About Me 0085

Monday, January 10, 2011

foreclosure listings

Buce:

Underbelly: The Blogger has Questions: They say the Devil has nine questions. Barry Ritholtz has ten; he poses them to the four guys [Peter Wallison, Keith Hennessey, Bill Thomas and Douglas Holtz-Eakin] who didn't finish their term paper:

From 2001 to 2003, Alan Greenspan took rates down to levels not seen in almost half a century, then kept them there for an unprecedentedly long period. What was the impact of ultra low interest rates on Housing, credit, the bond markets, and derivatives?

How significant were the Ratings Agencies (S&P, Moodys and Fitch) to the collapse? What did their AAA ratings on junk derivatives affect? What about their being paid directly by underwriters for these ratings?

The Commodities Futures Modernization Act of 2000 removed all Derivatives from all oversight, including reserve requirements, exchange listings, and disclosures. What effect did the CFMA have on firms such as AIG, Bear, Lehman, Citi, Bank of America?

Prior to 2004, Investment Houses were limited to 12-to-1 leverage by the SEC’s net capitalization rule. In 2004, the 5 largest investment banks asked for, and received, a full exemption from leverage restrictions (known as the Bear Stearns exemption) These five firms all jacked up their leverage. What impact did this increased leverage have on the crisis?

For seven decades, Glass Steagall separated FDIC insured depository banks from riskier investment houses. Prior to the repeal of Glass Steagall in 1998, the market had regular crashes that did not spill over into the real economy: 1966, 1970, 1974, and most telling of all, 1987. What impact did the repeal of Glass Steagall have on the banking system during the 2008-09 crash?

NonBank Lenders: Most of the sub-prime mortgages were made by unregulated non-bank lenders. They had a ”Lend to securitize” business model, and they sold enormous amounts of subprime loans to Wall Street for this purpose. Primarily located in California, they were also unregulated by both the Federal Reserve and the California State legislator. What was the impact of these firms?

These firms abdicated traditional lending standards. They pushed option arms, interest only loans, and negative amortization mortgages, all of which defaulted in huge numbers. Was non-bank sub prime lending a major factor in the crisis?

The entire world had a simultaneous global housing boom and bust. US legislation such as the CRA or Fannie & Freddie only covered US housing and lenders. How did this cause a worldwide boom and bust — even bigger than that in the US ?

Prior to the 2004, many States had Anti-Predatory Lending (APL) laws on their books (and lower defaults and foreclosure rates). In 2004, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Federally Preempted state laws regulating mortgage credit and national banks. What was the impact of this OCC Federal Preemption ?

Corporate Structure: None of the Wall Street partnerships got into trouble, only the publicly traded iBanks. Partnerships have full personal liability for their losses. What was the impact of this lack of personal liability of senior management on Wall Street risk management?

Comment: Some of these come close to being purely rhetorical in the sense that (I suspect) Barry feels he knows the answer, and that the answer is damning to the culprits. For every one of them, I suspect somebody over at the American Enterprise Institute will be ready with a memo showing that it was a total non-issue and oh look! There's Barney Frank! Even given AEIs risible record of "research," still a number of these do represent real issues on which I'd love to have a better sense of who is right. Example: repeal of Glass Steagall is part of the standard mantra. Yet wouldn't I be right that the worst afflicted banks (Bear Stearns, Lehman) are the ones least diversified, the ones that took least advantage of Glass Steagall repeal? Can we document that Federal preemption really changed anything?

I know, that's not really his point--his point being to try to shame four guys who seem to have no sense of shame, and who pass on, as an "investigation report," a set of AEI talking points that they could have drafted before the commission was ever appointed.

Buce:

Underbelly: The Blogger has Questions: They say the Devil has nine questions. Barry Ritholtz has ten; he poses them to the four guys [Peter Wallison, Keith Hennessey, Bill Thomas and Douglas Holtz-Eakin] who didn't finish their term paper:

From 2001 to 2003, Alan Greenspan took rates down to levels not seen in almost half a century, then kept them there for an unprecedentedly long period. What was the impact of ultra low interest rates on Housing, credit, the bond markets, and derivatives?

How significant were the Ratings Agencies (S&P, Moodys and Fitch) to the collapse? What did their AAA ratings on junk derivatives affect? What about their being paid directly by underwriters for these ratings?

The Commodities Futures Modernization Act of 2000 removed all Derivatives from all oversight, including reserve requirements, exchange listings, and disclosures. What effect did the CFMA have on firms such as AIG, Bear, Lehman, Citi, Bank of America?

