AP - The Taliban claimed responsibility Thursday for a suicide bombing at a base in eastern Afghanistan that killed eight American civilians and one Afghan, the worst loss of life for the U.S. in the country since October. A U.S. congressional official said CIA employees are believed to be among the victims.
Read more of Taliban claim blast that killed 8 Americans (AP)…
NEW YORK — A white van parked in the heart of Times Square with tinted windows, no license plates and a bogus law enforcement placard led the NYPD to briefly evacuate the tourist hot spot and send in a bomb squad on the day before New Year’s Eve.
No explosive devices were found inside the van Wednesday afternoon, and the area was reopened to traffic about two hours after the incident began.
Read more of Times Square Bomb Threat Dismissed After Mass Evacuation…
AP - The head of a presidential delegation investigating the deaths of 10 people in eastern Afghanistan concluded Wednesday that civilians — including schoolchildren — were killed in an attack involving foreign troops, disputing NATO reports that the dead were insurgents.
Read more of Afghan probe says NATO fighting killed children (AP)…
President Obama is the man Americans admired most in 2009, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, while Secretary of State Hillary Rodham …
Read more of Poll: Americans most admire Obama, Clinton, Palin…
Jason Bay, one of the top free agents on the market, reportedly will sign with the New York Mets.
Read more of Reports: Bay, Mets agree to four-year deal (Yahoo! Sports)…
AP - China says Akmal Shaikh is a drug smuggler and must be executed Tuesday morning. But family and acquaintances say the 53-year-old Briton is mentally unstable and was lured to China from a life on the street in Poland by men playing on his dreams to record a pop song for world peace.
Read more of China set to execute Briton many say is unstable (AP)…
Reuters - An opposition leader accused Iran’s hardline rulers on Monday of killing innocent people during a religious festival that ignited into a day of anti-government protests, a reformist website reported.
Read more of Iran pro-reform cleric condemns deaths on holy day (Reuters)…
Regarding Iran, it was a year of spectacularly squandered opportunity.
Read more of 2009: The year of living fecklessly…
AP - Iran has said Turkey could be a venue for Tehran to exchange nuclear material with the West, the latest in several counteroffers by the Persian nation that have frustrated U.S. demands it directly accept a key U.N.-drafted deal.
Read more of Iran: Turkey option for nuke exchange with West (AP)…
Reuters - U.S. authorities arrested and charged a woman in Hawaii last week for allegedly threatening to kill President Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle, days before the Obamas were due to arrive in the state for the Christmas holiday.
Read more of Woman arrested in Hawaii for threat to first lady (Reuters)…
AP - A Saudi-owned newspaper says that one of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden’s daughters has taken refuge in the Saudi Embassy in Tehran after eluding guards who have held her and five brothers under house arrest for eight years.
Read more of Bin Laden daughter hides in Saudi embassy in Iran (AP)…
Visit any page inside the Amazon.com Video on Demand store (such as Transformers 2) and click on the link below the preview that says “Have a promotion code? Redeem a gift card or promotion code” and enter AVODGIFT.
While intended to be towards a VoD rental purchase, when I tried basically just increased my gift certificate balance by $4 and you can use it for anything. Credit expires 1/3/10. Enjoy! Via SlickDeals.
Amazon.com is currently offering a free $4 credit towards anything in their Video on Demand catalog, which includes thousands of movies and shows. Enter code AVODGIFT. The credit is good until 11:59p.m. January 3rd, 2010 (PST).
Read more about Free $4 Credit at Amazon.com (Video on Demand)…
AP - The public’s views on health care have stayed largely steady this year, despite dramatic swings in the political battle over President Barack Obama’s drive to revamp the nation’s medical system, a survey says.
Read more of Americans’ views of health care steady this year (AP)…
UPDATE: Brittany Murphy died apparently of natural causes, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said.
Us Magazine: Before her shocking Dec. 20 death at age 32, Brittany Murphy “was taking prescription meds for flu-like symptoms she had been experiencing for several days,” TMZ.com reports.
According to the website, she began vomiting early Sunday morning and told family members she was feeling very ill. (She was “found unresponsive” Sunday morning at her Hollywood Hills home and was pronounced dead at 10:04 a.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.)
TMZ also reports that “vario
Read more of Brittany Murphy Vomiting Before Death; Prescription Drugs Found…
AFP - The world’s tallest waterfall — Angel Falls in southern Venezuela — should be stripped of the name by which it is widely known in favor of its indigenous one, President Hugo Chavez said.
