Friday, January 28, 2011

managing personal finances


Leonard McCracken worked for a steel company until he retired in 1969. He’s now 107 and has been living on savings, Social Security, and an annuity payment ever since. Bankrate.com’s Jennie L. Phipps asked McCracken to share his wisdom about managing personal finances that permitted him to remain retired for 41 years. Among his suggestions was to always get a job, even if it’s for much lower pay than you’re used to:


McCracken was unemployed about 45 years ago after his previous employer went bankrupt. He had to take a job driving a truck that paid $5 per day. It was a low point in his life, but between that and a commission sales job that he took at night, he and his family muddled through until he got back on his feet.


Link via Glenn Reynolds | Photo: Bankrate





Best Mobile Personal Finance Tool?





Earlier this year we took a look at best money management web sites, but often, tracking money on-the-go is just as important. What's your favorite tool for managing your money on the go?

Photo by Erik Hersman.


Whether you're using a mobile-optimized web site or an application specific to the iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and so on, we want to hear from you. What mobile money management tool makes it easy to manage your money when you're away from your computer?


Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: Mobile Personal Finance Tool. Please don't include your vote in a reply to another commenter. Instead, make your vote and reply separate comments. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.


About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get: "Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's Five Best Resources for Free Games.





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








biffabecky


firefeedback


guacarrokquer


akgcandlefish


dracorndraken


bexita


bmxxxxxxxx


gazpacho


fmrvxmpdcnzileud


eldesanisidro


coolcatcold


dekamelonn


fatcochicago


faggotghost


lighthot


kapokliukas


halleth


power0o

Monday, January 24, 2011

http://removeripoffreports.net - online reputation management

When agencies or men and women fall prey to unfair competitors, irate ex-employees or disgruntled consumers, then a SERM turns into essential within the economic survival of a online business.

Firms like SERMs are necessary in sustaining, and in some situations salvaging and restoring vendors or person's reputation and good identify.




Internet searches are one of the initially stuff that fashionable day consumes do prior to paying cash which has a business or particular person, and one particular unhealthy click can necessarily mean economic disaster for any company, certainly on this ever developing cyber economy. Popularity for these SERMs are escalating by leaps and bounds using the realization it's not prudent to attempt to conduct organization within this cyber age and never possess a SERM on retainer in addition to your accountant along with your legal professional.






Businesses are also appreciating the collateral advantage of having a Status Management agency on-board as an integral part of their online business model, its terrific advertising! Even though securing a company's very good popularity and identify on the internet, it generates high-quality press and favourable publicity that finally adds substantially for the bottom line of a company's harmony sheet, generating the solutions to virtually spend for by itself in lots of circumstances.




This tends to become a very solid offering level for agencies as well as men and women, to know that they are cleansing and defending their reputations and cyber photographs, when simultaneously running a very helpful marketing initiative. At times providers completely disregard their former advertising efforts via the internet and opt for the advantages of Via the internet Popularity Management.




Possessing a SERM firm in your side is with out a doubt the way in which to go on this cyber age. For much more important information on online reputation management and corporate reputation management, Please visit us at http://removeripoffreports.net/

Making Fast Money

A front page story in today’s Wall Street Journal (“Hedge Funds’ Behavior Magnifies Swings in Market,” January 14, 2011) highlighted the relative performance of so-called “crowded” hedge fund trades versus the broad market. The premise of the article is that hedge fund ownership magnifies the beta of particular stocks and reduces the importance of company fundamentals in determining share performance.

We long ago concluded that money flow is important to the performance of stocks and that it made sense to follow the proverbial “smart money.” We have analyzed more than 7,000 individual stock and ETF positions of roughly 600-800 hedge funds every 90 days for the past decade. Five years ago we started publishing our quarterly Hedge Fund Trend Monitor to track the hedge fund money flow into and out of individual stocks and hedge fund sector tilts on both a long and net basis.

1. Time horizon is vital to understanding how hedge fund ownership data should be incorporated into the portfolio management process. On a daily or even weekly basis, hedge fund positioning is noisy in terms of explaining relative excess return. However, on a quarterly basis the hit rate of outperformance of hedge fund positions is notable.

