Good government I was miffed last night when I learned Attorney General Dustin McDaniel had sandbagged me about one piece of his so-called ethics ... surpluses on themselves. That was bad. What he didn't tell me was that he intended to DOUBLE ... and so-called absentee lobbying, in which lawmakers swill on the credit cards of absent lobbyists [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 15:36:53
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Unorthodox Way to Earn Extra Money
This is a guest post from WC of The Writer’s Coin . If you like what you see here, please consider subscribing to his RSS feed . I don’t know why, but I’ve been getting free issues of a magazine called Time Out Chicago for the past few weeks. It sums up what’s going on in the city, things to do, good deals to be had, and other stuff [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 11:00:45
Is General Electric Next In Line For A Bailout?
Even though it just posted its third-highest annual profit ever, investors hammered shares of U.S. industrial giant General Electric Co. ( GE ) last week on a triple play of bad news: Its first dividend cut in 71 years. Speculation over a possible credit-ratings downgrade. And growing worries that the once-unthinkable was becoming [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 09:48:38
Obama’s Error On Recovery
Like many others across the political spectrum, I’ve been increasingly frustrated with the refusal of the Obama Administration and Treasury Secretary ... , there is arguably a lot more trouble coming, as credit default swap exposure at the top five banks ... , they will not lend. But they will not sell off the bad assets unless somebody will buy them at a [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 02:53:30
Things must be rough in California
This one particular auto title loan outfit has “eight offices throughout California.” (Note that they serve only California, and no other state.) ... credit, bad credit, it didn’t matter. (Just like the old “Bill Gehr” commercials on 41 on a Sunday ... or an auto title loan to help us ride them out forever. It is merely a step. But hopefully [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 10:49:27
Yeah, We're Still Well And Truly Screwed
There's a very pernicious habit in California of turning away from budget issues once a crisis is averted, in a show of relief that we will at least get a small reprieve from having to deal with the contentious battles for a period of time. This false sense of security is bad enough in regular years [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 19:19:02
No More of Obama’s Talk, Tone, or Temperament
The president not only expresses himself well; words are his primary weapons for mass manipulation. March 9, 2009 - by Bill SiegelPage 1 of 2 Next ->President Barack Obama has used a variety of hypnotic tricks to subliminally control his audiences. Partial proof of his talent lies in the absurd Obamanosis reflected in liberal media sycophants, [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 07:20:28
“I know, we’ll dig our way out!”
When exactly did the current economic “situation” stop being a crisis and develop into a full-blown parody? ... all be happy as clams… except this ignores the underlying problems facing the auto industry. Car ... , they are money pits. The average loan in the United States is for 98% of the car’s total value (couldn’ [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 16:57:52
My Financial Implosion: Better Relationships
“Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction ... and purchase a new trailer by way of a 401(k) loan, things weren’t stellar at work. Despite completing ... to all my previous bad relationships was that I was trying to live up to a standard that was never [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 20:13:11
Tomorrow, I will figure something out
I am trapped in a house. People are chasing me. I fly into the ceiling, heart racing, shredding first plaster, then papery wood, planks, ... us, the card is declined. And it’s really snowing now. I feel bad about myself. I dig for a credit card ... , the credit cards, the interest charges, the beast in the wall. How will I work and be the mother [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 03:17:34
How To Save Hundreds A Month On Your Mortgage
When it comes to American spending habits, the sad truth is that most people don’t put their financial assets to the best use ... such cutting unnecessary services, refinancing a car loan, paying off credit cards (to end the high cost ... with you if you have bad credit? Are you getting a new loan to refinance your rate? Or are you getting a loan [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 10:55:59
Time To Stop Squandering Taxpayer Money
John Hussman is always a good read. This week, in Buckle Up , Hussman is railing about the policies in Washington. Let's tune in. The misguided policy response from Washington has focused almost exclusively on squandering public money and burdening our children with indebtedness in order to defend the bondholders of mismanaged financial [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 05:02:00
Moral Obligation
