Lizards

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Making Money Secrets

I have a 15 year old cousin with autism, whose parents are trying to plan for the future when they're not around to take care of him anymore. My uncle is in his mid 60's, and my aunt is somewhere in her 40's. I'm 24. My cousin will be classified as a disabled adult upon turning 18, and will probably have to be institutionalized at some point.

I received a call from my semi-estranged uncle asking if I'd be willing to administer the cousin's inheritance. I haven't seen these relatives for a few years. Semi-estranged due to family drama (which I'm not directly involved in) over the uncle's treatment of his other child. This mess also means that my uncle's other child is probably out of the running to look after my cousin with autism. I'm willing to consider acting as trustee, but I need a lot more information.

So .... if you have any experience with this sort of thing, I'd love to hear from you. I'm wondering about:

1) What kind of support does the US give to disabled adults? If it matters, cousin lives in TX. I'm still in graduate school, with no idea where I'll settle. Will my cousin be provided with somewhere safe to live, or is he out on the street as soon as my uncle's money runs out? Or does it make sense for the money to run out sooner, so government help kicks in (as seems to be the case for some instances of elder care)?

2) Is there any way for me to wind up on the hook for my cousin's care? I have no intention of agreeing to this if I will wind up legally responsible for supporting my cousin out of my own earnings. I also have no intention of ever being a physical caretaker.

3) My uncle pitched this as my only job being to control the investments and cut checks when necessary. What other duties am I likely to wind up with? What types of decisions will I have to be making, and what degree of involvement with my cousin's day-to-day life will be required?

4) Do professionals exist who do this for a fee, or does it always just fall onto family?

5) What about the other cousin? What are the legal ramifications of leaving an unequal inheritance?

6) What other questions do I need to be asking my uncle? I will have no problem asking awkward questions, or saying no to this request.

Before I sign onto anything, I'll definitely be consulting a lawyer, but that's a way into the future. I have on the order of a year to make this decision.

Anonymous because these really aren't my secrets to spill all over the internet, and it's easy to figure out my identity from my posting history.

I will be following this thread, and can answer questions through one of the admins. If you want to contact me directly, I can be reached at autistic_cousin@hotmail.com.

I have a 15 year old cousin with autism, whose parents are trying to plan for the future when they're not around to take care of him anymore. My uncle is in his mid 60's, and my aunt is somewhere in her 40's. I'm 24. My cousin will be classified as a disabled adult upon turning 18, and will probably have to be institutionalized at some point.

I received a call from my semi-estranged uncle asking if I'd be willing to administer the cousin's inheritance. I haven't seen these relatives for a few years. Semi-estranged due to family drama (which I'm not directly involved in) over the uncle's treatment of his other child. This mess also means that my uncle's other child is probably out of the running to look after my cousin with autism. I'm willing to consider acting as trustee, but I need a lot more information.

So .... if you have any experience with this sort of thing, I'd love to hear from you. I'm wondering about:

1) What kind of support does the US give to disabled adults? If it matters, cousin lives in TX. I'm still in graduate school, with no idea where I'll settle. Will my cousin be provided with somewhere safe to live, or is he out on the street as soon as my uncle's money runs out? Or does it make sense for the money to run out sooner, so government help kicks in (as seems to be the case for some instances of elder care)?

2) Is there any way for me to wind up on the hook for my cousin's care? I have no intention of agreeing to this if I will wind up legally responsible for supporting my cousin out of my own earnings. I also have no intention of ever being a physical caretaker.

3) My uncle pitched this as my only job being to control the investments and cut checks when necessary. What other duties am I likely to wind up with? What types of decisions will I have to be making, and what degree of involvement with my cousin's day-to-day life will be required?

4) Do professionals exist who do this for a fee, or does it always just fall onto family?

5) What about the other cousin? What are the legal ramifications of leaving an unequal inheritance?

6) What other questions do I need to be asking my uncle? I will have no problem asking awkward questions, or saying no to this request.

Before I sign onto anything, I'll definitely be consulting a lawyer, but that's a way into the future. I have on the order of a year to make this decision.

Anonymous because these really aren't my secrets to spill all over the internet, and it's easy to figure out my identity from my posting history.

I will be following this thread, and can answer questions through one of the admins. If you want to contact me directly, I can be reached at autistic_cousin@hotmail.com.

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Monday, March 14, 2011

Money Making Schemes

Newt Gingrich’s people wanted everyone to know yesterday that he was definitely about to announce he’s running for president, for realz this time. But then they looked into the paperwork to file an exploratory committee and realized it’s going to be hard to figure out exactly how many money-making schemes he has going these days and exactly how to arrange the documents so nothing too embarrassing comes out about the schemes. (Newt has to be hoping he doesn’t own any Libyan mail-order bride companies and isn’t the sponsor of something called the “Adultery Foundation Awards.” Both are distinct possibilities.) So he will only run for president IF and when these schemes can be carefully assembled into an FEC bento box.

