New gas mileage stickers intended for cars forthcoming

There can be a new look for gas mileage stickers at dealerships, and also the Obama administration, Environmental protection agency, and also the Department of Transportation want some different info displayed on them. There are two new versions of fuel economy stickers to choose from, and individuals are encouraged to go to an EPA website to choose which they prefer. Environmental impact is more prominent on these labels. There is one with a letter grade, and one more with more numerical data. Emission standards have been of some concern lately, and that is what the brand new labels will reflect.

Brand new fuel economy decals intended for automobiles

Recently, the Obama administration started work on creating fresh gas mileage and environmental impact label for cars and trucks for sale at dealerships. Two designs are offered, and the government wants your input. According to the Wall Street Journal, the new stickers, meant for showroom floors at dealerships, are meant to reflect the environmental impact from emissions. The new stickers are also intended to demonstrate savings compared with comparable models thanks to gas mileage.

Hybrid cars will look really good

According to USA Today, these labels will definitely show the disparity between the performance of hybrid, electric, and traditional automobiles across various categories. The Volt and the Nissan Leaf are being released in the near future, and are expected to be game changing green vehicles. The first sticker type, uses a familiar rubric. The emissions and fuel economy combine for a letter grade. (Low emissions and high miles per gallon mean a better grade.) The other sticker displays combined miles per gallon, and where that model sits compared to the same class of vehicles. For instance, take a Chevy Suburban and also the Ford Escape Hybrid. The Escape Hybrid is going to rate a lot higher than the Suburban in all categories.

They want your opinion

This is one instance where government does want your input. The Environmental protection agency, the White House and the Department of Transportation are encouraging it. Concerned citizens can go to the EPA website concerning the decals and leave their thoughts, which can be accessed by clicking the link to the EPA’s site below.

Find more information on this subject

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703369704575461602043868916.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

USA Today

content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/08/government-to-propose-new-vehicle-fuel-economy-stickers-/1

EPA

epa.gov/fueleconomy/label.htm

Most recent installation of the Medal of Honor swirls debate

The video game series “Medal of Honor” is creating great controversy due to its latest installation. The games are set in World War II, as a first person shooter. This can be the first not set in that war. Though not new to video games as a whole, the new “Medal of Honor” is set in Afghanistan. In multi-player mode, gamers can be either coalition forces (United States, U.K., etc.) or the Taliban in “Medal of Honor 2010.” The Minister for Defense of the United Kingdom has called for the game to be banned.

Fox demands ban

The Defense Secretary for Great Britain (British English spells “defense” with a “c”), Liam Fox, has required a bar of the game. According to The Guardian, he believes retailers should refuse to carry the game, and people should refuse to buy it. The belief that players could be within the Taliban in multiplayer mode is the root of the controversy, and would be shooting, virtually, at US and UK troops. There are others who oppose the game. It would seem sacrilegious to shoot at American or British troops, even in an online gaming pretend reality. Other games, such as those in the “Call of Duty” series took place in Iraq and Afghanistan. Seems like unfortunately like an inevitability that this would be in a video game.

Electronic Arts responds

Electronic Arts makes the game, this being the first “Medal of Honor” not set in World War II. The PR Representative for EA said to AOL News that most people take opposing roles in play as children. Kids do play games like that. Cops face off against robbers, Indians confront cowboys, cowboys must face the truth that their quarterback is lousy, and within the multiplayer mode of “Medal of Honor”, “someone’s gotta be the Taliban.” Opponents of the feature highlight that playing as Nazis in previous installments is less harmful, as the second World War is farther removed from the present.

It is simply a game

Every video game controversy has two outcomes. First, some people get offended and raise a great ruckus. Second, the video game sells a lot of units, if any person can recall “Grand Theft Auto” or the first “Mortal Kombat,” for instance. As far as the controversial component; it sadly seems inevitable. Steven Spielberg really helped to create the first “Medal of Honor.” That first game had some multiplayer characters that were interesting as well. Players could unlock multiplayer characters such as William Shakespeare or a German Shepherd. They could also play as a Velociraptor from “Jurassic Park”. Remember, this is the game where you could kill Nazis as a dinosaur, so maybe you shouldn’t take it too seriously.

Further reading

AOL News

aolnews.com/nation/article/new-video-game-will-let-you-play-as-the-taliban/19588413

Guardian

guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/aug/23/liam-fox-medal-of-honor-ban

The stock market gets a modest increase thanks to smaller jobless cases

For the very first time in weeks, the number of new jobless claims has sharply dropped. The last six months have been somewhat dismal for employment, though temporary boosts were provided by seasonal employment around the holidays and also the U.S. census. Good news is better than bad news. Housing, the other area that is bad off, is nevertheless within the basement. However, the news is a nearly Pyrrhic victory, as unemployment has held somewhat steadily since November of 2009. The news got stock markets to climb ever so slightly. Post resource – Stock market climbs as jobless claims are reduced by Personal Money Store.

Modest reduction in brand new jobless cases

A drop was recorded in the quantity of brand new cases for unemployment benefits by the Department of Labor. Seasonally adjusted, there were 473,000 jobless cases. However, that number is down by 31,000 over the last week. That’s encouraging, but the past four weeks average to 486,750. According to Forbes, that’s the highest since November 2009. That said, winter jobless claims have to be taken with a grain of salt, as holiday seasonal employment provides a slight spike for the busiest part of the retail year. The U.S. Census also employed a fair amount of people seasonally.

Jobless claims spur stock market climb

As outlined by the Wall Street Journal, the news did some immediate good. It gave stock markets a very modest increase. The uptick was modest at best; the greatest gain was a .3 percent boost for Standard and Poor’s. The Dow went up an unbelievable .1 percent, and Nasdaq shot up .2 percent. The large news on Wall Street is really the Dell acquisition, though others try to stop it, of data storage company 3Par. A bidding war between Dell and Hewlett-Packard for 3 Par has been the huge story on Wall Street over the last week, after last week’s rampant coverage of Potash Corp.

Not even close to from the woods

This was not a radical decrease in unemployment. There are few indicators it is decreasing by much. Fewer employers are at the moment hiring. Real estate shows few signs of life, and it is believed that up to 10 percent of all homeowners may have foreclosure as a significant possibility in their future.

Additional reading

Forbes

forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/08/26/real-estate-industrials-us-economy_7879865.html

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100826-709681.html

A lot more individuals drop out regarding home mortgage alteration compared to high school

The Make Home Affordable mortgage loan modification program, or Home Affordable Modification Program, was one of Obama’s first acts as President. Numerous protested it at the time. The way it worked is that the government would work with the loan company for making a borrower’s mortgage more affordable. That said, it’s much more likely not to work. A lot more people quit than stay within the program.

House loan alteration drop outs

New numbers were released pertaining to the actual plan. 96,025 individuals, as outlined by CNN Money, dropped out in June. There have only been 434,717 successful house loan modification enrollees, and 616,389 individuals have dropped out once in. That’s a failure rate of about 60 percent. That means an individual who enrolls in the mortgage loan modification plan is much more likely to fail than succeed. That means home loan corporations get another guaranteed few pay days. However, it is on the actual taxpayers’ dime.

Fewer candidates

A homeowner must first go through 3 trial months before a permanent modification could be made. According to the Wall Street Journal, there were 24,577 trial modifications given for July, compared to 38,728 trial modifications in June. For homeowners who successfully completed the trial phase, 37,000 permanent modifications were of course in July compared to 51,205 permanent modifications in June. That means they don’t have enough short term loans to cover new mods. Either that or fewer individuals need or can get it.

Not exactly a home run

Some people get their permanent modifications canceled. There were 12,912 individuals thus afflicted in July. There were 272 because they paid their mortgage off. That high a rate of failure means something. It is not the package is a success. That means, that you maybe should think about not getting to the mortgage loan alteration if you were thinking about it. There’s a 60 percent chance it will fail.

Discover more info on this topic

CNN Money

money.cnn.com/2010/08/20/news/economy/foreclosure_prevention_HAMP/

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703579804575441701960735166.html

Americans wake up to realize McMansions have become a waste

McMansions have had their day. During the homes bubble homebuyers sought out ever larger floor plans with more luxurious amenities. Within the aftermath of the real estate problems, such excess is regarded as foolish. Demand for large, sprawling homes packed with luxury amenities on postage-stamp lots, according fresh research, has crashed. Homes with a smaller footprint are the trend in new construction. Realtors and architects believe the sentiment that McMansions are out is more than just a passing real estate trend.

