CEM Organization: October 2010

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

manage personal finances

'When I married Donna, I could get both hands around her waist,' said my husband's grandfather. Pointing at his full-figured wife, he boasted, 'Now look how much I got. That's what I call an investment!' — Katherine Eby, via Reader's Digest.com

In essence, that funny anecdote is right. Of course it doesn't sound very flattering to Katherine's grandmother-in-law, but that's exactly what investment is all about: making sure that your accounts and net worth grow bigger over time.

Investment is that exercise of putting money in a financial account, in your business, in a friend's business, or even in some other companies' business, for the pursuit of growing one's money. Investment is an effort to get one's money to "grow."

Investment works on the principle of "compounded interest." Interest that is added to your principal, or initial investment, itself gets to earn interest. So if you've initially invested $200, at the interest rate of 2.5%, at the maturity term of one month, you'll be earning $5 at the end of that month. If you renew the term of your money, your $205 will then earn $5.13 ($5.125) when another month is over. Certificates of deposit accounts or time deposits work exactly like this.

On the other hand, mutual funds work on the principle of snowballed profits. Mutual funds are as good as stocks and bonds, only you don't manage them yourself. Rather, trained financial experts are hired to manage your money. To invest in mutual funds, you can look into a broker that charges low commissions and check out their offerings.

Basic Tips For Investing In A Business

Investments could also mean those things you purchase or put money in, in order to further your business. Most people take additional studies in order to get the credentials needed to help them advance in their chosen careers. Other people invest in machinery, gadgets and equipment in order to make their lives easier. Then, most businesses invest in people which make up their workforce — their much-needed manpower.

Here are three informal rules of thumb by which you can measure your investments and purchases:

If navigating the murky waters of credit scores and debt leaves you scratching your head and wishing someone would just tell you what to do, you’re in luck. Credit Sesame is a new startup launching in private beta today at TechCrunch Disrupt that’s looking to help do just that — give the site access to your financial data, and it will present you with a handful of options, along with bulletpoints explaining why they work for you. If you’d like to try the site out for yourself, head to CreditSesame.com/TechCrunch and use the password OpenSesame.

Credit Sesame doesn’t take long to set up — the company says it takes a couple of minutes — but it does require sensitive information including your social security number (which the site needs in order to access your credit history). That may make some users wary, but the site is aware of potential privacy and security issues, and has a FAQ that talks about how it protects your data here.

Once you’ve entered your information, the site will visualize key data like your credit and debt (it’s clearly taking some design cues from BillShrink and Mint’s pretty graphs). It will also offer recommendations for how you can save money — the company says it analyzes thousands of financial products to determine which are the best fit for each user, and Credit Sesame says it saves an average home owner up to $600 per month. Proposals are based on pre-qualified loans, and Credit Sesame says that it uses the “same pricing engine that top banks use” to find those products.

Q&A:

GT: I get consume value proposition. How are you going to compete with and what’s your advantage vs. Mint, BillShrink, etc.

A: Companies out there like Mint do a great job helping with finances. But what really helps.. most companies lack ingredients. One is consumer intelligence. Second is product intelligence. Our core competence is product intelligence. Analytics that brings it all together.

SP: I think it’s well designed. Hard to get distribution. Broader questions that founders here need to ask themselves: why am I founding a company in the first place. Might be that you want financial independence, build lifestyle business. Third reason which is bad: you think you’ve spent your career in Silicon Valley and highest level status is to be a founder. The founders who fall into first two categories, sometimes lifestyle businesses become incredible industries. Founders see a problem that desperately needs solving. Third class doesn’t usually succeed. I think everyone needs to ask which they are. Not saying you guys are the third.

A: I’m a serial entrepreneur. I sold to a lot of banks and had a good exit. I noticed that banks are great, but their objectives aren’t aligned with consumer’s best interest. When consumers go to a lot branches, they want to know if they should be worried, if there is something they should do different. And the answers they get aren’t sufficient.

VR: What is the user experience. How much info do I need to give to get started. WIth recommendations, how hard is it to do those?

A: Takes two minutes, answer 5-6 questions. Once you enter information we aggregate everything. We refresh that data for you. Our system knows enough about the client/market that if an opportunity arises we’ll present the option and the system can do it for them.

Sony announces PlayStation Rewards PlayStation 3 News - Page 1 ...

Read our PlayStation 3 news of Sony announces PlayStation Rewards.

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LAS VEGAS -- Some voters in Boulder City complained on Monday that their ballot had been cast before they went to the polls, raising questions about Clark County's electronic voting machines. Wednesday, October 27, 2010.

apartment property management companies

Sony announces PlayStation Rewards PlayStation 3 News - Page 1 ...

Read our PlayStation 3 news of Sony announces PlayStation Rewards.

BREAKING NEWS: James Cameron's Next Films Are 'Avatar 2′ & '3′ For ...

Nevada Voters Complain Of Problems At Polls - Las Vegas News Story ...

'When I married Donna, I could get both hands around her waist,' said my husband's grandfather. Pointing at his full-figured wife, he boasted, 'Now look how much I got. That's what I call an investment!' — Katherine Eby, via Reader's Digest.com

Basic Tips For Investing In A Business

Here are three informal rules of thumb by which you can measure your investments and purchases:

Sony announces PlayStation Rewards PlayStation 3 News - Page 1 ...

Read our PlayStation 3 news of Sony announces PlayStation Rewards.

BREAKING NEWS: James Cameron's Next Films Are 'Avatar 2′ & '3′ For ...

Nevada Voters Complain Of Problems At Polls - Las Vegas News Story ...

Sony announces PlayStation Rewards PlayStation 3 News - Page 1 ...

Read our PlayStation 3 news of Sony announces PlayStation Rewards.