Prior to 2004, Investment Houses were limited to 12-to-1 leverage by the SEC’s net capitalization rule. In 2004, the 5 largest investment banks asked for, and received, a full exemption from leverage restrictions (known as the Bear Stearns exemption) These five firms all jacked up their leverage. What impact did this increased leverage have on the crisis?

For seven decades, Glass Steagall separated FDIC insured depository banks from riskier investment houses. Prior to the repeal of Glass Steagall in 1998, the market had regular crashes that did not spill over into the real economy: 1966, 1970, 1974, and most telling of all, 1987. What impact did the repeal of Glass Steagall have on the banking system during the 2008-09 crash?

NonBank Lenders: Most of the sub-prime mortgages were made by unregulated non-bank lenders. They had a ”Lend to securitize” business model, and they sold enormous amounts of subprime loans to Wall Street for this purpose. Primarily located in California, they were also unregulated by both the Federal Reserve and the California State legislator. What was the impact of these firms?

These firms abdicated traditional lending standards. They pushed option arms, interest only loans, and negative amortization mortgages, all of which defaulted in huge numbers. Was non-bank sub prime lending a major factor in the crisis?

The entire world had a simultaneous global housing boom and bust. US legislation such as the CRA or Fannie & Freddie only covered US housing and lenders. How did this cause a worldwide boom and bust — even bigger than that in the US ?

Prior to the 2004, many States had Anti-Predatory Lending (APL) laws on their books (and lower defaults and foreclosure rates). In 2004, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Federally Preempted state laws regulating mortgage credit and national banks. What was the impact of this OCC Federal Preemption ?

Corporate Structure: None of the Wall Street partnerships got into trouble, only the publicly traded iBanks. Partnerships have full personal liability for their losses. What was the impact of this lack of personal liability of senior management on Wall Street risk management?

Comment: Some of these come close to being purely rhetorical in the sense that (I suspect) Barry feels he knows the answer, and that the answer is damning to the culprits. For every one of them, I suspect somebody over at the American Enterprise Institute will be ready with a memo showing that it was a total non-issue and oh look! There's Barney Frank! Even given AEIs risible record of "research," still a number of these do represent real issues on which I'd love to have a better sense of who is right. Example: repeal of Glass Steagall is part of the standard mantra. Yet wouldn't I be right that the worst afflicted banks (Bear Stearns, Lehman) are the ones least diversified, the ones that took least advantage of Glass Steagall repeal? Can we document that Federal preemption really changed anything?

I know, that's not really his point--his point being to try to shame four guys who seem to have no sense of shame, and who pass on, as an "investigation report," a set of AEI talking points that they could have drafted before the commission was ever appointed.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

News organizations have lately opted to hire fewer reporters, and to cut newsrooms' Saturday staffs. As NPR and Reuters issued erroneous reports of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' death this weekend, the downside of such cuts seems clear.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Harry Shearer: The News Doesn't Sleep -- Except on Weekends

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

An F.D.A. panel considers what to do about menthol flavoring in cigarettes.

Transfer news: Arsenal to move for Gary Cahill or Per Mertesacker ...

With Squillaci and Vermaelen injured, Wenger admits a centre-back is a January priority.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Making Money Tips

My guest on Hedge Fund Radio this week is penny stock trader and Internet entrepreneur, Tim Sykes. Every once in a while I run into a natural born trader, someone who crawls out of the crib quoting options spreads, price earnings multiples, and book values. His first spoken word was “Sell!” While other kids were practicing their ABC’s, Tim was pouring through prospectii.

During his college years, Tim skipped classes and turned a $12,415 Bar Mitzvah gift into $1.65 million by trading the market from his dorm room. By the time he graduated from Tulane in 2003, he was already running his own hedge fund. Barclays Bank rated it the number one short bias fund during 2003-2006.

Tim argues that if you cut through all the hype and manipulation in the penny stock market, it is clear that there are huge opportunities on the short side. Most of the companies trading there are frauds, and most will fail. Mini Enron’s and mini Madoff’s abound.

Defined as trading under $5 a share, these stocks are purchased mostly by individuals desperate for “get rich quick” success. Promoters buy lists of email addresses from major online publishers, sometimes paying millions of dollars, to launch a never ending onslaught of “pump and dump” schemes. Email barrages and Twitter spam have replaced the dinnertime telemarketing calls and junk mail of yore.

The SEC is so inundated with tips on Madoff copycats and competitors ratting out each other, they don’t have time to pursue gripes about $1,000 losses emanating from penny stock scams. It’s like expecting the FBI to pursue shoplifters of 99 cent items from Seven Eleven stores.

