/technology_and_science-space/

The Guardian

guardian.co.uk/science/2010/dec/13/starwatch-geminids-meteors

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pha%C3%ABton

House claims no $250 extra for Social Security beneficiaries

2010-12-14T08:04:00.000-08:00

A Social Security bill that would have sent Social Security individuals a $250 payment was defeated Wed in the House. The bill was suggested to give citizens on the dole a boost simply because absolutely no cost-of-living boost, or Social Security COLA, was enacted for 2011. Republicans argued that the $14 billion in deficit spending needed was out of the question. Instead, those on Social Security are finding themselves seeking a payday cash loans when in-need of sudden money.

COLA increase not taking place

The second year without a COLA, or a cost-of-living boost, for Social Security recipients caused democrats to write a bill for $250 checks given to 58 million individuals. The Social Security bill was submitted to a vote under “fast-track” procedure. The House has to provide a two thirds vote on bills. This is just if they are within the fast track. It did not pass. T he vote was at 254-153 too. There were only twenty-six republicans that votes yet. Then there was the uncommon absolutely no from Democrats. There were only 12 no’s. The Obama administration said that Social Security individuals would have a hard time without the extra Cost-of-Living and supported the onetime repayment.

The not enough Cost-of-Living with Social Security

With inflation, Social Security COLAs are expected to rise. In 2009, there was a Cost-of-Living boost for Social Security. This was because within the summer of 2008, gas prices were over $4 a gallon. At 5.8 percent, it was the largest COLA boost in 27 years. Unless consumer prices go above what they are, COLAs aren’t legally able to go up. The Social Security COLAs have not gone up within the past two years simply because there has been no inflation and consumer prices haven’t changed. About $1,072 is collected by Social Security individuals every month.

Many question the efficiency of COLAs

Linking COLAs to consumer prices is something many don’t like the idea of while supporting the Social Security bill. They say that seniors, veterans and the handicapped can’t function with rates so low. A greater portion of their incomes goes toward expenditures such as medications, which are rising in cost at a much higher rate than inflation. Several of the Republicans argue that the 2009 Social Security increase in COLA was plenty. Seniors should be okay for a while. There was a representative of Rep. David Camp., R-Mich., who said, “There is a responsible way to protect seniors without increasing the deficit.” Camp will become the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee in Jan. He didn’t say how this was.

Articles cited

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-08/house-bill-to-give-seniors-250-is-defeated.html

NASDAQ

nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201012081443dowjonesdjonline000477&title=house-defeats-attempted-250-payment-to-seniorsveterans

CNN Money

money.cnn.com/2010/12/08/retirement/social_security_payment/index.htm

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender group battles for heterosexual equality in United Kingdom

2010-12-12T02:44:00.000-08:00

Currently, domestic partnership laws in the U.K. apply only to homosexual couples, which doesn’t suit Stephanie Munro and Andrew O’Neill at all. Munro and O’Neill have the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender rights team OutRage! on their side as they petition British Parliament for heterosexual equality, reports Jezebel. This will help out not only opposite-sex couples seeking domestic partnerships, however it will aid gay couples also, argues the OutRage! campaign Equal Love.

First seeing OutRage! After heterosexual equal rights concerns

Heterosexual equality getting attention is what Munro and O'Neill plan to really happen even though they know their petition for domestic partnership can be denied so the lawsuit filed will consist of three opposite-sex couples and four same-sex couples. A homophobic agenda isn't part of Equal Love at all. The contrary is true, said OutRage! Coordinator Peter Tatchell:

"We support (straight couples’ bids) for heterosexual equality. In a democratic society, everyone should be equal before the law. There should be no legal discrimination. The twin bans on gay civil marriages and on heterosexual civil partnerships are forms of sexual apartheid. There is one law for straight couples and another law for gay partners. Two wrongs don’t make a right," Tatchell told the Wall Street Journal.

Reasons to avoid marriage

Matrimony is just a mix of religion and secular law for a ritual according to Munro and O'Neill. A domestic partnership, on the other hand, is absent such "historical baggage," said O’Neill.

The U.K. might have segregation on domestic partnerships like Munro and O'Neill are facing which might be interesting to note, claims Tatchell. However, they are not facing what gay couples are at all. If parts of the United States of America can offer domestic partnerships regardless of gender, then the U.K. can, too. The heterosexual equality is all the Equal Love is asking for from British Parliament. This is why sexual orientation needs to simply be eliminated, according to Equal Love.

Citations

Equal Love

equallove.org.uk/

Jezebel

jezebel.com/5707078/straight-couples-fight-for-right-to-domestic-partnerships

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_the_United_Kingdom

Press briefing re. OutRage! Campaign

youtube.com/watch?v=L4nJsuY9UN8

U.S. job openings trending further up in brand new Labor Department report

2010-12-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

In Oct more job openings became available in the United States of America since the fall of 2008. The career openings report was good news in the wake of last week’s depressing careers statement in which the unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent. However, economists say the career opportunities report is preview of longer-term trends that could result in more hiring over the next few months.

The Oct career opportunities report

Job opportunities in Oct rose to 3.4 million, a rise from 3 million reported in September. The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed the 12 percent month-to-month increase reversed declines within the 2 previous months. October career opportunities arrived at the highest total since August 2008, when the financial markets were on the brink of collapse. Since 2006, there hasn't been as big of private sector job openings as there was with the 369,000 private sector careers for Oct. The JOLTS statement showed that advertised job openings rose by about 1 million. The low point in July 2009, which was a month after the end of the recession, was increased from to 44 percent.

Job opportunities nevertheless overloaded by jobless

Even though job opportunities increased by about 32 percent from Oct 2009, there were still 14.8 million individuals unemployed. Getting a job is not easy. There’s a lot of competition. The JOLTS report showed there were 4.4 people going after each October career opening. The number is getting much better though since in Sept it was 4.9 individuals per career and since January 2009, it’s the best number. Despite the gains, the hole blasted in employment by the recession is deep. Sunday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke was on the CBS News program "60 Minutes." He said the unemployment won't go back to the "normal" 5 to 6 percent for another five years or so.

Good news for the job market

There may be a remote chance the career openings statement signals accelerated hiring that could shorten Bernanke’s estimate. Many economists estimate hiring off the JOLTS statement. It’s usually fairly accurate for about three months. Even though job creation in November fell short of probably the most conservative estimates, an economist at Credit Suisse in NY told reporters that last month’s dismal careers report looks like “a bump within the road.”. The JOLTS report might be interpreted as a sign that the career market is on the verge of emerging from limbo.

Citations

ABC News

abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=12332380&page=2

Business Week

businessweek.com/news/2010-12-07/job-openings-in-u-s-rise-pointing-to-bigger-payroll-increases.html

MarketWatch

marketwatch.com/story/job-openings-rise-to-34-million-in-october-2010-12-07

More poor credit automotive loans show credit markets staring to unwind

2010-12-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

In the 3rd quarter subprime automotive loans became much more common, as reported by the credit reporting firm Experian Automotive. Car buyers with bad credit have also been obtaining approved for bigger loans. At the same time that car credit markets were helping to loosen, borrows defaulting on automotive loans also declined. People are realizing more how good credit will help them get a personal loan when they are in need of one. Source for this article – More bad credit auto loans show credit markets staring to relax by Money Blog Newz.

