10 most popular cars to steal in the U.S.

It is always a good idea to know which cars are the ones that might get stolen from you. The most stolen cars within the U.S. is something the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety decided was significant to make certain is known. The IIHS just released the newest list of stolen cars for the year. It is kind of surprising but not to any thieves.

Escalade is the top car

Car thieves love to steal Cadillac Escalades more than any other automobile. It appears like this is normal. Six of the IIHS reports have this very same Escalade car on the top. An Escalade is seven times more likely to be stolen than any vehicle. Anti-theft features are actually installed in the automobiles quite a bit. Car thieves just tow them away to avoid these. The Escalade, vs. other SUVs like the Land Rover, is more glamorous making it a target. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has the full report.

Raccoons vs. car thieves

Bright and shiny things are what raccoons tend to be interested in. Nobody actually knows if raccoons are attracted to these metals. There is proof that thieves like shinier cars though. Generally, targets consist of luxury SUVs, luxury cars and full size pickups on the IIHS report. Probably the most stolen cars are listed below:

• The Cadillac Escalade
• Next is the Ford F250 4 Door
• Infiniti G37 2 door
• Dodge Charger HEMI
• Chevrolet Corvette Z06
• Hummer H2
• Nissan Pathfinder Armada
• Another choice car to steal is the Chevrolet Avalanche 1500
• Now there is the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew
• The GMC Yukon is tenth

Thieves want performance cars, luxurious SUVs and big pickups. Thieves like to get extra things with the deal. Generally a truck can have tools in it.

Be surprise at the other list these cars are on

These cars are on an additional list too. It will surprise you. The Forbes list of Worst Made Cars on the Road has the Escalade and Ford F250 on it. Essentially remember this, a flashy car is likely to get you as a target for thieves. Unless you have the cash for a new car.

Find more information on this subject

IIHS

iihs.org/news/rss/pr080310.html

Forbes

forbes.com/2010/04/07/worst-made-cars-lifestyle-vehicles-gm-ford-chrysler_slide.html

Rise in bacon prices a squealing good sign for the economy

It may be disheartening the price for a pint of beer in Europe has risen to $ 6.30 due to harvest difficulties and a Russian wheat crisis, reports the London Telegraph. Sadly, you will find also problems with bacon prices increasing. Bacon costs 20 percent more than it did a year ago, says CNBC. Researchers say it is good for the U.S. economy to have bacon prices going up, although those who love their bacon are probably quite upset.

$ 4 per pound is how much bacon costs

The Department of Agriculture claims that the steep bacon price increase over the past year is the result of a classic supply-and-demand situation. There’s a shortage of pork bellies, as pig farms have trimmed their herds during the recession. Tomatoes are at the moment ripe, so BLT sandwiches are a hot item – and thus there’s a need for more bacon. Obama’s Next Crisis,” is what the National Review calls it right about now.

Bad for the few, but great as a whole

The National Review didn’t explain all the good things that come from this. Consumers are looking to invest more of their carefully hoarded money in bacon and bacon-related products – basically, luxury items. It’s a step in the right direction, for when individuals reach for luxury items, things tend to be going better as a whole, economically. Research firm Allendale, Inc.’s Rich Nelson explained that “They may not be purchasing steak rather than hamburger, but they will put bacon on their hamburger or other things.”

Restaurants know this, so bacon is often a newly featured item on tried-and-true recipes.

Demand makes for a fattening

Demand has caused many of the pig farmers to pick up some more for the herd. Hog tends to be the most picked up thing. Nelson feels like prices will go down. This should happen by mid-2011. More generic brands of bacon are going to be bought meaning fattier bacon with less meat to cook after losing this fat. According to Jason Mosely of Mr. Baconpants, “Your BLT deserves the best bacon you can afford!” despite the fact that most know the economy must be recovering because of the greatness of bacon, including CNBC’s Heather Lauer. Hopefully this means that most plan to celebrate International Bacon Day patriotically. It is September fourth. It really is.

Further reading

CNBC

cnbc.com/id/38725523/

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

youtube.com/watch?v=CaK9bjLy3v4

Why give movies with smoking in it a rating that is R?

American movie rating standards have always been fairly controversial. There is one more problem in Hollywood to be fought about, as if the fighting between directors, studios and also the MPAA ratings board wasn’t enough while depicted within the 2006 documentary, This Movie is Not Yet Rated. An “R” rating should be given to any movies that have smoking in them if you ask the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC). This will help protect young teens and kids. Source for this article – Study suggests giving R-rating to films that depict smoking by Personal Money Store.

Not legal for tobacco industries to pay for placement of smoking product

The CDC study indicates that even though tobacco companies were banned in 1998 from being able to pay to place their products in films, there’s nevertheless more smoking in films today than there was at that time. Numerous studies cited by the CDC suggest that kids and young teens do respond to smoking seen in films; they’re more likely to try smoking, versus adolescents who see little of it. Public health officials all seem to express the exact same concern. Health troubles are some of these concerns. The suggestion that there be less smoking in movies happened because of the amount of smoking in G, PG and PG-13 films.

Finding other solutions to stop it all

In addition to the R rating suggestion, other ideas given by the CDC are to air anti-smoking ads onscreen before the start of a film and to specify in film credits that no person or company associated with the movie received financial compensation from the tobacco industry or any associated company. The CDC wasn’t the first group to bring up the idea that smoking needs to make a movie R. The World Health Organization made this suggestion previously. WHO thinks that it is irresponsible to market towards kids by filming smoking scenes.

Smoking costs too much

Smokers need more money to keep up with their habit nowadays. MSN Money explains another fact to add to anti-smoking. Smoking costs are more than just cigarettes as it also involves the price of higher health insurance and dry cleaning your clothes to get the smell out. This means that if you are 40 but quit smoking, you can possibly save in a 401 (k) over $ 250,000. Choosing black lung over a comfortable retirement is enough to send anyone’s budget scrambling for pay day loans and installment loans to fill the gaps. The R-rated scene might really just be purchasing into the expense of smoking.

More on this topic

Center for Disease Control

cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5932a2.htm

MSN Money

articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourHealth/HighCostOfSmoking.aspx

Time Magazine

wellness.blogs.time.com/2010/08/19/rated-r-for-smoking/

World Health Organization

who.int/tobacco/smoke_free_movies/en/

Fox News report on removing cigarettes from movies

youtube.com/watch?v=FSxwPVUv7vY

Eggs get salmonella causing a recall that never ends, when Congress is now interested

An egg producer from Iowa is now a part of the recall. This was announced Friday showing more recall added to the list. The half billion eggs are being recalled because, the Food and Drug Administration reports, in 10 states, there have been 1,000 people reported to get sick from them. The salmonella difficulties have made Congress interested in an investigation. July 9 was the beginning of new federal egg safety rules the FDA has decided to put into effect. FDA officials said if the new food safety rules had been in effect the salmonella outbreak could have been prevented.

Been caught with difficulties before with this egg producer

The largest egg recall started last week. The FDA says Wright County Egg recalled at least 380 million eggs. Quality Egg was shown by the FDA to have salmonella troubles as well which is why Hillendale Farms ended up recalling another 180 million eggs. As outlined by CNN, the House Energy and Commerce Committee wanted documents from both of the companies on Monday. Wright County Egg and Quality Egg are owned by the same person. The Midwest and Northeast DeCoster agribusiness empire owns them both. DeCoster companies have a history of questionable practices. In Maine, Jack DeCoster pleaded guilty in June to 10 civil counts of animal cruelty. In 1996, DeCoster was accused of having minors working in a sweatshop on a Maine chicken farm. He paid a $ 3.6 million fee because of this. DeCoster was accused of dumping hog manure in 2000. This led Iowa’s attorney general to call DeCoster a “habitual violator” of state environmental laws.

New federal egg safety rules

The USDA was in charge of inspecting eggs until July 9. Between May and July, there are 3 times more than normal reports of salmonella, which is about 2,000, reports the Center for Disease control. The Wall Street Journal reports that the FDA and also the USDA now share inspection duties. Farms now have to test eggs and facilities for salmonella along with protecting feed and water from contamination and chicks and hens have to be bought from those who monitor salmonella. The FDA is giving farms a year to become compliant.

Salmonella served sunny side up

Any eggs with certain packing dates and locations are being recalled meaning consumers should take back or throw out these eggs. Even so, a salmonella contamination expert told the Los Angeles Times that almost always there is some threat of salmonella poisoning from raw eggs. A person can’t determine a salmonella egg from its look, smell or taste. Many are getting salmonella poisoning from the way they cook their eggs. Typically it is contracted with hollandaise sauce or by eating sunny side up eggs. Salmonella bacteria is killed when an egg is cooked all the way. The yolk needs to be cooked all the way. Pasteurized eggs are safe. But consumers with eggs on the recall list should stay away from any risk and get their money back.