Read more of Angel Falls bedevils Chavez, who wants name changed (AFP)…
AP - Brittany Murphy, the actress who got her start in the sleeper hit “Clueless” and rose to stardom in “8 Mile,” has died in Los Angeles. She was 32.
Read more of Hospital: Actress Brittany Murphy dies at age 32 (AP)…
AP - After months of denials, Iran acknowledged Saturday that at least three people detained in the country’s postelection turmoil were beaten to death by their jailers.
Read more of Iran acknowledges prisoners were beaten to death (AP)…
The Dallas Cowboys were one quarter away from ending their recent history of December swoons and New Orleans’ pursuit of perfection, taking a 24-3 lead on the Saints into the fourth quarter on Saturday. Marion Barber capped an 8-minute, 13-play drive at the start of the third quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run, his second score of the game, and the Cowboys continued to hold the NFL’s No.
Read more of Cowboys lead Saints 24-3 after 3rd (AP)…
AP - Court records show LeAnn Rimes’ husband Deane Sheremet has officially filed for divorce.
Read more of LeAnn Rimes’ husband files for divorce (AP)…
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chanchan222/
World of Warcraft has become extremely popular recently. They have added some updates that have made it boom in its numbers. Not only have they added these updates but they seem to be advertising much better than they usually do. I think that it would be really interesting to count the amount of people are playing and how many of those people have multiple accounts.
One thing that is against the rules but is done quite a bit is selling accounts or characters. Whenever people decide they want to make a new character or create a new account they will sell their characters for quite a bit of money. I knew a guy who would level up characters really fast and then sell the accounts for a lot of money. If caught, one will be banned from playing the game again. It's sad that people can't just be honest about what they are doing.
Some people will decide they just don't have time to play anymore and sell their accounts. The population of players may be booming as we get closer to Christmas for one reason or another. It might be that people are buying accounts for their friends as Christmas presents. It seems like the online gaming world is booming right now with players. Hopefully it will continue to boom.
Elin and kids will do Christmas in Sweden, away from Tiger.
This week all eyes are on on Elin Nordegren. She’s got Tiger by the tail as she inks a deal with Puma, just closed a $2 million real estate deal in Sweden, and was seen earlier this week moving property out of the home she shares with hubby Tiger Woods. Here’s the word on her next move.
Read more of Elin Nordegren Heading To Sweden…
AP - President Barack Obama and world leaders are holding another impromptu meeting in search of a climate deal.
Read more of Obama, other leaders meet again at climate summit (AP)…
Two top House Republicans want federal dollars for climate change science to be used in the probe.
Read more of GOP to Obama: Study ‘climategate’…
Authorities have released a 911 call about Chris Henry’s truck incident that authorities say led to his death. The caller describes a shirtless man whose arm is in a cast. She says he is “beating” on the truck and observes that the situation “looks crazy.” Henry died this morning at a Charlotte-area hospital.
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Source: TMZ.
Read more of Chris Henry 911 Call AUDIO: Tape Released…
‘Tis the season for some haggling with your internet service provider! Let them know you have other options, and you should be able to get a lower bill for at least a few months that can add up to some big savings. Below are some new customer offers - you might not get them to match completely, but anything is good in my book. (Also handy for those that recently moved - try using the name of another household member - or just want to start up new service.)
ComcastOffers
$19.99 per month for 6 months, with free wireless modem and $100 cash back
Broadband National
Click on “promotions” in the upper right corner for several offers including:
AT&T - $19.99/month for 6 months, free modem/router, and $100 cash back
Charter
$19.99/mo. for 6 months, free modem, free wireless router, no contract
Cox High-Speed Internet
$19.99/mo. for 3 months, free modem, free self-install kit.
Oh, and don’t forget to check out some of the haggling tips in this DirecTV haggle post.
Read more about Bargaining Chips: Broadband Internet for $19.99/Month…
Today is Free Shipping Day. Many on line retailers participate in this event. Lists of participating vendors are available on line. Many of the bigger names have embraced this day as well, including the biggest on line retailer, Amazon. Of course, check to make sure that the vendor you are contemplating ordering from takes part in free shipping day. If not, consider looking elsewhere.
Some vendors participate more than others, with various ordering levels required before the free shipping kicks in. Not everyone participates, especially smaller vendors that do not have big contracts with UPS and others. Free shipping does not generally include premium shipping, though if you are placing a large enough order, you may be able to negotiate on the shipping charges.
