YAHOO ANSWER: Save the house?

Friday, June 29, 2007

http:// answers.yahoo.com/question/
index?qid=20070629064900AA
YApu9&r=w&pa=FZptHWf.BGRX3OFMiTdUUu5YLEDi8eGRoafGUuX
AW0FILEo9DIr0vuSzxq4r5ZBFWi4H5BfoXtU4FBCOVA–&paid=answe
red

http://tinyurl.com/yqkrn9

Save the house?

QUESTION

Asked by “miss_spunderella”

Can someone PLEASE help us come up with ways to earn $15,000 so our house doesn’t get auctioned off?

We fell behind in our payments and our house is going up for forclosure in August. We are a family of six now and are happy in our home. with the struggles of school, work and availability for a babysitter, things have been more than we could manage. plus no male to help with the burden. We can work with someone on a private auto loan, or any kind of possible opportunities you can suggest. We are now employed and have a live in babysitter to help, so the loan will be re-paid promptly. PLEASE help with ideas, and possibilities so we are able to keep our home.

ANSWER

Dear “miss_spunderella”:

Well, losing one’s home is no joke. Coming to Yahoo Answers means you’ll have to take ALL advice, especially mine, with a large grain of NaCl.

As, I understand the gist, you’re behind in your mortgage payments and are at risk of foreclosure. Did you get a foreclosure notice from the lender? You need an attorney, a cpa, and a counselor to help you get thru this.

Assuming, a big assumption, that you hit a temporary bump in the road, and can NOW afford your payments. Your lawyer can help you get straight with the lender. No lender WANTS to foreclose. You may have legal rights to slow the process down and make it attractive to the lender to “cooperate”. Your accountant can help you understand what goes in, what goes out, and get you organized to avoid this in the future. A counselor can help you with the emotional roller coaster thru the processes. Your local social service agency may be able to help you with a grant or loan to keep you from getting throw out on the street and being homeless.

Assuming, again big assumption, that you just need some interim financing, say to overcome some unemployment, I’d aim you at your local bank, a credit union (the website to find a local one is below), and the PROSPER website (i.e., they mediate people to people loans; website below).

Hope this helps. I’m interested how it works out for you. Drop me a note sometime. My blog may have helpful “stuff”.

Ferdinand J. Reinke
Kendall Park, NJ 08824

SOURCES

http://prosper.com/
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/09/eveningnews/main2457400.shtml
http://www.creditunionsonline.com/
http://tinyurl.com/lxu93
http://www.reinkefaceslife.com/…

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UPDATE: Chosen best by voters. One vote between eight answers. Ten points!

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INTERESTING: Why we don’t want “electronic voting”

Friday, June 29, 2007

SUBMITTED TO RISKS

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0483726/

Man of the Year
with Robin Williams
as President Elect Tom Dobbs

*** begin quote ***

Tom Dobbs, comedic host of a political talk show – a la Bill Maher and Jon Stewart – runs for President of the US as an independent candidate who, after an issues-oriented campaign and an explosive performance in the final debate, gets just enough votes to win. Trouble is he owes his victory to a computer glitch in the national touch-screen voting system marketed by Delacroy, a private company with a rising stock price. To protect their fortune, Delacroy executives want to keep the glitch a secret, but one programmer, Eleanor Green, wants Dobbs to know the truth. Can she get to him? Written by jhailey.

*** end quote ***

Correct me if I am wrong, but did this movie just put a stake thru the heart of the vampire known as “electronic voting”?

Systems provided by Delacroy … err I mean Diebold … could manipulate the results of an election. Based on the movie, I’ve just emailed Ron Paul to change his name to Ron Paaul. (SPOILER: In the movie, the buggy computer program elects the candidate with the “best” double letter.) So if anyone wants to debate about paperless electronic internet voting and tell you how good it will be yada yada yada, just rent them this movie. That should finish up the discussion!

They say many a true word is said in jest.