Additional reading

CNN

cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/23/eggs.salmonella/index.html?npt=NP1

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704504204575445981962961848.html

Los Angeles Times

mobile.latimes.com/wap/news/text.jsp?sid=294 and amp;nid=19361323 and amp;cid=17706 and amp;scid=1053 and amp;ith=1 and amp;title=Health

You will find large stars that are also vehicles

Classic TV shows and films sometimes feature some automobiles that become about as famous inside their own way as the TV show or movie itself. The automobiles from classic shows and movies are famous also, and can command high selling prices as a result. Movie producers are in on it at times; there’s something called “product placement,” where a auto maker will pay a director or donate brand new vehicles to get their product featured within the movie.

Scene is up for a steal if you are behind the right wheel

Chances are just about any person may think of a couple of famous autos from TV or motion picture that have a special place within their hearts. Some people go so far as to purchase the vehicle from the movie or show they remember. Here’s a small list of some iconic cars.

• The Chevy Camaro. Camaros are in lots of movies and shows. The recent “Lost” auction had a Camaro among the lots. There was a classic and brand new Camaro in the “Transformers” movie series. Given, it was probably due to General Motors paying a lot for it, however it certainly helped their marketing and sales.
• The Ford Mustang: the film “Bullitt” featured a 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback driven by Steve McQueen. Consider also the 1973 Mach 1 and also the 1967 Shelby GT500. Both were central to the plots of the original and remake version of “Gone in 60 Seconds.” The 2001 Mustang even had a “Bullitt” factory mod.
• The Delorean DMC – 12. The “Back to the Future” sequence just wouldn’t are the very same without it. When it came out, though, it wasn’t the smash hit the movie was. It was considered an underpowered mechanical lemon that happened to look cool.
• The Dodge Charger. The vehicle chasing Steve McQueen in “Bullitt” was a 1968 Charger. The Charger was also famously one of the cars in Quentin Tarantino’s “Deathproof,” and was also the “General Lee” within the series and movie version of “The Dukes of Hazard.”
• The Pontiac Trans Am. The ridiculously fast Firebird package was “KITT” in the “Knight Rider” sequence and featured intensely in “Smokey and also the Bandit” as Burt Reynolds’ vehicle of choice.

But nobody does it better

No car, before or since, has come anywhere near to the legendary status of the Aston Martin DB5. A DB5 which was in the motion picture “Goldfinger” sold for over $2 million at auction. James Bond flirts almost as much with Aston Martin as he does with Moneypenny. ”Goldfinger” made the car famous. The vehicle also made it into “Goldeneye” and “Casino Royale”. “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” featured a DBS, and “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace” both had Aston Martins. The association with the world’s greatest secret agent might well have given Aston Martin the Midas Touch, and not a soul expects the Aston Martin-Bond connection to die.

Ever seen a cellular phone start a fuel pump fire?

There’s nothing funny about gasoline fires in and of themselves, but some people scale the heights of lunacy when it comes to what they’ll do with their fuel. For instance, a Daytona Beach, Fla., man did a DIY doozy on his car – he replaced the fuel tank with a plastic fuel can, then moved the can under the hood… right next to the heat-emitting engine. It’s stranger than fiction. There is a similar sentiment when it comes to the hokey old story that cellular phones cause gasoline pump fires. Has this ever happened, or is it merely an urban legenddesigned to frighten hapless motorists? Source of article – Do cell phones cause fires at the gas pump by Car Deal Expert.

Cell phones and also the gas pump: inferno of misinformation

Urban legends are the business of Snopes.com, and they’ve trained their laser-guided truthiness on mobile phones and fuel pump fires. Cell phone manufacturers may consist of obligatory warning notices in their product manuals, but the only sparks are those of curiosity as to how this rumor ever got began. Sure, it may sound feasible – electromagnetic waves producing a static charge that ignites the gasoline vapor – but you will find simply no cases to back it up. While there may be some validity to not using cell phones around hospital or airliner equipment, there’s no smoke and hence no fire when it comes to the mobile phone fuel pump fire scenario. China and Indonesia have supposedly had their share of flare ups, but Snopes.com tracked those yarns down to an Internet meme from 1999. Numerous years later, “Mythbusters” made those spook tales of fuel pump horror give up the ghost on their program.

Shell Oil’s ‘official’ communiqué

A group claiming to be the Shell Oil Company circulated a warning in June 2002. They cited 3 examples that sounded specific enough to be real. The erroneous claim made within the e-mail message is that all a cell phone has to do is ring to emit an EM pulse powerful enough to ignite gasoline fumes within the air (for instance those produced at the gasoline pump). When cell and vehicle batteries both have the save voltage rating, automobile batteries provide considerably more current. There was once a circulating claim that cell phones use “more than 100 volts,” but that appears to are a rumor traced back to the traditional land-line telephone industry during the original phases of competition with the emerging cellular industry.

Shell Oil denied sending such a fake message.

The fear is unfounded

Gasoline tanks don’t blow because of mobile phone signals. Talk away, but make sure to get the gasoline in the tank, rather than on your shoes; distraction could be a bad thing.

More on this topic

Daytona Beach News-Journal

news-journalonline.com/breakingnews/2010/08/manu-using-gas-can-as-fuel-tank-suffers-burns.html

Snopes

snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp

Calling 888-5-OPTOUT may just conserve you from getting your identity stolen

The mail may be the place to find all of your pre-approved credit offers, especially if your bankruptcy has gone through. There doesn’t have to be all the customers given to the “buy now, pay later ” philosophy. Call 888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) and you will be safe from Equifax, TransUnion and Experian in their offers. This is great if you’re trying to rebuild credit without emergency cash loans or even if you are just trying to keep identity theft out of reach. Post resource – Calling 888-5-OPTOUT can save you from identity theft by Personal Money Store.

888-5-OPTOUT sweeps the credit card offers away

All the direct marketing coming to you every single day could be stopped with 888-5-OPTOUT. No more credit card offers and no more advertisements for credit products via postal mail will show up. Call from your home phone line and be prepared to give your Social Security number. If the prospect of revealing those digits worries you, put your mind at ease – the service is recommended by the Federal Trade Commission.

Another option to send a letter

Get out of pre-approved credit offers by simply using the mail instead of the 888-5-OPTOUT call. Here’s a sample opt-out letter. All of these 3 credit bureaus need to get letters:

Options
Equifax, Inc.
P.O. Box 740123
Atlanta, GA 30374-0123

Experian
901 West Bond
Lincoln, NE 68521
Attn: Consumer Services Department

TransUnion
Name Removal Option
P.O. Box 505
Woodlyn, PA 19094

888-5-OPTOUT confusion

There was an email sent around a when ago saying 888-5-OPTOUT was a very good place to go to get out of losing info, although the info was not clear. As outlined by the email, info would be given to “anyone who requests it” unless you opted out with the number. The Financial Services Modernization Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act would both be violated if this happened, reports Clearinghouse. 888-5-OPTOUT is not connected to either of these laws which is what was confusing. Thus, the controversy was somewhat minor.

888-5-OPTOUT could be really helpful for the users using it. Avoid the credit card trap, stay away from identity theft and maybe you’ll be in a position where you won’t need poor credit loans.

Further reading

CBS Money Watch

moneywatch.bnet.com/saving-money/blog/devil-details/privacy-pirates-7-ways-to-hide/2702/

FTC

ftc.gov/privacy/protect.shtm”>Federal Trade Commission

Privacy Rights

privacyrights.org/ar/optout_truth.htm”>Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

Opt out of junk mail

youtube.com/watch?v=gjbPo1diCKo

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World reviews are rooting for the dude

Read “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” reviews and the overwhelming message is the film is an explosive mix of comic book and video game culture. The hyperactive landscape is quite comfortable for videogamers, particularly those forged within the fires of fighting games. Those who don’t relate to the augmented reality of “Scott Pilgrim” are typically the very same critics who had difficulty tolerating the ultra-violent comic book film “Kick Ass”. Nevertheless, fans of both have typically had even more favorable things to say about the Pilgrim.

’Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ reviews praise the power combo

A fantastic mash up of popular sources makes “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” a unique experience. Slacker musician Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is on the make for a lovely lady. He eventually finds it in Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), but is faced by a septet of trouble. Scott must take down Ramon’s exes before he can “win” her love. It is simplistic, much like any of the video game plots that inform “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”. It isn’t meant to break new ground in terms of plot. Critics in favor say we should sit back and enjoy the ride as it washes over.

Review fusion – A nerd feast

The New York Daily News loves the visual flair of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”. Eric D. Snider of Film.com hails the film’s exuberance and surreal visual style and says the surrealism does not shake the film’s target audience – 20-somethings – from their reality, but salutes it. Michael Cera channels his trademark nerdiness to fine degree within the film, says the L.A. Times, and its entirely appropriate to the film’s series of influences.