BREAKING NEWS: James Cameron's Next Films Are 'Avatar 2′ & '3′ For ...

Nevada Voters Complain Of Problems At Polls - Las Vegas News Story ...

foreclosure defense

Figures my comment would be voted down. Most people in here aren’t looking for reality, just to tow the party line.

Predatory lending is mostly hype, driven by those who want to keep the eye off the ball. The higher risk market is a market, like it or not. And its a lucrative one when done right, with proper oversight to ensure lenders maintain sufficient capital from their increased profits (driven by increased interest rates) to cover the NATURALLY higher rate of default.

Naturally higher rate of default? uhhhh yea….duh.

That’s why its called high risk. You people are buying into the Nancy Pelosi Harry Reid nonsense of NO RISK lending.

High risk lending is how new businesses are formed, and they fuel development, meaning work, jobs, for tens of millions of people. Those jobs feed families. Families who right now are on food stamps, while you people talk about extending their welfare.

They don’t need welfare.

They need JOBS.

They want JOBS.

Most Americans want to work, but the jobs aren’t there. Because when builders can’t build, because buyers can’t buy, then workers can’t work. Period. And I’m not just talking about construction workers here. I’m talking about the independent owner operator who does long hauls of building materials. Or the guy who got hired on at the truck tire factory because more trucks are on the road. And the girl at home depot ringing up that new hot water heater you just bought because you’re upgrading your home to energy efficiency, or the guy who works at the roofing shingle factory, or the guy who drives the roach coach there each day because the factory’s open and doing a booming business, or the real estate lady, or the girl at the title company, or the landscaper, or home appraiser, who has more work than he can handle, or the local city govt hiring on 20 new pot hole fillers because their coffers are so full from the real estate sales taxes, to the guy working at the railroad that ships all that nice new lumber for all those homes going up for all those people buying them, to the cashier who got the extra shifts because business was so good at the local truck stop, to the….

There is no end to the jobs that were supported by our booming housing market. Alan Greenspan testified before Congress that the tent pole of our economy that was propping it up, was the housing market. He WARNED against letting it falter. Hell he wrote it in his book.

But no one listened.

Just like no one listens in here.

Because you’re too f$#king stupid, or too f#$king pompous, or too fuA#king something, because no one learned a damn thing.

No one got it. No one gets it.

Greenspan got it.

And so did Nancy Pelosi. And she USED it.

And it worked.

And now, all we have is a country full of dumbFa#4ks, running their mouths about things they read about on google. They don’t KNOW first hand, which by the way is the only reason I know.

I’m not smarter than anyone else and don’t claim to be. I just had first hand knowledge because it directly impacted me when it happened. And when my Mortgage broker called me the day Pelosi announced her “hearings” to “CLAMP DOWN ON LENDING”, and told me the money’s all frozen and the underwriters have stopped underwriting, thats when I SAW it happen, in real time.

Not some bs nonsense I’m regurgitating from google to try to sound erudite on a subject I know nothing about. No sir. First hand insider knowledge. The loans that were fine one day, were gone the next. And MILLIONS of developers were left holding properties, they could not sell.

Because suddenly there were no more mortgages for people to buy them with.

So go on, vote this one down too sheeple. Don’t let the truth stand in the way of your partisan pompousness. Just vote away. Might as well, because you vote the away the country just as easy.

I am a retired lawyer and cannot offer legal advice and my field was not Secured Transactions, but I can do research and give you the info freely available on the web. For starters:

This is from the MERS website regarding how they handle foreclosure:

Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (“MERS”) is a proper party that can lawfully foreclose as the mortgagee and note-holder of a mortgage loan. MERS Membership Rule 8 provides required guidelines that must be followed when MERS is the foreclosing entity. Please click here to access the Rules of Membership, and reference the Rule 8 requirements.

In mortgage foreclosure cases, the plaintiff has standing as the holder of the note and the mortgage. When MERS forecloses, MERS is the mortgagee and it is the holder of the note because a MERS officer will be in possession of the original note endorsed in blank, which makes MERS a holder of the bearer paper. MERS will not foreclose unless the note is endorsed in blank and held by MERS.

http://www.mersinc.org/Foreclosures/index.aspx

Notice how MERS acknowledges that only the holder of the note and the assigned mortgagee will it foreclose. They know they need both. They want the note in blank so that it remains a bearer instrument: “… when the endorsement is “in blank” – then only the party with actual possession of the note can be paid on it. Essentially, “in blank” is like turning the note into cash and so only the person with the cash in hand can spend it. [See California Commercial Code Section 3205].”

http://aforeclosurealternative.com/?p=439

The note is the key; without the note all else fails. The note is the obligation; not the mortgage. And ONLY the entity that has the note can enforce the note. These blank bearer notes can be a problem because it isliving document. Anyone who finds it can sue to enforce it. Here is the actual rule that MERS uses for foreclosures:

RULE 8

FORECLOSURE

Section 1. (a) With respect to each mortgage loan for which Mortgage Electronic

Registration Systems, Inc. is the mortgagee of record, the beneficial owner of such mortgage loan

or its servicer shall determine whether foreclosure proceedings with respect to such mortgage

loan shall be conducted in the name of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., the name

of the servicer, or the name of a different party to be designated by the beneficial owner.

(b) The Member servicing a mortgage loan registered on the MERS

System shall be responsible for processing foreclosures in accordance with the applicable

agreements between such Member and the beneficial owner of such mortgage loan.

(c) In the State of Florida, the authority to conduct foreclosures in the

name of MERS granted to a Member’s Certifying Officers under Paragraph Three of the

Member’s MERS Corporate Resolution is revoked. Effective June 1, 2006, the Member shall be

sanctioned $10,000.00 per violation for commencing a foreclosure in Florida in the name of

MERS.