Megan McArdle explains why she thinks that people do-to some degree-have a moral obligation to repay their debts (lengthy excerpt warning): Four weeks ago, I bought a grill on my credit card. It was not the best grill Home Depot ... sell it for the value of the loan with which I financed it. The equity in my grill has dropped [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 13:02:00
Intellectually Incurious
Y esterday on the podcast, we talked about Pres. Obama’s attitude towards certain aspects of his presidential responsibilities. Apropos of that discussion, he is receiving some criticism for his indifference to the markets . Some Wall Street economists think President Obama could have voiced some sympathy about the plight of frightened [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 20:35:11
A Review Of Thinkvisibility
Posted by Tom_C Over the weekend I was lucky enough to attend ThinkVisibility , a conference in Leeds (UK) where I was speaking on reputation management. It was a one day conference which billed itself as: "...A one-day mini conference with a focus on the areas of web development and marketing which are usually left behind in the creation [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 04:40:10
Maybe these people can save Detroit’s Big 3…
We salute you, automotive task force Yes, we’re all sick of hearing about GM’s woes ... by the automotive decline. I just wonder why we’re supposed to feel more sorry for auto workers than anyone ... But he has the solution: Credit. The Obama administration needs to push lenders to ease up, Glod said. “ [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 05:08:06
Next Economic Flash Point--Credit Cards
Banks' future woes in one word: plastic Quote: NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Major banks have been hit hard by bad mortgages ... headache to deal with: credit card defaults. There have been no shortage of warnings ... that he had no doubts 2009 would be an "awful year" for the credit card industry. Unfortunately for Lewis [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 15:54:31
Springfield City Council Live March 9, 2009
6:55pm…It’s a packed house and rumor is that it’s going to get very trashy tonight. 7:00pm…We’re running a little late tonight. 7:02pm…Meeting called to order. Prayer and pledge. 7:04pm…Minutes approved. Consent agenda passes 9-0. 7:05pm…Ray Shermer sworn into the Planning and Zoning Commission and Debra Dorshorst and Jerome Compton [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 23:58:57
Breaking contract on bond aid misguided, unfair
A proposal to end state school bond aid was so misguided and patently unfair that the Kansas Senate didn’t even bother holding a hearing ... ? Breaking the state’s contract likely would also result in lawsuits and might hurt the state’s credit rating. It’s no wonder why the Senate quickly abandoned this bad idea. The House should do likewise [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 11:00:43
Reality TV Listings: March 10, 2009
The finals start on American Idol is back tonight when 13 lucky young adults compete on FOX and Jillians team turns against her on The Biggest ... is on today or not. Have fun watching! 8AM - 11PM ET/PT Bad Girls - Oxygen 10AM ET/PT The City ... boards and talk about your favorite show! Photo Credit: FOX ShareThis Related [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 12:38:03
Tentacles of The Credit Beast III
This financial crisis has been like an AIDs virus attacking the machinery that usually protects the system. That machinery is the creation of credit ... analysis fame, and now proprietor of an eponymous consulting firm, writes that credit card debt is the next credit crunch. You can find the gist of her piece here . Whitney's contention is that cre [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 14:14:57
Soft-Bundling: The Value of Perceived Authenticity & Transparency
Brian Clark notes the rise of the word authenticity in the field of marketing. Clay Shirky wrote that transparency is the new marketing . For individuals these are true, because if some people grow to like you some will grow to hate you, and it can wear you down to try to fight off a bad reputation in a sound byte culture. .cc_box [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 14:11:10
Rape at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Frat members implicated
Over the past week I’ve been spending some time with The Badger Herald , a student-run newspaper out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. On Wednesday, March 4, the Herald broke the story of one student who chose to come forward about being raped in a University frat house last fall. Her story is truly horrifying (and very, very triggering) [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 16:52:05
Thoughts this Monday evening on Watchmen....
Thoughts this Monday evening.... I saw Watchmen on Saturday, and generally liked it. I'm reserving final opinion on a later day. My friend Alex has (rather correctly, I think) stated that Zach Snyder's movies lack soul. I view this one as a step up from 300, which was itself a step up from Dawn of the Dead.... In general, I liked the movie [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 02:55:00
Celebrity Apprentice: Zappos.com Comic Character!