One Republican with knowledge of the situation told Score that Gingrich is likely to confirm his “intention to announce,” but not actually unveil an exploratory committee. ABC reports Gingrich may use the term “explore phase” rather than “exploratory committee” – another way of stopping short of a full-scale announcement. The reason: Untangling the web of business and political groups Gingrich is involved in has proven complicated and he’s not in a position just yet to take a more formal step toward running.

Get it together, sources (zoo animals) close to Newt Gingrich. Newt is going to “confirm” his “intention” to announce? He’s been doing that approximately forever. [Politico via Salon]

There's plenty of blame to go around! I have been a "quit your job!" evangelist. I have hustled entrepreneurism in magazines; we even run a quit yer job column right here (and there's a good interview coming later today!). I have a great rationale for this position: it is that working conditions have turned to a state of serious suck over the last decade and many employers have demonstrated that they don't give a flying fig about workers, and the only way to even consider retirement in the future is either on your own dime or on the streets.

So yes, do it! And but also… The air in this bubble isn't being recycled very well. The biosphere is a little stinky! No offense to a smart little idea, but LaunchRock is what did me in, and now the NYC Startup Bus is driving over my soul on its way to SXSW.

LaunchRock is a startup that services startups with a jazzy signup-for-beta-invite page and… no, wait, that's it! LaunchRock is incredibly useful, in that you can keep track of all the startups that are about to startup! Like Elephant. What could it be? WHO KNOWS, let's sign up. I hope it's for dream journalling! Social networked dream journalling, man, I would almost pay money for that.

And if you're not glued to the live updates from the Startup Bus that is on its way to Austin, you are missing out. They are starting startups on the startup bus! It's been a tough morning, clearly:

8:57 a.m. — Buspreneurs are pitching their startup ideas, and other buspreneurs are trying to shoot them down. "The whole bar trivia thing isn't really monetized yet."

You know what I wish someone would start-up for me? A widget that would autorefresh that page in a window every 10 minutes so that I don't miss a single absurd word.

There's still good news about the bubble. Like, all my friends are going to get insane money to run their companies. Let's hope some of them show a return! There's going to be nothing sadder than a bunch of 34-year-olds that have given up and been worn down, wearing their kryptonite neck-irons of expansive bubble burn-rate in the isolation of their grey office cubicles.

Let's hope they remember the fun of the crazy times! We're living in a world where venture capitalists have the time to write blog posts about how to write email subject lines that will get them to open your email due to them not having any time.

Even the most zealous haven't forgotten that something killed the dinosaurs, is what the people who are down on this fun little segment of upturn say. Terrorism, swine flu 2.0, war, a derivatives market disaster, the elimination of government-run services, President Palin, something something China, all the palladium gets mined, Google gets MySpaced—who can tell in advance? The fun thing about our modern age is that the meteor is always already about to hit the roof of the bubble, it's just not identifiable until afterwards (hello, Nevada's housing market!), when we're picking up the pieces and working at Walgreen's.

Or you know what else might happen? Nothing! People might just keep making money in one company out of eight or whatever, and everything just shuffles along. The free market, baby.

All that being said, I bet if you wanted to put a little money into a smart and successful editorial company, drop me an email, I bet we could work something out. Couldn't we? While the incubators and angels are awesome—low-cost, high-adventure quotient, great schemes—the real future of startups isn't investment money. It's very little money, because the person with the big checkbook actually almost always turns out to be your boss.

Surface Encounters proudly ensures customer satisfaction and cost setting up granite assurance. “I’m consistently skeptical going with new vendors, but your staff has made me a believer!” - Steve, Indianapolis

Surface Encounters is mostly a fast-growing surface encounters provider and, still they have stored tempo with all the recent consumer referrals. “This organisation is among the most inexpensive, reliable and pleasant companies during the overall state. I might highly recommend them to anyone.” - Mike R., South Bend

A whole lot of operate goes into generating amazing countertops from nature. The method consists of laser measurement artistic vein matching, precision diamond and water-jet cutting, edging and qualified set up. A single cannot merely call in their purchase to get a customized countertop and also have it within per day or two. High quality can take time.

Surface Encounters encourages persons to visit a showroom to know even more about purely natural stone countertops. Besides the choice and fabrication operation, one other important component of client care is ensuring a person appreciates the right way to treatment for their granite countertop to maintain it wanting new for years to come.

Granite is often a beautiful organic stone merchandise that's a famous substance employed for countertops and floor tiles in kitchens and bathrooms. Granite has surpassed marble in popularity given that is it a lot more tough and simplier and easier to care for. Granite is unmatched by synthetic merchandise for its strength and sturdiness, tolerance to temperature improvements and resistance to stains and scratches.