Some times concepts can get thru via humor. My non-techie spouse said after watching this that it would now never be approved here. Hope she’s right.

This film IMHO says it all about that topic. And, says it in way that comes across to the average person.

fjohn

p.s.: The movie did have one other great line. Tom Dobbs says “Politicians are a lot like diapers. They should be changed frequently, and for the same reasons.” If you gather I’m no fan of politicians, you’re correct. They are like diapers!

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Posted by reinkefj

INTERESTING: The Paris Hilton Ad

Friday, June 29, 2007

http://www.bradbensonhyundai.net/contact_form.htm?bhcp=1

Re: The Paris Hilton Ad

Dear Mister Benson,

I know in your ads you go for “yucks”, and I particularly like when you skewer the politicians. Maybe you could offer the Guv a set of free seat belts?

Now about the “Paris Hilton” ad where you asked for appropriate punishments for Ms. Hilton — like cleaning your stable; again I know you are going for yucks, but in this case, I think we should go for a punishment that benefits everyone. So here goes.

Paris was supposedly jailed for basically drunk driving parole violation. I think “drunk driving” is one of the big “sins” for a driver.

(I thought it should have been Number #1 on the Pope’s list. When I go out and hoist even one, I won’t drive for fear of harming my fellow human. Good thing my old lady is a teetotaler!)

Notice I said drunk; not drinking. I think that if you have an accident and have been drinking, then you were drunk. Real simple. No roadside stops. No random checks. Cop sees you swerving or asleep at the traffic light, you go to jail for endangering your fellow drivers and their passengers. You kill someone, we throw away the key.

Anyway Paris is a celebrity. Politicians love celebrities. The media loves celebrities. AND I think the billboards that put a face on drunk driving fatalities are moving. So let’s use the “Paris Hilton” spotlight to some good.

So here’s my suggestion for Paris’ punishment. It’s not cleaning a stable but it might have a better result.

For EVERY county in California, let’s have Paris and the local California “legislators” visit the family home of a drunk driving fatality. Paris has to stand outside and ask for a picture of the victim. If the family wishes to tell the story, she has to listen. Then she has to turn to the camera and show that picture. Every day for THIRTY days.

Maybe, she’ll take away a lesson. Maybe, the “legislators” will take away a lesson. Maybe, the media will report the lesson. Maybe, we can all learn the lesson.

Maybe, the People will put a face on a human tragedy. And everyone will get serious about “drunk driving”.

How’s that for punishment? Now you know why I’ll never be a judge. Thanks for listening.

fjohn

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Correction: I had the wrong URL for the contest so I put the correct one at the top.

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By return email, a sales pitch:

bensonhilton

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Posted by reinkefj

LIBERTY: verdict wrong in one of six cases

Thursday, June 28, 2007

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?
id=070628135531.31cukrus&show_
article=1&catnum=-1

http://tinyurl.com/2hpup7

US juries get verdict wrong in one of six cases
Jun 28 09:55 AM US/Eastern

***Begin Quote***

So much for US justice: juries get the verdict wrong in one out of six criminal cases and judges don’t do much better, a new study has found.

And when they make those mistakes, both judges and juries are far more likely to send an innocent person to jail than to let a guilty person go free, according to an upcoming study out of Northwestern University.

*** AND ***

Finding a solution will be much harder to do than quantifying the problem, Heinz warned.

“The sources of the errors are quite resilient to correction,” he said.

“They have to do with all sorts of biases and the strong presumption of guilt when someone is arrested and brought to trial.”

***End Quote***

End you trust these people, the gooferment, and your fellow citizens to protect you?

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Posted by reinkefj

INTERESTING: ECONOMICS lab demos gooferment “rationing”

Thursday, June 28, 2007

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6243644.stm

Iran fuel rations spark violence

***Begin Quote***

Iranians set fire to a petrol station in Tehran

There were angry protests as people rushed to buy petrol
At least 12 petrol stations have been torched in the Iranian capital, Tehran, after the government announced fuel rationing for private vehicles.