This week on a two-hour NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice , Joan Rivers explains that her charity, ‘God Loves We Deliver’, helps bring food to critically ill individuals. Joan travels to present the charity representative with the money her team, Athena, won on last week’s cupcake selling task, which saw the men’s team, KOTU, [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 02:58:50
How To Find Reputable Credit Counseling [Credit Counseling]
If you're having problems with your credit and need some help, consider calling a legitimate credit counseling agency for assistance ... much credit card debt or difficulty making rent or car payments, you might want a credit counselor ... . Here's how you find a reputable one that won't scam you. Credit counseling sounds like a dirty [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 02:40:09
Amazing Race 14: Siberia Leaves One Team Out In The Cold
Tonight on CBS’ s Amazing Race , the remaining teams will have to bundle up because they are headed for Siberia! When things get rough, some teams start to play nasty and it ends up costing one team the race. Find out if Mel and Mike are able to maintain their lead or if someone else can pull ahead… Mel and Mike are the first to depart [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 02:00:26
In The News Today
Dear CIGAs, I have received advice from Computershare advising that the Direct Registration System (DRS) ... credit default derivatives. They even have an index as if the underlying paper was functional. Tracking big increases in counterparty credit risk Previous peak came after September collapse [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 23:14:00
Much Ado About Obama and Embryonic Stem Cells
It's not unscientific to question using human embryos for medical research, as our president suggests. It’s responsible. March 10, 2009 - by Melissa ClouthierPage 1 of 2 Next ->In a move that shocked no one, President Barack Obama reversed President George W. Bush’s executive order to ban government-funded human embryonic stem cell (ESC) [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 07:46:43
Welcome To The New Offseason, Same As The Old Offseason
Let’s see how long this internet connection lasts. Despite the entirely new front office and coaching staff, ... for Luke McCown and Ryan Sims . Everyone else made it out into big, bad free agency. To the Bucs’ credit, only two of those guys was signed by another team: Jovan Haye was signed by Tennessee [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 15:31:11
Forced frugality
Phew. ::looks around:: ::dusts self off:: So life chez Ferry is full of shifts and changes and the requisite stress and low-grade depression ... away to calmer waters. Anyway, I flogged that bad metaphor enough for one day. Spring ... ? Now the credit card that we’ve used for online purchas [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 11:52:47
Is Debt the Lifeblood of the Economy?
Everywhere you turn there is news that the Fed, the Treasury, or Congress is attempting to "get credit flowing again". Kevin Depew was discussing this situation in Five Things: Credit is the Lifeblood of the Economy? These are heady times we are living in. Collectively, our national intoxication runs deep and fierce [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 00:31:00
How to win a logo design contest
A few weeks ago, we wrote about all the cool reasons small business owners should ahm, crowdsource their logo. We thought it would only be fair if we now addressed designer concerns about entering these contests. Namely, the fact that they’re not getting paid for their time, talent and artwork [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 14:13:39
If you hate statistics and love listening to ex-jocks, MLB Network is for you
By Jason Snell Special to TVB I'm a baseball fan. So when I learned that Major League Baseball was finally going to join the NFL, NBA, and NHL in creating its own dedicated channel, I was pretty excited. I mean, an entire channel with nothing but baseball -- how great an idea is that? [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 03:34:34
New Couple Alert: Ginnifer Goodwin and Justin Long
The rumors about He’s Just Not That Into You co-stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Justin Long have been swirling for a few weeks ... s had some bad luck with boyfriends, so Justin might be a step up. He seems like a nice guy (maybe a little ... , so that might have been a factor in his overall bad behavior. Ginnifer Goodwin and Justin Long [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 14:00:05
Just switched to Uverse.