Granite may be a normally formed stone that is definitely quarried from deep within the earth, harvested, cut, polished, sealed and installed in houses to add splendor, elegance and design. As a result of it's a all natural merchandise, no two slabs are specifically alike. Granite is obtainable in a great number of shades in the several minerals which have been observed within the rock. Due to the fact it comes from throughout the world, diverse areas and environmental variables allow it to be unique.

Granite is largely designed up of quartz crystal, but it also includes various quantities of other metals such as feldspar, mica, copper and iron. Some granite may very well incorporate bits of gold or silver. The quantity of each metal is dependent about the area it comes from. All granite is formed right into a very difficult stone by heat and strain. Rain adds other minerals since it is forming. It can be attainable throughout the planet, in every last region, and every region will provide a surface encounters exceptional variety of granite.

Surface Encounters state-of-the-art machinery makes certain the greatest good quality completed solution because they style and design and design a few of the best kitchens and bathrooms. Granite Countertops enhance the warmth and beauty of real estate despite the fact that increasing their worth and bettering lifestyles.

Surface Encounters is also concerned with employee morale; completely satisfied staff are additional probably to lead to your victory of the enterprise. Additionally to staying a flourishing organization and a person that could be superb to work for, Surface Encounters does their aspect to protect our planet.

Surface Encounters does what's best for his or her potential customers, staff along with the setting. Surface Encounters employs sophisticated water recycling capabilities to recycle as much as 43,000 gallons of drinking water every day. On top of that, 100 % of the scrap created in developing tasteful kitchens and amazing baths is re-used as aggregate in road putting together, surface preparations and concrete.

The Columbus, Ohio Grand Opening of Surface Encounters functions an artwork gallery showroom of Granite, Marble, Quartz and Engineered Stone counter tops. Retail store Manager, Scott Donnelly unlocked the doors with the showroom at 4717 Roberts Street, just west on the I-270 Beltway. The Surface Encounters production system utilizes precision, automated technology all the way through the fabrication with the customer's customized counter high, these kinds of as: a laser measuring alignment that programs the diamond-tipped sculpturing blades. Surface Encounters' technique features computer-driven software system that perpetuates the stone's normal veins. Any Surface Encounter retail store has at the least one particular registered, interior designer to assist you in producing the completed venture you might be wanting for. The craftsmanship continues with the

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Surface Encounters Wixom retail outlet supervisor, Sal Dellacasa, says there are several good reasons shoppers are picking out granite for their countertop must have. “Granite countertops add beauty and elegance to a kitchen. Granite is obtainable in a variety of vibrant colors and rich textures and its strength and durability is unmatched by every other organic stone or synthetic countertop content.”

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Friday, March 11, 2011

Making Money on Ebay

Founded in 2009 by Amanda Steinberg, DailyWorth can be a regular electronic mail newsletter that features advice on personal literacy and funds management skewed in the direction of a female audience. DailyWorth’s topics selection from methods to organize your finances to tax tricks to conserving help. And DailyWorth has an outstanding editorial staff to produce subject matter. MP Dunleavey, earlier a personalized finance columnist with the New york Times and at this time a contributor with Money magazine, is leading DailyWorth’s editorial crew.

In spite of unions’ very long hatred of Scott Walker, the new governor is shifting to tackle the two the signs or symptoms for the disease in addition to the disorder itself-the public-sector union scheme that has molested Wisconsin’s taxpayers and their small children by gaming the method. Unions like Wisconsin’s teachers’ union [WEAC] (which was Wisconsin’s biggest-spending lobby in 2009) have been extraordinarily adept at correcting the technique by using shelling out millions to elect politicians who, in flip, reward the unions at the expense of your taxpayers.

the Wisconsin battle, when when compared with private-sector negotiations is about: 1) the Scope of Bargaining, 2) Union “Income” Security [Right-to-Work vs. Compelled Dues], three) regardless if Wisconsin must be the unions’ dues assortment company [payroll deduction of dues], and 4) no matter if public-sector unions must be ‘recertified’ by holding elections just about every yr.

place the photographs over the internet to show our jobs team at msnbc.com, and photographer Jim Seida mentioned, why don’t we just publish it like a slide demonstrate? I used to be skeptical at first - would that crimp the writing? - but from the conclude I used to be advocating carrying out it this way once the photograph crew was skeptical. I considered much more customers would go through by way of it this way, and it could be worth an experiment.”

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On Monday night, I watched my initial, The Very last Word host Lawrence O’Donnell.
Despite the fact that O’Donnell laudably attempted to concentrate the audience’s attention onand hopefully final, Charlie Sheen trainwreck interview, courtesy of the tragic undertow that threatens to pull Sheen below for wonderful, I was overtaken, not from the pulling on the thread, as well as the voracious audience he serves. It did not make me unfortunate, it built me angry.

