Friday, July 30, 2010

We need you, small business owners and entrepreneurs. To start new businesses and create new jobs. To drag us out of this long recession and into new prosperity.

Northwest News: King County judge won't take 3rd baby away from ...

Two cases, two sets of parents, two sets of charges.

Transfer news England goalkeeper David James agrees to sign for ...

England keeper goes from World Cup finals to the Championship.

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Small Business News: We Need You | Small Business News, Tips ...

We need you, small business owners and entrepreneurs. To start new businesses and create new jobs. To drag us out of this long recession and into new prosperity.

Northwest News: King County judge won't take 3rd baby away from ...

Two cases, two sets of parents, two sets of charges.

Transfer news England goalkeeper David James agrees to sign for ...

England keeper goes from World Cup finals to the Championship.

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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

foreclosure auctions

The Real Housewife Foreclosure Auction: Own a Piece of Teresa Giudice

The poor orange hair monster from Bravo's Real Housewives of New Jersey is bankrupt. She's selling her mansion, and now basically everything she and her husband own, including their freaking wedding rings, is being auctioned off. Lots of pics below.

The Real Housewife Foreclosure Auction: Own a Piece of Teresa Giudice

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App review: BBC News on iPad & iPhone | Econsultancy

Despite concerns expressed by commercial rivals, the BBC's first iPhone and iPad apps were released last week, with BBC News the first release.

Sony unveils 24mm F2, 35mm F1.8 and 85mm F2.8 Alpha lenses ...

Sony unveils 24mm F2, 35mm F1.8 and 85mm F2.8 Alpha lenses: Sony has released three prime lenses for its Alpha SLR system. First up is the eagerly-awaited Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 24mm F2 SSM, which we saw in prototype form at PMA.

Analyst: Nintendo 3DS to revolutionize industry | The Digital Home ...

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter predicts in an investor note that the 3D portable-gaming device will justify game price tags of $29, vs. today's blended average of $25. Read this blog post by Don Reisinger on The Digital Home.

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App review: BBC News on iPad & iPhone | Econsultancy

Despite concerns expressed by commercial rivals, the BBC's first iPhone and iPad apps were released last week, with BBC News the first release.

Sony unveils 24mm F2, 35mm F1.8 and 85mm F2.8 Alpha lenses ...

Analyst: Nintendo 3DS to revolutionize industry | The Digital Home ...

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Monday, July 26, 2010

1 internet marketing

The big idea

Harbinger Capital Partners took a majority stake in LightSquared back in March. At that time Harbinger laid out an ambitious proposal that uses the spectrum holdings of two satellite companies as a means to break into the U.S. wireless market. I covered them here:

The planned network would launch before the third quarter of 2011 and cover 9 million people, with trials set initially for Denver and Phoenix. The next milestone is that 100 million people have to be covered by the end of 2012, 145 million by the end of 2013 and at least 260 million people in the United States by the end of 2015. Harbinger said in its statements to the FCC that all major markets will be installed by the end of the second quarter of 2013.

In an interview today, Frank Boulben, chief marketing officer of LightSquared, said the company would meet those dates, and that so far LightSquared has been negotiating leases with the “main tower companies” in the U.S. for space for some of the 40,000 base stations the company, or rather NSN, plans to deploy.

The nitty gritty details

Harbinger is taking advantage of a ruling made in 2003 by the Federal Communications Commission that allows satellite firms to also offer terrestrial wireless services as long as they provided dual-mode devices and the terrestrial aspect of the network is “ancillary.” Seeing the demand for wireless Internet rising, satellite companies and their private equity backers flocked to the space, banking on the fact that the satellite companies owned a chunk of the airwaves that are so essential for providing mobile broadband service.

However, mobile broadband via satellite is a slow, clunky affair that requires large, temperamental devices and delivers speeds of less than 1 Mbps down. Broad adoption, which is what LightSquared will need, requires terrestrial networks to deliver faster service and modern devices on that network that appeal to consumers. Boulben notes that LightSquared will be able to offer partners three options for coverage: satellite-only, terrestrial-only or a combination of the two.

All told, LightSquared has access to 59 MHz of spectrum through its own holdings, a lease agreement with Inmarsat and some other purchases. But only 13 MHz of the 59 MHz of that spectrum will be available for terrestrial-only services. That’s not a large amount for what will likely be the most popular type of service that LightSquared’s reseller partners will want. Boulben says the company plans to deploy its spectrum for LTE in 5×5 MHz chunks (with 5 MHz allocated to the downlink and 5 to the uplink). The breakdown for the spectrum holdings are 46MHz in the so-called L band at 1.6 Ghz, 8 MHz at 1.4 GHz band and 5 MHz at the 1.6 GHz block that’s not in the L-band. Those last two are where the terrestrial-only networks could be deployed.

The issue with the combined network boils down to the device and network speeds. Having a dual-mode device has historically meant big compromises on style and battery life. Plus, satellites can’t offer fast speeds like the LTE network could. Beurbon said that new chips inside devices, to be detailed later this year, make the combined satellite and terrestrial devices less clunky. He also says that a new, larger satellite SkyTerra is launching will help reduce the need for big antennas and battery-draining radios inside handsets or broadband dongles.

The money side of things

The release out today from LightSquared notes that the company has so far received $2.9 billion in assets from Harbinger Capital Partners to make its LTE network a reality and says that it has raised up to $1.75 billion in debt and equity. However, it hasn’t raised the full $1.75 billion yet — merely an initial round. Boulben did not disclose the investors, nor the amount raised so far but said the round was oversubscribed. Given the hype about the looming spectrum shortage and the complexities of spectrum rules and network deployments, I’m not surprised that LightSquared could find investors who see only the increase and demand, but may not understand all of the complexities associated with the spectrum or the requirements of a cellular network. But the key is whether or not LightSquared can get its network operating and generating revenue in time to repay them and also pay NSN. LightSquared did not disclose when it’s initial debt repayment would be due.

The history of satellite companies is littered with bankruptcies and near-bankruptcies, and financing the costs of building out a terrestrial and satellite network aren’t trivial. The debt and equity raised will fund both NSN’s contract as well as the satellite requirements. So while this is an essential first step for LightSquared, the news today is somewhat less exciting than it appears if we’re keeping our eye on the goal of building a nationwide wholesale LTE network.

We have a rebranding of an existing company with a few new faces on the executive team, notably a CEO from Orange and an SVP for engineering and operations from Clearwire, an undisclosed amount of new money into a venture that has already swallowed billions and a contract with a reputable vendor to build out an LTE network at a cost of $7 billion. At this point, the Nokia Siemens Networks adds the most credibility to this whole effort. I hope it gets paid.

Related GigaOM Pro content (sub req’d):
Everybody Hertz: The Looming Spectrum Crisis

Viacom v Internet: round one to Internet

Cory Doctorow at 10:02 PM Wednesday, Jun 23, 2010

Google's won the first round of the enormous lawsuit Viacom brought against it. Viacom is suing Google for $1 billion for not having copyright lawyers inspect all the videos that get uploaded to YouTube before they're made live (they're also asking that Google eliminate private videos because these movies -- often of personal moments in YouTubers' lives -- can't be inspected by Viacom's copyright enforcers).