Un-tightening the standards in financing

The three credit score tiers are what Experian uses to analyze financing, says Auto loan Daily. The 3rd quarter of the year showed that there were much more individuals in the "nonprime" or mediocre credit rating from 620-679 that got auto loans. In fact, 10.68 of all auto loans were from this group. Also, up from the 5.66 percent from this past year, about 6.61 percent of automobile financing came from car purchasers with credit scores between 550 and 619. There was also an increase from 1.46 percent to 1.59 percent for poor credit vehicle customers with credit under 550.

Larger, lengthier loans

Additional indicators the car credit industry is loosening up include bigger financial loans with longer terms. The average quantity financed for a new care increased to $25,273 since the third quarter of 2009. That is a $2,530 increase. Used automobile financing rose year-over-year an average of $977 to $16,706. Also, automotive loans had an increased average term. About 30 days were added. A length in term by almost 4 months was shown for bad credit buyers with credit ratings below 550.

On time payments help consumers

There was a decrease in delinquencies up to 30 days too. There was a 3 percent decrease in overall automobile financing and 8 percent decrease in the third quarter. Then there was the good decrease of delinquencies on auto loans up to 60 days. It got down to less than 1 percent with the 17 percent decrease. Many banks and car financing businesses are feeling a bit safer since delinquencies are decreasing and customers are cutting debt while increasing savings. The auto industry might increase sales in 2011 by 10 percent because of helping to loosen auto credit standards. However, bad credit automobile purchasers with lower credit scores can still expect to pay higher interest rates on auto loans.

Details from

Auto Loan Daily

autoloandaily.com/loan-news/auto-loan-daily/breaking-news/2594-auto-loans-subprime-more-car-shoppers-third-quarter

Associated Press

google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jHFgDgIfxH0KtnPyMLGyI17HZKeQ?docId=c6669d4119194e08ae304bacd5a1e838

Daily Finance

dailyfinance.com/story/credit/more-car-loans-going-to-borrowers-with-bad-credit/19749932/

Tempe, Arizona, pay day loans on the internet

2010-12-10T05:24:00.000-08:00

When you are in need of a short-term financial solution, payday advances on the internet for Tempe, Arizona, can be your best solution. There are times that just about everyone needs financial help. Financial help shouldn’t mean going through a bunch of hassle. Poor credit loans do not have to mean stress and hassle- they can be relatively easy. Source for this article – Bad credit cash payday loans in Tempe, AZ by Money Blog Newz.

In Tempe, AZ and need paydayloans?

Because of how fast you get your loan, a Tempe, AZ payday loan is very different from a traditional payday loan. A traditional loan could take reams of paperwork, weeks to get your decision, and usually require a credit check. You are able to get a payday cash til payday loan faster. It happens often. Only a few minutes is needed to do the whole application process. When applying for an advance paydayloan, a credit check isn't required. This is typically the case. In only a few hours you are able to have your cash payday cash advance loan deposited into your account with the bank after getting approved.

Online cash loans in Tempe

When in Tempe, it makes sense to get a payday loan online. Not only do you get your approval very quickly, but the money could be deposited directly into your account with your bank. You are able to then get the money as easily as you need whenever you need it. You have to keep your banking account within the black to help your credit. This can be done by having all the money to pay your bills on time. You will keep a mark off your report too by avoiding a credit check. You are able to typically still get a payday advance loan even for those who have a bad credit score, no credit or a limited income.

Details needed for a a bad credit score loan application

If you’re in Tempe, Arizona, you may need to fill out a a bad credit score loan application. Four things are needed for this. First you need to make sure you are at least 18 years old. You will need a account with your bank that money could be deposited and debited from like a checking or savings account. Third, you need identification of some kind — either a state driver’s license, state identification, military identification or passport. In short, you need some way to prove that you are who you are. A phone number is going to be needed to be available. This is important. The lender will be able to call you if there is any kind of problem with your Tempe cash advance loans. It is easy to get your Tempe, AZ, payday cash loan in only six minutes or less. All you need is that basic information.

Judgment in Concorde crash pins blame on airline mechanic

2010-12-10T05:04:00.000-08:00

A supersonic Concorde owned by Air France barely made it off the floor before crashing in a ball of fire near Paris on July twenty-five, 2000. The reason for the Concorde crash was pinned on a chunk of titanium that had dropped off a Continental DC-10 cleared for takeoff ahead of the supersonic plane. The verdict in a French court Mon found Continental and an auto technician on its payroll culpable in the Concorde crash.

Wish to know exactly why there is a crash with the Concorde?

The Concorde accident a decade ago killed all 109 people aboard plus four others on the ground. One of the Concorde's tires was blown up by a 17-inch long strip of titanium that fell off the Continental DC-10 according to an official 2004 accident report. Chunks of rubber punctured a fuel tank within the port wing. As the supersonic plane lifted off, leaking jet fuel ignited, leaving a spectacular trail of flame. About 10 miles north of Paris, the Concorde crashed into a motel. Then Air France made deals with all the families' of the victims. They agreed they wouldn't sue the airline for some compensation.

The Concorde crash decision

Only four months was needed for the Concorde crash litigation. About 202,000 Euros, or $268,400, was paid in fines by Continental Air Lines following being convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The company also had to pay $1 million to Air France. Concorde manufacturer EADS was also deemed culpable for the accident and ordered to pay 30 percent of damages awarded to victims. There were individuals involved in the design, testing and certification of the Concorde that was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The French courtroom prosecuted them all. But only one person, Continental mechanic John Taylor, was found guilty. He violated rules prohibiting the use of titanium while also installing it wrong.

Concorde crash litigation response

Taylor’s culpability in the Concorde accident was punished with a 2,000 Euro ($2,656) fine and 15-month suspended sentence. Continental called the judgment “absurd.”. Taylor’s lawyers said they will appeal. The litigation was criticized because a French criminal probe, proceeding concurrently with a civil investigation, bogged down the Concorde accident investigation. It was ten years afterwards that Taylor was convicted. Also, the Concorde stopped flying seven years ago. Legal experts said criminal charges interfered with finding the true trigger because individuals with knowledge about the Concorde accident feared being prosecuted.

Info from

CNN

cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/12/06/france.concorde.trial/index.html?npt=NP1

The Telegraph

telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8184189/Concorde-crash-Questions-answered.html

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-03/concorde-crash-trial-may-intimidate-witnesses-harm-safety-lawyers-say.html

The very best Scottsdale, Arizona, payday loans

2010-12-10T03:44:00.000-08:00

Obtaining money when you need it in Scottsdale, Arizona shouldn’t be tough. In fact, with advance pay day loans it could be easy. An Arizona cash advance can take just six minutes. To top it all off, Scottsdale online loans can deposit up to $1,500 into your financial institution account in as little as 2 hours.

