Wednesday, September 29, 2010

personal financeonline personal finance


Nintendo: 4m 3DS sales in first month 3DS <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our 3DS news of Nintendo: 4m 3DS sales in first month.

Should Facebook Buy Skype?: Tech <b>News</b> «

Facebook wants to mesh communications and community together, which explains why Facebook Phone is in the cards. If Skype wants to become the communication console of tomorrow, it needs to embrace newer forms of communication.

<b>News</b> Roundup: Gordon Ramsay Responds to Chef&#39;s Suicide, Brad <b>...</b>

Gordon Ramsay has opened up about the death of 'Kitchen Nightmares' contestant Joseph Cerniglia. According to Entertainment Weekly, Ramsay expressed.


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Nintendo: 4m 3DS sales in first month 3DS <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our 3DS news of Nintendo: 4m 3DS sales in first month.

Should Facebook Buy Skype?: Tech <b>News</b> «

Facebook wants to mesh communications and community together, which explains why Facebook Phone is in the cards. If Skype wants to become the communication console of tomorrow, it needs to embrace newer forms of communication.

<b>News</b> Roundup: Gordon Ramsay Responds to Chef&#39;s Suicide, Brad <b>...</b>

Gordon Ramsay has opened up about the death of 'Kitchen Nightmares' contestant Joseph Cerniglia. According to Entertainment Weekly, Ramsay expressed.


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Nintendo: 4m 3DS sales in first month 3DS <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our 3DS news of Nintendo: 4m 3DS sales in first month.

Should Facebook Buy Skype?: Tech <b>News</b> «

Facebook wants to mesh communications and community together, which explains why Facebook Phone is in the cards. If Skype wants to become the communication console of tomorrow, it needs to embrace newer forms of communication.

<b>News</b> Roundup: Gordon Ramsay Responds to Chef&#39;s Suicide, Brad <b>...</b>

Gordon Ramsay has opened up about the death of 'Kitchen Nightmares' contestant Joseph Cerniglia. According to Entertainment Weekly, Ramsay expressed.


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Nintendo: 4m 3DS sales in first month 3DS <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our 3DS news of Nintendo: 4m 3DS sales in first month.

Should Facebook Buy Skype?: Tech <b>News</b> «

Facebook wants to mesh communications and community together, which explains why Facebook Phone is in the cards. If Skype wants to become the communication console of tomorrow, it needs to embrace newer forms of communication.

<b>News</b> Roundup: Gordon Ramsay Responds to Chef&#39;s Suicide, Brad <b>...</b>

Gordon Ramsay has opened up about the death of 'Kitchen Nightmares' contestant Joseph Cerniglia. According to Entertainment Weekly, Ramsay expressed.


benchcraft company scam bench craft company rip off

Nintendo: 4m 3DS sales in first month 3DS <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our 3DS news of Nintendo: 4m 3DS sales in first month.

Should Facebook Buy Skype?: Tech <b>News</b> «

Facebook wants to mesh communications and community together, which explains why Facebook Phone is in the cards. If Skype wants to become the communication console of tomorrow, it needs to embrace newer forms of communication.

<b>News</b> Roundup: Gordon Ramsay Responds to Chef&#39;s Suicide, Brad <b>...</b>

Gordon Ramsay has opened up about the death of 'Kitchen Nightmares' contestant Joseph Cerniglia. According to Entertainment Weekly, Ramsay expressed.


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Friday, September 24, 2010

personal finances help


Well, it's nice of Jim Geraghty at Rich Lowry's NRO to try and tell us what a wonderful, somewhat conservative Republican Mike Castle is. Think about it, folks. In the video Jim posts, one I also posted, Castle basically claims we are now in the era of bi-partisan national health care, whether we like it, or not. And that doesn't bother NRO, they actually think it's a good thing.


It's time to admit what a dismal failure Rich Lowry is. It isn't as if it's a big secret in conservative circles. National health care? Obviously, that's no problem, according to Lowry's NRO. The truth is, NRO isn't capable of leading anything when it comes to a movement, not a conservative one, any way. I don't even want  to think of the kind of movement a conservative should associate with Lowry's NRO today.


As for what they don't want you to know about Mike Castle, how's this from Redstate, for starters, with more below. Castle has forty years in, allegedly, as a public servant. How many honest people who work hard for a living every day are able to accumulate personal wealth in excess of 8 million dollars on what is little more than an honest pay check? Why isn't NRO interested in whatever corruption could lead to Castle accumulating that kind of wealth as a member of the House?



He is a forty year career politician who happens to call himself a Republican, as once did Charlie Crist, Arlen Specter and Jim Jeffords. Mr. Castle is a habitual tax raiser. He is unwaveringly pro abortion and he has earned an F- rating from The NRA. He voted for TARP, Porkulus, the auto and banking industry takeovers, Cash for Clunkers as well as Cap and Trade. Most recently, he co-sponsored the disclose act which is nothing more than an assault on the first amendment designed to muzzle his political opposition.


While on the topic of opposition; Mr. Castle has made it clear that were he elected senator, regardless of his political affiliation, he has no intention of opposing current Democrat policies. This is entirely consistent with Mike Castle’s long liberal record of growing government.


In his forty years as a “public servant” Mike Castle has managed to accumulate for himself an estimated $8 million dollar personal net worth. Now he has decided to make an issue of his conservative primary challenger’s finances.


NRO doesn't, as Buckley intoned, stand athwart history and yell stop, any more. They stand outside corporate and donor offices saying, how much? That, when they're not standing outside establishment Republican's Hill offices saying, can I please come in? Look how nice we were, endorsing John McCain! Look at how we embarrassed ourselves to help elect your pick, liberal Mike Castle in Delaware.


We're NRO. We're the conservative voice of American politics (wink wink). Okay, really, we're just Republican whores and we have absolutely no shame about it. Just keep the cash and the access coming, we'll be good little boys and girls.


As if John McCain wasn't enough and perhaps arguably excusable - now it's liberal Mike Castle, too? They're smart enough to know Castle plays the usual games with his voting, providing just enough cover to remain a Republican, while selling us out on everything that truly counts. An F rating from the NRA. He voted for the Disclose Act, Cap and Trade, S-CHIP, against the surge. He's fully in bed with the SEIU. Read it at link.


And that's who Buckley's NRO is schilling for today? What a disgrace as an allegedly conservative magazine. Bill Buckley wouldn't line his bird cage with the establishment rag Lowry has made NRO into today. While we're throwing out corrupt politicians, we might do well to throw out Lowry and some of the GOP flacks and hack writers at NRO so willing and quick to sell out conservatism today, as well.



I am a 25 year old college student (school, job + savings, back to school… long story) and boy do I wish I knew about all the resources available to me back then. Good for you for starting early!


Lucky for me I have 1 parent (divorced) who is so bad with money that I have been scared into financial responsibility from a young age. Was I perfect? Hahaha.. but I am doing better than 95% of my friends are right now so I guess I am doing something right?


Here is my advice:


1. GET A JOB! - 2 shifts a week is all it takes. I have friends who just graduated from college without ever having a job. Result? No work experience so nowhere will hire them. Some had problems even getting an internship! Try for customer service jobs. Employers value people skills more than flipping burgers.


2. BUDGET! - Cant teach an old dog new tricks so it is best to start young. Add up your monthly expenses such as rent/insurance/cell/gas/etc and divide by 2 or 4 (depending on weekly/bi-weekly payday). Put this money in savings and no touchy! Once you can live on that budget a certain % for an emergency fund and then % for savings. The rest is your “fun” money. As others have said: pizza, ipods, and clothes are “fun money” and NOT emergencies!


3. DEBIT, CREDIT, or CASH?


DEBIT- I am a die hard debit card user. My credit union has detailed (free) online banking. I check my online bank statement in the morning and at night and go over my spending. Think of it as an instant virtual slap in the face about your spending habits. It hurts for the best.


CASH - Some people just cant be responsible enough to respect the plastic and do better with cash. Try and keep bigger bills on you. Breaking a $5 is less mentally painful than breaking a $20. $1s are dangerous. That can of coke is “only $1″. $7 a week, $30 a month. It adds up.


CREDIT - Many say don’t get a credit card, but I disagree. If you are responsible college is a great time to build credit (unless you have some serious control issues… if that is the case, these are not the droids you are looking for…). Not building credit early is the BIGGEST regret I have. Good credit means better rates when buying a house or a car. Do your research first. Consider a student, or if you have to a secured card.


More about credit-


*Do NOT apply for a credit card on campus. It is like selling your soul for a candy bar. Every time you apply for a credit card they run a credit check, which “pings” you. Too many pings hurts your credit score. Not good. Friend did that at every kiosk that offered something free to sign up when she was 20. This was 7 years ago and her credit is still recovering! The same is true for store credit cards. Do.Not.WANT!

*Pick a required expense, such as gas or cell phone bill and put it on the credit card. Pay off the card at the end of each month. Repeat.

*Do NOT use your credit card to buy “fun money” purchases. No clothes, no ipods, no pizza. This is why you have your debit card of cash. Don’t even think about it mr.!