Some of the claims made by these bogus IPO’s boggle the imagination. Tim’s favorite was one company’s efforts to promote vitamins infused with stem cells. Another offered a solar spray that turned you house into an energy source. Then there was the BP Gulf oil spill that threw up innumerable crude eating forms of algae. As for my own experience, I’ll never forget the aquaculture farm in the middle of the Saudi Arabian desert. To separate out the obvious rip offs from the legitimate companies, Tim spends hours a day gleaning through voluminous SEC filings, some of which are blatant cut and paste jobs from earlier failed floatations.

Even though most of these companies are fake, prices can run away to the upside, wiping out the early short sellers. So some risk control discipline is required. When a stock truly rockets, “buy-ins” of shorts can also be a problem. A few hundred penny stocks are launched each year, but only about five a month catch on fire. And remember, Apple (AAPL), and True Religion (TRLG) jeans were once penny stocks.

To avoid being taken to the cleaners by unscrupulous con men, Tim offers some very basic advice. If it is too good to be true, it generally is. It also helps to read the SEC filings, which can be obtained online for free.

Tim claims to have a success rate with his short strategy of 75%, which has delivered a 56% return in 2010, proving he still has the golden touch. His problem is that the strategy is not scalable, and can only be executed with a small amount of money. No mega hedge fund for him.

That’s why Tim has turned to online education instead of ramping up a big hedge fund. Today, he is offering several subscription newsletters, trade alerts, chat rooms, along with a DVD course on making money in the penny stock market at his website at http://www.timothysykes.com/ .

To listen to my highly informative and entertaining interview with Time Sykes on Hedge Fund Radio, please click here at http://www.madhedgefundtrader.com/december-22-2010-time-sykes.html .

To see the data, charts, and graphs that support this research piece, as well as more iconoclastic and out-of-consensus analysis, please visit me at www.madhedgefundtrader.com . There, you will find the conventional wisdom mercilessly flailed and tortured daily, and my last two years of research reports available for free. You can also listen to me on Hedge Fund Radio by clicking on “This Week on Hedge Fund Radio” in the upper right corner of my home page.

Mollie Vandor is the product manager for Ranker.com where she likes to make lists about reading, eating and bad-TV-watching. She’s also the media director for Girls in Tech LA. You can find her on Twitter @Mollierosev and on her blog.

Whether you’re looking to make a big change, or just tweak a few little things, the new year gives you the perfect opportunity to reflect on your behavior and resolve to do better going forward.

Of course, it’s one thing to say you want to tackle a typical resolution like get in better physical shape, get in better financial shape or — like many of us who work on the web — get your social media presence in order. It’s another thing to actually accomplish those big, broad goals.

So this year, instead of making your goals big and broad, why not take a page from the web world and use analytics to pinpoint the specific stuff you want to change? And, by that same token, why not use data tracking to hold yourself accountable for keeping all those resolutions too?

Read on for some tips on how to use social media to corral your New Year’s resolutions. Let us know in the comments below what tips worked for you, or share your own resolution advice.

Let’s Get Physical/>

There’s the freshman 15 everyone gains from collegiate pizza and beer, and then there’s the startup 15 many of us tech geeks gain from sodas and office snacks. Between the time spent sitting in front of a computer screen and the time spent networking over drinks and dinners, it’s easy to put on pounds when you work on the web. Of course, you can always try the startup diet, but that’s not necessarily going to work for everyone.

Keeping a food and exercise log might sound like a daunting task, but it turns out you may already be tracking some of that data without even knowing it. Foursquareclass="blippr-nobr">foursquare actually lets you see your entire checkin history and, if you do a quick search, you can find it so you can easily see whether you’ve really been going to the gym or frequenting your fast food runs.

Similarly, the Foursquare stats page lets you see your own checkin trends in handy graphs and lists. There’s even a site called weeplaces that lets you turn your Foursquare, Facebook Places and class='blippr-nobr'>Gowallaclass="blippr-nobr">Gowalla checkins into graphic visualizations. And, weeplaces will let you filter those visualizations by food-related checkins and parks and recreation checkins, so you can really get a handle on your history.

class='blippr-nobr'>Google Mapsclass="blippr-nobr">Google Maps also lets you search your own history, so can get a visual reminder of the places you’ve been searching for, and start picking up on trends in your own behavior. You just have to enable it. And, of course, there’s the age-old pedometer, made a lot easier and more fashionable via a host of iPhoneclass="blippr-nobr">iPhone and Androidclass="blippr-nobr">Android apps that let you easily track how much you’re walking without having to do anything more than a quick download.

Of course, once you establish the things you want to change about your eating and exercising habits, you still have to make those changes stick. class='blippr-nobr'>Appsclass="blippr-nobr">Apps like LoseIt, Weight Watchers and LiveStrong let you log calories you eat and calories you burn via your smartphone. Fitango prescribes personalized plans to help you get in shape, and gives you a forum for sharing milestones you meet with your friends. Similarly, Phitter is like a fitness-focused class='blippr-nobr'>Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter stream where people share weight loss trials, tribulations and tips to help keep each other going.

