Clipmarks | cmstratton's clips

Where's Our Energy Policy???

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:50:07 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: It blows my mind that we still allow OPEC to dictate so much of our economy because our leaders are so short-sighted and "in the box" thinkers that they can't develop an energy policy that removes OPEC from the picture.

We have so many sources of domestic, renewable energy, there's no reason we need to continue relying on oil.

If our politicians didn't have their heads up their a$*es the last 20 years we wouldn't be in this position now.

Clip Source: money.cnn.com

VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- OPEC oil ministers agreed Wednesday to trim overall output by more than 500,000 barrels a day in a compromise meant to avoid new turmoil in crude markets while seeking to bolster falling prices.

The news sent oil prices rising. Light, sweet crude for October delivery rose 97 cents to $104.23 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

A statement issued by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries issued after oil ministers ended their meeting early Wednesday said the organization agreed to produce 28.8 million barrels a day.

It's Simple People - They Charge More Because We'll Pay It

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:44:54 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: It always dumbfounds me how people can get so "up in arms" about issues like this.

A company delivers a product or service and charges for it. If supply is decreased, or demand is increased, or both, they can raise prices for the product or service. It's the first law of market dynamics.

In the case of texting, we consumers can't get enough of it (demand). Supply isn't really an issue in this case because texting uses so little network bandwidth they can offer unlimited texting plans.

It's simple then - the wireless operators have raised prices because we'll pay for it - we have to have our texting. If we want them to lower prices, we can all stop texting as much and instead use a different form of communication.

It's like gas prices - we reached a point where the price was too high so we started using less and voila, the prices came down. Granted there were other factors involved, but decreased demand was a huge reason for it.

Stop texting as much and prices WILL com

Clip Source: news.cnet.com

Sen Herb Kohl, chair of the Antitrust Subcommittee in the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter Tuesday to the four major wireless carriers--AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile--asking them to explain the dramatic price increases for text messaging services.

"Some industry experts contend that these increased rates do not appear to be justified by any increases in the costs associated with text messaging services, but may instead be a reflection of a decrease in competition, and an increase in market power, among your four companies," Kohl said in the letter.

The cost of text messaging since 2005 has increased 100 percent from 10 cents to 20 cents for all four providers. Mobile operators have reaped huge profits from the increased prices, CNET reported in July.

Only Spend What You Have - Now That's a Novel Thought

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:49:29 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: It's no surprise our budget deficit soared again. Bush has pushed tax rebates and lower taxes overall, which is great. But when you couple it with increased spending, it spells disaster.

Republicans will be quick to point out Democrats want to increase government spending and taxes, but the results show Republicans are just as good at spending money, if not better. The difference is they won't take responsibility for it and instead will leave us in a deficit for the next regime to handle.

Clip Source: money.cnn.com

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The budget deficit will jump by $246 billion to $407 billion this year, the Congressional Budget Office estimates in a report released Tuesday.

The agency attributes the jump to "a substantial increase in spending and a halt in the growth of tax revenues."

That drop in revenue is driven largely by the rebates provided to tax filers from the economic stimulus law Congress passed earlier this year. The spending hike is partly due to efforts by the government "to cover the insured deposits of insolvent financial institutions," the agency said.

The CBO said it expected the deficit to exceed $400 billion - or 3% of gross domestic product - for each of the next two years if current policies remain in place. It also forecast several more months of "very slow" economic growth.

Digital Divide - Is it the Chicken or the Egg?

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:26:22 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: I've read a lot about the so called digital divide a lot in various news outlets and agree, it's definitely a real issue and one that needs to be addressed.

However, this article made me think whether or not having access to the Internet is the issue. Especially when I see the statistic that only 29% of people who haven't graduated high school have Internet access.

Is the real issue education? Is it not that some groups don't have access to the Internet, but that the lack of quality education they receive leads them to not realize or understand why access to information on the net is so valuable?

I don't know the answer to the question, but I do know our public school systems are terrible in many places. Maybe we need to focus on educating our youth. If we don't, even if they do get Internet access, what will they really do with it?

Clip Source: news.cnet.com

Overwhelmingly, these unconnected individuals tend to be minorities and people with low education levels. A recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that only 57 percent of African Americans and 37 percent of Hispanics have Internet access. And only 29 percent of people who have not graduated from high school are connected to the Internet.

There's been a lot of chatter over the years about the digital divide or the idea that there is a great chasm between people who have access to technology such as computers and the Internet, and those who do not. While some 68 percent of the U.S. population has access to the Internet via broadband or dial-up connections, there are still millions of people across the country who do not have any access at all.

If People Paid More Attention This Wouldn't Be An Issue

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:48:00 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: I can feel for the people in this story who were charged large fees for overdrafts of their accounts - but I can only feel so much.