The lawsuit has been a circus. Filings in the case reveal that Viacom paid dozens of marketing companies to clandestinely upload its videos to YouTube (sometimes "roughing them up" to make them look like pirate-chic leaks). Viacom uploaded so much of its content to YouTube that it actually lost track of which videos were "really" pirated, and which ones it had put there, and sent legal threats to Google over videos it had placed itself.

Other filings reveal profanity-laced email exchanges between different Viacom execs debating who will get to run YouTube when Viacom destroys it with lawsuits, and execs who express their desire to sue YouTube because they can't afford to buy the company and can't replicate its success on their own.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton ruled that YouTube was protected from liability for copyright infringement by the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The DMCA has a "safe harbor" provision that exempts service providers from copyright liability if they expeditiously remove material on notice that it is infringing. Viacom's unique interpretation of this statute held that online service providers should review all material before it went live. If they're right, you can kiss every message-board, Twitter-feed, photo-hosting service, and blogging platform goodbye -- even if it was worth someone's time to pay a lawyer $500/hour to look at Twitter and approve tweets before they went live, there just aren't enough lawyers in the universe to scratch the surface of these surfaces. For example, YouTube alone gets over 29 hours' worth of video per minute.

Viacom has vowed to appeal.

In dismissing the lawsuit before a trial, Stanton noted that Viacom had spent several months accumulating about 100,000 videos violating its copyright and then sent a mass takedown notice on Feb. 2, 2007. By the next business day, Stanton said, YouTube had removed virtually all of them.

Stanton said there's no dispute that "when YouTube was given the (takedown) notices, it removed the material."

Calling Stanton's reasoning "fundamentally flawed," Viacom said it was looking forward to challenging the decision in appeals court.

Judge sides with Google in $1B Viacom lawsuit
(Thanks, Mike P!)

(Image: Viacom, a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike (2.0) image from mag3737's photostream -- used with permission)

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The Informative Spain News | The Ustur

Spain is a beautiful place comprising of many important cities and places. The climate is very differentiating. The major climatic differences can be found.

How Fox News Covered Shirley Sherrod Story | Fox News | Mediaite

Since we broke down how Fox News' coverage could not have possibly led to Shirley Sherrod's forced resignation, the story of FNC's coverage has remained a hot topic on cable news. Dan Abrams and Rick Sanchez debated it, Howard Dean and ...

Amy Walter Joins ABC News As Political Director - The Note

Amy Walter joins ABC News as political director, it was announced today. Based in Washington, Ms. Walter will oversee all political coverage on ABCNews.com, including ABC's 'The Note.' The Note, authored by ABC News' Rick Klein, ...

Sunday, July 25, 2010

about internet marketing

Susan Payton is the President of Egg Marketing & Public Relations, an Internet marketing firm. She blogs at The Marketing Eggspert Blog. Follow her on Twitter @eggmarketing. Download her newest e-book, “Content is Queen: How Article & Blog Writing Will Increase Your Sales.“

Companies love positive feedback. They share it on Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter, post it on their website and use it as marketing fodder. But what about when feedback is, well, less than pleasant? What can you do with a handful (or more) of irate customers? Do you ignore them? Bury them out back? Not in today’s social atmosphere.

Rather than try to sweep these unhappy customers under the rug, look at them as a challenge and an opportunity to improve your brand and leverage them for some publicity.

Why You Want Angry Customers

Well, maybe you don’t want angry customers, but let’s be honest — you’ll never have 100 percent customer satisfaction. No one does. So use those unhappy customers to better understand what you’re doing wrong, and learn from the experience. And while you’re at it, turn the angry customers into brand evangelists.

There are several ways to connect with unhappy customers in a meaningful way:

Hold a panel or forum in person; give them a tour of your facility and hold a venting session
Work virtually; host an online panel to get feedback from them
Work one-on-one to understand their concerns and address them individually

In-Person Events

Dell recently held its first Customer Advisory Panel event at their headquarters in Round Rock, TX. They invited two groups of 15 bloggers and social media gurus. One group was full of people who had negative experiences with the company and who were vocal about their displeasure. The second group was made up of people that Dell considered brand evangelists; people who loved Dell and told others.

The attendees started the morning with their gripes; customer service issues came up again and again. The heads of customer service and marketing were present and actively engaged. As they listened, they took notes, then asked questions and they promised they would make changes.

That type of customer empowerment is important. Now, whether they’ll go through with the promised changes is another story, but it was clear that Dell understood it was time to start paying attention to the public’s perception of its brand, and make some changes to keep their customers.

Nestlé is another company that has been successful at holding an event to let people engage with its brand directly. After a resurgence in interest in the Nestle Boycott a few years ago, Nestlé decided to invite a group of bloggers to what it called its “Happy, Healthy Gathering” in 2009. Mommy bloggers, who’d been tweeting up a storm about the company’s stance on breastfeeding in third world countries, were invited to tour the facilities and give their input on the company.

Whether the event truly changed perceptions remains to be seen, but it did a great deal to show that Nestlé was putting in the effort to reach its audience.

Disclosure: I was one of the bloggers invited to participate Dell’s Customer Advisory Panel.

Virtual Panels

Virtual panels are decidedly less effective than in-person ones. But they can be good replacements for focus groups. Pssst is General Mills’ online testing ground for new products. The company sends participants coupons and free products to try, and in return they are asked to fill out surveys. The program is so successful that bloggers who write about saving money are gladly turning others onto joining Pssst.

Similarly, the Starbucks Passion Panel was designed to get customer feedback — for better or worse. The community of Starbucks drinkers gives their input via surveys and forums.

Passion Panel member Jennifer Boyd said, “Being on the Passion Panel means that I have access to direct input and discussion with other members. It enables me to give my opinion on Starbucks’ current and future products through surveys. The panel is a great way to engage with their loyal customers and solidifies a relationship with a consumer to a brand.”

Wal-Mart’s Elevenmoms platform is another example of how a mix of online community, shopper experience and in-person visits can work together to help the company gather new insights. John Andrews, former Senior Manager of Emerging Media for Wal-Mart and founder of the Elevenmoms, said the community succeeded in getting Wal-Mart’s attention in a few areas where it was lacking.

When the iPhone was launched in Wal-Mart stores, the Elevenmoms were invited to go through the purchase process. Some had no problems, but others did. It took one blogger two hours to buy a phone. Each blogger published her experience, and Wal-Mart took the feedback to its operations staff, who took notes and improved the purchase process.

“The Elevenmoms used direct social media interaction to improve the shopping process,” said Andrews.

Other feedback caused Wal-Mart to reconsider its layaway strategy. Having canceled the layaway plan due to costs, Wal-Mart got some flack from the Elevenmoms, who felt it made it easier to make big purchases. As a result, Wal-Mart developed its Site to Store platform, which provided the benefit of layaway online, so that local stores didn’t incur extra costs.