4. EATING/DRINKING - This is going to be the weird random one from one young person to another.(Part of this only applies to you on/after your 21st birthday!) The young person’s life revolves around being social. For a 20 something this normally involves dinner and/or drinks with friends. It is expensive! So much money can be saved if you plan ahead!


*Eating - Going out to eat is a much needed social experience but NEVER go out to eat starving! Just like you don’t go shopping when you are hungry you never want to experience the whole “eyes bigger than stomach” thing while dining out. Have a snack an hour or so before you meet friends for dinner. This will help you avoid ordering that $8 appetizer! Also, try and order things that reheat or are good cold. LEFTOVERS! Also, water is free. It is good for you! Coke is $3. Go buy yourself a 12 pack and have one when you get home.


*Drinking - Most 20 somethings drink. It is a very expensive part of our lives. It is a social event to help us forget about school and work. We like bars. Unfortunately $5 for a beer is highway robbery! NEVER go to a bar completely sober (when you are 21+ & no drinky + drivey!). Have a drink or 2 at home and then have a beer at the bar. You will save TONS. Also, bring cash to a bar. Only bring as much cash as your sober self would like to spend. Alcohol impairs judgment. Sober you will thank drunk you for not spending. Drunk you will thank sober you for being smart enough to make sure you can afford the advil to take care of that hangover the next day. It is a win win.


Put all that saved food and drink money towards something that will last.


5. BOOKS - Buy used whenever possible. Check online first because campus stores are normally a ripoff. Try and sell the books back online, even if they have released a new edition. Most student book stores on campus will only give you 1/2 of what someone online will be willing to give you!


6. CARS - Buy used and reliable, but not “cheap”. New cars lose tons of value when you drive them off the lot. Don’t buy a “cheap” used car on it’s last leg. Think Goldilocks - not too new, not too old, juuusssttt right! Save up as much money as possible. Pay for it in cash if you can. If not, save up at least 2/3 before purchasing and do your homework!


And whatever you do: AVOID parking tickets, speeding tickets, registration fines.. may as well light the money on fire! Or if you do not want it I will give it a nice home and save you the trouble.





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Tax The Rich! (9pm Saturday on Fox <b>News</b> Channel) « John Stossel

In my weekend special, The Battle for the Future -- it airs Saturday at 9pm and Sunday at 8 PM and.

ICM And WME And CAA <b>News</b>… – Deadline.com

ICM's talent department signed Emmy nominee and TV standout (Malcolm In The Middle) Jane Kaczmarek, who had been represented by WME. She's managed by Adena Chawke and Lisa Wright at Greenlight Management. Also joining ICM from WME is ...

Understanding the Forbes redesign « Talking Biz <b>News</b>

Dvorkin had founded True/Slant, an online news network. Previously, he had been executive editor at Forbes magazine, where he spearheaded an earlier redesign, managed the annual Forbes 400 Richest Americans list and created the ...


Tax The Rich! (9pm Saturday on Fox <b>News</b> Channel) « John Stossel

In my weekend special, The Battle for the Future -- it airs Saturday at 9pm and Sunday at 8 PM and.

ICM And WME And CAA <b>News</b>… – Deadline.com

ICM's talent department signed Emmy nominee and TV standout (Malcolm In The Middle) Jane Kaczmarek, who had been represented by WME. She's managed by Adena Chawke and Lisa Wright at Greenlight Management. Also joining ICM from WME is ...

Understanding the Forbes redesign « Talking Biz <b>News</b>

Dvorkin had founded True/Slant, an online news network. Previously, he had been executive editor at Forbes magazine, where he spearheaded an earlier redesign, managed the annual Forbes 400 Richest Americans list and created the ...


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Tax The Rich! (9pm Saturday on Fox <b>News</b> Channel) « John Stossel

In my weekend special, The Battle for the Future -- it airs Saturday at 9pm and Sunday at 8 PM and.

ICM And WME And CAA <b>News</b>… – Deadline.com

ICM's talent department signed Emmy nominee and TV standout (Malcolm In The Middle) Jane Kaczmarek, who had been represented by WME. She's managed by Adena Chawke and Lisa Wright at Greenlight Management. Also joining ICM from WME is ...

Understanding the Forbes redesign « Talking Biz <b>News</b>

Dvorkin had founded True/Slant, an online news network. Previously, he had been executive editor at Forbes magazine, where he spearheaded an earlier redesign, managed the annual Forbes 400 Richest Americans list and created the ...



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  by LauraRaspberry






























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  1. Wow, I just made money. My home value shot up $70k. Mint single-handedly lifts the US out of the recession with this move. Seriously, most real-estate people I've talked with don't agree with Zillows home value calculations. Personally, I'm a fan of Zillow but they value my home much much higher than the previous site Mint used to calculate these values. Moral of the story? Don't worry about your home's value until you sell. Then and only then will you know the true value of your home, at least on that day.



    Posted by: Joel Price |
    September 22, 2010 8:22 AM




















  2. Words of wisdom Joel, words of wisdom!



    Posted by: sasha |
    September 22, 2010 10:30 AM
























  3. In fact, it’s these piles of personal-finance books that have prompted me to make this week Book Week at Get Rich Slowly. I used to review several books each month, but I’ve only reviewed a handful in 2010. This week, I’ll review some of the books I’ve read recently (though not Lonesome Dove), and the GRS staff writers will each review a book, too.


    As part of Book Week, I want to do something about the pile of personal-finance books on the floor of my office. I’m not in the mood to wade through the legalities that go along with a contest, so I’ll probably just make it simple by giving them away. I’ll sort through my extra books over the next couple of days, and later in the week I’ll do some sort of give-away.


    The only thing I know for sure: In order for me to consider sending you a book, you must have a previously-published comment on this site. I’m not going to send books to first-time commenters. (Why not? Because these folks are often just swinging by from other sites because they’ve heard they can get something free.) So, if you think you might want a book, be sure to comment on one of the upcoming book reviews or on an article from the archives.


    That’s it for now. Tune in tomorrow for reviews of The Art of Non-Conformity and The Simple Dollar.











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    <b>News</b> - Lindsay Lohan Going Back to Jail Until Oct. 22 - Celebrity <b>...</b>

    Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elden S. Fox revokes her probation for failing at least one drug test.

    Diane Sawyer: ABC World <b>News</b> Goes Home: Looking for What Works in <b>...</b>

    We at ABC's World News are heading out to search for innovative ideas that are helping turn the economy around. Real change is often born out of a simple act. And one ripple can lead to a powerful transformation.

    Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox <b>News</b> | Media Matters | Mediaite

    You'll never believe this one, but it appears Keith Olbermann isn't the biggest fan of Fox News. But in case there was any doubt, on last night's Countdown he made it clear again, going after what he sees as the network blatantly ...


    <b>News</b> - Lindsay Lohan Going Back to Jail Until Oct. 22 - Celebrity <b>...</b>

    Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elden S. Fox revokes her probation for failing at least one drug test.

    Diane Sawyer: ABC World <b>News</b> Goes Home: Looking for What Works in <b>...</b>

    We at ABC's World News are heading out to search for innovative ideas that are helping turn the economy around. Real change is often born out of a simple act. And one ripple can lead to a powerful transformation.

    Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox <b>News</b> | Media Matters | Mediaite

    You'll never believe this one, but it appears Keith Olbermann isn't the biggest fan of Fox News. But in case there was any doubt, on last night's Countdown he made it clear again, going after what he sees as the network blatantly ...


    big white booty

    <b>News</b> - Lindsay Lohan Going Back to Jail Until Oct. 22 - Celebrity <b>...</b>

    Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elden S. Fox revokes her probation for failing at least one drug test.

    Diane Sawyer: ABC World <b>News</b> Goes Home: Looking for What Works in <b>...</b>

    We at ABC's World News are heading out to search for innovative ideas that are helping turn the economy around. Real change is often born out of a simple act. And one ripple can lead to a powerful transformation.

    Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox <b>News</b> | Media Matters | Mediaite

    You'll never believe this one, but it appears Keith Olbermann isn't the biggest fan of Fox News. But in case there was any doubt, on last night's Countdown he made it clear again, going after what he sees as the network blatantly ...



    Canada's Personal Finance Blog - A Dawn Journal by adawnjournal







    Canada's Personal Finance Blog - A Dawn Journal by adawnjournal






























Thursday, September 23, 2010

Making Money With a Website

Twitter plans to launch a free analytics dashboard that will help its users – especially businesses – understand how others are interacting with their tweets.

Member of class='blippr-nobr'>Twitter’sclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter business development team Ross Hoffman has revealed at the Sports Marketing Summit that Twitter plans to launch the dashboard in the last quarter of 2010. He was speaking in the context of sports, but there’s no reason to believe the tool won’t be available to other users, too.

The team that works on this tool is the one behind Trendly, which Twitter had acquired in June. Trendly was all about highlighting important changes in the traffic that reaches your website, and, according to Hoffman, Twitter’s analytics solution will show you which tweets are spreading and which users are influential in your network.

