Politics
Let’s be clear on one thing. The Obama administration and their Congressional allies seem to have forgotten that they created this problem with their wild spending in the first two years of this administration.
The Republican Party has a number of problems on the national level that it must resolve rather quickly. If they don’t they’ll suffer repeated defeats at the polls.
...MoreThe Obama administration has identified about $11.1 million in fraud from the Stimulus, but their own fiscal watchdogs have so far come up with $5.8 billion in waste…and still counting.
...MoreYou see, tomorrow may be the most important day in your life. If you haven’t voted yet, choose wisely. Your future depends on who’s President on the day after tomorrow.
...MoreForeign policy is often seen as an incumbent President’s greatest strength. After all it’s one area that the opposition often shies away from criticism. The rule has always been that politics ends at the water’s edge.
...MoreAs we all know, Barbados is a hotbed of Caribbean tourism and Marines are needed to protect the Ambassador from hordes of bikini-clad Americans.
...MoreThe radical environmental movement, aided and abetted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are engaged in a War on Coal as an energy source in the United States. In the process, they are eradicating a way of life for tens of thousands of coal miners and their families across the country.
...MoreLast night Mitt Romney pulled back the curtain that Barack Obama has been using to mask his ordinariness from us.
...MoreDr. Barbara Bellar, a former nun and Army major running for Illinois state Senate, blasts the ObamaCare health insurance law; all in one sentence.
...MoreFree phones for people with low income as well as senior citizens was started in 1984 to subsidize landline phone service and paid for by government-collected telecommunication fees, paid by consumers. The program was named the Lifeline Program and was intended for people who could not afford phone service.
...MoreIn an era when we hear politicians of both parties campaign on the idea of ‘bending the spending curve’, we’re seeing them bend it up dramatically. How dramatically? The 2008 Farm Bill had $400 billion for food programs. The least expensive version has a189% increase in spending!
...MoreSixteen days after four American diplomats were killed in Benghazi, the Obama administration confirmed what the rest of us surmised within hours after the assassination of the U.S. Ambassador. The killings were pre-planned.
...MoreTeam Obama seems to have gone overboard on this subject. The reaction from the internet and social media was overwhelmingly negative.
...MoreThe Federal government is filled with what I like to call “institutional waste”. It’s all of the waste that is created by Congress and the Executive branch in the course of creating programs and budgeting for them.
...MoreFor a supposed-capitalist oriented economy, the United States has a number of distortions in our society. One of them is the protections and outright subsidies the Big Sugar gets from the U.S. Congress.
...MoreHow can anyone believe that the various attacks on our embassies and military installations were anything but deliberate? Does the administration believe that we are that naive and trusting that we believe anything they tell us?
...MoreWhere does Mitt Romney begin? He’s in a target-rich environment which is diluting his message to the voters. He can’t respond in detail to every issue. With such a short time until election day, Romney needs to focus his fire on Obama’s most vulnerable positions.
...MoreGreen Living
As a loyal customer and huge fan of Peet’s, and everything this San Francisco Bay Area company once stood for, I have purchased my last cup of coffee at Peet’s.
We dump billions of tons of carbon pollution into the atmosphere each year. As a result, the concentration of carbon dioxide has increased by 40 percent. Excess carbon dioxide traps excess heat in the atmosphere. Excess heat causes extreme heat waves, droughts and storms.
...MoreNASA’s rover, Curiosity, made a successful landing on Mars earlier this week. Some scientists say the car-sized rover, the most high-tech ever designed by the space agency, could have a lot to tell us about our own climate. As Mother Jones reports, scientists have made great strides in predicting what will happen to our climate, but we only have one climate to test hypotheses [...]
...MoreLook, I won’t lie — our food system has serious flaws including factory farming, GMOs, climate change, pollution, big ag, SNAP cuts, labor abuse, waste, obesity, hunger and E. coli breakouts — complicated issues with complicated solutions.
...MoreRecently released US government documents show there is a scant 3.3 years worth of oil sitting off the shores of the Arctic — one of the last pristine places left on the planet.
...MoreIn a show of hands, protesters on a beach in Vancouver, B.C., express their opposition to the Northern Gateway Pipeline and the use of oil tankers in local waters. Taking issue with Canada’s leaders and Alberta’s provincial government, British Columbia’s premier warns that the environmental risks of selling Canadian oil to Asia through the Northern Gateway pipeline would outweigh the economic benefits. [...]
...MoreThere have been some amazing videos created with photos from the International Space Station, but none quite like this.
...MoreSquealing tiger cubs stuffed into carry-on bags. Luggage packed with hundreds of squirming tortoises, elephant tusks, even water dragons and American paddlefish. Officials at Thailand’s gateway airport proudly tick off the illegally trafficked wildlife they have seized over the past two years.