Concerning celebrities, we can be a heartless country, basking within their misfortunes like nude sunbathers at Schadenfreude Seashore. The impulse is understandable, to some diploma. It could possibly be grating to pay attention to complaints from many people who appreciate privileges that the majority of us can not even envision. Once you can’t muster up some compassion for Charlie Sheen, who would make a lot more capital for a day’s effort than the majority of us will make inside of a decade’s time, I guess I can not blame you.

Using the speedy tempo of events on the web and also the info revolution sparked by the World-wide-web, it’s rather effortless for that technological know-how sector to consider it’s extraordinary: constantly breaking new ground and doing things that nobody has ever before undertaken earlier than.

But you'll find other types of internet business that have currently undergone a number of the same radical shifts, and have just as wonderful a stake inside the long term.

Get healthcare, as an illustration.

We usually imagine of it like a vast, lumbering beast, but in fact, medication has undergone a sequence of revolutions within the past 200 years that happen to be no less than equal to all those we see in technologies and data.

Significantly less understandable, but however within the norms of human nature, would be the impulse to rubberneck, to slow down and consider the carnage of Charlie spectacle of Sheen’s unraveling, but from the blithe interviewer Sheen’s daily life as we pass it from the right lane of our each day lives. To be straightforward, it could possibly be tough for persons to discern the distinction in between a run-of-the-mill interest whore, and an honest-to-goodness, circling the drain tragedy-to-be. On its own merits, a quote like “I Am On the Drug. It’s Named Charlie Sheen” is sheer genius, and we cannot all be anticipated to take the complete measure of someone’s daily life every single time we hear a little something amusing.

Swift ahead to 2011 and I am wanting to look into implies of getting a bit more business-like about my hobbies (typically music). Through the finish of January I had manned up and started to advertise my blogs. I had made various distinct blogs, which were contributed to by mates and colleagues. I promoted these actions by Facebook and Twitter.

Second: the little abomination the Gang of 5 on the Supream Court gave us a yr or so ago (Citizens Inebriated) really includes a little bouncing betty of its personal that can rather perfectly go off from the faces of Govs Wanker, Sacitch, Krysty, and J.O. Daniels. Because this ruling extended the concept of “personhood” to both companies and unions, to try to deny them any proper to operate inside the legal framework that they had been organized below deprives these “persons” of the freedoms of speech, association and motion. Which suggests (when once more, quoting law college skilled household) that both the courts need to uphold these rights for that unions (as particular person “persons” as guaranteed by the Federal (and most state) constitutions, or they've to declare that these attempts at stripping or limiting union rights should use to major companies, also.

More than 8,300 homeowners in Illinois received notices from lenders that they’d defaulted on their mortgages and had foreclosures proceedings initiated against them last month, according to a monthly foreclosure report issued Thursday by Web site RealtyTrac.

In addition to the 8,345 homeowners receiving default notices, another 1,908 received notice that their homes were scheduled for court-ordered auction and 2,910 homes in the state were repossessed by lenders.

The numbers, as expected, are low because foreclosure activity stalled during the fourth quarter of 2010 while mortgage servicers investigated the internal procedures for processing foreclosures and repossessing homes.

Nationally, all types of foreclosure notices were reported on 261,333 residential properties, a 1 percent increase from December but down 17 percent from January 2010.

“We’ve now seen three straight months with fewer than 300,000 properties receiving foreclosure filings, following 20 straight months where the total exceeded 300,000,” said James Saccacio, RealtyTrac CEO, in a statement. “Unfortunately, this is less a sign of a robust housing recovery and more a sign that lenders have become bogged down in reviewing procedures, resubmitting paperwork and formulating legal arguments related to accusations of improper foreclosure processing.”

Separately, Woodstock Institute reported Thursday that despite a 55.2 percent dip in foreclosure auctions between the third and fourth quarter due to the ‘robo-signing’ scandal and resulting investigations, completed foreclosure auctions in the Chicago area rose by 25.2 percent in 2010, to 30,981 properties. In 95 percent of those auctions, after which a homeowner typically is evicted, the homes became lender-owned.

In the six-county Chicago area, almost 80,000 default notices were issued in 2010. Condominiums accounted for 42.5 percent of all foreclosure activity last year.

I mentioned JPMorgan Chase earlier today, in conjunction with Bernie Madoff’s reasoning that the banks “had to know” about his Ponzi scheme. JPM also plans to cut their trading platforms around the world, perhaps in response to Dodd-Frank. But I want to point out that JPM is working hard to clean up another of their problems, this time related to their abuse of military families.

A Congressional hearing last week detailed how JPM illegally foreclosed on service members while they served on active duty overseas, in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. They also charged mortgage interest rates above the cap for active-duty military personnel.