For example, our basket of stocks with the “most concentrated” hedge fund ownership (Bloomberg ticker: <GSTHHFHI>) has a 71% hit rate of quarterly outperformance versus the S&P 500 since May 2001 with an average quarterly excess return of 296 bp.
Our basket of “stocks that matter most” to hedge funds (<GSTHHVIP>) has outperformed the S&P 500 on a quarterly basis 66% of the time since 2001 by an average of 74 bp. [and here we get the all important footnote from Goldman: "Note: The ability to trade these baskets will depend upon market conditions, including liquidity and borrow constraints at the time of the trade." in other words everyone can get in, but when everyone has to get out, nobody will. Enjoy.]

2. Our analysis shows hedge fund holdings generally outperform during equity market rallies and lag during corrections. We recommend investors use our hedge fund holdings baskets to generate alpha during “risk-on” rallies and as a tool for risk reduction during periods of elevated market uncertainty (see Exhibits 1-3).

For example, our “most concentrated” hedge fund basket has outperformed the S&P 500 by an average of 868 bp (745 on median basis) during the six rallies since the market low in March 2009 and underperformed the S&P 500 by an average of 322 bp (385 bp on median basis) during market corrections.

The reverse is also true! Our basket of “least concentrated” hedge fund positions (Bloomberg ticker: <GSTHHFSL>) lagged the S&P 500 during market rallies by average and median of 69 bp but outperformed the broad market by an average of 99 bp (37 bp on median basis) during corrections.

Our hedge fund VIP list (Bloomberg: <GSTHHVIP>) consists of stocks in which fundamentally-driven hedge funds have a large stake. We define stocks that “matter most” to hedge funds as the positions that appear most frequently among the top ten holdings within hedge fund portfolios. For this analysis, we limit our hedge fund universe to funds with 10 to 200 distinct equity positions in an attempt to isolate fundamentally-driven investors from quantitative funds or funds that mirror private equity investments. Hedge funds own between 1% and 38% of the equity cap of the stocks in the basket with an average of 9%, almost twice the 5% average for the S&P 500.

By construction, our VIP list identifies the 50 stocks whose performance will largely influence the long side of many fundamentally driven hedge funds. The VIP basket lagged the S&P 500 by 822 bp during 2008 (-45% vs. -37%). It reversed in 2009, outperforming S&P 500 by 1,391 bp (40% vs. 27%). In 2010, the basket outperformed S&P 500 by 443 bp (19% vs. 15%).

Our VIP basket has a large-cap bias with a median market capitalization of $49 billion compared with $11 billion for the S&P 500. The VIP basket overweights the Information Technology sector (24%) and underweights Industrials (2%). Turnover for the VIP basket since 2001 averages 34% quarterly (52% annually) with 17 stocks typically entering the basket. The next re-balancing will take place after February 15, 2011.

Current constituents of our hedge fund VIP basket scheduled to report 4Q 2010 results next week include the following. Tuesday: C, AAPL, IBM. Wednesday: WFC and USB. Thursday: GOOG and FCX. Friday: SLB and BAC. Exhibit 52 contains the complete list of constituents for all three baskets.

We define “concentration” as the share of market capitalization owned in aggregate by hedge funds. The stocks in the “most concentrated” basket tend to be mid-caps (at the lower end of the S&P 500 capitalization distribution). Hedge funds own between 17% and 48% of the equity cap of the stocks in the basket with an average of 24% vs. 5% for the S&P 500. Stocks with the “most concentrated” hedge fund ownership outperformed the S&P 500 in 2010 by 84 bp (16% vs. 15%).

In contrast, hedge funds own between 0.2% and 0.6% of the equity cap of the stocks in our “least concentrated” hedge fund basket with an average of 0.5% vs. 5% for the S&P 500. The basket outperformed the S&P 500 in 2010 by 255 bp (18% vs. 15%).

Translation: ignore the voice of reason which argues that if everyone else is on the same side of the trade, then you are the guaranteed sucker on the table, and instead follow the Siren song promising untold riches... until such time as there is an actual downtick in the market (better known as the 100 or so shares that make up 50% of market volume) and where no matter how hard you try to get out, you are stuck. For reference: see the first time Goldman butchered the Greeks...

And some pretty charts: ignore the fact that the least concentrated stocks are solidly outperforming their most widely held cousins...