It’s the playing that matters

Scott Pilgrim rocks on, and “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” reviews generally seem to understand the film. As Sharkey puts it, “Though the fun is not so much in who wins or loses the girl — it’s the playing that matters”. But on the other side of the fence are reviewers like Kyle Smith of the New York Post. Their review points to a self-satisfied animism. But perhaps that misses the point. ”All games, no joystick” is what the Post has to say; perhaps they would have preferred the Scott Pilgrim video game.

Further reading

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

Tim Geithner tells Freddie and Fannie to change their tune

At a recent press conference, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner called for changes to be made to the way the mortgage market does business. It wasn’t a regulatory or legal order, but rather a statement of purpose. Nevertheless, it is predicted that he will be telling Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to get their houses in order within the next year. Geithner also made it clear the United States of America cannot afford to have to bail them out again and that they were too aggressive in taking on risk.

Geithner unclear on how to proceed

As of now, there is no real plan in place for how to proceed about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Geithner did, nevertheless, make it patently clear there were some things that would be happening. First, Fannie and Freddie will not be resuming business within the manner they were conducting it before the market meltdown. The two mortgage houses would also not be put in position to try and dominate the mortgage market. He stressed, as outlined by Reuters, that the mortgage industry was not sustainable as it currently stands.

Little consensus on how to go about this

There is not much within the way of a consensus among industry insiders or economists on how to best reform the housing industry. All of the wealthier industrial nations practice some form of government securitizing mortgages, and as it has a legitimate role, Geithner is for retaining this function of Freddie and Fannie to some degree. Others such as Bill Gross, who was one of the founders of the Pacific Investment Management CO., are arguing the mortgage industry has to be totally nationalized. The investment impresario, as outlined by Businessweek, says the private market can’t mount much if any, of a comeback at all by this point.

Change has to be made in some form

The strategies of how to proceed may vary, but few disagree that something has to change with Freddie and Fannie. According to NPR, the government is already on the hook for $ 150 billion for the mortgage houses. For the first half of this year, 89 percent of all mortgages of course in America were backed by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae. Unlike Fannie and Freddie, Ginnie Mae securitizes only some mortgages, doesn’t lend to everyone, and is entirely part of the US government.

More on this topic

Reuters

reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67G3E820100817

Business Week

businessweek.com/news/2010-08-17/gross-urges-full-nationalization-of-housing-finance.html

NPR

npr.org/blogs/money/2010/08/17/129250765/socialized-housing-for-everyone

Living on Groupons for a year is the Groupawn goal

For a year, Josh Stevens says he will live on nothing but Groupons. Earlier this year the online coupon company threw down the gauntlet with the Groupon Challenge. Groupon put up $ 100,000 to see if someone was willing to live off nothing but Groupon coupons for a year. Stevens took them up on it. Travelling the country chasing Groupon specials for his basic needs, he’s about a one-quarter through living his life as the “Goupawn”. In Stevens’ Groupon lifestyle, life’s basic needs have integrated carriage rides, yoga classes and plenty of food. Source for this article – Groupawn tries to live on nothing but Groupon coupons for a year by Personal Money Store.

Groupon blog tracks discounted adventures

Previous corporate auditor Stevens accepted the Groupon challenge in May and left his cubicle behind. He told CNN that he began with one pair of shoes, socks, underwear and a paper suit made of Groupons. A laptop, camera, internet card and phone were also supplied by Groupon.Stevens cannot use or even touch money, but he’s supplied with online coupons that could be used for lodging, dining and buying. He has to go it alone, while family and friends are allowed only five visits lasting less than a day. He tracks his exploits within the Groupawn Blog as he barters using Groupon coupons for a place to crash, a ride or plane ticket.

Groupawn guy gains a following

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. Stevens told the Sentinel that he thought he would have to do a lot more bartering on the street. He said people want to pitch in and help when he tells them about his adventures.He showed up in Milwaukee after pursuing Groupon offers for just a little more than three months in several United States cities including Washington D.C., Philadelphia and New York.

Getting into the Groupon business model

Groupons are daily deals offered by local merchants sold on the company’s website. Groupon sells offers online to about 11 million subscribers in 165 markets from 22 countries. When a certain number of individuals buy, within the deal becomes valid. When the quota is met, owners of the offer receive an email link that allows them to print their Groupon. If the sales quota falls short, the offer is pulled. Buyers aren’t charged for trying to cash in.

Groupons can be a double-edged sword

The Groupon business model has proven so lucrative that at least 500 copycat websites have emerged, according to the Chicago Tribune. But selling Groupon coupons can go haywire for an unprepared business . As reported in the Tribune, many Chicago merchants have been swamped by a tide of Groupon coupons. A bagel company in Chicago sold a Groupon coupon for $ 3 good for any item up to $ 8. Nearly 10,000 Groupons sold. After selling about $ 80,000 worth of food, the bagel shop netted just $ 15,000 after splitting the proceeds with Groupon.

Discover more info on this subject

CNN

cnn.com

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

jsonline.com

Chicago Tribune

chicagotribune.com

Pop-Tart Store opens with build-your-own Pop-Tart

This week, Times Square Store played host to the new opening of the Pop Tart store. A Pop-Tart vending machine, Pop-Tarts café, and Pop-Tarts build-your-own counter are all featured. There is no word yet if the shop can be permanent, since the Times Square rent is $ 1,000 per square foot. Article source – Pop Tart Store- Building your own Pop-Tarts by Personal Money Store.

Inside the Pop-Tarts store

Pop-Tarts World offers a little bit of everything. The cafe at Pop-Tarts World serves up Pop-Tarts sandwiches, Pop-Tarts-covered celery, even Pop-Tarts topped cinnamon rolls. A vending machine lets you create your own 12 pack of Pop-Tarts flavors, for $ 1 per pastry. Finally, the build-your-own Pop-Tarts bar lets you create just about any Pop-Tarts topping and flavor that you are able to think of.

Brand visibility through the Pop-Tarts store

The Pop-Tarts business determined to open up the Times Square store to show its “brand maturity”. The breakfast bar pastry has seen relatively flat sales for the last few years. Pop-Tarts sold $ 481 million worth of the pastries in 2009.

Pop-Tarts with your own kitchen

Customized Pop-Tarts are available outside of Times Square. It is healthier and cheaper for making Pop-Tarts at home. You can avoid the high fructose corn syrup and make your own for about 20 cents per Pop-Tart. In a food processor or bowl, combine 2 cups of flour with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix in 1 cup butter, 1 egg, and 2 tablespoons milk. Roll out the dough and cut it in Pop-Tart sized rectangles. On half of the rectangles, spread anything from chocolate to jam. Use the un-spread half of the rectangles to top the filling, then seal it by pressing the edges with a fork. Fridge the filled dough when you preheat the oven to 350. Bake the Pop-Tarts for 20 to 25 minutes.

College gets more costly causing student loan debt to beat credit card debt

Credit card debt has fallen behind student loans when it comes to the number one debt. It is beginning to cost more to go to college, but credit card balances are being paid off. Some analysts say less consumer protection for student loans than other types of borrowing is a reason for the trend. Others say college costs have risen beyond the return on investment in student loan debt. Top growing fields right now don’t require a bachelor’s degree anyway.

College getting more costly while students take out more loans

The 2010 Federal Reserve figures show that $ 826.5 billion in revolving credit is had by Americans right now. 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. Parents are just borrowing because college costs more but unemployment has gone up.

Consumer protection unavailable with student loans

Credit card debt is usually safer than student loan debt. Student loans still stay with a person, even through a bankruptcy. Missing payments with student loan repayment can mean some terrible penalties. Student Loan Justice reports that consumer protections such as statutes of limitations, truth in lending laws, state usury laws and fair debt collection statutes don’t come with student loans as they do with credit cards. According to the exact same group, student loans are “an inherently predatory lending system that succeeds when the students fail.”

College costs enough to drain family finances

Student loan debt is increasing along with college costs. 2009-2010’s average tuition prices for private colleges and in state tuition state colleges were $ 35,636 and $ 15,213, reports Bank Investment Consultant. Yearly there has been a 5 percent increase. There are announcements from top institutions claiming they are raising their charges this year to be over $ 50,000. To cover such costs, families may have to use current income and spend savings also as borrow money.

Less worth for Bachelor’s degrees

Rising student loan debt leads some to wonder whether going in hock for years to get a degree is worth it. As outlined by the New York Times, despite six years of trying, only half of all students starting a bachelor’s degree in 2006 will graduate by 2012. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in the next ten years, seven of the thirty jobs expected to grow the fasted require a bachelor degree. Among the top 10 growing job categories, two require college degrees. 15 percent of all mail carriers have bachelor degrees as shown in a 1999 federal study discussed within the Times by Richard K. Vedder who is the founder of the Center for College Affordability. He said:

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

Further reading

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

Wells Fargo smacked seriously by Federal Judge for overdraft fees

Recently, Wells Fargo was charged in a California Federal Court for practices related to their overdraft fees. The presiding judge, William Alsup, slapped Wells Fargo with having to pay back hundreds of millions of dollars to consumers it had unfairly charged. The judge found the bank had intentionally manipulated overdraft procedures to profit intensely, and did not mince words in his choice to penalize the bank for its actions. Numerous contend that a person is better off getting a cash advance than relying on overdraft protection.