To me, this problem is mainly due to people trying to pass responsibility for themselves and their actions onto someone else.

If you know you're close to being out of money in your account, you should be paying more attention to your balance - you should actually be doing this anyway. If you paid more attention, you'd know how much you had to spend, and wouldn't spend more than that. It's that simple people.

Now I can understand the issue with banks forcing you into overdraft protection and not allowing you to opt out. It should be optional.

But as for the fees themselves - it's an individual's responsibility to understand their accounts, know what they have available to them, and only spent what they have.

Getting upset is just failing to take responsibility for your actions.

Clip Source: money.cnn.com

You incur overdraft fees when a bank approves a transaction even though you don't have enough money in your account to cover it. The bank is basically charging you a flat fee for a temporary loan - usually between $25 and $35 - regardless of how much the overdraft was. Even a few pennies over your balance are enough to trigger the fees.

College student Miguel Carreon, for example, wrote in to tell us how he recently made eight payments (including charges as small as 99 cents) over the course of one weekend, which left him with overdraft charges totaling $264.

Amber in Raleigh, N.C. wrote in our talkback blog: "When I was 20, I balanced my checkbook wrong. One day I saw that I was $764 negative in my account. $704 of that was all from overdraft fees. $704!!!"

Lynn from Syracuse, N.Y. writes on our blog: "We tried to opt out of this 'convenience' and they would not allow it. That is the fact I find disturbing."

We DO Need More Domestic Energy...BUT...

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:01:40 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: Bush is absolutely right (I can't believe I'm saying that) - we absolutely do need to focus on more domestic energy production to reduce and ultimately eliminate out reliance on the Middle East.

He's absolutely wrong however (now that's more like it) when he says we need to get that additional domestic energy by drilling for more oil off-shore.

Pretty much all major scientific research - and even a great deal of the public - agree oil is not the answer to our energy crisis. There is only so much oil and any additional drilling will be far outnumbered by the increase in usage that will have occurred when we finally get that new oil online.

Could drilling for new oil help lower gas/fuel prices? Sure it could temporarily. But that would only slightly delay the inevitable. We NEED to reduce our energy consumption until we can find alternative and more abundant sources of clean energy to meet our needs.

Clip Source: money.cnn.com

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush said Tuesday that while it's too early to assess Hurricane Gustav's damage to U.S. oil infrastructure off the Gulf Coast, the storm should prompt Congress to OK more domestic oil production.

"One thing is for certain, when Congress comes back, they've got to understand that we need more domestic energy, not less," Bush said in the Roosevelt Room.

He added: "One place to find it is offshore America -- lands that have been taken off the books, so to speak, by congressional law -- and now they need to give us a chance to find more oil and gas here at home.

Shame on Apple - This is Censorship Plane and Simple

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:06:57 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: I'm very surprised at this action by Apple. I know they want to have approval over what gets added to it's App Store, but banning content because they feel it's too obscene or graphic is absolutely censorship.

A company like Apple that prides itself on "thinking different" should absolutely not be deciding what content is and is not appropriate for its users.

I can't stand it when corporate America decides it's in the best position to determine what is and is not appropriate for people.

If Apple is worried about kids accessing this content, what happened to the role of the parent? It should be a parent's job to determine what content their children access. Apple should not feel it needs to do this.

I'm a HUGE Apple fan and am a big proponent and user of its products. However, this action will seriously lead me to reconsider my perspective and stop using and promoting Apple products.

Clip Source: apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com

But Murderdrome has now joined the pantheon of suppressed fiction as the first digital book banished from Apple’s App Store by censors in Cupertino.

News that the work had been rejected by Apple was spread Tuesday evening by its publisher, Infurious Comics, which posted the entire first episode for free, along with a plea for support.

“PLEASE leave a comment,” wrote the strip’s creator, Paul Jason Holden. “We’ll forward ALL of these to Apple, so that we can ensure that not only Murderdrome, but that ANY comic submitted to Apple doesn’t fall foul of the same censorship.” (link)

Applications must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or other content or materials that in Apple’s reasonable judgement may be found objectionable by iPhone or iPod touch users.

What a Great Message to Send to Kids

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:11:39 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: I have to say, this story is a perfect example of the wrong message we've been sending to kids for years.

As a former HS teacher, I've experienced first hand how kids now have an expectation that they all should be rewarded, all should succeed, and all should be entitled to and given everything they want.

Parents don't want this kid to play not because they're afraid he'll hurt their kids physically, but because they're afraid their kids won't succeed.

Instead of teaching the message that sometimes in life you encounter obstacles and need to work harder to overcome them, this story teaches kids if you encounter an obstacle, it's the obstacles fault and you can just give up.