Or, you can try something like the Social Workout Challenge, which gives you fitness goals to meet and a community of people to keep you accountable for meeting them. If you really want to take your weight tracking to the next level, there’s even a scale that automatically tweets your weight to the world. While you’re at it, FixNixer and QuitMeter also give you similar tools for tracking your way out of a smoking habit, another great way to get yourself in better physical shape in the new year.

Money, Money, Money/>

For many people, the New Year is also a great time to get a fresh financial start. But again, it’s a lot easier to make changes going forward when you know how you’ve been behaving in the past. That’s where a site like Mint.com can be very handy. class='blippr-nobr'>Mintclass="blippr-nobr">Mint aggregates all of your various accounts, including credit cards, bank accounts and assets, and then turns your spending habits into easy-to-read charts and graphs that show you where you’re spending and where you could be saving. It even lets you compare your shopping and spending habits with other people in your area, so you can see how you stack up. Many credit cards, like American Express Blue and Visa Signature, also give you year-end spending summaries that show you how much you’ve spent, how much you’ve saved, how much interest you’ve accumulated and more.

Once you’ve nailed down how your money is going out the door, you can start figuring out ways to keep more of it in your wallet. Again, this is where tracking will be key to actually keeping those resolutions. First, you can establish your financial goals via an online calculator, which lets you figure out exactly how much to start saving. Once you’ve figured out your goals, there are more than 50 great, free mobile apps to help you track your spending. On Facebook, the BillMonk app will help you keep better track of those tricky situations where you’re sharing a bill with friends, and you need to make sure everyone knows what they owe. XPenser lets you record your expenses from any device, including via tweet and e-mail, and TweetWhatYouSpend gives you a forum for sharing your expenditures with everyone on Twitter, so your friends can help hold you accountable when you blow your budget shopping those post-holiday sales.

Get Your Social Media in Shape/>

Whether or not you work on the web, if you’re reading class='blippr-nobr'>Mashableclass="blippr-nobr">Mashable, chances are you have a social media presence. And, just like your physical and financial identities, your social media self might be due for a little makeover in 2011 too. The good news is that the data is even easier to find when you’re talking about your personal tech habits. For example, you can use the Top Words app to figure out the topics you talk about most on class='blippr-nobr'>Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook. Klout tells you which topics you talk about the most on Twitter, and all sorts of other stats that will help you pinpoint what it is about your social media presence that you may want to change.

Similarly, BackType analyzes your Twitter profile and tells you what percentage of your tweets are replies, retweets, links, etc. Like Klout, it also tells you who you’re influencing and who your influencers are. And, it shows you your most shared sites. All of these are great data points for determining things you’d like to change about your social media presence. Finally, ViralHeat gives you in-depth analysis of the sentiment around your various social network profiles, which really lets you hone in on how your social media behavior is being received by your followers on Facebook, Twitter and across the web.

Once you’ve established what you want to change, you can set up ViralHeat to send alerts and updates directly to your inbox so you can track the impact of those changes on the fly. Similarly, since Klout and BackType both update regularly now, you can see your statistics change as your behavior does, which is a great way to keep yourself motivated. And, of course, make sure you set up Google Alerts to track all the activity around your various accounts.

If your resolution involves blogging more often, there are plenty of apps to help you do that on the go, right from your phone. Another way to remind yourself of things you want to blog, tweet or post about is by using a service like TwittRemind, which lets you tweet yourself reminders to do things throughout the day.

To make the most of your many profiles, consider setting up a hub page via a service like about.meclass="blippr-nobr">about.me, which lets you showcase all your profiles in one place. Or, sign up for a social network aggregation service to make it easier to make changes on all your profiles at once. You also might want to consider setting up a targeted Twitter list of friends and followers who can help you hold yourself accountable and focus your social media efforts so you can minimize the number of relationships you’re managing and maximize the return you’re getting from all these changes.

New Year, New You/>

Whether your New Year’s resolutions involve getting yourself in better physical, financial or social media shape, the web can help you figure out exactly what you want to change and how you’re going to keep yourself accountable for changing it. 2011 is a brand new year and a completely fresh start, and, breaking your New Year’s resolutions is so 2010.

More Social Media Resources from Mashable:

- 10 More Creative Uses of the New Facebook Profile [PICS]/> - 10 Cool Facebook Status Tips and Tricks/> - 6 Reasons Why Social Games Are the Next Advertising Frontier/> - 3 Things Brands Must Do to Reach Millennials Online/> - How Social Media Can Help With Your Long Distance Job Search

Image courtesy of iStockphotoclass="blippr-nobr">iStockphoto, DNY59

For more Social Media coverage:

class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Social Mediaclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Social Media 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

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Thursday, January 6, 2011

Making Money Now

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.