Getting payday loans when in Scottsdale, Arizona

The basics of a Scottsdale, Arizona, payday loan are relatively easy. Only a few basic pieces of details are needed to apply for online loan. We will match you with an online payday loan that is perfect for you. Your situation can be looked at. You are able to get the money deposited directly into your banking account. It only takes a few hours to do. The money can be debited from your account with your bank as soon as your next payday or any repayment date you've agreed to comes. It is that simple to do. There is no stress when you can get cash loans whenever you need the extra money.

You are able to get the credit help you need online with loans in Scottsdale

It can be easy to protect your credit when you're in Scottsdale and can get a cash payday loan. The most basic part of building or keeping good credit is paying your bills on time. Any time you are having financial difficulties, it is hard to pay for things. Occasionally the bills end up being the last thing to be paid. An Arizona payday loan, built for Scottsdale, can help with that. You can do your online loan applications without a credit check. This is typically the case. Combined with the fact they get you money when and where you need it, Scottsdale payday loans can help you rebuild, build or protect your credit rating.

Paying back your Scottsdale, Arizona, payday loan

After you have had your online cash advance deposited into your bank account, you have to pay it back eventually. This is easy to do. As you apply for payday loan online, you get to view the terms and conditions. You will get to read via them before signing. All the repayment dates are shown on there. Your payday loan will be due eventually. You will know exactly when this is too. You won’t have to drive all over Scottsdale to make a payment, though. The money is just debited from your banking account. You don't have to worry about this hardly at all. It is something you can plan for easily. No have to wait any longer APPLY NOW!

Rising oil and gas prices: blame politics, climate

2010-12-09T11:44:00.000-08:00

For the first time since 2008, oil prices exceeded $90 a barrel Tues. A weaker dollar and cold climate were cited as primary elements for increasing oil and gas prices. The extension of the Bush Tax slashes announced Tues, also as speculators betting prices will continue to rise, are also driving the increase in oil costs.

26-month high with oil prices

Tues, the costs for the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil costs went higher than they have been since October 2008. The cost was $90 a barrel. The WTI crude oil is also called Texas light sweet crude and is traded as a commodity as oil futures on the NY Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) which determines oil pricing. Crude oil futures rose as United States inventories declined, based on the Energy Department. There is expected to be less demand especially thinking about over six weeks the oil inventories went down 40 million barrels. Demand for heating oil within the United States was forecast at 16.3 percent above normal for the week ending December 11, based on the National Climate Service. There have been abnormal freezing temperatures in Europe too. This has brought on the energy demand to go up there too.

The way the Bush tax cuts affect oil prices

WTI crude oil costs surged after Obama said he will agree to a two-year extension on all Bush tax slashes in return for extending joblessness benefits and cutting the payroll tax by 2 percent in 2011. Bush tax cuts would help the economy out a little, claim some investors. That means oil prices and oil corporations will be okay. The reason why the crude oil costs haven't been too bad is being hurt with the Federal Reserve monetary policy making it so the money is losing value. WTI crude oil futures have been bought by a lot of traders too trying to hedge against the declining currency making costs go up.

Next year, gas prices will go up

Within the last three months, wholesale gas futures have been pushed by speculators by 55 cents a gallon. There was more than a 10 percent increase in national gas prices. This was just in the last week too. U.S. customers can expect the pattern to continue. OPEC’s governor, an Iranian, said the rise in oil price does not yet compensate for the fall within the dollar and that oil will soon reach $100 a barrel. Several of the energy analysts suggest that in 2011 the gas prices will become high again. They might get near $4 a gallon.

Citations

International Business Times

ibtimes.com/articles/89539/20101207/crude-oil-breaks-above-90-as-obama-agrees-to-extend-tax-cuts-wti.htm

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-07/oil-trades-near-26-month-high-on-forecast-of-decline-in-u-s-crude-supply.html

Reuters

reuters.com/article/idUSN0732290620101207

Shares increase together with partisan temperature over tax compromise

2010-12-09T04:24:00.000-08:00

President Obama unveiled a tax compromise that includes tax cuts for the rich and a longer period of federal assistance for the long-term unemployed. Obama’s statement was good news for the marketplaces, which surged to levels it had not approached since the monetary industry nearly collapsed under the weight of its own greed. In the take-no-prisoners Congress, however, both Democrats and Republicans insisted the tax compromise was unacceptable.

What you should know about the tax compromise

The tax compromise outlined by the Obama administration is a proposal that extends the Bush tax cuts for all tax brackets another 2 years. Right now the Bush tax cuts will expire within the next month. Dec. 31 can be the day. The federal joblessness extension would last for one additional year. Republicans want the estate tax completely gone as Congress allowed it to die this year although it would be renewed with the tax compromise. The Republicans were hoping the Stimulus Act income tax cut would be stretching. The tax compromise instead drops Social Security contributions to 4.2 percent from 6.2 percent.

Marketplaces surge on hint of bipartisanship

The stock market went up to nice numbers again Tues due to the tax compromise by the Obama administration. It hadn't been that good on Wall Street since the monetary crisis began within the United States in September 2008. Congress has yet to pass the tax compromise, although it seems likely. After a fantastic November, the stock industry is doing better too. Many started thinking riskier investments were a good idea again. That means that there is a greater yield out of bonds that are costing less now. News of the tax compromise fuels a recent resurgence in United States markets that defies the fear in global marketplaces over sovereign debt in Europe.

Political figures not contemplating plainly

Some political figures in Congress say the tax compromise won’t go through, even though the world likes the idea. Comments from liberal Democrats about the tax compromise ranged from “a moral outrage” to “an absolute disaster.”. A filibuster may be in the future with Bernie Sander, D-Vt., promising it will happen. Right wing Republicans groused at the prospect of the Obama administration getting anything it wanted in the deal. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., told Fox News the GOP wouldn’t support an extension of federal unemployment benefits, even as more than 2 million jobless Americans are set to lose them December 31.

Info from

Christian Science Monitor

csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2010/1207/Tax-compromise-Obama-finally-sets-a-bipartisan-model

Fox News

foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/07/bipartisan-heat-obamas-tax-cut-compromise/

New York Times

nytimes.com/2010/12/08/business/08markets.html?_r=1&src=busln

FTC online privacy proposal stresses do-not-track option

2010-12-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

A proposal outlining suggested online privacy standards was released Wed by the Federal Trade Commission. A "do-not-track" system is a cornerstone of the suggestion. The Federal Trade Commission believes such a mechanism should be an business standard. To prevent data about a private individual’s web habits from being sold without their knowledge to 3rd party websites, a do-not-track choice is one of many approaches recommended by the FTC. Resource for this article – FTC strongly suggests do-not-track option in online privacy plan by Money Blog Newz.

