Thursday, December 30, 2010

Making Money Fast


Jesus’s birthday is coming up. And you know what he wants for his birthday? Nothing more than for you lose weight and become more attractive. As C.S. Lovett helpfully explains in his 1979 book, Help Lord … The Devil Wants Me Fat!, there’s a simple way to not be so fat: stop eating. Just completely stop. See, it’s not hunger that causes you to eat delicious holiday treats, it’s Satan.


Maybe that seems extreme to you. What about clean, natural, whole foods in their purest forms? you might ask. I eat a raw, macrobiotic, vegan diet, and I feel fantastic, you say. Yap, yap, yap. All I hear is Satan telling filthy lies.



Not convinced? People who own the book and have followed the instructed fast simply rave about it!


This book has to be one of the greatest books written concerning weight loss and how to tear down strongholds that the enemy has built in one's mind by causing one to overeat. By putting thoughts in one's mind to eat when one is not really hungry, the devil deceives unsuspecting Christians by the bondage caused by overeating and not being able to serve the Lord, as one would if he was in better shape. (I didn't word that right but you will understand what I mean if you will buy the book.) … [A]fter reading the book I fasted for 11 complete days and there was nothing to it.

—Ndubusi, on Amazon


Some readers feel so passionately about how this book has changed their lives that they even blog about it on SparkPeople.


Most do not think of overeating as a sin but it's the devil's way of getting control of otherwise good Christians who would never think of sinning in other ways, to destroy themselves, bite by bite. It really doesn't matter whether we are bound by drugs, sex or money, the chains still chain us. In reality it wouldn't matter if we were bound by rope, iron or real chains, if we're bound, we're bound…When you look at it as a battle with Satan, it perks up your soul and helps you to determine not to let him win anymore.


Lovett and his wife, Linda, who did the book’s illustrations, encourage you to win your battle with the devil by thinking of your brain (soul?) as a computer that you can program with visualization. Like this:



Like any war with dark forces, this one will require constant vigilance. Much like Santa Claus, Lucifer sees you and what you eat not just when you are awake, but even when you are sleeping.



So now our plan is in place. Let’s make Jesus happy and stick to our inevitable New Year’s resolutions. Just remember, if you break this diet, there's more at stake than skinny jeans and self esteem. There is your immortal soul.


Merry Christmas!


Previously: Looking Pretty for the Holidays.




What will happen to the US economy in 2011? If you're referring to profits of big corporations and Wall Street, next year is likely to be a good one. But if you're referring to average American workers, far from good.



The two American economies -- the Big Money economy and the Average Working Family economy -- will continue to diverge. Corporate profits will continue to rise, as will the stock market. But typical wages will go nowhere, joblessness will remain high, the ranks of the long-term unemployed will continue to rise, the housing recovery will remain stalled, and consumer confidence will sag.



The big disconnect between corporate profits and jobs is likely to continue because America's big businesses are depending less and less on U.S. sales and U.S. workers. Their big profits are coming from two sources: (1) growing sales in China, India, and other fast-growing countries, and (2) slimmed-down US payrolls.



In a typical recovery, profits lead to more hiring. That's because in a typical recovery, American consumers head back to the malls -- and their buying justifies more hires. Not this time. All the hype about Christmas sales over the last few weeks masked the fact that American consumers demanded bargain-basement prices. And the price-cutting dramatically reduced sellers' margins. In short, profits aren't coming from American consumers -- and profits won't be coming from American consumers in 2011.



Most Americans don't have the dough. They're still deep in debt, can't borrow against their homes, and have to start saving for retirement.



The Dow Jones Industrial Average is rising because of foreign sales. General Motors is now making more cars in China than in the US, and two-thirds of its total sales are coming from abroad. When it went public last month it boasted that soon almost half its cars will be made around the world where labor is less than $15 an hour.



Walmart isn't doing especially well in America but Walmart International is booming. And Walmart is hiring like mad outside the US.



General Electric is keeping its payrolls down in the US but plans to invest half a billion dollars in Brazil and hire 1,000 Brazilians, and invest $2 billion in China.



Corporate America is in a V-shaped recovery. That's great news for investors and everyone whose savings are mainly in stocks and bonds. It's also great news for executives and Wall Street traders, whose pay is linked to stock prices. All can expect a banner 2011.



But most American workers are trapped in an L-shaped recovery. That's bad news for the Main Streets and small businesses in 2011. It's also a bad omen for home prices and sales, and everyone whose savings are mainly in their homes.



Home prices in major metropolitan areas sank last month, the third straight month-to-month drop. I expect home price declines to continue next year. We're in a double-dip housing market, largely because unemployment remains so bad that millions of Americans can't pay their mortgages.



None of this bodes well for US employment next year. I expect the official unemployment rate to remain around 9 percent.



In other words, whether 2011 is a great year economically depends which economy you're in - the one that's rising with the profits of big business and Wall Street, or the one that will continue to struggle with few jobs and lousy wages.



Sadly, the next Congress is unlikely to do much to reverse any of this. Most Republicans and too many Democrats are dependent on corporate America and Wall Street. Their version of tax reform is to cut taxes on the wealthy and on big corporations, and either raise them on everyone else (sale and property taxes are already on the rise) or cut spending on programs working families depend on.



At some point, perhaps, the disconnect between America's two economies will become so big and so obvious it can no longer be ignored. Progressives, enlightened Tea Partiers, Independents, organized labor, minorities, and the young form a new progressive movement designed to reconnect America.



One can always hope.



Robert Reich is the author of Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future, now in bookstores. This post originally appeared at RobertReich.org.











surface encounters review surface encounters complaints surface encounters complaints surface encounters rock tops surface encounters complaints surface encounters review surface encounters rock tops surface encounters review surface encounters surface encounters rock tops surface encounters rock tops surface encounters complaints surface encounters review surface encounters rock tops surface encounters review surface encounters rock tops surface encounters review surface encounters complaints surface encounters rock tops surface encounters

AOL Weird <b>News</b> Top 10: The Best of the Bizarre

What does a one-legged man, a fly-sized frog, a bacon sculpture of Kevin Bacon, conjoined twins who can see out of each other's eyes and a 115-foot Jesus statue have in common? They've all made the list for AOL's Top Ten Weird News ...

Police: Fox <b>News</b> Flubbed &#39;Granny Terrorist&#39; Story | TPMMuckraker

Law enforcement officials says Fox News' report of a probe into a Indiana grandmother for alleged terrorist ties was taken out of context and that the reporter based her report of an investigation off her own tip.

Good <b>news</b>: School officials destroy girl&#39;s college plans over <b>...</b>

Good news: School officials destroy girl's college plans over knife mix-up.


surface encounters rock tops surface encounters review surface encounters surface encounters review surface encounters surface encounters rock tops surface encounters review surface encounters rock tops surface encounters surface encounters complaints surface encounters surface encounters review surface encounters complaints surface encounters review surface encounters rock tops surface encounters review surface encounters

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Making Money on Line







Note: I wrote this before RAW aired tonight. By the looks of it, the person who "wronged" Punk may have been John Cena. Anyways, I'd written this already so thought I may as well go ahead and post it.


