Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Forum Making Money




First up, let me clarify that I'm a HUGE Shane Carwin fan. The guy is a terrifying force in the Octagon. He's got his weak spots and limitations like any fighter, but I honestly believe he's the most potent offensive force in MMA today.


I am also a fan of the way he engages his fans online with his web site and twitter account. The guy has done a great job of marketing himself in many ways.


But let's cut the crap. Carwin is not doing himself any favors by pulling out of his UFC 125 fight against Roy Nelson. Unless his back is so severely injured that he has no choice but get the surgery he would be better off sucking it up, fighting hurt and getting the surgery after this fight if he still believes it to be necessary.


Why do I say this? Let me count the ways in the full entry.


UPDATE: From Shane-Carwin.com:



Update for my BE.com friends. I have been fighting injured for three years. I have done all of the things that "possibly could reduce the pain", in the end the problem continues to come back. I have spent a week getting treatments and the pain has been increasing. I really do not have a choice in the matter. Most managers need to milk all they can from fighters but mine is putting my interest ahead of what is best for him. That is actually a good thing.


I am getting a second opinion tonight but if he suggest surgery then I will be going that route. I have made up my mind that this is the likely outcome. With or without surgery I would face a 8-12 week recovery (no contact) time and not be ready for 125. My "options" are do surgery and repair it or spend 12 weeks recovering and apply a band aid and march on. I plan of fighting for a long time and while I may not be getting any younger I have certainly taken way less damage then anyone else in the UFC with as many fights as I have. Aside from Gonzaga breaking my nose I have not been hurt in any of my fights. So repairing my self so I can be at my best for the best part of my career is actually a really good idea.


To anyone questioning my ability to pass any test, I say bring it. I have and will always pass my test.



 








  1. Carwin himself says the surgery is optional.
    That's not the kind of message to put out in a public forum. Dana White doesn't want to hear that. If Carwin needs to have the surgery, the thing to say is, "My fans know I wouldn't miss this fight if there were any other alternative, but I have to listen to the doctors and do what's best for my health."


  2. Dana White and the UFC NEED Shane Carwin on this card.
    UFC 125 is headlined by Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard. As talented as those two fighters are, they are not major PPV draws. It's a sad fact that lightweight fights don't sell as well as heavyweight fights and Frankie Edgar is not a star like B.J. Penn who can overcome that. Not to mention that many fans consider both Edgar and Maynard to be boring fighters to watch. Then there's the utter lack of personality or smack talk from either Edgar or Maynard. Not a recipe for a big New Year's card. Shane Carwin vs Roy Nelson was the perfect co-main. Heavyweight contenders with awesome KO highlight reels. Carwin fought in one of the biggest PPVs in UFC history at UFC 116 and Nelson was featured on the highest rated season of TUF ever. Plus both guys are willing to talk smack and promote themselves. 


  3. Shane is already likely on thin ice with the UFC.
    Carwin got linked to a federal steroids prosecution after his UFC 116 fight. While Dana White didn't publicly pile on, that's not the kind of news he wants his fighters making. Not to mention the whole pre-UFC 116 controversy when Carwin and his manager Jason Genet told Bloody Elbow that they were limiting the amount of fight promotion Carwin would do for his title shot against Brock Lesnar to the bare minimum because they were not getting a % of the PPV money. They quickly retracted and attempted to burn our reporter when the UFC objected. Carwin's tweets last week about the UFC banning one of his sponsors couldn't have helped anything either. Things like that linger in the mind of Dana White. Ask Todd Duffee. 


  4. Shane Carwin is older and near the peak of his athletic years.
    Does Carwin really have the time to take off for a risky back surgery? Back surgeries are high risk and low reward propositions for athletes. They often don't work at all. Ask Tito Ortiz. Carwin needs to be striking while the iron is hot and keeping himself in the good graces of the UFC and in the forefront of fans' minds. The UFC heavyweight division has seemingly passed him by in the blink of an eye. Young studs like Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos are going to be out ruling the world while Carwin is sitting on the side lines.



In sum, despite his public attacks on me and this site, I wish Shane Carwin the best and strongly urge him to get new management that has his best interests at heart. 


UPDATE: Let me clarify, the decision to not fight is totally up to Shane and his doctors, family, coaches and management. I hope he made the decision that is best for his health. It's his dumbass decision to tweet that it was his OPTION to sit out the fight or not that I'm objecting to. If you have to drop out of a fight for health reasons, save the agonizing and second guessing for your private conversations with friends and family. Toe the company line on Twitter.







Californians from across the political spectrum are trying to raise money to defeat Prop 23, but the vote could be close. George Shultz, a former secretary of state during the Reagan administration, has taken a leading role in the campaign against Prop 23. (See: www.stopdirtyenergyprop.com.)


“Prop 23 is designed to kill by indefinite postponement California’s effort to clean up the environment,” said Mr. Shultz. “This effort is financed heavily by money from out of state. You have to conclude that the financiers are less concerned about California than they are about the fact that if we get something that is working here to clean up the air and launch a clean-tech industry, it will go national and maybe international. So the stakes are high. I hope we can win here and send a message to the whole country that it’s time to put aside partisan politics and get an energy bill out of Washington.”


That’s Tom Friedman writing in his column today on Big Oil’s effort to kill California’s climate and clean energy laws, which CP has been closely tracking (click here for links).


Here’s more:



The Terminator, a k a the Governator, is not happy. And you shouldn’t be either.


What has Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California incensed is the fact that two Texas oil companies with two refineries each in California are financing a campaign to roll back California’s landmark laws to slow global warming and promote clean energy innovation, because it would require the refiners to install new emission-control tools. At a time when President Obama and Congress have failed to pass a clean energy bill, California’s laws are the best thing we have going to stimulate clean-tech in America. We don’t want them gutted. C’mon in. This is a fight worth having.


Here are the basics: Next month Californians will vote on “Prop 23,” a proposal to effectively kill implementation of California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, known as A.B. 32. It was supported by Republicans, Democrats, businesses and environmentalists. Prop 23 proposes to suspend implementation of A.B. 32 until California achieves four consecutive quarters of unemployment below 5.5 percent. It is currently above 12 percent. (Sorry for all the numbers. Just remember: A.B. 32, good; Prop 23, bad.)


A.B. 32 was designed to put California on a path to reducing greenhouse gases in its air to 1990 levels by 2020. This would make the state a healthier place, and a more innovative one. Since A.B. 32 was passed, investors have poured billions of dollars into making new technologies to meet these standards.


“It is very clear that the oil companies from outside the state that are trying to take out A.B. 32, and trying to take out our environmental laws, have no interest in suspending it, but just to get rid of it,” Governor Schwarzenegger said at an energy forum we both participated in last week in Sacramento, sponsored by its energetic mayor, Kevin Johnson. “They want to kill A.B. 32. Otherwise they wouldn’t put this provision in there about the 5.5 percent unemployment rate. It’s very rare that California in the last 40 years had an unemployment rate of below 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters. They’re not interested in our environment; they are only interested in greed and filling their pockets with more money.


“And they are very deceptive when they say they want to go and create more jobs in California,” the governor added. “Since when has oil company ever been interested in jobs? Let’s be honest. If they really are interested in jobs, they would want to protect A.B. 32, because actually it’s green technology that is creating the most jobs right now in California, 10 times more than any other sector.”


No, this is not about jobs. As ThinkProgress.org, a progressive research center, reported: Two Texas oil companies, Valero and Tesoro, “have led the charge against the landmark climate law, along with Koch Industries, the giant oil conglomerate owned by right-wing megafunders Charles and David Koch. Koch recently donated $1 million to the effort and has been supporting front groups involved in the campaign.”



The real joke is thinking that if California suspends its climate laws that Mother Nature will also take a timeout. “We can wait to solve this problem as long as we want,” says Nate Lewis, an energy chemist at the California Institute of Technology: “But Nature is balancing its books every day. It was a record 113 degrees in Los Angeles the other day. There are laws of politics and laws of physics. Only the latter can’t be repealed.”


Hear!  Hear!