Who initiated Free Shipping Day is not clear. It probably would not be a surprise to most if the big shipping companies initiated this. The charges for free shipping day are absorbed by the retailer, not the shipper. If the shipping companies are responsible for free shipping day, that might explain why the groups responsible for this day do not readily take credit for it. Shippers' customers might not be too happy about feeling compelled to provide free shipping.
In the end, though, Free Shipping Day should prove beneficial to on-line retailers. There are still many people unfamiliar with on line shopping, and shipping charges are one thing that can easily dissuade a potential customer from purchasing from a web site. A widely publicized day where shipping charges are generally waived by the on-line merchants could significantly boost overall exposure and sales for e-tailers.
So, if you are one of those who have not ventured into the realm of the on line markets, today is just about the best day to do so. Avoid lines, parking hassles and unruly crowds at the malls. Quietly browse the world for that perfect gift from the warmth of your home. Have your purchase shipped directly to the intended recipient without ever having to set foot in the post office. If the intended recipient is yourself, anticipate the package showing up at your door, like a gift to yourself.
The holiday season is undoubtedly the happiest time of the year for many people. At the same time, it’s also one of the most costly.
One of the great benefits of having my credit card where I bank is that the credit card balance is right there staring me in the face every time I log in to check my account balance (a task I embarrassingly admit that I do a bit too often).
I noticed something a little surprising a few days ago – my balance is 3 times monthly average. As I look into the details and think back, every transactions was authorized by me. No fraud, and no one else to blame. No doubt the holiday mood helped ease my spending decisions, but wait, this card is for business expenses?!?!?
Even with my websites, Santa didn’t let up. Maybe the higher spending will lead to better growth in the coming months, but that’s an entirely different topic. At the end of the day, I still spent more than I normally would have.
What is your credit card balance right now? I know we are approaching the last week before the holidays, and during this time is usually when emotions are high and spending is even higher. All I ask is this: Don’t let all the holiday season affect your spending habits to a point that you will regret it.
Just take a quick look at your spending this month, and promise me you will stay the course. You may feel a little put off by this, considering that we are all happy and looking forward to the few days off, but many of you will thank me come January. Trust me.
Can you believe that Christmas day is next Friday? Have you gone off track with your spending this month or is everything still on budget?
Let us know! We can help each other!
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The unexpected delay by the City Council will probably push final action into 2010 on an ordinance to stem the proliferation of medical marijuana shops, which have become more common than Starbucks outlets in some neighborhoods.
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Read more about Los Angeles Postpones Vote On Restricting Marijuana Shops…
For those of us who pay attention to personal finance, the public library should be near the top of our list of money-saving resources. It's true that we have access to a lot of free information and services today, but there are still some expenses that can be significantly reduced if we take the time to use the library's resources.
Here are ten advantages that you can enjoy for free if you join the two-thirds of Americans who have library cards (as long as you return things on time, of course!):
Besides offering so many important things for free, libraries are community staples and a great place to learn about what's going on in your neighborhood. I encourage you to check out yours and report back to us the free things you discover that aren't on this list.
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Read more of 10 Reasons to Have a Library Card…
Copenhagen is preparing for the climate change summit that will produce as
much carbon dioxide as a town the size of Middlesbrough.
Read more of Copenhagen climate summit: 1,200 limos, 140 private planes and caviar wedges…
UPDATE:
The Salahis did not appear on SNL’s opening scene. But the show did begin with a clip lampooning the party crashers and a Secret Service of enablers.
WATCH:
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The party-crashing couple that embarrassed the Secret Service and brought scrutiny to protocol at White House social events by getting into a state dinner may be in on the joke.
According to The Washington Post blog The TV Column, Tareq and Michaele Salahi are slated to appear in tonight’s opening skit of Saturday Night Live:
As of Thursday, the NBC late-night show was planning to open with a skit in which, with cast memb
Read more of SNL Salahi Skit Spoofs Party Crashing Couple, Secret Service (VIDEO)…
Police and elite Revolutionary Guards have warned that any “illegal” rally will be fiercely confronted on Monday when the country marks Student Day, commemorating the killing of three students in 1953 under the former Shah.
Read more of Iran bans foreign media cover as student rally nears…
AP - Amanda Knox sought comfort from visiting family members Saturday on her first day in prison since being convicted of murdering her British roommate.
Read more of Knox upset, tired; gets family visit in prison (AP)…
Let's face it; our wonderful country that prides itself on its many freedoms, opportunities and amazing history doesn't consist of the smartest people in the world. And with two-thirds of the country not knowing what the Food and Drug Administration does and one fifth of us believing that the Sun orbits around the earth, it's no surprise that the average American's financial standing isn't as good as it can be.