Making maple syrup in a hotter world

Maggie Koerth-Baker at 8:59 AM Thursday, Dec 30, 2010

It's hard to take big-picture global temperature increases and bring them down to a personal level—partly because of that confusion between weather and climate, and partly because scientists simply have a better understanding what is very likely to happen in an averaged-out global system, than they have of how changes in that global system are likely to affect your backyard.

I like the way Climate Wisconsin is trying to bridge that gap. First, they use interactive visuals to show the local symptoms of climate change, like rising average temperatures and fewer days of ice cover of Wisconsin lakes. Then, they connect those symptoms to Wisconsin life. If these trends continue, what impact will they have on things like fishing, forestry, farming and, yes, the making of maple syrup.

It's a hard line to walk. The family featured in this video has recently experienced some of the worst years for making maple syrup in four generations. But, because weather isn't climate, next year could be better for them, even as the climate, overall, continues to warm. At the same time, though, climate change is likely to have long-term impacts on where and how well sugar maples can grow—and when, and for how long, their sap runs in spring.

I think this video and the related essay do a better-than-average job of making that distinction. This family won't be out of business next year. But, over time, climate change is very likely to make this work harder for them. The harder it gets, Wisconsin traditions associated with maple syrup making will become less common—and the 5-million-dollar syrup industry will bring less money to the state.

Also, I just finished re-reading Little House in the Big Woods, and it's fun to see how the process of maple syrup production has, and hasn't, changed since Grandpa Ingalls threw a sugaring-off party at his Wisconsin cabin in the late 1860s. Check out the taps they hammer into the maples. They look just like the Little House illustrations, but instead of draining into wooden buckets, the sap now flows into plastic bags.

Thanks to agroman for Submitterating!

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

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Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

Read our Xbox 360 news of Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects.

Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

Read our Xbox 360 news of Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects.

Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

surface encounters noblesville
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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

Read our Xbox 360 news of Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects.

Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

Read our Xbox 360 news of Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects.

Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

surface encounters
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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

Read our Xbox 360 news of Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects.

Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

surface encounters
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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

Read our Xbox 360 news of Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects.

Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

surface encounters michigan
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Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects Xbox 360 News - Page 1 ...

Read our Xbox 360 news of Microsoft sells 8 million Kinects.

Small Business News: Recommitting To Social Media in 2011

How important will social media be to small business in 2011? Likely even more important than it was in 2010. Let's face it. Social media gives small business.

U.S. Health Expenditures Increased 4% In 2009 - Kaiser Health News

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, however, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy.

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Wednesday, January 5, 2011

personal finances help

Seven thousand a day. That's the rate at which the first wave of baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) will turn 65 years old in 2011. Reuters reports that a survey of 801 people turning 65 next year was conducted by Woelfel Research Inc. for the AARP recently. They discovered that of those surveyed, 54 percent have already retired. Another interesting finding was that of those surveyed, 44 percent, said they plan to take classes or learn something new, while 61 percent said they want to travel more.

Sounds like the baby boomers are going to redefine retirement and that rocking chair sales will be declining. “The 'tune in, turn on, drop out' crowd never got around to that last part." said Steve Cone, AARP executive vice president. Martha Madden certainly hasn't dropped out. Her latest project is a book designed to help the millions of baby boomers deal with what she has labeled as “gap-time.

No doubt Ms. Madden will be pleased with another finding from the previously mentioned research; 78 percent of those questioned said that they were “satisfied with the way things are going in their lives.” It sounds like those folks are happy with their financial situations and that makes them great candidates for Wake Up, It’s Gap-Time — A Guided Tour to Transitioning and Planning for Your Retirement Dreams.

Author Madden has put together an amazing career in education, consultancy, and local, state, and federal government experience (marked with envious achievements and awards). Rarely does an author come along with the experience, education, and integrity as Martha A. Madden. Take her advice. She explains, “If your wish is to do more than take back-to-back cruises or hang out at Disney World with the grandkids, you're in the right place. Gap-time is NOT financial planning: it is 'you' planning.” She defines “gap-time” as a twelve year period beginning six years before retirement and involves planning for almost every aspect of your life except finances.

Continued on the next page

Washington (CNN) - Republican Christine O'Donnell, who lost her Delaware Senate bid, is scoffing at reports the Justice Department and FBI have launched a criminal investigation into possible misuse of campaign funds, telling CNN Thursday she only learned of the apparent probe from media inquiries.