McMansion demand widened together with real estate shield

The housing bubble seems to are the peak of the McMansion, which has been lampooned by such terms as starter castle and Hummer house. Now that the real estate bubble has burst, the decline of Mcmansions could possibly be permanent. As reported by TIME, a report on real estate trends by Trulia shows that the average square feet of floor plans in United States of America homes has gone down for the very first time in six decades. In 1950, 983 square feet was the average size of homes within the United States of America. According to Trulia’s American Dream Survey, by 2004 the average had swelled to 2,349 square feet. McMansions, categorized at a minimum of 3,000 square feet, were sought simply by only 9 percent of the people questioned in a different study, the Trulia-Harris Interactive Survey. Homes ranging from just 800-2,000 square feet were the goal for 64 percent of home buyers.

Housing market altered simply by recession

Smaller homes could possibly be a long-term trend, as outlined by real estate market analysts. In a CNBC article about the downsizing trend, Pete Flint of Trulia said smaller fresh homes signal the beginning of a long-term condition within the houses market . Smaller, less expensive homes were being prepared simply by nine out of 10 builders responding to a 2009 survey. When interviewed simply by CNBC, Kermit Baker, the chief economist at the American Institute of Architects, said design professionals are leaving the McMansion concept behind as demand moves to more practical layouts.Paul Bishop, vice president of research for the National Association of Realtors, told CNBC that McMansions look and feel out of place in the aftermath of the recession.

Additional reading

TIME

newsfeed.time.com

Trulia

info.trulia.com

CNBC

cnbc.com

Bacon prices go up meaning the economy is doing a bit better

There has been a Russian wheat crisis and harvest problems in Europe. This means buying a pint of beer in Europe is now going to cost about $ 6.30. But what’s worse is that bacon prices are going up. CNBC explains that bacon costs 20 percent more than it did last year. Any person who likes their bacon every morning is surely upset by this although the U.S. economy is doing better with this rise in price.

Getting bacon can cost $ 4 per pound

The Department of Agriculture has given their opinion on the situation. It feels the rise in price is because there is a supply-and-demand curve that has to be met. Pig farms are getting smaller lately. This is due to the recession. Tomatoes are in season meaning more people are wanting BLTs, which requires bacon of course. Bacon is something needed for BLTs. Those are hot in demand with the tomato season going strong. Obama’s Next Crisis,” is what the National Review calls it right about now.

One man’s crisis, another man’s baby steps to recovery

The National Review, in its swine sorrow, has failed to see the silver lining. Bacon is considered to be a luxury item. If more individuals are buying it, then more individuals are feeling comfortable to buy luxury items. It’s a step in the right direction, for when people reach for luxury items, things tend to be going better as a whole, economically. Rich Nelson of market research firm Allendale, Inc. said that “They may not be getting steak instead of hamburger, but they will put bacon on their hamburger or other things.”

Bacon tends to be in more items at restaurants because of this.

More fattened through demand

Pig farmers will no doubt respond to increased demand by expanding their hog stocks. Nelson speculates that by mid-2011, bacon prices will start to drift down. Fat on generic brands of bacon abound meaning there is less meat left after losing the fat. More people are purchasing the generic brands. According to Jason Mosely of Mr. Baconpants, “Your BLT deserves the best bacon you are able to afford!” even though most know the economy must be recovering as a result of greatness of bacon, including CNBC’s Heather Lauer. International Bacon Day lies on September fourth and will be celebrated patriotically hopefully. It actually is.

Discover more details on this subject

CNBC

cnbc.com/id/38725523/

The only problem with bacon is that it makes you thirsty… for more bacon.

youtube.com/watch?v=CaK9bjLy3v4

Most recent charge card changes reign within overdue fees and penalties

On Aug. 22, a year of credit card reform culminated with the enactment of a final set of new credit card rules. The last set of rule changes sets out to limit late payment charges and other scams disguised as penalties. Charge card reform began with the Charge card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009. As of Sunday, all the new guidelines collection forth within the legislation have now been enacted. Late payment charges can’t exceed $25 under one for the newest federal laws.Over the past year as new credit card rules have been rolled out, credit card companies have been dramatically increasing interest rates. Within the last round of new guidelines, a provision demands the creditors to provide to evidence to federal regulators supporting the legitimacy for those increases . Source for this article – Last round of new credit card rules limit late payment fees by Personal Money Store.

Obtaining overdue fees and penalties as well as interest rates under control

Now the cycle of credit reform is complete, consumers may have to pay no more than a $25 penalty for overdue obligations. Card companies are also prohibited from charging customers for no using their card, and also rate of interest hikes over the past year have to be justified. CNN reports that credit card corporations must cut rates of interest if the reasons they claim for the increases no longer apply. Credit card businesses could be held to account by government regulators assigned to evaluate their justifications. However, the new rules give banks wiggle room to hike penalty fees higher than $25 if a cardholder is habitually late with payments or if the credit card company can prove the high fee is justified to offset the cost with overdue payments. Further checks on penalties consist of a rule preventing past due charges from increasing above the minimum payment, or overdue costs totaling more than the dollar amount charged over the credit line.

Charge card corporations plan to recoup lost gigantic amounts

The latest round of new credit card rules could subtract $3 billion a year from credit card business bottom lines. Reporting on the industry response to new restrictions, the Wall Street Journal said that fees on balance transfers, money advances, overseas transactions and annual costs are already rising. Because of the new rules, credit card businesses are also expected to raise monthly minimum payments due, which would enable them to increase the late payment penalty fee. Banks accustomed to reaping huge profits from penalty fees aren’t letting go very easily . An executive quoted within the Journal piece said that credit card businesses will miss the easy pickings. They took away about $11.4 billion for their customers’ money last year by hitting them with past due fees. That figure is expected to drop 29 percent to about $8.1 billion.

Consumer spending plays into card-issuers’ hands

Rates of interest are raised by credit card businesses to combat the added consumer protection provided by the new credit card rules. A separate CNN story on the subject said that interest rates on existing credit card customers swelled to a 14.7 percent average within the second quarter-13.1 percent higher than 12 months ago . The gap between the average credit card rate of interest and the prime rate is presently 11.45 percentage points, the widest margin in 22 years according to Synovate, the market research affiliate of Aegis Group. The high rate of interest has not deterred consumers. Within the second quarter their charge card use rose to the second-highest level ever.

Further reading

CNN

money.cnn.com

Wall Street Journal

wsj.com

Now, the Joneses have no debt, meaning to stay up you are going to have to get rid of it too

Keeping up a social status has often been referred to as “keeping up with the Joneses”. This is what causes individuals to just buy things without thinking about it. Many of these things consist of iPhones, flat screen TVs and riding lawnmowers. The Federal Reserve has explained that more people are getting debt settlement relief rather than using credit cards as the Joneses.

Household debt falling, says Fed

The household debt in America numbers were shown by the Federal Reserve just lately. It seems that once the recession came, people decided to tighten their belts and pay things off. Nobody will do poorly with debt consolidation. The Wall Street Journal reports that debt levels have gone down for seven quarters. Second quarter of 2010 showed a 1.5 percent reduction from the past quarter and a 6.5 percent reduction from the previous peak, in third quarter of 2008. That’s $ 178 billion of debt that’s been paid off in the last 3 months. Every person is doing better every month. A cash now is given to these individuals with the losing of debt.

Warning you about this one

Falling household debt and an increased savings rate isn’t really the entire picture. Consumer debt is going down. But delinquency has gone up a bit. This quarter was also the first instance of delinquent debt being reduced, which fell by 0.5 percent. However, as a corollary, bankruptcies increased by 34 percent. It seems fewer people are using paycheck loans to keep up with paying for credit cards, as 272 million accounts were closed and only 161 million opened. At this rate, credit card companies might need an emergency cash loans themselves.

Getting rid of debt

Debt is something Americans are avoiding. They’re also trying to get rid of what they have. More individuals are trying to pay credit cards off than get new ones. Regrettably, you will find people nevertheless doing poorly. Bankruptcy is happening more often. Still, there are a lot of optimistic signs that individuals want to stay out of debt, preferring the security of cold, hard, cash.

Additional reading

Wall Street Journal

blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/08/17/ny-fed-households-continue-to-reduce-debt/

Living on Groupons for a year is the Groupawn goal

Groupons are supporting the lifestyle of Josh Stevens for a year. The Groupon challenge is a dare the online coupon business made earlier this year. Groupon put up $ 100,000 to see if somebody was willing to live off nothing but Groupon coupons for a year. Stevens went for it. Travelling the country chasing Groupon bargains for his basic needs, he’s about a one-quarter through living his life as the “Goupawn”. The necessities of life can contain yoga classes, carriage rides and lots of food in Stevens’ Groupon world.

Discount travel tracked on Groupawn blog

Previous corporate auditor Stevens accepted the Groupon challenge in May and left his cubicle behind. CNN reports that he embarked on his quest with nothing but the shoes, socks and underwear he wore, covered by a paper suit made of Groupons. He also received a laptop, camera, internet card and phone from Groupon.Stevens cannot use or even touch cash, but he’s supplied with online coupons that can be used for lodging, dining and buying. He’s allowed only five visits from family and friends, with each visit lasting less than a day.He shares his experiences in the Groupawn blog as he uses Groupon coupons to barter for sustenance.