In other words, you shouldn't expect to have to work hard to achieve what you want in life - it should just be given to you.

Some say it's too early to teach that lesson, but I say it's never too early. This is a perfect opportunity to teach your kids how hard work can pay off and lead to success.

Clip Source: sports.espn.go.com

The right-hander has a fastball that tops out at about 40 mph. He throws so hard that the Youth Baseball League of New Haven told his coach that the boy could not pitch any more. When Jericho took the mound anyway last week, the opposing team forfeited the game, packed its gear and left, his coach said.

"He's never hurt any one," Vidro said. "He's on target all the time. How can you punish a kid for being too good?"

Jericho's coach and parents say the boy is being unfairly targeted because he turned down an invitation to join the defending league champion, which is sponsored by an employer of one of the league's administrators.

I Think it's AT&T's Network

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:21:16 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: I've had my 3G iPhone for about a month now, and living in the SF Bay Area, I pretty much keep 3G access off and use the phone on the slower EDGE network.

I've read a lot about reception issues with the iPhone, but I think it's a bigger network issue with AT&T.

I have other friends in the area with other 3G phones on AT&T and they seem to not get much 3G reception either. In some places it's great, but others it's pretty bad.

AT&T needs to upgrade their networks to make signals stronger. When they say signal strength should be excellent, I have a feeling they mean it should be excellent if you're standing in a wide open field with no buildings, power lines, cars, etc. around you degrading the signal.

Clip Source: www.macrumors.com

While Apple seems to finally have a handle on their MobileMe difficulties, it appears iPhone 3G issues persist despite the most recent firmware updates. The two most notable issues include 3G reception problems and iPhone application crashing.

The issue with 3G connectivity has been previously covered and results in some customers experiencing frequently dropped calls. It has been said that this issue is affecting 2% of iPhone 3G owners and will be fixable with a software update.

Monday's release of the 2.0.2 iPhone firmware brought some hope to affected users. An Apple spokesperson officially stated that the 2.0.2 firmware "improves communication with 3G networks". Despite these fixes, the problem appears to remain for some users.

I'm Pro Choice but I Agree with the Bush Administration on This One

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:55:15 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: I'm all for a woman's right to choose if she wants to end a pregnancy. But surprisingly, I'm with the Bush administration on protecting healthcare workers who wish not to be involved in abortions.

Just as a woman should have the right to choose (after consulting with the father of course), doctors and other healthcare professionals should be able to choose not to participate in procedures they are inherently against.

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt said health care professionals should not face retaliation from employers or from medical societies because they object to abortion.

The rule, which applies to institutions receiving government money, would require as many as 584,000 employers ranging from major hospitals to doctors' offices and nursing homes to certify in writing that they are complying with several federal laws that protect the conscience rights of health care workers. Violations could lead to a loss of government funding and legal action to recoup federal money already paid.

"Planned Parenthood continues to be concerned that the Bush administration's proposed regulation poses a serious threat to women's health care by limiting the rights of patients to receive complete and accurate health information and services," Richards added.

I agree but...

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:16:11 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: I'm mixed on this one. I agree most banks are a bit deceptive with their overdraft practices. They automatically sign you up for the overdraft service that they charge an insane amount for, but make you read the fine fine print to get the details.

Banks should make this service "opt-in" only - people would have to officially agree to it and sign a contract for it. Otherwise, they just decline purchases.

That said however, people should be more careful about knowing how much money they have and spending accordingly. Many banks now even offer balance tracking on a Web-enabled phone, in addition to online, so you should be able to know what you have.

I have a strong feeling - outside of mistakes of bloopers here and there (like the one presented in this article - ridiculous the bank wouldn't post the money into the account) - most people that get hit with these I imagine are getting hit because they're not paying attention to their money.

Clip Source: money.cnn.com

Overdraft fees set in when a bank approves a transaction even if the customer doesn't have sufficient funds. The bank is essentially providing a temporary loan and charging plenty - usually between $25 and $35, no matter how big or small the transaction.

Banks typically provide overdraft protection automatically, and while it's touted as a convenience, the cost can come as a shock to unsuspecting customers.

[Under the bill] consumers would have to "opt-in" to overdraft protection programs and banks would be required to inform consumers when they are about to overdraw their accounts."

The bill, which is currently pending before Congress, also requires that banks provide full, written disclosure of their overdraft policies to customers.

Also, since many banks offer online banking, telephone banking and balance alerts via e-mail for free, consumers should be able to keep a careful eye on their balance.

Political Correctness Is Going Overbaord

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:34:41 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: People in this country have gotten way too focused on being politically correct. It seems like everyone is on the lookout for something someone has done that could potentially be taken as insensitive of a particular individual or group.