CM Punk's words last week resonated loudly among those watching.


"When people wrong me, I get even. Right now, backstage somewhere, there is another individual that has wronged me."


I was beginning to forget Punk was even an active competitor as he's doing such a stellar job behind the commentary table.


But who could the mysterious man be that Punk has set his sights on?


Following last night's TLC PPV I believe Randy Orton is a very possible contender.


Orton failed to re-capture the WWE Championship from the Miz in his rematch and is now out of the title picture. As it stands, the Royal Rumble will likely be headlined by The Miz versus John Morrison—and you'll hear no complaints from me.


The bottom line is Orton needs a feud. 


The Nexus are pretty much dead and gone and he's out of the title picture for the time being. The only main event heel currently active on RAW other than the Miz is Sheamus and if I have to watch Orton versus Sheamus for the 57th time I think my head might explode.


CM Punk is definitely a main event heel, but he is currently rehabing an injury. But he's on the cusp of a return.


He's scheduled for a number of Smackdown house shows this week and made an ominous threat upon accepting his "Despicable Me" award.


But why would they feud at all?


 


The History


Alright, so I know WWE doesn't like us remembering stuff, but I do.


So here's the tale.


 


2006


In November 2006, Orton and Punk met in the ring for the first time ever as members of Team RKO and Team DX, respectively. They traded a few blows in the match but nothing major.


In the end none of Team DX was eliminated and won the match.


 


2007


In the week leading up to Wrestlemania 23 and the Money in the Bank match in 2007, Punk and Orton crossed paths in three separate occasions.


On the March 26 edition of RAW, Punk and Orton—along with King Booker, Finlay, Mr. Anderson, AHEM, Mr. Kennedy, and the Hardyz—brawled during an episode of the Cutting Edge to hype the MITB match.


The following night on ECW (yeah, I don't remember what that is either) the heels (Orton, Kennedy, Finlay and Booker) beat the good guys (Punk, Edge and the Hardyz) in a four on four tag team match after King Booker pinned Punk.


On the night of Wrestlemania 23, Mr. Kennedy won the MITB briefcase.


One of the highlights of the match for me was an awesome RKO on Punk from the top of a ladder.


 


2008


A year later, CM Punk won the converted Money on the Bank brief case at Wrestlemnia 24.


On the same night Orton retained the WWE Championship against Triple H and John Cena, only to lose it to Trips at Backlash.


On the May 5th edition of RAW, Orton and CM Punk met in their first one-on-one encounter with Orton looking to send a message to Triple H. The match was cut short when William Regal killed the lights and announced the match over.


The result was a no contest.






Not so long ago, comparison shopping required actually going to several stores or sifting through every circular in the Sunday paper. And even as at-home internet access became commonplace, that didn't really help if you'd gone to the store without doing the legwork in advance. But the rapid growth of web-enabled phones could be leading to better retail prices and more informed consumers.



A recent Wall Street Journal story cites some interesting statistics to lend credence to this theory. First, there's the report by Coremetrics that says the number of customers using mobile devices to access retail websites on Black Friday in 2010 was more than 50 times greater than just a year earlier.



Second, the Journal quotes a retail consultant as saying that 45% of smartphone users had used their mobile devices for purposes of comparison shopping.



With this increasing transparency for prices, retailers may be forced to either cut prices to keep customers in the store or offer items that can't be purchased elsewhere.



Many stores have already put an end to the practice of offering a lower online price than you'd get at a retail location. "Those days are over," says the president of PriceGrabber.com. "The line between offline and online has been blurred."



Some retailers are attempting to use smartphones to their advantage. For example, Best Buy has partnered with a price comparison app so that whenever someone searches for something at Walmart that could also be purchased at Best Buy, the user will be shown ads for these comparable BB products.



"That is an opportunity to steal a sale right when someone is in the throes of making a decision. That is what makes mobile so powerful," says Best Buy Chief Marketing Officer.



Have you been using your smartphone to compare prices this holiday season?



Phone-Wielding Shoppers Strike Fear Into Retailers



Thanks to Lyn for the tip!







bench craft company scam

How Online <b>News</b> Evolved in 2010

News is changing – quickly. The way it's researched, the way it's reported and the way we access it are all evolving rapidly. 2010 could well be remembered as a key year in the history of online news. Here are the key reasons why. ...

Cable <b>News</b> Ratings 2010: Top 30 Programs Of The Year (PHOTOS)

2010 is almost done, and the cable news ratings for the entire year are in. As always, Fox News came out on top, thoroughly dominating the competition and taking the top 12 slots on the ratings list.

&#39;Green River Killer&#39; Could Face New Murder Charge - AOL <b>News</b>

Related Searches: top 10 serial killers, green river murders, gary ridgeway, rebecca marrero 1982, capital punishment, the green river killer, green river cc auburn wa, crime news, crime reports, ...


bench craft company scam

How Online <b>News</b> Evolved in 2010

News is changing – quickly. The way it's researched, the way it's reported and the way we access it are all evolving rapidly. 2010 could well be remembered as a key year in the history of online news. Here are the key reasons why. ...

Cable <b>News</b> Ratings 2010: Top 30 Programs Of The Year (PHOTOS)

2010 is almost done, and the cable news ratings for the entire year are in. As always, Fox News came out on top, thoroughly dominating the competition and taking the top 12 slots on the ratings list.

&#39;Green River Killer&#39; Could Face New Murder Charge - AOL <b>News</b>

Related Searches: top 10 serial killers, green river murders, gary ridgeway, rebecca marrero 1982, capital punishment, the green river killer, green river cc auburn wa, crime news, crime reports, ...


bench craft company scam

How Online <b>News</b> Evolved in 2010

News is changing – quickly. The way it's researched, the way it's reported and the way we access it are all evolving rapidly. 2010 could well be remembered as a key year in the history of online news. Here are the key reasons why. ...

Cable <b>News</b> Ratings 2010: Top 30 Programs Of The Year (PHOTOS)

2010 is almost done, and the cable news ratings for the entire year are in. As always, Fox News came out on top, thoroughly dominating the competition and taking the top 12 slots on the ratings list.

&#39;Green River Killer&#39; Could Face New Murder Charge - AOL <b>News</b>

Related Searches: top 10 serial killers, green river murders, gary ridgeway, rebecca marrero 1982, capital punishment, the green river killer, green river cc auburn wa, crime news, crime reports, ...


bench craft company scam

How Online <b>News</b> Evolved in 2010

News is changing – quickly. The way it's researched, the way it's reported and the way we access it are all evolving rapidly. 2010 could well be remembered as a key year in the history of online news. Here are the key reasons why. ...

Cable <b>News</b> Ratings 2010: Top 30 Programs Of The Year (PHOTOS)

2010 is almost done, and the cable news ratings for the entire year are in. As always, Fox News came out on top, thoroughly dominating the competition and taking the top 12 slots on the ratings list.