Here are five things you can do to win this fight:




  1. Visit the “No on 23″ website, learn the facts & sign up:  www.StopDirtyEnergyProp.com.

  2. Educate yourself on how California’s climate & energy laws have created companies & jobs:  www.CABrightSpot.com.

  3. Tell your friends by email, on Facebook, at work, & everywhere else.

  4. Participate in the debate. Write letters to the editor and post comments on blogs & websites.

  5. Contribute (click here). The other side’s leader, right-wing California Assemblyman Dan Logue, has publicly said he expects the oil companies to spend $50 million.


Making Money With Options


As I looked over the program, I had to admit that I wasn’t very impressed. There are tons of sessions at Blogworld, and they’re amazing for the right audience. If you are a real estate agent, a mommy blogger, a beginning podcaster or any number of a thousand other types of bloggers, then you need to put Blogworld onto your radar as a must-attend event. The changing face of blogging, and the importance that it continues to gather, makes for a great conference with truly engaging speakers.


But I don’t really fall into those definitions. I’m a blogger for a living. I find and write technology news. While I’m certain that there are things that I could learn from the sessions, they just didn’t really interest me. What I wanted to see was the expo floor, to get a feeling for not only what people are finding interesting, but also what it is that the businesses that surround blogging think is important today.


The fact of it is, as many people have pointed out, you can monetize any blog if you spend the time to do it. But wait, isn’t blogging about passion and writing about the things that you really love? Well, yes. It certainly is. But why can’t you make a buck or two off of it as well? The face of blogging continues to change, and with it so do the options for rich media, advertising and monetization. Of course, as you add more media, that takes more resources, and there’s no lack of choices for managing the hosting side of your content, either.


Rich Media


It wasn’t long ago that we (as bloggers on the whole) started embedding audio files, then video files came. From there we went to more in-depth, informative embeds. Whether it’s a PDF, a presentation or some other type of content, that content is king in setting your blog out from the crowd. Simply stated, it’s not enough anymore to just write about a subject. That market is too crowded. To stand out, you need to provide that something extra that people might not even be looking for.


Judging by the floor of the expo, there are more businesses that are capitalizing on this trend as well. From platforms (the new features on Blogger.com are stunning) to sites such as BlogTalkRadio that are specializing in combining your blogging platform with podcasting, the field is open and huge.


Advertising


It’s no longer just a matter of sticking Google AdSense into your site. Now, as your traffic grows, there are options abounding. Whether it is a service that will allow you to cross promote with another site, or ones that will allow you to link keywords for only certain users, there is a world of options out there.


More businesses are learning of the power of blogs, even the ones that are considered “small” by comparison. As they learn, and as they look for ways to capitalize on that, there are services all around the expo floor that are finding ways to introduce the advertiser to the blog and vice versa.


Everything Else


Facing facts, there are choices far beyond anything any one person can summarize when it comes to blogging and platforms and advertising and all the rest. But the models continue to change on a daily basis. The ideas and platforms that inspire and empower us as bloggers are in a shift right now that is a welcome change.


Is this what it comes down to, though? Are bloggers, and more importantly blog readers, ready for more signs of blogging as a real business? There’s no arguing that it’s already showing its chops for the money-making world, but at what cost?


The other question, from us, is what you want to see. Is the introduction of more rich media and more in depth posting something that you love to read here on The Next Web? What could add to our content? Let us know in the comments, and feel free to link your own site if you’re proud of what you’re doing.







You take your staff on kayaking trips. You order pizza for meetings. But who cares about the occasional extras if your workers aren't delighted to be in their workspace day-in and day-out? We reviewed the best in office amenities and policies recently covered in Inc. and on Inc.com for the highlights of companies making their offices into places their employees love coming to in the morning.


1. Stay organized.
Whether it's business plans or business cards, conference binders or marketing copy, entrepreneurs have a lot of information to track. But with so many important managerial matters on your plate, it's hard to put a tidy workspace high on your priority list. Who knows that better than the employees who work in a disorganized or cluttered office? Their productivity and motivation can suffer when everyone's not on the same page about where important information, tools, and supplies can be found. Laura Leist, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers, which is based in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, explains: "When you're talking about organizing your workspace you need to make a decision about what needs to be organized and there's five areas that you can look at." These five areas are paper, general stuff such as office supplies, your space and furniture layout, electronic information, and time management. Read more.


2. Make it comfy.
"Designing a comfortable office environment is about more than aesthetics; careful attention to design can give a boost to employee happiness. In the current economy, the focus is often on leasing office space based on price, with less attention paid to design, layout and amenities. Smart business leaders, however, think beyond the existing layout and furniture options when moving into a new office or refurbishing a space. That fresh coat of paint and new carpet your landlord gave you when you signed the lease is great, but there are other small investments of time and money that can transform your office into a more productive workspace," writes Lois Goodell, principal and the director of interior design at CBT Architects, in an Inc.com guide on creating a productive office environment. In short, making a comfortable environment takes more than a sturdy desk and comfortable chair – it incorporates quality lighting, good ventilation, and a quality heating-and-cooling system. Read more


3. Give everyone a say.
It's an extreme example, but when Thomas Walter, CEO of Tasty Catering in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, encountered Jim Collins's Good to Great, he asked each of his employees to read it. Inc. editor-at-large Leigh Buchanan writes: "Tasty Catering formed two Good to Great councils, which make all strategic decisions for the company. Each council has eight charter members drawn from across the company—culinary workers, clerical staff, drivers. One council conducts business in English, the other in Spanish, which is the first language for about a third of the work force. At least one of the three owners—Walter and his two brothers—sits in with each group. The councils hold meetings a few days apart, and an outside translator produces copies of the combined minutes in both languages. Each month, two random employees are chosen to join the councils for the month." She quotes Anna Wollin, an account executive who joined one of the councils when they were formed, who says: "It puts us all on an even playing field. I had been with the company less than a year, and my opinion was as important as an owner's opinion." Read more. 


4. Consider openness.
It's not right for every team of workers, but the trend today is to support collaboration, in all its forms: mentoring, problem solving, routine communication and information sharing. Goodell writes: "To do so, create more open spaces in the office, from workspaces with low panels that make it easier to communicate to all-day cafés where employees not only eat, but also meet to work." It's also important to consider what happens when someone in a large open office environment needs to concentrate on a big project or lead a conference call. Open spaces only work when employees have access to areas where they can focus on a specific task. One solution is "hoteling," offices that can be reserved or used at will when needed. These offices can be small, but should be highly functional. They should be equipped with good lighting, phone systems and technology necessary to complete critical tasks. Read more.


5. Make the workplace a community.
In this year's Top Small Company Workplaces, Leigh Buchanan interviewed Bill Witherspoon about his open-book management and leadership style at Sky Factory. His employees not only love the clear and open communication structure, but also love helping each other. Witherspoon explains why: "I think of our factory as a community, and service is the core of community. There are two kinds of service. One is: I do this for you, and I expect a return. For example, I provide good customer service, and I expect loyalty. The other kind of service is selfless. I do something for you without thought of a return. I help you spontaneously and without thinking about it. That second kind of service is powerful. When someone has a moment of free time, how wonderful if she automatically thinks, Now, what can I do to help someone else? At the start of our Friday meetings, the leader for that week tells an appreciative story about someone at the company and presents the person with $25. Often, the story involves an unselfish, unsolicited offer of help." Read more.








Juan Williams: Fox <b>News</b> Lets &#39;Black Guy With A Hispanic Name&#39; Host <b>...</b>

Juan Williams said Tuesday that he's still upset about his firing from NPR, and added that NPR does not understand the Fox News culture or audience. In an interview with Baltimore Sun columnist David Zurawik, Williams said he remains ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Secrets

Pssst. We've got something important to tell you about a new tool that can totally transform your business. In terms of upfront investment, there is no cost,

Shepard Smith Inks New Fox <b>News</b> Deal – Deadline.com

EXCLUSIVE: Fox News Channel's signature news anchor Shepard Smith has signed a new multi-year deal to continue as the channel's lead news anchor as well as anchor of FOX Report and Studio B. Smith's most recent pact with Fox News inked ...