Individuals warm to Groupawn guy’s quest

Stevens gets a $ 100,000 windfall if he’s successful. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel caught up with the Groupawn guy last weekend.He was hitting Milwaukee to take advantage of his latest Groupon deal. The Sentinel said Stevens thought a lot more bartering on the street would be required as he traveled. He said individuals want to pitch in and help when he tells them about his adventures.Just a little more than 3 months into his Groupons quest, he arrived in Milwaukee after chasing specials in several other cities including in New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C..

The Groupon business model – buying in

Daily specials offered by local merchants are sold as Groupons on the company’s site. The site offers Groupon deals in more than 165 markets in 22 nations to 11 million subscribers. The deal becomes valid when enough people purchase in. Offer holders are sent a link that prints out the Groupon when the quota is met. If the deal doesn’t fly, the offer is canceled. Buyers aren’t charged for cancelled offers.

Caught off guard by Groupons

The Groupon business model has been so successful that the Chicago Tribune said more than 500 Groupon clones have emerged online. But for a business seeking a windfall from Groupon coupons, the promotion can backfire . The Tribune reports that a growing list of local merchants have been overwhelmed by the Groupon response. A bagel company in Chicago sold a Groupon coupon for $ 3 good for any item up to $ 8. Nearly 10,000 Groupons sold. After splitting 50 percent of the revenue with Groupon, the standard deal for most businesses, the bagel shop netted about $ 15,000 for giving up $ 80,000 worth of food.

Find more information on this subject

CNN

cnn.com

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

jsonline.com

Chicago Tribune

chicagotribune.com

Personal finance tricks to help you keep away from debt

Stay away from debt and your debt issues should be alright for a while. Credit cards, student loans and car loans are all ways individuals get to owing thousands of dollars in debt. Personal finance is available to everyone who has yet to join the crowd and wishes to stay away from debt. The best results are found for personal finance with a couple of key things. Picking what those things are and focusing on them is the hard part. Avoiding debt difficulties could be as simple as becoming more financially literate about credit card debt, saving money and getting wholesale.

How to start debt proof living

Financial literacy can be gained with one very basic thing which is understanding credit card debt and avoiding it. Practical Money Skills talks about the “power of 50.”. If you have a credit card with a $ 3,000 balance at 18 percent APR and pay only the 2 percent minimum monthly payment of $ 60 per month, it will take you 8 years to pay back your card. What’s worse, you will pay $ 5,780, not the $ 3,000 you figured you were spending when. If you can lower the amount left on the credit card faster, say pay $ 50 more a month, or $ 110 a month instead, then the company won’t be able to charge you nearly as much interest. You get to keep $ 1,800 you would have spent on interest, and you also get 3 years less of being indebted.

Small amounts start a savings

Saving money is fairly easy if you try. Saving money for an emergency fund avoids debt if you need something like car repairs. Saving money for something you really want is a good idea since you are able to better appreciate it. Succeed by beginning small, recommends ehow.com. Put $ 20 into your account with each paycheck. You’ll be surprised at how quickly it adds up. Simple things like refilling your water bottle or brewing your own coffee can make a big difference. Add up how much you spend on bottles of water and coffee in a week. You may end up with some more money through it.

Buy wholesale

Buy your stuff at wholesale with wholesale prices and stop using the extra man within the middle. Tips on getting wholesale to save money could be found at essortment.com. Find out which wholesalers in your area allow the general public to use them. Buy wholesale with sample sales. If you have friends who are interior designers, contractors or beauticians who can buy wholesale, offer to buy their lunch if you are able to go with them next time they shop. Shop around for the stuff you need. Sometimes a torn box is the only reason an item is marked down. Just do your research and work just a little, and you’ll be able to find quite great prices.

More on this topic

Practical Money Skills

practicalmoneyskills.com/personalfinance/creditdebt/debt/

Ehow

ehow.com/how_2205105_start-saving-money-have-none.html

Essortment

essortment.com/career/tipsbuyingwh_twqf.htm

Trying to get good debt consolidation

As the economy is not within the best of shape, a lot of people are planning to divest their debt. Numerous wanted fast cash loans when paying other debts off with a second mortgage although a good way to go may be getting a better rate of interest with a mortgage loan modification. The market started to tank making many of the strategies fail miserably. It is hard to discover somebody who you can trust to help you get true debt settlement relief when it is so rare to discover. Article source – Not all debt consolidation is created equal by Personal Money Store.

The wrong idea of fixing debt with more debt?

Numerous people had credit card debt, or other outstanding debts, they’d pay by applying for a second mortgage or refinancing before the economy tanked. This is like borrowing debt from one to pay the debt of another. It helps to refinance right now when mortgage rates are less than 5 percent. You have to have a good credit rating for this of course, reports Newsday. So when you have any negative dings on your credit score, you may not be able to get a cash today from your spending budget with a lower rate if you can’t qualify.

Debt counselors as wolves

Be careful of who you let take your debt and consolidate it. You may be better off if you get a personal loans to do it yourself. You are able to get help doing this from non-profit organizations like the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. There is no charge for the services meaning you can get out of debt without an extra payday loan. Many have a bad credit score ratings now meaning their debt consolidation loans they receive may have higher interest rates than they have now, which means more could be paid within the end of it all.

FTC to stop poor debt practices

For a long time there has been talk of financial reform. The Federal Trade Commission is working to make it extremely hard to have debt relief services that are dirty. All costs are disclosed to the customer who can’t have a fee charged to them before the process, reports the Washington Post.

More on this topic accessible at these sites

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/29/AR2010072905958.html

Newsday

newsday.com/classifieds/real-estate/how-to-refinance-your-home-with-low-interest-rates-1.2200971

Good Scott Pilgrim vs. the World reviews give film the power-up

”Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” reviews seem to agree: the hyper-stylized comic book and video game world is a hoot. It’s a world with which veteran video game players – particularly fans of fighters like “Street Fighter” – are well familiar. The augmented or artificial reality of “Scott Pilgrim” tends to sit well with those critics who found something of value in the ultra-violent comic book film “Kick Ass”. Reviews of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” have largely been more positive, however.

’Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ reviews eat up the mash up

An explosion of popular influences make “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” like no commercial film that’s come before. Slacker musician Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is on the make for a lovely lady. Scott is stuck between the eyes by Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), but can do little over it until he faces seven trials. These trials are Ramona’s “seven evil exes,” who Scott must defeat in kung-fu style before taking the hand of the young lady. It is simplistic, much like any of the video game plots that inform “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”. It may not teach you anything, but that’s OK. It is a pop culture ride, and we are to ride along.

A fusion of reviews within the land of nerdville

Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News sees “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” as a blur of style over substance, nevertheless a romantic coming-of-age story that burns with a satisfying light in bright neon. It is a surreal mix that Film.com rightly tabs and on-the-mark for its intended audience of 20-somethings. Michael Cera channels his trademark nerdiness to fine degree in the film, says the L.A. Times, and its entirely appropriate to the film’s series of influences.

Not the destination, but the journey

Scott Pilgrim rocks on, and “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” reviews generally seem to understand the film. ”It’s the playing that matters,” not who wins the skirmish of exes, says the Los Angeles Times reviewer. On the other hand, there’s the New York Post’s view of the film. Their review points to a self-satisfied animism. That ride may not be for everyone, but it captures its target audience with panache. ”All games, no joystick” is what the Post has to say; perhaps they would have preferred the Scott Pilgrim video game.

Discover more details on this subject

Films.com

film.com/features/story/review-scott-pilgrim-takes-us/39953185

Los Angeles Times

latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-scott-pilgrim-20100813,0,4279497.story

New York Daily News

nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2010/08/13/2010-08-13_scott_pilgrim_vs_the_world_review_music_and_videogame_visuals_take_this_tale_for.html

New York Post

nypost.com/p/entertainment/movies/all_games_no_joystick_LiPc4JHjB5HPqyv4vSD4AN

Obama decides that unemployed foreclosure loans need another $ 3 billion

The Obama administration is pumping $ 3 billion into programs to help the unemployed with foreclosure prevention. The Hardest Hit Fund would going to be doubled with an additional $ 2 billion was announced last week to be put to the fund. A Housing and Urban Development program that is intended to help unemployed borrowers who’s mortgages are delinquent got one more $ 1 billion. Experts are really just worried that banks instead of homeowners will benefit more from this.

Stopping foreclosure has turned into a huge money pit

The Hardest Hit Fund was started to help states make their own foreclosure prevention programs in February, helping those with unemployed foreclosures. The Wall Street Journal reports that the fund is presently financing initiatives in 10 states. The money is part of $ 50 billion earmarked for housing aid under the Troubled Asset Relief Program. 17 states could be able to take advantage of the $ 2 billion, including the District of Columbia, that have unemployment rates super high. HUD will get $ 1 billion for giving bridge loans with no interest up to $ 50,000 to those eligible who have to make mortgage payments for two years.