 








Eric Francis/Getty Images




"Should I stay or should I go? - If you say that you are mine - I'll be here till the end of time - But you gotta let me know - Should I stay or should I go?"


—The Clash, "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?"


Nebraska fans are set for another round of uncertainty, as current LSU coach Les Miles has announced he will meet with administrators at Michigan to discuss becoming the next head Wolverine. Miles, a former Michigan player, has strong ties to his alma mater and many sites are reporting that he is seriously considering making the move.


Should Miles leave Baton Rouge for Ann Arbor, Nebraska coach Bo Pelini will likely be on the short list of candidates to replace him. And a move to LSU certainly has more substance than the rumors of Pelini taking the job in Miami, as was rumored last month. So would Pelini pack up and head back to the bayou?


There would certainly be some incentives to do so. Between Nick Saban and Les Miles, LSU has become a national force in recruiting. Louisiana itself is a hotbed of football talent, and LSU gets first pick of that talent in the way rivaled only by Texas. If Pelini wanted a situation where he could load up quickly, LSU would be attractive.


Pelini would be a familiar face in Baton Rouge, having been the defensive coordinator there from 2005-07 and being part of a national championship team. Pelini would have a familiarity both with the area and the competition in the SEC.



bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

The Week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Another week has passed us by, and the Android news continued to flow. With Google changing leaders, the Xoom shows us a price tag, and much more, it is easy to have missed something along the way. If you took your eyes off the site for ...

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Headline FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Headline FAIL.

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

Read our news of Tiger Woods dev unfazed by controversy.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

personal finance books





Authors, publishers and agents live and die inside — mostly die — by monitoring their product's position on the Amazon charts, which are adjusted hourly. Thomas, an author who penned the Kindle book Wealth Hazards, says literary types should take a step back because the system is easily corrupted. He says he's manipulated the system by buying his book 200 times and posting fake reviews hailing his self-described masterpiece.



Now he's peddling a new e-book, The Day the Kindle Died, in which he describes how he pulled off his ruse. He writes:



I've purchased my own book, Wealth Hazards, close to 200 times now. I wrote 42 customer reviews and voted on them 108 times. Not once was a review or vote rejected by Amazon. It took about 45 days to move the book up to #1, but after it got there I didn't feel it was appropriate to promote it - so I have not profited from it. I continue to buy 2 or 3 copies a day, write reviews and vote on the reviews and wait for Amazon to notice.

They haven't. They pay me royalties every month and recommend the book to people who buy similar personal finance titles. My new book The Day the Kindle Died is even more obvious - but Amazon hasn't noticed. They even recommend it to customers who purchase Amazon's own Kindle publishing manual. Amazon clearly has a problem with ranking books, creating the bestseller lists and making suitable recommendations to customers, but they don't appear to be in a hurry to correct this.



What purpose do Amazon's reviews and rankings serve for you when you're shopping for books?







Intuit-owned Mint.com is heading to schools today with the launch of a free, online program designed to educate middle-school students about personal finance and financial management.


Mint has partnered with educational publisher Scholastic to develop materials that parents and teachers can use to teach children the ins and outs of personal finance management. The materials includes lesson plans as well as an interactive game, to teach children money management, budgeting and goals.


For example, the program teaches children the concept of compound interest with real-life math problems, and encourages children to set goals and budgets with their own current work opportunities (i.e. babysitting).


Mint says the curriculum will be expanded to 30,000 classrooms nationwide early next year. Considering the state of the economy and credit, teaching children financial literacy and sounds personal finance practices at an early edge is an incredibly important initiative. In terms of branding, this is a big win for Mint, which can start building awareness of its tools among students at an early age.



Source:http://removeripoffreports.net/

Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen: Green <b>News</b> Report: January 18, 2011 <b>...</b>

IN 'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (see links below): Scientists warn of a future "superstorm" in CA; Obama to discuss clean energy with Chinese premier's visit?; "Managed retreat" for California coastal town; ABC Reports On Fossil-Fueled Climate ...

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

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

Live blog: Apple&#39;s Q1 2011 financials conference call | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Live blog: Apple's Q1 2011 financials conference call. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.


