Tuesday, January 25, 2011

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Monday, January 24, 2011

Making Money on the Internet


You're probably reading this on junk. And I'm not talking about newsprint - industry woes aside, that's high-quality stuff. But if you're on a computer or an iPad, and you're not plugged into an Internet jack in the wall? Junk, then.



But it's not your MacBook or your tablet that's so crummy. It's the spectrum it's using.



Spectrum, in the words of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, is the economy's "invisible infrastructure." It's the interstate system for information that travels wirelessly. It's how you get radio in your car, service on your cellphone and satellite to your television. It's also how you get WiFi.



But not all spectrum is created equal. "Beachfront spectrum" is like a well-paved road. Lots of information can travel long distances on it without losing much data. But not all spectrum is so valuable.



In 1985, there was a slice of spectrum that was too crummy for anyone to want. It was so weak that the radiation that microwaves emit could mess with it. So the government released it to the public. As long as whatever you were doing didn't interfere with what anyone else was doing, you could build on that spectrum. That's how we got garage-door openers and cordless phones. Because the information didn't have to travel far, the junk spectrum was good enough. Later on, that same section of junk spectrum became the home for WiFi - a crucial, multibillion-dollar industry. A platform for massive technological innovation. A huge increase in quality of life.



There's a lesson in that: Spectrum is really, really important. And not always in ways that we can predict in advance. Making sure that spectrum is used well is no less important than making sure our highways are used well: If the Beltway were reserved for horses, Washington would not be a very good place to do business.



But our spectrum is not being used well. It's the classic innovator's quandary: We made good decisions many years ago, but those good decisions created powerful incumbents, and in order to make good decisions now, we must somehow unseat the incumbents.

Today, much of the best spectrum is allocated to broadcast television. Decades ago, when 90 percent of Americans received their programming this way, that made sense. Today, when fewer than 10 percent of Americans do, it doesn't.



Meanwhile, mobile broadband is quite clearly the platform of the future - or at least the near future. But we don't have nearly enough spectrum allocated for its use. Unless that changes, the technology will be unable to progress, as more advanced uses will require more bandwidth, or it will have to be rationed, perhaps through extremely high prices that make sure most people can't use it.



The FCC could just yank the spectrum from the channels and hand it to the mobile industry. But it won't. It fears lawsuits and angry calls from lawmakers. And temperamentally, Genachowski himself is a consensus-builder rather than a steamroller.



Instead, the hope is that current owners of spectrum will give it up voluntarily. In exchange, they'd get big sacks of money. If a slice of spectrum is worth billions of dollars to Verizon but only a couple of million to a few aging TV stations - TV stations that have other ways to reach most of those customers - then there should be enough money in this transaction to leave everyone happy.



At least, that's some people's hope. Some advocates want that spectrum - or at least a substantial portion of it - left unlicensed. Rather than using telecom corporations such as Verizon to buy off the current owners of the spectrum, they'd like to see the federal government take some of that spectrum back and preserve it as a public resource for the sort of innovation we can't yet imagine and that the big corporations aren't likely to pioneer - the same as happened with WiFi. But as of yet, that's not the FCC's vision for this. Officials are more worried about the mobile broadband market. They argue (accurately) that they've already made more beachfront spectrum available for unlicensed uses. And although they don't say this clearly, auctioning spectrum to large corporations gives them the money to pay off the current owners. But even so, they can't do that.



"Imagine someone was given property on Fifth Avenue 50 years ago, but they don't use it and can't sell it," says Tim Wu, a law professor at Harvard and author of "The Master Switch." That's the situation that's arisen in the spectrum universe. It's not legal for the FCC to run auctions and hand over some of the proceeds to the old owners. That means the people sitting on the spectrum have little incentive to give it up. For that to change, the FCC needs Congress to pass a law empowering it to compensate current holders of spectrum with proceeds from the sale.



One way - the slightly demagogic way - to underscore the urgency here is to invoke China: Do you think it's letting its information infrastructure stagnate because it's a bureaucratic hassle to get the permits shifted? I rather doubt it.