Disclosure: John Andrews now works with Collective Bias, a company with which I have collaborated on projects.

One-on-One

Solving a customer’s problems and changing their perception individually is the least cost-effective method, but a little work goes a long way. And it starts with customer service personnel being properly trained to solve problems, and not to simply stick to “the script” at all costs. Look at Zappos or Disney for great examples of how service reps are empowered to solve problems.

Disney empowers each of its “cast members” (staff) to solve a guest’s problem. From the street sweeper to the reservation specialist, everyone has the ability to turn a negative situation into a good one. That might mean replacing a fallen ice cream cone, upgrading a guest’s hotel room, or simply answering politely the most commonly asked question on Disney property: what time is the three o’clock parade?

Disney is so good at customer service, they’ve opened the Disney Institute, a customer service training program helps other corporations use the same techniques that has made Disney such a success.

Likewise, Zappos is also famous for its customer service tactics. The reps don’t use scripts, and seem to genuinely care about solving problems. Many customers are pleasantly surprised when their shipping gets upgraded and they get their shoes even faster – at no additional charge.

By providing instant happiness to the customer, these brands can prevent a lot of the bad karma that comes down the road when an unhappy customer becomes an enraged customer who tells everyone he knows about how bad the company is (no one wants their own version of DellHell).

Conclusion

No matter how you interact with unhappy customers, the point is not to brush them off, and make sure you learn from it. Don’t just pretend to listen and then go on doing business as usual. Take the feedback as constructive criticism that can help you determine your company’s future. How you handle your failures could make you or break you.

More Business Resources from Mashable

- HOW TO: Evaluate Your Social Media Plan/> - Why Your Next Business Card May Be Virtual/> - HOW TO: Improve B2B Sales Productivity with Social Media/> - HOW TO: Use Social Media for Lead Generation/> - HOW TO: Use QR Codes for Small Business Marketing

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Viacom v Internet: round one to Internet

Cory Doctorow at 10:02 PM Wednesday, Jun 23, 2010

Viacom has vowed to appeal.

In dismissing the lawsuit before a trial, Stanton noted that Viacom had spent several months accumulating about 100,000 videos violating its copyright and then sent a mass takedown notice on Feb. 2, 2007. By the next business day, Stanton said, YouTube had removed virtually all of them.

Stanton said there's no dispute that "when YouTube was given the (takedown) notices, it removed the material."

Calling Stanton's reasoning "fundamentally flawed," Viacom said it was looking forward to challenging the decision in appeals court.

Judge sides with Google in $1B Viacom lawsuit
(Thanks, Mike P!)

(Image: Viacom, a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike (2.0) image from mag3737's photostream -- used with permission)

Sad News From NPR: Daniel Schorr, Veteran Newsman and NPR Staple ...

The journalism profession lost a lion today — Daniel Schorr, longtime NPR senior news analyst and, before that, CNN correspondent and member of CBS's news.

Carl Cameron, Fox News Correspondent, Reportedly Says Channel ...

A top Fox News correspondent reportedly said he agrees that the channel supports the Tea Party. The Daily Beast's Steve Friess reports that he witnessed a conversation between Daily Kos blogger Dante Atkins and Fox News chief political ...

Tech News Sites Tout Misleading BitTorrent Piracy Study | TorrentFreak

Unfortunately, the results of these type of studies are pushed by anti-piracy outfits and taken for granted by outsiders, even by respected news outlets on the Internet such as Ars Technica and ZDNet. In this case their reporters were ...

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Thursday, July 22, 2010

personal finance books

Jeff Yeager's latest book, The Cheapskate Next Door, landed in bookstores on June 8 and is the perfect personal-finance book for the new economy.

In the past, most personal-finance books have tried to teach readers how to build a seven-figure net worth. Yeager traveled around the country talking to some of the cheapest people in America and learned the secrets to living happier, more fulfilled lives with less stuff.

DailyFinance: What's been the most surprising thing that you learned about cheapskates working on this book?

Jeff Yeager: You know, I surveyed more than 300 self-described cheapskates for this new book -- and interviewed many of them personally -- and while there were many surprising things I learned along the way, overall it was that for the vast majority of them, like 90%+, their decision to live the frugal lifestyle wasn't about money at all. It was almost always grounded in a bigger belief. Sometimes it was a religious belief, sometimes environmentalism, sometimes something else. These aren't greedy, Scrooge-like, pensive penny-pinchers I write about. These are people who recognize that there's a lot more to life than money and stuff, and they've found creative ways to make money a less important part of their lives. They know what they want, and they skip the rest.

In your book, you mention that cheapskates hate debt. But I think there's a popular perception that people who "win" with money rely heavily on what many consider to be "good" forms of debt. In your experience, how do cheapskates feel about things like student loans and mortgages?

Well, I'll bet you that there are a whole lot fewer people who believe that stuff about "good debt" than there were a few years ago, don't you think? For the cheapskates next door, debt still stings. They understand that there's a big difference between "affordability" -- Can I really afford it? -- and what I call "borrowability" -- Can I borrow enough money to buy it now? Ninety-five percent of them live debt free, with the possible exception of owing on a home mortgage, and even then the vast majority of those with a mortgage told me that they plan to pay it off early, or already have. Admittedly we're talking an old-school attitude toward the perils of borrowing money, but I think the wisdom of the cheapskate ways is being proven out these days in a very visible -- and in many cases, painful -- way. As for using debt to create wealth, let me be really clear about this: I don't write books about how to get rich, which is what the vast majority of personal finance books are ultimately about. I write books about how to get happy, perhaps with what you already have. Part of that is showing people how to spend smart, regardless of how much money they have, but the bigger part of what I write about is quality of life, and issues regarding human happiness. As I said in my first book, I'm afraid we live in a culture that's more concerned about amassing a quantity of stuff, rather than amassing a quality of life.

You talk in the book about buying used. What are some advantages to buying used that a lot of people don't necessarily think of?

Obviously there are positive environmental aspects. Mother Nature thanks you for using it up and wearing it out, rather than rushing out to buy a new one. But of the cheapskates I surveyed, the environmental impact of their frugal lifestyles was only important to about half of them, even though their frugal behavior is inherently green -- greener, in fact, than those self-proclaimed environmentalist who rush out to buy the latest expensive, eco-friendly products when they don't even need them. Sorry for the tangent, but I've been an ardent environmentalist my whole life, and some of the current consumer-driven trends in environmentalism bother me. Of course, there's also a tremendous economic advantage to, as one cheapskate told me, "letting the other guy pay for depreciation," which is what you're doing, at least to some degree, when you buy used. Most of the cheapskates I interviewed we're also very tuned into the issue of "appreciation," always looking for items that might actually increase in value over time rather than lose value. That's why the Amish, for example, often buy antique furniture. Cheapskates think about appreciation when buying a wide range of consumer products ... cars, furniture, even clothing. Let's face it, most consumers only stop to think about appreciation when they buy a house, and even then, they're often not very smart about it.