(d) In the event that the beneficial owner or its designated servicer

determines that foreclosure proceedings shall be conducted in the name of a party other than

Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., the servicer designated on the MERS® System

shall cause to be made an assignment of the mortgage from Mortgage Electronic Registration

Systems, Inc. to the person designated by the beneficial owner, and such beneficial owner shall

pay all recording costs in connection therewith.

Section 2: (a) If a Member chooses to conduct foreclosures in the

name of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., the note must be endorsed in blank and

in possession of one of the Member’s MERS certifying officers. If the investor so allows, then

MERS can be designated as the note-holder.

vJune2009

26

(i) The Member shall not plead MERS as the note-owner in

any foreclosure document; including but not limited to, the

foreclosure complaint.

(ii) The Member shall not plead MERS as a co-plaintiff in a

foreclosure action.

(iii) If the note is lost or cannot be located, the Member shall not

commence a foreclosure action in the name of MERS, but rather

must assign the mortgage out of MERS.

(b) In non-judicial foreclosure states, if the Member chooses to foreclose

in MERS name under the power of sale provision in the security instrument and is not seeking a

deficiency judgment, then the note does not need to be in the possession of the Member’s MERS

Certifying Officer when commencing the foreclosure action; provided, however, that under no

circumstances may the Member allege that the note is in their possession unless it so possesses.

(c) If the Member pleads MERS as the note-owner or as a co-plaintiff or

commences a foreclosure in the name of MERS when the note is lost or cannot be located, it

shall be considered a violation of the MERS Membership Rules and MERS may dismiss such

foreclosure action. Effective June 1, 2006, the Member shall be sanctioned $1,000.00 for the

first violation and $5,000.00 for each subsequent violation of this Rule.

(d) For all foreclosures conducted in the name of MERS, the member

shall take all reasonable and necessary steps to avoid having Mortgage Electronic Registration

Systems, Inc. take title to the applicable property that is the subject of a mortgage loan.

Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. shall not be obligated to take title to any property

that is the subject of a mortgage loan; provided, however, that if the Member so requests,

Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. may take title at the conclusion of the foreclosure

sale upon prior written consent to the Member from Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems,

Inc. If title is taken in the name of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., the Member

vJune2009

27

shall take all necessary and reasonable steps to remove Mortgage Electronic Registration

Systems, Inc. from title as soon as possible.

(e) If title is put into Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.’s name and

there is a violation of state, county or city codes or any other applicable regulation; including, but

not limited to, non-payment of tax bills, the Member shall be responsible to promptly take all

necessary action to prevent fines or judgments from being entered against MERS. If the Member

fails to do so, MERS may take such action and will sanction the member for all costs and

expenses; including, but not limited to, attorney fees.

Actual physical possession is quite critical. Now, the note may become ‘lost’ or ‘destroyed’ but that raises other issues. Mers handles it this way:

MERS rules don’t allow members to submit lost-note affidavits in place of mortgage notes, said R.K. Arnold, the company’s CEO.

“A lot of companies say the note is lost when it’s highly unlikely the note is lost,” Arnold said. “Saying a note is lost when it’s not really lost is wrong.”

The usual way to get around the lost note is via affidavit by the party seeking to enforce the note that after due diligence the ORIGINAL note cannot be found and attached is a certified COPY. Of course, that begs the question of how do you produce a copy when you say you lost the original? Moreover, who goes around losing original notes for hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more) of debt?

So you can see why production of the original note is so important.

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October 26, 2010...2:01 pm. News Article “. There was a news article today in the Boulder Camera by Laura Snider titled. Boulder scientists: Space tourism could contribute to climate change. The article includes the text ...

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"They're still good friends," an insider tells the new Us Weekly.

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Google and news organizations have had a rocky time of it. To overdramatize the situation only slightly: Google insists that it cares about journalism as a.

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News Article “ « Climate Science: Roger Pielke Sr.

News - Rep: Blake Lively, Penn Badgley Split! - Celebrity News ...

"They're still good friends," an insider tells the new Us Weekly.

Google donates $5 million for news innovation to Knight Foundation ...

Google and news organizations have had a rocky time of it. To overdramatize the situation only slightly: Google insists that it cares about journalism as a.

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Figures my comment would be voted down. Most people in here aren’t looking for reality, just to tow the party line.

Naturally higher rate of default? uhhhh yea….duh.

That’s why its called high risk. You people are buying into the Nancy Pelosi Harry Reid nonsense of NO RISK lending.

They don’t need welfare.

They need JOBS.

They want JOBS.

But no one listened.

Just like no one listens in here.

Because you’re too f$#king stupid, or too f#$king pompous, or too fuA#king something, because no one learned a damn thing.

No one got it. No one gets it.

Greenspan got it.

And so did Nancy Pelosi. And she USED it.

And it worked.

And now, all we have is a country full of dumbFa#4ks, running their mouths about things they read about on google. They don’t KNOW first hand, which by the way is the only reason I know.

Because suddenly there were no more mortgages for people to buy them with.

So go on, vote this one down too sheeple. Don’t let the truth stand in the way of your partisan pompousness. Just vote away. Might as well, because you vote the away the country just as easy.

I am a retired lawyer and cannot offer legal advice and my field was not Secured Transactions, but I can do research and give you the info freely available on the web. For starters:

This is from the MERS website regarding how they handle foreclosure:

http://www.mersinc.org/Foreclosures/index.aspx

Actual physical possession is quite critical. Now, the note may become ‘lost’ or ‘destroyed’ but that raises other issues. Mers handles it this way:

MERS rules don’t allow members to submit lost-note affidavits in place of mortgage notes, said R.K. Arnold, the company’s CEO.