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bench craft company complaints

SingleLev - Product design by Portfolio Leeds


Juan Williams: Fox <b>News</b> Lets &#39;Black Guy With A Hispanic Name&#39; Host <b>...</b>

Juan Williams said Tuesday that he's still upset about his firing from NPR, and added that NPR does not understand the Fox News culture or audience. In an interview with Baltimore Sun columnist David Zurawik, Williams said he remains ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Secrets

Pssst. We've got something important to tell you about a new tool that can totally transform your business. In terms of upfront investment, there is no cost,

Shepard Smith Inks New Fox <b>News</b> Deal – Deadline.com

EXCLUSIVE: Fox News Channel's signature news anchor Shepard Smith has signed a new multi-year deal to continue as the channel's lead news anchor as well as anchor of FOX Report and Studio B. Smith's most recent pact with Fox News inked ...


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As I looked over the program, I had to admit that I wasn’t very impressed. There are tons of sessions at Blogworld, and they’re amazing for the right audience. If you are a real estate agent, a mommy blogger, a beginning podcaster or any number of a thousand other types of bloggers, then you need to put Blogworld onto your radar as a must-attend event. The changing face of blogging, and the importance that it continues to gather, makes for a great conference with truly engaging speakers.


But I don’t really fall into those definitions. I’m a blogger for a living. I find and write technology news. While I’m certain that there are things that I could learn from the sessions, they just didn’t really interest me. What I wanted to see was the expo floor, to get a feeling for not only what people are finding interesting, but also what it is that the businesses that surround blogging think is important today.


The fact of it is, as many people have pointed out, you can monetize any blog if you spend the time to do it. But wait, isn’t blogging about passion and writing about the things that you really love? Well, yes. It certainly is. But why can’t you make a buck or two off of it as well? The face of blogging continues to change, and with it so do the options for rich media, advertising and monetization. Of course, as you add more media, that takes more resources, and there’s no lack of choices for managing the hosting side of your content, either.


Rich Media


It wasn’t long ago that we (as bloggers on the whole) started embedding audio files, then video files came. From there we went to more in-depth, informative embeds. Whether it’s a PDF, a presentation or some other type of content, that content is king in setting your blog out from the crowd. Simply stated, it’s not enough anymore to just write about a subject. That market is too crowded. To stand out, you need to provide that something extra that people might not even be looking for.


Judging by the floor of the expo, there are more businesses that are capitalizing on this trend as well. From platforms (the new features on Blogger.com are stunning) to sites such as BlogTalkRadio that are specializing in combining your blogging platform with podcasting, the field is open and huge.


Advertising


It’s no longer just a matter of sticking Google AdSense into your site. Now, as your traffic grows, there are options abounding. Whether it is a service that will allow you to cross promote with another site, or ones that will allow you to link keywords for only certain users, there is a world of options out there.


More businesses are learning of the power of blogs, even the ones that are considered “small” by comparison. As they learn, and as they look for ways to capitalize on that, there are services all around the expo floor that are finding ways to introduce the advertiser to the blog and vice versa.


Everything Else


Facing facts, there are choices far beyond anything any one person can summarize when it comes to blogging and platforms and advertising and all the rest. But the models continue to change on a daily basis. The ideas and platforms that inspire and empower us as bloggers are in a shift right now that is a welcome change.


Is this what it comes down to, though? Are bloggers, and more importantly blog readers, ready for more signs of blogging as a real business? There’s no arguing that it’s already showing its chops for the money-making world, but at what cost?


The other question, from us, is what you want to see. Is the introduction of more rich media and more in depth posting something that you love to read here on The Next Web? What could add to our content? Let us know in the comments, and feel free to link your own site if you’re proud of what you’re doing.







You take your staff on kayaking trips. You order pizza for meetings. But who cares about the occasional extras if your workers aren't delighted to be in their workspace day-in and day-out? We reviewed the best in office amenities and policies recently covered in Inc. and on Inc.com for the highlights of companies making their offices into places their employees love coming to in the morning.


1. Stay organized.
Whether it's business plans or business cards, conference binders or marketing copy, entrepreneurs have a lot of information to track. But with so many important managerial matters on your plate, it's hard to put a tidy workspace high on your priority list. Who knows that better than the employees who work in a disorganized or cluttered office? Their productivity and motivation can suffer when everyone's not on the same page about where important information, tools, and supplies can be found. Laura Leist, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers, which is based in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, explains: "When you're talking about organizing your workspace you need to make a decision about what needs to be organized and there's five areas that you can look at." These five areas are paper, general stuff such as office supplies, your space and furniture layout, electronic information, and time management. Read more.


2. Make it comfy.
"Designing a comfortable office environment is about more than aesthetics; careful attention to design can give a boost to employee happiness. In the current economy, the focus is often on leasing office space based on price, with less attention paid to design, layout and amenities. Smart business leaders, however, think beyond the existing layout and furniture options when moving into a new office or refurbishing a space. That fresh coat of paint and new carpet your landlord gave you when you signed the lease is great, but there are other small investments of time and money that can transform your office into a more productive workspace," writes Lois Goodell, principal and the director of interior design at CBT Architects, in an Inc.com guide on creating a productive office environment. In short, making a comfortable environment takes more than a sturdy desk and comfortable chair – it incorporates quality lighting, good ventilation, and a quality heating-and-cooling system. Read more


3. Give everyone a say.
It's an extreme example, but when Thomas Walter, CEO of Tasty Catering in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, encountered Jim Collins's Good to Great, he asked each of his employees to read it. Inc. editor-at-large Leigh Buchanan writes: "Tasty Catering formed two Good to Great councils, which make all strategic decisions for the company. Each council has eight charter members drawn from across the company—culinary workers, clerical staff, drivers. One council conducts business in English, the other in Spanish, which is the first language for about a third of the work force. At least one of the three owners—Walter and his two brothers—sits in with each group. The councils hold meetings a few days apart, and an outside translator produces copies of the combined minutes in both languages. Each month, two random employees are chosen to join the councils for the month." She quotes Anna Wollin, an account executive who joined one of the councils when they were formed, who says: "It puts us all on an even playing field. I had been with the company less than a year, and my opinion was as important as an owner's opinion." Read more. 


4. Consider openness.
It's not right for every team of workers, but the trend today is to support collaboration, in all its forms: mentoring, problem solving, routine communication and information sharing. Goodell writes: "To do so, create more open spaces in the office, from workspaces with low panels that make it easier to communicate to all-day cafés where employees not only eat, but also meet to work." It's also important to consider what happens when someone in a large open office environment needs to concentrate on a big project or lead a conference call. Open spaces only work when employees have access to areas where they can focus on a specific task. One solution is "hoteling," offices that can be reserved or used at will when needed. These offices can be small, but should be highly functional. They should be equipped with good lighting, phone systems and technology necessary to complete critical tasks. Read more.


5. Make the workplace a community.
In this year's Top Small Company Workplaces, Leigh Buchanan interviewed Bill Witherspoon about his open-book management and leadership style at Sky Factory. His employees not only love the clear and open communication structure, but also love helping each other. Witherspoon explains why: "I think of our factory as a community, and service is the core of community. There are two kinds of service. One is: I do this for you, and I expect a return. For example, I provide good customer service, and I expect loyalty. The other kind of service is selfless. I do something for you without thought of a return. I help you spontaneously and without thinking about it. That second kind of service is powerful. When someone has a moment of free time, how wonderful if she automatically thinks, Now, what can I do to help someone else? At the start of our Friday meetings, the leader for that week tells an appreciative story about someone at the company and presents the person with $25. Often, the story involves an unselfish, unsolicited offer of help." Read more.