Hardest Hit Fund is nothing

The housing market, which has led the way out of past recessions, is dragging the current economic recovery down. The New York Times reports that interest rates are at record lows, but too few can afford to purchase or refinance. Everyone who’s an unemployed homeowner has a very difficult time selling their home. The housing market gets worse with foreclosures make neighborhood values go down. The Hardest Hit Fund will help 140,000 borrowers if it really works right. With the new money, both the Hardest Hit and HUD programs could eventually help about 400,000 borrowers — a drop in the bucket set against 14.6 million unemployed and 3 million unemployed borrowers contemplating foreclosure.

Easy comes for mortgaged lenders

It is likely that Obama has just helped a bunch of banks out more than unemployed homeowners with these new programs. The Hill reported that senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, David Abromowitz said that unemployed borrowers shouldn’t be the only ones getting hit; banks should be hit too. Principal reductions on loans or other major modifications don’t have to be made by mortgage lenders which is a big problem. As outlined by Abromowitz, lenders should match funding and make concessions. Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research told The Hill that with so many individuals with underwater mortgages, the new funding is unlikely to do much good. Dean said for the programs to work there has to be a reasonable expectation that homeowners could have some equity in their property at the end or they will lose their homes anyway.

Find more details on this subject

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704901104575423493999575302.html

New York Times

nytimes.com/2010/08/12/business/12treasury.html

The Hill

thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/banking-financial-institutions/114349-banks-to-benefit-most-from-white-house-program-to-stave-off-foreclosures

What you need to learn about the Perseids meteor shower tonight

Get ready for a big meteor shower tonight. If you want to see the Perseids 2010 annual meteor shower, it will start August 13th within the evening. The moon can be disappeared during the Perseids meteor shower 2010. The northeast sky is where you should look from midnight to dawn to find 75 meteors each hour. You don’t even have to get a telescope.

Perseids 2010 has a meteor watch

Perseids 2010 is a huge end to a wonderful summer full of stargazing and can be happening tonight. According to NASA, a “tight conjunction” of Venus, Saturn, Mars and also the moon could be shown right at sundown by any who watches. At 10 p.m., these planets will all fall together below the horizon marking the official start of Perseids 2010. The Perseus constellation is where the meteors will be falling from at 10 p.m. when the shower begins. As the Perseus constellation rises and also the night deepens, meteor rates will increase. For sheer numbers, the best time to meteor watch is during the darkest hours before dawn on Friday morning, when at least one meteor a minute might be seen.

Tips for meteor watching

To get the most enjoyment from the big meteor shower tonight, Alan Boyle at MSNBC offers some meteor watching tips. Discover a place far from light pollution and out of the city where the sky is going to be the darkest for you. Find some place that is at a higher elevation. You’ll need something to keep you warm and to lie on when being on your car up against windshields. Wear something to keep you warm. It will help to get some mood music to play. Give your eyes plenty of time to adjust and look straight up. Midnight could be when the Perseids 2010 can really be seen well. The meteor show’s peak could be happening right before the sun rises.

Suggestions for photographing the meteors

The big meteor shower tonight is a fantastic photo op. Get some tips from Pop Photo on how to get a good photo. City lights could really hurt the picture with long-exposures and wide-open apertures. Use a cable release, and prevent the images from getting blurred by putting a finger on the shutter button. Try to avoid getting light streaks within the picture by putting something in the foreground. Find the right ISO and exposure time with a wide, fast lens to help take the picture. Take pictures as fast as you can.

Why Perseids 2010 could be better than average

The Perseids 2010 occur when the Earth passes through the dust cloud of the Swift-Tuttle comet. The Christian Science Monitor reports that the Swift-Tuttle comet swings around the sun once each 135 years, spewing dust and gas as it nears the sun and heats up. The comet’s last pass was in 1992. Every time the comet passes Earth, the dust stream gets thicker than the time before. The patch of Swift-Tuttle’s dust stream Earth is going through this year is much denser than usual.

Additional reading

NASA

science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/05aug_perseids/” href=”http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/05aug_perseids/

MSNBC

cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/08/11/4869749-see-and-hear-the-meteor-show

Pop Photo

popphoto.com/features/how/2010/08/how-photographing-perseid-meteor-shower

Christian Science Monitor

csmonitor.com/Science/2010/0812/Meteor-shower-August-2010-how-you-can-get-the-best-view

Jennifer Freeman charged with assaulting partner Earl Watson

“My Wife and Kids” actress Jennifer Freeman is being charged with assaulting her spouse, NBA player Earl Watson. In legal papers filed by Watson last week, Jennifer is said to have attacked Watson because he was suspicious about a text message she had received at about close to midnight. Watson filed for divorce after the Aug. 1 incident, seeking full custody of the couple’s 10-month-old daughter.

Jennifer Freeman and Earl Watson’s DV brawl

As outlined by court documents, Jennifer Freeman had received a text message at around 11 p.m. Aug. 1, which moved a suspicious Earl Watson to check into her phone, says TMZ. Watson said that Jennifer, who was upset at the fact he took the phone, started to hit him “twice in the face with her right open hand.” According to court papers, she than grabbed and bit into Watson’s right wrist, “breaking the skin, leaving teeth marks and drawing blood.” Once she was done with the wrist, Watson says she proceeded to chomp down on his chest, drawing blood once more. But she didn’t stop there. As outlined by Watson, Jennifer even attempted to attack him with an iron, but he was able to prevent any more harm by knocking the object out of her hand.

Jennifer Freeman, who’s 24, is best known for her role as Claire Kyle within the ABC television sitcom “My Wife and Kids.”

A change of heart with Earl and Jennifer

Earl Watson, who played with the Indiana Pacers last season, appears to have had a change of heart. New reports indicate that Watson had decided to withdraw his divorce petition. The two are reconciling with “plans to make their marriage work,” reports the gossip news site.

Earl Watson and Jennifer Freeman were married May 17, 2009, at TV producer Ed Weinberger’s California mansion in Los Angeles. The couple’s first child, daughter Isabella Amour Watson, was born on Oct. 16 last year.

Additional reading

TMZ

tmz.com/2010/08/11/nba-player-earl-watson-jennifer-freeman-my-wife-and-kids-indiana-pacers-bite-attack-ucla/

Rip Torn request for probation denied by Conn. judge

Rip Torn, an Emmy Award-winning actor, could be heading to the jail house. His request for a special probation program was rejected Wednesday by a judge who ruled the charges are too serious to qualify the actor. Earlier this year in January, Rip Torn was arrested for breaking into a bank in Connecticut, armed and intoxicated.

Rip Torn is up against numerous criminal charges

Elmore Rual Torn, Jr., better known as Rip Torn, has had several alcohol-related troubles within the past. The latest drunken event took place in Salisbury, Conn., where Torn was arrested for allegedly breaking into a local branch office of Litchfield Bancorp during closing hours while loaded with a firearm without a permit. Police were quick to respond to an alarm that went off at the bank location. Inside the facility, they found the Men in Black actor wandering with a loaded .22-caliber pistol. According to court documents, Torn had a blood-alcohol level of 0.203, nearly three times the legal limit for drivers in Connecticut.

According to the Associated Press, Torn has pleaded not guilty to second-degree criminal trespassing, carrying a firearm when intoxicated, carrying a weapon without a permit and third-degree criminal mischief.

Rip Torn and other incidents related to alcohol

In January of 2004, Torn was arrested within the Big Apple after his vehicle crashed into a taxi. Aired on television news was an angry Rip Torn cursing at police officers and refusing to take a breathalyzer test. He was acquitted from all charges that year in October. Just two years later, in December of 2006, the actor crashed into a tractor trailer in North Salem, New York, and he was again arrested for drunk driving. He pleaded guilty, had his driver’s license revoked for 90 days and was ordered to pay a $ 380 fine.

No special treatment for Rip Torn

Unfortunately for Rip Torn, there is no special treatment for the Hollywood acting professional. Litchfield Superior Court Judge James Ginocchio has rejected his proposal, saying the charges placed on 79-year-old Torn are too significant to qualify him for the accelerated rehabilitation program. Torn was nevertheless in a court-ordered alcohol education program from a previous DUI charge at the time of the bank break-in, and that fact certainly doesn’t help his situation. His lawyer has requested a court-ordered evaluation of Torn’s alcohol dependency problems, and depending on the results, Torn could be ordered to go through a state-monitored treatment for up to two years before any charges might be dropped.