&#39;Green River Killer&#39; Could Face New Murder Charge - AOL <b>News</b>

Related Searches: top 10 serial killers, green river murders, gary ridgeway, rebecca marrero 1982, capital punishment, the green river killer, green river cc auburn wa, crime news, crime reports, ...


bench craft company scam

How Online <b>News</b> Evolved in 2010

News is changing – quickly. The way it's researched, the way it's reported and the way we access it are all evolving rapidly. 2010 could well be remembered as a key year in the history of online news. Here are the key reasons why. ...

Cable <b>News</b> Ratings 2010: Top 30 Programs Of The Year (PHOTOS)

2010 is almost done, and the cable news ratings for the entire year are in. As always, Fox News came out on top, thoroughly dominating the competition and taking the top 12 slots on the ratings list.

&#39;Green River Killer&#39; Could Face New Murder Charge - AOL <b>News</b>

Related Searches: top 10 serial killers, green river murders, gary ridgeway, rebecca marrero 1982, capital punishment, the green river killer, green river cc auburn wa, crime news, crime reports, ...


bench craft company scam

How Online <b>News</b> Evolved in 2010

News is changing – quickly. The way it's researched, the way it's reported and the way we access it are all evolving rapidly. 2010 could well be remembered as a key year in the history of online news. Here are the key reasons why. ...

Cable <b>News</b> Ratings 2010: Top 30 Programs Of The Year (PHOTOS)

2010 is almost done, and the cable news ratings for the entire year are in. As always, Fox News came out on top, thoroughly dominating the competition and taking the top 12 slots on the ratings list.

&#39;Green River Killer&#39; Could Face New Murder Charge - AOL <b>News</b>

Related Searches: top 10 serial killers, green river murders, gary ridgeway, rebecca marrero 1982, capital punishment, the green river killer, green river cc auburn wa, crime news, crime reports, ...


bench craft company scam

How Online <b>News</b> Evolved in 2010

News is changing – quickly. The way it's researched, the way it's reported and the way we access it are all evolving rapidly. 2010 could well be remembered as a key year in the history of online news. Here are the key reasons why. ...

Cable <b>News</b> Ratings 2010: Top 30 Programs Of The Year (PHOTOS)

2010 is almost done, and the cable news ratings for the entire year are in. As always, Fox News came out on top, thoroughly dominating the competition and taking the top 12 slots on the ratings list.

&#39;Green River Killer&#39; Could Face New Murder Charge - AOL <b>News</b>

Related Searches: top 10 serial killers, green river murders, gary ridgeway, rebecca marrero 1982, capital punishment, the green river killer, green river cc auburn wa, crime news, crime reports, ...


bench craft company scam

How Online <b>News</b> Evolved in 2010

News is changing – quickly. The way it's researched, the way it's reported and the way we access it are all evolving rapidly. 2010 could well be remembered as a key year in the history of online news. Here are the key reasons why. ...

Cable <b>News</b> Ratings 2010: Top 30 Programs Of The Year (PHOTOS)

2010 is almost done, and the cable news ratings for the entire year are in. As always, Fox News came out on top, thoroughly dominating the competition and taking the top 12 slots on the ratings list.

&#39;Green River Killer&#39; Could Face New Murder Charge - AOL <b>News</b>

Related Searches: top 10 serial killers, green river murders, gary ridgeway, rebecca marrero 1982, capital punishment, the green river killer, green river cc auburn wa, crime news, crime reports, ...


bench craft company scam

How Online <b>News</b> Evolved in 2010

News is changing – quickly. The way it's researched, the way it's reported and the way we access it are all evolving rapidly. 2010 could well be remembered as a key year in the history of online news. Here are the key reasons why. ...

Cable <b>News</b> Ratings 2010: Top 30 Programs Of The Year (PHOTOS)

2010 is almost done, and the cable news ratings for the entire year are in. As always, Fox News came out on top, thoroughly dominating the competition and taking the top 12 slots on the ratings list.

&#39;Green River Killer&#39; Could Face New Murder Charge - AOL <b>News</b>

Related Searches: top 10 serial killers, green river murders, gary ridgeway, rebecca marrero 1982, capital punishment, the green river killer, green river cc auburn wa, crime news, crime reports, ...


bench craft company scam

How Online <b>News</b> Evolved in 2010

News is changing – quickly. The way it's researched, the way it's reported and the way we access it are all evolving rapidly. 2010 could well be remembered as a key year in the history of online news. Here are the key reasons why. ...

Cable <b>News</b> Ratings 2010: Top 30 Programs Of The Year (PHOTOS)

2010 is almost done, and the cable news ratings for the entire year are in. As always, Fox News came out on top, thoroughly dominating the competition and taking the top 12 slots on the ratings list.

&#39;Green River Killer&#39; Could Face New Murder Charge - AOL <b>News</b>

Related Searches: top 10 serial killers, green river murders, gary ridgeway, rebecca marrero 1982, capital punishment, the green river killer, green river cc auburn wa, crime news, crime reports, ...


bench craft company scam

How Online <b>News</b> Evolved in 2010

News is changing – quickly. The way it's researched, the way it's reported and the way we access it are all evolving rapidly. 2010 could well be remembered as a key year in the history of online news. Here are the key reasons why. ...

Cable <b>News</b> Ratings 2010: Top 30 Programs Of The Year (PHOTOS)

2010 is almost done, and the cable news ratings for the entire year are in. As always, Fox News came out on top, thoroughly dominating the competition and taking the top 12 slots on the ratings list.

&#39;Green River Killer&#39; Could Face New Murder Charge - AOL <b>News</b>

Related Searches: top 10 serial killers, green river murders, gary ridgeway, rebecca marrero 1982, capital punishment, the green river killer, green river cc auburn wa, crime news, crime reports, ...


bench craft company scam

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Making Money Tips




...  a loose translation of the Russian above. Medvedev was met at Cisco HQ by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who retweeted  the Russian’s original tweet: Congrats to President Medvedev on his first tweet! "Всем привет! Я в Твиттере и это мое6 первое сообщение!" (via @KremlinRussia)


The White House also welcomed – and retweeted --  Medvedev’s first tweet ahead of his visit to Washington on Thursday. Ever the campaigner, Newsom also posted a pic of himself with Medvedev alongside his post:   Touring Twitter earlier this morning with President Medvedev. http://twitpic.com/1zaxxo

During his visit, Medvedev also stopped by Silicon Valley staple Printers Inc. Cafe, Reuters reports, where it is not known whether he bought a cup of coffee to sip slowly for three hours while monopolizing the free Internet bandwidth downloading the speeches of his once, current and future leader, Vladimir Putin

Addressing a gathering of Stanford University tech prospects, Medvedev said he was "inspired" by what he saw in Silicon Valley.


"It is indeed very impressive," he said. "It can impress even a president. In a way I'm sort of jealous of all of you present here, you have an opportunity to be creative, to teach, to make money, to do something you love, and quickly see your work yielding fruit. What is it, if not happiness."