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Juan Williams: Fox <b>News</b> Lets &#39;Black Guy With A Hispanic Name&#39; Host <b>...</b>

Juan Williams said Tuesday that he's still upset about his firing from NPR, and added that NPR does not understand the Fox News culture or audience. In an interview with Baltimore Sun columnist David Zurawik, Williams said he remains ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Secrets

Pssst. We've got something important to tell you about a new tool that can totally transform your business. In terms of upfront investment, there is no cost,

Shepard Smith Inks New Fox <b>News</b> Deal – Deadline.com

EXCLUSIVE: Fox News Channel's signature news anchor Shepard Smith has signed a new multi-year deal to continue as the channel's lead news anchor as well as anchor of FOX Report and Studio B. Smith's most recent pact with Fox News inked ...


bench craft company complaints bench craft company complaints

Juan Williams: Fox <b>News</b> Lets &#39;Black Guy With A Hispanic Name&#39; Host <b>...</b>

Juan Williams said Tuesday that he's still upset about his firing from NPR, and added that NPR does not understand the Fox News culture or audience. In an interview with Baltimore Sun columnist David Zurawik, Williams said he remains ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Secrets

Pssst. We've got something important to tell you about a new tool that can totally transform your business. In terms of upfront investment, there is no cost,

Shepard Smith Inks New Fox <b>News</b> Deal – Deadline.com

EXCLUSIVE: Fox News Channel's signature news anchor Shepard Smith has signed a new multi-year deal to continue as the channel's lead news anchor as well as anchor of FOX Report and Studio B. Smith's most recent pact with Fox News inked ...


bench craft company complaints bench craft company complaints

Juan Williams: Fox <b>News</b> Lets &#39;Black Guy With A Hispanic Name&#39; Host <b>...</b>

Juan Williams said Tuesday that he's still upset about his firing from NPR, and added that NPR does not understand the Fox News culture or audience. In an interview with Baltimore Sun columnist David Zurawik, Williams said he remains ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Secrets

Pssst. We've got something important to tell you about a new tool that can totally transform your business. In terms of upfront investment, there is no cost,

Shepard Smith Inks New Fox <b>News</b> Deal – Deadline.com

EXCLUSIVE: Fox News Channel's signature news anchor Shepard Smith has signed a new multi-year deal to continue as the channel's lead news anchor as well as anchor of FOX Report and Studio B. Smith's most recent pact with Fox News inked ...


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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Making Money Jobs




Russ Feingold has been in an inexplicably tough race with Ron Johnson for the Wisconsin junior Senate seat. But the more Ron Johnson opens his mouth, the clearer it is that Johnson's campaign is built on a single idea and it isn't benefiting most Wisconsin citizens.


Wisconsin residents are exceptionally lucky that the statewide unemployment rate is lower than the national average, so perhaps it wasn't as high a priority for Republican challenger Ron Johnson to form a coherent jobs plan. In this meeting with the editorial board of the Green Bay Press Gazette, Johnson was asked about his plan to bring more jobs to Wisconsin and he shifted to the standard talking points of cutting spending. When it was pointed out to him that he had yet to speak to jobs specifically, Johnson's response was to merely shrug it off, an ironic gesture from a man whose self-styled campaign was to insist as a successful business man, he knew how to create jobs.


As Steve Benen says, Johnson is extremely lucky he's being overshadowed by other extremist candidates. That's why his casual dismissal of his lack of jobs and his rather frightening plans for America don't get noticed.


In a typical year, Johnson's bizarre, misguided worldview would be a pretty major national story. The chattering class would marvel at questions like, "Would Wisconsin really elect a far-right radical to the U.S. Senate?" But this isn't a typical year, and unhinged candidates like Angle, Paul, O'Donnell, Miller, and Buck have garnered enough attention that Johnson can run in relative anonymity outside his home state.


This week, Politico's Jim VandeHei reported from Wisconsin on the significance of the Senate race pitting Johnson against Sen. Russ Feingold (D), and the GOP candidate reflected a bit on his future plans.



e watches his words, ignoring the fact that he's already making the trade-offs conventional politicians make to win office. It will be different once and if he wins, he promises. Then, his true feelings can take voice. [emphasis added]


Is that so. Vote for Johnson in November and then voters will get to see what he's all about. Call me old fashioned, but that sounds backwards.


Elsewhere in the Politico piece, VandeHei asked what kind of innovative ideas Johnson might pursue as a U.S. senator. Johnson skipped right past substantive issues, and committed himself to a "re-education of America."


Are you kidding me? Can you even imagine what the response would be if a liberal Democrat vowed to pursue a "re-education of America" if elected to the U.S. Senate?


After trailing the big money-backed Johnson for much of the race, Feingold has tied it up recently. Russ is too good a progressive candidate to lose to such an empty suit. You can still donate and help his campaign in these last two critical weeks and keep the momentum going.




We write on behalf of dedicated individuals who believe that a large number of America's most urgent problems can be solved by simply electing candidates on November 2 who have the guts to do one simple thing...



Commit to making America Energy Independent on clean, American energy by the end of this decade.



That's it.



A commitment to Clean Energy Independence will:



  1. Create millions of new jobs, almost overnight

  2. Create new industries and a new, vibrant economy where we actually make things again,

  3. Stop the funding of foreign terrorists, prevent the ability of one dictator or one country to unilaterally choke off our energy supply and vastly increase America's National Security and Sovereignty

  4. Create a sustainable planet for our children

  5. Allow us to keep trillions of dollars circulating within the U.S.

  6. Be a heroic investment in America and generate the largest return on any investment in the history of our country, ultimately supplying virtually free energy for the rest of our lives and our children's lives

  7. Allow America to successfully compete with China and remain the world's #1 economic power into the 21st Century.




It's time!



This is not a partisan issue. It is an American issue and one that is critical for our very survival as a nation. Republican presidents Nixon, Reagan, Bush and Bush as well as Democratic presidents Carter, Clinton and Obama have, for over 40 years, warned us about our addiction to foreign oil, our pandering to dangerous dictators and regimes, the economic insanity of sending a billion dollars per day out of the country! In fact, way back in 1973 Richard Nixon created "Project Independence" and set a national goal for The United States to develop "the potential to meet our own energy needs without depending on any foreign energy sources" by 1980. It is embarrassing that we haven't reached that goal today, 30 years later, shameful that we haven't really even tried and more important now than ever before.



But, crippled and drunken on special interest money like a pathetic beggar with a bottle of whiskey and a tin cup, our Congress has failed to stand up to Big Oil and their lobbyists and make any significant progress to bring Energy Independence to America.



Accordingly, there is really only one issue in this election ... GUTS.



Does America have the guts to really -- no kidding -- create new jobs by investing in and building new infrastructure that will allow us to get off of foreign oil and become Clean Energy Independent?



Do we have the guts to think like Dwight Eisenhower or JFK? Can we be visionaries who plan beyond this fiscal quarter and build the modern day equivalent of a national highway system or a bold new space program, and create an energy system that can power America, on American Energy, through the rest of The 21st Century?



Do the 472 candidates we will vote for on November 2 have the courage to be real leaders?



We have come together to ask America to think beyond the lobbyists, the millions of dollars of special interest attack ads, the political bickering and also beyond party or political philosophy. American sovereignty is not a political or a partisan issue. Being held hostage to the whims of oil dictators half way around the world should never be an option for a country as ours. Sending at least $360 Billion out of the country every year for something we could produce here with American jobs is a travesty and spending an additional $50 Billion every year to send our young men and women in the military to protect those countries and supply routes that provide our addiction to foreign oil adds to the insanity.



We are better than that. We are The United States of America.



And yet we are slowly becoming a 2nd or even a 3rd world country, as Arianna Huffington writes, as our infrastructure crumbles and China, (while boldly employing 6 million of her people in new, clean energy technology jobs), heads towards their complete economic domination of this country, and the world, for the rest of The 21st Century.



Yes We Can manufacture and install solar panels and solar mirrors on our homes and in our vast deserts across this great land.



Yes We Can manufacture and install even more windmills that capture the great winds that sweep through our plains.



Yes We Can build a permanent infrastructure that utilizes Geothermal energy for cooling and heating our homes, energy efficiency technologies that lower the need for heating and cooling, tidal energy that taps the great forces of the oceans that kiss our shores, even more efficient internal combustion and a seismic move to electric cars including the conversion of all Government vehicles, conversion to LEDs, biodiesel and algae farms that can produce the liquid fuels of the future, piezoelectricity and smart grids that efficiently distribute power when and where it is needed and other amazing, creative solutions.



The technology is here. Now. We can certainly have conversations about more oil drilling and nuclear energy but these are not clean, are not renewable, are many years away from making us energy independent and are not our future or the future of the 21st Century.



If everyone who wanted America to become clean energy independent by the end of this decade went to the polls on November 2 and voted for candidates that would make this happen, it would happen. That's the beauty of Democracy. We have the power. WE the people elect EVERY one of the 435 members of The House of Representatives and a determinative number of United States Senators on November 2.



We stand together for this vision and, in collaboration with three great clean energy pioneers - The League of Conservation Voters, The Sierra Club and The National Wildlife Foundation Action Fund -- have compiled a bipartisan list of those candidates who these organizations believe have the guts to do what is necessary for a 21st Century America.