FTC's thoughts on internet security

The do-not-track suggestion is part of an FTC online privacy proposal open to public remark until Jan. 31. FTC Chairman, Jon Leibowitz, is hoping that businesses will follow these guidelines on their own because it is something the FTC does not have the authority to enforce. The FTC feels like there needs to more privacy measures implemented to keep the public informed because they are the ones that bear the burden if something goes wrong. The FTC is trying to find feedback on how a do-not-track mechanism should be offered and what the result might be if a lot of people decide to use it.

Current do-not-track choices

You will find current do-not-track possibilities available, but the one the FTC is trying to implement would be one used across the board. Microsoft introduced the “InPrivate Browsing” setting with Internet Explorer 8. Firefox offers a “Private Browsing” setting and Google Chrome features private browsing in “Incognito” mode. Nevertheless, widely used technologies such as Adobe’s “Flash cookies,” although not designed specifically for tracking, are being collected by third parties to use for targeted advertising. Facebook has additionally been pushing privacy limits by offering members’ personal information to third party sites.

FTC trying to safeguard people

Could this be a warning the government will clean up the web if the companies don't do it on their own? The FTC might suggest some form of standard be mandatory if this problem can't be fixed by the companies according to Leibowitz. The internet is a “deeply disturbing purchasing mall” where every move you make is recorded. At least that is how legislators felt at a conference on internet privacy earlier this year.

Info from

ZDnet

zdnet.com/blog/btl/ftc-calls-for-do-not-track-list-new-policies-to-protect-online-privacy/42278

PC World

pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2373681,00.asp

Ars Technica

arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/07/congress-ponders-privacy-of-your-underwear-immortal-soul.ars

New pets with World of Warcraft Cataclysm up-date

2010-12-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

The newest update to "World of Warcraft", "Cataclysm," has a release date of Dec. 7. You are able to already pre-order the “World of Warcraft: Cataclysm” update, but it only comes via download. There are some features of "World of Warcraft: Cataclysm" that are only available if you purchase a physical retail copy.

Launch of ‘world of Warcraft: Cataclysm’

The newest expansion pack for “World of Warcraft” is ready to be launched Tuesday. The launch of the "World of Warcraft: Cataclysm" expansion will be on December 7. It could be sold at 12:01 a.m. Anyone who pre-purchases the digital download will be immediately turned on to the “World of Warcraft: Cataclysm” the moment it is launched into the world. On December 7, a physical copy of "World of Warcraft: Cataclysm" could be accessible for purchase.

Exactly what ‘world of Warcraft: Cataclysm’ has

The “World of Warcraft: Cataclysm” up-date includes multiple updates to “WoW.”. There are two new races of characters that could be chosen – Goblin and Worgen. The races aren't new as they have been within the game for a while. This is the first time the races can be played though. There’s a huge disaster in "World of Warcraft: Cataclysm" that is within the story. The Goblin race is affected by it. The Worgen are an Alliance race, but with the aggressiveness often found within the Horde. They’re just one of the things going on in "World of Warcraft: Cataclysm" though. 2 of the places in "World of Warcraft" are being redone while the level cap is changed to 85; not only that, but there is even new content and backgrounds.

Brand new animals for the wow: Cataclysm’

Though you are able to pre-order “World of Warcraft: Cataclysm” and be able to play it at the exact moment of release, there is a benefit to purchasing the boxed set. A new exclusive pet family could be brought to the collector's edition of "World of Warcraft: Cataclysm". You are able to then "tame" these pets. You will find lots of different looks you are able to choose for the Shale Spiders in "Cataclysm." They’re pretty cool too.

Articles cited

World of Warcraft

worldofWarcraft.com/cataclysm/

Chelsea Handler goes after blood against Jolie

2010-12-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

There’s no love lost between Handler and Jolie, accounts Pop Eater. That’s quite clear, thinking about what the comic had to say about the megastar actress on Friday. In Handler’s estimation, Jolie is "home-wrecking b***h who doesn’t have any female friends because she’s a c***," writes Pop Eater. Resource for this article – Chelsea Handler goes for blood against Angelina Jolie by Money Blog Newz.

It is no mystery that Angelina Jolie is disliked by Handler

The culture of America means comedians can get away with lots of inappropriate remarks. Some are concerned, though, the remarks made by Handler might have gone too far. However, Handler hates Jolie and says she will continue to stand up for her friend Jennifer Aniston, who spent Thanksgiving with Handler in Mexico, writes Pop Eater.

Another person close to Chelsea Handler explained Jolie is just putting up an act. The comic might have been in the right.

“Chelsea hates Angelina and doesn’t for one second buy that she is this good person rescuing children in need around the world,” the anonymous friend told Pop Eater. “Angelina has used her kids to manipulate her image… (and) everyone in Hollywood is scared to say what they really think about Angelina except Chelsea.”

Hollywood Royals playing the sport

As shown by anything Chelsea Handler is a part of including her late night show, collection of books and standup comedy, she is no shrinking violet. There are many offended by the Angelina Jolie remarks that were made by Handler. Then you will find the people who think it was a good move with correct details in it.

“She thinks Angie stole another woman’s husband and should be called out on it,” said an unnamed inside source.

It is been months of Chelsea Handler getting on Angelina's case

While Chelsea Handler Handler’s act on stage and on the small screen has included regular barbs for Jolie over her extensive number of international adoptions, Handler’s confirmed friendship with Aniston has evidently emboldened the comic. In the Jan issue of Glamour, Handler praised Aniston as one of the only women who make her laugh, and friends have noted that Handler has encouraged Aniston to meet new men.

Citations

Pop Eater

popeater.com/2010/12/06/chelsea-handler-calls-angelina-jolie-a-homewrecker/

Angelina-Jennifer-Chelsea triangle erupts into senseless violence (Some NSFW conduct)

youtube.com/watch?v=e15EPef3whg

Personal property rates up along with vital economic figures

2010-12-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

Mortgage prices rose for the 3rd straight week, according to both the Home loan Bankers Association and Freddie Mac. Rising rates on mortgages are accompanied by optimistic numbers from private sector job creation, existing home sales and consumer confidence. The increasing interest rates triggered a sharp drop in refinancing, which had been booming with the low mortgage rates. Article resource – Mortgage rates rise along with several key economic indicators by Money Blog Newz.

Lower mortgage rates than last year

The economy might be changing as shown by fixed mortgage rates showing the fourth quarter had been stronger than the 3rd. A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage had been averaged at 4.46 percent on December 2 as outlined by Freddie Mac. The week before it was down 4.40 percent. A year ago the fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.71 percent. Rates for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages and adjustable-rate mortgages also rose from last week, however they remain considerably lower than they were at this time last year. The average fixed-rate mortgage rate required that a down-payment be made as pre-paid interest. The down payment was 8 percent of the mortgage.