“A lot of companies say the note is lost when it’s highly unlikely the note is lost,” Arnold said. “Saying a note is lost when it’s not really lost is wrong.”

So you can see why production of the original note is so important.

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News Article “ « Climate Science: Roger Pielke Sr.

News - Rep: Blake Lively, Penn Badgley Split! - Celebrity News ...

"They're still good friends," an insider tells the new Us Weekly.

Google donates $5 million for news innovation to Knight Foundation ...

Google and news organizations have had a rocky time of it. To overdramatize the situation only slightly: Google insists that it cares about journalism as a.

bench craft company complaints bench craft company complaints

News Article “ « Climate Science: Roger Pielke Sr.

News - Rep: Blake Lively, Penn Badgley Split! - Celebrity News ...

"They're still good friends," an insider tells the new Us Weekly.

Google donates $5 million for news innovation to Knight Foundation ...

Google and news organizations have had a rocky time of it. To overdramatize the situation only slightly: Google insists that it cares about journalism as a.

bench craft company complaints bench craft company complaints

News Article “ « Climate Science: Roger Pielke Sr.

News - Rep: Blake Lively, Penn Badgley Split! - Celebrity News ...

"They're still good friends," an insider tells the new Us Weekly.

Google donates $5 million for news innovation to Knight Foundation ...

Google and news organizations have had a rocky time of it. To overdramatize the situation only slightly: Google insists that it cares about journalism as a.

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

how to budget personal finances

First things first, the good folks over at Corrente are having a fundraising drive. Please go over and give 'em some cash to help 'em stay afloat. Now, onto business:

While things look pretty bleak in America, we can take comfort from the fact that we aren't alone in letting our economy get looted by multinational financial institutions. In Ireland, where eyes are doing anything but smiling, things are getting really dire:

The cost of bailing out the Republic of Ireland's stricken banks has risen to 45bn euro (£39bn), opening a huge hole in the Irish government's finances.

Oh. That sounds bad.

The increased cost will see the government run a budget deficit equivalent to 32% of GDP this year.

Yeah, that's pretty bad. But how much will this hurt Seamus Average?

Mr Lenihan defended the cost of the bail-out measures, which will cost the Republic's two million taxpayers the equivalent of 22,500 euros each

Holy crap! And the Irish have already implemented austerity measures to raise taxes and cut public services. Does this mean they'll have to do even more of that to pay for yet another massive bank bailout? Why, yes it does:

Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan today warned that further austerity measures will have to be imposed after the Central Bank revealed the total cost of the bailout for Irish banks will be almost €50 billion.

Speaking separately, Taoiseach Brian Cowen refused to rule out further tax increases in the forthcoming Budget and said "revenue raising" options would be required as well as spending cuts in the Budget, which is due to take place in December.

Speaking on RTE radio at lunchtime, Mr Cowen refused to outline how much would have to be found through austerity measures.

Ireland, then, is becoming a feudal state where people are taxed not to pay for police, fire departments, schools, hospitals or pensions. Instead they're taxed to bail out failed financial institutions. And what's more, they're having their taxes increased to bail out failed financial institutions. The banks are the feudal lords living in castles and the taxpayers are the serfs.

But hey, some people are happy about this charming turn of events! Here's Danny McCoy, the director-general at the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (which I gather is their version of the Chamber of Commerce):

The announcement of the final scale of its bank rescue plan concludes a month in which the troubles of Ireland’s economy have again been centre stage. Rating agencies and analysts have questioned the capacity of our small economy to cope with its emerging debt. Ireland has also become a test bed for state recovery strategies, including the introduction of austerity measures and the resolution of complex banking problems.

Thursday’s figures reveal the undeniably high, but manageable, costs of the domestic bank bail-out. The one-off impact is to push the ratio of deficit to gross domestic product to 32 per cent. However, the Irish government has also committed to framing a budgetary plan to reduce the underlying deficit to 3 per cent by 2014. This plan will help to satisfy market concerns by providing clarity on the scale of the painful, but deliverable, fiscal adjustments needed in coming years. And underneath, Ireland’s economy is much stronger than it at first appears.

Well yeah, you definitely don't want to go by how it "appears," do you? Because it appears that Ireland has unemployment of almost 14%. That's, like, pretty bad and stuff. But Mr. McCoy tells us the Irish are eating their crap sandwich and loving it:

Difficult though the situation is, the state has reacted swiftly. Stern measures to address the public finances – including public sector wage cuts, expenditure cuts and increases in personal taxation – have been introduced with widespread acceptance by the public.

Acceptance. Riiiiiiiight. That's why the ruling Fianna Fáil party is facing a nine-point deficit against the center-left Labour Party. After all, who doesn't love having their taxes jacked up even as their pension gets slashed? It's like having an angel eat whipped cream off your nipples!

Measures to fix the banking crisis through a new National Asset Management Agency have received a more mixed reaction. However, the aim of taking bad property loans off bank balance sheets to enable recapitalisation is sound.

Oh joys! The Irish have their own version of Timmy Geithner's cash-for-trash initiative! I can't imagine why that would get a mixed review! After all, buying worthless housing securities is almost as much fun as having your pension looted!

Of course, I shouldn't mock the Irish too much for their impending enslavement by the financial industry. After all, as Digby notes, we're about to get the same treatment here in the US:

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) slammed Democrats Thursday for campaigning against Republicans on Social Security.

At an event for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget Thursday morning, he took on Democrats who have gone after Republican candidates for supporting Ryan’s Roadmap for America’s Future. The plan includes partial privatization of accounts for those under 55.

What! How dare you campaign against policy proposals I made! The opposition party isn't supposed to oppose things!