There are two interesting things about this announcement. First of all, if the product will be free, then Twitter won’t be making any money out of it, and one possible business model for Twitter was charging for this type of tool. Of course, this doesn’t mean that Twitter won’t later release a more advanced version of the dashboard, aimed at businesses, which will not be free.

Secondly, this is bad news for companies that are building their versions of Twitter analytics tools – some that come to mind are Klout, Omniture and Twitalyzer. It is possible to compete with Twitter at their own turf – just check out third-party apps such as class='blippr-nobr'>TweetDeckclass="blippr-nobr">TweetDeck — but these companies will now have to try twice as hard to reach customers.

For more Social Media coverage:

    class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Social Mediaclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Social Media channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad



[Editor's note: Please welcome kyledeb, one of our favorite Latino bloggers from the great Citizen Orange, to the C&L team. kyle will be posting irregularly on immigration and Latino matters for us. -- DN]


The nativist noise machine is gearing up for a vote on the DREAM Act after Senate Majority Harry Reid (D-NV) announced he would introduce it as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act as early as next week.


Right now, the nativist growls are just grumbles. The media is too focused on the Republican implosion in Delaware to provide much of an echo chamber. That will change, though, as the DREAM Act comes closer to a vote. (For more on the DREAM Act and the implications of this vote, read this).


As soon as Reid announced that he would introduce the DREAM Act, Sen. David Vittor (R-LA) took to the Senate floor to denounce Reid's ploy "to use our hard-earned money to pay for in-state college tuition for illegal aliens." This, of course, is a false characterization of the DREAM Act.


Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA) took to FOX News to try and tie talented undocumented youth to the tragic massacre of 72 migrants in Mexico. Bilbray of course, is the board member of a hate group, as identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center.


But at this point, no one has seized on this opportunity to spread nativist ugliness like Michelle Malkin, who has spread her false and dehumanizing rhetoric through multiple blog posts and an appearance on FOX News. There's not much I can say about Michelle Malkin that hasn't been said already. The truth is I debated even discussing nativists like her. For the purposes of the DREAM Act, they have no real political power.


As much as nativists like to cite misleading polls, the public doesn't want demagoguery or sound bites on immigration, they want solutions. The DREAM Act, specifically, is supported by 70% of the U.S. public. That's not to diminish the real human cost of nativists' hateful rhetoric. It is no doubt related to rising hate crimes against migrants and Latinos, and I can attest to the fact that it shrouds migrant communities in terror. But for the purposes of the passing the DREAM Act, they mean nothing.


As read about Michelle Malkin making false statements about the DREAM Act on Fox & Friends, only to elaborate on those statements on a white supremacist website, an idea came to me. Here's my idea: after this post I will not devote a single iota of thought to nativists like Michelle Malkin unless they are willing to sit down and have a conversation with Gaby Pacheco.



Gaby Pacheco, for those who don't know, is an inspiration. Gaby's dream is to become a teacher for children with special needs. Despite all the obstacles she faced as an undocumented student, she has already graduated from Miami Dade College with a bachelor's degree in special education, and two associate's degrees. However, she can't use her degrees for the betterment of this country because she's not allowed to work.


A few years ago, when Gaby became one of the few undocumented youth to come out and publicly declare their immigration status, she suffered through what is every public undocumented youth's worst nightmare: Immigration and Customs Enforcement went after her family. She fought through it. While she and her family are still at risk of deportation and have no path to legal status, she continues to fight.


You would think that an experience like that would make someone more bitter and hateful than Michelle Malkin, if you will, but not Gaby. Instead she embarked on a 1,500-mile trek to Washington D.C., the Trail of DREAMs it was called, to fight for her right to exist in the only country she knows as her home.


I'm told that Gaby gets mad sometimes, but I haven't seen it. She's bursting with love. In fact, she often refers to the people around her as "my love." If you don't believe it just consider what she did when she met the notorious nativist Arizona sheriff: Joe Arpaio. She hugged him. She had pro-migrant people like myself vomiting at the thought she'd hug a a leading advocate and practitioner of violence and terror against our communities.


So, again, I challenge Michelle Malkin, and any other nativists who spread hate and lies about the DREAM Act in the next week, to have a conversation with Gaby Pacheco. This is not a media stunt. I haven't even cleared this with Gaby, yet. She might very well think this is a stupid idea. Even more likely, she might not have the time as she pushes for the DREAM Act.


I want to be clear, I'm not challenging Michelle Malkin to a debate with Gaby Pacheco. This is not about two talking heads going on television to attack each other. I'm challenging Malkin to a conversation with Gaby, preferably in person. I want her to personally meet the people she dehumanizes on television. It doesn't even have to be public if Malkin can't stomach that. I would settle for having them sit down at a couch like they do on Fox & Friends.


Why should Michelle Malkin listen to me? She probably shouldn't, just as I shouldn't listen to her. Gaby probably shouldn't listen to both of us. This Gaby Pacheco challenge is just a simple way for me to mentally block out the whimpering of a small claque of nativists who are likely to get louder as the fight for the DREAM Act heats up. It's also a way to expose just how cowardly and meaningless these people really are.




&#39;Fox <b>News</b> Sunday&#39; to Host Kentucky Senate Debate - NYTimes.com

Jack Conway, Kentucky's attorney general and the Democratic candidate for Senate, and Rand Paul, the Republican nominee, have agreed to a live debate on "Fox News Sunday" on Oct. 3.

Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox <b>News</b> | Media Matters | Mediaite

You'll never believe this one, but it appears Keith Olbermann isn't the biggest fan of Fox News. But in case there was any doubt, on last night's Countdown he made it clear again, going after what he sees as the network blatantly ...

Real Estate <b>News</b>: Existing Home Sales Rise - Developments - WSJ

Here is a look at real-estate news in today's WSJ.


robert shumake

&#39;Fox <b>News</b> Sunday&#39; to Host Kentucky Senate Debate - NYTimes.com

Jack Conway, Kentucky's attorney general and the Democratic candidate for Senate, and Rand Paul, the Republican nominee, have agreed to a live debate on "Fox News Sunday" on Oct. 3.

Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox <b>News</b> | Media Matters | Mediaite

You'll never believe this one, but it appears Keith Olbermann isn't the biggest fan of Fox News. But in case there was any doubt, on last night's Countdown he made it clear again, going after what he sees as the network blatantly ...

Real Estate <b>News</b>: Existing Home Sales Rise - Developments - WSJ

Here is a look at real-estate news in today's WSJ.


Twitter plans to launch a free analytics dashboard that will help its users – especially businesses – understand how others are interacting with their tweets.

Member of class='blippr-nobr'>Twitter’sclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter business development team Ross Hoffman has revealed at the Sports Marketing Summit that Twitter plans to launch the dashboard in the last quarter of 2010. He was speaking in the context of sports, but there’s no reason to believe the tool won’t be available to other users, too.

The team that works on this tool is the one behind Trendly, which Twitter had acquired in June. Trendly was all about highlighting important changes in the traffic that reaches your website, and, according to Hoffman, Twitter’s analytics solution will show you which tweets are spreading and which users are influential in your network.

There are two interesting things about this announcement. First of all, if the product will be free, then Twitter won’t be making any money out of it, and one possible business model for Twitter was charging for this type of tool. Of course, this doesn’t mean that Twitter won’t later release a more advanced version of the dashboard, aimed at businesses, which will not be free.

Secondly, this is bad news for companies that are building their versions of Twitter analytics tools – some that come to mind are Klout, Omniture and Twitalyzer. It is possible to compete with Twitter at their own turf – just check out third-party apps such as class='blippr-nobr'>TweetDeckclass="blippr-nobr">TweetDeck — but these companies will now have to try twice as hard to reach customers.

For more Social Media coverage:

    class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Social Mediaclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Social Media channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad



[Editor's note: Please welcome kyledeb, one of our favorite Latino bloggers from the great Citizen Orange, to the C&L team. kyle will be posting irregularly on immigration and Latino matters for us. -- DN]


The nativist noise machine is gearing up for a vote on the DREAM Act after Senate Majority Harry Reid (D-NV) announced he would introduce it as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act as early as next week.


Right now, the nativist growls are just grumbles. The media is too focused on the Republican implosion in Delaware to provide much of an echo chamber. That will change, though, as the DREAM Act comes closer to a vote. (For more on the DREAM Act and the implications of this vote, read this).


As soon as Reid announced that he would introduce the DREAM Act, Sen. David Vittor (R-LA) took to the Senate floor to denounce Reid's ploy "to use our hard-earned money to pay for in-state college tuition for illegal aliens." This, of course, is a false characterization of the DREAM Act.


Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA) took to FOX News to try and tie talented undocumented youth to the tragic massacre of 72 migrants in Mexico. Bilbray of course, is the board member of a hate group, as identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center.


But at this point, no one has seized on this opportunity to spread nativist ugliness like Michelle Malkin, who has spread her false and dehumanizing rhetoric through multiple blog posts and an appearance on FOX News. There's not much I can say about Michelle Malkin that hasn't been said already. The truth is I debated even discussing nativists like her. For the purposes of the DREAM Act, they have no real political power.