Wells Fargo ordered to pay $ 230 million

According to Forbes, Federal judge William Alsup ordered Wells Fargo to pay $ 230 million to customers it has charged overdraft fees. Depending on the amount of the overdraft, a single overdraft fee can carry an APR far higher than a payday loan. Wells Fargo’s practice of clearing the largest charges first, according to the judge, made it more likely that an overdraft would occur, which results in a charge of $ 35 per occurrence.

Wells Fargo took a lot to the bank

Wells Fargo did not make the option to decline transactions or overdraft protection enrollment clear to clients. The judge also cited documents from the financial institution that showed they attached lines of credit to accounts so that all charges would clear and therefore the fee would be unavoidable as a result. The judge also cited that internal communications from Wells Fargo proved the motive was explicitly to profit from overdraft fees. Wells Fargo got $ 1.4 billion from Californians in overdraft fees between 2005 and 2007. A person can almost be better off if they get a personal loan instead of allowing an overdraft to happen.

Overhaul of Overdraft

New rules for banking procedures, especially concerning overdraft procedures and credit cards are being put in place. The Federal Reserve, as outlined by CNN Money, has instituted a rule that mandates banks notify clients of the option to not take overdraft protection. Overdraft fees make the banking industry $ 38 billion a year.

Additional reading at these websites

forbes.com/davidrandall/2010/08/11/how-wells-fargo-cheated-its-customers/?boxes=Homepagechannels

money.cnn.com/2010/05/21/news/economy/consumer_protection/index.htm

Quarterly survey shows shakeup in new vehicle buyers' preferences

Kelly Blue Book, the main source for vehicle purchasing and pricing info within the United States, has released its quarterly survey of new car buyers. The study is non-scientific but considered authoritative. The preferences of automobile buyers appear to be changing, with negative press having a serious effect. The top five factors that automobile buyers are considering are driving comfort, reliability, driving performance, safety, and efficiency in their new car.

Ford takes top honors

This survey, done at the very same time last year, put Toyota as the top choice for new auto buyers. This quarter, the Kelly Blue Book survey shows that 29 percent of new auto buyers are considering Ford vehicles. This matches up well with the estimation that truck sales will be increasing in the next one to two years.

Second place – Toyota

Safety issues have caused Toyota to take on various recalls within the last year. 22 percent of individuals looking at purchasing a new auto are still considering a Toyota, even though those safety troubles are well-known. This strong showing is partially because of the high fuel efficiency of the automobiles.The particularly successful “Swagger Wagon” advertising campaign is also cited as a reason Toyota had such a strong showing.

Chevrolet takes 3rd

New car purchasers are, 21 percent of the time, looking for a Chevrolet vehicle. The upcoming release of the Volt might be a part of this increase in interest. The brand did very well, in part, because of the reputation for safety in Chevrolet vehicles.

Fourth – Honda

With a reputation for fuel savings and reliability also as a full offering of hybrid cars, Honda is doing well. One out of every five people who are thinking about purchasing a new car are thinking about a Honda car.

Hyundai takes fifth place

South Korean carmaker Hyundai ousted competitor Nissan for the fifth place this year. Kelly Blue Book reports 13 percent of new car buyers are considering a Hyundai, probably because of the average fuel efficiency of the brand.

Jet Blue Flight Attendant quits because of lousy consumers

Steven Slater, a career flight attendant, came to the tipping point. A passenger thought it acceptable to abuse a professional for doing his job, which he has excelled at for over 20 years. Slater, a Jet Blue flight attendant at the time, cursed the man over the intercom, opened the door of the plane and employed the emergency exit slide, leaving the tarmac on foot. He was later imprisoned for reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, among other charges.

A plane case of a man pushed too far

As outlined by CNN, Jet Blue Flight 1052 from Pittsburgh landed at JFK International Airport. While the plane approached the terminal, a passenger stood to get his bag before it was safe, which Jet Blue flight attendant Steven Slater told him he could not do. The bag may have fallen from the overhead bin or the passenger struck him, but Slater was hit by something. The man refused to apologize and swore at him. Slater announced he was quitting over the intercom when losing a tirade at the passenger who maltreated him. He took beer from the galley and used the emergency chute to exit the plane. He was arrested at his home later.

Cabin pressure

According to MSN, Steven Slater was rarely at home, even when he wasn’t working. His roommate reported that Slater often flew to Thousand Oaks, Calif., to care for his ailing mother, as he had done for his father. His mother, as outlined by the New York Times, had also been a flight attendant. His father, who passed from Lou Gehrig’s Disease, had been a pilot.

Again a customer was wrong

The service trades are not as easy as one might think, and they should not be maltreated at all. Any person who has worked within the service trades for any length of time, be it in a restaurant or movie theater, knows just how awful the public could be at times. Mistakes happen, but it costs nothing to be polite and cooperative.

Find more information on this subject

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/38629517/ns/travel-news/

CNN

cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/08/10/new.york.escape.chute.opened/?hpt=C2

NY Times

nytimes.com/2010/08/10/nyregion/10attendant.html?_r=1 and hp

Citi loans bought by JP Morgan Chase

To expand lending portfolios, JP Morgan Chase made the decision to pick up a loan portfolio from Citi. The deal is worth about $ 3.5 billion, and is a part of the $ 8 billion in troubled loans Citi has been selling to others. These loans are almost guaranteed pay day loan for JP Morgan Chase since they were for multi-family and apartment buildings.

Faxless loan portfolio being sold off by Citi

Citi is trying to rebuild and by doing so, have been selling loans and securities in the company. Citi Holdings group has been able to receive most of this although other companies willing to get in have bought $ 19 billion worth of loans and securities. In short, Citi is trying to shrink its business, while selling securities at close-to-value prices.

Credit loans bought by JP Morgan Chase

3,800 multi-family dwelling home loans were a part of the portfolio bought from Citi for JP Morgan Chase. Out of all mortgage lenders, JP Morgan Chase comes in third behind Fannie and Freddie. Multi-family loans were already at $ 300 million “in the pipeline” before this deal went through for JP Morgan Chase.

The increase in mortgage lending

The mortgage loan market has been slow although now applications are coming in a bit faster. New home loan applications in just the last week increased .6 percent. The number of individuals who need a loan but are not applying for one, though, also appears to be increasing. Banks don’t want to lend although legislators are pressuring them into it. The argument is that banks are doing every little thing they can to offer loans to “credit-worthy” applicants. After years of economic downturn and job losses, there are fewer “credit-worthy” people than ever. Larger banks have had things shifted around with this huge multi-family loan purchase from JP Morgan Chase, and nobody knows if it will help increase lending in banks or not.

Net neutrality gets close to ending with Google-Verizon deal

Net neutrality is when content can’t become favored. Many of the bigger companies would prefer net neutrality to no longer happen. The price will raise for users of the internet while Google and Verizon work together to give out Internet content faster. The Federal Communications Commission thought about stopping Google and Verizon from what they were about to do because those for net neutrality fought for it. The FCC has no control over what happens with net neutrality after the Comcast decision from last April stating the FCC has no authority over internet issues. Article source – Google-Verizon deal marks beginning of the end for net neutrality by Personal Money Store.

Compromising about net neutrality

FCC officials and Internet stakeholders are having many conversations about net neutrality. Skype, cable companies, the Open Internet Coalition, Google, Verizon and AT and T are all incorporated when talking about Internet stakeholders. According to the New York Times, FCC’s legal authority about Internet regulation is what is being discussed. Most of the cable and telephone companies really hope a premium will be made for higher bandwidths. All companies that are wireless hope there will be no wireless broadband regulation. Favoritism is wanted by content providers. The FCC wants a level playing field, but because of the FCC Comcast decision, it can’t impose one as long as its authority is in legal doubt.

Google and Verizon want a change

Net neutrality is the big topic for the FCC and Internet stakeholders, although Google and Verizon on the side have been working on a deal. Google and Verizon both hate net neutrality, reports Bloomberg. Verizon wants to be able to charge more for their services. Google only wants regulation if it means they will do better business and not have any business taken away with it. Net neutrality is a thing of the past and Google has realized that. Google may just be making a deal with Verizon to make sure they’re in with one more good company before anything goes crazy.

Corporate takeover

The internet is designed to be something free where consumers pick which companies are doing well, although some are afraid the Google-Verizon deal will change that. As outlined by Save the Internet, Google might start making crazy deals with companies to show favoritism. Chrome would work better than other browsers. Google Buzz would be used more than Twitter. YouTube would get more bandwidth than competing video sites. WordPress wouldn’t do as well as Blogger from Google. Google’s GChat would work better than Sykpe … and the list goes on.