One of the things you talk about is how being a cheapskate will actually make you happier. But a lot of people think buying cool stuff will make you happier. Why isn't that the case?

Of course, pretty much all the social science about human happiness suggests that more money and more stuff really doesn't make us happier, at least once we're above the poverty level. Most "stuff" tends to eventually disappoint us. Americans eventually express at least some regrets about almost 80% of the discretionary items they buy. "Buyer's remorse" is an epidemic in our culture. On the other hand, the cheapskates I surveyed regret only about 10% of their discretionary purchases. So, it's not that they're depriving themselves of things -- or, if they are, they're mostly depriving themselves of the 80% of the crap that most people buy, only to regret later. The fact that that type of smart spending allows the cheapskates next door to live debt free -- and therefore a less stressful, less money-centered lifestyle -- is one of the secrets to happiness that they have to share with the rest of us. More than 9 out of 10 of the cheapskates in my survey said that they think about/stress out about money less than most non-cheapskates they know. They also get divorced at only about half the national rate, in part because they rarely have "money problems." I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention that of the cheapskates I polled, they donate nearly twice as much to charity as the average American. Again, that's because for most of them, their decision to live a frugal lifestyle isn't about the money at all.

I recently reviewed Gary Rivlin's important new book, Broke USA, for the Huffington Post. Thus, I was stunned when I noticed that the book had been reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.

I wondered if the reviewer, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and I had read the same book.

f you go by her philosophy, payday lenders and other members of the "poverty industry" are upstanding entrepreneurs, performing a service for society!

She waits until the second to last paragraph to "mention" that payday lenders are providing this wonderful service at "something like a 300% to 400% interest rate."

Ms. Mangu-Ward makes a historic comparison of those in the "poverty industry" with loan sharks of a different era. I'm not sure that Mangu-Ward, a Yale University graduate, has ever met a loan shark. I have.

As I note in my book Son of a Son of a Gambler, loan sharks and gamblers populated my hometowns of Covington and Newport in Northern Kentucky.

Although the sharks were aggressive in their collections policies, any loan shark who charged 400% would have soon been floating in the Ohio River.

I also doubt that many loan sharks were ever touted for their entrepreneurial acumen in the Wall Street Journal.

The sad thing is that the Wall Street Journal would allow such a slanted and biased reviewer to write a review for their newspaper.

She leaps to conclusions that show a lack of research, especially for a graduate of an Ivy League school.

For example, she said that Rivlin brings "a level of financial illiteracy and disdain for entrepreneurs that is somewhat surprising in a man who once covered Silicon Valley for the New York Times."

If Mangu-Ward had done her homework, she would have read Rivlin's books, The Plot to Get Bill Gates and The Godfather of Silicon Valley. The first book shows Rivlin's tremendous empathy with the featured entrepreneur and the second shows some keen insights into how businesses truly operate.

Anyway, Broke USA is not about entrepreneurism. It's about the poverty industry and how loan sharking has become legalized.

Rivlin devotes much of his book to efforts in North Carolina and other states to offer payday loans at a more reasonable interest rate. He notes how the United States armed services put a 36% cap on any payday loans made to military personnel.

None of that important information made it into a "review" that in the author's mind puts payday lenders in the same category as Mother Teresa: Doing good for the poor.

I don't remember Mother Teresa charging 400% interest rates.

Despite what the Wall Street Journal says, Broke USA is an even-handed look at the poverty industry.

A little even-handedness would have gone a long way in the Wall Street Journal's review.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704629804575325840351124892.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-mcnay/wall-street-and-legalized_b_596986.html

Don McNay, CLU, ChFC, MSFS, CSSC is an award-winning financial columnist and Huffington Post Contributor.

You can read more about Don at www.donmcnay.com

McNay has Master's Degrees from Vanderbilt and the American College and is in the Hall of Distinguished Alumni of Eastern Kentucky University.

McNay has written two books. Most recent is Son of a Son of a Gambler: Winners, Losers and What to Do When You Win The Lottery

McNay is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table and has four professional designations in the financial services field.

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Michael Lohan charged in domestic violence dispute with fiancee ...

about this blog. The FOX411 Blog is your first call for celebrity and entertainment news. FOX411 brings you the latest scoops using FOX's unmatched reach in news, entertainment, TV and the Internet. Click on back now, ya hear? ...

EXCLUSIVE: Brad Pitt To Star In 'World War Z,' Paramount Options ...

While chatting up "World War Z" author Max Brooks at the booth for comic publisher Avatar Press, the writer confirmed to MTV News that the adaption of his novel about the zombie apocalypse is not only moving forward, but Brad Pitt is ...

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Is there anyone Obama won't fire or throw under the bus if Fox asks him to? What if they ask Obama to fire himself? Would he do it? Or would he just fire Biden and say he met them halfway?

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Michael Lohan charged in domestic violence dispute with fiancee ...

EXCLUSIVE: Brad Pitt To Star In 'World War Z,' Paramount Options ...

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Is there anyone Obama won't fire or throw under the bus if Fox asks him to? What if they ask Obama to fire himself? Would he do it? Or would he just fire Biden and say he met them halfway?

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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

personal financeonline personal finance

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Shepard Smith Unloads On Fox News, White House Over Shirley ...

Shep Smith laid into his own network Wednesday, calling out Fox News for its role in hyping the Shirley Sherrod story based on an edited videotape (h/t Mediaite). Smith's critique began when he cut into Wednesday's briefing by White ...

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Journolister who bashed Fox News is on board that determines who ...

Journolister Michael Scherer, who compared Fox News to a tribal organization, is on the board that will determine who gets the front row seat in the White House briefing room.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

personal finance and budgeting

What a fantastic basic concept.

Hitler lost the second world war because he attacked Russia too soon. udervise ve vood all be speeking Deutsch now.

We employed the alternative massively effective budgetting tool.

Be a self employed Engineer for 15 years with take home pay of £50K a year and spend it all (and more besides, because ‘I want one of those NOW’) because ‘my jobs safe’.

Watch as the banks destroy the worlds finances.

Suddenly realise that over 90% of British industry is ultimately owned by Japanese investment banks, who suddenly have no money to fulfill their legal obligations to complete legislation driven improvment projects.

Watch as my £50K a year take home falls to ZERO.

Start a brand new business with Kleeneze (sorry not available in the USA) Which although it’s building really well is , after all, a business and needs time.

Suddenly HAVE to live on £18K a year GROSS.

Best Motivation for re-inventing your budget that anyone can have LOL.

We used to spend about £1,000 a month on groceries, now we spend around £300 a month, AND we eat more healthily.

Fortunately the finance on my car ended a month after our income disappeared saving us £375 a month.

We’ve sold my wifes’ car (THAT hurt) it was a really nice car, but it was costing us £489 a month in finance.

We’ve moved to a cheaper house saving us £400 a month in rent.

We’ve cancelled everything that wasn’t absolutely essential - including SKY and the TV license (It’s true, you don’t die if you turn the telly off!)

We still have creditors who we’re negotiating reduced payments and frozen interest with, but basically we are starting again from scratch.