...MoreThe classic Baggu bag is a reusable shopping bag/all-purpose carry-all. It is available in regular, baby and big sizes, and a plethora of fun colors and prints. You can even dip dye or screen print your Baggu to make it extra-special.
...MoreBefore, when someone said to me that a dog or cat was “depressed,” I’d figure they meant he was lethargic, one of the many vague symptoms of what we veterinarians call the ADR (“Ain’t Doing Right”) pet.
...More“Trust no one, Mr. Mulder.” ~ the Well-Manicured Man. That’s how I feel these days. The last few weeks have only served to reinforce that feeling.
...MoreI am always amazed by the way some people manage to deny facts and then somehow get attention and even a measure of legitimacy for their bizarre views. People that deny the Holocaust have obviously never sat on a beach in Brooklyn in the 1960s and seen the purple numbers tattooed on the arms of old people [...]
...MoreBy Jeanette Mulvey, BusinessNewsDaily Managing Editor: Understanding what makes some people choose to live a sustainable lifestyle while others don’t worry at all about the environmental consequences of their actions is of interest to both marketers and policymakers. If they are able to understand what makes some people go “green” while others continue to live without regard [...]
...MoreI had an epiphany this weekend while making my baby’s food. Earlier in the day, I had gathered the last of my first crop of carrots from my garden to steam for my little pumpkin.
...MoreOil industry plans to drill exploratory wells in America’s Arctic Ocean got off to an inauspicious start recently, when a Shell Oil Co. drilling ship slipped anchor and drifted perilously close to the beach at Alaska’s Dutch Harbor.
...MoreMy minimalist philosophy gives me a unique angle on personal finance: instead of writing about coupons and credit cards, I focus on how a lighter lifestyle can mean a bigger bank account. I explore strategies that save spaceand money — two things most of us can use more of! Today’s focus: furniture. It’s both a major household expense [...]
...MoreThe ongoing drought, combined with global economic turmoil, is hurting business in nine Midwest and Plains states and boosting worries about the possibility of another recession, according to a monthly report released Wednesday.
...MoreEntertainment
Clever and engrossing, House of Cards is a perfect series to pick up the dead of winter.
Review by Rebecca Lenzini
Loving and familiar, ‘Amour’ will ring very familiar to anyone who has cared for an elderly parent, friend or relative.
Review by Rebecca Lenzini
Ethotic, atmospheric and soul-cradling Love Echo and a comforting and exciting vocalist, Alison Valentine
By Allison Baughman
It’s hard to think of how ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ could be any better. It deserves all of its Oscar buzz.
Review by Rebecca Lenzini
Jumping into 2013 with two tasty, up-and-coming beauties, Moon Holiday and George Maple
By Allison Baughman
Les Miserables brings the stage to the screen but lacks the theatrical punch.
Review by Rebecca Lenzini
We have mixed emotions about Tarantino’s latest. Good but not great.
Review by Kimberly Faulhaber and Sarah Gremillion
You like lists? Oh, we got lists.
...MoreNew hip-hop (Chief Keef, The-Dream, T.I.) and old rock (Rush, Clapton, Stones, Zappa) dominate the last shopping Tuesday of 2012.
By Dolph Chaney
A look at UK-based crooner Arlissa and former Chief guitarist Danny Fujikawa
By Allison Baughman
New releases from Big Boi, Green Day, Bruno Mars, Game, and reissues from War, 10cc, Styx, Marvin Gaye, and Peter, Paul & Mary.
By Dolph Chaney
A look at the history of James Bond films and how the latest stacks up.
By Ben Gremillion
A fabulous supporting cast and screenplay gives Silver Linings Playbook a bump into the Oscar buzz.
Review by Rebecca Lenzini
Scott Walker, Memory Tapes, Wiz Khalifa, Ke$ha, and major box sets from Johnny Cash, Alice Cooper, and the Who.
By Dolph Chaney
‘Life of Pi’ is brilliant in every way and true to Yann Martel’s work.
Review by Rebecca Lenzini
A look at classical electro crossover, Clean Bandit, and bluesy and emotive Mikky Ekko
By Allison Baughman
New Alicia Keys, Wu-Block, Junkie XL, Wild Billy Childish, and Harold Budd, plus reissues from the resurgent Wanda Jackson, Rage Against The Machine, and plenty of new wave and disco.
By Dolph Chaney
Culture
Crosby’s Kitchen is a comfortable, classic Americana restaurant with friendly staff, affordable prices and delicious food.
Review by Ryan O’Malley
Looking to travel in luxury, check out Megabus!
...MoreDo you dread going back to school or are you actually excited about it??
...MoreShravan continues his list of pet peeves, I’m sure you can relate.