It's up to you. The media will hardly talk about this issue, but we must because we can become Energy Independent on clean, American energy by the end of this decade. Join us and Maroon 5, Jason Mraz, Rosario Dawson, Jason Alexander, Michelle Rodriguez, Peter Coyote, James Cromwell, Noah Wyle, Ed Begley, Valerie Harper, Brenda Strong, Rosanna Arquette, Felicity Huffman, Richard Belzer, Tate Donovan, Richard Schiff, Melissa Fitzgerald, Deidre Hall and foreign friends of the campaign, Sting, Trudie Styler and Graham Nash, in supporting the bipartisan clean energy candidates listed at www.EnergyIndependentCongress.US so we can, in THIS election, get off of foreign oil, put our people back to work and finally solve some of the deepest, most profound problems facing this great country!



Richard Greene is an attorney, political and communication strategist, author of the Prentice Hall coffee table book, "Words That Shook The World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events"



Marshall Herskovitz has helped shaped American culture with his Emmy Award winning television series, "30 Something" and many movies including "The Last Samurai" and "Dangerous Beauty". He is immediate past President of The Producer's Guild.



Paul Haggis is an Academy Award winning writer and director ("Crash", "Million Dollar Baby") and co-founder of Artists for Peace and Justice. Richard Greene is author of "Words That Shook The World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events" and ran for Congress on the Green Party, on this very issue, back in 1992. Richard@WordsThatShookTheWorld.com







Nevada Voters Complain Of Problems At Polls - Las Vegas <b>News</b> Story <b>...</b>

LAS VEGAS -- Some voters in Boulder City complained on Monday that their ballot had been cast before they went to the polls, raising questions about Clark County's electronic voting machines. Tuesday, October 26, 2010.

Fox <b>News</b> Crew Gets Scolded At Democratic Meeting (VIDEO)

A Fox News camera crew showed up unannounced at a Democratic meeting in Wisconsin Monday, prompting a confrontation that eventually forced the show's producer into a rather startling admission: he understands why Democrats are wary of ...

Breathe Better With Bitter - Science <b>News</b>

Science News. Vol. 175, March 28, 2009, p. 11. [Go to]. Citations & References : seperator. D. A. Deshpande et al. Bitter taste receptors on airway smooth muscle bronchodilate by localized calcium signaling and reverse obstruction. ...


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Nevada Voters Complain Of Problems At Polls - Las Vegas <b>News</b> Story <b>...</b>

LAS VEGAS -- Some voters in Boulder City complained on Monday that their ballot had been cast before they went to the polls, raising questions about Clark County's electronic voting machines. Tuesday, October 26, 2010.

Fox <b>News</b> Crew Gets Scolded At Democratic Meeting (VIDEO)

A Fox News camera crew showed up unannounced at a Democratic meeting in Wisconsin Monday, prompting a confrontation that eventually forced the show's producer into a rather startling admission: he understands why Democrats are wary of ...

Breathe Better With Bitter - Science <b>News</b>

Science News. Vol. 175, March 28, 2009, p. 11. [Go to]. Citations & References : seperator. D. A. Deshpande et al. Bitter taste receptors on airway smooth muscle bronchodilate by localized calcium signaling and reverse obstruction. ...


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Russ Feingold has been in an inexplicably tough race with Ron Johnson for the Wisconsin junior Senate seat. But the more Ron Johnson opens his mouth, the clearer it is that Johnson's campaign is built on a single idea and it isn't benefiting most Wisconsin citizens.


Wisconsin residents are exceptionally lucky that the statewide unemployment rate is lower than the national average, so perhaps it wasn't as high a priority for Republican challenger Ron Johnson to form a coherent jobs plan. In this meeting with the editorial board of the Green Bay Press Gazette, Johnson was asked about his plan to bring more jobs to Wisconsin and he shifted to the standard talking points of cutting spending. When it was pointed out to him that he had yet to speak to jobs specifically, Johnson's response was to merely shrug it off, an ironic gesture from a man whose self-styled campaign was to insist as a successful business man, he knew how to create jobs.


As Steve Benen says, Johnson is extremely lucky he's being overshadowed by other extremist candidates. That's why his casual dismissal of his lack of jobs and his rather frightening plans for America don't get noticed.


In a typical year, Johnson's bizarre, misguided worldview would be a pretty major national story. The chattering class would marvel at questions like, "Would Wisconsin really elect a far-right radical to the U.S. Senate?" But this isn't a typical year, and unhinged candidates like Angle, Paul, O'Donnell, Miller, and Buck have garnered enough attention that Johnson can run in relative anonymity outside his home state.


This week, Politico's Jim VandeHei reported from Wisconsin on the significance of the Senate race pitting Johnson against Sen. Russ Feingold (D), and the GOP candidate reflected a bit on his future plans.



e watches his words, ignoring the fact that he's already making the trade-offs conventional politicians make to win office. It will be different once and if he wins, he promises. Then, his true feelings can take voice. [emphasis added]


Is that so. Vote for Johnson in November and then voters will get to see what he's all about. Call me old fashioned, but that sounds backwards.


Elsewhere in the Politico piece, VandeHei asked what kind of innovative ideas Johnson might pursue as a U.S. senator. Johnson skipped right past substantive issues, and committed himself to a "re-education of America."


Are you kidding me? Can you even imagine what the response would be if a liberal Democrat vowed to pursue a "re-education of America" if elected to the U.S. Senate?


After trailing the big money-backed Johnson for much of the race, Feingold has tied it up recently. Russ is too good a progressive candidate to lose to such an empty suit. You can still donate and help his campaign in these last two critical weeks and keep the momentum going.




We write on behalf of dedicated individuals who believe that a large number of America's most urgent problems can be solved by simply electing candidates on November 2 who have the guts to do one simple thing...



Commit to making America Energy Independent on clean, American energy by the end of this decade.



That's it.



A commitment to Clean Energy Independence will:



  1. Create millions of new jobs, almost overnight

  2. Create new industries and a new, vibrant economy where we actually make things again,

  3. Stop the funding of foreign terrorists, prevent the ability of one dictator or one country to unilaterally choke off our energy supply and vastly increase America's National Security and Sovereignty

  4. Create a sustainable planet for our children

  5. Allow us to keep trillions of dollars circulating within the U.S.

  6. Be a heroic investment in America and generate the largest return on any investment in the history of our country, ultimately supplying virtually free energy for the rest of our lives and our children's lives

  7. Allow America to successfully compete with China and remain the world's #1 economic power into the 21st Century.




It's time!



This is not a partisan issue. It is an American issue and one that is critical for our very survival as a nation. Republican presidents Nixon, Reagan, Bush and Bush as well as Democratic presidents Carter, Clinton and Obama have, for over 40 years, warned us about our addiction to foreign oil, our pandering to dangerous dictators and regimes, the economic insanity of sending a billion dollars per day out of the country! In fact, way back in 1973 Richard Nixon created "Project Independence" and set a national goal for The United States to develop "the potential to meet our own energy needs without depending on any foreign energy sources" by 1980. It is embarrassing that we haven't reached that goal today, 30 years later, shameful that we haven't really even tried and more important now than ever before.



But, crippled and drunken on special interest money like a pathetic beggar with a bottle of whiskey and a tin cup, our Congress has failed to stand up to Big Oil and their lobbyists and make any significant progress to bring Energy Independence to America.



Accordingly, there is really only one issue in this election ... GUTS.



Does America have the guts to really -- no kidding -- create new jobs by investing in and building new infrastructure that will allow us to get off of foreign oil and become Clean Energy Independent?



Do we have the guts to think like Dwight Eisenhower or JFK? Can we be visionaries who plan beyond this fiscal quarter and build the modern day equivalent of a national highway system or a bold new space program, and create an energy system that can power America, on American Energy, through the rest of The 21st Century?



Do the 472 candidates we will vote for on November 2 have the courage to be real leaders?



We have come together to ask America to think beyond the lobbyists, the millions of dollars of special interest attack ads, the political bickering and also beyond party or political philosophy. American sovereignty is not a political or a partisan issue. Being held hostage to the whims of oil dictators half way around the world should never be an option for a country as ours. Sending at least $360 Billion out of the country every year for something we could produce here with American jobs is a travesty and spending an additional $50 Billion every year to send our young men and women in the military to protect those countries and supply routes that provide our addiction to foreign oil adds to the insanity.