*** and ***

Iran’s petrol is heavily subsidised, sold at about a fifth of its real cost.

The price of 1,000 rials ($0.11) per litre makes Iran one of the cheapest countries in the world for motorists.

***End Quote***

Sigh, gooferments can’t repeal the Law of Supply and Demand.

Price floors are a hidden tax. Price subsidies are a hidden tax.

Markets are peaceful “elections” where competing needs for the same good are award to the one whose “need” is the greatest. In a complex calculus, the market determines who gets what. It’s truly amazing. Rarely is everyone happy or satisfied, but the market peacefully allows us all to cooperate and get along.

When the heavy hand of gooferment comes along, it mucks stuff up. Causes friction and violence. It reinforces the zero-sum scarcity mentality.

The market on the other hand ensure that there is “plenty for everybody”. Higher prices have several simultaneous effects.

  • Everyone conserves. Three buck a gallon gas is used much more wisely that one buck a gallon.
  • High prices award products to those who “need” them the most (i.e., willing to pay more). Those whose need is less (i.e., won’t pay the high price) wait until the price comes down.
  • Producers ship more of a product to where the return on investment is higher. Plywood in NOLA after Katrina was earning more than in your local home depot.
  • Supply reduced locally encourages conservation and / or delayed gratification.

In short the market is our benefactor. Actually all of those fellow human beings represented in the market are working to satisfy our needs. Not out of self-sacrifice. But, out of a desire to get our “certificate of appreciation” (i.e., money). They can then use those to satisfy their own needs. In a giant calculus designed to make us all live happily together as one big happy family. (Move your elbow!) OK, maybe not happy, but not killing each other either.

Gooferment bad. (Any gooferment!) Markets peaceful and good.

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LIBERTY: Skoolz learn them student to be victims

Thursday, June 28, 2007

http://www.survivalblog.com/2007/06/
reverse_the_public_school_brai.html

Reverse the Public School Brainwashing and Keep Your Kids Safe
by Captain Dave

***Begin Quote***

This politically correct emphasis on non-violence is really a drive to non-confrontation that teaches kids to be victims at an early age. Violence not only still exists in our schools, it is worse than ever because the system does not allow kids to counter force with force. This means that kids cannot fight back when they are harassed on the school bus, spit on in the lunch room, assaulted in the hallway, or beaten in the locker room. Teachers routinely do not intervene in bullying or one-way assaults. This bullying behavior is allowed until the target decides to fight back, at which point school rules treat both the attacker and defender the same way. I am afraid that these days, the only place bullies and their victims really meet after school to settle their differences is on television or in the movies.

***End Quote***

Gooferment skoolz are my pet peeve. Here’s another reason NOT to like them! The unintended consequences of them are just bad to all the poor children imprisoned in them.

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YAHOO ANSWER: City program to help small businesses

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

http:// answers.yahoo.com/question/
profile;_ylt=ArHiTkaVwIVBXrxI7E5
W7LiYxQt.?show= hEcrHC9eaa

http://tinyurl.com/2xujl2

City program to help small businesses

QUESTION

Asked by ” ”

What could be some consequences and alternative actions…..?

Robert is a managing partner of an Accounting firm that has 15 employees. One day, Robert learns that New York City has started a program to help small businesses. The program provides tax breaks and other benefits for Manhattan-based businesses that have fewer than 15 full-time employees. Since Accountants LLC has 15 full-time employees, it would be ineligible for the program. Robert fires Michael, the most junior accountant at the firm, which now makes the firm eligible for the program.

1.What do you see as the issues raised by the facts in the scenario? Describe as many as you see.

ANSWER

Dear ” “:

Invisible? Why? Are we doing your take home? Sorry but it may not be to good.

The problem chasing gooferment programs is that it takes your eye off the ball. Either you’re in the Accounting Biz or your are a Sam Donnelson sheep farmer. It might be possible to suck off the taxpayers a little but it’s a distraction.