...MoreTheo Daniels contemplates the high costs of being an Olympic athlete.
...MoreWhy it’s important to have a proper winter coat, told by Shravan Raghavan.
...MoreCan you relate to any of these 5 things that grate on Shravan’s nerves?
...MoreShravan provides a detailed account of his recent fun day in the sun!
...MoreTheo Daniels provides some very practical reasons why college is still a good choice, despite arguments against it.
...MoreOur very own Culture Editor, Katarina Ilic, shares the rationale behind her decision to move to Belgrade, Serbia.
...MoreShravan shares a common traveling frustration and what he realized from his experience.
...MoreThe downside to the lavish affair that is an Indian wedding, firsthand from our very own Shravan.
...MoreShravan continues to share with us his stories of adventure in India.
...MoreTheo Daniels wonders why these three sports are NOT in the Olympics.
...MoreSomething we can all relate to, Belinda Woolfson shares the 10 things she misses from high school.
...MoreTheo Daniels gives us some tips for staying cool during Chicago’s heatwave.
...MoreShravan continues sharing his tales of adventure in India with an interesting bathroom story.
...MoreTech & Business
BIG looks weak on the chart combined with a sell-off in the stock-
market, WMT, and DLTR I think that BIG is headed lower. BIG is
trading below the the 150 and 200 DMA and I do not think it is going
to puncture the $40 level.
Welcome to our new series, Gamer’s Corner, where we will review the hottest new video games around! This week we review “The Elder Scrolls VS Skyrim“ by Bethesda Software By Mission Marcus, SNSPost Some of you may have heard about the lawsuit between Mojang, the studio behind Minecraft, and Bethesda Softworks, the creators of The Elder Scrolls vs. [...]
...MoreSelling the ANF Aug 29-28 Put Spread and 35-36 Call Spread for $.37 total
...MoreSelling the JCP Aug 19-18 Put Spread and 25-26 Call Spread Condor for $.35
...MoreGood risk vs reward that DF moves at least the 10.5% Implied Movement
...MoreSelling the LNKD Aug wekly 105-100 Call Spread and the 85-80 Put Spread for $1.95
...MoreBearish overall , but looking for a good risk vs reward that it tests back lower and the measured move target of $25.73
...MoreI am playing this using the measured move target of $.95, which means the stock should close at $8 or $10 tomorrow
...MoreI am playing to the downside and I will make money on this trade if the stock goes down, flat, or up less than 8% on earnings. It is currently implying a 11% move tonight.
...MoreI am playing to the downside and I will make money on this trade if the stock goes down, flat, or up less than 8% on earnings. It is currently implying a 11% move tonight.
...MoreI am playing movement in the FXE before the Greek elections and since the stock has stagnant lately, it is due for a major rip your face off movement, but I’m not sure in which direction.
...MoreLadies and Gentlemen, place your bets. Will they or won’t they? Is Greece going to leave the Euro? We may finally get an answer in the coming weeks as the Greece elections are set for this Sunday, June 17.
...MoreTrade of the Day : (KBH) Selling the KBH Jul 7-6 Put Spread for $0.27
...More Rates finished a little higher last week but there are a lot of
reports coming out this week that can drive rates in either direction.
I like this trade, because I am selling today’s rally in the stock market, but I am not buying premium. I make money of the stock market comes back to reality and sells back to the 1300 level. If it rallies higher, I defined my risk vs reward and will move to the next trade.
...MoreOn Monday, Apple’s (AAPL) Worldwide Developers kicks off with a keynote adderess from their newly minted CEO Tim Cook at 12:00 CDT. At their main yearly conference, Apple is expected to announce an updated iOS 6 for the iPhone and the iCloud, a new OS X Mountain Lion, and most importantly, a new 15 in Macbook Pro with a thinner design and higher resolution.
...MoreI like this trade, because I can make money if AAPL sells-off, is flat, or goes up by less than 5.5%. I think that AAPL will not have too much exciting news next week at their Conference on San Fran and I want to take advantage of this.
...MoreLove & Sex
Russell Irving www.MenExpressThemselves.com Hopefully this piece is not being written/ posted ‘too late’, but the advice is relevant throughout the year, so here goes… (And, this applies to you, ladies, as much as it does to men!) Who doesn’t feel extra lonely during the Holidays? The urge to be with a romantic partner seems to increase with [...]
‘Tis the season for gift giving! Isn’t it? The ads, the stores, family and friends… All remind us of that. But what to do for the woman or man whom you are dating? How little or how much should you spend? What gifts are too personal? Or not personal enough?
...MoreReality is both of the following. – There will never be a ‘perfect’ mate. And great relationships do ebb and flow. This is not simply a cliche. – Then again, if one of these is truly going to cause immense grief, dissatisfaction, or… Be honest with yourself and with them.