We won’t fall into the credit trap again

Certainly not in the next six years or more ‘cos no-one in their right mind will give us credit now anyway!!

The one thing that keeps coming back to me though is

WHY aren’t our schools teaching kids how to budget? It’s a thousand times more important than even the basics.

Who cares if you can’t spell budgit if you can make one and stick to it.

It CAN’T be one of the things that are left to parents because nobody ever taught us!

Back to subject,

Your article is brilliant and if it helps one person (which I’m sure it already has) to get out or stay out of debt then you’ve done a service to humanity.

Keep it up &

we’ll see you

OVER the top

Forget the coupon clipping. A straightforward, realistic budget is the best deal you'll ever find.

Why is a budget the best deal? Because, just like your childhood puppy your budget will always be there for you, no expiration dates, no fine print to yank away the savings after you've already been whipped into a furry of consumerism. If you care for your budget it will take care of you so that "saving" isn't just not unnecessarily spending an extra $5 at the grocery store this week; but actually saving money in a high yield savings account. Another great thing about a budget is that, again like your puppy, it will take you back even if you screw up.

Think outside the sale. For years I chased after deals and discounts like they were the oxygen keeping me alive. It didn't matter if I needed an item or not -- if there was a sticker advertising 60, 70, 80 or 90% off a gadget, I wanted to buy it. How could I pass up the savings?

It wasn't until recently that I realized a budget is the best deal you can find. After taking a few minutes to look at how to put together a budget I realized that it takes less time to set up and follow a budget than it does to look for deals every day of the week.

Thanks to great free personal finance management (PFM) tools from sites such as like Mint.com, Rudder and others you can easily create a budget and track how well you are following it each day. These tools will even send you a notification when you go outside of your budget so you aren't shocked at the end of the month. If you don't already have a successful budget don't start creating one yet. First go read these tips for setting realistic budget.

Advice on Budgeting

Reverse Budget - A savings first solution from FiveCentNickel

Budgeting basics - a Budget primer from Consumerism Commentary including suggestions on how to get started.

My personal favorite and current method of budgeting isn't so much a budget as it is smart spending. Ramit Sethi explains the model in his book I Will Teach You to Be Rich, calling it, "Conscious Spending." Instead of focusing on the minutia Sethi concedes that it is in fact OK to, "Spend extravagantly on the things you love, and cut costs mercilessly on the things you don't."

A budget may be the best deal, but that doesn't mean you need to give up on coupon clipping and bargain hunting; just make these tools that support your plan instead of the main focus. If you plan for your purchases, by saving up at SmartyPig or setting a goal in Rudder, you can still go looking for a deal on your next purchase and pay in cash. Trust me, there's something really incredible about paying in cash for the new camera that you've researched and found the best deal on.Thanks to great free personal finance management (PFM) tools from sites such as like Mint.com, Rudder and others you can easily create a budget and track how well you are following it each day. These tools will even send you a notification when you go outside of your budget so you aren't shocked at the end of the month. If you don't already have a successful budget don't start creating one yet. First go read these tips for setting realistic budget.

Advice on Budgeting

Reverse Budget - A savings first solution from FiveCentNickel

Budgeting basics - a Budget primer from Consumerism Commentary including suggestions on how to get started.

My personal favorite and current method of budgeting isn't so much a budget as it is smart spending. Ramit Sethi explains the model in his book, I Will Teach You to Be Rich, calling it, "conscious spending." Instead of focusing on the minutia Sethi concedes that it is in fact wise to "spend extravagantly on the things you love, and cut costs mercilessly on the things you don't."

A budget may be the best deal, but that doesn't mean you need to give up on coupon clipping and bargain hunting; just make these tools that support your plan instead of the main focus. If you plan for your purchases, by saving up at SmartyPig or setting a goal in Rudder, you can still go looking for a deal on your next purchase and pay in cash. Trust me, there's something really incredible about paying in cash for the new camera that you've researched and found the best deal on.
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How much is enough? Do you feel you need to slow down? Is your budget busting at the seams? Have your felt your busy and materialistic lifestyle screaming to you to make some kind of change to down size or simplify your life? To explore the world of voluntary simplicity and frugality and greener living and how these things all go hand in hand, the following web sites are some of the best places on the internet to get started to educate yourself about how to change your life and environment for the better.

Choosing Voluntary Simplicity

http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/

At the

Choosing Voluntary Simplicity web site you will learn :

How To Slow Down

How To De Clutter

Green Living and Simpler Living

Downsizing

Frugal Gardening and much more

Affluenza and Escape From Affluenza

http://www.pbs.org/kcts/affluenza/

This is a PBS series from years ago that will inspire someone into voluntary simplicity and see examples of people who have taken extreme measures to downsize and simply their life into voluntary simplicity and frugality. The web site has links to voluntary simplicity organizations, magazines and newsletters, An idea list of 100 ways to escape from affluenza. Additionally this PBS web site on Voluntary Simplicity has a quiz to see if you are ready to change your lifestyle and also an extensive list of resources and ideas for frugal and simple living.

Live Simply at Suite 101

http://greenliving.suite101.com/

Tips, information, encouragement, and discussion for those who wish to take control of their lives and learn to relax and simplify. From organic pest control to, eco friendly cleaning to best ways to conserve water and save on home heating costs, this web site covers the gamut of frugality in harmony with greener living.

Pioneer Thinking

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/

Pioneer Thinking is a self- described Internet natural living community. Pioneer Thinking shares health, home, and beauty tips. This web site is a collection of articles relating from everything from soap making, organic gardening, children's crafts, budgeting tips. candle making, nutrition, recipes, frugal decorating, thrifty home improvement, and also many mind body spiritual approaches to voluntary simplicity

Simple Living Resource Guide

Resource guide for people interested in voluntary simplicity, simple living, and downsizing, maintained by the Pierce Simplicity Study.

http://www.gallagherpress.com/pierce/index.htm

This web site extensively covers voluntary simplicity from inspirational stories and memoirs, simplicity lessons, simplicity study groups and 12 step programs, and an extensive list of links to voluntary simplicity books, magazines, newsletters and other resources.

About.com Frugal Living

http://frugalliving.about.com/

From bargain shopping to being a frugal senior to handmade gifts and affordable transportation, this web site talks about creative and clever ways to be frugal and to simplify your life.

Adventure Of A Frugal Girl

http://adventuresoffrugalgirl.blogspot.com/

From dumpster diving to money making ideas to random acts of kindness, Melanie keeps it real and how she rolls.

Totally Frugal

http://www.totallyfrugal.com/forums/

This is a forum where you can interact with others who devote their lives to frugality or are just discovering ways to become frugal. From energy saving ideas, to analyzing household cash flow, to balancing family challenges with voluntary simplicity and frugality, this forum has many engaging discussions.

I Village Budget Tips

http://home.ivillage.com/quicklinks_budget/0,,b6frsxdd,00.html

links to a wealth of articles from budget cooking and grocery shopping on a shoestring, to healthy eating, setting finance goals, cleaning and organizing, crafts and educating on all things personal finance related.