Further reading

Yahoo News

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100811/ap_on_en_tv/us_people_rip_torn_12

Rampage at McDonalds – Melodi Dushane video now public

In January, Melodi Dushane was caught on video tape rampaging through a McDonald’s drive-through window. Today the video tape of Melodi Dushane punching two McDonald’s workers became public record. There were no chicken McNuggets available, and Melodi Dushane, who was admittedly drunk, is seen freaking out. Source for this article – Video of Melodi Dushane McNugget rampage becomes public record by Personal Money Store.

Melodi Dushane New Year’s Day attack

Early within the morning on New Year’s Day 2010, Melodi Dushane visited a McDonald’s in Toledo, Ohio. She ordered Chicken McNuggets, however they are not currently accessible because it was breakfast hours. The employees of McDonald’s tried to convince Dushane that she could not get the McNuggets, but she attacked them. Melodi Dushane is shown punching and slapping two workers, then breaking the glass of the drive-through window.

Sentencing Melodi Dushane

Eventually, Melodi Dushane was changed with both vandalism and assault in connection with the attack. Initially, Dushane pled not guilty to all the charges. In the end, Dushane was sentenced to 60 days in jail and had to pay for the broken window at the McDonald’s. Melodi Dushane also admitted that she was drunk at the time she attacked the McDonald’s. Within the end, Dushane’s drunken rampage could very well cost her thousands of dollars.

Debating if evidence like this should be made entirely public

Some legal experts are wondering if the public’s right to know really outweighs individual rights. When court evidence was made public within the past, a person had to actively try to find it. Now, when evidence is made public, it is often spread around the world in moments. The right of the public to know information about their community is typically weighted above individual privacy, even when time has been served for their crimes.What do you think – how should the two competing things be weighed?

Worker efficiency decline can result in job generation

Falling worker efficiency statistics after 18 months of gains might be a positive development for job creation and economic recovery. By getting more output from fewer workers, businesses that laid off workers during the recession have been increasing their earnings. But the work force may be reaching its limit depending on the latest Labor Department report. If that proves to be true, businesses could have to start creating jobs to drive the economic recovery they have to keep growing.

When declining worker productivity is good news

Worker productivity posted large gains throughout 2009, but the Labor Department said Tuesday it declined at an annual rate of .9 percent in the April-to-June quarter. Worker productivity is a primary factor in improving the standard of living, as outlined by the Associated Press. Rising productivity leads to higher wages and increased production without raising prices . In most cases a slip in productivity would be a troubling sign for the United States economy. But economists believe the unemployment rate has become a threat to the companies that are slashing their work forces. If they start hiring, the job creation will give households the income boost they need to increase consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of economic activity. Ultimately, that leads to more customers for those businesses.

Businesses profit from overworked employees

For corporations that may have believed the United States had entered a period where output could keep climbing without bringing people back to work, CNN reports that the latest worker productivity numbers are a dose of reality. At its worst, companies did more with less during the recession. But economic output was outstripped by hours worked in the report from the Labor Department. Within the CNN article, Nariman Behravesh of IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Mass. said corporations probably “overdid it” with layoffs during the recession. He said that if for no other reason than keeping employee morale up, businesses may have to hire more to keep away from worker burnout.

Deflation fears underscore need for job creation

Job creation is likely to remain weak for the next few months, Behravesh told CNN. However, he’s optimistic that more than 100,000 jobs a month could start materializing within the private sector by the end of the year and possibly 150,000 jobs monthly mid-2011. But ABC News reports that weak productivity is in line with other signs that Americas economic recovery is losing momentum. The overall economy grew at only a 2.4 percent annual rate within the second quarter, down from a 3.7 percent rate in the first quarter. Some Federal Reserve officials have expressed concern about a punishing cycle of deflation if employers view high unemployment as a chance to drive wages down for those still working.

Further reading

Google

google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gNiyJ905Ho0Ur96V2TQhsBX19lGwD9HGMHAO0

CNN

money.cnn.com/2010/08/10/markets/thebuzz/

ABC News

Credit card debt becoming less than student loan debt

Americans now owe more for their student loans than their credit card debt. While individuals are paying down their credit card balances in the aftermath of the financial crisis, college costs continue to rise. Because student loans don’t have as much consumer protection, they are picked up by more people. Many think that colleges are raising the costs of tuition making it almost not worth it to get student loans. Meanwhile, research shows that many of the top growing job fields don’t require a bachelor’s degree.

More student loans required with rising college prices

Americans owe about $ 826.5 billion in revolving credit, according to June 2010 figures from the Federal Reserve. FinAid.org compiled reports shown on the Wall Street Journal to show student loans totals to be at $ 829,785 billion. Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FinAid.org and FastWeb.com, told the Journal that he estimates $ 300 billion in federal student loan debt has been incurred in just the last four years. With college costs increasing rapidly and the duration of unemployment increasing, numerous parents borrow to make up the main difference.

Student loans lack consumer protections

Student loan debt is often times worse than credit card debt. Student loans still stay with a person, even through a bankruptcy. And some student loan repayment terms inflict harsh penalties for borrowers who miss payments. According to Student Loan Justice, federal student loan borrowers have none of the consumer protections that come with credit card debt, including statutes of limitations, truth in lending laws, state usury laws and fair debt collection statutes. According to the same group, student loans are “an inherently predatory lending system that succeeds when the students fail.”

Family finances take a hit with college costs

Tuition prices and student loan rates are increasing together. According to Bank Investment Consultant, the average costs for private universities and in state students at college were $ 35,636 and $ 15,213 in 2009-2010. Each year there has been a 5 percent increase. Many top institutions have announced that total charges will top $ 50,000 within the current academic year. This is too much for families trying to use all of their savings and spend income also to pay for school.

Bachelor’s degrees net poor returns

Because student loans are increasing, people are concerned that getting a degree doesn’t even have a point anymore. The New York Times reports that no more than half of students who started a four-year bachelor’s degree program within the fall of 2006 will get that degree after paying tuition for six years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that within the next ten years, seven of the thirty jobs expected to grow the fasted require a bachelor degree. You will find also 10 of the top growing job categories, 2 of which need degrees. According to the founder of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, Richard K. Vedder, who talked to the Times in an interview, a 1999 federal study shows that 15 percent of mail carriers have bachelor’s degrees. He was quoted saying:

“Some of them could have bought a house for what they spent on their education.”

More on this topic

Wall Street Journal

blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/08/09/student-loan-debt-surpasses-credit-cards/

Bank Investment Consultant

bankinvestmentconsultant.com/bic_issues/2010_8/college-cost-gone-wild-2668047-1.html?zkPrintable=1 and amp;nopagination=1

New York Times

nytimes.com/2010/05/16/weekinreview/16steinberg.html

FHA loans could be seeing mortgage rate increases

The Federal Housing Administration is designed to help guarantee low income mortgages. The FHA does not directly provide no credit loans for homes, but guarantees loans to certain classes of borrowers. At the moment, the FHA only has about .53 percent of the money amount in reserve, but they are legally required to keep 2 percent. You will find plans in place to really help reduce average payments when Interest rates on FHA loans go up on Sept. 7th.

Poor credit loans through the FHA

The home mortgage loans that the FHA backs are generally targeted to borrowers with bad credit that need cash now. The FHA loan programs help reduce the necessary down payment. With an FHA loan, the borrower has to put down about 3.5 percent of the value of the home. A bill that would have required a 5 percent down payment passed away in the Senate. The FHA currently originates about 20 percent of all mortgage loans.

Reserves required of the FHA

The loans guaranteed by the FHA could only be covered at a rate of .53 percent. A full 2 percent of the loans should be held in reserve, according to federal law. In order to make up this gap, the FHA requested permission to increase the rates charged on loans they guarantee. Lawmakers approved an increase of 1 percent on the premium for home insurance paid over the life of the loan. This new fee will go into effect on September 7, though it can be phased in depending on the size of the borrower’s down payment. The move is expected to raise $ 3.6 billion per year.

Change in FHA loan payment structure

The borrowers that have FHA loans can be seeing increases in their payments, though not as much as some expect. To offset the amount of cash paid over the life of the loan, the FHA will reduce origination fees. Loan origination fees will go from 2.25 percent of the value of the loan down to 1 percent. This means that homeowners who have gotten the loans will pay about $ 40 per month more for their loans, but less for the origination.

Americans do not want to end Social Security to help with deficit

The firm GfK Roper had a poll they did that was funded by AARP explaining that American’s do not like the concept of helping the National deficit by cutting Social Security. As outlined by the Huffington Post, 85 percent of adults don’t want to cut Social Security. Within the survey, 72 percent “strongly opposes” this action.

Anyone with Social Security benefits say ‘Me first’

For a 75-year-old Social Security system that has received a fantastic deal of criticism, such support may seem surprising. Since the AARP funded this survey happening, and the AARP members tend to be either on, or nearly on Social Security, seems like about right. Within the survey, it was discovered that 57 percent of American’s younger than 50 said they’d rather pay higher payroll taxes to make sure social security would be available to them. The “Baby Boomer” generation gets to relax and live off other people’s incomes, which is why they don’t care about the deficit that the younger generation is going to have to fix one day.