The Google Verizon deal makes for winners and losers

There could be different winners and losers on the Internet because of the Google/Verizon deal, reports the Wall Street Journal. It is inevitable that content can be prioritized on the Internet into different streams. Content that is prioritized will have much higher prices than anything else. The Internet service providers will wrest control of the web from the FCC. There could be nothing left to keep big corporations from taking over without the least bit of competition. Surfing the Internet will be just like watching TV eventually when there’s nothing to watch.

The only thing standing within the way is the FCC and the courts.

Discover more information on this subject

New York Times

nytimes.com/2010/08/05/technology/05secret.html?_r=1

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-04/google-verizon-are-said-to-have-reached-deal-on-how-to-handle-web-traffic.html

Save the Internet

savetheinternet.com/blog/10/08/06/about-verizongoogle-deal-net-neutrality

Wall Street Journal

blogs.wsj.com/source/2010/08/09/winners-losers-from-the-new-net-neutrality/

A lot of individuals and companies need guaranteed loans

Corporate finance and personal finance aren’t as diverse as you would think. The companies which need some guaranteed loans at some time, or at least a line of credit in case they need a short term personal loan are some of the biggest names out there. The Ford Motor Co. needed guaranteed loans from the government. Ford is getting out of debt in double quick time. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae need more guaranteed loans just to scrape by.

Lord Mr. Ford you got guaranteed loans

During the worst of the recession, the Ford Motor Co. borrowed $ 23.5 billion to stay afloat and keep Ford from having to file bankruptcy and ask for bailout money. Ford only asked for emergency lines of credit if necessary, and didn’t need a bailout. Ford not asking for bailout funds was maybe the best business decision they’ve made in a while. While Chrysler and General Motors were figuring things out, Ford’s sales went up 22 percent, as outlined by the Wall Street Journal. Sometimes just knowing you are able to borrow can give a boost of confidence; some individuals like knowing they can get a cash until payday if they really need it.

Mortgage giants need more guaranteed loans

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae need more, nevertheless, in guaranteed loans. According to ABC, Freddie has lost about $ 6 billion for the second quarter of this year alone. The money hemorrhaging firm is asking for an additional $ 1.8 billion from taxpayers. Freddie and Fannie are struggling, and they have until 2012 to get their affairs in order. At that point, Treasury Secretary Geithner won’t write any more checks.

Credit scores affect huge businesses too

Ford can be able to get better loans, as they pay down debt and improve the company’s credit worthiness. Just like paying down a credit card improves your credit worthiness, it works for big companies too.

Additional reading

online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703589404575417491742322262.html

abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=11356950

One in five home loans underwater

Recent information suggests that over 20 percent of homeowners have underwater mortgage loans. That means 1 in 5 people wouldn’t benefit from mortgage loan modification even if they could get it. The number of individuals who owe more than their homes are worth is slowly but surely declining. Nevertheless, that decrease is partly as a result of number of foreclosures, which is still increasing in major metropolitan areas. Article resource – 20 percent of homeowners underwater on mortgage loans by Personal Money Store.

A fifth of mortgages underwater

According to CNN Money , a real estate survey indicated that just more than 20 percent of American home owners owed more on their mortgage loans than their homes are worth. However, the 21.5 percent who are currently underwater is down from 23.3 percent from the previous quarter, which means some homes gained more than a pay day loans worth. That means the amount of national negative equity is decreasing. That’s a lot of individuals that cannot use or likely get mortgage loan modification. As less equity means less debt relief in a depressed market, some would be better off if they were to get a personal unsecured loan to get out of a house inching closer to foreclosure.

As values climb so do foreclosures

Real estate prices are beginning to improve. One can never purchase a home for the same as a cash advance, but the cost of homes is improving. Major metro areas where most homes are underwater benefited most. That improvement may be reflective of the 75 percent of major cities which had more foreclosures. Las Vegas is nevertheless ruined concerning real estate. Sin City has 14 percent unemployment, and almost three quarters of homes there have underwater mortgages. One in 15 homes there are in foreclosure.

Slow and steady

There are few relative improvements to speak of. There was a slight dip in unemployment, and perhaps a few mortgages are better off. What recovery has taken place is doing this at a very slow pace.

Additional reading

CNN

money.cnn.com/2010/08/09/real_estate/fewer_underwater_borrowers/index.htm

money.cnn.com/2010/07/29/real_estate/new_face_of_foreclosure/index.htm

The Federal Reserve looks for methods to help the economy

The Federal Reserve, the board that sets overnight loan rates for banks, is mulling possible actions to help the economy grow. Risky stimulus moves or maintaining course are the two choices being considered. When awaiting the decision that should come late Tuesday, trading has gone very slowly. Source for this article – Fed mulls possible actions to give the economy a boost by Personal Money Store.

One option accessible

The first option in front of the Federal Reserve is probably the most common – maintaining or dropping interest rates. The interest rates set by the fed are used to determine rates for every little thing from mortgages to internet loans. As the rates are so low, more would want to get some credit going. There may be some deflation though.

Federal Reserve’s second option

It is possible the Fed might just purchase government debt as an option. The Fed does have some cash on hand to offer a personnel loans to the government. Interest rates for long term items might go down with the mortgage investments. The risk, though, is that this would not stimulate any borrowing.

Federal Reserve option 3

The riskiest move, and the one with the most payoffs, would be for the Fed to start purchasing securities again. The Federal Reserve in 2009 bought $1 trillion from Fannie and Freddie in securities. Fannie and Freddie still aren’t doing well with all this help that did encourage lending. Any large purchase would help guarantee any of this debt and (theoretically) increase the amount of money lent out by companies. Even paycheck loans will die off with investors pulling all their money if the Fed did this admitting the economy really is in bad shape.

CDC shows obesity going up

Obesity is going up a lot in the U.S.. The Centers for Disease Control on Tuesday released a biennial report on obese Americans. Apparently 2.4 million more individuals were put in the obese category between 2007 and 2009 which means there is a total of 74.4 million, or 26.7 percent of obese Americans. Each and every obese person uses about $ 1,429 more in medical costs annually than a healthy person while the total amount spent on obesity yearly is $ 147 billion. Source of article – CDC report says obesity rates in the U.S. show alarming increase by Personal Money Store.

Seems more obese than expected

Obesity rates in the U.S. reached 30 percent or more in nine states last year, as opposed to only 3 states in 2007, according to the CDC obesity report. Washington D.C. as well as Colorado both had less than 20, although they were the only states to do so. CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden explained to the New York Times that despite the fact that there are programs like Healthy Individuals 2010 happening, obesity has still been increasing more than it should be. Frieden said if the numbers keep going up, more people will get sick and die from the complications of obesity, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.

CDC likely underestimated the real obesity rate

As the CDC used a survey where they asked 400,000 people what their height and weight was rather than measuring, which means the numbers that were received were probably too low. Many individuals want to be taller and lighter, so they write down numbers of what they want to be. After getting this info, the body mass index, or BMI, was calculated for all of them. Obese means the BMI score is over 30. In case you are 5-foot-4, a woman, and also you way 174, or if you’re a 5-foot 10 man that weighs 209, then your BMI is at 30.

Healthy People 2010 a dismal failure

A 1.1 percent increase in 2.4 million individuals is how many more are obese. In just 2001, there weren’t any states able to claim having 30 percent or more obesity, reports Health News on the CDC report. When the CDC released their reports in 2007, there were three states at the 30 percent mark. 9 states could claim 30 percent by 2009. Not a single state had an obesity rate below 15 percent, the goal of Healthy People 2010, a program began in 2000 by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Friedan explain that, “past efforts and investments to prevent and control obesity have not been adequate.”

'obesogenic’ is what society is being called

Most individuals eat too much food that isn’t really healthy also as avoiding exercise within the CDC’s “obesogenic” society. About one third of all individuals in this category have not ever seen a physician about this, reports an HHS survey.

Additional reading

New York Times

nytimes.com/2010/08/04/health/nutrition/04fat.html?_r=1

Health News

healthnews.com/family-health/obesity-in-america-new-cdc-report-is-grim-reminder-4388.html

CDC

cdc.gov/obesity/

Raging fires add to Russian misery of heat wave and drought

Russian fires triggered by a record heat wave and drought are burning out of control in a good portion of the nation’s eastern territory. Entire villages have burned to the ground and also the death toll was 48 as of Aug. 6. The wildfires smothered Moscow under a thick blanket of smoke and have left 4,000 individuals homeless. Some of the blazes threaten to re-release Russian nuclear contamination from the Chernobyl disaster locked up in the trees in certain areas. A rare does of criticism is being laid upon Russian government agencies for their slow response and lack of preparation to fight the fires. Source of article – Raging Russian fires add to the misery of a heat wave and drought by Personal Money Store.