The Dollar Stretcher

http://www.stretcher.com/index.cfm

The Dollar Stretcher will stretch your brain on all things frugal! From paying it forward with pennies, to garage sale tips and shortcuts, to guilt free vacations, frugal proms, home made cleaning products, debt management, what to do when you lose your job to muchmore. And yes, the folks at The Dollar Stretcher even tackle voluntary simplicity as a lifestyle.

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Monday, July 19, 2010

personal finance programs

I sought government assistance ONE time. I mean actively go and get it, had a lawyer and everything and I got it.

It was the TOUGHEST decision I ever made because I hated, I mean HATED the idea of relying on governmental help because I was raised to be independent but I had to do it. I had to do it because I made a mistake unwittingly years ago (follies of youth) and I had to pay the piper as it were because it caught up with me and it was a bit of an act of desperation and had very little choice. (bankruptcy)

I was taught not to look to the government for more than the execution of righteous laws, including and especially the Constitution, and its military defense of the country. So this was little more than a handout from the government and because it bothered me so much, I actually went to therapy for a short while. Things are fine now, as I said, this was years ago.

Because of the way I was brought up, and the way I am, I don't see how people can seek government help without trying other avenues first? And I mean really trying. Yeah, there are some legit cases, but then you know there are the loafers out there too, and this business of the unemployment benefits has been abused in recent times, especially since it has been certified that the Obeyme administration truly is anti-business and places to work at don't want to hire people in that kind of climate. So you got two big problems here, the people taking advantage of a situation and the current government taking advantage of a situation and NEITHER one benefits in the end....except the government has tighter control.

So what are people to do? The options are getting more and more limited these days.

-Jon

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President Obama Signs Iranian Sanctions Bill into Law

July 01, 2010 7:22 PM

ABC News’ Yunji de Nies and Sunlen Miller Report:

President Barack Obama signed a new sanctions bill against Iran aimed at “striking at the heart” of that country’s ability to develop nuclear weapons. It’s a move the President says he did not seek, but one the Iranian government brought on themselves.

“Since taking office, I have made it clear that the United States was prepared to begin a new chapter of engagement with the Islamic Republic of Iran. We offered the Iranian government a clear choice. It could fulfill its international obligations and realize greater security, deeper economic and political integration with the world, and a better future for all Iranians. Or, it could continue to flout its responsibilities and face even more pressure and isolation,” he said, “To date, Iran has chosen the path of defiance.”

Because of those choices, Mr. Obama says the United States and the international community will continue to increase their efforts to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of Tehran. The new sanctions passed by Congress, entitled the ” Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act” limit fuel imports and the ability of foreign banks to do business with the Islamic Republic.

“It makes it harder for the Revolutionary Guards and banks that support Iran’s nuclear programs and terrorism to engage in international finance. It says to companies seeking procurement contracts with the United States government—if you want to do business with us, you first have to certify that you’re not doing prohibited business with Iran,” the President said.

Even as he increases the pressure on their government, Mr. Obama sought to reassure the Iranian people that “the United States stands with the Iranian people as they seek to exercise their universal rights. This legislation imposes sanctions on individuals who commit serious human rights abuses. And it exempts from our trade embargo technologies that allow the Iranian people to access information and communicate freely.”

The President said this is not an irreversible course, and the Iranian government can still choose a path of peace.

“The door to diplomacy is still open. Iran can prove that its intentions are peaceful,” the President said, “And it remains our hope that they choose this path, even as we are clear-eyed about the difficult challenges ahead.”

- Yunji de Nies and Sunlen Miller

July 1, 2010

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internet marketing course

Of course, deciding whether you want to attend a course in person or take a course online depends on your personal preferences. When my brother took an online course, he found several things that were simply superior to attending a limited classroom. However, if you're unsure of why you may want to earn your finance degree online, read these top ten benefits before making your decision:

Cheaper

Online classrooms tend to cost just as much as attending an actual classroom. However, one main difference is that you won't be paying for room and board, food, and other necessities you may need at the campus. This way, you can save a few thousand dollars per semester instead of spending it on things you'd need if you attended an actual class.

Accessible

In essence, whenever you're with your laptop, you're with your online classroom. You're not confined to traveling to the classroom to talk to your professor or read up on some textbooks. All the material is readily accessible online or already on your computer.

Abundant

A few years ago, you might have some more trouble finding some legitimate programs. But now, 86% of colleges offer some sort of online programs. Among these, you could find several hundred that would offer a finance degree online.

Flexible

Online courses are made to suit your busy schedule. This means that you can set your priorities more effectively and save those few extra hours whenever you please to attend your online classroom to pursue your finance degree.

Respectable

In the United States alone, over 75% of colleges and universities offer online programs. This means that it doesn't look any worse to get your degree online in the eyes of prospective employers because it is now so commonplace.

High-Quality
Just because you are taking the course online doesn't mean it is a lower quality than taking an actual course. In fact, Cornell has established eCornell, showing that top tier universities, too, are making the transition toward online teaching.

Less Intimidating

In a real classroom, you are more vulnerable. You can have say something stupid, by mistake, and instantly be humiliated. Online, you have a few extra moments before you press that "Send" key, giving you just enough time to think out your responses. You're less rushed and more relaxed, devoting more of your brain energy toward learning and less on useless distractions.

Technology Efficient

Taking a course online, almost as a prerequisite, means you have to know how to use technology. If you don't, you'll learn quickly. You can no longer avoid the new technology, which you may have done by attending an actual classroom. By learning the in's and out's of the newest technology, you'll be more prepared for what the twenty-first century has to offer.

Student Interactive

In some classes, attendance is only based on student participation. This requires that a student be active in their learning; they can't simply sit in the background like they may be able to in an actual classroom of forty or more students. Student interaction is equally distributed among everyone in the classroom, making participation for more simple for even the quietest students.

Question-Friendly

Have you ever been too afraid to ask a question because you may have thought it was too stupid, especially when there are dozens of students staring at you? By earning your finance degree online, you'll be able to ask any questions via e-mail to your instructor who will be willing to answer all of them.

Source:
Rome Neal, "Earning a Degree Online." CBS News.
Stephanie Coleman, "Why Do Students Like Online Learning." World Wide Learn.

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Friday, July 16, 2010

personal financeonline personal finance

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Mozilla disables password-stealing Firefox add-on | InSecurity ...

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Google Bows to Criticism, Changes Google News Design

Just two weeks after launching a new version of its Google News site with additional personalization features, the web giant has changed the design in response to complaints from users, giving them the option to revert to a design more ...

Thursday, July 15, 2010

bank foreclosure

If you received a foreclosure notice this year, you're not alone. According to tracking firm RealtyTrac, 1.6 million properties received a foreclosure filing -- defined as default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions -- during the first half of 2010. The good news: that number is down 5% from the previous six months. The bad? It's up 8% from the first half of last year. And RealtyTrac doesn't see any relief coming, as a "massive number of distressed properties and underwater loans continues to sit just below the surface."