We are better than that. We are The United States of America.



And yet we are slowly becoming a 2nd or even a 3rd world country, as Arianna Huffington writes, as our infrastructure crumbles and China, (while boldly employing 6 million of her people in new, clean energy technology jobs), heads towards their complete economic domination of this country, and the world, for the rest of The 21st Century.



Yes We Can manufacture and install solar panels and solar mirrors on our homes and in our vast deserts across this great land.



Yes We Can manufacture and install even more windmills that capture the great winds that sweep through our plains.



Yes We Can build a permanent infrastructure that utilizes Geothermal energy for cooling and heating our homes, energy efficiency technologies that lower the need for heating and cooling, tidal energy that taps the great forces of the oceans that kiss our shores, even more efficient internal combustion and a seismic move to electric cars including the conversion of all Government vehicles, conversion to LEDs, biodiesel and algae farms that can produce the liquid fuels of the future, piezoelectricity and smart grids that efficiently distribute power when and where it is needed and other amazing, creative solutions.



The technology is here. Now. We can certainly have conversations about more oil drilling and nuclear energy but these are not clean, are not renewable, are many years away from making us energy independent and are not our future or the future of the 21st Century.



If everyone who wanted America to become clean energy independent by the end of this decade went to the polls on November 2 and voted for candidates that would make this happen, it would happen. That's the beauty of Democracy. We have the power. WE the people elect EVERY one of the 435 members of The House of Representatives and a determinative number of United States Senators on November 2.



We stand together for this vision and, in collaboration with three great clean energy pioneers - The League of Conservation Voters, The Sierra Club and The National Wildlife Foundation Action Fund -- have compiled a bipartisan list of those candidates who these organizations believe have the guts to do what is necessary for a 21st Century America.



It's up to you. The media will hardly talk about this issue, but we must because we can become Energy Independent on clean, American energy by the end of this decade. Join us and Maroon 5, Jason Mraz, Rosario Dawson, Jason Alexander, Michelle Rodriguez, Peter Coyote, James Cromwell, Noah Wyle, Ed Begley, Valerie Harper, Brenda Strong, Rosanna Arquette, Felicity Huffman, Richard Belzer, Tate Donovan, Richard Schiff, Melissa Fitzgerald, Deidre Hall and foreign friends of the campaign, Sting, Trudie Styler and Graham Nash, in supporting the bipartisan clean energy candidates listed at www.EnergyIndependentCongress.US so we can, in THIS election, get off of foreign oil, put our people back to work and finally solve some of the deepest, most profound problems facing this great country!



Richard Greene is an attorney, political and communication strategist, author of the Prentice Hall coffee table book, "Words That Shook The World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events"



Marshall Herskovitz has helped shaped American culture with his Emmy Award winning television series, "30 Something" and many movies including "The Last Samurai" and "Dangerous Beauty". He is immediate past President of The Producer's Guild.



Paul Haggis is an Academy Award winning writer and director ("Crash", "Million Dollar Baby") and co-founder of Artists for Peace and Justice. Richard Greene is author of "Words That Shook The World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events" and ran for Congress on the Green Party, on this very issue, back in 1992. Richard@WordsThatShookTheWorld.com







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Nevada Voters Complain Of Problems At Polls - Las Vegas <b>News</b> Story <b>...</b>

LAS VEGAS -- Some voters in Boulder City complained on Monday that their ballot had been cast before they went to the polls, raising questions about Clark County's electronic voting machines. Tuesday, October 26, 2010.

Fox <b>News</b> Crew Gets Scolded At Democratic Meeting (VIDEO)

A Fox News camera crew showed up unannounced at a Democratic meeting in Wisconsin Monday, prompting a confrontation that eventually forced the show's producer into a rather startling admission: he understands why Democrats are wary of ...

Breathe Better With Bitter - Science <b>News</b>

Science News. Vol. 175, March 28, 2009, p. 11. [Go to]. Citations & References : seperator. D. A. Deshpande et al. Bitter taste receptors on airway smooth muscle bronchodilate by localized calcium signaling and reverse obstruction. ...


bench craft company complaints bench craft company complaints

Nevada Voters Complain Of Problems At Polls - Las Vegas <b>News</b> Story <b>...</b>

LAS VEGAS -- Some voters in Boulder City complained on Monday that their ballot had been cast before they went to the polls, raising questions about Clark County's electronic voting machines. Tuesday, October 26, 2010.

Fox <b>News</b> Crew Gets Scolded At Democratic Meeting (VIDEO)

A Fox News camera crew showed up unannounced at a Democratic meeting in Wisconsin Monday, prompting a confrontation that eventually forced the show's producer into a rather startling admission: he understands why Democrats are wary of ...

Breathe Better With Bitter - Science <b>News</b>

Science News. Vol. 175, March 28, 2009, p. 11. [Go to]. Citations & References : seperator. D. A. Deshpande et al. Bitter taste receptors on airway smooth muscle bronchodilate by localized calcium signaling and reverse obstruction. ...


bench craft company complaints bench craft company complaints

Nevada Voters Complain Of Problems At Polls - Las Vegas <b>News</b> Story <b>...</b>

LAS VEGAS -- Some voters in Boulder City complained on Monday that their ballot had been cast before they went to the polls, raising questions about Clark County's electronic voting machines. Tuesday, October 26, 2010.

Fox <b>News</b> Crew Gets Scolded At Democratic Meeting (VIDEO)

A Fox News camera crew showed up unannounced at a Democratic meeting in Wisconsin Monday, prompting a confrontation that eventually forced the show's producer into a rather startling admission: he understands why Democrats are wary of ...

Breathe Better With Bitter - Science <b>News</b>

Science News. Vol. 175, March 28, 2009, p. 11. [Go to]. Citations & References : seperator. D. A. Deshpande et al. Bitter taste receptors on airway smooth muscle bronchodilate by localized calcium signaling and reverse obstruction. ...


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Friday, October 22, 2010

Help Making Money


If you're having a problem with a business, Consumer Ally can help. Write us at HelpMe@WalletPop.com.



Q. Last year, I found out someone "hot carded" my debit card and racked up $7,600 in charges. I filed a Regulation E claim on that day, and a police report. Ever since then I've been going back and forth with TD Bank trying to get my money back. They denied me two times, and now the detective from the police department won't even call me back.



There were multiple purchases ranging from $20 to $1,200. I never once received a phone call inquiring about these purchases from the bank. The majority of them occurred in the Bronx, N.Y., including purchases at Target, AutoZone, Sleepy's and McDonald's. I'm 24-years-old and it took me a very long time to save that money. I've been living check-to-check making ends meet since then. I take my credit score very seriously, and this has started to affect it adversely. How do I go against a bank?

Deniz Sica

A.
Deniz, I know at this point you've been back and forth with the bank several times, but I reached out to them as well. Unfortunately, I didn't make much progress – they were unwilling to discuss your account with me for privacy reasons. But when I asked why a claim might be denied, Rebecca Acevedo, a company spokesperson, had this to say:



"Claims would be denied if after a thorough investigation there wasn't sufficient evidence to prove there was any type of fraud on an account. TD Bank has robust fraud detection procedures in place, and we take the matter very seriously. We continue to advise customers to protect their PIN numbers, read their statements and check their transactions regularly, and, if they do see something suspicious, contact us immediately. If customers are not satisfied with the results of a claim, they can take the appropriate outside actions they feel are appropriate."



My suggestion is to absolutely take those "outside actions," particularly because this is a hefty sum of money. I spoke to Yvonne Rosmarin, a consumer lawyer in Massachusetts. Without knowing the specifics, she could only speak generally, but she told me that if you reported this fraud within two business days of learning about it, your liability should be limited to the lesser of $50 or the total amount of the charges.



So here's what you should do: First, find a good lawyer, because on your own you've hit a wall and you're not going to get anything out of the bank without legal representation. You can find a lawyer who specializes in these kinds of issues through the search feature of the National Association of Consumer Advocates. Let that person know the dates involved in your case, because Rosmarin says there is generally a one-year statute of limitations on this, and yours is very close to running out.