Russian fires, heat wave and drought ravage nation

Russian fires have burned more than 1.6 million acres of land since they began, as outlined by the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry. To fight the fires, the government has enlisted more than 155,000 people. The Wall Street Journal reported that even as 293 fires were put out, more than 400 new fires ignited. As of Aug. 6, a total of 520 fires were burning across the country. The record heat wave that sparked the Russian fires, plus its worst drought in at least 30 years aren’t letting up. Scorching heat will carry on until at least Aug. 12, with temperatures in some parts of the country as high 107 degrees.

Public feels burned by Russian government

As the Russian government fights to get the fires under control, public anger is boiling over. The government’s inability to protect its citizens from both natural and man-made disasters has been brought out in the open, the Financial Times said. Despite soaring energy revenues that have transformed it into a country with a trillion-dollar plus economy, Russia still suffers from flawed governance, a slapdash approach to safety and a dilapidated infrastructure. The lives lost are much higher in Russia than in other countries where such fires occur, Nikolay Petrov of the Carnegie Moscow Centre told the Times, because the system is “absolutely dysfunctional”. Petrov said that under the “super-centralized” political apparatus installed by Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin, communication was far too slow to be effective.

Europeans threaten by nuclear contamination from fires

Russian fires are also raising concern about the threat of nuclear contamination. AFP reports that radioactive cesium 137 from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster is locked up in the trees and dead leaves in forests in certain areas of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Philippe Renaud, head of the environmental radiation laboratory at France’s IRSN nuclear safety institute, said If trees in those areas burn, the Russian nuclear contamination would be released into the air where it could be breathed in by people as far away as France.

Find more information on this subject

wsj.com

ft.com

google.com/hostednews/afp/article

2.6 percent decrease in existing home sales in the month of June

While new home sales showed an increase in June (but a marked decrease in July), the Association of Realtors has revealed the dirty underbelly of those statistics, reports Bloomberg. Nobody understood why contracts to purchase were so low that month. Demand went down following the home buyer tax credit expired.

4 percent growth expected with existing home sales

A better forecast was expected in June 2010. The tax credit expired April 30, and it was very unexpected for there to be the 30 percent drop. Since 2001 when the median forecast started being kept, the 30 percent drop in May 2010 has been the largest reports Bloomberg.

Earn more with no $8,000 credit

The recession continues meaning high unemployment and raises in pay nonexistent. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner thinks unemployment can be going up which means it will be hard to get a home still. Standard and Poor’s 500 went down 0.6 percent which doesn’t help stocks.

Existing home sales sell the most

90 percent of the housing market are sales of existing homes. Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors, told Bloomberg that “There might be a couple of additional months of slow home sales activity before picking up later within the year, provided the job market improves.”

The fear of homes being taken

Then you will find those pesky foreclosures. Mortgage rates are doing really well being down to 4.54 percent although there are already 38 percent more foreclosures than there were last year reports RealtyTrac, Inc. Donald Horton of home builder D.R. Horton Inc. remarked that market conditions have become quite challenging, and there is no urgent end in sight.

Discover more info on this subject

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-03/pending-sales-of-existing-u-s-homes-unexpectedly-decreased-2-6-in-june.html

Homeowners who are staying put

youtube.com/watch?v=5c0oemzh-vU

Disc brake or Drum brake for your car

Even though you may be more interested as part of your vehicle’s speed, stopping is more important. Two types of brakes are accessible, and they are drum brakes and disk brakes. Both of them work although they’re there for different reasons. When getting a vehicle, you need to know the braking system to conserve you money and time.

Drum brake basics

”Rotating” braking systems is what we call drum brakes sometimes. The basic design is one of a round “drum” that rotates along with the wheel. The drum expands whenever you press the pedal making the wheel slow. Drum brakes can heat up and become ineffective when put under a lot of pressure.

The basics of disc brakes

Disc brakes, all things considered, look much more like the bikes on a bicycle than much of other things. The wheel is “squeezed” by calipers whenever you use the brake. These brakes work better the majority of the time because they are cooled with the air outside.

Drum or disc

When deciding between disc and drum, make sure you consider everything. Drum brakes are a much simpler mechanical device, and are much less expensive to put together. Disc brakes, though, offer meatier braking power. Drum brakes are in cheaper cars. Often, disc and drum brakes will be combined. Though disc brakes are more costly, they could be used as built-in emergency brakes at the same time. Drum brakes are less costly to put in, but a separate emergency brake has to be installed. Drum brakes are swapped out for cheaper but disc brakes don’t have to be exchanged as often.

Princeton Review party schools 2010 crowns University of Georgia

Princeton Review party schools 2010 were introduced Monday. University of Georgia is at the top of this year’s famous party school list. To deflect the negative publicity, UGA officials highlighted that other more respectable categories of the Princeton Review college ratings involved the school. Anti-party college Brigham Young University was no. 1 in the ranks for “stone-cold sober schools. Article resource – UGA top Princeton party school 2010, BYU stone cold sober again by Personal Money Store.

UGA tops party school list for the first time

UGA has been a Princeton party school 10 times since the rankings were started in 1992. This year, the university claimed the top spot for the first time. The small town of Athens, Ga. , as outlined by the Associated Press, has about 100 bars surrounding the UGA campus. Parties are part of student life from August to May each year. For numerous students the weekend begins on Thursdays and doesn’t end until class on Monday Morning. The list on not one any school wants to lead, a UGA spokesperson told AP. He said he’d rather emphasize that in other Princeton Review college rankings, the school made the top 50 “Best Values” list and the “Green Honor Roll” of one of the most environmentally conscious campuses.

State schools show up often within the Princeton party ranks

Freshman boys and girls bound for UGA may have gotten a little more stoked about the fall term when the Princeton party school rankers were released, according to AOL News. Most of the top 10 typically includes state schools and 2010 follows that pattern. Coming in just behind UGA was Ohio University in nearby Athens. The top Princeton party schools of the past 3 years: Pennsylvania State University, West Virginia University and University of Florida, welcomed UGA into their exclusive club.

Students and faculty earn UGA’s top party school status

Starting several campaigns to curb student drinking and reverse the school’s party reputation did little to keep UGA from topping the Princeton party rankings. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports the university has instituted tougher sanctions against students caught drinking, and it has tightened UGA tailgating rules for football game-days. UGA tailgaters trashed the historic North Campus following a September 2009 game, dumping about 70 tons of garbage. Some individuals urinated and defecated on buildings. For making matters worse, a drunken driving arrest last month forced athletic director Damon Evans to resign. Prior to Evans’ arrest, he urged students not to drink and drive in public service announcements produced by the university.

2010 Princeton party school rankings

Student responses concerning alcohol and drug use, hours spent studying and the popularity of Greek life were used by the Princeton Review to rank the top 20 party schools:

1. University of Georgia
2. Ohio University, Athens
3. Pennsylvania State University
4. West Virginia University
5. University of Mississippi
6. The University of Texas, Austin
7. University of Florida
8. University of California, Santa Barbara
9. University of Iowa
10. DePauw University
11. Florida State University
12. University of Wisconsin, Madison
13. University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
14. Sewanee — The University of the South
15. Indiana University, Bloomington
16. University of Colorado, Boulder
17. University of Missouri
18. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
19. University of Maryland, College Park
20. Michigan State University

Additional reading

google.com/hostednews/ap/article /

aolnews.com.com

ajc.com

Jailbreaking the iPhone 4 is legal, and also the hack is now available

The first jailbreak for the iPhone 4 was unleashed Sunday. The hack will let those with an iPhone 4 buy things from other places than the Apple App Store. Unapproved apps could be downloaded with the iPhone 4 jailbreak. Other networks besides AT and T could be hacked with this jailbreaking. Apple, which exercises tight control over the iPhone network and iPhone app approval process, says jailbreaking the iPhone 4 “can severely degrade the experience”.

Where to get the iPhone jailbreak

It is now legal to jailbreak the iPhone which is probably why this application was released. Jailbreakme.com is somewhere CNN reports you can get the iPhone 4 jailbreak. iPhone 4 owners can get apps from stores other than the Apple App Store with the iPhone 4 jailbreak hack. The jailbreak can be received using an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with the Safari browser. You don’t need to even pull out your computer to install this one.

Jailbreaking is now legal, and Apple is peeved

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act makes it possible for jailbreaking to be legal. Information week reports that the U.S. Library of Congress (LOC) opened the door to legal download of the iPhone jailbreak last week when it said hacking the iPhone to circumvent Apple’s app approval process does not violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. LOC’s chief librarian wrote that cracking the iPhone is “innocuous at worst and beneficial at best.” Apple is upset in this belief. Despite the fact that it is legal to jailbreak now, Apple explains it does void warranties.

Jailbreak makes iPhone/T-Mobile connection possible

The iPhone 4 jailbreak was so popular that jailbreakme.com could hardly stay online Sunday. The CNN article said once an iPhone has been jailbroken, one more set of apps can be used to unlock an iPhone to work on wireless networks other than AT and T, which is the only official U.S. carrier for the iPhone. Unlocked iPhones will work only on T-Mobile and not Sprint or Verizon because of the way it works.