A red-letter day for Twitter, indeed.


-- Craig Howie


You don't need to speak Russian to receive Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item. Or follow us @latimestot  or @craighowieLAT or Like our Facebook page. We're also available on Kindle.


Photo: "Look Mr Medvedev, we call this a computer." Credit:  European Pressphoto Agency



Here's the problem with funding 2011's government using 2010's budget: When the 2010 budget passed, neither financial regulation nor health-care reform had passed. And so the 2010 budget didn't include the new funds necessary to support their implementation. We're not talking about a lot of money here, of course, but certainly some. And for the health of these bills, it's important money.



But after the collapse of the omnibus spending bill, the Democrats have moved to funding the government using a resolution that simply continues 2010's funding levels. And that means starving some of their signature accomplishments of implementation funds. This hasn't been lost on Republicans, of course: Mitch McConnell's key argument for turning GOP senators who'd pledged to vote for the omnibus was that it included funds for health-care reform. The Democrats, however, seemed less attuned to this dimension of the funding fight. And even those who do see the problem aren't making much noise about it: Though there was lots of tough talk in recent months about how Democrays would risk a government shutdown rather than seeing their accomplishments defunded, that didn't prove true, at least this time.



Top Stories



The Census Bureau will announce which states gained and lost House seats today, reports Charles Babington: "The 2010 census report coming out Tuesday will include a boatload of good political news for Republicans and grim data for Democrats hoping to re-elect President Barack Obama and rebound from last month's devastating elections. The population continues to shift from Democratic-leaning Rust Belt states to Republican-leaning Sun Belt states, a trend the Census Bureau will detail in its once-a-decade report to the president. Political clout shifts, too, because the nation must reapportion the 435 House districts to make them roughly equal in population, based on the latest census figures. The biggest gainer will be Texas, a GOP-dominated state expected to gain up to four new House seats."



The federal funding resolution Congress is considering doesn't include money for the implementation of health-care reform, report Jessica Holzer and Josh Mitchell: "Democrats last week sought $1 billion to expand federal agencies to cope with health-care demands as part of a proposed $1.1 trillion spending bill. That measure died after Senate Republicans closed ranks against it under pressure from conservative activists...Congressional Republicans have said they will try to defund enactment of the health-care law's least popular provisions, particularly Internal Revenue Service efforts to enforce the requirement that most Americans carry health insurance."



Nor for FinReg, reports Pat Garofalo: "The resolution does not include funding for the implementation of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. Under the omnibus, the Securities and Exchange Commission would have seen its budget increase to $1.3 billion from $1.1 billion, and the CFTC would have gone from $169 million to $286 million. Already, the SEC has halted implementation of a variety of measures under the law as it waits for funding."



The FCC is set to enact "net neutrality" rules, reports Cecilia Kang: "Federal regulators are poised to enact controversial new rules affecting Internet access, marking the government's strongest move yet to ensure that Facebook updates, Google searches and Skype calls reach consumers' homes unimpeded. Under the regulations, companies that carry the Internet into American homes would not be allowed to block Web sites that offer rival services, nor would they be permitted to play favorites by dividing delivery of Internet content into fast and slow lanes. The rules are set to win passage in a vote Tuesday by the Federal Communications Commission, after a majority of the panel's five members said they planned to vote in favor of the measure."



Got tips, additions, or comments? E-mail me.



Want Wonkbook delivered to your inbox or mobile device? Subscribe!



Surf-rock interlude: Surfer Blood plays "Twin Peaks".



Still to come: Regulators are taking aim at executive pay; Mark Warner and Saxby Chambliss will push a deficit-reduction package; Bill Gates and Randi Weingarten talk education reform; and an infant learns to drive.

Economy



Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) will introduce a debt reduction package in the next Congress, reports Heidi Przybyla: "Senators Mark Warner and Saxby Chambliss will seek to put the U.S. debt atop the agenda early in next year's Congress by proposing legislation to slash government spending, reduce popular tax breaks and trim entitlement programs. Warner, a Virginia Democrat, and Chambliss, a Georgia Republican, have been working over the past six months to court a group of 25 senators from both sides of the political aisle in hopes of gathering support for their bill, Warner said today in an interview. The legislation is based on a plan by the co-chairs of President Barack Obama's debt-reduction panel that earlier this month failed to get enough support for its recommendations to be sent to Congress."



The US is considering a crackdown on Wall Street executive pay, report Aaron Lucchetti and Sara Schaefer Munoz: "U.S. regulators are considering whether to require large financial firms to hold onto a chunk of executive pay to discourage the excessive risk-taking that contributed to the financial crisis, according to people familiar with the situation...The discussions by the Federal Reserve, Securities and Exchange Commission and other federal banking agencies are the result of a provision in the Dodd-Frank financial-overhaul law that instructs regulators to prohibit any bonus plan that "encourages inappropriate risks" at financial firms with more than $1 billion in assets."



The Fed is limiting its purchases of Treasury assets: http://bit.ly/ep64hK



The tax compromise provides a preview of new OMB director Jack Lew's style, reports Jackie Calmes: "While the deal drew fire from both parties, liberal Democrats were especially enraged by a two-year extension of Bush-era tax cuts for high incomes and wealthy estates and a reduction in payroll taxes for Social Security. In private caucuses, some turned their anger at the White House on Mr. Lew. 'This is not a package we could have supported if it didn’t take care of the workers who are most vulnerable,' Mr. Lew said in an interview, echoing the pitch he made to Democrats in private...With both Mr. Obama and Republicans vowing to bring down annual deficits swelling the nation’s debt -- in very different ways -- Mr. Lew becomes an even more crucial figure in the cabinet than budget directors typically are."



Public respect for government workers is on the wane, report Karen Tumulty and Ed O'Keefe: "Three-quarters of those who were surveyed in an October Washington Post poll said they believe federal workers get better pay and benefits than people doing similar jobs outside the government, and 52 percent said government employees are overpaid. When the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll this month sampled public opinion on the major proposals that were put forward by the president's deficit and debt reduction commission, the most popular by far - and the only one deemed 'totally acceptable' by a majority of respondents - was freezing the salaries of federal employees and members of Congress for three years."



The St. Louis Fed president calls quantitative easing "moderately successful" so far: http://on.wsj.com/fBbxaE



The spending package's March expiration date won't make raising the debt ceiling easier, writes Stan Collender: "Because the existing debt ceiling currently is assumed to be reached close to the same date the the CR will expire, won't the two issues be combined into a single piece of legislation?...Combining the two issues would certainly be possible and perhaps even likely in a rational world where efficiency is the goal. But in the hyper political and partisan world that will exist in Washington next year, will it really make any sense for the GOP voluntarily to give up one of what it will believe will be its two major points of leverage over the White House? Even if the two need to be dealt with at close to the same time, why would the GOP not use both opportunities to exert influence that it otherwise won't have?"