The big bank went out of their way to fix the problem yesterday, knowing that abusing service members could get you in big trouble in this country, and lead to further scrutiny of their abusive practices. Calling these violations a “painful aberration” on a track record of honoring military families, JPM CEO Jamie Dimon announced:

• New pricing. Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, servicers are required to cap mortgage interest rates for active duty personnel at 6%. JPM will lower that cap to 4%.

• Military modification program. JPM will go beyond HAMP requirements for all personnel who served on active duty going back to 9/11. If the borrower has a second lien with them, they will reduce the interest rate on it to 1%.

• No foreclosures. JPM will not foreclose on any active duty military personnel overseas. Anyone who was wrongly foreclosed upon previously will not only get their home back, but JPM will forgive all remaining home debt. They promise to do that in the future with any other wrongful foreclosure of a military family.

• Donations. JPM will donate 1,000 homes to military and veterans, through a non-profit partner, over the next five years.

• Jobs. They will commit to hiring 100,000 military and veterans over the next ten years. They will also offer a Technology Education certificate for veterans to take free to get technology training for future careers.

• Advisory Council. They’ll form an Advisory Council to determine other ways to help military families. They’re also opening a bunch of Homeownership Centers near military bases to assist families.

Needless to say, this is a PR gambit to the nth degree. But look how incredibly scared JPM is that anyone will look past the abuse of military families. They are going out of their way to burnish and repair their public image on this one, and the goal is to whitewash the fact that they were merely engaging in standard servicer practices of abusing homeowners and illegally foreclosing.

The question I have is simple: Why is it OK to abuse the vast majority of borrowers in the United States, but not military families? Why draw the line there? The answer is equally simple: it’s good politics, and they don’t want Congress breathing down their necks.

I hope that people can see through this admission of wrongdoing and guilt, and know that it’s not confined to the military sphere.

Source: http://removeripoffreports.net/ corporate Reputation Management

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Saturday, March 5, 2011

Making Money Cash

Meet Buddy Roemer, who hasn’t won an election since the 1980s and lost to America’s most famous neo-Nazi. McKay Coppins talks to the ex-Louisiana governor about his White House dreams.

Buddy Roemer is the kind of politician who likes to use your first name in conversation—a lot.

“That’s a good question, McKay!” he exclaims when I ask him why he decided to become a Republican halfway through his first and only term as governor of Louisiana. “You gotta stop asking these questions!”

Previous LA Gov. Buddy Roemer is considering running for President. Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Unfortunately for him, that will be one of the easier queries he faces in the coming months, as he tests the waters in a long-shot bid for the Republican nomination in 2012. Roemer hasn’t won an election since 1987. As governor, he became something of a state joke when he entrusted his emotional well-being to a new-age guru who instructed him and his staff to ward off negative thoughts by snapping a rubber band on their wrists and saying, “Cancel. Cancel.” And his only real claim to national fame is losing his bid for re-election to the statehouse in a primary to a veritable neo-Nazi. But today, none of that is preventing him from exploring a White House run.

“Thursday, I’m announcing an exploratory committee,” he says in a cheerful New Orleans accent, making him only the second Republican candidate so far to officially declare his intentions. (The other is pizza magnate Herman Cain.) “And then I will proceed to explore, to think through, to listen to people—I call them plain people—throughout America.”

It’s easy at first to dismiss Roemer as a kook—or, worse, a cynical opportunist looking to cash in a brief, buzzy presidential run for a future book deal or a cushy cable gig. But while his stated campaign strategy is hugely untenable—more on that below—he insists his intentions are sincere. And, well, maybe he’s telling the truth.

“Many will say that ‘he doesn’t have a chance,’ that ‘he’s not to be taken seriously,'” he says, pausing for emphasis and then lowering his voice. “Watch me, McKay.”

So far, Roemer’s platform is thin. He doesn’t have a lot to say about entitlement reforms or Middle East engagement. Instead, Roemer, who served seven years in the U.S. House, appears to be putting all his eggs in one basket, and betting that the message will resonate among populists in both parties. His target: something he calls “the money monster.”

“People are asking, ‘Why are you coming back?’ And I say it’s because there’s a need here. I am unimpressed and frightened by the money culture in Washington…

“Many Congressmen are auctioning themselves off for retirement. You have a health-care bill without any tort reform. I wonder how that happened. You have a financial-regulation bill that doesn’t require major banks to follow the same rules as every other company. Gee, I wonder how that happened.”

His bid to free Washington from the grips of the money monster will start with his own campaign. Roemer says he will refuse to accept donations from corporations, PACs, or special-interest groups, and that he will limit personal donations to $100 per individual. Slate’s Dave Weigel has already pointed out that such an approach to fundraising will make it all but impossible to raise enough cash to launch a credible campaign—but Roemer is ignoring the naysayers.