“We’ve got to get beyond weaponizing these issues for political gain in the short run,” he said, adding that Congress and President Barack Obama aren’t offering any solutions on Social Security. “We’ve got to get through this political moment. The political weaponization of entitlement reform is very unfortunate. It’s hurting our chances of actually getting bipartisan agreement in the near future. It’s unfortunate but we’ve got to get out there."

Gee, Paul, I'd feel so bad for you, except Republicans have successfully and relentlessly weaponized any and all tax increases for the past 30 years.

Anyway, I hope lots of people are prepared to fight this crap in the coming years. Our corrupt business and political elites aren't satisfied with the looting they gave us with the 2008 financial crisis. They're going to start coming after everything else we have too.

First things first, the good folks over at Corrente are having a fundraising drive. Please go over and give 'em some cash to help 'em stay afloat. Now, onto business:

The cost of bailing out the Republic of Ireland's stricken banks has risen to 45bn euro (£39bn), opening a huge hole in the Irish government's finances.

Oh. That sounds bad.

The increased cost will see the government run a budget deficit equivalent to 32% of GDP this year.

Yeah, that's pretty bad. But how much will this hurt Seamus Average?

Mr Lenihan defended the cost of the bail-out measures, which will cost the Republic's two million taxpayers the equivalent of 22,500 euros each

Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan today warned that further austerity measures will have to be imposed after the Central Bank revealed the total cost of the bailout for Irish banks will be almost €50 billion.

Speaking separately, Taoiseach Brian Cowen refused to rule out further tax increases in the forthcoming Budget and said "revenue raising" options would be required as well as spending cuts in the Budget, which is due to take place in December.

Speaking on RTE radio at lunchtime, Mr Cowen refused to outline how much would have to be found through austerity measures.

The announcement of the final scale of its bank rescue plan concludes a month in which the troubles of Ireland’s economy have again been centre stage. Rating agencies and analysts have questioned the capacity of our small economy to cope with its emerging debt. Ireland has also become a test bed for state recovery strategies, including the introduction of austerity measures and the resolution of complex banking problems.

Thursday’s figures reveal the undeniably high, but manageable, costs of the domestic bank bail-out. The one-off impact is to push the ratio of deficit to gross domestic product to 32 per cent. However, the Irish government has also committed to framing a budgetary plan to reduce the underlying deficit to 3 per cent by 2014. This plan will help to satisfy market concerns by providing clarity on the scale of the painful, but deliverable, fiscal adjustments needed in coming years. And underneath, Ireland’s economy is much stronger than it at first appears.

Difficult though the situation is, the state has reacted swiftly. Stern measures to address the public finances – including public sector wage cuts, expenditure cuts and increases in personal taxation – have been introduced with widespread acceptance by the public.

Measures to fix the banking crisis through a new National Asset Management Agency have received a more mixed reaction. However, the aim of taking bad property loans off bank balance sheets to enable recapitalisation is sound.

Of course, I shouldn't mock the Irish too much for their impending enslavement by the financial industry. After all, as Digby notes, we're about to get the same treatment here in the US:

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) slammed Democrats Thursday for campaigning against Republicans on Social Security.

At an event for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget Thursday morning, he took on Democrats who have gone after Republican candidates for supporting Ryan’s Roadmap for America’s Future. The plan includes partial privatization of accounts for those under 55.

What! How dare you campaign against policy proposals I made! The opposition party isn't supposed to oppose things!

“We’ve got to get beyond weaponizing these issues for political gain in the short run,” he said, adding that Congress and President Barack Obama aren’t offering any solutions on Social Security. “We’ve got to get through this political moment. The political weaponization of entitlement reform is very unfortunate. It’s hurting our chances of actually getting bipartisan agreement in the near future. It’s unfortunate but we’ve got to get out there."

Gee, Paul, I'd feel so bad for you, except Republicans have successfully and relentlessly weaponized any and all tax increases for the past 30 years.

Fox News Poll: GOPer Raese Leads By Two Points In WV-SEN | TPMDC

The new Fox News poll of the West Virginia Senate race has Republican businessman John Raese holding on to a narrow lead against Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin.

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Read our Xbox 360 news of. ... "Xbox 2" game WarDevil canned Related content. Latest WarDevil: Unleash the Beast Within screenshots; News WarDevil trailer set for Tokyo ; News Digi-Guys shows off gorgeous Xbox 2 war game ...

Er, great news: George Lucas may be planning new “Star Wars ...

My instinct is to shudder; most of you, I suspect, will react the same way. And let's pause here to appreciate how amazing that is. So reviled are the prequels that news of new entries in the greatest sci-fi franchise in movie history ...

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Fox News Poll: GOPer Raese Leads By Two Points In WV-SEN | TPMDC

The new Fox News poll of the West Virginia Senate race has Republican businessman John Raese holding on to a narrow lead against Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin.

"Xbox 2" game WarDevil canned Xbox 360 News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Er, great news: George Lucas may be planning new “Star Wars ...

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First things first, the good folks over at Corrente are having a fundraising drive. Please go over and give 'em some cash to help 'em stay afloat. Now, onto business:

The cost of bailing out the Republic of Ireland's stricken banks has risen to 45bn euro (£39bn), opening a huge hole in the Irish government's finances.

Oh. That sounds bad.

The increased cost will see the government run a budget deficit equivalent to 32% of GDP this year.

Yeah, that's pretty bad. But how much will this hurt Seamus Average?

Mr Lenihan defended the cost of the bail-out measures, which will cost the Republic's two million taxpayers the equivalent of 22,500 euros each

Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan today warned that further austerity measures will have to be imposed after the Central Bank revealed the total cost of the bailout for Irish banks will be almost €50 billion.