Then, write the bank and ask for all of the documentation they used to deny your claim. Legally, you have a right under the Electronic Funds Transfer Act and Regulation E to request documentation that shows the fraud transactions, including electronic terminal receipts, terminal locations, the identification code used and the types of transactions. Rosmarin says to make the request by a letter sent by certified mail with a return receipt. Keep careful documentation, including a photocopy of that letter with both the mailing and return receipts from the post office and a log of who you've spoken to at the bank and police station, with names, dates and content of the conversations.



Finally, think back to the days and times those fraudulent charges were made, and see if you have some sort of reason why you couldn't possibly have made them – an alibi of sorts. Maybe you were at work, and human resources can confirm that. Maybe you had a doctor's appointment, or you were in class at school, or you were even shopping elsewhere at the time and can show your receipt. All of these things will work in your favor when it comes time to bring your case.



Consumer Ally problem solver Jean Chatzky is the "Today Show" financial adviser, a longtime financial journalist and best-selling author.

GOP candidates are making a point of running against "bailouts" this year. Yet even as they rail about rescuing big banks, they're working on a plan that would slip those same banks an estimated $90 billion in taxpayer money...and that's just in the first ten years.



"Fiscal conservatism," anyone?



It was always hypocritical to slam a bailout that they and their party initiated. But it turns out they were just warming up. Now they're trying to pull a fast one on the American public, tapping Tea Party rage about big government spending even as they prepare to slip the big bankers some big bucks. They're planning to siphon off $90 billion meant for America's college students and their families and give it to Wall Street.



Any Tea Partier who votes for these guys is being played for a sucker.



The Republican repeal plan wouldn't just put tens of billions of public dollars in bank coffers. It would also raise the maximum amount a graduate is forced to pay each year from 10 percent to 15 percent of income. And it would extend the length of time before their debt is forgiven from 20 to 25 years.



Your GOP: Sending billions in taxpayer money to rich bankers, and squeezing young people starting out in life. Call it the New Populism.



Small government? Less spending? The Republican Party's backdoor bailout of wealthy bankers is bigger than the auto-industry bailout. It's bigger than the home-loan program. It's bigger than the lending program for small businesses. And unlike those programs, it serves no social purpose at all:







This week, two Republican senatorial candidates were the latest to push this secret subsidy for Wall Street. Washington's Dino Rossi and Mark Kirk in Illinois were obviously working from the same playbook, since they made almost identical points while declaring their opposition to this year's student-loan reform. "You know, part of the takeover of government has been part of the student loans," said Rossi. "I don't think that we should adopt legislation that the Congress has moved forward to have a complete government takeover of all student loans," said Kirk.



Kirk and Rossi are talking about this year's student-loan reform. That program eliminated a cushy deal that gave private banks a percentage of government-loan funds for "administering" loans (they weren't actually lending the money). They performed their administrative duties both inefficiently and unethically. What's more, the banks took a portion of their vig and spent it on lobbyists in order to keep the pot sweetened for themselves. It didn't work -- but if the GOP has its way, it'll work next year.



You're not seeing a "populist" uprising on the right. You're seeing lobbyist and billionaire money at work, channeling genuine frustration and anger into an electoral plan designed to help bankers get even richer.



The "government takeover" argument is ridiculous, of course. In this case they're talking about a government takeover... of government. This is the public's money, and it's intended to be lent to students and their families so that the dream of an ever-more-expensive college education is available to more families. Taxpayers support this program so much that neither Kirk nor Rossi could afford to criticize it. But not too many of those taxpayers would support taking billions of their dollars and funneling it to Wall Street, as the GOP would do.



The "complete government takeover" statements are also absolutely false, since private students loans are still available. (See Pat Garafolo's excellent pieces on Rossi and Kirk for more detail.)



When private bankers managed the student-loan process, it was filled with rampant corruption that included kickbacks to school administrators. Millions of dollars meant for students were also stuffed in the pockets of lobbyists and politicians. (Details here.) And as for that "privatization" mantra we keep hearing from the GOP, consider this: The government created and funded Sallie Mae to help students get these government loans, and then privatized it. The result was a taxpayer-created and financed company that bought itself three private jets, paid bloated executive salaries, and threw government money at Washington pols (including a quarter of a million dollars for George W. Bush's inauguration).



(We've got more information on the loan program, and a rundown on the "private" Sallie Mae Corporation that includes a photo of one of those jets and their ID numbers.)



Because of our current hard times -- hard times brought about by the very same bankers who would get billions under the GOP plan -- our student-loan program is even more important than ever. Unemployment and underemployment for college graduates is soaring. The average college graduate's debt in 2009 was $24,000, up six percent from the year before, and that's before the full impact of the economic downturn. Diverting billions in federal student loan money to Wall Street under these circumstances is nothing short of obscene.



But the GOP has made it clear that they're in the bankers' back pockets. Sen. John Cornyn, head of the Republican Senate campaign committee, indicated they would immediately move to repeal the financial-reform bill if they gained power. That would give their banker friends free reign to exploit consumers and take even greater risks with the economy. This $90 billion giveaway of government money -- our money -- is just part of a larger pattern.



While neither Kirk nor Rossi were originally Tea Party candidates, they've both made their peace with the movement. Unnamed "Tea Party activists" from the State of Washington issued a letter of support for Rossi, while the formerly centrist Mark Kirk has flip-flopped on multiple issues in the last few months in order to pass Tea Party muster. Both candidates are part of a larger GOP plan to use anti-spending, anti-bank rhetoric in order to spend billions on subsidizing banks.



Billions for bankers, benefit cuts for students. A "privatization" scheme that lets a few people get rich off government programs, promoted in the name of "less spending" and "less taxes." That's the system that these Republicans want to bring back and even expand. They want to use student loan money as a piggy bank for rich piggies, tapping taxpayer dollars to to enrich their pals.



So my question for the Tea Party rank and file is this: Are you going to let the big banks and their politician cronies play you like this? Are you going to be a sucker? They've got $90 billion that says you will.



______________



About the table: The Department of Education Arne Duncan estimates the bank subsidy was costing approximately $9 billion per year, including the interest banks were able to collect . Given the rapid and ongoing increases in college tuitions, it's not unreasonable to think that the total amount could be wind up being much more than either figure. I used the data compiled by the New York Times for the other figures. In every case, I used the highest possible figures for the final cost of each program, to make my estimates as conservative as possible. (I stayed away from TARP, even though we're told it's making a profit, because the total cost is still unknown.)



The result was clear: This GOP's planned Wall Street giveaway was the biggest and costliest of all the programs listed.



Richard (RJ) Eskow, a consultant and writer (and former insurance/finance executive), is a Senior Fellow with the Campaign for America's Future. This post was produced as part of the Curbing Wall Street project. Richard also blogs at A Night Light.



He can be reached at "rjeskow@ourfuture.org."



Website: Eskow and Associates











BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: No Jail For Lindsay Lohan - Judge Orders Her To <b>...</b>

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid16157557001/bctid645210306001 Lindsay Lohan caught a major break on Friday when Judge Elden Fox chose not to send her to jail and ordered her to stay in rehab at the Betty Ford Center.

Surprise: Fox <b>News</b> signs Juan Williams to new $2 million deal <b>...</b>

Fox News Chief Executive Roger Ailes handed Williams a new three-year contract Thursday morning, in a deal that amounts to nearly $2 million, a considerable bump up from his previous salary, the Tribune Washington Bureau has learned. ...

George Soros Buys a Scalp | Right Wing <b>News</b>

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


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If you're having a problem with a business, Consumer Ally can help. Write us at HelpMe@WalletPop.com.



Q. Last year, I found out someone "hot carded" my debit card and racked up $7,600 in charges. I filed a Regulation E claim on that day, and a police report. Ever since then I've been going back and forth with TD Bank trying to get my money back. They denied me two times, and now the detective from the police department won't even call me back.



There were multiple purchases ranging from $20 to $1,200. I never once received a phone call inquiring about these purchases from the bank. The majority of them occurred in the Bronx, N.Y., including purchases at Target, AutoZone, Sleepy's and McDonald's. I'm 24-years-old and it took me a very long time to save that money. I've been living check-to-check making ends meet since then. I take my credit score very seriously, and this has started to affect it adversely. How do I go against a bank?