Of course, we don't want the Chinese system. Democracy is worth some red tape. But if we're going to keep a good political system from becoming an economic handicap, there are going to be a lot of decisions like this one that need to be made. Decisions where we know what we need to do to move the economy forward, but where it's easier to do nothing because there are powerful interests attached to old habits. The problem with having a really good 20th century, as America did, is that you've built up a lot of infrastructure and made a lot of decisions that benefit the industries and innovators of the 20th century. But now we're in the 21st century, and junk won't cut it anymore.



You're probably reading this on junk. And I'm not talking about newsprint - industry woes aside, that's high-quality stuff. But if you're on a computer or an iPad, and you're not plugged into an Internet jack in the wall? Junk, then.



But it's not your MacBook or your tablet that's so crummy. It's the spectrum it's using.



Spectrum, in the words of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, is the economy's "invisible infrastructure." It's the interstate system for information that travels wirelessly. It's how you get radio in your car, service on your cellphone and satellite to your television. It's also how you get WiFi.



But not all spectrum is created equal. "Beachfront spectrum" is like a well-paved road. Lots of information can travel long distances on it without losing much data. But not all spectrum is so valuable.



In 1985, there was a slice of spectrum that was too crummy for anyone to want. It was so weak that the radiation that microwaves emit could mess with it. So the government released it to the public. As long as whatever you were doing didn't interfere with what anyone else was doing, you could build on that spectrum. That's how we got garage-door openers and cordless phones. Because the information didn't have to travel far, the junk spectrum was good enough. Later on, that same section of junk spectrum became the home for WiFi - a crucial, multibillion-dollar industry. A platform for massive technological innovation. A huge increase in quality of life.



There's a lesson in that: Spectrum is really, really important. And not always in ways that we can predict in advance. Making sure that spectrum is used well is no less important than making sure our highways are used well: If the Beltway were reserved for horses, Washington would not be a very good place to do business.



But our spectrum is not being used well. It's the classic innovator's quandary: We made good decisions many years ago, but those good decisions created powerful incumbents, and in order to make good decisions now, we must somehow unseat the incumbents.

Today, much of the best spectrum is allocated to broadcast television. Decades ago, when 90 percent of Americans received their programming this way, that made sense. Today, when fewer than 10 percent of Americans do, it doesn't.



Meanwhile, mobile broadband is quite clearly the platform of the future - or at least the near future. But we don't have nearly enough spectrum allocated for its use. Unless that changes, the technology will be unable to progress, as more advanced uses will require more bandwidth, or it will have to be rationed, perhaps through extremely high prices that make sure most people can't use it.



The FCC could just yank the spectrum from the channels and hand it to the mobile industry. But it won't. It fears lawsuits and angry calls from lawmakers. And temperamentally, Genachowski himself is a consensus-builder rather than a steamroller.



Instead, the hope is that current owners of spectrum will give it up voluntarily. In exchange, they'd get big sacks of money. If a slice of spectrum is worth billions of dollars to Verizon but only a couple of million to a few aging TV stations - TV stations that have other ways to reach most of those customers - then there should be enough money in this transaction to leave everyone happy.



At least, that's some people's hope. Some advocates want that spectrum - or at least a substantial portion of it - left unlicensed. Rather than using telecom corporations such as Verizon to buy off the current owners of the spectrum, they'd like to see the federal government take some of that spectrum back and preserve it as a public resource for the sort of innovation we can't yet imagine and that the big corporations aren't likely to pioneer - the same as happened with WiFi. But as of yet, that's not the FCC's vision for this. Officials are more worried about the mobile broadband market. They argue (accurately) that they've already made more beachfront spectrum available for unlicensed uses. And although they don't say this clearly, auctioning spectrum to large corporations gives them the money to pay off the current owners. But even so, they can't do that.