Speaking separately, Taoiseach Brian Cowen refused to rule out further tax increases in the forthcoming Budget and said "revenue raising" options would be required as well as spending cuts in the Budget, which is due to take place in December.

Speaking on RTE radio at lunchtime, Mr Cowen refused to outline how much would have to be found through austerity measures.

The announcement of the final scale of its bank rescue plan concludes a month in which the troubles of Ireland’s economy have again been centre stage. Rating agencies and analysts have questioned the capacity of our small economy to cope with its emerging debt. Ireland has also become a test bed for state recovery strategies, including the introduction of austerity measures and the resolution of complex banking problems.

Thursday’s figures reveal the undeniably high, but manageable, costs of the domestic bank bail-out. The one-off impact is to push the ratio of deficit to gross domestic product to 32 per cent. However, the Irish government has also committed to framing a budgetary plan to reduce the underlying deficit to 3 per cent by 2014. This plan will help to satisfy market concerns by providing clarity on the scale of the painful, but deliverable, fiscal adjustments needed in coming years. And underneath, Ireland’s economy is much stronger than it at first appears.

Difficult though the situation is, the state has reacted swiftly. Stern measures to address the public finances – including public sector wage cuts, expenditure cuts and increases in personal taxation – have been introduced with widespread acceptance by the public.

Measures to fix the banking crisis through a new National Asset Management Agency have received a more mixed reaction. However, the aim of taking bad property loans off bank balance sheets to enable recapitalisation is sound.

Of course, I shouldn't mock the Irish too much for their impending enslavement by the financial industry. After all, as Digby notes, we're about to get the same treatment here in the US:

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) slammed Democrats Thursday for campaigning against Republicans on Social Security.

At an event for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget Thursday morning, he took on Democrats who have gone after Republican candidates for supporting Ryan’s Roadmap for America’s Future. The plan includes partial privatization of accounts for those under 55.

What! How dare you campaign against policy proposals I made! The opposition party isn't supposed to oppose things!

“We’ve got to get beyond weaponizing these issues for political gain in the short run,” he said, adding that Congress and President Barack Obama aren’t offering any solutions on Social Security. “We’ve got to get through this political moment. The political weaponization of entitlement reform is very unfortunate. It’s hurting our chances of actually getting bipartisan agreement in the near future. It’s unfortunate but we’ve got to get out there."

Gee, Paul, I'd feel so bad for you, except Republicans have successfully and relentlessly weaponized any and all tax increases for the past 30 years.

First things first, the good folks over at Corrente are having a fundraising drive. Please go over and give 'em some cash to help 'em stay afloat. Now, onto business:

The cost of bailing out the Republic of Ireland's stricken banks has risen to 45bn euro (£39bn), opening a huge hole in the Irish government's finances.

Oh. That sounds bad.

The increased cost will see the government run a budget deficit equivalent to 32% of GDP this year.

Yeah, that's pretty bad. But how much will this hurt Seamus Average?

Mr Lenihan defended the cost of the bail-out measures, which will cost the Republic's two million taxpayers the equivalent of 22,500 euros each

Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan today warned that further austerity measures will have to be imposed after the Central Bank revealed the total cost of the bailout for Irish banks will be almost €50 billion.

Speaking separately, Taoiseach Brian Cowen refused to rule out further tax increases in the forthcoming Budget and said "revenue raising" options would be required as well as spending cuts in the Budget, which is due to take place in December.

Speaking on RTE radio at lunchtime, Mr Cowen refused to outline how much would have to be found through austerity measures.

The announcement of the final scale of its bank rescue plan concludes a month in which the troubles of Ireland’s economy have again been centre stage. Rating agencies and analysts have questioned the capacity of our small economy to cope with its emerging debt. Ireland has also become a test bed for state recovery strategies, including the introduction of austerity measures and the resolution of complex banking problems.

Thursday’s figures reveal the undeniably high, but manageable, costs of the domestic bank bail-out. The one-off impact is to push the ratio of deficit to gross domestic product to 32 per cent. However, the Irish government has also committed to framing a budgetary plan to reduce the underlying deficit to 3 per cent by 2014. This plan will help to satisfy market concerns by providing clarity on the scale of the painful, but deliverable, fiscal adjustments needed in coming years. And underneath, Ireland’s economy is much stronger than it at first appears.

Difficult though the situation is, the state has reacted swiftly. Stern measures to address the public finances – including public sector wage cuts, expenditure cuts and increases in personal taxation – have been introduced with widespread acceptance by the public.

Measures to fix the banking crisis through a new National Asset Management Agency have received a more mixed reaction. However, the aim of taking bad property loans off bank balance sheets to enable recapitalisation is sound.

Of course, I shouldn't mock the Irish too much for their impending enslavement by the financial industry. After all, as Digby notes, we're about to get the same treatment here in the US:

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) slammed Democrats Thursday for campaigning against Republicans on Social Security.

At an event for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget Thursday morning, he took on Democrats who have gone after Republican candidates for supporting Ryan’s Roadmap for America’s Future. The plan includes partial privatization of accounts for those under 55.

What! How dare you campaign against policy proposals I made! The opposition party isn't supposed to oppose things!

“We’ve got to get beyond weaponizing these issues for political gain in the short run,” he said, adding that Congress and President Barack Obama aren’t offering any solutions on Social Security. “We’ve got to get through this political moment. The political weaponization of entitlement reform is very unfortunate. It’s hurting our chances of actually getting bipartisan agreement in the near future. It’s unfortunate but we’ve got to get out there."

Gee, Paul, I'd feel so bad for you, except Republicans have successfully and relentlessly weaponized any and all tax increases for the past 30 years.