Well, economic reasons and curiosity finally convinced us to switch to uverse and ditch Dish. They gave us a credit for the termination fee dish charged. I highly recommend telling them ... was appalling to watch, damned near unwatchable most nights. It was so bad that I rarely watched any sd [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 13:46:41
Putting Science First: Obama Lifts Ban on Stem Cell Research
Photo via the New York TimesThe biggest news to come out of the White House today will no doubt be this: Obama has fulfilled his campaign promise, ... ?) and some Republican lawmakers (one who's already begun calling him “the abortion president”), Obama deserves credit [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 19:50:00
Viewing Big Girls
On Saturdays I generally spend one full hour on a stationary bike in the gym. Because I’m an idiot, mostly ... and sign her name to commit to a year’s worth of automatic credit card charges. And then I thought ... and eating way too much of way too many bad things [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 12:53:04
Keeping Up with Real Estate Trends in Shaky Economic Times
by John Reyes Current real estate trends point to a decline in home prices, a drop in home sales, ... that is most interesting to watch is the decline in home prices. This is bad news for current homeowners ... , and their credit scores have to be high. Real estate trends are good indicators of the overall [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 13:54:22
Sunday Show Review
FOX News Sunday host Chris Wallace began by interviewing Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) ... plan to get credit flowing again. Schumer walks through three main points of Obama’s economic ... types of nationalization – good nationalization and bad nationalization – and said Republicans [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 00:05:02
Want to save your local paper? Read this first.
If you think life would be sweet if the profit-oriented corporations running newspapers were replaced by wealthy, ... is that when there is a credit crunch, like there is right now, they have to factor borrow money to buy their inventory [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 03:00:00
It’s Official: Card Check Will Cost Jobs
The Employee Free Choice Act will have an adverse impact on current and future employment. March 9, 2009 - by Jennifer RubinPage 1 of 2 Next ->Last week an eye-opening study by economist Dr. Anne Layne-Farrar was released concerning the possible impact of the Employee Free Choice Act on unemployment. As unemployment in the U.S [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 07:27:45
Lefties Misrepresent Talk Radio, TV Ratings
THE NUMBERS GAME Olbermann & Friends Twist Limbaugh's Ratings Data Can deranged MSNBC host Keith Olbermann really claim to have more viewers than talk titan Rush Limbaugh has radio listeners? Using twisted "logic" possibly derived from Million Man Math Made Easy , [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 04:00:00
R.I.P RROD?
If you own an Xbox 360 there is a good chance you have probably experienced the degrading feeling of RROD ... . To Microsoft’s credit they didn’t even attempt to argue with me they just took my system back ... monster does not come back from the dead like in a bad horror film. [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 13:07:38
FTC parodies the FreeCreditReport.com ads
With the Democrats back in power, we should have known it would come to this ... their credit is bad. Actually, rockin' out at the Renaissance Fair seems cool to me (lots of comely wenches and ale on hand), but my credit score is about a 12, so what do I know? The bands in both [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 14:07:39
Dlibert Invents a New Form of The Smart Talk Trap: The Dangers of Skilled Bullshitting
One of the main themes on The Knowing-Doing Gap is something that we call "The Smart Talk Trap," ... that was impossible to use.) Indeed, bad ideas of this last variety helped inspire Jeff Pfeffer and I to write ... That Work -- note that like Dilbert, it was an idea that the team believed was bad from the start [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 16:58:05
3 Renaissance Rascals Exposed!
This week we’re lucky to have Elizabeth Lunday, author of Secret Lives of Great Artists: What Your Teachers Never Told You about Master Painters and Sculptors guest blogging with us. Every day this week, she’ll be spilling the dirt on the artists you thought you knew [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 13:30:45
Open Thread and Diary Rescue
Tonight's Rescue Rangers are vcmvo2, ybruti, HansScholl, sunspark says, Elise and dadanation, with claude as editor ... Blog . (Bad Rabbit & claude) dsteffen continues their excellent series How Regulation ... Comments: Another Credit Card Edition . Please enjoy and support these writers and use this Open [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 04:15:19
What's Happening in the Background
Last night I mentioned the J.P. Morgan report referenced by the Journal , ... '. Given these developments, we turn more cautious on senior bank credit given that we see ... the systemic risk is pervasive enough that senior bank credit spreads can widen further as worse [more...]
Date: 2009-03-09 16:22:38
Real Loans for Real People March 10th, 2009
The Best Loans Right NOW (based upon "real people credit", not absolutely perfect credit) Conforming Rates Thirty Year Fixed Rate Loans 4.875% 30 Year fixed rate loan, with only one point (that's a total discount and origination) to the consumer and NO PREPAYMENT PENALTIES!. Assuming a $400,000 loan, Payment $2117, APR 5.003 [more...]
Date: 2009-03-10 16:09:21