Raiding the trust fund

The Obama administration is at the moment looking into what should be done with Social Security, as the insurance program clearly is not sustainable in its current form. Many fear that their shrinking nest eggs will be taken away. Current tax levels aren’t enough to maintain into the system, and privatization may help younger workers, but not the scores of Baby Boomers who need the need money now.

Two-thirds Americans afraid to lose Social Security as an income

While two out of 3 Americans fear the direct effect that cutting Social Security would have on their budgets within the golden years, a whopping 80 percent are wary of indirect financial stress such action would cause families of fixed-income retirees. Clichéd old fears of a “poor house” or “debtors’ prison” rear their ugly heads, giving way to hysteria. However, nearly 80 percent of “the sky is falling” types don’t even know – according to the poll – that if the Social Security trust fund is in fact drained, they’ll still receive benefits, just at a slightly lower level.

Find more information on this subject

Bestyears.com

bestyears.com/parentstold.html

AARP survey

aarp.org/work/social-security/info-08-2010/social_security_75th.html

Cato Institute

cato.org/social-security

Huffington Post

huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/11/public-opposes-cutting-so_n_678374.html

Social Security Online

ssa.gov/

Milton Friedman on the Social Security myth

youtube.com/watch?v=rCdgv7n9xCY

The Other Guys has nice reviews

Friday was when the film “The Other Guys” came out. The movie has actors Mark Wahlberg, Steve Coogan and Will Ferrell in it. The “Other Guys” reviews so far are pretty good. Ferrell and Wahlberg have done some bad movies just lately although “The Other Guys” seems to be a good step for them. The movie was directed by the director of “Anchorman,” “Talledega Nights” and “Stepbrothers,” who is Adam McKay. Article source – Critics are kind in the Other Guys reviews by Personal Money Store.

’The Other Guys’ is a movie that’s been done before with other actors

The premise behind the movie is that a disgraced cop (Wahlberg) is given demeaning work after a high profile fiasco in which his character inadvertently shoots Derek Jeter. Will Ferrell becomes his geek partner who is a forensic accountant when he now works on white collar crime. They get wise to an evil businessman (Steve Coogan) and his nefarious scheme and take him down. Hilarity ensues. Every plot has been done before, just like this one. It’s the personalities that make the difference between studios losing money or striking box office gold.

Reviews better than expected

There is a 79 percent rating for the movie on Rotten Tomatoes. Ferrell most recently starred in “The Goods,” and “Land of the Lost”, both of which got less than 30 percent in their ratings. Wahlberg, on the other hand, has not had a film get more than 32 percent since 2007. Critics have said the movie is amusing although it is certainly dumb humor. MTV Kurt Loder says it is a great summer comedy although it isn’t very intelligent.

Worth watching it

This could be what you need if you would like a goofy comedy. Numerous Americans may just need this funny movie with all of the grim things happening in the economy.

Additional reading

Rotten Tomatoes

rottentomatoes.com/m/other_guys/?page=1 and amp;critic=columns and amp;sortby= and amp;name_order= and amp;view=#contentReviews

MTV’s Kurt Loder

mtv.com/news/articles/1645213/20100805/story.jhtml

The business of a New Korean War

Some of the more extreme camps within the right-wing media see the president’s plummeting poll numbers and also the persistent calls from Israel to invade Iran as evidence that war with Iran is on the horizon. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made a point on “Meet the Press” recently the United States is more than ready to take up arms against Iran. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Front Page Magazine reports that North Korea may be the next dance partner in horrific war. And from a modern business standpoint, a New Korean War would be disastrous.

Nobody wants a New Korean War

North Korea and South Korea have been at each other’s throats over indications of aggression recently – signals which contain the sinking of the South Korean ship Cheonan – and now the U.S. is involved in what could conceivably lead to a New Korean War. Kim Jong-il, North Korea’s leader, has boasted of his nation’s readiness to fight, which has given world stock markets reason to hiccup. ”We do not hope for war, but if South Korea, with the United States and Japan on its back, tries to attack us, (we) will finish the task of unification left undone during the…(Korean) war (in 1953),” said Kim Jong-il, who also threatened “powerful nuclear deterrence” to those nations who cross North Korea on the matter.

Jong-il has also confronted violent retaliation if additional sanctions are placed on North Korea by the United States and also the European Union, a move both nations have seriously considered.

The United States in on South Korea’s side

UPI indicates that half of United States of America adults surveyed by the Angus Reid Public Opinion group believe that a New Korean war is inevitable. Less than half of those surveyed are against America’s involvement in such a war. Considering the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said following the Cheonan sinking the U.S. would defend its ally – South Korea – in an armed conflict with North Korea, the intent is clearly there.

War talk and sad sales

In America, the noise over a New Korean War is financially troubling, says The Detroit Bureau. Setting aside the potential for tragic loss of life on all sides and also the United States’ arguable over-commitment in Iraq and Afghanistan, business numbers could also suffer. Hyundai, Daewoo, LG, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and a host of other big-box retailers would be severely impacted. South Korea’s economy would take a nosedive amidst the chaos of war, sending refugees into China who would be a severe drain on the Chinese economy. Dominoes would continue to fall, and the United States would not keep away from the collision entirely.

America would cry for its South Korean supply

South Korean companies have not planned to date for what they’d do during a New Korean War as outlined by various sources, so the flow of world commerce would surely be disrupted. North Korea reportedly doesn’t have a top flight military anymore, but the potential is nevertheless there for significant damage to lives and economic systems. No new products or parts coming out of South Korea would make things difficult for the American market.

Discover more details on this subject

Associated Press

newser.com/article/d9h5b3183/north-korea-threatens-nuclear-retaliation-to-us-south-korea-military-exercises.html

The Detroit Bureau

thedetroitbureau.com/2010/05/how-a-new-korean-war-would-affect-u-s-business/

Front Page Magazine

frontpagemag.com/2010/05/26/the-new-korean-war/

Real Clear Politics

realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/08/04/iran_war_option_on_the_table_106598.html

UPI

upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/06/03/US-adults-expect-new-Korean-war/UPI-27261275605162/

EUC should fix FluidNow's troubles?

Many Americans are relying on emergency unemployment benefits since the recession has made them need emergency cash loans. Extending benefits has been a huge debate since employers aren’t hiring like the government would like them to be right now. In Florida, the state’s Agency for Workforce Innovation has made an earnest try to come to the aid of more than 100,000 “long-term” jobless through the site FluidNow (www.fluidnow.com). FluidNow appears to be not so fluid for some although numerous claim they have used the site just to have their expired benefits restarted again. Resource for this article – Fluidnow is not so fluid; will the EUC Fix it by Personal Money Store.

Fluidnow unable to service customers in a timely manner

The answer you’ll get when calling fluidnow’s 800-204-2418 is a pre-recorded “call back later” message, according to an unemployed individual in Florida. An AWI representative answered the phone after hours of trying just to inform the unemployed individual that there was no information on whether or not an extension of benefits could be received. The only reassurance Florida residents have received recently on this front came from AWI Director Cynthia Lorenzo, who claims that once the U.S. Department of Labor sent fluidnow guidance, payments would be issued. When that guidance would come – two weeks, as Lorenzo suggested, or some other interminable governmental interval – was uncertain.

The EUC Fix will help it get better

So numerous of these unemployed have to get part time jobs and take out loans to pay for everything. Some of the time this isn’t enough nevertheless. Plus, there’s fear that the benefits already being received would shrink upon signing up for part-time work. The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Fix may be able to help. Michigan’s MLive.com explained that this was part of the extension that Congress did send out about emergency unemployed benefits. The intention behind the provision is to “remove the disincentive for people who take part-time jobs when collecting benefits.” The Michigan News portal reports that there should be no fear that benefits will end after the first year.

EUC Fix won’t help those in the past

According to the National Employment Law Project, the EUC Fix is only good for those unemployed citizens with benefit years ending on or after July 22, 2010. If you aren’t in that window of opportunity, you won’t get any additional benefits. For more information on the EUC Fix, visit National Employment Law Project site.

Additional reading

Examiner

examiner.com/x-41045-Miami-Unemployment-Examiner~y2010m7d27-Labor-Dept-yet-to-give-Florida-details-on-unemployment-extension

MLive

mlive.com/michigan-job-search/index.ssf/2010/08/latest_unemployment_extension_removes_di.html

National Employment Law Project

nelp.org/page/-/UI/2010/Final EUC Fix QA.pdf

Fluidnow

fluidnow.com/

Drug testing for unemployment in Florida

youtube.com/watch?v=RvSoZ1U3n30

Wheat prices rising as drought-stricken Russia bans grain exports

Wheat prices have been going up with the drought in Russia making grain exports no longer allowed. The ban on Russian grain exports removes a major supplier other countries have depended on. A global grain shortage is the concern of most people as Russia tries to control domestic prices inside their country. Food costs going up won’t help central bankers in trying to stop inflation from happening with the global economic recovery. Post resource – Wheat prices rising as drought-stricken Russia bans grain exports by Personal Money Store.