Recovery signs within the economy

The Labor Department reported the jobless rate to be 9.8 percent although the optimistic economic news that is making mortgage rates go up is employment. Private sector job creation is at its highest in three years for November. It has also gone up for 10 consecutive months which is good news. Markets interpret that as a good outlook going forward. A record on pending existing home sales showed an 11 percent increase, despite the fact that prices still trend downward. In Nov., the consumer confidence index went up to 54.1 percent too because of holiday spending.

Mortgage refinancing takes a hit

About $1 trillion was lost because of mortgage refinancing by homeowners. The mortgage rates rising has stopped people from doing this. It seems like refinancing is something that doesn't interest those who thought they could benefit from a lower mortgage. In the last week, there were 21.6 less applications as outlined by the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Citations

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703377504575651044040571212.html?mod=WSJ_RealEstate_LeftTopNews

The Chicago 77

thechicago77.com/2010/12/mortgage-rates-climb-on-good-economic-news/

Christian Science Monitor

csmonitor.com/Business/Paper-Economy/2010/1202/Mortgage-rates-rise-driving-down-refi-applications

Last year's mortgage rates higher than this year

Fixed mortgage rates rose again this week as economic data showed the economy may turn out being stronger in the fourth quarter than the third. According to Freddie Mac, there was a 4.40 percent rise from the week before Dec. 2 to then as it averaged 4.46 percent for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. The fixed rate mortgage was around 4.71 percent a year ago. Although there was also an increase in the last week for rates of 15-year fixed rate mortgages and adjustable rate mortgages, they are still very low compared to a year ago. The average fixed-rate mortgage rate required that a down-payment be made as pre-paid interest. The down payment was 8 percent of the mortgage.

Signs that the economy may recover happening

Employment is one of these things positive in the economy that is making it so mortgage rates go up. Even though the Labor Department reported 9.8 percent as the jobless rate in the latest jobs report, this is still the case. There has been a 10 consecutive month growth in the private sector job creation which is at its highest in three years. Markets interpret that as a positive outlook going forward. Prices are still going down for existing home sales although there has been an 11 percent increase. In November, the consumer confidence index went up to 54.1 percent too because of holiday spending.

Taking a hit with mortgage refinancing

A side effect of rising mortgage rates is the apparent end to a mortgage refinancing window that homeowners took advantage of to the tune of nearly $1 trillion. Many people who may have thought they could benefit from record-low mortgage rates appear to be no longer interested in refinancing. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the amount of mortgage refinance applications has gone down in just the last week. There was a 21.6 decrease.

Citations

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703377504575651044040571212.html?mod=WSJ_RealEstate_LeftTopNews

The Chicago 77

thechicago77.com/2010/12/mortgage-rates-climb-on-good-economic-news/

Christian Science Monitor

csmonitor.com/Business/Paper-Economy/2010/1202/Mortgage-rates-rise-driving-down-refi-applications

Christmas fun with Angry Birds Seasons

2010-12-07T10:04:00.000-08:00

Rovio Mobile, the developer for the "Angry Birds" app, is happy to have had the best-selling iPhone app of this year. Android numbers were proportional, although the game didn’t go Droid until late this year. Since Christmas will soon be here, "Angry Birds Seasons" has set its holiday sleigh a flight. However the Angry Birds are flocking to Android first. Article resource – Angry Birds Seasons brings Christmas pig-stomping fun by Money Blog Newz.

Use Android to obtain ‘Angry Birds Seasons’ free of charge

Developers were obviously not lying about the Android Version of "Angry Birds Seasons" being free of charge as shown by the Android Sector listing. The full versions of "Angry Birds" games on the iPhone are not fully ad-supported like this version is. If you would like "Angry Birds Seasons," then it shouldn't be too much longer as it comes out soon on the iPod Touch, iPad and iPhone. Quick Online Tips explains it is also known as the Christmas version of Angry Birds. It will likely cost about 99 cents to spend for those versions.

Those with Androids will get to start earlier. The 25 amounts of "Angry Birds Seasons" can be seen earlier by them. The style is a countdown to Christmas. This is done so each day until Christmas a new level can be unlocked. An in-game "Easter egg" can be the special price which could be announced then. The "Angry Birds" Christmas will come with an additional free bonus for Android users. It will be a 45-level Halloween addition.

Angry Birds Day celebrating ‘Angry Birds’

There are cartoon birds getting revenge on the green pigs that stole their eggs in the "Angry Birds" game. The Angry Birds really just want to obtain back at the pigs by flattening them. A slingshot is used to do this. You will find different amounts of hiding for the pigs which makes it difficult.

The "Angry Birds" franchise, popular for its simple game-play and amusing cartoon graphics, has spawned Angry Birds Day, a pseudo-holiday that creator Rovio Mobile plans to hold on December 11. On that day, they encourage mobile gamers to band together to "stop the madness.". Rovio has asked the conflict among the birds and pigs to be put to a stop. Users can either put up local signs or banners or many even join a larger online group such as meetup.angrybirds.com.

Details from

Pocket Lint

pocket-lint.com/news/37070/angry-birds-seasons-hits-android

Quick Online Tips

quickonlinetips.com/archives/2010/12/download-angry-birds-seasons-christmas-edition/

Rovio Mobile

rovio.com/index.php?mact=Blogs,cntnt01,showentry,0&cntnt01entryid=49&cntnt01returnid=58

‘Angry Birds Seasons’ gameplay:

youtube.com/watch?v=NmBj2O0tmpI

Learn how for making money fast in chilly environments

2010-12-07T07:24:00.000-08:00

If you are discouraged over the fact you are broke this winter, there are solutions to change that. If you need to know exactly how to make cash fast throughout winter, opportunities are everywhere. With these simple money-making ideas, you are able to warm up and fatten your pockets in no time.

Make money fast by recycling

Ever have one of those days where you realize the soda you purchased is the last buck you had? Turn that can into cash with recycling then. Go ahead and look for things such as scrap metal, plastic, glass bottles and old cell phones even to recycle and help the environment. Remember, even in this business pulling bargains is possible. Compare prices so you are able to conserve money when recycling.

How to make money fast online

Winter is the perfect time for a garage sale. Sell all your stuff online. Companies like Ebay and Craigslist have become very helpful. This is especially true when it comes to making money online. Look through your garage and storage, discover and organize the things you plan to sell, and set up a garage sale online for everyone to quickly access. You don't have to worry about shipping many of the time or paying for advertising.

Shovel snow for cash

You have the choice of shoveling or making snow angels after it snows. Making money fast is something only work can get you. Play won't cut it. Grab a shovel and begin working since you will find a ton of job opportunities this time of year. Check your local newspaper ads. Somebody could be hiring soon. You might want to try offering your services in your local neighborhood. Here are some things you might want if you are trying to make extra money fast, despite the fact that a shovel may be all you need.

What you should get:

Get a snow shovel. You can shovel snow without a snow shovel around.

Snow blower. If you are able to somehow pull some funds together, it might be worth considering investing in a snow blower, as it could conserve you time without the additional effort.

You'll want ice salt too. Your hard work could be great with this.