...MoreWe hate to admit it. We would much rather think of ourselves as secure in our relationship. Level-headed. Yet, something happens to us, at our most vulnerable times, which we know on one hand is illogical.
...MoreYou can do things with people having a wide variety of interests and passions. And, speaking of ‘passions’, what’s better than having the opportunity for a sexual smorgasbord?
...MoreLess often do folks seem to realize, intentionally or not, that there is another, equally devastating form of infidelity. The type where you don’t have sex with the other person. You might not even touch them.
...MoreShawn Maxam explains why when it comes to sex the journey matters more than the destination.
...MoreYep, Russell Irving explains why you have the right to be self-centered, selfish and spoiled.
...MoreWhat you believe to be an obvious signal to initiate lovemaking, might not be so obvious to your partner.
...MoreTo get what you want, you have to be willing to walk away from anything else.
...MoreIs your relationship starting to fizzle out? Jonathon Aslay shares the keys to keeping it fresh and alive.
...MoreJust as the song exclaims, breaking up IS hard to do, but Russell Irving provides tips on how to make it a little easier.
...MoreHow important is it to do the “right” thing?
...MoreStart the conversation with the right question, and be open to the answer.
...MoreJonathon Aslay explains the importance of valuing yourself first and foremost.
...MoreAre you waiting for Mr. or Ms. Perfect? Read on to get a wake-up call from Russell Irving.
...MoreShowtime explores what makes the “friends with benefits” relationship work… And what can cause it to fail.
...MoreHealth & Wellness
It seems that when we try to fight that set point through rigid weight-loss methods, the body rebels by craving the foods we’re trying to avoid. This can lead to the familiar yo-yo cycles of dieting and splurging that play havoc with our weight and health.
For those who want to get chiseled like their favorite superhero or even those looking to make a regimen change this summer and shave that harmful abdominal fat, you are in luck.
...MoreMen often wait until they are at least 50 pounds overweight before becoming concerned about it. Add to that a cultural bias that puts more pressure on women to be slim and one can see why some men might “let themselves go.”
...MoreThere is an ART that few people rarely master, which is the key to happiness and fulfillment on a regular basis. It’s the gratitude and appreciation which you take the time to acknowledge on a daily basis which fills you up.
...More“Eating nutritiously takes too much time and effort” is a typical thing I hear. My response might surprise you: I eat fast food and it’s good for me. Let me teach you how fast food can be good for you and help you lose weight.
...MoreFor those that view self-improvement or pushing your comfort zone to be “work” or a “chore”, then this might upset you. There is no limit to growth. There is no level where you’re “too good to practice.” There’s always another level.
...MoreWe have positive habits that empower us, and many of us have some destructive habits that prevent us from having the success we want. What is something that, if I committed to doing it everyday for 30 days, would transform my life for the better?
...MoreThis past Monday I woke up stressed, which unfortunately has become a common occurrence for me lately. In general, I usually waste the first hour I’m awake frantically trying to decide how to begin my day.
...MoreRecently I started seeing a therapist as a precautionary measure- like taking ibuprofen before running a marathon. I thought it would be easy, and that if I was willing to put in the work I’d be the best at being a grownup.
...MoreMeeting local people in my trips throughout the world I am often astounded at how relaxed and happy most people are. And trust me, it’s not their level of income or achievements. It’s about the little things they take in.
...MoreSome experts say weighing should be kept to a minimum so that we don’t get obsessed about it; others say weighing daily can keep us from losing awareness so that we don’t cheat; and still others tell us to judge our weight by how our clothes fit, not the scale.
...MoreMost people can remember a time when they had natural control of food and ate primarily when they were hungry instead of fighting hunger. Psychologically, the more we try to ignore hunger, the more preoccupied we get with food and the harder it becomes to keep from overeating.
...MoreIt may be hard to believe that someone can go from dreading exercise to dreading a day that passes without it. But that’s just what happened to me. Learning to love exercise wasn’t a miraculous conversion, but a gradual evolution that could happen for anyone
...MoreCreating a lifestyle of activity, nutritious eating, health, and weight management as a couple isn’t easy within our fast-paced, sedentary, and fast food-laden culture but, if it’s important to you, it’s, without a doubt, possible.
...MoreMost people don’t stop to think about the relationship between weight control and the brain. One of the major reasons that diets fail and that the dieting industry doesn’t have it right, is because of the psychological side of things.
...MoreIt’s a fact – there is no cure for cellulite. However, there are proven ways of cellulite control that are realistic and won’t break the bank.
...MoreIn and of itself sex will not make you thin for a lifetime but together with other fun and sensible fat burning tools, it can help you be more successful with your goals for a fit and healthy life.
...More