While June's total of 313,841 properties with foreclosure filings marked a 3% decrease over the previous month, the news wasn't exactly good for the housing market (not to mention the owners of those 313,841 properties).

“The second quarter was a tale of two trends,” said James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac. “The pace of properties entering foreclosure slowed as lenders pre-empted or delayed foreclosure proceedings on delinquent properties with more aggressive short sale and loan modification initiatives. ...

“The midyear numbers put us on pace to exceed 3 million properties with foreclosure filings by the end of the year, and more than 1 million bank repossessions. The roller coaster pattern of foreclosure activity over the past 12 months demonstrates that while the foreclosure problem is being managed on the surface, a massive number of distressed properties and underwater loans continues to sit just below the surface, threatening the fragile stability of the housing market."

The top foreclosure locations: Nevada, Arizona and Florida, with California, Utah and Georgia just behind.

1.65 Million Properties Receive Foreclosure Filings in First Half of 2010

The information is based on April data and is therefore consistent with
the CS report. Both New York and Florida are at the top of the list of
states with the longest period between initial default and final
foreclosure. For the nation as a whole the number of days has nearly
doubled over the past few years. NY and Florida are 31% and 21% higher
than the national average.

This is not a coincidence. This is cause and affect in action. I live in
metro NYC and own property in S.Fl. I see what is going on. There are
many middle to upper price homes on the market that have not seen an
offer for more than a year. A good number of these are already in
default. The borrowers are underwater and there is nothing they can do. A
HAMP style ReFi accomplishes nothing. I know people in both areas who
have contacted their lender and have been told to come up with an
acceptable short sale or deed in lieu transaction. The borrowers have
been told by the bank(s) that if they do not cooperate they will have
their credit wrecked and be subject to default judgments. So the
borrower puts the house on the market and hopes for an offer that is
acceptable to the lender. In the mean time they stay in the home for up
to two years and pay very little (if anything) on the old mortgage.
There is substantial evidence that these people are buying IPhones and
going on vacation with the money they are saving by not paying the debt.
Some thoughts:

-This “extend and pretend” at its worst.

-The lenders will not let this continue forever. The day of reckoning is
coming. It well be felt in all of the states. It will be felt hardest
in the states that have the highest days to foreclosure numbers.

-As a former owner is foreclosed they will be forced to rent. Given that
few in this category are paying any meaningful amount of their current
monthly mortgage it is likely that they will have less disposable income
post foreclosure.

-My conclusions:

(A) RE in Fl and NY is going to tank this fall.

(B) Consumer demand for things from clothes, gadgets and leisure is
going to suffer an out sized decline.

(C) The extend and pretend policy is catching up with us. This approach
was a “buy some time” idea in the hope that things would work out. They
have not worked out. We are about to pay the price for that failure.

If we revert to more traditional levels in the ratio of initial default
and foreclosure we are going to hit an economic wall. This is just one
more thing stacking up against us.

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Saturday, July 10, 2010

1 internet marketing

Top Stories of the Week

Antivirus Product Testing is Changing, Whether Vendors Like it or Not

Why We Check In: The Reasons People Use Location-Based Social Networks

Facebook Snags the Guy Who Built Google's Chrome OS

Google Me a "Facebook Killer"? Place Your Bets!

Chrome Surpasses Safari in U.S.

More coverage and analysis from ReadWriteWeb

Real-Time Web

Yahoo Search Suggestions Go Near Real-Time

Web Apps With Push Notifications: W3C Begins Work to Make it Happen

New Google News is More Personal and Spontaneous

More Real-Time Web coverage. Don't miss the next wave of opportunity on the Web supported by real-time technology! Get ReadWriteWeb's report, The Real-Time Web and its Future.

Augmented Reality

Qualcomm Launching SDK for Vision-Based AR on Android this Fall

More Augmented Reality coverage

Augmented Reality for Marketers and Developers: Our Newest Research Report

We're pleased to announce ReadWriteWeb's latest premium report, Augmented Reality for Marketers and Developers: Analysis of the Leaders, the Challenges and the Future. This report will help you develop a sophisticated understanding of Augmented Reality (AR), the mobile and Web technology that places data on top of a user's view of the physical world. The research included will help you decrease your AR development time to market by learning from the first wave of early adopters. AR offers a new marketing and product paradigm for a high impact, high value customer experience. More than 1,000 AR campaigns were kicked-off last year and we expect to see many more in 2010. In this report, we profile key AR development companies, their campaigns as well as development lessons learned. For more information or to buy the report, visit here.

Mobile Web

Kindle App for iPhone, iPad Now Does Audio and Video

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Check Out The ReadWriteWeb iPhone App

We recently launched the official ReadWriteWeb iPhone app. As well as enabling you to read ReadWriteWeb while on the go or lying on the couch, we've made it easy to share ReadWriteWeb posts directly from your iPhone, on Twitter and Facebook. You can also follow the RWW team on Twitter, directly from the app. We invite you to download it now from iTunes.

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Top 5 Reasons Why Your Startup Needs an API

GitHub Introduces Organizations, Makes Managing Code Repositories Easier

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Alcatel-Lucent Acquires Programmable Web - Well-Known Source For APIs

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Enjoy your weekend everyone.

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Real-Time Web

How Twitter Annotations Could Bring the Real-Time and Semantic Web Together

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Augmented Reality

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Mobile Web

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Google, GE & Others Prototype Wireless Mote to Connect Any Device to Smart Grid

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Friday, July 9, 2010

foreclosure investing

Across the United States, newspaper headlines lead with stories about
financial reform. Members of Congress want to better regulate Wall
Street and to take on the fat cats at the big banks, with their golden
parachutes and big bonuses, who took our hard-earned tax dollars in
the form of a federal bailout, despite the fact that they got us in to
this mess in the first place. And Congress is right to take on the
big banks - reform at the national level is long overdue and obviously
needed. But in the hubbub that is the national overhaul, the seeds of
this reform, the work done at the state and local level, cannot be
overlooked nor can we let up on this work. True reform of our banking
and financial systems will take pressure and action at every level and
across the nation.

Americans are fed up with billionaires who are bilking us for all we
are worth, making the middle class the biggest losers. Our friends
and neighbors have lost their homes, found out that the pensions or
retirement savings they worked for are gone and are struggling to find
work in the worst economy of our lifetimes. In the meantime, Wall
Street is back to business as usual, posting new profits, while those
on the other side of the deals have lost their homes, their jobs, and
their retirement savings.

With all of the anger and distrust of Wall Street, we have hit a place
where we are ready for a basic cultural shift - one that turns away
from looking at our investments and banking solely on the basis of
short-term profits, and toward the production of true long-term
growth: by investing our funds in economic growth opportunities that
directly impact our communities.

We cannot let this historic opportunity pass us by. We must channel
our inner Howard Beale and scream from our windows, "I'm
mad as Hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore" - our outrage must
be heard, not just in words but in action.