As much as nativists like to cite misleading polls, the public doesn't want demagoguery or sound bites on immigration, they want solutions. The DREAM Act, specifically, is supported by 70% of the U.S. public. That's not to diminish the real human cost of nativists' hateful rhetoric. It is no doubt related to rising hate crimes against migrants and Latinos, and I can attest to the fact that it shrouds migrant communities in terror. But for the purposes of the passing the DREAM Act, they mean nothing.


As read about Michelle Malkin making false statements about the DREAM Act on Fox & Friends, only to elaborate on those statements on a white supremacist website, an idea came to me. Here's my idea: after this post I will not devote a single iota of thought to nativists like Michelle Malkin unless they are willing to sit down and have a conversation with Gaby Pacheco.



Gaby Pacheco, for those who don't know, is an inspiration. Gaby's dream is to become a teacher for children with special needs. Despite all the obstacles she faced as an undocumented student, she has already graduated from Miami Dade College with a bachelor's degree in special education, and two associate's degrees. However, she can't use her degrees for the betterment of this country because she's not allowed to work.


A few years ago, when Gaby became one of the few undocumented youth to come out and publicly declare their immigration status, she suffered through what is every public undocumented youth's worst nightmare: Immigration and Customs Enforcement went after her family. She fought through it. While she and her family are still at risk of deportation and have no path to legal status, she continues to fight.


You would think that an experience like that would make someone more bitter and hateful than Michelle Malkin, if you will, but not Gaby. Instead she embarked on a 1,500-mile trek to Washington D.C., the Trail of DREAMs it was called, to fight for her right to exist in the only country she knows as her home.


I'm told that Gaby gets mad sometimes, but I haven't seen it. She's bursting with love. In fact, she often refers to the people around her as "my love." If you don't believe it just consider what she did when she met the notorious nativist Arizona sheriff: Joe Arpaio. She hugged him. She had pro-migrant people like myself vomiting at the thought she'd hug a a leading advocate and practitioner of violence and terror against our communities.


So, again, I challenge Michelle Malkin, and any other nativists who spread hate and lies about the DREAM Act in the next week, to have a conversation with Gaby Pacheco. This is not a media stunt. I haven't even cleared this with Gaby, yet. She might very well think this is a stupid idea. Even more likely, she might not have the time as she pushes for the DREAM Act.


I want to be clear, I'm not challenging Michelle Malkin to a debate with Gaby Pacheco. This is not about two talking heads going on television to attack each other. I'm challenging Malkin to a conversation with Gaby, preferably in person. I want her to personally meet the people she dehumanizes on television. It doesn't even have to be public if Malkin can't stomach that. I would settle for having them sit down at a couch like they do on Fox & Friends.


Why should Michelle Malkin listen to me? She probably shouldn't, just as I shouldn't listen to her. Gaby probably shouldn't listen to both of us. This Gaby Pacheco challenge is just a simple way for me to mentally block out the whimpering of a small claque of nativists who are likely to get louder as the fight for the DREAM Act heats up. It's also a way to expose just how cowardly and meaningless these people really are.





Finally! My new Web site is up by Ryan Brenizer


robert shumake

&#39;Fox <b>News</b> Sunday&#39; to Host Kentucky Senate Debate - NYTimes.com

Jack Conway, Kentucky's attorney general and the Democratic candidate for Senate, and Rand Paul, the Republican nominee, have agreed to a live debate on "Fox News Sunday" on Oct. 3.

Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox <b>News</b> | Media Matters | Mediaite

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Real Estate <b>News</b>: Existing Home Sales Rise - Developments - WSJ

Here is a look at real-estate news in today's WSJ.


robert shumake

&#39;Fox <b>News</b> Sunday&#39; to Host Kentucky Senate Debate - NYTimes.com

Jack Conway, Kentucky's attorney general and the Democratic candidate for Senate, and Rand Paul, the Republican nominee, have agreed to a live debate on "Fox News Sunday" on Oct. 3.

Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox <b>News</b> | Media Matters | Mediaite

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Real Estate <b>News</b>: Existing Home Sales Rise - Developments - WSJ

Here is a look at real-estate news in today's WSJ.

















Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Make Making Money


ARIANNA HUFFINGTON: At the bottom of the Tea Party movement of that anger is anger at the bailout. And you know, here people, Democrats, Republicans have been given proof that the government does not work because the government spent almost $800 billion and look where we are. Wall Street is doing well. Main Street is suffering.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, HOST: Somebody I was talking to over the, during the week, people in business and venture capital who were saying, "Why doesn't the government do more to force banks to lend, to do more to make it easier for people to actually go out there and show some kind of consumer activity?"

GEORGE WILL: Well maybe if the government did less, period, people would be more inclined to lend money. The banks aren't hoarding the money because they are in a pout. They're not hoarding the money because they're mad at somebody. They're hoarding money because they can't find lenders who think they can borrow it and make money.

HUFFINGTON: No, that's not true. The banks are getting almost zero-percent interest rate...

WILL: Yes.

HUFFINGTON: ...loans from the Fed and they are spending it to make a lot of profit in derivatives tradings and all the things that got us into this trouble in the first place. And this administration and this Congress still has not passed an end to Too Big To Fail, still has not reinstated Glass-Steagall. So even, even though people may not be able to give you all these details, they know that the system has not been fixed, that financial reform is full of loopholes, and that the system is not fair, basically, for them as they're seeing their lives falling apart.

Amazing. So first she says the failure of the bailout to stoke lending is an example of how government doesn't work, and then she asks for more government intervention to get the economy going.

Boggles the mind, doesn't it?

Moments later, Will put the icing on the cake:

WILL: We started arguing about the tax cut. The president says we can't afford the tax cuts for the wealthy because that would add $700 billion to the deficit over ten years. Which is to say over ten years it would add less to the deficit than Obama added with the stimulus in one year.

Simple arithmetic most fourth graders would understand unless they were raised or educated by liberals like Huffington.

—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.

Coming soon: A brand-new NewsBusters design. But we need your help!



Among those charged was Robert Rizzo, the former city manager of Bell, whose compensation package led the way with annual salary and benefits totaling more than $1.5 million. Prosecutors accused him of illegally writing his own employment contracts and steering nearly $1.9 million in unauthorized city loans to himself and others. He was booked into Los Angeles County Jail and was being held on $3.2-million bail.


The charges follow months of nationwide outrage and renewed debate over public employee compensation since The Times reported in July that the city's leaders were among the nation's highest paid municipal officials.


Cooley described Rizzo as the "unelected and unaccountable czar" of Bell, accusing him of going to elaborate lengths to keep his salary secret. Prosecutors alleged that Rizzo gave himself huge pay raises without the City Council's approval.

"This was calculated greed and theft accomplished by deceit and secrecy," Cooley said.

Rizzo's attorney, James W. Spertus, said the charges came as no surprise and were politically motivated by Cooley, who is running for California attorney general.

"The allegations are mistaken," Spertus said. "They are factually untrue in many readily provable ways."

Cooley denied that his election effort played any part in the decision to file charges.

At a news conference, Cooley accused City Council members of failing to oversee Rizzo's actions, saying that they instead had collected more than $1.2 million in total pay since 2006 for presiding over city agency meetings that never occurred or lasted just a few minutes.

Many city residents greeted news of the charges with joy.

"Finally the crooks are going to suffer what the city suffered for many years," said Carmen Bella, a longtime Bell activist.

About two dozen Bell residents gathered outside City Hall to celebrate. One man used a bullhorn to broadcast the Queen rock song, "Another One Bites the Dust," while others laughed, cheered and applauded.

But at least one resident wondered what would happen to his embattled city.


"Who's going to call the shots?" asked Hassan Mourad, 32. "That's the most important thing right now."


-- Richard Winton and Jack Leonard


Photo: Booking shots of Robert Rizzo, former city manager, and Bell Mayor Oscar Hernandez. Credit: L.A. County Sheriff's Department.



Photos: Arrests in Bell




Scripting <b>News</b>: What kind of <b>news</b> system...?

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robert shumake

Scripting <b>News</b>: What kind of <b>news</b> system...?

And it's not okay that they're making a bid for exclusivity on the role of News System of the Future, and they can't even keep their servers running properly. Either you deliver the benefit of being the sole provider, or sorry (to ...

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 9/22 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another day means more Kansas City Chiefs news. Let's be sure to play nice in the comment sections today. We're all Chiefs fans even if we might have different (though no less passionate) visions of what this ...

Phil Pruitt Joins Yahoo! <b>News</b> As Politics Editor

USA Today Deputy Managing Editor/News Phil Pruitt has left the newspaper to join Yahoo! News as its new Politics editor.



ARIANNA HUFFINGTON: At the bottom of the Tea Party movement of that anger is anger at the bailout. And you know, here people, Democrats, Republicans have been given proof that the government does not work because the government spent almost $800 billion and look where we are. Wall Street is doing well. Main Street is suffering.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, HOST: Somebody I was talking to over the, during the week, people in business and venture capital who were saying, "Why doesn't the government do more to force banks to lend, to do more to make it easier for people to actually go out there and show some kind of consumer activity?"