I sit down and have a hard think about your ethics and what business you really want to be in.

Hope this helps. I’m interested how it works out for you. Drop me a note sometime. My blog may have helpful “stuff”.

Ferdinand J. Reinke
Kendall Park, NJ 08824

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UPDATE: This was nuked by Yahoo. I don’t understand why. But it’s like it never existed.

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Posted by reinkefj

MONEY: Save for a rainy day

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/
get_a_life_blog/2007/06/what-to-do-when.html

http://tinyurl.com/2wqhys

Tuesday, 26 June 2007
What to do when your work dries up, key client disappears or industry grinds to a halt
Pamela Stewart Slim
Escape From Cubicle Nation
How to go from corporate prisoner to thriving entrepreneur

***Begin Quote***

Save for a rainy day. Your financial adviser and grandpa were right … you should have a healthy cushion of savings set aside in case of emergencies. This is the hardest advice for me to follow, but it is very, very wise. Set up an automatic monthly deposit to an account that is NOT tied to your regular personal or business checking account. I heard someone suggest that it be a bank or financial institution that is inconvenient to get to and has few ATMs.

***End Quote***

I learned this lesson sort of by chance.

In my first transition from AT&T to Wall Street, I got a golden handshake to leave. Thru dumb luck, the protection that the Universe extend to the totally clueless sometimes, I was able to get back “in” in eleven days. Mostly that was waiting for the gooferment SEC and the blood test about drugs. In my new job, I had access to a salary deferral plan that allowed my to defer paying taxes on the handshake. Since I hate taxes, the money was “saved”. Fast forward to my transition out of Merrill Lynch, where I decided to become a consultant. I was seeing big gobs of money being paid to consultants in those go go days. Frau’s fears were minimal, and so were mine, beneath the bravado, since I still had that year’s pay with interest “salted away”. Always nice to fall flat on one’s face when you have a nice cash cushion to “fall into”. My consulting was a wild success. But it could have just as easily been a dismal flop. When I consult with My Turkeys (i.e., the FOWGs who are out of work) who “land”, I always try to drive home the need for building up a “rainy day fund”.

Sigh. Some even listen.

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LIBERTY: Social Security is an odd type of Ponzi scheme

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

http://www.mises.org/story/2586

What If Social Security Were Completely Scrapped?
By D.W. MacKenzie
Posted on 6/18/2007

***Begin Quote***

Social Security transfers income between generations. It does nothing to promote capital accumulation through saving, because it does not involve saving. It is true that some American, especially the earliest recipients of benefits, have gained a low positive rate of return on Social Security. However, this is only possible because other Americans, especially those presently under 30, can expect a negative rate of return. In other words, Social Security is a Ponzi scheme, contrary to what its defenders claim.

Yet Social Security is an odd type of Ponzi scheme. In the original Ponzi scheme, those who got in early enough made a high rate of return.

***End Quote***

Where no one wins!

It is supposed to protect the poor, yet it’s well documented that it discriminates against the poor. It transfers wealth from poor black men to rich white women.

But, worst of all, it robs wealth from all of us.

Only the gooferment, the politicians, and its workers gain.

Sigh, how stupid are we?

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RANT: Just don’t buy anything with an EULA

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

http://weblog.infoworld.com/gripeline/archives/2007/06/arbitrary_sneak.html

June 19, 2007
Arbitrary Sneakwrap Takes Some Hits
Ed Foster

*** begin quote ***

In the end, the main thing these two cases really have in common is the recognition by the judges that sneakwrap licenses in general and mandatory arbitration clauses specifically give the vendor too much power over the customer. We’d all like to think the free market can keep customers from being abused, but it can’t if the only recourse abused customers have is to engage in long, expensive, and secret arbitration procedures. I don’t know if Bragg or Sheehan deserve to win their cases, but I do know that they deserve their day in court.

*** end quote ***

Time for some “rough justice” a la the The People’s Court.

I won’t buy anything with an EULA. That’s going to put a dent in their pockets.

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