"I find it awfully suspicious, that if there is an investigation that the [Associated Press] was tipped off before we were tipped off or our lawyer or any other officials," O'Donnell said during an interview on American Morning. "And as we've looked into it, this is simply the same CREW complaint that is obviously politically motivated that's been circulating for the past couple of months."

Justice Department prosecutors and FBI agents have started the investigation, a source with knowledge of the probe confirmed to CNN. The source could not speak on the record because of the investigation is deemed sensitive. The source would not provide any further details and the FBI and Justice Department had no comment. News of the investigation was first reported by the Associated Press.

When O'Donnell ran in the Republican primary and in the general election campaign, she faced repeated questions about her finances, including the use of her home that doubled for a time as her campaign headquarters. She acknowledged using some campaign funds to help pay the rent but is adamant she did not nothing wrong.

"We rent a townhouse that we use for the campaign headquarters," O'Donnell told CNN Thursday. "And because of things like eggs being thrown at my home and my home being broken into and vandalized, I use that townhome as my legal residency, and I pay the campaign rent in order to do that. I give the campaign money to have that as my legal residency. Not the other way around. So these things are being taken out of context."

The former Delaware Senate candidate also attributed the rumors of impropriety to a disgruntled former campaign volunteer, David Keegan, who submitted an affidavit to watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW) alleging misuse of campaign funds in a previous O'Donnell Senate bid.

"Dave Keegan was a volunteer in 2008 so how did he know about anything in 2009?" O'Donnell responded. "We let him go because he gave so many people on the campaign the creeps. Since then, he's become obsessed for whatever reason with putting the charges out there."

CREW subsequently filed complaints with the Federal Elections Commission and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Delaware regarding O'Donnell's finances, asking for investigations of her alleged use of campaign funds for personal expenses.

Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney acknowledged to CNN that the U.S. Attorney's office in Delaware had agreed to review the initial complaint filed by CREW. However, Sweeney declined to say whether federal prosecutors and FBI agents had gone beyond the initial review.

In a statement issued Wednesday, O'Donnell also suggested the investigation was the work of Vice President Joe Biden, the former longtime senator from Delaware.

"Given that the King of the Delaware Political Establishment just so happens to be the Vice President of the most liberal Presidential administration in U.S. history, it is no surprise that misuse and abuse of the FBI would not be off the table," she said.

A spokesman for Biden's office had no comment on O'Donnell's allegation.

O'Donnell, who shocked Republicans with her surprise primary victory over Rep. Mike Castle last fall, also told CNN the investigation is evidence of the political establishment's ongoing vendetta against her.

"Keep in mind, that we upset the Delaware political establishment," she said. "And we beat their so-called untouchable incumbent. There's a vendetta to stop this movement in its tracks because if the citizen politicians continue to rise up and put the career politicians on notice, we are going to continue to put the political establishment on notice."

– CNN's Kevin Bohn and Alexander Mooney contributed to this report

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Sworn in on Tuesday, Victoria Kolakowski became the country's first transgender trial judge. Surge Desk takes a look at her career and life accomplishments.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Making Fast Money

Who cares if you beat a team 7-3 with Randy Edsall, nothing would have happened in the game that would even encourage me to watch the entire game or care about the team. But if you hired Mike Leach and won 45-14 and I would have been glued to the TV the whole time and probably would have bought a bunch of merchandise because I was so excited. Winning isn’t enough, how you win is more important to fans. Why should we take time out of our daily lives to watch something that isn’t spectacular? Are you ADs and college presidents so thickheaded that you don’t see that?

Winning Cures All ills.

Once you get Leach in and get his offense flying high once again, people will forget the accusations against Leach; because most people already have. Anyone who actually looked into the evidence in Leach’s case would realize the entire situation was blown way out of proportion. And while Leach tries diligently to restore his reputation, which was torn down by Craig James and his buddies at ESPN, he gets publicly chastised for doing it.

At this point, no more negative publicity can possibly be generated around Leach, either Leach wins his case or he doesn’t, and that result is meaningless to any university anyway.

To all the Mike Leach haters out there:

You have to admit that his innovative offense was interesting, to say the least. It beats the hell out of all the run 3 yards and fall down offenses out there, and for every prolific passing offense in college football, Leach made them look pedestrian. Leach’s offenses put up numbers that were so spectacular they made many college football teams’ statistics look like they belonged to high school teams.

Historical Figures are Remembered because They Didn't Play It Safe

Everything about Mike Leach screams innovative and outside-the-box, however these are the same terms that scare away potential employers. Universities continually make the nice, safe, inside-the-box hire and have to start over within five years, if not sooner. Think about this for a second, take a look at history overall, the historical figures we remember are not the ones who played it safe or colored inside the lines, for instance: Abraham Lincoln, Christopher Columbus, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton , Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, or Pablo Picasso. Each of them were innovative thinkers, none of them fell into the groove of old world belief is truth because it has always been considered to be.