Find more info on this subject

Apple

support.apple.com/kb/ht3743

Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres leave the Idol stage

The reality has set in for “American Idol” fans that Simon Cowell is no longer a part of the show. The real scare now is that everyone is abandoning ship. Ellen DeGeneres explained to her adoring public that she is leaving “AI”. Not only that, but as outlined by the L.A. Times, Kara DioGuardi has been let go. That leaves Randy Jackson and empty seats that may very well be filled by Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.

’American Idol’ has come on hard times

Clearly Fox, also as Nigel Lythgoe and also the “American Idol” production group, think you will find still ratings to be squeezed from the aging yet still popular program. Deadline.com claims that Jennifer Lopez will be coming on as Kara DioGuardi’s replacement when Season 10 begins in January, but nothing has been confirmed. Coincidentally, Lopez started her career as a dancer, much like Paula Abdul. A Lopez return to Fox may remind a few of her stint as a dancer on “In Living Color”.

’AI’ is losing ground, but nevertheless popular

While “American Idol” remains America’s most-watched television program, the loss of viewers in recent seasons gave the producers pause. The Times writes the “AI” team was close to giving Ellen DeGeneres the ax. Nevertheless, the producers allowed Ellen to leave rather than firing her as they did DioGuardi. Ellen was non-confrontational in a statement- “A couple months ago, I let Fox and also the ‘American Idol’ producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me”. She knew what everybody already knew from day one- that she wasn’t comfortable giving singers musical advice.

”We love Ellen and understand and support her decision to bow out of ‘Idol’,” said Fox Networks Group chairman Peter Rice.

The chemistry was wrong

”American Idol” Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe knew that Kara, Simon and Randy didn’t click without Paula Abdul. Adding a visibly uncomfortable Ellen DeGeneres to the mix only served to underscore that fact. At one point, Lythgoe speculated that if he could have his pick of judges, he’d take Usher, Elton John and Paula Abdul. However, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler have garnered probably the most attention of late.

Steven Tyler won’t tell

Gossip site X17 Online spotted Steven Tyler outside the Sunset Marquis hotel in Los Angeles and asked for his take. Allegedly, Tyler would be made head judge, the role once played by Simon Cowell. Tyler revealed absolutely nothing. On the other hand, he also didn’t deny that he could be a part of “American Idol’s” future.

Additional reading

Los Angeles Times

latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/07/kara-dioguardi-out-of-tune-with-american-idol.html

The Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/29/AR2010072905730.html

X17 Online

x17online.com/celebrities/steven_tyler/x17_xclusive_steven_tyler_tight_lipped_on_new_gig_as_idol_judge-07302010.php

Get info from any person off Facebook with the Facebook torrent

Data off of Facebook is now available to any person with the Facebook torrent which was created by a hacker with a lot of free time. 171 million Facebook users had their information stolen by a web sprawling code made by Ron Bowes. This torrent file is about 2.8 GB and is accessible to any person online. Facebook said the Facebook torrent is no big deal — it just contains information on users anyone can get from a Facebook search. Facebook skeptics argue the torrent just shows how bad privacy is when using Facebook.

Facebook torrent exposes 171 million Facebook users

Profile URLs, names, and user IDs of 171 million Facebook users are now being displayed for any person who wants to get the info. Pirate Bay is where Bowes, who heads Skull Security, has decided to place this torrent for the world, reports the Daily Tech. As of the morning of July 28, the Facebook torrent had about 13,000 active downloads on Pirate Bay. Details Facebook users didn’t hide with privacy setting is shown here. The torrent doesn’t consist of, luckily, those who have privacy settings set to friends only.

Privacy a problem for Facebook

The Facebook torrent comes at a bad time when Facebook is already suffering the losses from their change on privacy settings to allow commercial use. BBC News has a statement from Facebook saying nobody is going to be hurt by the privacy changed since personal info people “agreed to make public” on their own. Tech Crunch thinks that in light of recent events, it would probably be a good precaution to change all your settings on Facebook so they’re “friends only.” You aren’t going to be happy when people put all of your info into a package and let it loose for those who want it just because you set your settings to “everyone”.

Personal data on Facebook torrent can never be deleted

Facebook said the personal information mined and distributed within the Facebook torrent can be found by any person on Google, Bing or Facebooksearch. Future reminds us that the Facebook torrent will last forever since it is just a quick shot of one time on Facebook. The information can never go away, even when users delete their accounts or change their privacy settings.

Facebook torrent and what it targets

Not only is there one fifth of Facebook users already exposed, but the torrent consists of the programs used to get that details. Bowes said he wants to try and get everyone on Facebook soon, reports Tech Crunch. Until Facebook switches to friends only by default, which is unlikely, users opt out-

Go to Account and Privacy Settings and Applications, Games, and Sites (link near the bottom, in a box) and Public Search and (Uncheck box).

Additional reading

Daily Tech

dailytech.com/Info+on+100M+Facebook+Users+Harvested+and+Posted+in+Torrent++Legally/article19198.htm

Tech Crunch

techcrunch.com/2010/07/28/hacker-proves-facebooks-public-data-is-public/

Future of the Internet

futureoftheinternet.org/facebooks-ocean-of-names-becomes-a-torrent

Politics getting involved within the Catalonia bullfighting ban

Bullfighting is to Spain what baseball is to America. The Spanish province had, on July 28, bullfighting banned. In 2010, the Catalan bullfighting ban will start. The ban was passed by Catalonian parliament in Barcelona while animal rights activists cheered with job and happiness. Numerous believe that the bullfighting ban was not about animal cruelty. It was a political act of Catalon nationalism as the province tries to set itself apart from the rest of Spain.

Catalonia bullfighting ban not about the bulls

Politics is the main focus of the Catalonia bullfighting ban. NPR reminds us that there were only 15 bullfights in the one Catalonian bullring each year anyway. Those against bullfighting said it was very cruel while those for it said Spanish Culture was at stake. Some Catalonians calling for even greater independence from Spain say the bullfighting ban shows they’re willing to break from Spanish tradition. Bulls aren’t affected by this sport that began in Barcelona. Spain has about 1,000 bullfights a year.

Catalonia and Madrid differences in bullfighting

Spanish conservatives and fans of bullfighting were upset with the Catalonia bullfighting ban. The Associated Press reports that the center-right Popular Party, which vigorously supports a unified Spain run from Madrid, sees a stinging anti-Spanish rebuke within the grass roots, anti-bullfighting drive which started within the region last year. Catalonia is a wealthy and powerful province with its own language (Catalan) and culture, as well as a strong penchant for self-rule. Many in Spain have seen the pressure here for a bullfighting ban as a political statement by Catalonia to stand out from the rest of the country.

Bullfighting ban just a rebellion

The Catalonia bullfighting ban didn’t involve the bulls at all writes Spanish travel blogger, Damian Corrigan. Corrigan says that it doesn’t even matter if you’re independent in today’s Europe on About.com. Really, all that Catalonians want are less taxes going to Madrid. Coherent political stances are optional and rebellion exists simply for the sake of rebellion.

More on this topic

NPR

npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/07/28/128817532/bullfighting-banned-in-spanish-province

Associated Press

google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hoSaaIUwsevwg2RB34sY8mHh7tNAD9H82A704

About.com

gospain.about.com/b/2010/07/28/barcelona-bullfighting-ban.htm

9/11 health care bill vote catapults Anthony Weiner over the edge

Anthony Weiner shocked Congress on July 29 when the Democratic congressman from New York blew his top in a speech within the chamber. When Republicans blocked passage of the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, he lost his cool. For 9/11 rescue workers and New Yorkers ill from toxic dust and debris at ground zero, the Democratic bill calls for billions of dollars in health care aid. Weiner, along with his Democratic cohorts, accused Republicans of cowardice, among other things. Republicans accused Democrats of more large government investing.

Information of the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act

A majority of lawmakers in the chamber supported the 9/11 health care bill. But the New York Times reports that the vote fell short of the two-thirds bulk needed, 255-159. To bring the measure to the floor, a special guideline required that a two-thirds majority was needed. The 9/11 health care bill would have provided $3.2 billion over the next eight years to observe and take care of injuries stemming from exposure to toxic dust and debris at ground zero. To compensate for job and economic losses, an additional $4.2 billion was set aside within the bill.

Democrats maneuver for two-thirds majority

Anthony Weiner vented his rage in a talk on the house floor after it became very clear that Republicans had enough votes to defeat the 9/11 health care bill. The New York Daily news called the two-thirds majority rule a Democratic scheme to speed up the vote. Looking ahead to the November elections, Democrats feared Republicans trying to humiliate Democrats would attach toxic changes in a simple majority vote. The two-thirds majority rule doesn’t allow fiddling with amendments.