“I will declare my independence from the ‘all I want is access’ money,” he says proudly, insisting that this is more than just campaign window garnish. Indeed, he says, “I happen to think this is key to fixing most of the problems that are ailing America.” It’s a bold claim, and I press him to outline specific policy proposals that will solve the problem. At first he demurs—“That’s for future times,” he says—but then, as though the thought is just occurring to him, he offers, “When Congress sees the success I have with my own campaign, they will turn and say, ‘How did you do that?’ and ‘How does that work, and how does the Internet work?’ I’m not going to dictate to them.”

Robert Mann, a professor of mass communications at Louisiana State University, and a one-time reporter who covered Roemer when he was in Congress, says the politician has always relished being perceived as a "maverick." As a conservative Democrat, he was one of the first members of the House of Representatives to cross party lines and work with Ronald Reagan. And, later, as a governor hoping for re-election he switched parties because, Mann speculates, "he saw that the state's politics were trending conservative, and he thought it would be easier to be re-elected." (Roemer, on the other hand, insists he switched parties to add partisan variety to the Democrat-dominated state. He points to Gov. Bobby Jindal's election as a success made possible, in part, by his own political trailblazing.)

Of course, this independence comes with some baggage that may not smell so rosy to GOP primary voters. As governor, Roemer vetoed an anti-abortion bill because, he says, it "didn't do enough to protect the life of the mother." And he has a record of supporting environmental regulations that will surely be viewed with suspicion by the party's more adamant climate skeptics.

But while Roemer's maverick persona has a mixed track record of electoral success, Mann says he still has the intuition of a good candidate. "If there's a politician that could talk a bird out of a tree, it would be Buddy Roemer," says Mann. "There's a refreshing quality to his rhetoric, and a freedom that comes with not being beholden to any party."

There may or may not be more to Buddy Roemer than an entertaining 20-minute interview. But even if rhetoric's all he's got, he'll still have an important place in the 2012 primary. Namely: on the stage, drawing attention to every other candidate's dance with the "money monster."

McKay Coppins reports on politics and culture for Newsweek.

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As a self-funded startup, Meyer and his team have just launched the service in San Francisco by walking around neighborhoods like the Haight, Cole Valley and Inner Sunset, handing out flyers and talking to people. He says the reaction has been very positive. "There's traditionally been a lot of informal sharing between immediate neighbors. This gives people a tool to organize that, and extend the circle of trust a bit further too." He also finds it remarkable how much has changed in the last decade of social technology, since his service relies on "communication between strangers," requiring coordination that would have been almost impossible until recently.

It's still early days, but with several hundred users after just a week, there does seem to be interest. It also seems a natural complement to a car-sharing service like ZipCar, making your choice of parking spot at your destination as flexible as your choice of vehicle.

Meyer pointed out that there are a lot of secondary benefits to the service too. It gives people a chance to help out other locals, to "be a neighborhood hero," reduces the gas wasted circling the block, and removes the hassle of having to move your vehicle every two hours because of street parking regulations. There's an active trade in garage and private space rentals here in San Francisco, but ParkCirca gives you the chance to park in multiple spots, rather than being anchored to a particular location.

There's no guarantees that their model will work, but as some who has recently moved to the city I really hope it does take off. Meyer is currently looking into raising angel funding to support his mission of "making urban life better for everyone," and I wish him luck.

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Newt Gingrich: Fox News Said 'You're Not Here Anymore'

ATLANTA — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he expects to be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Gingrich announced Thursday that he's exploring a run for president, launching a website to collect ...

Will Wright working on new games News - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

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Monday, February 21, 2011

Making Money Tips

As storms, security, and airline cutbacks turn flying into a gladiator sport, marathon traveler Jolie Hunt offers 10 insider tips, from a surprise credit card perk to the only acceptable luggage.

As someone who travels for both business and pleasure, I spent 256 days on the road last year. When I share this stat with friends and acquaintances, I always get the same two questions: "What about your boyfriend?" And, "How are you not fat from all that airplane food?" I practically have a script prepared: A) The boyfriend gets the perks of a global existence, and B) Who eats airplane food?

I love life in transit, because travel, if done right, can be rather pleasurable: books get read, letters get written, deliciously bad rom-coms get watched. I've found that 10 simple rules can make the difference between a pleasant trip and a nightmarish one. Grab your government-issued photo ID and off we go.

1) When it comes to luggage, you want wheels and you want a lot of them. For my money, I think Samsonite Black Label is the way to go. They have fairly stylish choices—with some color, thankfully—and four wheels on their bags, which means you can glide through the airport with your bag (and your dignity) upright.