This is not just a testament to what Leach’s innovative thinking can create, but a challenge to any conservation AD or University president out there, don’t allow yourself to be conventional. The safe horse is too slow to win the race, so why bet on the safe horse? In the end, who cares what others think of you? The winner is still the winner, even if the winner’s friends don’t like how they accomplished it. Anyone who’s ever accomplished anything did it their way. People who aren’t conventional are tough to beat, because they aren’t predictable. In a world of boring football, the prolific, gutsy, gun slinging trendsetter is king.

Why Acting Out of Cowardice Doesn't Bode Well For You

One good thing can come out of cowardice, you live to fight another day, or in this case you lose to win another day. When you make the safe choice, a hire that falls under the radar, it’s almost as if you are accepting mediocrity, and letting your fan base know, "We said we did, but we don't really care if you watch our team."

Somewhere along the line Athletic Directors started valuing their own job security over winning potential, which a-lack-there-of ends up getting them fired anyway. Athletic Director Kevin Anderson is the gutless fool who decided that stoking the fire that keeps the Maryland engine burning was just not safe, the fire could grow too hot.

It basically came down to, he felt Edsall was more enthusiastic about his ability to drive the Maryland program into the ground, and couldn't say no. If you're gonna ask Leach to butter up to you, in order to get a job, you must not like blowing out the competition all that much.

Anderson made it clear that he took input from the search committee and President Wallace D. Loh, but this decision to hire Edsall was his decision, meaning that Anderson’s fate is now linked with Edsall's. Pity, if I was betting all my money on a boxer in a heavyweight fight, I’d like to have something more to lean on than he’s enthusiastic about boxing. Do you want a precision gunslinger or a suck up cheerleader?

The safest thing an AD can do is swing big and go for the homerun, at least then if things didn’t work out they could walk out with their head held high knowing they didn’t do the gutless thing and make the safe hire, because they were afraid of what people might think of them.

The Real Losers in This Deal are Maryland Alumni and Maryland Fans

Former Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen went 9-4 last season behind a freshman of the year quarterback and was the ACC coach of the year. Fans were hoping that firing a coach who had shown real promise would benefit them because they would get a coach who could bring real excitement and a record of success. They we're given Randy Edsall. This has left many Maryland Alums livid and unwilling to contribute any money to a school that can't even invest in it's own success.

In Conclusion:

To any wise University President, Chancellor, or Athletic Director, don't make a move just because it is conventional. Winners take chances, winners are gutsy, and winners don't let tradition dictate what they will do. Leach has no downside, who doesn't have baggage? Don't be such a spineless wimp, because doing that will get you fired anyway.

Always put the fans first, because they are the ones who keep football going. Honestly, if you want those stands full, you better put something on that field that will make people demand a ticket, if not, we have better things to do.

For anyone doubting that Mike Leach is innocent, read my article showing the facts and videos that weren't shown on ESPN. After reading it, you'll see things differently.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/540633-the-mike-leach-firing-testimonies-and-videos-that-show-leachs-innocence

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.

robert shumake

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John Roberts Leaves CNN for Fox News - NYTimes.com

Executives at CNN confirmed Monday that John Roberts, who served as the morning anchor for the network since April 2007, would be joining Fox News as a national correspondent.

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Oprah began her new cable television network -- OWN -- at noon on New Year's Day, a network dedicated to the total and complete absence of mean-spiritedness.

robert shumake

Pink Floyd Re-Signs With EMI: Good News for the Band or the Label?

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John Roberts Leaves CNN for Fox News - NYTimes.com

Executives at CNN confirmed Monday that John Roberts, who served as the morning anchor for the network since April 2007, would be joining Fox News as a national correspondent.

Opinion: Can Oprah Help Restore Civility? - AOL News

Oprah began her new cable television network -- OWN -- at noon on New Year's Day, a network dedicated to the total and complete absence of mean-spiritedness.

robert shumake

Winning Cures All ills.

At this point, no more negative publicity can possibly be generated around Leach, either Leach wins his case or he doesn’t, and that result is meaningless to any university anyway.

To all the Mike Leach haters out there:

Historical Figures are Remembered because They Didn't Play It Safe

Why Acting Out of Cowardice Doesn't Bode Well For You

The Real Losers in This Deal are Maryland Alumni and Maryland Fans

In Conclusion:

For anyone doubting that Mike Leach is innocent, read my article showing the facts and videos that weren't shown on ESPN. After reading it, you'll see things differently.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/540633-the-mike-leach-firing-testimonies-and-videos-that-show-leachs-innocence

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.

