Monday, January 10, 2011

Making Money on Line

Once thought of as trade bait, Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin (along with Clarke MacArthur) have been the Maple Leafs best line this season, and with nearly 100 points on the season, maybe amongst the best in the NHL

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Prior to the Toronto Maple Leafs' tilt against the Atlanta Thrashers Friday night I was a guest of Louis Pisano on “Get The Puck Out” which airs on MorencySports.com, where, amongst other things, Lou and I debated the validity of Toronto’s second line of Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur and Nikolai Kulemin being the NHL’s best second unit.

Low and behold, Grabovski, Kulemin and MacArthur went out and scored a combined six goals and 10 points against the Thrashers, helping the Maple Leafs pound a very good Atlanta squad by a final score of 9-3.

MacArthur and Grabovski are first and second in scoring for the Maple Leafs this season, with 33 and 32 points, respectively. Kulemin is close behind with 29 points, which gives the Maple Leafs second unit a combined 94 points on the season.

There may very well be a second line or two that has more offensive output than the Maple Leafs trio, but none of those lines were as unexpected as the Maple Leafs trio of Grabovski, MacArthur and Kulemin, especially by Leaf fans.

Rewind back to last summer. Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke was preparing to re-sign Nikolai Kulemin when all hell broke lose—Kulemin’s agent was looking for first line money. Burke stood by his comments that, while a decent player, Kulemin had benefited from first line and power play minutes and was undeserving of “first line” money, and therefore, wouldn’t pay.

Weekly Pulse: GOP Plays Chicken with the Debt Ceiling

By Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium blogger

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) is calling for a "big showdown" over the upcoming vote to raise the nation's debt ceiling to $14.3 trillion from $13.9 trillion. The debt ceiling is simply the maximum amount the government can borrow.

Congress routinely raises the debt ceiling every year. It's common sense: Since the government has already pledged to increase spending, Congress must authorize additional borrowing. (Remember that the government is now forced to borrow billions of extra dollars to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy, which Republicans insisted on.) If the ceiling isn't raised, the United States will be forced to default on its debts, with catastrophic consequences.

Why would default be catastrophic? The principle is the same for countries and consumers alike: If you have a good track record of paying your bills, lenders will lend you money at lower interest rates. If you don't pay your bills on time, or default on your obligations altogether, lenders will demand higher interest rates.

Congressional Republicans say they oppose raising the debt ceiling because they favor fiscal responsibility. This kind of rhetoric is the height of recklessness. The interest on our debts is a big part of government spending. Even idle talk about defaults could spook some creditors into raising interest rates on U.S. debt and cost taxpayers dearly.

Steve Benen of the Washington Monthly quotes Austan Goolsbee, chair of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, who says that congressional GOP members are flirting with the "the first default in history caused purely by insanity."

Making work pay (for real)

An astonishing 80% of full-time minimum wage workers can't afford the necessities of life, according to new research by labor economist Jeannette Wicks-Lim of the Political Economy Research Institute, featured on the Real News Network.

Wicks-Lim argues for a two-part solution to the crisis of working poverty in America: i) raising the federal minimum wage to $12.30/hr from $7.50/hr; ii) Increasing the earned income tax credit to 40% of income. She estimates that these two policy changes would raise the income of a minimum wage worker from $15,000 to about $36,000 at a manageable cost to employers and taxpayers.

Her proposal is a revamp of President Bill Clinton's attempt to "reform" welfare by cutting social service benefits and shifting government spending to tax credits. Currently, the Earned Income Tax Credit is a subsidy for the working poor that is designed to "make work pay"--i.e., if workers aren't making enough in wages to secure a decent standard of living, the government provides an income subsidy to reward them for working.

However, if a decent standard of living remains out of reach for 80% of full-time minimum wage workers, Wicks-Lim argues that the minimum wage is too low and the subsidies are too modest to achieve the stated goal of making work pay.