Try being creative

You can learn how to make money fast simply by being creative. There are many opportunities accessible to you for money-making out there. Even during this time of year it happens.

Make money fast by recycling

Ever have one of those days where you realize the soda you bought is the last buck you had? Turn that can into cash with recycling then. Go ahead and look for things such as scrap metal, plastic, glass bottles and old cell phones even to recycle and help the environment. Sometimes you can even make bargains. It is possible to do. Make some calls and compare prices. You can save money here too.

Online money making

Who says you can’t have a garage sale in winter?. Thanks to websites like Ebay and Craigslist, you can easily make money online – fast. Look through your garage and storage, find and organize the things you plan to sell, and set up a garage sale online for everyone to quickly access. You don't have to worry about shipping most of the time or paying for advertising.

Shoveling for money

The snow usually gives you a choice. You can both play in the snow, or work and shovel it. But if you want to find out how to make money fast, you won’t fly anywhere with those frosty wings. This time of year, the snow opportunities abound. Start working your way to cash. See if anyone is hiring gin the local newspaper ads. You can even walk around your local neighborhoods to offer your services. Here are some things you may want if you are trying to make extra money fast, even though a shovel might be all you need.

What you should get:

Snow shovel. You can shovel snow without a snow shovel around.

Get a snow blower. If you can somehow pull some money together, it may be worth considering investing in a snow blower, as it could save you time without the extra effort.

You'll want ice salt too. This is the final touch. It makes the work look even better.

You can be creative

You can learn how to make money fast simply by being creative. There are many opportunities available to you for money-making out there. Even during this time of year it happens.

Pajamagram PajamaJeans along with other costly presents

2010-12-06T02:04:00.000-08:00

Pajamagram is getting even more popular. It is a unique mail-order gift option, but it’s not all perfect. PajamaJeans are the most recent offering from the Pajamagram company. Reviews of the Pajamagram business say that they’re wonderful to work with. This does not, however, mean that you are not paying a high price.

Why the Pajamagram sells

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company which owns Calyx Flowers is a sister company with the Pajamagram company. Soft and comfortable pajamas along with bath and body goods are sold by the company with personalized cards on them. The Pajamagram pajamas are soft. They are comfortable too according to reviews.

Buying PajamaJeans

PajamaJeans were sold in TV commercials. That was the original way of marketing them. A pajama-style pant that looks like jeans, PajamaJeans are proving very popular. Made of a cotton/spandex blend that stretches and moves like a pair of pajama pants, without the zippers and buttons of regular jeans. They are supposedly fashionable and comfortable since they have rivets perfectly placed. They are passed better as pajamas rather than jeans. They don't have too much of a denim look to them. The rivets fall off fast. At almost $60, though, PajamaJeans are more expensive than a quality pair of denim jeans.

Your own Pajamagram

By simply clicking some buttons, you can get a gift to anyone you want which is why individuals like the Pajamagram. Unless you are specifically looking for PajamaJeans, though, you are able to get the same, thoughtful, soft gift sent for less cash and just a bit more work. You can pay $20 or $30 and get a really comfortable set of pajamas. At your local craft store you are able to discover a customized box and card for about $5. Add another $5 for shipping, and also you not only have more choice about your gift, but you’ve saved at least $10 — up to $100. You might really enjoy your personalized Pajamagram. Chances are the person you are giving it to will too.

Citations

NY Daily News

nydailynews.com/lifestyle/fashion/2010/02/06/2010-02-06_pajamas_in_her_jeans.html

Pajamagram

pajamagram.com/category/customerfavorites.aspx

Government pay lock-up - The next thing in fiscal duty

2010-12-05T13:04:00.000-08:00

The government debt is out of control, and President Obama’s next concept to regain solid financial footing is to put a two-year federal pay freeze into impact. Such a move will reportedly save America $28 billion in five years and $60 billion in 10. The federal pay freeze would affect all civilian government employees, but not military workers.

It appears the federal pay freeze is a sacrifice

Congress nevertheless has to approve the federal pay freeze plan although deputy director of the Obama administration's Office of Management and Spending budget, Jeffrey Zients, said it’s a belt-tightening. "It is the very first of many difficult steps ahead," said Zients, in reference to other moves the administration believes the government must make to ensure that the United States remains on solid financial ground.

Spending reductions and government job cuts

“Fiscal responsibility” has been the buzzwords of late within the nation’s capital as govt seeks to discover ways to pare back debt just spending. There was a government career reductions plan that was stated by previous White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-WY.) came up with. This was pretty unpopular though as through the next decade, over 250,000 private contractor positions and 200,000 government careers would have been lost. It appears like things such as moratorium on earmarks were what Obama would rather have as anything else seemed like too much.

The issue using a federal pay freeze

Insiders at Washington D.C., do not really thing the government pay lock-up is going to happen. They say it is a just a symbolic gesture more than anything else. There would no longer be any talented workers as govt workers. That is what the pay lock-up would do. Yet others think the symbolic gesture by the president is exactly what is needed. It appears like the govt is extending a peace offering. That might be how it’s taken.

Paying much more than ever for employees of the government

A recent USA Today study found that there has been a swell within the number of government employees who make more than $150,000 per year. Over the past five years, the number has grown tenfold, and it has doubled since President Obama took office. The doctors at veteran’s hospitals have been lots of parts of this change. With the 2 wars at hand for the U.S., there has been need for a lot more. The workload has gone up.

Articles cited

Huffington Post

huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/29/federal-pay-freeze-obama_n_789141.html

climate summit in Cancun begins with low expectations

2010-12-05T00:04:00.000-08:00

A meeting among the world’s countries called a climate summit kicked off in Cancun, Mexico on Monday. Those familiar with such summits express little hope for the Cancun climate summit. Virtually no one believes that a climate change treaty with any substance will result. The truth that the United Nations has failed to bring developing and developed nations together on climate change leads many to assume that the Cancun summit is absolutely nothing however "climate change theater." Resource for this article – Cancun climate summit not expected to produce real results by Money Blog Newz.

Suppressing on climate change

The climate summit in Cancun might make a huge difference. The future of climate change can be different. There will likely be some procrastination if last December's Copenhagen climate summit is repeated. The last-minute non-deal came with the Copenhagen Accord. The carbon emission reduction was entirely ignored. Since absolutely nothing has been planned for climate change, the Copenhagen Accord does not really matter. There weren't any requirements for mandatory emissions reductions added; it just said that developed and developing nations have to share plans for climate change.

No fixing with the fault making the rounds

Some kind of treaty at the Cancun climate summit are very unlikely. A legally binding climate change treaty won't come from it. The deals at Copenhagen made by China makes the United States of America fault China. Of course China says otherwise. According to them, the Unites States is to blame. The developed nations, due to centuries of industrialization, have to solve the issue after causing it based on developing countries. Developed nations want a compromise. The undeveloped and developed countries don't have much faith in the United Nations. It likely won't be there to help.