At the City level, leveraging this cultural shift means investing our
money in banks that are helping grow Main Street by offering small
business loans, working with homeowners to renegotiate mortgages when
they're faced with foreclosure, and opening up bank branches and the
cycle of credit in under-served areas, by creating local versions of
the Community Reinvestment Act standards. After all, what good does
it do Los Angeles if the banks in which the bulk of our tax dollars
sit in are reinvested in another City, far away?

That's why the Los Angeles City Council unanimously supported my proposal to create Responsible Banking Standards in Los Angeles,
based on a Philadelphia model put in place in 2002. Los Angeles alone
has a cash and pension portfolio of over twenty-five billion dollars,
which allows us to leverage these investments in such a way to benefit
the residents of our city - not just through the rate of return, but
by looking at how the banks and financial institutions reinvest in our
community. The ordinance will require that any bank looking to do
business with Los Angeles would have to submit a report to the City
Treasurer who, in turn, would grade the banks based on their
investments in Los Angeles.

And we're not the only ones - cities including Boston, Carson,
Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Independence, Muskegon and Watsonville are
all looking into creating similar standards for Responsible Banking.
And this week, Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo is hosting a
Council hearing to examine how the Boston City Council can hold big
banks accountable in their city. The States of California,
Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Washington are also all
considering or have implemented sweeping financial reforms, including
looking at the creation of State-run banks or investing only in
State-chartered banks.

The anger is palatable and the time for reform is now.

We've lost our trust in the banks that took our bailout money, and let
hundreds of thousands of homes fall into foreclosure.

We've lost our trust in Wall Street, where companies gained enormous
profits, betting on the demise of investments.

We've lost trust in the rating agencies, when 93% of the
subprime-mortgage-backed securities issued in 2006 for which they gave
AAA ratings are now "junk" status.

The only way that trust is going to be restored is with sweeping
reform. That's why Congress must pass substantive financial reform,
so that Americans can begin to believe again. But at the same time,
reform - just as powerful - must come from the cities and states.
Collectively, our leverage is enormous. I introduced a resolution at
the National League of
Cities in support of local reform, because I know the power we
could have if we banded together. Local and state officials know the
pain of our constituents, and know the benefit that can be derived
from holding banks and financial institutions more accountable.

The notion that we can create real change is not just pie in the sky.
The City of Philadelphia has had their policy in place since 2002, which has resulted in
increased consumer and small business lending to historically
under-served areas of that city. And on April 16, Massachusetts State
Treasurer Timothy Cahill announced that the State of Massachusetts
will begin divesting $243 million in taxpayer dollars from three of
the nation's largest banks - Bank of America, Citibank, and Wells
Fargo. The decision came after the banks were asked, and refused, to
voluntarily comply with an 18% interest rate cap on credit cards and
other consumer borrowing for Massachusetts residents. The cap, which
is required of all Massachusetts state-chartered banks, does not apply
to federally-chartered banks.

These actions are just the beginning of our cultural shift. More
Cities and states are needed to create real pressure on the banks. I
urge every City to create standards for how tax-payer dollars are
invested and find ways to ensure that the dollars are going to banks
and financial institutions that are behaving well.

Shouting may not get what we want - but you can bet that billions and
billions of dollars taken elsewhere will get banks' attention.

We are mad as Hell - and we don't have to take it any more.

Hard to say who the worst member of Congress is. But there are few short lists that would exclude narrow-minded and extremist Minnesota religious fanatic Michele Bachmann. However, today isn't about Bachmann. You want Bachmann, you go to DumpBachmann; no one does it better. At the time of the 2008 election, Bachmann was just as odious as she is today. Blue America didn't get involved in that race though because her opponent simply seemed... "better than Bachmann." That standard is too low for us.

And today we're going to meet state Senator Tarryl Clark (below in the comments section), a hard working leader with a proven track record who would be a great candidate whether she were running against Michele Bachmann, or just some garden variety Republican.

People say this suburban/exurban district mostly north of the Twin Cities is too red for a Democrat. But that isn't true. Bush won it in 2004 with 57% and 4 years later McCain took 53% but, the district has also voted to elect Amy Klobuchar to the Senate-- and against Mark Kennedy, the kook who represented the district before Bachmann. And in the 15th senatorial district near St Cloud, the part Tarryl represents-- and which was a GOP bastion before she came along-- the vote totals in that 2006 race were very interesting. Because she knows what it means to work hard and work smart, and with a very committed Wellstone-style of campaigning, Tarryl outpolled everyone on the ballot:

Clark 15581 (56.30%)

Klobuchar 14980 (53.45%)

Pawlenty 14307 (51.1%)

Wetterling 13082 (46.81%)

Bachmann 12542 (44.88%)

MN-06 has the most devastating unemployment rate in Minnesota and the worst foreclosure crisis in the state. But Bachmann has neither understood nor been sympathetic to her constituents finding themselves in a jam because of the vicissitudes of an economy buffeted by disastrous conservative ideological experimentation. She has not only not contributed to finding solutions to these very real problems, she has tried to capitalize of politicizing them.

Tarryl's reaction, as a state legislator, has been the exact opposite. Instead of running around the country and ranting and raving at tea parties, she proven herself an effective leader for the people she represents, working to secure the funds to upgrade the facilities at Saint Cloud State University, working to ensure Central Minnesota’s nursing homes are paid fairly, working to establish a special law enforcement unit to fight gang activities in Central Minnesota.

Tarryl’s been a champion for issues including early childhood and higher education, health care, serving veterans, protecting Minnesotans from predatory lenders, and investing in the local communities that make America strong. Because of that her colleagues elected her to serve as the Senate’s Assistant Majority Leader. Bachmann's colleagues have recognized her as a clown and have tasked her with going on Fox to stir up divisiveness and animosities.

Tarryl’s record of results on reducing unemployment:

• Created 22,000 jobs with last session’s bonding bill

• Helped small businesses add new jobs with Angel Investor Tax Credits

• Authored the Central Minnesota Bioscience Initiative to bring jobs in the biotech industry into the 6th district

• Authored economic development bill that improved workforce development (job training) and expanded the Small Business Growth Acceleration Program, and entrepreneur and small business development grants.

Tarryl’s record of results on reducing foreclosure:

• Authored legislation to protect seniors from predatory lenders and reverse mortgages

• Helped families in keep their homes with the MN Subprime Borrowers Relief Act

• Authored legislation to reduce the burden of property taxes on middle class families

Tarryl is the newest member of the Blue America family. If you can volunteer for her campaign, there's a sign up form here and if you can help the campaign financially, she's on the Blue America endorsed candidates list.

Mike Fuljenz Mike Fuljenz

Friday, July 30, 2010

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The Real Housewife Foreclosure Auction: Own a Piece of Teresa Giudice

The Real Housewife Foreclosure Auction: Own a Piece of Teresa Giudice

Monday, July 26, 2010

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Why You Want Angry Customers

In-Person Events

Virtual Panels

One-on-One

Conclusion

More Business Resources from Mashable

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Thursday, July 22, 2010

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Monday, July 19, 2010

President Obama Signs Iranian Sanctions Bill into Law

Friday, July 16, 2010

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