Tom Coburn's "Wastebook" is misleading, writes Brad Plumer: http://bit.ly/en6ujQ



Adorable infant acquiring life skills interlude: A Russian baby learns to drive.



Health Care



Sen. Tom Coburn is blocking a bill to provide health care to 9/11 first responders: http://politi.co/eFpn6x



The Justice Department is suing Blue Cross Blue Shield on antitrust grounds, reports Reed Abelson: "When the Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in October, the unusual action was widely seen as a warning shot to dominant health insurance carriers in many other states...The case is viewed as a test for the Obama administration’s introduction of the federal health care law, which is aimed at spurring competition and driving down costs. About half the states in the country, including Alabama, Rhode Island and Iowa, share circumstances similar to Michigan’s, in their relationships with a big single insurance carrier."



Domestic Policy



The spending bill Congress is considering will implement a federal pay freeze, reports Stephen Ohlemacher: "Federal workers would face a two-year pay freeze under a spending bill Congress will take up this week to keep the government operating through March 4. The bill would protect student Pell grants, veteran's benefits and a program that helps low-income families pay their heating bills. A small business loan program would be extended...Three weeks ago, President Barack Obama proposed a two-year salary freeze for some 2 million federal workers, seizing on an initiative popular among Republicans. Public employee unions are lobbying lawmakers to reject the pay freeze."



State attorneys general are going to war with Google over privacy concerns, reports Tony Romm: "More legal wrangling could be in store for Google now that it has refused to turn over to state investigators the e-mails and other data it accidentally collected while mapping neighborhoods. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company declined to deliver that trove of information to Connecticut Attorney General and soon-to-be senator Richard Blumenthal by his Friday deadline. That could set up a legal showdown between the two less than a month before Blumenthal is set to become his state’s newest Democratic senator."



Bill Gates and Randi Weingarten discuss school reform: http://bit.ly/fj40lh



The tax compromise will not affect the Social Security trust fund, writes Allan Sloan: "Next year, as you probably know, workers subject to Social Security taxes will pay only 4.2 percent of their "covered wages" -wages up to $106,800 - rather than the normal 6.2 percent. This will reduce Social Security's cash proceeds by $112 billion, according to Congress' Joint Committee on Taxation. What impact will this cash shortfall have on the Social Security trust fund? None. Zero. Zip. How can a $112 billion cut in Social Security revenues not affect the trust fund? Because Treasury will give the trust fund the same amount of bonds it would have gotten had the two-percentage-point tax holiday didn't exist."



Modest proposal interlude: Craig Rowin would like someone to give him $1 million.



Energy



Republicans may actually defend spending on renewable energy, reports Sharon Begley: "This region--Texas, Oklahoma, and on up to the Dakotas--is to wind power what Nebraska is to corn. The investment tax credit for building wind and other renewable installations expires Dec. 31. Once it does, those projects will come to a halt, and thousands of people who are employed in building them will be out of work. Those workers, of course, are the constituents of newly elected officials, the companies behind the projects are crucial economic engines in the districts and states of those legislators, and both are going to give their reps an earful if the projects don’t resume."



The EPA is touting the success of cap and trade in fighting acid rain: http://bit.ly/hM57vU



Closing credits: Wonkbook is compiled and produced with help from Dylan Matthews, Mike Shepard, and Michelle Williams.



bench craft company scam

Michelle Ryan and a Brief History of the Foot Fetish - AOL <b>News</b>

Foot fetish videos believed to feature Michelle Ryan, the wife of New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan made the rounds on the Internet on Wednesday, and Surge Desk dug up some interesting facts on what Sigmund Freud termed.

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!


bench craft company scam

Michelle Ryan and a Brief History of the Foot Fetish - AOL <b>News</b>

Foot fetish videos believed to feature Michelle Ryan, the wife of New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan made the rounds on the Internet on Wednesday, and Surge Desk dug up some interesting facts on what Sigmund Freud termed.

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!


bench craft company scam

Michelle Ryan and a Brief History of the Foot Fetish - AOL <b>News</b>

Foot fetish videos believed to feature Michelle Ryan, the wife of New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan made the rounds on the Internet on Wednesday, and Surge Desk dug up some interesting facts on what Sigmund Freud termed.

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!


bench craft company scam

Michelle Ryan and a Brief History of the Foot Fetish - AOL <b>News</b>

Foot fetish videos believed to feature Michelle Ryan, the wife of New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan made the rounds on the Internet on Wednesday, and Surge Desk dug up some interesting facts on what Sigmund Freud termed.

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!


bench craft company scam

Michelle Ryan and a Brief History of the Foot Fetish - AOL <b>News</b>

Foot fetish videos believed to feature Michelle Ryan, the wife of New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan made the rounds on the Internet on Wednesday, and Surge Desk dug up some interesting facts on what Sigmund Freud termed.

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!


bench craft company scam

Michelle Ryan and a Brief History of the Foot Fetish - AOL <b>News</b>

Foot fetish videos believed to feature Michelle Ryan, the wife of New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan made the rounds on the Internet on Wednesday, and Surge Desk dug up some interesting facts on what Sigmund Freud termed.

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!


bench craft company scam

Michelle Ryan and a Brief History of the Foot Fetish - AOL <b>News</b>

Foot fetish videos believed to feature Michelle Ryan, the wife of New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan made the rounds on the Internet on Wednesday, and Surge Desk dug up some interesting facts on what Sigmund Freud termed.

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!


bench craft company scam

Michelle Ryan and a Brief History of the Foot Fetish - AOL <b>News</b>

Foot fetish videos believed to feature Michelle Ryan, the wife of New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan made the rounds on the Internet on Wednesday, and Surge Desk dug up some interesting facts on what Sigmund Freud termed.

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!


bench craft company scam

Michelle Ryan and a Brief History of the Foot Fetish - AOL <b>News</b>

Foot fetish videos believed to feature Michelle Ryan, the wife of New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan made the rounds on the Internet on Wednesday, and Surge Desk dug up some interesting facts on what Sigmund Freud termed.

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!


bench craft company scam

Michelle Ryan and a Brief History of the Foot Fetish - AOL <b>News</b>

Foot fetish videos believed to feature Michelle Ryan, the wife of New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan made the rounds on the Internet on Wednesday, and Surge Desk dug up some interesting facts on what Sigmund Freud termed.

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!


bench craft company scam

Michelle Ryan and a Brief History of the Foot Fetish - AOL <b>News</b>

Foot fetish videos believed to feature Michelle Ryan, the wife of New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan made the rounds on the Internet on Wednesday, and Surge Desk dug up some interesting facts on what Sigmund Freud termed.

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!


bench craft company scam

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

foreclosure law

Only the banksters could get away with this:




TRUCKEE, Calif. — When Mimi Ash arrived at her mountain chalet here for a weekend ski trip, she discovered that someone had broken into the home and changed the locks....



The culprit, Ms. Ash soon learned, was not a burglar but her bank. According to a federal lawsuit filed in October by Ms. Ash, Bank of America had wrongfully foreclosed on her house and thrown out her belongings, without alerting Ms. Ash beforehand.