China fixing things while U.S. performs

Despite the failed Copenhagen Accord, China has been aggressively investing in clean energy. China is now the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels and wind turbines. Also, clean coal technology and efficient nuclear reactors have come from the country. The United States won't be able to do anything with the Cancun climate summit considering the Republican House changes entirely in 2011 while the United States of America U.S. senate stopped the carbon industry to curb emissions.

Citations

CNN

articles.cnn.com/2010-11-26/opinion/lash.cancun.climate_1_climate-change-climate-summit-climate-meetings?_s=PM:OPINION

MarketWatch

marketwatch.com/story/hot-but-not-bothered-at-cancun-climate-summit-2010-11-29

TIME

ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/11/26/climate-5-ways-of-looking-at-the-un-climate-summit-in-cancun/

Service employees could care less about DADT policy

2010-12-04T20:24:00.000-08:00

A Pentagon research has revealed that service personnel are indifferent to whether the DADT policy is repealed. Some findings from a Pentagon survey were released recently. Service personnel mostly thought that repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell would likely have no effect. Most polls have indicated most Americans are for repealing the policy.

Research states military employees Don’t ask, tell or care

The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is one that personal within the military don't even care about. This was shown in a study done by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. The finding from the research was leaked a while ago by the Washington Post, much to the consternation of Gates, though it seems the govt has been having an issue with leaked documents recently. The leaked portion of the research included the finding that 70 percent of respondents did not believe that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal would really have any effect on anything in the military. About 400,000 military members got the survey. There were 150,000 spouses of military employees who got it too. Only 30 percent responded to it.

The repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell backed by Americans

It seems like in the last few years, polls and surveys have been changing. The repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy is being supported more and more by Americans. A CNN poll indicated that more than 70 percent of Americans embrace repealing DADT, and a recently released Pew Research poll said 58 percent of Americans were for repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy according to Cable News Network. Those who responded to the survey are all that are truly analyzed by polls and statistics. This might be inaccurate for how the country as a whole feels on the subject. However, it does appear that more people are for getting rid of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”.

Shortly coming to a conclusion

The next legislative session could be bringing up this problem probably. Debate raged over “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and allowing homosexuals to serve for years. Being homosexual would make it extremely hard to be within the military. Discharge would happen. An order came from President Truman when the military was segregated too. Racial discrimination was ended within the military then.

Citations

ABC News

abcnews.go.com/Politics/pentagon-release-review/story?id=12270535&page=1

CNN

cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/11/30/military.gay.policy/index.html?hpt=T1

Consumers favored immediate money over credit cards on Black Friday

2010-12-04T01:44:00.000-08:00

This year, the charge card corporations took a blow on Black Friday. More shoppers than ever before utilized instant money instead. Much more individuals are utilizing their own money than burying themselves in debt. In fact, the decline of credit and rise of fast cash was dramatic. Card use declined by 50 percent since last year.

Instead of using credit cards, much more are paying with cash

Black Friday is typically one of the biggest binges for use of credit cards. Black Friday shoppers fill malls and stores nationwide, trying to score good stuff at rock bottom prices. A lot of people paid with cash this year though. Adding debt with credit cards wasn't much of an option for some. It’s better, after all, to cut back and maybe skip buying the new iPod for a week or two, rather than get out the VISA, MasterCard or Discover and wind up running for a payday loan come Jan. Not only are Americans aware of that, they are starting to leave the cards alone, according to Reuters. A study by America’s Research Group and UBS estimated that only 16.3 percent of Black Friday consumers used credit cards on Black Friday 2010, whereas 30.9 percent did in 2009.

Being responsible with what you purchase

Not only did less people send themselves running for payday loans and hurtling down the road to needing financial debt relief from credit cards, they also cut back on how much they spent. This year, the average amount paid per purchase — with the rise in use of money, checks and debit cards — was about $41 per purchase, compared to $87 per transaction with charge cards. It seems like responsible spending has helped make consumer spending go up.

Most debt is bad

Debt isn’t such a great thing. This is something more people have seen. The majority are avoiding financial debt now. People restraining themselves from getting massive private loans from the card corporations, and saving up for large buys is an incredibly healthy thing.

Info from

Reuters

reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AT43S20101130

Bishop suspended for horrible Facebook remarks

2010-12-03T11:44:00.000-08:00

Comments on Facebook regarding pending royal nuptials have gotten a Church of England bishop suspended. Broadbent is the offending clergyman. He posted some extremely insensitive remarks about the forthcoming wedding ceremony of Middleton and Prince William. The Church of England has placed him on an everlasting suspension.

Finding bishop at noble wedding

Facebook remarks have gotten an Anglican bishop terminated. A borough of outer London, Willesdon, has a bishop within the Church of England named Rt. Rev. Peter Broadbent. On Facebook he gave his opinion on the noble marriage that is pending. He published remarks reading that:

“We need a party in Calais for all good republicans who can’t stand the nauseating tosh (nonsense) that surrounds this event.”

He also went on to say that he estimated the marriage would last seven years or fewer, citing the marriage difficulties surrounding other members of the English noble family such as Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, whose marriages and divorces were incredible tabloid fodder. The divorces are all over the news again each and every time Sarah Ferguson gets into headlines again. Broadbent apologized for what he said after the entire public backlash.

Leaving forever

This had been something the Bishop of London for the Church of England, the Rt. Rev. Richard Chartres, had to intervene with since he did not the apology had been enough. After Broadbent unilaterally apologized and explained himself to his boss, he was asked to “withdraw from the ministry until further notice.”. The noble family seems to be staying out of the situation. Neither Kate Middleton or Prince William has made a comment.

Poor choice of phrases

The remarks made by Broadbent appear to be aimed at the sheer amount of media coverage over the event, which some others concur with, based on the BBC. It seems like sometimes super star events are a huge deal. They don't have to be. This has not stopped the royal wedding for being planned at Westminster Abbey. It will be in April 2011.

Citations

The Guardian

guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/23/bishop-pete-broadbent-suspended-royal-wedding

BBC

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11822681?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&loc=interstitialskip

Holiday seasons could be happy with no contributing to your debt

2010-12-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is too joyous an occasion to be clouded with financial debt. Retailers and credit card businesses pull out all the stops in an effort to make people think buying gifts is what gives holidays their meaning. Debt-free gift-giving, however, will warm one’s heart far more than the shock of an higher credit card statement to start the new year. Source of article – How to have happy holidays without going into debt by Money Blog Newz.

No surprise when it comes to Santa

Don't just buy on impulse, learn from Santa. Shop around, find the right price, and see if other stores will match it. Not only will this help you control any impulse getting, but it will also save you gas money if done right. Christmas is a time that generally benefits children the most. You can also never go wrong when doing a family name draw. Not only does it keep you from having to purchase a ton of gifts for everyone as part of your family, but it typically helps your spending budget by giving you a cap on how much you are able to spend.