Deniz Sica

A.
Deniz, I know at this point you've been back and forth with the bank several times, but I reached out to them as well. Unfortunately, I didn't make much progress – they were unwilling to discuss your account with me for privacy reasons. But when I asked why a claim might be denied, Rebecca Acevedo, a company spokesperson, had this to say:



"Claims would be denied if after a thorough investigation there wasn't sufficient evidence to prove there was any type of fraud on an account. TD Bank has robust fraud detection procedures in place, and we take the matter very seriously. We continue to advise customers to protect their PIN numbers, read their statements and check their transactions regularly, and, if they do see something suspicious, contact us immediately. If customers are not satisfied with the results of a claim, they can take the appropriate outside actions they feel are appropriate."



My suggestion is to absolutely take those "outside actions," particularly because this is a hefty sum of money. I spoke to Yvonne Rosmarin, a consumer lawyer in Massachusetts. Without knowing the specifics, she could only speak generally, but she told me that if you reported this fraud within two business days of learning about it, your liability should be limited to the lesser of $50 or the total amount of the charges.



So here's what you should do: First, find a good lawyer, because on your own you've hit a wall and you're not going to get anything out of the bank without legal representation. You can find a lawyer who specializes in these kinds of issues through the search feature of the National Association of Consumer Advocates. Let that person know the dates involved in your case, because Rosmarin says there is generally a one-year statute of limitations on this, and yours is very close to running out.



Then, write the bank and ask for all of the documentation they used to deny your claim. Legally, you have a right under the Electronic Funds Transfer Act and Regulation E to request documentation that shows the fraud transactions, including electronic terminal receipts, terminal locations, the identification code used and the types of transactions. Rosmarin says to make the request by a letter sent by certified mail with a return receipt. Keep careful documentation, including a photocopy of that letter with both the mailing and return receipts from the post office and a log of who you've spoken to at the bank and police station, with names, dates and content of the conversations.



Finally, think back to the days and times those fraudulent charges were made, and see if you have some sort of reason why you couldn't possibly have made them – an alibi of sorts. Maybe you were at work, and human resources can confirm that. Maybe you had a doctor's appointment, or you were in class at school, or you were even shopping elsewhere at the time and can show your receipt. All of these things will work in your favor when it comes time to bring your case.



Consumer Ally problem solver Jean Chatzky is the "Today Show" financial adviser, a longtime financial journalist and best-selling author.

GOP candidates are making a point of running against "bailouts" this year. Yet even as they rail about rescuing big banks, they're working on a plan that would slip those same banks an estimated $90 billion in taxpayer money...and that's just in the first ten years.



"Fiscal conservatism," anyone?



It was always hypocritical to slam a bailout that they and their party initiated. But it turns out they were just warming up. Now they're trying to pull a fast one on the American public, tapping Tea Party rage about big government spending even as they prepare to slip the big bankers some big bucks. They're planning to siphon off $90 billion meant for America's college students and their families and give it to Wall Street.



Any Tea Partier who votes for these guys is being played for a sucker.



The Republican repeal plan wouldn't just put tens of billions of public dollars in bank coffers. It would also raise the maximum amount a graduate is forced to pay each year from 10 percent to 15 percent of income. And it would extend the length of time before their debt is forgiven from 20 to 25 years.



Your GOP: Sending billions in taxpayer money to rich bankers, and squeezing young people starting out in life. Call it the New Populism.



Small government? Less spending? The Republican Party's backdoor bailout of wealthy bankers is bigger than the auto-industry bailout. It's bigger than the home-loan program. It's bigger than the lending program for small businesses. And unlike those programs, it serves no social purpose at all:







This week, two Republican senatorial candidates were the latest to push this secret subsidy for Wall Street. Washington's Dino Rossi and Mark Kirk in Illinois were obviously working from the same playbook, since they made almost identical points while declaring their opposition to this year's student-loan reform. "You know, part of the takeover of government has been part of the student loans," said Rossi. "I don't think that we should adopt legislation that the Congress has moved forward to have a complete government takeover of all student loans," said Kirk.



Kirk and Rossi are talking about this year's student-loan reform. That program eliminated a cushy deal that gave private banks a percentage of government-loan funds for "administering" loans (they weren't actually lending the money). They performed their administrative duties both inefficiently and unethically. What's more, the banks took a portion of their vig and spent it on lobbyists in order to keep the pot sweetened for themselves. It didn't work -- but if the GOP has its way, it'll work next year.



You're not seeing a "populist" uprising on the right. You're seeing lobbyist and billionaire money at work, channeling genuine frustration and anger into an electoral plan designed to help bankers get even richer.



The "government takeover" argument is ridiculous, of course. In this case they're talking about a government takeover... of government. This is the public's money, and it's intended to be lent to students and their families so that the dream of an ever-more-expensive college education is available to more families. Taxpayers support this program so much that neither Kirk nor Rossi could afford to criticize it. But not too many of those taxpayers would support taking billions of their dollars and funneling it to Wall Street, as the GOP would do.



The "complete government takeover" statements are also absolutely false, since private students loans are still available. (See Pat Garafolo's excellent pieces on Rossi and Kirk for more detail.)



When private bankers managed the student-loan process, it was filled with rampant corruption that included kickbacks to school administrators. Millions of dollars meant for students were also stuffed in the pockets of lobbyists and politicians. (Details here.) And as for that "privatization" mantra we keep hearing from the GOP, consider this: The government created and funded Sallie Mae to help students get these government loans, and then privatized it. The result was a taxpayer-created and financed company that bought itself three private jets, paid bloated executive salaries, and threw government money at Washington pols (including a quarter of a million dollars for George W. Bush's inauguration).



(We've got more information on the loan program, and a rundown on the "private" Sallie Mae Corporation that includes a photo of one of those jets and their ID numbers.)



Because of our current hard times -- hard times brought about by the very same bankers who would get billions under the GOP plan -- our student-loan program is even more important than ever. Unemployment and underemployment for college graduates is soaring. The average college graduate's debt in 2009 was $24,000, up six percent from the year before, and that's before the full impact of the economic downturn. Diverting billions in federal student loan money to Wall Street under these circumstances is nothing short of obscene.



But the GOP has made it clear that they're in the bankers' back pockets. Sen. John Cornyn, head of the Republican Senate campaign committee, indicated they would immediately move to repeal the financial-reform bill if they gained power. That would give their banker friends free reign to exploit consumers and take even greater risks with the economy. This $90 billion giveaway of government money -- our money -- is just part of a larger pattern.



While neither Kirk nor Rossi were originally Tea Party candidates, they've both made their peace with the movement. Unnamed "Tea Party activists" from the State of Washington issued a letter of support for Rossi, while the formerly centrist Mark Kirk has flip-flopped on multiple issues in the last few months in order to pass Tea Party muster. Both candidates are part of a larger GOP plan to use anti-spending, anti-bank rhetoric in order to spend billions on subsidizing banks.



Billions for bankers, benefit cuts for students. A "privatization" scheme that lets a few people get rich off government programs, promoted in the name of "less spending" and "less taxes." That's the system that these Republicans want to bring back and even expand. They want to use student loan money as a piggy bank for rich piggies, tapping taxpayer dollars to to enrich their pals.



So my question for the Tea Party rank and file is this: Are you going to let the big banks and their politician cronies play you like this? Are you going to be a sucker? They've got $90 billion that says you will.



______________



About the table: The Department of Education Arne Duncan estimates the bank subsidy was costing approximately $9 billion per year, including the interest banks were able to collect . Given the rapid and ongoing increases in college tuitions, it's not unreasonable to think that the total amount could be wind up being much more than either figure. I used the data compiled by the New York Times for the other figures. In every case, I used the highest possible figures for the final cost of each program, to make my estimates as conservative as possible. (I stayed away from TARP, even though we're told it's making a profit, because the total cost is still unknown.)



The result was clear: This GOP's planned Wall Street giveaway was the biggest and costliest of all the programs listed.



Richard (RJ) Eskow, a consultant and writer (and former insurance/finance executive), is a Senior Fellow with the Campaign for America's Future. This post was produced as part of the Curbing Wall Street project. Richard also blogs at A Night Light.



He can be reached at "rjeskow@ourfuture.org."



Website: Eskow and Associates











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This boy is taking a break from scavenging in the trash dump to help make money for his family. Look how dirty and NO SHOES. NO SHOES!!! by SloaneBerrent