GEORGE WILL: Well maybe if the government did less, period, people would be more inclined to lend money. The banks aren't hoarding the money because they are in a pout. They're not hoarding the money because they're mad at somebody. They're hoarding money because they can't find lenders who think they can borrow it and make money.

HUFFINGTON: No, that's not true. The banks are getting almost zero-percent interest rate...

WILL: Yes.

HUFFINGTON: ...loans from the Fed and they are spending it to make a lot of profit in derivatives tradings and all the things that got us into this trouble in the first place. And this administration and this Congress still has not passed an end to Too Big To Fail, still has not reinstated Glass-Steagall. So even, even though people may not be able to give you all these details, they know that the system has not been fixed, that financial reform is full of loopholes, and that the system is not fair, basically, for them as they're seeing their lives falling apart.

Amazing. So first she says the failure of the bailout to stoke lending is an example of how government doesn't work, and then she asks for more government intervention to get the economy going.

Boggles the mind, doesn't it?

Moments later, Will put the icing on the cake:

WILL: We started arguing about the tax cut. The president says we can't afford the tax cuts for the wealthy because that would add $700 billion to the deficit over ten years. Which is to say over ten years it would add less to the deficit than Obama added with the stimulus in one year.

Simple arithmetic most fourth graders would understand unless they were raised or educated by liberals like Huffington.

—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.

Coming soon: A brand-new NewsBusters design. But we need your help!



Among those charged was Robert Rizzo, the former city manager of Bell, whose compensation package led the way with annual salary and benefits totaling more than $1.5 million. Prosecutors accused him of illegally writing his own employment contracts and steering nearly $1.9 million in unauthorized city loans to himself and others. He was booked into Los Angeles County Jail and was being held on $3.2-million bail.


The charges follow months of nationwide outrage and renewed debate over public employee compensation since The Times reported in July that the city's leaders were among the nation's highest paid municipal officials.


Cooley described Rizzo as the "unelected and unaccountable czar" of Bell, accusing him of going to elaborate lengths to keep his salary secret. Prosecutors alleged that Rizzo gave himself huge pay raises without the City Council's approval.

"This was calculated greed and theft accomplished by deceit and secrecy," Cooley said.

Rizzo's attorney, James W. Spertus, said the charges came as no surprise and were politically motivated by Cooley, who is running for California attorney general.

"The allegations are mistaken," Spertus said. "They are factually untrue in many readily provable ways."

Cooley denied that his election effort played any part in the decision to file charges.

At a news conference, Cooley accused City Council members of failing to oversee Rizzo's actions, saying that they instead had collected more than $1.2 million in total pay since 2006 for presiding over city agency meetings that never occurred or lasted just a few minutes.

Many city residents greeted news of the charges with joy.

"Finally the crooks are going to suffer what the city suffered for many years," said Carmen Bella, a longtime Bell activist.

About two dozen Bell residents gathered outside City Hall to celebrate. One man used a bullhorn to broadcast the Queen rock song, "Another One Bites the Dust," while others laughed, cheered and applauded.

But at least one resident wondered what would happen to his embattled city.


"Who's going to call the shots?" asked Hassan Mourad, 32. "That's the most important thing right now."


-- Richard Winton and Jack Leonard


Photo: Booking shots of Robert Rizzo, former city manager, and Bell Mayor Oscar Hernandez. Credit: L.A. County Sheriff's Department.



Photos: Arrests in Bell





MAKE MONEY (17) by zukerfeld


robert shumake

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Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 9/22 - Arrowhead Pride

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robert shumake

Scripting <b>News</b>: What kind of <b>news</b> system...?

And it's not okay that they're making a bid for exclusivity on the role of News System of the Future, and they can't even keep their servers running properly. Either you deliver the benefit of being the sole provider, or sorry (to ...

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 9/22 - Arrowhead Pride

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Phil Pruitt Joins Yahoo! <b>News</b> As Politics Editor

USA Today Deputy Managing Editor/News Phil Pruitt has left the newspaper to join Yahoo! News as its new Politics editor.

















Tuesday, September 21, 2010

foreclosure homes


From the Associated Press:



One in 10 American households with a mortgage was at risk of foreclosure this summer as the government’s efforts to help have had little impact stemming the housing crisis.


About 9.9 percent of homeowners had missed at least one mortgage payment as of June 30, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Thursday.


That number, which is adjusted for seasonal factors, was down slightly from a record-high of more than 10 percent as of April 30.


In a worrisome sign, the number of homeowners starting to have problems with their mortgages rose after trending downward last year. The number of homes in the foreclosure process fell slightly, the first drop in four years.



More than 2.3 million homes have been repossessed by lenders since the recession began in December 2007, according to foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac Inc. Economists expect the number of foreclosures to grow well into next year.


The number of Americans missing payments and falling into foreclosure has followed the upward trend in unemployment, which has been near double digits all year and has shown no sign of dropping soon.


“Ultimately the housing story, whether it is delinquencies, homes sales or housing starts, is an employment story,” Jay Brinkmann, the trade group’s top economist, said in a statement. “Only when we see a consistent increase in employment will we see an increase in sales and starts, and a sustained improvement in the delinquency numbers.”


Read the whole thing here.








The great American Dream of owning a home has never looked so impossible to achieve: roughly 1.65 million homes are in the foreclosure pipeline, housing prices are at an all-time low, and nearly 7% of mortgage holders are more than 60 days late on their payments. Despite the dreary picture, there are an ever-increasing number of lifelines for people trying to avoid foreclosure:



One of the biggest national hotlines for free home counseling is 888-995-HOPE, run by the Congress-funded Home Preservation Foundation. To date, the HOPE hotline has counseled four million homeowners since 2008, and helped 70% avoid foreclosure within a year. HOPE is the number to call before you seek a loan modification or expensive legal representation: a counselor will listen to your housing and financial concerns and, if necessary, facilitate a three-way conversation with a third party for additional help. With 550 employees stationed in 8 centers around the country, Diane Zyats, VP of Communications at the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, says there is rarely a backlog of homeowners waiting to receive advice. This, Zyats stresses, is key to preventing a distressed homeowner from falling for one of the many foreclosure scams out there.



The HOPE website also offers this helpful list of warning signs of a scam. Foremost? "No one should charge," she says. "There are so many sources for not charging that there is no reason to charge." Click here to see more.



NeighborWorks America is another Congressionally-funded program that provides financial and technical support to community-based foreclosure prevention efforts, such as the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program (NFMC), which boasts a 60% success rate. It also manages this exhaustive database of certified, HUD-approved foreclosure counselors by state.



At a local level, many communities are showing an incredible display of humanity and compassion for their neighbors facing foreclosure. For example, the non-profit Brooklyn Volunteer Lawyers Project is a coalition of 80 Brooklyn-based lawyers serving low-income Brooklynites on a pro bono basis. Although volunteers receive credited continuing legal education (CLE) training, taking on a case can take up a huge chunk of time. For example, foreclosure cases take anywhere from three months to years and usually require multiple court appearances and ongoing counsel. But Jamie Lathrop, director of foreclosure intervention, sees it as a simple matter of civic duty, "Why help? These people are our neighbors. They keep our neighborhoods clean, watch our kids on the street, return our mail to us. They let us know when someones scratched our car," he says. "It's part of being in a community."



Currently the BVLP handles over 160 active foreclosure cases, and has successfully prevented 45 from final foreclosure through mediation. Brooklyn is one of an increasing number of areas around the country where mediation has become mandatory before a home can be foreclosed on. Although victims don't need legal representation at these settlements, it can provide an immense amount of reassurance.



Over in Philadelphia, the Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program is often touted as the first successful city-sponsored foreclosure prevention plan. Under the compassionate eye of Judge Annette Rizzo, recipient of the 2009 Louis J. Goffman Award, this two-year-old program makes it mandatory for borrower and lender to meet face-to-face, and discuss every possible option before the home can be foreclosed on. These options include forbearance, settlement, stay of sale, loan modification or reinstatement, and as a last resort, a "graceful" exit.




Sigma releases SD1 flagship digital SLR: Digital Photography Review

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robert shumake

Sigma releases SD1 flagship digital SLR: Digital Photography Review

Sigma releases SD1 flagship digital SLR: Photokina 2010: Sigma has announced the SD1 digital SLR, which uses a brand new 46Mp 1.5x crop Foveon X3 sensor (4800 x 3200 x 3 layers). Designed as the company's flagship camera, the SD1 has a ...

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Social media and entrepreneurship represent the perfect partnership in today's small business world. Free and easy to operate social media tools have made it.

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Sony product-lineup at Photokina 2010: Sony has issued a press release about the new product developments it's showcasing at Photokina 2010. Highlights include a firmware update for the NEX series (covered in a separate news story), ...



From the Associated Press:



One in 10 American households with a mortgage was at risk of foreclosure this summer as the government’s efforts to help have had little impact stemming the housing crisis.


About 9.9 percent of homeowners had missed at least one mortgage payment as of June 30, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Thursday.