Don't break down to the credit cards

No matter where you are shop, you will find huge chances you will be asked if you need to apply for a credit card. Although saving your cash and charging your gifs sounds like a good idea, it will cost you a lot more in the long run. Keep in mind, you can be hurting yourself just by applying for the credit card. Every time you’ve your credit ran it can hurt your score, which can cost you more money in interest rates that are higher in the future alone. Pay with cash or just don't purchase it.

Use plastic wisely on the web

Purchasing on the web calls for you to swipe you plastic, so know your credit before you begin. The big ticket items can cost less with the right credit score. Make sure you never max out your credit cards when buying. Make sure you also stay on top of your credit card payments.

Citations

San Francisco Chronicle

sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/18/prweb4806134.DTL

Personal Finance Mastery

District Chronicles

districtchronicles.com/media/storage/paper263/news/2010/10/17/PersonalFinance/Protect.Your.Credit.Score.During.The.Holidays-3946066.shtml

Swastika-branding turns to test of expanded hate crimes law

2010-12-03T07:04:00.000-08:00

Ethnic background relationships between Anglos and the Navajo in Farmington, N.M., is in a rocky place again, and a horrific swastika-branding event is to blame. According to Associated Press, the 3 white men attacked (after allegedly kidnapping) a mentally disabled 22-year-old Navajo man. Using a hot coat hanger, the 3 perpetrators branded a swastika symbol into the Navajo man’s arm. Now the perpetrators are the 1st in the United States to be accused under the updated version of a 2009 hate crimes legislations.

Additional damage besides Swastika-branding

The men did more than just swastika-branding according to Farmington authorities. They also used markers to write various messages on the Navajo man’s body, including "KKK," "White Power," a pentagram and a graphic depiction of a penis. The 3 men's offenses were illegal. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act wasn't enough to stop them. Ten years in prison would be the punishment. This is what the offenders might be facing. The sentence could be extended to life if the government can prove kidnapping was involved within the swastika-branding event.

Hate crimes law changed

The victim would not have been able to charge for hate crimes with the original United States law on hate crimes. It required the victim be in some kind of federally protected activity like attending school or voting. The Farmington swastika-branding event was the first case since the modifications by Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, or Matthew Shepard Act for short, came into impact. Violence due to gender, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity are now not legal to do. The civil rights of people are protected.

Enhancing relationships using a pact

Just this month, Farmington leaders and elders of the Navajo Nation met at Farmington City Hall to sign a historic pledge in which both sides promise to work toward bettering ethnic background relationships. The Navajo and Farmington, a mostly white city, have had a lot of conflict in their history. It has always been there.

Violence can only be stopped with education based on Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission Chairman Duane "Chili" Yazzie. Farmington Mayor Tommy Roberts said that while "there will always be people who just do not get it," the overall climate of ethnic background relationships can change over time.

Citations

Star Tribune

startribune.com/nation/110996299.html?elr=KArks:DCiUMEaPc:UiacyKUzyaP37D_ncyD_2yckUr

Media coverage when the swastika-branding first occurred

youtube.com/watch?v=MSrML53oY9w

Social networks and NORAD Santa Tracker 2010 partner

2010-12-02T21:44:00.001-08:00

With only 22 days until Santa begins his around-the-world flight, the Santa Tracker is gearing up. This year, NORAD is preparing plenty. There can be much more than just a few blips on a radar-screen. North American Aerospace Defense Command has partnered with everyone from YouTube to Google Maps to make sure that the tracker is on top of the flight.

NORAD Santa Tracker 2010 background

There’s a 2010 Santa Tracker service occurring. The North American Aerospace Defense Command is in charge of it. NORAD became known as the agency to track Santa Claus. This began in 1955. A phone number where kids could "talk to Santa" on Christmas Eve was put in a Sears department store misprinted. The "current location" of Santa was instead given to the children as the number sent them to the Continental Air Defense office.

The NORAD Santa Tracker for 2010

The 2010 NORAD Santa Tracker is going to be a full multimedia activity. Do you want to call the 2010 NORAD Santa Tracker team? Call 1-877-448-6723 for Santa's current location. Noradtrackssanta@gmail.com is where you are able to email any questions to the Santa Tracker team also. You are able to also see Santa's location on Twitter with @noradsanta. Want another way to track Santa? You are able to use Google Earth. Google Maps Mobile is accessible to many people to find NORAD Santa Tracker data. Your cell phone will tell you exactly where to find Santa. Just visit m.noradsanta.org or visit Google Maps Mobile and search for “Santa.” The Santa Tracker also offers services through Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and TroopTube.television. You will find other things North American Aerospace Defense Command records. The amount of cookies that Santa eats is shown.

Getting celebrities in on the 2010 Santa Tracker

Santa flying over various landmarks is shown on YouTube videos by the Santa Tracker team. The 2010 NORAD Santa Tracker is likely to have voice-overs provided not just by NORAD employees, but a few celebrities. Make sure your North American Aerospace Defense Command Santa Tracker is on your mobile phone, Google Earth or any other social networking accounts so you can follow Santa Claus each hour while the 2010 North American Aerospace Defense Command Santa Tracker updates.

Articles cited

YouTube

youtube.com/watch?v=RapJevrCKag&feature=player_embedded

Twitter

twitter.com/noradsanta

Norad Santa

m.noradsanta.org

Flying snakes appeal to the interest of DARPA

2010-12-02T21:44:00.000-08:00

Some people – Indiana Jones included – view snakes as scary crawlies. But what about flying snakes? DARPA wants to get up close and personal with a particular breed found in southeast Asia, India and southern China. These flying snakes are from the genus Chrysopelea, and the armed service appears to want to duplicate their ability. Chrysopelea flying snakes like to live in trees and can glide between them with ease. The Department of Defense is backing a Virginia Tech study to discover how the flying snakes achieve this, accounts the Washington Post.

Flying snakes break the fixed-wing mold

Most creatures that fly do it via a body parts that either are wings or resemble wings. This leaves scientists lost for an explanation as to how these snakes accomplish their gliding. The snakes of the Chrysopelea genus appear to be slithering in midair. So far scientists have witnessed these snakes gliding over 800 feet in length and 200 feet in height. As Virginia Tech researcher John Socha puts it, "They become one long wing."

These snakes can even change direction

One aspect of Chrysopelea ornata’s flight still baffles scientists. They are able to change direction after they have fallen for a while before gliding to gain speed. At the point that this ability had been found, Socha’s previous sponsor – the National Geographic Society – was supplanted by DARPA, an organization interested in advanced military technology. DARPA won't reveal much about its research except that the, "physical dynamics of snake flight," are of great interest. Flying snakes venom can kill a small lizard, but won't hurt a human.

Where the snake originated from

These snakes are believed to be a species from the dinosaur. Ancient humans may have been influenced by the flying snakes. In Aztec mythology there had been a feathered snake deity Quetzalcoatl that was part of the creation of human kind.

Articles cited

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/22/AR2010112206308.html

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzalcoatl

Chrysopelea ornata takes flight

youtube.com/watch?v=iwDAsJCB2Pg