Colorado minimum wage inches up

Speaking of minimum wage issues, Scot Kersgaard of the Colorado Independent reports that the minimum wage in the state ticked up from $7.25 an hour to $7.36 on January 1. The modest increase represents the annual adjustment for inflation. Every bit counts, but Colorado families are falling further behind. According to a new report by the Denver-based Bell Policy Center, 8.3% of working families in Colorado live below the federal poverty line, which is $22,050 for a family of four. Fully one-fourth of Colorado families do not earn enough to meet their basic needs, which requires an income approximately twice the FPL, according to the report.

Colorado is one of only 10 states that automatically adjust their minimum wages for inflation.

Wage theft epidemic

Unscrupulous employers are stealing untold millions of dollars from hardworking Americans, Dick Meister reports in AlterNet:

The cheating bosses don't take the money directly from their employees. No, nothing as obvious as that. The employers practice their thievery by underpaying workers, sometimes by paying them less than the legal minimum wage. Or they fail to pay employees extra for overtime work, or even force them to work for nothing before or after their regular work shifts or at other times. Some employers make illegal deductions from employee wages. And some withhold the final paycheck due employees who quit.

In New York City alone, an estimated $18 million worth of wages is stolen every week. Workers in the restaurant, construction, and retail sectors are at increased risk of wage theft. Wage thieves disproportionately target undocumented workers because they assume that these employees will be less likely to report the crime.

Debt collection from beyond the grave

The dead don't tell tales, but they have been known to sign debt collection papers, Andy Kroll reports in Mother Jones. Martha Kunkle died in 1995, but her printed name and signature appear on paperwork filed by the debt collection agency Portfolio Recovery Associates as late as 2006 and 2007. The ruse was discovered and PRA, facing a fraud lawsuit, agreed in 2008 that the "Kunkle's" documents couldn't be used in court. That didn't stop the agency from trying to use them again in 2009.

The attorney general of Missouri has announced that he will investigate whether any of Kunkle's handiwork was used to support debt collection in his state. The attorney general of Minnesota is already investigating whether debt collectors have used fraudulent paperwork in court.

This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about the economy by members of The Media Consortium. It is free to reprint. Visit the Audit for a complete list of articles on economic issues, or follow us on Twitter. And for the best progressive reporting on critical economy, environment, health care and immigration issues, check out The Mulch, The Pulse and The Diaspora. This is a project of The Media Consortium, a network of leading independent media outlets.

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (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 ...

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (LIVE UPDATES)

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (LIVE UPDATES)

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (LIVE UPDATES)

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (LIVE UPDATES)

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (LIVE UPDATES)

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (LIVE UPDATES)

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (LIVE UPDATES)

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (LIVE UPDATES)

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (LIVE UPDATES)

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (LIVE UPDATES)

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (LIVE UPDATES)

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (LIVE UPDATES)

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

bench craft company reviews bench craft company reviews

Arizona Shooting News (LIVE UPDATES)

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks 1/10/11 - Mile High Report

Your daily cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

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

Friday, January 7, 2011

Making Money Now

Making maple syrup in a hotter world

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks to agroman for Submitterating!

Hell's Kitchen continues to be a highly desirable neighborhood for many New Yorkers, but living in the HeKi (our coinage&msash;you're welcome Corcoran) isn't without sacrifice. Local residents who don't have washer/dryers in their buildings are finding it increasingly annoying to get their laundry done! One of the neighborhood's last laundromats, on 53rd Street and Ninth Avenue, recently closed, leaving behind, the Post reports, "a mile-long, laundry-less desert between Eighth and Tenth Avenues." This heavy news comes on the heels of Second Wave Laundry, the largest Laundromat in the neighborhood on 55th Street and Ninth Avenue, closing because the landlord threatened to raise the rent from $14,000 to $20,000 a month and demanded an $80,000 security deposit.