That number, which is adjusted for seasonal factors, was down slightly from a record-high of more than 10 percent as of April 30.


In a worrisome sign, the number of homeowners starting to have problems with their mortgages rose after trending downward last year. The number of homes in the foreclosure process fell slightly, the first drop in four years.



More than 2.3 million homes have been repossessed by lenders since the recession began in December 2007, according to foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac Inc. Economists expect the number of foreclosures to grow well into next year.


The number of Americans missing payments and falling into foreclosure has followed the upward trend in unemployment, which has been near double digits all year and has shown no sign of dropping soon.


“Ultimately the housing story, whether it is delinquencies, homes sales or housing starts, is an employment story,” Jay Brinkmann, the trade group’s top economist, said in a statement. “Only when we see a consistent increase in employment will we see an increase in sales and starts, and a sustained improvement in the delinquency numbers.”


Read the whole thing here.








The great American Dream of owning a home has never looked so impossible to achieve: roughly 1.65 million homes are in the foreclosure pipeline, housing prices are at an all-time low, and nearly 7% of mortgage holders are more than 60 days late on their payments. Despite the dreary picture, there are an ever-increasing number of lifelines for people trying to avoid foreclosure:



One of the biggest national hotlines for free home counseling is 888-995-HOPE, run by the Congress-funded Home Preservation Foundation. To date, the HOPE hotline has counseled four million homeowners since 2008, and helped 70% avoid foreclosure within a year. HOPE is the number to call before you seek a loan modification or expensive legal representation: a counselor will listen to your housing and financial concerns and, if necessary, facilitate a three-way conversation with a third party for additional help. With 550 employees stationed in 8 centers around the country, Diane Zyats, VP of Communications at the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, says there is rarely a backlog of homeowners waiting to receive advice. This, Zyats stresses, is key to preventing a distressed homeowner from falling for one of the many foreclosure scams out there.



The HOPE website also offers this helpful list of warning signs of a scam. Foremost? "No one should charge," she says. "There are so many sources for not charging that there is no reason to charge." Click here to see more.



NeighborWorks America is another Congressionally-funded program that provides financial and technical support to community-based foreclosure prevention efforts, such as the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program (NFMC), which boasts a 60% success rate. It also manages this exhaustive database of certified, HUD-approved foreclosure counselors by state.



At a local level, many communities are showing an incredible display of humanity and compassion for their neighbors facing foreclosure. For example, the non-profit Brooklyn Volunteer Lawyers Project is a coalition of 80 Brooklyn-based lawyers serving low-income Brooklynites on a pro bono basis. Although volunteers receive credited continuing legal education (CLE) training, taking on a case can take up a huge chunk of time. For example, foreclosure cases take anywhere from three months to years and usually require multiple court appearances and ongoing counsel. But Jamie Lathrop, director of foreclosure intervention, sees it as a simple matter of civic duty, "Why help? These people are our neighbors. They keep our neighborhoods clean, watch our kids on the street, return our mail to us. They let us know when someones scratched our car," he says. "It's part of being in a community."



Currently the BVLP handles over 160 active foreclosure cases, and has successfully prevented 45 from final foreclosure through mediation. Brooklyn is one of an increasing number of areas around the country where mediation has become mandatory before a home can be foreclosed on. Although victims don't need legal representation at these settlements, it can provide an immense amount of reassurance.



Over in Philadelphia, the Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program is often touted as the first successful city-sponsored foreclosure prevention plan. Under the compassionate eye of Judge Annette Rizzo, recipient of the 2009 Louis J. Goffman Award, this two-year-old program makes it mandatory for borrower and lender to meet face-to-face, and discuss every possible option before the home can be foreclosed on. These options include forbearance, settlement, stay of sale, loan modification or reinstatement, and as a last resort, a "graceful" exit.





Charlotte Foreclosures North Carolina, 4Bd, 2.5Ba, $ 61,900.00 : ForeclosureConnections.com by ForeclosureConnections


robert shumake

Sigma releases SD1 flagship digital SLR: Digital Photography Review

Sigma releases SD1 flagship digital SLR: Photokina 2010: Sigma has announced the SD1 digital SLR, which uses a brand new 46Mp 1.5x crop Foveon X3 sensor (4800 x 3200 x 3 layers). Designed as the company's flagship camera, the SD1 has a ...

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robert shumake

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Saturday, September 18, 2010

tracking personal finances

This post is from staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com. This post is part of Book Week at Get Rich Slowly.


Since my twin victories of paying off our last credit card and funding a summer of travel, my husband has begun to show interest in personal finance.


It’s not that he wasn’t supportive of my efforts before — he just preferred to support them from a safe, ignorant distance. A distance from which I handed him an envelope of cash each week to do the grocery shopping, he didn’t ask too many questions, and somehow we were climbing out of debt. He was more than happy to adopt any frugal-living strategy I suggested, as long as he didn’t have to think about the Big Picture.


That system worked, but I longed for more active participation from him. Not only because I wanted us to share equally in the journey toward financial freedom — I do want that — but also for a selfish reason. I wanted him to participate because he’s better at this stuff than I am. He’s a whiz at spreadsheets. The man has a Ph.d in Physical Chemistry. You don’t get one of those without doing a few math problems.


Lately, I’ve been getting my wish. My husband has been talking with a financial advisor at the university he works for, and having clear, honest conversations with me about our money.


This seemed like the perfect time for me to read Mary Hunt’s How to Debt-Proof Your Marriage.


Relationship first

Hunt’s book covers the basics of personal finance and debt destruction, with a special focus on doing it as a couple. Before she even begins talking about financial management, Hunt talks about strengthening the foundations of your marriage. You can’t have financial harmony without emotional intimacy, she says.


I couldn’t agree more. It’s clear in my own marriage that spending time relaxing together on vacation helped my husband and me both chill out and have better conversations during our family finance meetings too.


Hunt and I part ways in the chapters about how to achieve that emotional intimacy, though. She bases her prescription for marital bliss on traditional gender roles. She includes chapters for each sex on how to make deposits in the other’s Love Bank — a metaphorical bank of goodwill made of small, loving gestures.


The Love Bank is an adorable idea, one I’m tempted to put into practice here in my own home. I’m pretty sure I won’t be making my deposits to my husband’s Love Bank by biting my tongue when I disagree with him, though. Likewise, I don’t expect him to express his love for me by bringing me flowers and handling all the tough decisions for me like the natural leader of our family should.


Hunt is a generation (or two) older than I am, and what works for her marriage is so foreign to my young, feminist mind that it was actually a little hard to read. But leaving aside the details of how you get to an intimate marriage, though, she and I agree wholeheartedly that it’s important to get your emotional needs met before you can effectively work together with your spouse to manage your finances.


Money second

The personal-finance half of the book will be familiar to most GRS readers. Hunt advocates an approach similar to Your Money or Your Life and Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover, one that begins with calculating your net worth and tracking your expenses. From there, she covers the basics of setting up an emergency fund, creating a spending plan, and starting a debt snowball (though she uses different terms for these steps).


Like her ideal of a healthy relationship, Hunt’s financial advice seems a little dated in places. A lot of it has to do with how to organize your three-ring binders, or how to painstakingly accomplish by-hand calculations that Mint can do for you in a few minutes. If you’re a devotee of the pen-and-paper approach, though, her chapters on how to track and plan your spending are rock solid and detailed enough to easily follow.


The one thing in this book that made me want to put it down, run to my office, and implement it on the spot was, in fact, her filing system. Hunt takes a few pages to go over exactly what personal records you should be keeping, and outlines an elegant effective way to organize them. I spent an hour tearing apart my filing cabinet yesterday as soon as I read those pages. I may not want my marriage to look much like hers, but I’m delighted to have made over my filing cabinet in Mary Hunt’s image.


Different views

There are a few areas where Mary’s financial advice deviates from the usual Get Rich Slowly formula. One is the matter of the debt snowball. She encourages readers to start saving 10% of their income towards an emergency fund immediately, while still paying the minimums on their credit cards. Only after saving up a fully funded six-month emergency fund would Hunt advise you to roll those savings into your credit card payments.


Given the relative interest rates on credit cards and savings accounts, this approach will almost certainly cost you money. If it works for you psychologically, though, by all means pursue it. No matter what order you do them in, the key steps of tracking your spending, creating an emergency fund, and snowballing your debt payments will lead you to financial security.


Another place where she breaks with conventional wisdom is in her savings and spending ratios. GRS readers are familiar with the Balanced Money Formula that encourages us to use 50% of our money for living expenses, 30% for fun and 20% for savings. Hunt advises 10% for giving, 10% for saving and 80% for spending.


The order of those percentages is vital to her. A devout Christian, Hunt feels that all the money that comes into your life is a blessing from God, and promptly giving 10% of it back to God shows you can be trusted with this blessing, and more of it will come your way.


I’m not a Christian, but I admire Mary’s faith and devotion to charitable giving. It’s a goal of mine to give 10% of my income. I’ve written about that here before, and readers made a persuasive case for waiting until my debts were paid before giving so much away. For now, I give a modest amount and look forward to giving more in the future.