Friday, January 14, 2011

foreclosure defense


There were two ways that money could have flowed to defense attorneys for foreclosure victims. One, the Treasury Department could have allowed Hardest Hit Fund grant money to the states to go to that purpose. Treasury said they couldn’t do that legally without legislative action, and the House couldn’t get the bill passed on suspension. So the other option was to use the money authorized in Dodd-Frank. That $35 million, a rounding error in the defense budget, never got appropriated, and with a continuing resolution from before Dodd-Frank passed, it never got into the stopgap.


As a result, more families will lose access to the courts, and eventually lose their homes.


It’s not like the continuing resolution wasn’t adjusted at all, by the way. Congress imposed that two-year wage freeze for public employees. They filled the shortfall in the Pell grant student aid program. And they restored funding to low-income heating assistance. But plenty of priorities were left on the table: Head Start, AIDS funding, meals on wheels, low-income child care, the list goes on and on.


In particular, funding for the signature goals of the Obama Administration is now under seal, and won’t be released until Republicans get their way on massive spending cuts, if at all. Fancy bill-signing ceremonies are important and necessary; so is the normal, everyday work of making sure those priorities actually work.



Boehner’s spokesman raised the spectre of “groups similar to ACORN”, which no longer exists, as a recipient of this money. What it will actually go toward is legal services, defending borrowers who would otherwise have no way to afford access to the legal system.


And this is a state’s rights issue. This bill wouldn’t mandate legal services money; it would allow states to elect, if they so chose, to use their Hardest Hit Fund dollars in the manner to which they see fit. In the typical conservative game, state’s rights mean a lot except when that goes against their ideological goals. Plus, it doesn’t cost a dime, as the money is going to the states anyway. They should get to decide how to use it.


It’s unclear that this legislation is even necessary. Treasury only reverts back to TARP rules when talking about how legal aid services aren’t allowable as recipients, though it showed wide latitude in handing out money to whatever bank wanted a piece previously. But Geithner is insisting on it. His “enthusiastic support” of the House measure belies the fact that there’s no Republican co-sponsor in the Senate, and moving the bill on unanimous consent in the dwindling days of the lame duck session is dubious. If Geithner supports allowing states to decide if foreclosure victims can have access to justice, all he has to do is sign off on it as Treasury Secretary.


The funding problem for foreclosure legal defense is “part of the banks’ strategy,” says Bubba Grimsley, a leading foreclosure defense attorney. Foreclosure defense lawyers have been extremely successful in uncovering robo-signing and a host of other irregularities in the foreclosure process, but they have to be able to sustain themselves:



how to lose weight fast online without prescription

<b>News</b> Corp&#39;s The Daily iPad Newspaper Delayed By “Weeks, Not Months”

While we may all have our own opinions on whether News Corp's iPad-bound newspaper, The Daily, is a boondoggle or simply before its time, I think we were all at least looking forward to seeing what it was like. People were curious about ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Building Better Strategy

Building a better strategy should be the constant goal of every small business owner and entrepreneur. Think your business is running as well as it can, has.

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

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


Thursday, January 13, 2011

generic online reputation management online

The Sunriver online reputation management line Resort can be found in operation throughout the year and is a holiday destination for couples and families. Guests are able to select from a multitude of activities, which includes bicycling on 35 miles paths; swimming, canoeing, tennis, http://www.online reputation management.org whitewater rafting, horseback riding and shopping. To get more adventurous, you can embark on excursion on off-road trails for mountain biking.
This resort also features three championship online reputation management 40mg golf courses with 18-hole and these include Woodlands, Crosswater and Meadows, plus a 9-hole putting course. In the event that you are organizing a family vacation, this resort provides programs for children during specific seasons.
buy viagra or online reputation management
The Sage Springs Club and Spa was opened during 2002 and extends over 35,000 square foot. This spa provides a wide selection of therapeutic beauty and body treatment, like natural body scrubs, aroma therapy body wraps and personalized facials.

Some Good <b>News</b>! | PerezHilton.com

The economy seems to be finally be rebounding, with stocks climbing to a two year high yesterday!

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

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

&#39;Dragon Tattoo&#39; Star: Better as a punk or a princess? « Entertainment

The FOX411 Blog is your first call for celebrity and entertainment news. FOX411 brings you the latest scoops using FOX's unmatched reach in news, entertainment, TV and the Internet. Click on back now, ya hear? ...