Republicans say procedure gave them no choice but to vote “no”

Weiner erupted when he heard Republicans using the use of the two-thirds majority rule as an excuse to vote no on the 9/11 health care bill. CBS News reports that Peter King, Republican congressman from New York, called democrats afraid for not voting on their amendments, and said by holding the vote they were staging a charade. King’s comments led to Weiner’s 90-second fulmination. He hollered that Republicans were being cowardly by opposing the bill based on procedure:

“It’s Republicans wrapping their arms around Republicans instead of doing the right thing on behalf of the heroes,” Weiner yelled. “It is a shame. A shame! If you believe this can be a bad idea to provide health care – then vote no! But do not give me the cowardly view that ‘Oh if it was a different procedure’…”.

Further reading

nytimes.com /

nydailynews.com

cbsnews.com

$ 1 billion for cash now of course to Kyrgyzstan

Violence in Kyrgyzstan has caused the country to lose tons a money, created around 400,000 refugees, and caused many deaths. The nation’s move toward parliamentary democracy – which has emboldened supporters of overthrown previous President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and militants from Uzbekistan – has been at the center of clashes between armed troops and civilian protesters. Kyrgyzstan has been trying to recuperate now the fighting is stopping. There is no more money available as reported by Reuters. Resource for this article – Donors grant Kyrgyzstan more than $ 1 billion in emergency aid by Personal Money Store.

International donors will give Kyrgyzstan $ 1.1 billion instant cash to Kyrgyzstan from donors

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital city, was where a conference was help in which $ 600 million in instant fast cash was donated in 2010, and also the rest can be coming in 2011. Acting President Roza Otunbayeva encouraged donors and representatives from the World Bank and United Nations with a promise the nation will find the necessary resources to rebuild. This can be a perfect time considering the nation shrunk 5 percent with the violence. Kyrgyzstan needed money and donors will give it to them.

More than $ 1 billion needed to work on buildings alone

Kyrgyzstan’s budget deficit plunged to an estimated 13.5 percent of its gross domestic product, according to Reuters. Once Bakiyev was overthrown, the total deficit jumped from $ 269 million to $ 619 million, per acting Kyrgyzstan Finance Minister Chorobek Imashev. The economy needs $ 100 million to restart the economy with $ 350 million needed to build settlements in Osh and Jalalabad, explains President Orunbayeva. Fixing energy costs $ 180 million and fixing agriculture can be $ 50 million. $ 1.1 billion could be needed if we want to help stabilize a nation in chaos.

Find more details on this subject

Reuters
ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE66Q31F20100727
Chaos in Kyrgyzstan (WARNING – Some violent images may be disturbing)
youtube.com/watch?v=0L1srqYLnu8

Anchoring your way to a higher price is a bad idea

When people try to make a decision, they use perceptions called anchors as points of comparison. Once an anchor has been set for future comparisons, that anchor is hard to remove from the mind. This process of bias is called anchoring, and also the retail sales industry uses it to great advantage when dealing with consumers. Consumers will naturally fall for anchoring unless they prepare ahead of time. Just a little bit of knowledge won’t make one immune, but it will help on places like a used car lot.

Anchoring to high car prices

Marcy, an unsuspecting consumer with no knowledge of anchoring, ambles onto a used auto business. She has a vehicle that runs, but wants something new and shiny. Soon she sees it: a beautiful hybrid hatchback. She checks it out from front to back, sits in it and wonders if she may have found her dream vehicle. But when she looks at the sticker price, the shock sets in. That used hybrid automobile costs a whopping $ 24,998.

Enter used vehicle salesman with reassuring grin. Salesman asks what she thinks, and Marcy shakes her head and says the price is out of range. Marcy loves the vehicle, but she hates the price. Then the salesman comes at Marcy with the hook.

‘Don’t worry about that. It’s on sale right now for $ 14,000!’

Ding dong. Without further thought, she hits the finance office, applies for an autoloans and is eventually behind the wheel of her beloved new hybrid. She has taken the bait for a top retail scam, writes You Are not So Wise. As Marcy didn’t know what the car was really worth, the salesman could easily use anchoring to play with her expectations. The markdown he offered seemed tremendous to Marcy, but the sad reality is the actual value of the auto was $ 9,997. The markup was out of control. That anchor was a killer, and the salesman didn’t have to do much. The dealer made out like a bandit, thanks to anchoring.

Haggle to make it real

The price we are willing to give up is rarely concrete. The MSRP or a dealer’s so-called markdown can fool us. The dealer works with two prices in an anchoring exercise designed to ensure the buyer.

When you allow a dealer to play psychological games with you, you’re purchasing into a notion as solid as vapor. Haggling pulls you from the concept of anchoring and can make less experienced auto dealers squirm. If you control the game, anchoring could have less pull on your attention. Come prepared with data regarding the auto you intend to purchase, but always try to haggle for a lower price. A veteran dealer will notice that you’ve done your homework and respect that fact.

Additional reading

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchoring

You Aren’t So Smart

youarenotsosmart.com/2010/07/27/anchoring-effect/

Bums living on the Hawaiian Islands

Tourism and military jobs are probably the most essential things to the Hawaiian Islands economy. About $200 a day is spent, as outlined by NPR, by tourists for hotels, meals, and entertainments. Only $3 a day is spent by the homeless for room, board, and full health coverage within the Hawaiian Islands. Public food lines help feed locals experiencing dire straits, but the vast majority of individuals waiting for meals aren’t even from the Hawaiian Islands.

Hawaiian Islands has more bums

If shelter populations are any indication, the 10 percent increase in population over the past 12 months is telling. About 1,300 of those in Hawaii living homeless aren’t from the state, reports NPR. Part of the draw for out-of-state immigrants is Hawaii’s 5 cent redemption fee for plastic bottles and aluminum cans. $40 a day is made by Gary Phillips in Hawaii rather than the little amount he made in San Diego previously. The state will give individuals like Phillips free health care, $200 a month in food stamps, and let them sleep at the $3 shelter that gives three meals. With state support, they typically do not even need more fast cash.

Paradise for vacationers and homeless alike

Hawaii is using Medicaid and tax refunds to try and cover their spending budget deficit which is $1.2 billion. This is a bad time for more homeless to move in considering homeless shelters take millions of tax dollars to operate. Connie Mitchell, executive director of one of the largest homeless shelters on the Hawaiian Islands, told NPR that nearly a third of her shelter’s spending budget is spent on this type of new arrival. Mitchell feels like some of these individuals are here now just so they can enjoy being free in Hawaii without having to pay anything.

Being a bum in Honolulu

The University of Hawaii’s Center on the Family reports that while 21 percent of the city’s homeless population was Caucasian in 2005, more than 43 percent are Caucasian in 2010. These people tend to be single middle-aged people. These people get the money to fly over while then living in Hawaii practically for free doing odds and ends jobs. As the Hawaiian authorities start to catch on to the resource dilemma, the Hawaiian Islands homeless individuals will largely move on. It is hard to determine whether a person really needs the government help or now. Anyone who needs emergency money should be able to take advantage of these programs instead of those just abusing the system.

UPDATE – Hawaii has tried sending homeless individuals back to the mainland. New York has decided to fly them BACK to Hawaii.

Find more details on this subject

NPR
npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126675999
The price of paradise – and this was in 2008. It is worse now.
youtube.com/watch?v=w058VpVl3t4
Newser
newser.com/story/96470/hawaii-buys-homeless-plane-tickets-to-mainland.html

New Colorado loan lenders laws to go into effect

New laws intended to limit the short term cash loans offered in Colorado are going to go into effect. New caps could be put on payday advance direct lenders in Colorado. Legislators had called for a stronger bill, but lobbyists had been pushing for a weaker bill. Article source – New Colorado loan lenders laws to go into effect by Personal Money Store.

Keeping the interest rates in check

Annual interest rates on personal debt loans in Colorado will be limited to 45 percent annual interest rates. Like most payday cash advance loan products, the term of the loan is much shorter than a year, but interest rates are often calculated on an annual basis. The current cap on these loans in Colorado is 300 percent annual interest. A couple of legislators were pushing for a 36 percent cap.

Extending the term of the loans

Currently, the short term installment loans offered in Colorado can have terms as short as two weeks. As of August, this term could be stretched out. The minimum term a lender can offer could be six months. Borrowers will even have to be offered the ability to repay the loan early.

Monthly and origination fees

To help ensure that short term loan credit is still available within the state, the new bill allows both monthly and origination fees on these loans. Lenders will be allowed to charge an origination fee of $ 75, and monthly fees of $ 7.50 per $ 100 borrowed, up to $ 30 maximum.

The debate over payday cash advances in Colorado

There has been a heavy debate over cash until payday in Colorado. Some people say that the pay day loan industry should be banned entirely. The current Colorado bill passed with just one vote. Most state legislatures will probably end up reconsidering this controversial issue time and time again.