I have a sister who is mentally retarded and am gay so the word "retard" and dealing with stereotypes is nothing new to me.

I have to say, taking offense to something like this should completely revolve around context. If I were out with my sister and someone started pointing, laughing, and calling her a retard, OBVIOUSLY I'd have a problem with it. Same as if someone came up to me and started pointing, calling me a faggot.

A satirical movie or a show like Will and Grace displaying stereotypes is nothing to get offended about. It's a movie. If you think it perpetuates stereotypes, you're also probably someone who feels movies and TV should be educating your children on life.

We need to get over ourselves and not be so uptight about these t

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

Prior to the premiere, I joined a large coalition of individuals and organizations to engage in discussions with DreamWorks Studios CEO Stacey Snider and others from the studio to express our concern over the film's "Simple Jack" subplot and the slogans, "Once upon a time there was a retard," and "Never go full retard."

Members of the Coalition of National Disability Organizations -- disabled advocates and family members of people with intellectual disabilities -- have seen the movie and reported shock and disgust. Their reactions have resonated with many of us who take their cause and their voice with the utmost seriousness.

While I am disappointed that we were not consulted in the same manner as other minority groups depicted in the film and that there are 17 mentions of the "R-word" with one mention of the "N-word," I am grateful to Ms. Snider for listening to the coalition and for taking steps to eliminate some of the film's most offensive marketing elements.

Why Should We Trust Them With More of our Money?

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:59:36 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: It's become pretty obvious to anyone paying attention, that state and federal governments are not good at managing money. We have a huge federal deficit, many states are facing huge deficits, and some large cities are even going bankrupt.

Why would we even consider raising taxes to give government even more of our money to mis-manage? All they'll do is pass more ridiculous legislation that spends our money even more unwisely.

Instead, let's focus on cutting government spending. Or an even more radical idea, let's run our governments like a business, led be real business executives instead of politicians.

I'm tired of seeing a large portion of my paycheck get flushed down the drain because our state and federal governments don't know a thing about how to spend it wisely.

Clip Source: news.cnet.com

With retail e-commerce sales now estimated to exceed $130 billion a year, and iTunes song purchases topping 5 billion, state politicians and tax collectors have begun to levy new fees on digital downloads.

"With global warming and a world that's running out of oil, the last thing governments should do is add taxes on something that uses no oil and produces no carbon," said Steve DelBianco, executive director of NetChoice. "A digital download is the greenest way to buy music, movies, and software, since it requires no driving to the store, no delivery vans, and no plastics or packaging."

The increasing popularity of online merchants makes taxes on digital downloads an attractive source of revenue for politicians; last week, for instance, we reported that iTunes was the top music retailer in the United States for the first half of 2008.

If You Use an Electronic Toll Pay System, READ THIS

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:21:58 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: Great article about the use of EZPass, FastTrak, or any other system you use to electronically pay road/bridge tolls when you go through the toll both.

Apparently they can easily be hacked and your account compromised.

Best bet they say is to keep it in the Mylar pouch it comes in, but most people I've seen have it stuck to their windshield permanently. If that's you, apparently there's also a device you can buy that deactivates it and prevents access to information until you flip the switch.

Read the article for more details.

Clip Source: news.cnet.com

LAS VEGAS--Electronic toll systems like FasTrak and E-ZPass may be convenient for drivers, but they are rife with privacy risks, a security expert said Wednesday at the Black Hat 2008 security conference.

Strangers with the right transponder reader walking through a parking lot can steal the ID number off the transponders that are visible through the windshield, put the data on their devices and pass through bridge and other tolls for free, with the victim paying the bill, according to Nate Lawson, principal of security consultancy Root Labs.

The transponder ID, which lacks encryption, could be wiped and switched with that of a device from a different car used in a crime, such as for alibi purposes, he said.

Or, you could just do what I do, and keep the device in the mylar pouch it comes in when you buy it and that will protect the data.

[Video]

Great Tips But Here's Another

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:56:54 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: I couldn't agree more with this article. I was definitely in the couple's shoes until getting some good advice.

Another way to quickly build up a reserve fund, especially if you own a home and it's early in the year - deposit your entire tax refund into your safety net account.

Resist the urge to splurge and you could have your net built up very quickly.

Clip Source: money.cnn.com

This cash account is a kind of insurance policy against financial calamity. When you're suddenly faced with a bill you couldn't possibly have budgeted for, the money is there. In a worst-case scenario, like a computer replacing your job, the fund can cover your family's living expenses while you look for work.

To figure out how much you need to save, you first need to calculate how much you spend every month. As tedious as it may seem, it pays off to go over the past three months of bills to get a monthly average of your expenses. At a minimum, include:

2. Measure your need

3. Find a place to put it

4. Build it up

5. Look but don't touch