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Fox News Poll: GOPer Raese Leads By Two Points In WV-SEN | TPMDC

The new Fox News poll of the West Virginia Senate race has Republican businessman John Raese holding on to a narrow lead against Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin.

"Xbox 2" game WarDevil canned Xbox 360 News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Er, great news: George Lucas may be planning new “Star Wars ...

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Fox News Poll: GOPer Raese Leads By Two Points In WV-SEN | TPMDC

The new Fox News poll of the West Virginia Senate race has Republican businessman John Raese holding on to a narrow lead against Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin.

"Xbox 2" game WarDevil canned Xbox 360 News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Er, great news: George Lucas may be planning new “Star Wars ...

bench craft company complaints bench craft company complaints

Fox News Poll: GOPer Raese Leads By Two Points In WV-SEN | TPMDC

The new Fox News poll of the West Virginia Senate race has Republican businessman John Raese holding on to a narrow lead against Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin.

"Xbox 2" game WarDevil canned Xbox 360 News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Er, great news: George Lucas may be planning new “Star Wars ...

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Friday, October 22, 2010

Making Money Job

If you’ve ever been to Iceland, you probably noticed that there are no old people there. My personal theory is that they throw old people into tar pits like on The Dinosaurs. But if you ask any Icelanders where there hell everybody over 40 is, they’ll usually shrug or laugh or give some non-committal answer like “they‘re around,” mainly because they don’t actually know. Similarly, nobody knows for sure what happens seven years down the road to all the first years that started. Because even if you tally up all the farewell emails, a few of your co-workers will remain unaccounted for, in the tomb of the unknown lawyer…

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A lot of your missing brethren will of course have been pushed out or stealthily laid off; but probably an equal amount will have to do other, more rewarding things, like abscond with partners from foreign offices, quit to start baked goods businesses, become legal bloggers, go back to school, hang out a shingle, hang out a shingle because they work as roofers, marry rich, find God, get pregnant, have mental breakdowns, etc. Only the spectacularly lazy can go six or seven years at a firm and not find a single more rewarding, somewhat remunerative job somewhere out there, because they’re everywhere. For instance, The Container Store is now hiring.

What is truly ridiculous about your question is that you seem to think that lateraling out of your firm is a now-or-never bet. As if you stay one day beyond being a third year, no firm will ever take you. As if you’re a 30-year-old blogger with a $4,000 credit limit who goes to pet lifestyle events. Luckily, you haven’t sunk that low yet. If you grow tired in a year or two – or ten – of making a crap income for slave labor at your cheap firm, you can always lateral if you’re good at your job and/or a rainmaker. There’s no point in lateraling now when you have three skills; wait until you know how to do something other than send around the dial-in. Or at least until you’ve got a higher credit limit.

Your friend,

Marin

HOMER: Wow, Mr. Burns, you’re the richest man in the world! You own everything!/> MR. BURNS: Ah, yes, but I’d give it all away to have just a little bit more.
Look brother, I understand that it can be tough living in this city unless you have money pouring out of your ears. Trust me, I get it. But come on man, you’re talking about throwing away a good, secure job and a pleasant lifestyle for a couple of extra dollars. During a recession? Why would you do that?
I’m not going to tell you that money can’t buy happiness. That’s clearly false; I don’t care how badly Cliff Lee embarrasses me on national television, I’d still trade places with Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez (or their agents) in a second.
So sure, more money might make you happier. Bur chasing money to the exclusion of all else could make you significantly more sad. I’m saying that you might easily find that you are now using your money induced happiness to replace the happiness you used to derive from: coming home at a reasonable hour, working with nice people, feeling like you are something more than a faceless cog in the machine, and having your colleagues treat you with respect. Could banging Minka Kelly make up for that? Almost certainly! But it’s not like trading up for an extra $30K a pop is going to suddenly make you (ahem) rich enough to pull those kinds of perks.
At the end of the day, you’re just going to be the same lawyer who has a little more money in your pocket.
I don’t think it’s worth it dude, but I’m also the guy who left a lot of cash on the table to start down this path. Maybe you should ask somebody who has fully sold out whether or not the extra cash fills the gaping hole where their soul used to be? I’m not exactly friends with him, but I can give you LeBron James’s phone number if you want to talk about this a little more./> – Jane Jacobs

style="text-decoration: underline;">Ed. note: Have a question for next week? Send it in to advice@abovethelaw.com.

Suffice it to say, Hailey Glassman was unmoved by Jon Gosselin's apology yesterday, during which he Tweeted a long attempt to "clarify a few things."

In exclusive interview with Radar Online, the former girlfriend of the father of eight (who's now dating Ellen Ross) gives us her take on his comments.

Hailey Glassman said Jon's seemingly heartfelt apology to Kate and his children is nothing but a "negotiating tactic to gain sympathy from the public."

LOL WUT: Hailey can't believe Jon's latest nonsense.

"I am acutely aware of the mistakes I made ... and ashamed of choices I made," Jon Tweeted. "I have apologized to Kate, my family, and my friends."

Yeah. About that. Hailey claims Jon lied so much during their relationship that his "life coach" actually called her and told her to "accept his lying."

Otherwise, the coach posited, he'd never be capable of telling the truth.

"Jon Gosselin, oh Jon G, when are you going to learn, if you truly care STOP GOING TO THE MEDIA oh excuse me even worse TWITTER about your family," Hails responded, somewhat validly. "All I have to say about him is SAME OLD JON."

"He truly should get real help and not his 'life coach' who I know ... she even called my family and spoke to my parents about Jon to tell us to 'accept his lying and not get mad at him for it because he will then never tell the truth.'

"If she was such a great 'life coach' (lol at life coach) she would help Jon get real help so he can then be chemically balanced. He swoones her like he does all his naive girlfriends: a.k.a. I know me being one of them in the past."