Ash was in the process of loan modification with Bank of America at the time. And they didn't just break in, they completely emptied the home, even taking "a wooden box, its top inscribed with the words 'Together Forever,' that contained the ashes of her late husband, Robert."




In Florida, contractors working for Chase Bank used a screwdriver to enter Debra Fischer’s house in Punta Gorda and helped themselves to a laptop, an iPod, a cordless drill, six bottles of wine and a frosty beer, left half-empty on the counter, according to assertions in a lawsuit filed in August. Ms. Fisher was facing foreclosure, but Chase had not yet obtained a court order, her lawyer says.



The break-in was discovered when a Canadian couple renting the house returned from the beach.



Turns out these and countless other Americans have become victims again. They're victims of the deficit peacocks.




WASHINGTON -- Despite mounting evidence of big banks committing serious fraud in the foreclosure process, the U.S. Senate eliminated $35 million in legal aid to homeowners trying to keep their homes.



The fund was wiped out in order to meet government spending caps advocated by Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), but will likely end up costing taxpayers much more in the long run, as wrongful foreclosures burn through the balance sheets of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The slashing of the foreclosure-assistance fund is just one casualty of Washington's increasing bipartisan push to cut spending across the board....



Recent reports suggest severe, nationwide problems with the mortgage system. A survey of 96 attorneys found that banks started foreclosure proceedings on 2,500 borrowers who were negotiating a loan modification. The survey was conducted by the National Association of Consumer Advocates and the National Consumer Law Center.



There's no relief in sight from the administration, either. Treasury has refused to use any of the funds for the Wall Street bailout for homeowner legal aid. Much worse, the Federal Reserve is actually blocking new foreclosure regulations that would homeowners.




WASHINGTON -- Top policymakers at the Federal Reserve are fighting efforts to rein in widely reported bank abuses, sparking an inter-agency feud with the FDIC and the Treasury Department. The Fed, along with the more bank-friendly Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, is resisting moves to craft rules cracking down on banks that charge illegal fees and carry out improper foreclosures. The FDIC supports such rules, according to an FDIC official involved in the dispute.



The new regulations would rein in debt collection, loan modification and foreclosure proceedings at bank divisions called "mortgage servicers." Servicers have committed widespread fraud in the foreclosure process. While the recent robo-signing of fraudulent documents has received the most attention, consumer advocates have complained about improper fees and servicer mistakes that lead to foreclosure for years.



It's the banksters' world, and we're apparently to be considered lucky if we get to live in one of their houses, which is what they and the government consider them. It's hard to arrive at any other conclusion than dday does when it comes to the Fed, "They don’t want to stop the banks from breaking into your house." And your representatives in the Senate are fine with that.




As much as a whole bunch of bank executives and securitization industry types have given Congressional testimony in which they maintained that they were duly concerned about “technical” errors like robo signing and would clean up their act, it appears that follow-through has been less than stellar.


New York State responded relatively promptly and imposed new requirments. On October 20, it issued a new rule requiring attorneys in foreclosure actions to certify that they have taken reasonable steps to verify the accuracy of documents they submit to the court. Although that might sound a tad redundant (aren’t they supposed to be doing that now?), the preamble to the new requirement discussed some of the practices that were cause for concern:


N.B.: During and after August 2010, numerous and widespread insufficiencies in foreclosure filings in various courts around the nation were reported by major mortgage lenders and other authorities. These insufficiencies include: failure of plaintiffs and their counsel to review documents and files to establish standing and other foreclosure requisites; filing of notarized affidavits which falsely attest to such review and to other critical facts in the foreclosure process; and “robosignature” of documents by parties and counsel. The wrongful filing and prosecution of foreclosure proceedings which are discovered to suffer from these defects may be cause for disciplinary and other sanctions upon participating counsel.


Today, StopForeclosure.com published that a single judge, Peter Cohalan, had denied 127 foreclosures under this new provision. Although the site did not offer any commentary, it appeared to regard this development as positive.


I see it as the reverse. Despite some jurisdictions taking a tougher stand and banks piously saying that they had cleaned up their “procedural” problems, it appears relatively little has changed on the ground. Rather than file the required certifications, the lawyers on these cases apparently figured they’d proceed as usual, which puts the onus on the judge to enforce. Or perhaps they are simply playing the odds, and assuming this issue will come up only on contested foreclosures, and those are few enough in number that the cost of delays in those cases is more than offset by the savings on the ones that are rubber stamped by the court.


ForeclosureFraud gives another New York sighting of a failure to provide the needed certification, this time before the famously tart Judge Schack. The bank lawyer’s explanation that it was his client’s, meaning Citigroup’s fault, did not go over very well:


In this foreclosure action, plaintiff, CITMORTGAGE, INC. (CITI), moved for summary judgment and an order of reference for the premises located at 38 Norwood Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (Block 3905, Lot 28, County of Kings). On October 25, 2010, the case was on my motion calendar for oral arguments. The matter was adjourned, pursuant to a short form order, on consent to today. Plaintiff CITI’s counsel agreed to file the affirmation required by the Chief Administrative Judge for foreclosure cases, as per the October 20, 2010 Administrative Order. Plaintiff’s counsel informed the Court, today, that he did not have the affirmation because CITI did not have in place, prior to November 8, 2010, procedures to comply with the Administrative Order of Chief Administrative Judge Ann T. Pfau. The Court does not work for CITI and cannot wait for CITI, a multi-billion dollar financial behemoth to get its “act” together.


Therefore, to prevent the waste of judicial resources, the instant foreclosure action is dismissed without prejudice.


While New York is providing a window on whether foreclosure mills are really changing behavior, sightings in other jurisdictions suggest not as much as bank PR would lead one to believe. For instance, in Florida, Default Law Group filed a “Motion to Ratify Summary Judgment“, which evidently is novel from a procedural standpoint, and included an argument that the previous affidavit was not a fraud on the court. But the law firm then canceled the hearing on that motion (maybe they realized it might not be too smart to have the judge turn down the motion, since it might be construed to be a ruling on the matter of the affidavits being an abuse). Another judge also questioned the validity of “ratifying” a motion for summary judgment. (Note that Florida plans to raise the summary judgment bar as of January 3 by requiring plaintiffs in foreclosures to attach copies of payment records to summary judgment filings).


Admittedly, we are only in the early stages of the post robo signing adaptation by banks and servicers, so the situation bears monitoring.


This testimony before the House Judiciary Committee by Thomas Cox, the attorney who brought GMACs’ robo signing to national attention, explains why these “procedural” matters are crucial:




bench craft company scam

WikiLeaks documents leaked again : Views and <b>News</b> from Norway

“I have no comment on how we secured access to the documents,” Aftenposten's news editor Ole Erik Almlid told DN. “We never reveal our sources, not in this case either.” DN also reported that WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson had ...

WarioWare D.I.Y. games cover 2010 <b>news</b> | Joystiq

British mag NGamer put together a clever 2010 "year in review" of mainstream news using WarioWare DIY. Some of the referenced incidents may be obvious internationally, while others are quite UK specific, so we made a list of the ...