Wheat prices expected to rise further

Russia banned exports making wheat futures explode to the max amount allowed on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). As outlined by the Associated Press, wheat prices went up 8 percent to $ 7.8575, which is 60 cents higher, Thursday after trade opened. Since August 2008, this is the highest wheat has been. There was a global food crisis in February 2008 which caused wheat to go up to $ 13.495. Prices are allowed to rise 60 cents a day but can rise 60 cents another day for the CBOT. The price of wheat has soared since early June, and notched its biggest monthly gain in July in at least 51 years.

Crops shrivel from drought

In 50 years, Russia hasn’t seen a drought this bad. Since June 9, Chicago wheat prices have gone up 92 percent considering all the things happening like the drought in Russia, Dry weather in Kazakhstan and European Union, as well as flooding in Canada making for ruined crops, reports Bloomberg. Sugar beets, potatoes and corn are all also in danger with the drought. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told a government meeting in Moscow that halting Russian grain exports would contain domestic prices that gained 19 percent last week, faster than at the peak of the 2008 global food crisis.

New predictions on wheat production

Global wheat supply concerns are also increasing prices for other grains. The Wall Street Journal reports that September corn futures in Chicago rose 6.2 percent. There was a 2.7 percent increase on rough-rice futures. As outlined by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the global wheat production estimate is now only at 651 million metric tons for 2010. 2008’s situation is nevertheless much worst. During the 2007-08 wheat crisis, stockpiles were estimated there to be 124 million tons in storage, but now it is estimated we have 187 million metric tons in storage. The U.S. Department of Agriculture hopes to have a 23 year high within the making by having 30 million tons stored within the U.S. alone by the end of May 2011. Within the 2007-08 crisis, an all time low was hit with 8.3 million tons in inventories in the U.S..

Additional reading

Associated Press

google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hLdQzzkk_vLW3OsMLzbo-eZnRKbAD9HDDAN80

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-04/wheat-surges-to-22-month-high-on-russian-drought-corn-soybeans-advance.html

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100805-716053.html

Kristy Lee Cook gets on the bad side of PETA

Supporters of the well-known show “American Idol,” there’s news concerning top-10 finisher and country girl Kristy Lee Cook from season seven. It was probably that country style that led Cook into her starring role on the new Versus cable reality and hunting program “Goin’ Country”. Now PETA has Kristy Lee Cook in its sights. The controversial organization is waiting for Kristy Lee Cook’s full mea culpa.

Kristy Lee Cook has not blinked

In a public statement, Kristy Lee Cook didn’t mince words when it comes to her “Goin’ Country” roots. PETA made a public statement lambasting Cook for not following the path of “Idol” alums Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler and Simon Cowell, who have all participated in public animal rights advertising for PETA. Far from being against animal rights, Cook shot back at PETA, defending both herself and responsible hunters in America. “Given that hunters have done more for American wildlife conservation than any other group in history, I make no apology for being one,” Cook told Fox. ”Indeed, I join the ranks of millions of American hunters who celebrate our outdoor heritage and who conserve millions of acres of wild lands. These exact same people support more than 600,000 jobs across the country and provide a critical voice to encourage more investment in American conservation”.

Cook has her own animal charity

“Goin’ Country” depicts the daily life of Kristy Lee Cook, from the work of trying to make it within the music enterprise to life’s lighter moments. Much of her time is devoted to her animal charity, the “Kristy Lee Horse Heaven Foundation”. Among her family’s recreational pursuits is hunting. During the program, Cook makes a point of showing that she handles hunting in a responsible fashion, focusing on conservation and healthy roles meat can play in one’s diet. ”If I do not take the meat home to my family, then we give it to orphanages or homeless shelters,” Cook assured the public.

Getting meat smart

Meat is valuable to human evolution, something that PETA and other hunting-critical groups tend to ignore. Leslie Aiello, an anthropologist, told NPR lately the time when humans started to eat meat fostered in major changes.”What we think is that this dietary change around 2.3 million years ago was one of the major significant factors in the evolution of our own species,” Aiello said. Using tools was a big part of the brain development that went on when meat eating started for humans. Fat and calories from meat were instrumental in human brain growth due to the influx of energy from something other than comparative mass quantities of vegetable. The theory is that meat gave the brain a more efficient supply of energy – that could possibly be effortlessly processed – thus making it easier for the brain to grow. The invention of cooking also contributed to brain development, as the social aspect of cooking required that bands of humans organize their ! labor efforts.

More on this topic

Fox News

foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/08/03/exclusive-peta-takes-aim-kristy-lee-cooks-hunting-shoots/

NPR.org

npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128849908

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristy_Lee_Cook

Payday loan employees worry that reform will sweep away jobs

The Financial Reform Bill has been signed into law by the president, and cash advance employees fear that reforms will separate them from their jobs, according to an AboutPaydayLoans.com survey. Survey respondents are deathly afraid the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will squeeze cash advance and online payday advance companies until they can no longer operate. Resource for this article – Payday loan employees fear for their jobs by Personal Money Store.

Payday advance employees aren’t optimistic

What the Financial Reform Bill may do to cash advance businesses and employees colored the AboutPaydayLoan.com survey in dark shades. ”If CFPB ends up putting a crazy cap on payday advances, then we could be out of jobs,” wrote one payday advance worker in response to the poll. A potential rate cap of 36 percent APR is rumored for online payday advance outlets and also the more visible storefront locations. Such a low ceiling would make it all too difficult for many payday loan lenders who fail to diversify and operate under a less restrictive lending license. These lenders would discover it impossible to meet expenditures for instance payday loan employee salaries, let alone turn a profit.

There’s too much money advance regulation already

Many have argued the combination of local and state regulations on the payday loan industry have been enough to safeguard consumers and enable companies to continue to function. The regulations the CFPB would likely put in place would strangle the cash advance industry to death, say employees of lenders. As one reader who is an employee of a small payday advance business commented on a money advance industry-related blog called the Payday loan Blog:

“I am getting so flustered with all of this. Every day single day I wait on news that will shut us down or news that they will leave us alone. I feel as if many of us are on pins and needles wondering if soon we will be in the unemployment lines. Job security is gone, and a lot of the zest that I once had is fizzling out. I am not alone in this. There is uncertainty in the air. … I sure wish at least we knew what and when these changes would occur.”

More on this topic

AboutPaydayLoan.com

aboutpaydayloan.com/

Payday Loan Blog

paydayloan-blog.com/

PR Web

prweb.com/releases/2010/08/prweb4344874.htm

Vulture investors in down market turn from flipping to renting

Vulture investors are feasting on the depressed United States housing market. Flocks of vulture investors are snapping up distressed properties ripe for the plucking due to depressed prices, record-low interest rates and a strong rental market driven by people who have lost their houses. But in this weak Americas economy, their strategy is changing.When times were good, vulture investors bought and sold homes quickly. Now that times are bad, using properties to generate healthy rental incomes is the preferred approach. Article resource – Vulture investors move from flippers to landlords in down market by Personal Money Store.

Vulture investors scavenge what remains of housing market

Vulture investors get their name because they swoop down and purchase distressed properties on the cheap. CNN reports that places wracked with foreclosures and short sales like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Miami are popular because home prices there have dropped as much as 70 percent. Vulture investors used to be known for flipping often and helping to bid up home prices to unsustainable heights. These days, potential rental profits are looked at as the more stable long-term strategy. Today, vulture investing may serve as more of a stabilizing force for neighborhoods.

Vulture investors roll with the punches

The nature of the Americas housing market today has changed the nature of vulture investing from flipping to renting. HSH.com, an online mortgage resource said the continuously rising home prices that attracted house flippers are long gone. There’s no cash in purchasing low and selling low. And because millions of foreclosed borrowers have to wait years before they can get a home loan, they become the ready tenants for vulture investors purchasing properties for pennies on the dollar.

Cash flow: the vulture investment payoff

By paying in money, rental returns start rolling in right away for vulture investors. CNN uses Las Vegas as a case study, where home prices have plummeted 70 percent when rents have only fallen about 20 percent. Las Vegas vulture investor Glenn Plantone, according to CNN, is getting a 12-to-14 percent net money flow return on investment . The beauty of money flow is that if real estate values continue to fall, the return for the vulture investor holds steady.

Further reading

money.cnn.com

blog.hsh.com

Prop 8 appeals

UPDATE: Proposition 8 is considered unconstitutional. Proponents of Prop 8 have asked a judge to instantly stay the 136-page decision, which calls for the immediate voiding of the amendment.