"Imagine someone was given property on Fifth Avenue 50 years ago, but they don't use it and can't sell it," says Tim Wu, a law professor at Harvard and author of "The Master Switch." That's the situation that's arisen in the spectrum universe. It's not legal for the FCC to run auctions and hand over some of the proceeds to the old owners. That means the people sitting on the spectrum have little incentive to give it up. For that to change, the FCC needs Congress to pass a law empowering it to compensate current holders of spectrum with proceeds from the sale.



One way - the slightly demagogic way - to underscore the urgency here is to invoke China: Do you think it's letting its information infrastructure stagnate because it's a bureaucratic hassle to get the permits shifted? I rather doubt it.



Of course, we don't want the Chinese system. Democracy is worth some red tape. But if we're going to keep a good political system from becoming an economic handicap, there are going to be a lot of decisions like this one that need to be made. Decisions where we know what we need to do to move the economy forward, but where it's easier to do nothing because there are powerful interests attached to old habits. The problem with having a really good 20th century, as America did, is that you've built up a lot of infrastructure and made a lot of decisions that benefit the industries and innovators of the 20th century. But now we're in the 21st century, and junk won't cut it anymore.



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Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.


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Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.


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Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.


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Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.


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Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.


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Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.


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Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.


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Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.


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Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.


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Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 1/24 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another super thin day for Kansas City Chiefs news. There are quite a few hits on the Hali & Berry to Pro Bowl story, but they are all basically the same info. Here are your two stories... Enjoy.

Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Transfer <b>news</b>: Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam ready to go to war <b>...</b>

Charlie Adam is poised to tell the Seasiders that he wants out, worried the Anfield move may pass him by.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Being Right or Making Money



As we get ready for John Boehner to take the gavel from Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday, I find myself thinking back to the last time a Republican speaker took control of the House from a Democrat -- and reflecting on how far down the wrong road we have traveled since then.



It was January 1995, and Newt Gingrich, now considered a right-wing bomb thrower, was taking the gavel from Tom Foley. After taking the oath of office, he delivered a speech that praised FDR as "the greatest president of the 20th century" and presented concern for the least among us as a shared national objective. "The balanced budget is the right thing to do," he said. "But it does not in my mind have the moral urgency of coming to grips with what is happening to the poorest Americans."



For the incoming Republican speaker, reducing poverty and lifting the poor into the middle class was a moral imperative beyond the left vs. right battlefield -- not just the purview of lefties, socialists, and community organizers:

I say to those Republicans who believe in total privatization, you cannot believe in the Good Samaritan and explain that as long as business is making money we can walk by a fellow American who is hurt and not do something.... If you cannot afford to leave the public housing project, you are not free. If you do not know how to find a job and do not know how to create a job, you are not free. If you cannot find a place that will educate you, you are not free. If you are afraid to walk to the store because you could get killed, you are not free.


So now, with poverty higher than it was 16 years ago, with greater income inequality, and with the middle class struggling to hold on, what will Speaker Boehner make his number one priority? According to the Washington Post, it's "cutting spending," followed by repealing the healthcare law, and "helping get our economy moving" (no specifics on how he plans to do that).



Yet we saw on 60 Minutes that he's very aware of how fragile the American Dream has become, telling Lesley Stahl, "I can't go to a school anymore. I used to go to a lot of schools. And you see all these little kids running around. Can't talk about it." And he choked up when he did try to talk about "making sure these kids have a shot at the American Dream, like I did. It's important."





Interestingly, in his first speech as speaker, Gingrich also talked about being moved by the woes of school kids.



"I have seldom been more shaken," he said, "than I was after the election when I had breakfast with two members of the Black Caucus. One of them said to me, 'Can you imagine what it is like to visit a first-grade class and realize that every fourth or fifth young boy in that class may be dead or in jail within 15 years? And they are your constituents and you are helpless to change it?' For some reason, I do not know why, maybe because I visit a lot of schools, that got through. I mean, that personalized it. That made it real, not just statistics, but real people."



But the trajectory of our political discourse over the last decade and a half has meant that taking on poverty has gone from a moral imperative and shared national objective to an afterthought -- or no thought at all.



The question is, is there anything that can be done to help Boehner make the connection between the policies he supports and the effect those policies have on the kids who bring him to tears?