Monday, January 10, 2011

personal finances help

We are mere days away from 2011, and still happily ensconced in the holiday madness of 2010. This jolly season, which usually kicks off at Halloween, is a fast-moving fog of candy, cookies, cards and frenzy at the malls. It is also hopefully full of joy, laughter and quality time with family.

After the season’s last hurrah on New Year’s, what emerges is a renewed sense of spirit for the coming year –- and sometimes a desire to undo everything that has just been done. This is precisely why most people hit the ground running on January 1 with a resolve to lose weight, get in shape, walk the dog more, and so on.

The following roundup contains apps that can serve as trusty sidekicks to help you keep those resolutions you swear you’ll actually follow through on this year. In addition to personal health, other common resolutions include managing finances more efficiently, quitting smoking, finding a better job and finding love. There are obviously many more apps out there for each category, but I’ve hand-picked twelve to help you get 2011 off to a good start. Happy New Year!

Losing Weight/>

Lose It!/>

Lose It is a great, easy-to-use app that provides users with features for managing and tracking their weight loss and fitness goals. With an extensive database of foods and nutritional information available, you can simply scroll through the options and log what you have consumed for the day to get a total calorie count. The app also tracks calories burned through fitness and shows where you’ve gone over or under your caloric requirements for weight loss each day.

Cost: FREE

Go Meals/>

A dieter’s dilemma: You’re eating out at a restaurant and have no idea what the best choices are that are still suitable for your dieting needs. Go Meals is a helpful app for those moments when you’re out at P.F. Chang’s and want to know if the Mongolian Beef is less caloric than the Orange Peel Beef (it’s not). This app also includes thousands of listings for grocery store foods and provides full nutritional information for foods you eat on a daily basis. When an item has been chosen, you can save them to “Today’s Plate” and keep a log of your caloric, fat and protein intake. A very handy tool.

Cost: FREE

Getting in Shape/>

Fitness Free/>

This is a great free app that provides photographs and detailed steps for each of its more than 320 exercises. Essentially every major muscle group is reflected and you can use this app to get good ideas for triceps, quads or any other body part that you want to improve. There is also a section offering a small selection of pre-bundled, three-day workouts, or you can select exercises of your choosing and create your own customized workout.

Cost: FREE

iPersonalTrainer/>

iPersonalTrainer prompts users to create a workout and select which muscle groups they want to work by pointing to them on a (very buff) illustrated man. The app then takes you to a page with instructional videos for each exercise along with tips for good technique. The app also includes a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator, weight tracker and progress log so you can keep track of your workouts while you get that hard body.

Cost: $.99

Organizing Finances/>

Pay Off Debt/>

Pay Off Debt provides a good template for users to track and manage all current balances and debts. Using an intuitive interface and the debt snowball method, this app lets you prioritize debts and see estimated times left to pay off each one. You can plan monthly payments for each and view progress bars as you begin chipping away at what’s owed. Based on your payment schedule, the app will also provide you with a date for when you are completely debt-free.

Cost: $3.99

Mintclass="blippr-nobr">Mint/>

Mint is a free app that automatically syncs all of your financial information directly from your online banking accounts, eliminating the need to manually enter all information. You can set up budgets and categories with spending limits on each; track your incoming and outgoing income; track investment accounts and more. The app also alerts you to things like large purchases, when a check clears, or if you go over budget. In addition, security measures are in place to lock iPhoneclass="blippr-nobr">iPhone access if lost or stolen.

Cost: FREE

Quitting Smoking/>

MyQuit Coach/>

MyQuit Coach is a highly-personalizable plan to help smokers quit. Users can set the parameters for the plan and upload personal photos and inspirational motivators to stay on track, and the app awards users with achievement badges when quitting goals have been reached. The app also connects to Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook, Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter and LIVESTRONG for additional moral support and information for users.

Cost: $.99

Quitter/>

Quitter is an app that takes a slightly different approach. This lets users track progress by reminding them how long they’ve been smoke-free and how much money they have saved thus far. Users can refer to the app on a daily basis and keep track of how long they’ve gone without smoking and what they would have spent if they had continued.

Cost: FREE

Getting a Better Job/>

Monster.com Jobs/>

As one of the largest job search sites available, the Monster.com app is a great complement for anyone with a Monster account (which is free to register) and gives users access to the same listings they’d find online. The app automatically syncs with your web-based account and enables you to access saved job listings, resumes, saved searches and more from your iPhone. You can also use the iPhone’s built-in GPS system to locate jobs near you.