2) If your plane gets re-routed, be proactive and start working the phones. Twitter recently became the most reliable source of information from airlines and airports. And most high-end credit cards will cover incidental costs to rebook fares and secure hotel rooms, even if your airline doesn’t. American Express Platinum is superb in these dire straits and their concierge service is the gold standard.

3) The '70s are over—no one dresses for air travel anymore. For long flights, a headband is genius. You can sleep for hours and then, with one swift maneuver, you again have a hairstyle. Invest in a travel blanket, preferably cashmere (it can double as a scarf). The Company Store makes great ones that you can personalize, and Ralph Lauren does a fancier version in cable-knit cashmere as part of their travel pack. Finally, footwear that is comfy and easily removable trumps all else. Resist laces and zippers, but don't sacrifice style. My top choices are Puma’s Imani Mesh women’s sneakers (no laces, great colors, oh-so-comfy and stylish) and Prada’s Mesh Ballet Flats.

4) Bring your own food, it saves calories and ensures you’re making smart choices. In addition to grub, I can’t live without Chapstick, tissues, socks, a magazine (or seven), and Kahina Face Serum.

• Clive Irving: 2010’s Unsafe Skies5) If you plan to work mid-air, invest in some Bose Noise Canceling Headphones. They block out all ambient noise and turn your seat into an oasis of silence.

6) Any trans-Atlantic or red-eye flight requires real sleep. Beginners should try melatonin—I’m not sure it works, but the placebo effect may be enough to get your eyes shut. Intermediates, try Tylenol PM. For the advanced, I suggest Ambien or the generic Zolpidem. Resist overuse, though; I only use sleeping aids to survive a long overnight flight or to get into a new time zone, especially in Asia.

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7) Always book a car service or taxi ahead when you’re headed to an unknown location. It removes one item from the travel-anxiety equation and allows for minimal payment disruption when dealing with local currencies.

8) Skycaps are worth it not only if you have a lot of baggage, but because oftentimes they get you to the front of the queue, which is worth its weight in gold.

There’s a lot of buzz about small business funding these days. The issue has become a major one not only in the small business community but also among government leaders. It’s certain that finding the funds for your small business venture, especially until cash flow becomes regular, is a challenge every small business owner or entrepreneur faces. If you’re facing this issue, we hope the resources below will help. If there is a creative way you have dealt with this issue yourself, please let us know in the comment section below. We would love to hear.

Basics

Four tips for raising cash. Raising money for your business venture is always a challenge and more so in a challenging economic climate. But tough times shouldn’t stop a determined entrepreneur from getting under way…whether investment is easy to come by or not. Open Forum

Praying for the help of angels. This simple post gives first-time entrepreneurs a detailed overview of the angel investor’s world. But more importantly, it takes a look at why angels invest and the kinds of businesses they prefer to invest in. If you’re seeking investment for your business start-up, it’s best to know what invest are looking for…including angels. The Smart Startup

Policy

U.S. program brings entrepreneurs/investors together. Venture capital investor Brad Feld talks about the newly unveiled Startup America Partnership as proof Washington “gets it” when it comes to promoting entrepreneurship. While we’re sure any program putting entrepreneurs and investors together can’t be all bad, a look at lowering taxes and revisiting the potentially harmful healthcare law would help as much as investment Brad. Feld Thoughts

Startup America boosts funding. Another post celebrates the federal program aiming at putting together entrepreneurs with investors. Here Aneesh Chopra, United States Chief Technology Officer, explains and praises the program. Getting funding to startups has become a major focus of government policy, but how will this translate to the broader small business community? Tech Crunch

Startups

New startup aims at providing capital for small business. A new company is trying to automate the loan process allowing small businesses to get an evaluation then apply for funding online. In essence, On Deck Capital takes the classic business approach of finding a problem and solving it. In this case, the problem is finding a better way to get investment for other small businesses. DealBook

Trends

Groundhog Day predictions. Yes, Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, made his own predictions for the length of winter and the coming of Spring, but small business experts are making their own predictions too. Here are five small business predictions for Spring from a variety of sources, not surprisingly a few touching upon small business funding and its availability. Business News Daily

Small businesses get more credit card offers. Credit card companies will be making more offers to small businesses, according to recent media reports. But could entrepreneurs be too worried about taking on extra debt to take advantage of this opportunity? Read Rieva Lesonsky’s detailed overview of this new funding option and what it means. Small Business Trends

Resources

A whole new fundraising frontier. Could social media be the next frontier for small business fundraising in the same way that it has been for marketing and networking? Enter Kickstarter and other similar sites that turn to online communities as a way of funding projects. Could it be right for your funding needs? Open Forum

Raising capital: a how-to guide. Putting together funding for a small business has never been easy. Still it can be one of the most important skills an entrepreneur possesses. Still, getting started with the fundraising process for your small business is not rocket science. Here are some basic steps to get you started. Open Forum

News

Is small business funding still plagued by discrimination? A settlement as a result of a discrimination suit filed against the U.S. Small Business Administration has apparently still not resolved the issue of whether the federal agency is bias toward minority applicants for business funding. What’s your take on whether the federal loan program could be impeding investment in small business especially in minority or under-served communities? NYTimes

From Small Business TrendsSmall Business News: Small Business Funding Facts

autosport.com - F1 News: Bahrain withdraws opening race

Bahrain Grand Prix organisers have announced that the event will not host the opening round of the 2011 Formula 1 season, after days of uncertainty following unrest in the country.