Proposition 8 could be looked at by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker who will make a decision. Prop 8 supporters have already sought a stay on the ruling if it is against them. If they need to, opponents of the Prop 8 will appeal the case as well. Civil rights to the California state budget are all a part of the case.

The basics of Prop 8

In 2008, the California Marriage Protection Act, otherwise known as Prop 8, was passed by voters. Marriage is only legal between a man and a woman with the voter-added ballot proposition. The California Supreme Court legalized gay marriage before Prop 8 passed. The campaign for Proposition 8 spent $ 39.9 million, while the campaign against Prop 8 spent $ 43.3 million.

The federal challenge to Proposition 8

Prop 8’s federal court challenge was placed in San Francisco. Perry v. Schwarzenegger was filed in court after Strauss v. Horton was held up. Those for Prop 8 say that equal protection is not violated with California constitution. Others think there is a huge violation going on with this.

The planned appeals to the Prop 8 decision

Prop 8 reactions have already started. Supporters of Proposition 8 have filed an injunction, asking for a stay on marriage should the ruling be found against them. This would prevent further legal same-sex marriages from taking place while the case is under further legal review. Opponents will file appeals if the ruling is against them also. National money can be spent entirely on Prop 8 for the next little while till the case closes. States that are allowing gay marriage are doing much better than others right now.

Regulations targeting mortgage loan officers

The individuals who offer personel loan products are now subject to new regulations. Agents that offered both large and small loans that were not up to snuff are the target of these regulations. These licensing laws were passed in 2006 in New York, and similar ones were passed federally in 2008.

New York state loans requiring licensing

The newest regulations in New York state are intended to regulate not money advance lenders that offer mortgages, but their agents. As of July 31, any mortgage loan officer who wants to work in New York State must have a license. In order to get this license, an agent must complete a 20 hour training course. Applicants also must pass tests, criminal background checks and financial background checks. Around the country, similar laws are likely to be taking effect within the next few years.

Loans offered by bad employees limited

The New York law and also the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing federal law passed in 2008 address a specific problem. The economic recession came about, in part, because of money advance products offered by a certain subset of people. While mortgage businesses were licensed, the lenders who worked at them weren’t required to be. Many loan officers who made no credit loans would jump from job to job after fired for making bad loans.These licenses will help states keep track of the mortgage lenders working in their state.

Licensing requirements relatively light

By addressing issues within the mortgage business, the new law does help, but some are worried it might not be enough. Most say that the required 20 hours of training simply isn’t really enough. Most state licenses require at least 75 hours of specialized training. Either way, the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry is now providing a search for borrowers to identify whether they’re working with a licensed mortgage lender.

Mortgage rates so low make individuals consider refinancing

Mortgage rates being slow doesn’t make for a booming housing market. Since the real estate market is so slow, and mortgage rates have gone down substantially, most are more able to find opportunities in the market. Since prices of homes are as low as mortgage rates are, short term losses are taken by numerous for the gains that come with a lower interest rate. Most are trading up to better homes but end up with a lot more money within the end. Numerous feel completely comfortable spending money to refinance the mortgages they have.

The U.S. housing market and just how it does with low mortgage rates

Economists told the Wall Street Journal that right now, trading homes or refinancing your home is going to make a huge difference to your cash flow. Anyone who can sacrifice a little sweat and money could be able to get a home that is way better than the one they’re used to. Everyone can afford larger homes with all the mortgage rates so low.

Cash in or cash out

Typically, individuals refinance to “cash out” some of the equity they’ve built up in their homes over the years so they can use the cash. Oddly enough, more people have been interested in “cash-in” refinancing, according to the Los Angeles Times. It makes sense that individuals would put more money into their home considering that’s one of the most stable investments now and days. A 3rd of everybody who refinanced their home in 2009’s 4th quarter all put more money into it than money they could have taken out of it.

Invest in real estate with your brains

Numerous want their mortgages to be gone. Totalmortgage.com reports that interest saved is interest earned. When paying down a mortgage, the faster it can be paid off, the more money could be put towards other investments. Real estate investing like that is a breath of the outdoors these days. Other borrowers are taking advantage of record-low mortgage rates to refinance from 30-year fixed mortgages into shorter-term mortgages (15 or 20 year fixed). Monthly payments are often less than before, and consumers save thousands of dollars doing this.

Additional reading

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704421304575383490870014662.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_personalfinance

Los Angeles Times

articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/11/business/la-fi-lew-20100711

Totalmortgage.com

totalmortgage.com/blog/mortgage-rates/low-mortgage-rates-afford-unique-housing-opportunities/5198

Get your free credit score with Credit Karma

A new website called Credit Karma offers free credit scores to consumers. Finding your credit score is easier with the financial bill put into law. You are able to see your credit report that lenders use easily with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in place. If you know your credit score, you are able to stay away from getting turned down. Websites like Credit Karma offer to make your credit score accessible for free anytime, as often as you would like to check on it.

Advertisement with Credit Karma

Credit Karma gets to be free because of all the advertising on it. That means it won’t try and make you pay for credit score. Consumer Commentary reports that Credit.com offers a comparable free service. Credit Karma will give a different grade depending on more categories than credit.com. However, credit.com offers a range for various different types of credit scores. Credit Karma only offers one score directly from one of the reporting bureaus that isn’t a FICO Score.

Will my credit be fixable with the Credit Karma score?

When trying to work on credit repair, Credit Karma may not help you all that much. Mymoneyblog.com reports that the score isn’t a FICO score. The Credit Karma score can be a “FICO clone” ranging from 300 to 900. The FICO range is 300 to 850. Credit Karma, which says it pulls data from Experian, Equifax and Transunion, doesn’t say which bureau supplied the data your credit score is depending upon. Plus, you only get your credit score, not who’s pulling your credit, how often they’re doing it or details about your existing credit lines.

Can I really get my credit score free?

Credit Karma and credit.com can be very helpful when trying to build or repair your credit. In this economy, it is much more useful to get free data than to pay $ 89.95 a year for FICO’s Score Watch. Free credit info is also available at the government-sponsored credit site AnnualCreditReport.com. It shows you what your credit score is affected by although it won’t give you a number for a credit score. Freecreditreport.com and creditreport.com should be avoided. They bill your credit card $ 14.95 a month although they advertise to be a free company.

More on this topic

Consumer Commentary
consumerismcommentary.com/credit-report-cards-credit-com-vs-credit-karma/
mymoneyblog.com
mymoneyblog.com/free-credit-score-monitoring-with-creditkarma.html
AnnualCreditReprt.com
annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

How to avoid personal finance mistakes that cost a lot of money

Spending money without a plan can be a huge financial mistake. When forgetting there is another day ahead, you are able to get yourself in trouble. Of course, nobody is perfect and it’s no fun being a tightwad. Mistakes could be avoided when using personal finance management. Source of article – How to keep away from personal finance mistakes that cost a lot of money by Personal Money Store.

Budgets help stop personal finance mistakes

It is a mistake to stay away from budgeting. Spending without knowing where your money is going will leave you broke. Where you spend your money is not all a budget is about. Bankrate.com reports that to create a spending budget you have to start tracking your expenses first. Tracking your spending for a month takes discipline, but once you know where your money is going, you are able to start making better decisions about where to allocate your funds. Do not make your budget too strict. It could be more difficult to keep a budget that has spending cut out of it.

Budgeting and saving

A budget that you keep can help you conserve money. You could be very wrong if it appears like you can’t spare any money to savings. Beginning with a small amount is what Ehow.com suggests. You’ll be amazed by how quickly even $20 a paycheck adds up. Keep in mind nickels and dimes add up to dollars. Making your own coffee or making your own lunch can conserve a lot. Conserve money from your regular check while taking a small side job like coaching or tutoring for spending money.

Late payments to be avoided

Late payments will cost you a lot of additional money. Some tips on avoiding late payments are given on the About.com website. An automatic bank payment with your banking account will be the best way to stay away from late payments. If you aren’t confident with your cash flow, don’t just leave your bills unopened. Set up your own due date a week before the actual payment is due, and write it on the calendar. Set up a free e-mail or cell phone reminder from creditors that offer them. Many companies may also let you rearrange the due dates better suited to your cash flow.

Cash advances can be used

Living expenditures shouldn’t require you to take out debt for them. A payday loan or online cash advance is a valuable service for emergencies like medical bills, car repairs and traffic tickets. But to finance lattes from Starbucks, the dress on sale you can’t live without or beers with the fellas after work, using personel loans and installment loan is a bad idea. With pay day loan, you need to never borrow more money you need for an emergency, and should pay it back on time.

Further reading

Bankrate.com
bankrate.com/finance/financial-literacy/secrets-to-creating-a-budget-1.aspx
Ehow.com
ehow.com/how_2205105_start-saving-money-have-none.html
About.com
personalorganizing.about.com/od/howtoorganizefinances/ht/bills_finances.htm