Newt Gingrich failed to follow through on the moral imperative he identified in his first speech as speaker, trading in his moral vision and replacing it 15 months later with an announcement that the Republican agenda could be reduced to six words: "Earn more, keep more, do more."



Will Boehner's take be "Earn more, keep more, cut more"? Or is there a chance he will surprise us? Maybe it's because it's close enough to Christmas that I still believe in miracles, but wouldn't it be great if the John Boehner who takes the gavel on Wednesday is the one who weeps at the thought of kids denied a shot at the American Dream?











The UAW, not content with bankrupting GM and Chrysler once, want a repeat performance. And with Bob King at the helm, and apparently done campaigning for world peace and praying at the US capitol, they may yet get the double double. But first, it's time to put on the sheep's clothing and pretend to be rational. From the Detroit Free Press: UAW reveals ideas to try to level playing field. By 'leveling the playing field', what they mean is putting a thumb on the scale to tip the balance in their favor, but such is establishment media and their newspeak.

The document, called “UAW Principles for Fair Union Elections,” outlines 11 ideals that are designed to level the playing field between the UAW and an employer during a union campaign and election.



....The principles include an agreement that the ability to join a union is a “fundamental human right.”
But opting out from being forced to join the union is not. The document with the 11 principles can be found at this link, but just check out #2 for one:

Employees must be free to exercise the right to join a union or refrain from joining a union in an atmosphere free of fear, coercion,intimidation or threats. There is no free choice if a worker is afraid of losing a job or losing benefits as a result of his or her choice, or is intimidated into making a choice not of one’s own making.

Source:http://removeripoffreports.net/

Exclusive: Entertainment <b>News</b> Company TheWrap Acquires <b>...</b>

TheWrap, a venture capital-backed news organization focused on the business of entertainment and media, has acquired ItsOnTheGrid.com (IOTG), TechCrunch has learned. TheWrap made the acquisition for an undisclosed amount of cash and ...

Perfect Market, <b>news</b> ad firm, lands $9 million in funding round <b>...</b>

Perfect Market Inc, a start-up that seeks to help news organizations make more money through online advertising, has won $9 million in new funding in a round led by Comcast Interactive Capital, the cable giant's venture arm.

Soap <b>News</b>: &#39;AMC&#39;s&#39; Debbi Morgan Has Lyme Disease and More

A few weeks ago we reported that 'All My Children's' award-winning actress Debbi Morgan would be taking some time off from the soap. This week.


Friday, January 14, 2011

buying Free rental agreement forms

How do you usually start your morning? Lunatic rush, eternal lack of time, work, where we come sleepy, irritated and seedy? Delaying the time for getting up to the critical moment and again being late, we convulsively invent excuses about a stuck lift or traffic jams.

Getting up earlier you can clear up your head and thoughts. Morning hours carry silence and peace, which we are usually lack of during the noisy day. This is the time of solitude, when we can read, reflect, and just take a breath.


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It can be very hard when you are applying for a bad credit mortgage, and it feels like all the odds are stacked against you. The feeling of going in to see a loan officer just hoping that they will be favorable toward you and that you might just have a chance of buying a home. The situation may be grim and you're feeling completely overwhelmed anyway, but know that millions before you have been in your same shoes. There is light at the end of the tunnel no matter how dark it may seem. Here are three simple steps that you can use to help you apply and possibly get a bad credit mortgage.



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<b>News</b> Corp.&#39;s iPad-only newspaper, The Daily, delayed, reports say <b>...</b>

The Daily, the iPad-only newspaper from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., is being delayed a few weeks, according to the Associated Press. The digital paper is still working out subscription details, the AP said.

Breaking <b>news</b>: EPA vetoes Spruce Mine permit « Coal Tattoo

This news is devastating to the Southern Coal Fields and our entire state. The Spruce Number One permit was issued years ago after undergoing a comprehensive permitting process. It is hard to understand how the EPA at this late hour ...

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch. The delay is supposed to give Apple ...