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.

Merry Christmas!

Previously: Looking Pretty for the Holidays.

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robert shumake

Pink Floyd Re-Signs With EMI: Good News for the Band or the Label?

Progressive rock legends Pink Floyd have re-signed with their longtime record label EMI.

John Roberts Leaves CNN for Fox News - NYTimes.com

Executives at CNN confirmed Monday that John Roberts, who served as the morning anchor for the network since April 2007, would be joining Fox News as a national correspondent.

Opinion: Can Oprah Help Restore Civility? - AOL News

Oprah began her new cable television network -- OWN -- at noon on New Year's Day, a network dedicated to the total and complete absence of mean-spiritedness.

robert shumake

Pink Floyd Re-Signs With EMI: Good News for the Band or the Label?

Progressive rock legends Pink Floyd have re-signed with their longtime record label EMI.

John Roberts Leaves CNN for Fox News - NYTimes.com

Executives at CNN confirmed Monday that John Roberts, who served as the morning anchor for the network since April 2007, would be joining Fox News as a national correspondent.

Opinion: Can Oprah Help Restore Civility? - AOL News

Oprah began her new cable television network -- OWN -- at noon on New Year's Day, a network dedicated to the total and complete absence of mean-spiritedness.

robert shumake detroit

If there is a will, there is a way! It is an old saying that has stood the test of time even up to the very complex times that we are living in today. Nevertheless, it is ironic that still some people do not like to believe that making fast money is possible, despite so much of undisputable evidence to support it.

There are certain laws that govern and explain the extent to which our thoughts affect the actual outcome of events. One such law is the Law of Attraction which states that what you desire is what you get. Unfortunately, what you desire is influenced by your thoughts to such an extent that you cannot desire a positive outcome if your thoughts continually dwell on a negative outcome. In such circumstances, it is only the negative outcome that you would get.

Likewise, making money fast would be only possible if you believe in it from the depths of your core. All like to make fast money, but most are reluctant to believe it is possible. They advocate that you can make money only through struggle and hard work and any vision to the contrary is only a pipe dream. If you discipline your thoughts to believe that you would make money fast, surely you shall accomplish it. The following three steps would help you in disciplining yourself to making fast money.

- The First Step -

Have an unwavering target as to how much you want to make. A wish to make money is void without an exact amount. For your desire to materialize, let it not remain only a wish; like a foundation laid on loose ground that is bound to sink. Give depth to your desire to make fast money with the next goal as to when you want it.

- The Second Step -

This step is where you relate your desire to action by enunciating to your thoughts (subconscious) as to by what means you would make that sum of money on the set date. You must clearly set the course of action through which you will achieve your goal, and the universe will send the inspired action to you as a nudge.

- The Third Step -

This is the most powerful step where you transform your desired goals to the status of a strong unfailing light, a vision to always go with you giving you every encouragement until the goals are achieved. Surround this vision with particles of positive energy so that no seeds of doubt will ever penetrate it. Thoughts of difficulties or failure should never pierce it and it should always manifest itself in your conscious and sub conscious minds as a reality and never as a part of your imagination. As long as this vision stays in your thoughts as a reality, you should achieve your goal of making that amount of money on the set date.

robert shumake

Pink Floyd Re-Signs With EMI: Good News for the Band or the Label?

Progressive rock legends Pink Floyd have re-signed with their longtime record label EMI.

John Roberts Leaves CNN for Fox News - NYTimes.com

Executives at CNN confirmed Monday that John Roberts, who served as the morning anchor for the network since April 2007, would be joining Fox News as a national correspondent.

Opinion: Can Oprah Help Restore Civility? - AOL News

Oprah began her new cable television network -- OWN -- at noon on New Year's Day, a network dedicated to the total and complete absence of mean-spiritedness.

robert shumake detroit

robert shumake

Winning Cures All ills.

At this point, no more negative publicity can possibly be generated around Leach, either Leach wins his case or he doesn’t, and that result is meaningless to any university anyway.

To all the Mike Leach haters out there:

Historical Figures are Remembered because They Didn't Play It Safe

Why Acting Out of Cowardice Doesn't Bode Well For You

The Real Losers in This Deal are Maryland Alumni and Maryland Fans

In Conclusion:

For anyone doubting that Mike Leach is innocent, read my article showing the facts and videos that weren't shown on ESPN. After reading it, you'll see things differently.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/540633-the-mike-leach-firing-testimonies-and-videos-that-show-leachs-innocence

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.

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.

Merry Christmas!

Previously: Looking Pretty for the Holidays.

robert shumake