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...


bench craft company scam

WikiLeaks documents leaked again : Views and <b>News</b> from Norway

“I have no comment on how we secured access to the documents,” Aftenposten's news editor Ole Erik Almlid told DN. “We never reveal our sources, not in this case either.” DN also reported that WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson had ...

WarioWare D.I.Y. games cover 2010 <b>news</b> | Joystiq

British mag NGamer put together a clever 2010 "year in review" of mainstream news using WarioWare DIY. Some of the referenced incidents may be obvious internationally, while others are quite UK specific, so we made a list of the ...

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...


bench craft company scam

WikiLeaks documents leaked again : Views and <b>News</b> from Norway

“I have no comment on how we secured access to the documents,” Aftenposten's news editor Ole Erik Almlid told DN. “We never reveal our sources, not in this case either.” DN also reported that WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson had ...

WarioWare D.I.Y. games cover 2010 <b>news</b> | Joystiq

British mag NGamer put together a clever 2010 "year in review" of mainstream news using WarioWare DIY. Some of the referenced incidents may be obvious internationally, while others are quite UK specific, so we made a list of the ...

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...


bench craft company scam

WikiLeaks documents leaked again : Views and <b>News</b> from Norway

“I have no comment on how we secured access to the documents,” Aftenposten's news editor Ole Erik Almlid told DN. “We never reveal our sources, not in this case either.” DN also reported that WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson had ...

WarioWare D.I.Y. games cover 2010 <b>news</b> | Joystiq

British mag NGamer put together a clever 2010 "year in review" of mainstream news using WarioWare DIY. Some of the referenced incidents may be obvious internationally, while others are quite UK specific, so we made a list of the ...

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...


bench craft company scam

WikiLeaks documents leaked again : Views and <b>News</b> from Norway

“I have no comment on how we secured access to the documents,” Aftenposten's news editor Ole Erik Almlid told DN. “We never reveal our sources, not in this case either.” DN also reported that WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson had ...

WarioWare D.I.Y. games cover 2010 <b>news</b> | Joystiq

British mag NGamer put together a clever 2010 "year in review" of mainstream news using WarioWare DIY. Some of the referenced incidents may be obvious internationally, while others are quite UK specific, so we made a list of the ...

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...


bench craft company scam

WikiLeaks documents leaked again : Views and <b>News</b> from Norway

“I have no comment on how we secured access to the documents,” Aftenposten's news editor Ole Erik Almlid told DN. “We never reveal our sources, not in this case either.” DN also reported that WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson had ...

WarioWare D.I.Y. games cover 2010 <b>news</b> | Joystiq

British mag NGamer put together a clever 2010 "year in review" of mainstream news using WarioWare DIY. Some of the referenced incidents may be obvious internationally, while others are quite UK specific, so we made a list of the ...

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...


bench craft company scam

WikiLeaks documents leaked again : Views and <b>News</b> from Norway

“I have no comment on how we secured access to the documents,” Aftenposten's news editor Ole Erik Almlid told DN. “We never reveal our sources, not in this case either.” DN also reported that WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson had ...

WarioWare D.I.Y. games cover 2010 <b>news</b> | Joystiq

British mag NGamer put together a clever 2010 "year in review" of mainstream news using WarioWare DIY. Some of the referenced incidents may be obvious internationally, while others are quite UK specific, so we made a list of the ...

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...


bench craft company scam

WikiLeaks documents leaked again : Views and <b>News</b> from Norway

“I have no comment on how we secured access to the documents,” Aftenposten's news editor Ole Erik Almlid told DN. “We never reveal our sources, not in this case either.” DN also reported that WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson had ...

WarioWare D.I.Y. games cover 2010 <b>news</b> | Joystiq

British mag NGamer put together a clever 2010 "year in review" of mainstream news using WarioWare DIY. Some of the referenced incidents may be obvious internationally, while others are quite UK specific, so we made a list of the ...

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...


bench craft company scam

WikiLeaks documents leaked again : Views and <b>News</b> from Norway

“I have no comment on how we secured access to the documents,” Aftenposten's news editor Ole Erik Almlid told DN. “We never reveal our sources, not in this case either.” DN also reported that WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson had ...

WarioWare D.I.Y. games cover 2010 <b>news</b> | Joystiq

British mag NGamer put together a clever 2010 "year in review" of mainstream news using WarioWare DIY. Some of the referenced incidents may be obvious internationally, while others are quite UK specific, so we made a list of the ...

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...


bench craft company scam

WikiLeaks documents leaked again : Views and <b>News</b> from Norway

“I have no comment on how we secured access to the documents,” Aftenposten's news editor Ole Erik Almlid told DN. “We never reveal our sources, not in this case either.” DN also reported that WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson had ...

WarioWare D.I.Y. games cover 2010 <b>news</b> | Joystiq

British mag NGamer put together a clever 2010 "year in review" of mainstream news using WarioWare DIY. Some of the referenced incidents may be obvious internationally, while others are quite UK specific, so we made a list of the ...

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...


bench craft company scam

WikiLeaks documents leaked again : Views and <b>News</b> from Norway

“I have no comment on how we secured access to the documents,” Aftenposten's news editor Ole Erik Almlid told DN. “We never reveal our sources, not in this case either.” DN also reported that WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson had ...

WarioWare D.I.Y. games cover 2010 <b>news</b> | Joystiq

British mag NGamer put together a clever 2010 "year in review" of mainstream news using WarioWare DIY. Some of the referenced incidents may be obvious internationally, while others are quite UK specific, so we made a list of the ...

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...


bench craft company scam

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Making Money Software


Raising money for a hackable, open hardware-based USB protocol analyzer






A stellar pair of reverse engineers, bushing and pytey from iPhone DevTeam/Team Twiizers, have launched a Kickstarter fundraiser to back OpenVizsla, a open/hackable hardware-based USB protocol analyzer. They've got my support -- this work will continue to enable free/open drivers for everything from iPods to 3G modems, and allow indie software developers to continue making tools that interact with our hardware:




USB has a standard, published interface that is properly described (at great length) but the actual protocols for connected devices are not common and are often proprietary to the individual vendors or manufacturers. USB succeeded at eliminating most strange cables, but requires custom drivers for many types of hardware.

Often, these USB protocols are intentionally obfuscated to make them confusing and complex in order to attempt to restrict support to the original manufacturer of the device. In this case the USB packets themselves hold the key to the information that is necessary to write independent third party drivers.


Protocol analysis and reverse engineering is needed to create such drivers and these tasks rely on the real-time capture of USB traffic. Software-based analyzers are available, but only useful in certain limited applications.

Hardware based protocol analyzers are expensive and are usually out of the reach of most independent developers, hobbyists and hackers. The most popular products cost $1400+ and, with few exceptions, use proprietary Windows-only client software, proprietary protocols, and proprietary data formats that are hard to export for use with other software.