Thursday, January 13, 2011

personal finance budgeting


The theory is simple: "If you don't have the money, don't charge it. Try to leave your credit card at home and only use it to pay bills," advises April Lewis, director of education for Consolidated Credit Counseling Services. Then immediately pay off your credit-card balance. As for old credit-card debt, sit down and commit to paper a plan for paying them off. Go for a quick hit, like paying off the smallest balance first, or decide to take on the highest rate card first. Get the job done.

Here's a second tip: Be proactive about managing your credit. Call up your lender and ask it to lower your interest rate. Usually, lenders will lower callers' rates by 2% to 3%, says Scott Gamm, founder of HelpSaveMyDollars.com. Also check your credit report. You can check your credit for free at annualcreditreport.com, for example. If you see mistakes, contact the credit agencies and get those mistakes corrected. If errors are dragging down your score, eliminating them can boost it to where it belongs and make you eligible for better rates.

2. Think automation

Free online banking tools can make it easier to manage your finances with less work. To help grow your savings, for example, you can schedule regular transfers from your checking account. Manisha Thakor, author of Get Financially Naked: How to Talk Money With Your Honey, suggests setting up the transfer of a set amount of money into your savings account every pay day.

Also automate recurring bill payments so you never miss a due date or pay a late fee, which sends money down the drain. Even without late fees, timely payments are key: 35% of your credit score is based on your ability to make payments on time. If you sign up for automatic payments, however, make sure to check your monthly bills for errors. One other caveat: "Make sure you have enough cushion in your checking account to avoid any overdrafts" before setting up auto-payments, money coach Lora Sasiela says.The theory is simple: "If you don't have the money, don't charge it. Try to leave your credit card at home and only use it to pay bills," advises April Lewis, director of education for Consolidated Credit Counseling Services. Then immediately pay off your credit-card balance. As for old credit-card debt, sit down and commit to paper a plan for paying them off. Go for a quick hit, like paying off the smallest balance first, or decide to take on the highest rate card first. Get the job done.

Here's a second tip: Be proactive about managing your credit. Call up your lender and ask it to lower your interest rate. Usually, lenders will lower callers' rates by 2% to 3%, says Scott Gamm, founder of HelpSaveMyDollars.com. Also check your credit report. You can check your credit for free at annualcreditreport.com, for example. If you see mistakes, contact the credit agencies and get those mistakes corrected. If errors are dragging down your score, eliminating them can boost it to where it belongs and make you eligible for better rates.

2. Think automation

Free online banking tools can make it easier to manage your finances with less work. To help grow your savings, for example, you can schedule regular transfers from your checking account. Manisha Thakor, author of Get Financially Naked: How to Talk Money With Your Honey, suggests setting up the transfer of a set amount of money into your savings account every pay day.

Also automate recurring bill payments so you never miss a due date or pay a late fee, which sends money down the drain. Even without late fees, timely payments are key: 35% of your credit score is based on your ability to make payments on time. If you sign up for automatic payments, however, make sure to check your monthly bills for errors. One other caveat: "Make sure you have enough cushion in your checking account to avoid any overdrafts" before setting up auto-payments, money coach Lora Sasiela says.
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Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Apple, <b>News</b> Corp. Delay &quot;Daily&quot; iPad Newspaper | Peter Kafka <b>...</b>

Turns out you'll have to wait a bit longer to see The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's long-awaited iPad news service. Apple and News Corp. have made a joint decision to push back next week's planned launch.

<b>News</b> Corp considers MySpace sale, what happened? - Lost Remote

After slashing 47% of its staff earlier this week, News Corp is considering selling the struggling MySpace, among other strategic options, Bloomberg reports. MySpace relaunched as an entertainment hub in October, ...

BillBoard - Blogs - The Buffalo <b>News</b>

The Buffalo News updated every day with news from Buffalo, New York. Links to national and business news, entertainment listings, recipes, sports teams, classified ads, death notices.