AOL, Google, The News, & I

Almost everyone uses Google to find out more about news that's happening right now, whether it's tech industry stuff, celebrity breakups, or political revolutions. Unfortunately, the rules Google uses to determine which websites gain ...

Arizona Sheriff Weighs in on Hospital Immigration Checks Debate ...

As debate intensifies over a new Arizona proposal requiring hospital patrons to show proof of legal U.S. residency, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says the controversial measure is just one piece of a larger effort to curb illegal ...

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

Making Money Job

MeFites, my roommate is a mid-twenties free spirit who is a lovely spirit, generous to a fault, but has very little respect for others' things. When she moved in, I set the tone for our household to be one of sharing; I wanted to frequently share my dinners with her. I made it clear that things I own in common areas are fair game (kitchen stuff, etc). I've specified what is mine, what I choose not to share, what is NOT fair game for her use.

I love this roommate, but since the beginning, there has been major boundary crossing. My things go missing. My food, shampoo, mouthwash, household cleaners get used up. Worst of all, when I can't find things, she turns white and tells me they are at "so-and-so's house" and rushes off to get them.

When she ruined my good towels by using them at the school, she said, "Why do you need good towels anyway?! We're so spoiled in this country!" implying I was being selfish and materialistic. Guilting me for expecting my roommate to exercise normal, healthy respect for others' property.

I've had at least four "boundary clarification" talks with her. I have expressed that while I am happy to let her use my things IN OUR HOME, they are NOT to leave the house without my permission. I have clearly stated, "Hey, I am the one who gets to decide whether you use my belongings. You don't get to decide for me."

After a major episode when she lent my sewing box out to one neighbor and our vacuum to another, I set a tangible boundary to keep my things safe and put a lock on my bedroom door. But she STILL is taking things to the school where she works...things she presumes are "No big deal." My grandmother's rolling pin. My only nice set of dinner napkins (both now ruined or gone.) I've told her the next time I find something missing, rent will go up $50 a month for each missing thing (and that's in addition to her replacing what's gone.)

She offers me her food, to use her clothes or hair products, etc. "any time" which is lovely and generous and selfless...buys little presents, has offered to lend me money, helps and cleans up around the house, etc...and I genuinely like her as a person, but I'm really struggling with how to deal with this. In some ways, I feel like I'm dealing with a stubborn, incorrigible, spoiled teenager.

Please note: right now for various reasons, I cannot ask her to move out, so please help me come up with solutions to the situation I'm presently in.

Since being laid off, I have been seriously underemployed and barely paying the bills. I'm starting a new job next month so this stress will lighten soon, but in the last few months with her using up the little I have, it has been very difficult. Knowing she might be sneaking my shampoo and eating the food I bought for myself has been threatening my sense of well-being. I realize deep mistrust has set in.

I've said and done all the constructive things I can think of. But clearly, she doesn't "get it." Healthy boundaries and grownup considerations.

Can anyone help? I'm at my wit's end.

• Amar'e Stoudemire's dreams just came true: He recently posed for Vogue’s April issue! [Page Six/NYP]

• Joseph Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa: "[Calvin] is just great. He's a genius. He has a legacy of work, a huge body of work. You cannot compare really because he is just unique. And it's not fair because he has 35 years to back him up. It's very tempting and an easy thing to just bring back the archives. That challenges me. I find that most difficult. I find it insulting to the house and insulting to myself. For me to take it forward — that is Calvin — to look forward. So for me to look back and just copy something, then I am not doing my job." [Vogue UK]

• Garance Doré recently moved into a prewar Greenwich Village loft with boyfriend Scott “The Sartorialist” Schuman, explaining, “I don’t make sacrifices. There is no, ‘I leave everything for my man.’ I just do things when they make me feel good and they feel right." [NYT]

• Critical shopper Jon Caramanica on Soho’s new Fiorentini + Baker store: “From a distance, you could be forgiven for thinking they were sets of twins, or maybe the whole Duggar clan, 19 siblings and counting. There is not much variation to be had on the women’s side. Colors: black, or maybe a muted earth tone. (There was one chalky lavender option; it looked lonely.)” [NYT]

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