Cost: FREE

What Color is Your Parachute?/>

You’ve found the job you want, but the next step is the interview. The expression, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” couldn’t be truer when it comes to this opportunity, which is likely the only time you have to sell yourself and demonstrate why you are a fit for the job. The What Color is Your Parachute? app is a complement to the eponymous job-seekers’ “bible” and walks users through the job interview process and how to nail it. Tips on interview questions and questions to ask are featured, as well as top 10 mistakes to avoid. It’s a good read for anyone who is preparing for a big interview.

Cost: FREE

Finding Love/>

Dating DNA/>

Unlike other dating apps that require you to have an existing subscription to its web-based site, or are sketchier and only use GPS-navigation to track “singles near you,” Dating DNA is a free app and service that matches people based on compatibility scores. When you are deemed compatible by the app, based on both your ratings, you are then able to view each other’s profiles and connect. The app also provides “at-a-glance” compatibility scoring and dating potential indicators to help you determine if your potential mate is worth pursuing.

Cost: FREE

Love Survival Kit/>

If you need help in the love department and are looking for advice on what to do in certain situations, wikiHow’s Love Survival Kit is a good resource to have. There is plenty of information and dating advice for categories like “Awkward Situations” (ex. Escape Cuddling in Bed); “Breaking Up” (ex. Keep a Friendship After a Breakup) or “Relationship Skills” (ex. Stop Being Needy). Some of articles can be more funny than useful, but then again, sometimes with dating, people need all the help they can get.

Cost: FREE

Which apps did you find most useful? How do you plan to jumpstart your New Year’s resolutions? Let us know in the comments below.

More iPhone Resources from Mashable:

- 10 iPhone Apps for the Global Foodie/> - 10 Useful iPhone Keyboard Shortcuts, Tips and Tricks/> - 10 Incredible iPhone Portrait Photographs/> - 10 Incredible iPhone Photographs/> - 10 Ridiculous iPhone Accessories [PICS]

Image courtesy of spapax

For more Apple coverage:

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

Kevin Bohn

CNN Senior Producer


Republican Christine O'Donnell, who lost her bid for U.S. Senate from Delaware, is lashing out at reports the Justice Department and FBI have launched a criminal investigation into possible misuse of campaign funds for personal expenses, calling any such probe "thug tactics."


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.


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.


The advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed complaints with the Federal Elections Commission and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Delaware regarding her finances, asking for investigations of her alleged use of campaign funds for personal expenses.


"We've been warned by multiple high-ranking Democrat insiders that the Delaware Democrat and Republican political establishment is jointly planning to pull out all the stops to ensure I would never again upset the apple cart," O'Donnell said Wednesday in a statement after the Associated Press first reported the FBI and Justice Department were in the early phases of an investigation


Full Story


12 Comments

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...


bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Grading the Spring 2011 Campaigns, Part 1 – Fashionista: Fashion <b>...</b>

Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice. Send Tips � Advertise � About Us � Network � Above the Law � AltTransport � Breaking Media � Fashionista. Search for: Home � Fashion Shows ... Posted in: News ...

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

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

TaxProf Blog: 2011 Tax <b>News</b>

TaxProf Blog provides resources, news, and information for law school tax professors. It is not affiliated with Auto Didactix LLC's TaxProf, a software-based tutorial for law students in the federal income tax course. ...

Friday, January 7, 2011

personal finance blog

[blogsearch]
free rental agreement forms

Obama Calls Drop in Unemployment Rate &#39;Positive <b>News</b>,&#39; Fills Out <b>...</b>

President Obama today called the job numbers released this morning “positive news” but said there still is work to be done on the economy. The numbers showed a drop in the nation's unemployment rate to 9.4 percent in December.

More Staffing <b>News</b> at the White House - Political Punch

The president's new staff is falling into place, though White House officials say the search for the replacement for departing press secretary Robert Gibbs is just beginning. At a manufacturing plant in Maryland today, the president ...