Monday, January 10, 2011

tracking personal finances




Best Mobile Personal Finance Tool: Mint





Earlier last week we asked you to share your favorite mobile personal finance tool. We rounded up the nominations and put the top five before you for a vote. Now we're back with your favorite.

Leading the pack by a brutal landslide; Mint's mobile finance application took home 76% of the vote. Following behind Mint, Pageonce pulled in 14%. Rounding out the bottom of the Hive were Pocket Money (3%), EasyMoney (2%), and ProOnGo (1%).


Click on the chart below to see the results in graph form.



Have an idea for the next Hive Five? Shoot us an email at tips@lifehacker.com with "Hive Five" in the subject line and we'll do our best to get your idea the attention it deserves.





Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.









Five Best Mobile Personal Finance Tools





It's easy to convince yourself to spend and save responsibly when the numbers are right in front of you, but it's a different story when you're on-the-go. These five great mobile personal finance tools keep your money goals nearby at all times.

Photo a composite of images by neernijus and mellowr.


Smartphones have brought nearly every aspect of desktop computers to your pocket; it only makes sense they'd bring money management, too. Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite mobile personal finance tool. Now we're back to highlight the five most popular options.


Mint (Android/iOS, Free)




Popular web-based personal finance tool Mint has an equally as popular mobile application for Android and iOS devices. It sports the same simple design as Mint's main site and makes it easy to track your spending, receive alerts about bills and budget issues, and monitor your savings goals. It's polished, the graphs are easy to read, and the total-overview that Mint provides helps keep you on top of your personal finances in ways other tools don't.



Pageonce (Cross-Platform, Free)




Pageonce isn't only about personal finance, but it does personal finance well, and it's available for nearly every mobile platform around. On top of a web-based interface, they have highly polished apps for Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile (including the newly released Windows Phone 7). It's easy to get real-time updates via email or push notifications on your phone, set alerts to warn you about impending bills or overspending, and view all of your financial stats in eye-catching charts and graphs.



EasyMoney (Android, $9.95)




EasyMoney is an Android-only personal finance manager that includes a home screen widget for speedy transaction inputs, bill notifications, graphs to help you analyze and chart your past and future spending, and a host of small but very useful features like the ability to split transactions between multiple categories. Easy Money also includes a tool for photographing receipts and importing data as well as a checkbook register and easy import/export to .CVS files. EasyMoney offers a 30 day-trial if you're on the fence about spending $10 on the app (consider also, many of the features in EasyMoney are paid upgrades on similar applications).



Pocket Money (iOS, $4.99)




Pocket Money puts a sweeping view of all your accounts and transactions right on your iPhone or iPad. You can manually enter transactions, create repeating transactions based on cycles or dates, create custom filters to view your money the way that is most useful to you, and more. On top of the plethora of features in the stock app you can expand the feature set with in-app purchases like the $0.99 Photo Receipts plugin that allows you to photograph your receipts and import the transaction data off them. Pocket Money has a companion desktop application available for Windows, Mac and Linux—a nice break from the common pattern of iOS apps having Mac-only desktop companions.



ProOnGo (Cross-Platform, Starting at $0.99/Month)




ProOnGo is the most distinctly business-oriented tool in this week's Hive Five. You could use it as a personal finance manager if you desired but the feature set is weighted heavily towards business users who need to track things like automotive mileage, business-related expenses, and generate reports for tax purposes and submission to their company. The basic package runs $0.99/month and is limited to manual entires and expense report generation, the premium package runs $4.99/month and includes web-based access, backups, custom spreadsheets, and synchronization to your American Express business card.



Now that you've had a chance to look over the five most popular mobile finance tools, it's time to vote for your favorite:





Have an idea for the next Hive Five? Shoot us an email at tips@lifehacker.com with "Hive Five" in the subject line and we'll do our best to give you idea the attention it deserves.





Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.




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Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.


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Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.


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Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.