"JUST GO AWAY, oh and 'lastly'- PAY ME MY MONEY JON."

Hailey then offers some life coaching advice of her own:

"Here Jon, even though you still have not paid me my $200,000 back yet, I consulted with an attorney and have another 2 years to sue you but since I'm such a good person I will give you free life coaching right now:

Get a job so you can rejoin society and stop living in your own little world off your ex wife and children's money. It's extremely unhealthy how you live Jon."
Stop making excuses for everything and always blaming others, take responsibility."
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THEN WORDS, you can talk the talk all you want but if you consistently pull the same statements and kvetching, year after year obviously the world knows you are a liar and nothing that comes out of your mouth is true. If you told the world at this point the sky was blue people would probably go outside to make sure, because you have proven yourself a liar consistently, and throughout the 7 years I have known you, you have always been a liar.
IF YOU TELL THE TRUTH YOU NEVER HAVE TO REMEMBER WHAT YOU TOLD WHAT TO BECAUSE IT'S THE TRUTH SO IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE SAME.
Everything Happens For a Reason.

I hope you one day truly do seek the real treatment you and I know you need. The first step is admitting you have a problem and well you're a pathological liar so I can see how the first step would probably be hard for you.

I hope you get help. The only person hurting your children is you Jon."

Someone's not getting a holiday card this year, we're guessing ...

Sharp to stop selling and manufacturing PCs « Akihabara News

To pursue its growth Akihabara News is seeking for several more editors via an intership program for 6 to 9 months. Please send us a mail @ jobs@akihabaranews.com. Message. We are moving away from Feedburner, please update your RSS ...

Lindsay Lohan Photos & Pics | BREAKING NEWS - Lindsay Lohan Avoids ...

Lindsay Lohan appeared before Judge Elden Fox at the Beverly Hills Courthouse this morning for her latest probation violation hearing, and it appears as though spending the last month at the Betty Ford Center helped convince the judge ...

George Soros Buys a Scalp | Right Wing News

Right Wing News is the best source on the net for conservative news, views, & interviews.

eric seiger eric seiger

id="more-41206">

Your friend,

Marin

HOMER: Wow, Mr. Burns, you’re the richest man in the world! You own everything!/> MR. BURNS: Ah, yes, but I’d give it all away to have just a little bit more.
Look brother, I understand that it can be tough living in this city unless you have money pouring out of your ears. Trust me, I get it. But come on man, you’re talking about throwing away a good, secure job and a pleasant lifestyle for a couple of extra dollars. During a recession? Why would you do that?
I’m not going to tell you that money can’t buy happiness. That’s clearly false; I don’t care how badly Cliff Lee embarrasses me on national television, I’d still trade places with Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez (or their agents) in a second.
So sure, more money might make you happier. Bur chasing money to the exclusion of all else could make you significantly more sad. I’m saying that you might easily find that you are now using your money induced happiness to replace the happiness you used to derive from: coming home at a reasonable hour, working with nice people, feeling like you are something more than a faceless cog in the machine, and having your colleagues treat you with respect. Could banging Minka Kelly make up for that? Almost certainly! But it’s not like trading up for an extra $30K a pop is going to suddenly make you (ahem) rich enough to pull those kinds of perks.
At the end of the day, you’re just going to be the same lawyer who has a little more money in your pocket.
I don’t think it’s worth it dude, but I’m also the guy who left a lot of cash on the table to start down this path. Maybe you should ask somebody who has fully sold out whether or not the extra cash fills the gaping hole where their soul used to be? I’m not exactly friends with him, but I can give you LeBron James’s phone number if you want to talk about this a little more./> – Jane Jacobs

style="text-decoration: underline;">Ed. note: Have a question for next week? Send it in to advice@abovethelaw.com.

Suffice it to say, Hailey Glassman was unmoved by Jon Gosselin's apology yesterday, during which he Tweeted a long attempt to "clarify a few things."

In exclusive interview with Radar Online, the former girlfriend of the father of eight (who's now dating Ellen Ross) gives us her take on his comments.

Hailey Glassman said Jon's seemingly heartfelt apology to Kate and his children is nothing but a "negotiating tactic to gain sympathy from the public."

LOL WUT: Hailey can't believe Jon's latest nonsense.

"I am acutely aware of the mistakes I made ... and ashamed of choices I made," Jon Tweeted. "I have apologized to Kate, my family, and my friends."

Yeah. About that. Hailey claims Jon lied so much during their relationship that his "life coach" actually called her and told her to "accept his lying."

Otherwise, the coach posited, he'd never be capable of telling the truth.

"JUST GO AWAY, oh and 'lastly'- PAY ME MY MONEY JON."

Hailey then offers some life coaching advice of her own:

Get a job so you can rejoin society and stop living in your own little world off your ex wife and children's money. It's extremely unhealthy how you live Jon."
Stop making excuses for everything and always blaming others, take responsibility."
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THEN WORDS, you can talk the talk all you want but if you consistently pull the same statements and kvetching, year after year obviously the world knows you are a liar and nothing that comes out of your mouth is true. If you told the world at this point the sky was blue people would probably go outside to make sure, because you have proven yourself a liar consistently, and throughout the 7 years I have known you, you have always been a liar.
IF YOU TELL THE TRUTH YOU NEVER HAVE TO REMEMBER WHAT YOU TOLD WHAT TO BECAUSE IT'S THE TRUTH SO IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE SAME.
Everything Happens For a Reason.

I hope you get help. The only person hurting your children is you Jon."

Someone's not getting a holiday card this year, we're guessing ...

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Basic Tips For Investing In A Business

Basic Tips For Investing In A Business

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Friday, October 22, 2010

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