I think that for Hunt, the psychological benefits of giving 10% and saving 10% before you make any spending decisions at all outweigh the financial benefits of paying off your debts as fast as possible and then beginning to accumulate and donate wealth.


It’s an interesting approach, and one that might work for a lot of people. Particularly if you’re a devoted Christian and looking for a personal-finance book that reflects your values, you’ll find a lot of good in How to Debt-Proof Your Marriage. If you’re looking for a book that’s totally focused on financial savvy and relationship skills, though, this might not be your best bet.









This post is from staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com. This post is part of Book Week at Get Rich Slowly.


Since my twin victories of paying off our last credit card and funding a summer of travel, my husband has begun to show interest in personal finance.


It’s not that he wasn’t supportive of my efforts before — he just preferred to support them from a safe, ignorant distance. A distance from which I handed him an envelope of cash each week to do the grocery shopping, he didn’t ask too many questions, and somehow we were climbing out of debt. He was more than happy to adopt any frugal-living strategy I suggested, as long as he didn’t have to think about the Big Picture.


That system worked, but I longed for more active participation from him. Not only because I wanted us to share equally in the journey toward financial freedom — I do want that — but also for a selfish reason. I wanted him to participate because he’s better at this stuff than I am. He’s a whiz at spreadsheets. The man has a Ph.d in Physical Chemistry. You don’t get one of those without doing a few math problems.


Lately, I’ve been getting my wish. My husband has been talking with a financial advisor at the university he works for, and having clear, honest conversations with me about our money.


This seemed like the perfect time for me to read Mary Hunt’s How to Debt-Proof Your Marriage.


Relationship first

Hunt’s book covers the basics of personal finance and debt destruction, with a special focus on doing it as a couple. Before she even begins talking about financial management, Hunt talks about strengthening the foundations of your marriage. You can’t have financial harmony without emotional intimacy, she says.


I couldn’t agree more. It’s clear in my own marriage that spending time relaxing together on vacation helped my husband and me both chill out and have better conversations during our family finance meetings too.


Hunt and I part ways in the chapters about how to achieve that emotional intimacy, though. She bases her prescription for marital bliss on traditional gender roles. She includes chapters for each sex on how to make deposits in the other’s Love Bank — a metaphorical bank of goodwill made of small, loving gestures.


The Love Bank is an adorable idea, one I’m tempted to put into practice here in my own home. I’m pretty sure I won’t be making my deposits to my husband’s Love Bank by biting my tongue when I disagree with him, though. Likewise, I don’t expect him to express his love for me by bringing me flowers and handling all the tough decisions for me like the natural leader of our family should.


Hunt is a generation (or two) older than I am, and what works for her marriage is so foreign to my young, feminist mind that it was actually a little hard to read. But leaving aside the details of how you get to an intimate marriage, though, she and I agree wholeheartedly that it’s important to get your emotional needs met before you can effectively work together with your spouse to manage your finances.


Money second

The personal-finance half of the book will be familiar to most GRS readers. Hunt advocates an approach similar to Your Money or Your Life and Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover, one that begins with calculating your net worth and tracking your expenses. From there, she covers the basics of setting up an emergency fund, creating a spending plan, and starting a debt snowball (though she uses different terms for these steps).


Like her ideal of a healthy relationship, Hunt’s financial advice seems a little dated in places. A lot of it has to do with how to organize your three-ring binders, or how to painstakingly accomplish by-hand calculations that Mint can do for you in a few minutes. If you’re a devotee of the pen-and-paper approach, though, her chapters on how to track and plan your spending are rock solid and detailed enough to easily follow.


The one thing in this book that made me want to put it down, run to my office, and implement it on the spot was, in fact, her filing system. Hunt takes a few pages to go over exactly what personal records you should be keeping, and outlines an elegant effective way to organize them. I spent an hour tearing apart my filing cabinet yesterday as soon as I read those pages. I may not want my marriage to look much like hers, but I’m delighted to have made over my filing cabinet in Mary Hunt’s image.


Different views

There are a few areas where Mary’s financial advice deviates from the usual Get Rich Slowly formula. One is the matter of the debt snowball. She encourages readers to start saving 10% of their income towards an emergency fund immediately, while still paying the minimums on their credit cards. Only after saving up a fully funded six-month emergency fund would Hunt advise you to roll those savings into your credit card payments.


Given the relative interest rates on credit cards and savings accounts, this approach will almost certainly cost you money. If it works for you psychologically, though, by all means pursue it. No matter what order you do them in, the key steps of tracking your spending, creating an emergency fund, and snowballing your debt payments will lead you to financial security.


Another place where she breaks with conventional wisdom is in her savings and spending ratios. GRS readers are familiar with the Balanced Money Formula that encourages us to use 50% of our money for living expenses, 30% for fun and 20% for savings. Hunt advises 10% for giving, 10% for saving and 80% for spending.


The order of those percentages is vital to her. A devout Christian, Hunt feels that all the money that comes into your life is a blessing from God, and promptly giving 10% of it back to God shows you can be trusted with this blessing, and more of it will come your way.


I’m not a Christian, but I admire Mary’s faith and devotion to charitable giving. It’s a goal of mine to give 10% of my income. I’ve written about that here before, and readers made a persuasive case for waiting until my debts were paid before giving so much away. For now, I give a modest amount and look forward to giving more in the future.


I think that for Hunt, the psychological benefits of giving 10% and saving 10% before you make any spending decisions at all outweigh the financial benefits of paying off your debts as fast as possible and then beginning to accumulate and donate wealth.


It’s an interesting approach, and one that might work for a lot of people. Particularly if you’re a devoted Christian and looking for a personal-finance book that reflects your values, you’ll find a lot of good in How to Debt-Proof Your Marriage. If you’re looking for a book that’s totally focused on financial savvy and relationship skills, though, this might not be your best bet.










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2010_01_02_to_06_0023 by Vikram Chadaga




































Tuesday, September 14, 2010

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Events of the last week have made the Deficit Commission an embarrassment. Co-Chair Alan Simpson is a one-man disaster movie, compulsively offending one key voting bloc after another. Commission member Paul Ryan faced an angry crowd over his anti-Social Security stance, while another Commissioner locked experienced workers out of a nuclear facility rather than provide retirement benefits.


That's right: He's cutting retirement benefits.


But if the political blowback is obvious, here's what isn't: The Commissioners who are determined to cut your Social Security benefits are going to enjoy their own retirements in comfort. Their own pension plans insulate them from the fears that many other Americans face, and they don't have the professional expertise that would help them understand those concerns. In fact, the Commission's only expert on retirement is Rep. Jan Schakowsky, and she apparently opposes benefit cuts. The rest of the Commission is dominated by people who've expressed their desire to cut Social Security, despite their own secure futures. Millions of working Americans who have contributed to Social Security all their lives will lose out if these Commissioners have their way.


Happy Labor Day.


Normally I consider it off-limits to discuss people's personal finances when discussing their political opinions. But these Commissioners' lack of subject matter expertise, along with their lack of empathy, is important. If you don't know much about the topic and are protected from the problem, what makes you credible? Their pre-established prejudices makes the situation even worse, and their own situations underscore the irony of their self-professed willingness to make "brave choices" - choices whose consequences will mean little or nothing to them.


The Commission's Social Security obsession is odd anyway, since the projected Social Security shortfall comes out to only 0.7% of GDP. Nevertheless, these Commissioners have made their benefit-cutting intentions plain, presumably because they want to offer up America's seniors as a sacrifice to the bond markets. So how will these would-be income-slashers for the elderly make out in their own golden years? They'll be golden.


Consider Commissioner Alice Rivlin. Rivlin co-authored a paper that called for raising the retirement age and other benefit cuts, and recently released a specious paper about "Saving Social Security." As a former HEW Undersecretary, CBO Director, White House Budget Director, and Federal Reserve Vice Chair, she will presumably enjoy a comfortable retirement supported by multiple public pensions. Says Rivlin: ""We can't get out of this problem without doing both spending cuts, especially slowing the growth of entitlement, and tax increases."


Experts on Social Security finance (including the long-time Chief Actuary for the program) flatly disagree with Rivlin, pointing out that an adjustment to the payroll tax cap would unquestionably be enough to get the job done. They have the numbers to prove it. So why does Rivlin, who does not have their expertise in this area, disagree? Go ask Alice.


Co-Chair Erskine Bowles brokered a deal with Newt Gingrich to cut Social Security in the 1990s, when he served as Bill Clinton's Chief of Staff. Before that he headed the Small Business Administration, so his government tenure presumably qualifies him for a Federal pension. If not, don't worry: He receives $425,000 per year in his current job running the public universities of North Carolina, and the people of North Carolina are presumably also funding a pension on his behalf. To his credit, Bowles pledged to donate $125,000 of his salary for need-based student funds - but then, he can afford it. As the son of a US Congressman, Bowles had the education and connections needed to make millions as an investment banker. The added income he earns today as a Board member for General Motors and Morgan Stanley will help, too - and his government experience undoubtedly helped him win those positions, too.


Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, an aggressive advocate of Social Security cuts and privatization, will also enjoy his sunset years in comfort, thanks to a publicly-funded pension from his tenure as a Congressman. (He'll presumably earn even more as a result of his employment as an aide to two United States Senators.) Rep. Jeb Hensaerling has served as both a Representative and as an aide to Sen. Phil Gramm, so he should be safe from financial insecurity in his old age too .


The average annual pension payments for former members of Congress ranged from $41,000 to $55,000 in 2002, considerably more than the average $13,836 that Social Security recipients received in 2009. Yet neither Ryan nor Hensaerling have proposed cutting Congressional retirement benefits - nor should they. Sound pension plans like theirs were once available to most working Americans, and more effort should be made to restore them.


Former SEIU President Andrew Stern, who once might have been counted on to defend Social Security, recently sneered at Commission critics as "assassins of change" while saying that "all entitlements should be on the table." Mr. Stern's annual pension is $152,000 - and he retired at the age of 59, not 70. Nevertheless, Stern now publicly muses about "whether defined benefit pensions can really exist in the long run in a globalized economy."


Judd Gregg, who wants to raise the retirement age to 70, will receive a Federal pension for his Senate position. Gregg, like Alan Simpson, is the son of a Governor (self-made men, you might say), which means that public pensions also ensured that neither of them had to worry about supporting their aged parents. Tom Coburn, another would-be Social Security cutter, will receive a Congressional and Senatorial pension too.


David Cote, the CEO of Honeywell, provides some "private enterprise" perspective to the Commission's work. But Cote's wealth comes in part from Honeywell's government contracts, which exceed $4 billion annually. What's more, Cote's "free enterprise" ethic didn't stop him from making sure that Honeywell grabbed a few million in stimulus money from the taxpayers, too. A few billion from the Pentagon here, a few million more from Uncle Sam there - that'll plump up the nest egg a little for Mr. Cote's sunset years.


Cote made the headlines this week when Honeywell locked out the union workers at a nuclear power plant over a labor dispute - even though the workers agreed to stay on the job to protect public safety. Instead, Cote hired replacements and put them through a pared-down training process. The image of Homer Simpson comes to mind, pushing the wrong buttons and spilling beer on the reactor console - which would presumably make Cote Mr. Burns.


But it's no joking matter. Apparently there's real danger, which is why the Nuclear Regulatory Commission reportedly stepped in to block Honeywell from distilling uranium with its crew of replacement workers And what are the union and Honeywell arguing about? Honeywell's raising health care costs - and eliminating retiree pension plans for new workers.


That's right. A member of the Commission that's pretending to judge our retirement security with impartiality would rather have hastily-trained amateurs handle nuclear materials than bargain openly with his workers - about their retirement. D'oh!


As for Simpson (Alan, not Bart), to say that he suffers from "political Tourette's syndrome" would be a disservice to Tourette's sufferers. Most of them don't really say socially objectionable things, and those who do (it's called "coprolalia") don't mean what they say. But Simpson does. By attacking senior citizens as "greedy geezers," then offending women with his "milk cow with 100 million tits" comment, and now offending veterans' groups, Simpson has now hit the voting bloc trifecta.


And Cote's outraged labor, a fourth group. But the problem isn't Simpson anymore, or Cote for that matter. It's the Commission itself. The coprolalic curmudgeon Simpson has done a service to the nation. He's drawn attention to the Commission, and to the anti-Social Security biases held by so many of its members - all of whom will retire in comfort, thanks to those whose benefits they would cut. It's the comfortable afflicting the afflicted.


If these Deficit Commission members want their recommendations to have any credibility, they should pledge to live on the same Social Security benefits that they would impose for other Americans. Better yet, they should dedicate themselves to helping provide every American with the kind of retirement security they enjoy. That was part of the social contract this nation embraced during its years of greatest economic growth, the fulfillment of a promise that a lifetime of work should never end with years of deprivation. They should be working to restore that contract, not erode it even further.


One thing is clear: This Commission has no business making recommendations about Social Security.


(Sign a petition asking Congress and the President to protect Social Security from the Deficit Commission. Roger Hickey has more here.)


Additional links:


* Sam Seder and I discussed Social Security this week while co-hosting The Young Turks.


* For further reference on the Commission's members and their biases, see Firedoglake and Talking Points Memo.


* House Democrats are vowing to protect Social Security from any cuts. The polls show why that's a very wise idea.



I am a 25 year old college student (school, job + savings, back to school… long story) and boy do I wish I knew about all the resources available to me back then. Good for you for starting early!


Lucky for me I have 1 parent (divorced) who is so bad with money that I have been scared into financial responsibility from a young age. Was I perfect? Hahaha.. but I am doing better than 95% of my friends are right now so I guess I am doing something right?


Here is my advice:


1. GET A JOB! - 2 shifts a week is all it takes. I have friends who just graduated from college without ever having a job. Result? No work experience so nowhere will hire them. Some had problems even getting an internship! Try for customer service jobs. Employers value people skills more than flipping burgers.


2. BUDGET! - Cant teach an old dog new tricks so it is best to start young. Add up your monthly expenses such as rent/insurance/cell/gas/etc and divide by 2 or 4 (depending on weekly/bi-weekly payday). Put this money in savings and no touchy! Once you can live on that budget a certain % for an emergency fund and then % for savings. The rest is your “fun” money. As others have said: pizza, ipods, and clothes are “fun money” and NOT emergencies!


3. DEBIT, CREDIT, or CASH?


DEBIT- I am a die hard debit card user. My credit union has detailed (free) online banking. I check my online bank statement in the morning and at night and go over my spending. Think of it as an instant virtual slap in the face about your spending habits. It hurts for the best.


CASH - Some people just cant be responsible enough to respect the plastic and do better with cash. Try and keep bigger bills on you. Breaking a $5 is less mentally painful than breaking a $20. $1s are dangerous. That can of coke is “only $1″. $7 a week, $30 a month. It adds up.


CREDIT - Many say don’t get a credit card, but I disagree. If you are responsible college is a great time to build credit (unless you have some serious control issues… if that is the case, these are not the droids you are looking for…). Not building credit early is the BIGGEST regret I have. Good credit means better rates when buying a house or a car. Do your research first. Consider a student, or if you have to a secured card.


More about credit-


*Do NOT apply for a credit card on campus. It is like selling your soul for a candy bar. Every time you apply for a credit card they run a credit check, which “pings” you. Too many pings hurts your credit score. Not good. Friend did that at every kiosk that offered something free to sign up when she was 20. This was 7 years ago and her credit is still recovering! The same is true for store credit cards. Do.Not.WANT!

*Pick a required expense, such as gas or cell phone bill and put it on the credit card. Pay off the card at the end of each month. Repeat.

*Do NOT use your credit card to buy “fun money” purchases. No clothes, no ipods, no pizza. This is why you have your debit card of cash. Don’t even think about it mr.!


4. EATING/DRINKING - This is going to be the weird random one from one young person to another.(Part of this only applies to you on/after your 21st birthday!) The young person’s life revolves around being social. For a 20 something this normally involves dinner and/or drinks with friends. It is expensive! So much money can be saved if you plan ahead!


*Eating - Going out to eat is a much needed social experience but NEVER go out to eat starving! Just like you don’t go shopping when you are hungry you never want to experience the whole “eyes bigger than stomach” thing while dining out. Have a snack an hour or so before you meet friends for dinner. This will help you avoid ordering that $8 appetizer! Also, try and order things that reheat or are good cold. LEFTOVERS! Also, water is free. It is good for you! Coke is $3. Go buy yourself a 12 pack and have one when you get home.


*Drinking - Most 20 somethings drink. It is a very expensive part of our lives. It is a social event to help us forget about school and work. We like bars. Unfortunately $5 for a beer is highway robbery! NEVER go to a bar completely sober (when you are 21+ & no drinky + drivey!). Have a drink or 2 at home and then have a beer at the bar. You will save TONS. Also, bring cash to a bar. Only bring as much cash as your sober self would like to spend. Alcohol impairs judgment. Sober you will thank drunk you for not spending. Drunk you will thank sober you for being smart enough to make sure you can afford the advil to take care of that hangover the next day. It is a win win.


Put all that saved food and drink money towards something that will last.


5. BOOKS - Buy used whenever possible. Check online first because campus stores are normally a ripoff. Try and sell the books back online, even if they have released a new edition. Most student book stores on campus will only give you 1/2 of what someone online will be willing to give you!


6. CARS - Buy used and reliable, but not “cheap”. New cars lose tons of value when you drive them off the lot. Don’t buy a “cheap” used car on it’s last leg. Think Goldilocks - not too new, not too old, juuusssttt right! Save up as much money as possible. Pay for it in cash if you can. If not, save up at least 2/3 before purchasing and do your homework!


And whatever you do: AVOID parking tickets, speeding tickets, registration fines.. may as well light the money on fire! Or if you do not want it I will give it a nice home and save you the trouble.




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Peter Max:  John Lindsay in the Ken C. Arnold Art Collection, signed by artist 1970 by Ken C. Arnold