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Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting <b>News</b> (LIVE UPDATES)

PHOENIX -- A 22-year-old man described as a social outcast with wild beliefs steeped in mistrust faces a federal court hearing on charges he tried to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Tucson shooting rampage that left six people ...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott Oscars over Anne Hathaway <b>...</b>

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Masturbation Excuse FAIL - Epic Fail Funny <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Masturbation Excuse FAIL.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Making Money Now

I recently watched the movie Exit Through the Gift Shop from well-known artist Banksy. I got a kick out of this film for multiple reasons having liked Banksy's artwork for years now.


What most amused me though is how well it goes about making you question what celebrity is and how much you can achieve by becoming famous. The key point for me is questioning whether you really need to be creative and innovative above and beyond being famous.


Then Mike Butcher over at Techcrunch went and posted something this morning about startup teams trumping celebrity tech entrepreneurs. In summary, he too is making the point that execution far outweighs celebrity.


Basically, what I'm getting at, is all the parallels you're starting to see between the startup world and the movie business. I am definitely not an expert on the movie business and can only imagine what it's truly like from afar. Yet, we've all seen enough of it to realize a bit how things work in Hollywood. You basically have a couple large companies or studios as they're usually called. There you have management at the top who are the power-brokers in the industry. They back films which are used as vehicles to market actors who either succeed or not. If they do succeed, they are cast in further films and a ton of marketing is thrown at these films, regardless of whether these actors have talent or not.


Ultimately, the goal is to make as much money as possible and if you're the one making all this money, keep other people out so you can continue to make as much money as possible. Sure, there are some stand-out actors, managers and studios who go against the grain but basically it's an industry optimized to make money. Simplified by me immensely but I believe you understand what I am saying. 


Now let's switch over to the startup world. It's no longer Hollywood and we're now a bit north in Silicon Valley. You have a couple firms who call all the shots and are known as Tier 1 VC's (with some major players like Google, Apple, and Facebook thrown in for good measure).


These VC's fund firms instead of films run by entrepreneurs instead of actors. Some of these entrepreneurs are successful and some are not. Those who are get funded further by these Tier 1 firms. Lots of companies are started and sold since these power brokers in the Valley sit on each other's boards and pass deals back and forth. The power brokers continue to make money and those entrepreneurs who don't lead to successful exits get weeded out (where's the reality TV version of "out to pasture" for entrepreneurs?)


Ultimately, as in the movie business, you make as much money as possible and keep out the riff-raff who would keep you from making tons of money as long as possible. 


Now don't get me wrong. I am in no way arguing about whether the movie or startup business is right or wrong or skewed in someone's favor or not. I'm also probably simplifying it too much as well. But the point I am making is that we are in a world where it's about making money. Sure, you can get your touchy-feely on and say you're changing the world but ultimately you wouldn't "work" if it wasn't about making some money.


Hence, my advice to any entrepreneur is to take advantage of whatever you have if you ultimately want to be successful. If you are naturally good looking, get your face out there. Be on TV and in the press. If it helps you make money, go for it.


At the same time, if media attention doesn't help you make more money, don't focus on it. Get your pretty head down to business and execute like hell to innovate, optimize and sell your product. Or have the best of both worlds. Be a CEO focussed on getting your brand or product out there and have a number two (great blog post by Ben Horowitz) who takes care of business. What you need to focus on is making money and being the scrappy entrepreneur that you are, you'll optimize wherever you can to achieve your goal. 


In the end it's never about who was most popular that determines success. Just think back to all those football players and cheerleaders in high school. (I've seen some of them from my high school....thank you Facebook.....and had a good laugh!) So often there are people you never hear about making tons of cash since they don't need to focus on media.


On the other hand, if Twitter/Foursquare/Zynga/Groupon hadn't received so much media attention, you think they'd be where they are now? I highly doubt it and I guarantee you that they had a clear strategy in place to use media (and position their founders) from the start. Hence, don't waste time focussed on the wrong things. If you're a celebrity entrepreneur who's counting his millions hats off to you. If you've become a media darling and are broke, well tough luck kid. Try something new. 


By the way, here's what Exit Through the Gift Shop is about cut and pasted from Wikipedia. Think what you will about whether it's a real story or not but reast assured the dollars earned by "Mr Brainwash" were real!!