OpenVizsla will be a completely open design of a device that can capture USB 1.1/2.0 (high-speed, full-speed and low-speed) traffic passively between a target USB device and the connected host (usually a PC, but potentially anything that has a USB host port -- think Xbox 360 and PS3). It will be controlled by any computer using open-source client software or potentially in standalone mode (where captured traffic is stored onto an on-board SD card).



"OpenVizsla" Open Source USB Protocol Analyzer

Microsoft isn’t letting go of a patent case that challenges the company’s right to sell Microsoft Word in the United States.

Last year, a judge ruled that then-available (and even future) versions of Microsoft Word infringed on patents held by little-known software company i4i — the patents dealt with the separation of content and XML code. The judge ordered an injunction that would have prevented the larger company from selling Word in the U.S.

The court also awarded i4i $300 million in damages.

Microsoft appealed the ruling and made a minor tweak to Word to skirt the injunction. The software giant didn’t pay any of those damages, either.

Instead, the appeals process has gone all the way to the top. Microsoft will argue to the Supreme Court that traditional patent laws are too demanding when it comes to software cases.

It’s easy to downplay Microsoft’s appeal as the money-grubbing antics of a Goliath; however, when considering the phenomenon of patent trolling and frivolous patent suits in the world of software, doesn’t Microsoft’s point make a bit of sense, too?

Right now, a judge in a patent case will start with the presumption that the patent is valid. The person or entity allegedly infringing on the patent must provide clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.

However, Microsoft argues that perhaps patent validity and enforceability should be more malleable in the world of software, where every “innovation” is built on the work of many unrelated others, and total strangers are often struck with the same idea at the same time. Perhaps the burden of proof shouldn’t be so disproportionately distributed.

Meanwhile, Apple and class='blippr-nobr'>Googleclass="blippr-nobr">Google are siding with Microsoft on this point. All three big companies see patent suits with just about every major product or feature release — and many times, the companies settle quietly out of court. Microsoft’s Word troubles would likely be over in a hurry if the company chose to sit down at a table with i4i and a checkbook, but the company is apparently more interested in making a point.

What do you think about this particular case? Is Microsoft the bad guy here, or is the issue more complicated? Time — and the opinions of the Supreme Court justices — will tell. In the meantime, let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Image courtesy of class='blippr-nobr'>Flickrclass="blippr-nobr">Flickr, kenmccown.

For more Tech coverage:

    class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Techclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Tech channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad


bench craft company scam devices

More Injury <b>News</b> - CelticsBlog

Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal both practiced today, but Shaq will be a game-time decision tomorrow and Jermaine will not play.

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

<b>News</b> - Gwyneth Paltrow Confirms: I Helped Set Up Jake and Taylor <b>...</b>

After Us reported that Paltrow hosted a private dinner for the duo, she opens up about Gyllenhaal and Swift's budding romance.



bench craft company scam excercise

More Injury <b>News</b> - CelticsBlog

Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal both practiced today, but Shaq will be a game-time decision tomorrow and Jermaine will not play.

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

<b>News</b> - Gwyneth Paltrow Confirms: I Helped Set Up Jake and Taylor <b>...</b>

After Us reported that Paltrow hosted a private dinner for the duo, she opens up about Gyllenhaal and Swift's budding romance.



bench craft company scam reviews

More Injury <b>News</b> - CelticsBlog

Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal both practiced today, but Shaq will be a game-time decision tomorrow and Jermaine will not play.

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

<b>News</b> - Gwyneth Paltrow Confirms: I Helped Set Up Jake and Taylor <b>...</b>

After Us reported that Paltrow hosted a private dinner for the duo, she opens up about Gyllenhaal and Swift's budding romance.



natural bench craft company scam

More Injury <b>News</b> - CelticsBlog

Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal both practiced today, but Shaq will be a game-time decision tomorrow and Jermaine will not play.

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

<b>News</b> - Gwyneth Paltrow Confirms: I Helped Set Up Jake and Taylor <b>...</b>

After Us reported that Paltrow hosted a private dinner for the duo, she opens up about Gyllenhaal and Swift's budding romance.



forum bench craft company scam

More Injury <b>News</b> - CelticsBlog

Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal both practiced today, but Shaq will be a game-time decision tomorrow and Jermaine will not play.

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

<b>News</b> - Gwyneth Paltrow Confirms: I Helped Set Up Jake and Taylor <b>...</b>

After Us reported that Paltrow hosted a private dinner for the duo, she opens up about Gyllenhaal and Swift's budding romance.



photos of bench craft company scam

More Injury <b>News</b> - CelticsBlog

Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal both practiced today, but Shaq will be a game-time decision tomorrow and Jermaine will not play.

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

<b>News</b> - Gwyneth Paltrow Confirms: I Helped Set Up Jake and Taylor <b>...</b>

After Us reported that Paltrow hosted a private dinner for the duo, she opens up about Gyllenhaal and Swift's budding romance.



bench craft company scam excercises

More Injury <b>News</b> - CelticsBlog

Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal both practiced today, but Shaq will be a game-time decision tomorrow and Jermaine will not play.

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

<b>News</b> - Gwyneth Paltrow Confirms: I Helped Set Up Jake and Taylor <b>...</b>

After Us reported that Paltrow hosted a private dinner for the duo, she opens up about Gyllenhaal and Swift's budding romance.



natural bench craft company scam

More Injury <b>News</b> - CelticsBlog

Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal both practiced today, but Shaq will be a game-time decision tomorrow and Jermaine will not play.

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

<b>News</b> - Gwyneth Paltrow Confirms: I Helped Set Up Jake and Taylor <b>...</b>

After Us reported that Paltrow hosted a private dinner for the duo, she opens up about Gyllenhaal and Swift's budding romance.



photos of bench craft company scam

More Injury <b>News</b> - CelticsBlog

Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal both practiced today, but Shaq will be a game-time decision tomorrow and Jermaine will not play.

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

<b>News</b> - Gwyneth Paltrow Confirms: I Helped Set Up Jake and Taylor <b>...</b>

After Us reported that Paltrow hosted a private dinner for the duo, she opens up about Gyllenhaal and Swift's budding romance.



http://www.bench craft company scam .com/">bench craft company scam

More Injury <b>News</b> - CelticsBlog

Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal both practiced today, but Shaq will be a game-time decision tomorrow and Jermaine will not play.

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

<b>News</b> - Gwyneth Paltrow Confirms: I Helped Set Up Jake and Taylor <b>...</b>

After Us reported that Paltrow hosted a private dinner for the duo, she opens up about Gyllenhaal and Swift's budding romance.



pennisenlargement

More Injury <b>News</b> - CelticsBlog

Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal both practiced today, but Shaq will be a game-time decision tomorrow and Jermaine will not play.

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

<b>News</b> - Gwyneth Paltrow Confirms: I Helped Set Up Jake and Taylor <b>...</b>

After Us reported that Paltrow hosted a private dinner for the duo, she opens up about Gyllenhaal and Swift's budding romance.



url