Well, worry no longer! I, the mighty Mr. Moneybags, have decided to temporarily abdicate my secret cave (a.k.a. my blog) in order to cure the world of financial illiteracy, one guest post at a time. So, let's get started!
Before I can show you how to cure your financial problems and make enough money to afford a platinum knife set encrusted with precious gems (if that's your thing) we are first going to have to know a little bit more about the financial position of the average American household (according to the U.S. Department of Labor):
The average American household is aged 48.8, has 1.9 cars, earns an after-tax income of $42,901 and has average annual expenditures of $49,638. Meaning, the average household is living beyond its means by $6,737 every year – as much as a high-end home theater system or a used car or 6,737 candy bars.
If you were to invest that same $6,737 every year at an average annual compounded rate of return of 10% you would have $56,000 in five years, $135.500 in ten years and $470,000 in twenty years. That's a whole truckload of big fat moneybags!
1. Random Expenses
Well, the average household spends $2,698 on entertainment every year, $1,881 on clothes, $457 on booze and $2,668 on takeout. Those are the first places you can and should cut your spending. I can assure you that living is still possible despite not having the complete box set of Battlestar Galactica, nine closets full of shoes, your weekly keg of beer and even your late night pilgrimages to McDonalds.
2. Transportation
Interestingly enough, transportation is the second largest expense (after housing) at $8,578 (17.6%) of yearly expenditures – $3,244 of which goes towards paying for the car, $2,384 of which goes towards gasoline and $3,130 of which goes towards other methods of transportation. Now, let me ask you a question, if you are paying thousands of dollars for a car every year, why the hell would you go out and seek other methods of transportation?
Trust me, you're not a snob if you drive a car while everyone else takes public transit or cabs. In fact, I drive around in my ridiculously overpriced car and throw gold coins the size of pineapples at pedestrians in order to encourage people to start making more money so that they can afford a car.
If you are worried about high gas prices, mooch rides off of your friends (if you have any) or even consider taking up that horrible concept known as carpooling. If you find people bumming rides off of you a lot of the time, consider charging them for gas money – most will be happy to pay.
Also, it is a good idea to buy what you can afford. Don't get a Hummer when a Camry will do and reconsider getting the supreme package with the rhinoceros-skin covered seats and the retractable roof complete with jet-engine.
And you're one of those environmentally friendly people, consider riding a bike to work/class instead of any four-wheeled concoctions of metal and pipes. This way you not only save money on car payments, gas, and maintenance but you also get some exercise which will do a pretty good job of preventing you from spending time off work in the hospital fighting off a massive lard-induced coronary.
Which leads us to our next point…
3. Healthcare
The average household spends $2,853 (5.7%) on health care every year. Considering the staggering obesity rates in the country and the fact that people are finding it more and more attractive to lounge about on the couch all day and watch reruns of Seinfeld while gobbling down a bag of Freedom Fries rather than going out for a jog, it's no surprise that health care expenditures are this high.
Obesity and its cousin (laziness) cause diabetes, heart disease, weak immune systems and a whole sack of other fun stuff which costs a ridiculous amount of money to treat.
Exercise regularly, eat healthy food, take vitamins, keep a positive mental attitude and you'll be back to picking dandelions in no time (or whatever it is people do for fun when they are healthy), as will your wallet.
4. Reading
Americans spend a whopping $118 (0.2%) a year on reading!
Maybe if we had spent more time reading up on useful things instead of watching people hit balls with sticks (a.k.a. baseball) while ingesting ridiculous amounts of alcohol and gobbling up chicken wings by the pound, we wouldn't have $2.5 trillion of consumer debt. We might even have less credit cards than there are people, not panic whenever the DOW falls 100 points (less than 1% of its value) and learn that our best chance of becoming rich is NOT by winning the lottery.
You can try to reduce your expenditures as much as you want but if your goal is to become wealthy, you will never get there just by cutting costs. Even if you don't spend a single cent of your income due to your suspiciously effective saving skills, you will still be held down by your income level.
In order to become wealthy, you will have to increase your income be it through business ventures, investing, the stock market, working more or just by cleverly managing your finances. That's where I come in at Big Fat Moneybags.
This is a guest post from Mr. Moneybags, who tells me that he is the richest being in the universe ever to have existed and ever to exist. He and his blog is determined to prove to the world that the subject of money shouldn't make you want to douse yourself in gasoline and run into a forest fire.
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