Exit Through the Gift Shop: A Banksy Film is a Gonzo Documentary which tells the story of Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant in Los Angeles, and his obsession with street art. It is presented as a documentary, but reviewers have questioned its factuality. The film charts Guetta's constant documenting of his every moment on film, to his chance contact with his cousin, the artist Invader, and his documenting of a host of street artists with focus on Shepard Fairey, and also Banksy though the latter's face is never shown, and his voice is distorted to preserve his anonymity


 



Values, Value and Valuation — The money is all relative


Oh how timing sometimes works out to be funny. I was driving home tonight and started thinking about the value of products, the valuation of companies and how the values that a company portrays can change the rest. No sooner had I sat down to write this piece than the news of Goldman Sachs investing $500 million into Facebook broke and refreshed the entire thing in my mind. So let’s look at these three things, and try to see if one manages to sway the rest.


Values


Do you, like me, find yourself more inclined to use or purchase something that comes from a company that you can believe in? The ethos of a company can — for me at least — completely break me away from the product. That very fact, because I feel that I’m likely not alone in my actions (or lack thereof) can have a serious impact on the bottom line of a company.


Look at Facebook, for instance. When the Social Graph was announced and the new privacy changes went into effect, many people threw up their hands in disgust. But many others continued with life as usual, even if a bit annoyed. Why? Because Facebook has this outward appearance of a company that’s simply trying to do cool things, and it needs information in order to do them. The company’s values seem, for the most part, to be in line with the things that we Internet users want. As such, there was a lot more wagging and a lot less barking from the angry dogs crowd.


You’re starting a company? There’s likely something to be said for developing an ethos ahead of time, making it known and then sticking to it. Would Google be where it is today if not for the “don’t be evil” tag line? Even if you don’t fully believe that the company runs that way, you still remember it. Point made.


Value


When value exceeds cost, even by a single cent, the purchase will be made – Grant Cardone


That quote is one that has stuck with me for some time now. A few years ago I was making my living selling cars and it is sometimes exceedingly difficult to overcome the objection of price. In the technology world, we’re constantly being offered products for “free”. The only cost? A bit of information, a slice of our privacy or somethings similar. But then, after using those “free” products, we start to build our own value for them.


Don’t believe me? Just look at some of the things that you likely use every day. Gmail? You’d pay for that. Twitter? You don’t want to admit it, but it’s likely become a valuable asset to your daily Internet life. The same can be said for so many things and yet we get them for “free”. But there’s a down side to this issue as well — it becomes very difficult for a maker to charge for a product when there are free alternatives. Don’t believe that? When was the last time that a box office movie didn’t get a torrent version?


And yet, even as companies try to build value in their products, still others think that the economy allows for them to set their own values and tell us what something is worth. TV networks are probably the most well-known perpetrators of this heresy. Apple TV launched, ABC and Fox decided to jump on board and see what would happen. Some of the rest? They decided that $.99 was devaluing the product and yet as the provider of the product, there is no one entity that is more unqualified to name the value.


Consider it a lesson in business, I suppose. The potential buyer will determine the value of your product. Always.


Valuation


Now here’s a sticky one. Valuation is one of those strange things because it means so many different things to different people. To the potential investors, it’s a measure of how much money can be made. To the business owner it’s a gauge of how well the business has done. To the end user? It’s…honestly not much.


As a case in point, around TNW we love Twitter. We want to see it succeed and we are sure that it will. The valuation continues to climb prior to any IPO and yet, as users of the service, it really doesn’t matter much to us. Sure, it would matter if the site closed its doors, but beyond that there simply isn’t anything about the valuation number that matters.


And so, as an entrepreneur you have to ask yourself where the balance lies. Do your company values allow you to build value in your product? If so, then the chances are that your valuation will end up right where it needs to be. There’s a fair amount of truth in the thought that, if you handle the small stuff, the big stuff will fall into place.


So with that, I offer you a thought going into the new year — start with your values. The rest will fall into place.




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