Fujfilm &#39;Surprised and delighted&#39; by reaction to X100: Digital <b>...</b>

Fujfilm 'Surprised and delighted' by reaction to X100: In an exclusive meeting with dpreview.com at this year's CES, Adrian Clarke of Fujifilm told us that the company has been 'surprised and delighted' by reaction to the X100 - the ...


Thursday, January 6, 2011

Making Money Online With


Even the long fawning UK press is now saying what any startup who has tangled with the music industry has said all along: Spotify will not be able to launch its free any-song-you-want-to-hear-the-second-you-want-to-hear-it service in the US. The Telegraph is reporting that at the last minute the labels demanded too much upfront cash, killing a hard negotiated potential deal.


This is sad, but not a surprise. Despite all the reasons consumers would love it and labels should be empowering a rival for iTunes, the labels are in defensive mode and have never been rational when it comes to these things. My issues with how Spotify has handled this aside, I actually didn’t want to be right on this one. It’s a sad day for users.


But this will be the interesting thing to watch: Does Spotify just roll these we’re-definitely-launching-in-the-US assurances forward to 2011, the way the company has the last two years or does it pivot, and focus on building a profitable site for Europe and other less guarded pockets of the emerging world? In the Telegraph link above an unnamed source says the year of brutal negotiations has forced Spotify to “stop and think about whether it can afford the move to the US and indeed whether it is worth it,” while the article quotes a Spotify spokesman as saying the negotiations are “on-going.” Oh, Spotify.


Here’s my advice: Pivot. Spotify has spent two years, and undoubtedly plenty of money and focus, fighting what was always a Don Quixote like battle to make the US labels listen to reason. This is the same industry who sued their users. It was a valiant effort, but it didn’t work. We can argue why they should back Spotify all day long, but the last two years has proven that they are just not going to listen without Spotify having to make some major concessions.


I think Spotify should walk instead of making those concessions. No matter how hot of a startup you are, money and time are exhaustible commodities. Spotify should start directing them at challenges elsewhere until there is enough of a sea-change in the US music market that labels see reason. Giving into the labels’ demands isn’t the answer. Instead, Spotify should retreat, build in other countries, perfect its model, get to profitability, and then come back to this market when the labels are weaker and Spotify is stronger, boldly proving cynics like me flat wrong. Use your international headquarters as an advantage, not a liability.


Spotify board member Klaus Hommels told me in an interview late last year that he believed Spotify may be the venture industry’s last-ditch effort to build an online music company. (Other than Pandora, of course, the online music company with nine-lives that finally won the right to exist.) He told the labels in negotiations that if they opted instead to drain Spotify’s venture cash and leave it for dead the way they have to so many others, they may never get another hot upstart to back. And that would resign them to an Apple dominated world.


He may be right. So why not play the long game, instead of the short one?


(Note: Don’t worry, I’ve put two dollars in the TechCrunch Pivot/Swear Jar.)


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.


surface encounters macomb surface encounters rock tops

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters surface encounters michigan

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters michigan surface encounters macomb mi

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters macomb mi surface encounters macomb mi

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters macomb mi
surface encounters noblesville

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters michigan
surface encounters noblesville

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters
surface encounters noblesville

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters macomb
surface encounters

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters
surface encounters noblesville

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters rock tops
surface encounters noblesville
surface encounters

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters michigan
surface encounters noblesville

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters noblesville
surface encounters macomb

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters michigan
surface encounters macomb mi

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters michigan
surface encounters macomb

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters michigan

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters michigan
surface encounters

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters noblesville
surface encounters rock tops

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters noblesville
surface encounters michigan

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters macomb
surface encounters noblesville

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters rock tops
surface encounters

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters michigan
surface encounters

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: Anna Nicole Bombshell -- All Charges Dropped <b>...</b>

In a stunning development in the Anna Nicole Smith drug trial, a judge in Los Angeles Thursday dropped all charges against Smith's former confidant and attorney Howard K. Stern. Judge Robert Terry told the court that there was no ...

Bad <b>news</b>: Obama&#39;s Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal « Hot Air

Bad news: Obama's Hawaiian vacation rental was illegal.

The Tools of Ignorance: Thursday <b>News</b> - Pinstripe Alley

Jorge the DH, Pettitte (the wait and the Hall), the Hall in general, and Soriano.


surface encounters noblesville