Now Hell's Kitchen locals are throwing "champagne and laundry parties" in apartments with washing machines. Others simply do their laundry in the sink. For this very reason, Councilwoman Gale Brewer has introduced a resolution to give tax breaks to owner-operated city businesses. "This is the most basic challenge to the crisis of the lack of mom-and-pop stores in the city," says Brewer. "It's beyond frustrating." And Christine Gorman, president of the West 55th Block Association, tells the tabloid, "The Laundromats are fleeing our area. The services in our neighborhood are disappearing. There's rumors that the Laundromat is going to become a Citibank." At least that's welcome news for anybody in Hell's Kitchen who needs some money laundered.

free rental agreement forms

No good news for the long-term unemployed | Analysis & Opinion |

The December jobs report turns recent history on its head.

Small Business News: Small Biz Funding Fundamentals

Will raising capital your small business be easier in 2011 than it was in 2010? Well, some sources say that funding may be loosening up but be assured that.

Atlanta Hawks Off Day News and Notes - Peachtree Hoops

Opinions and Reactions to the Atlanta Hawks 110-87 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

budgeting personal finances

Five Best Mobile Personal Finance Tools

It's easy to convince yourself to spend and save responsibly when the numbers are right in front of you, but it's a different story when you're on-the-go. These five great mobile personal finance tools keep your money goals nearby at all times.

Photo a composite of images by neernijus and mellowr.

Smartphones have brought nearly every aspect of desktop computers to your pocket; it only makes sense they'd bring money management, too. Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite mobile personal finance tool. Now we're back to highlight the five most popular options.

Mint (Android/iOS, Free)

Popular web-based personal finance tool Mint has an equally as popular mobile application for Android and iOS devices. It sports the same simple design as Mint's main site and makes it easy to track your spending, receive alerts about bills and budget issues, and monitor your savings goals. It's polished, the graphs are easy to read, and the total-overview that Mint provides helps keep you on top of your personal finances in ways other tools don't.

Pageonce (Cross-Platform, Free)

Pageonce isn't only about personal finance, but it does personal finance well, and it's available for nearly every mobile platform around. On top of a web-based interface, they have highly polished apps for Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile (including the newly released Windows Phone 7). It's easy to get real-time updates via email or push notifications on your phone, set alerts to warn you about impending bills or overspending, and view all of your financial stats in eye-catching charts and graphs.

EasyMoney (Android, $9.95)

EasyMoney is an Android-only personal finance manager that includes a home screen widget for speedy transaction inputs, bill notifications, graphs to help you analyze and chart your past and future spending, and a host of small but very useful features like the ability to split transactions between multiple categories. Easy Money also includes a tool for photographing receipts and importing data as well as a checkbook register and easy import/export to .CVS files. EasyMoney offers a 30 day-trial if you're on the fence about spending $10 on the app (consider also, many of the features in EasyMoney are paid upgrades on similar applications).

Pocket Money (iOS, $4.99)

Pocket Money puts a sweeping view of all your accounts and transactions right on your iPhone or iPad. You can manually enter transactions, create repeating transactions based on cycles or dates, create custom filters to view your money the way that is most useful to you, and more. On top of the plethora of features in the stock app you can expand the feature set with in-app purchases like the $0.99 Photo Receipts plugin that allows you to photograph your receipts and import the transaction data off them. Pocket Money has a companion desktop application available for Windows, Mac and Linux—a nice break from the common pattern of iOS apps having Mac-only desktop companions.

ProOnGo (Cross-Platform, Starting at $0.99/Month)

ProOnGo is the most distinctly business-oriented tool in this week's Hive Five. You could use it as a personal finance manager if you desired but the feature set is weighted heavily towards business users who need to track things like automotive mileage, business-related expenses, and generate reports for tax purposes and submission to their company. The basic package runs $0.99/month and is limited to manual entires and expense report generation, the premium package runs $4.99/month and includes web-based access, backups, custom spreadsheets, and synchronization to your American Express business card.

Now that you've had a chance to look over the five most popular mobile finance tools, it's time to vote for your favorite:

Have an idea for the next Hive Five? Shoot us an email at tips@lifehacker.com with "Hive Five" in the subject line and we'll do our best to give you idea the attention it deserves.

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

Best Mobile Personal Finance Tool: Mint

Earlier last week we asked you to share your favorite mobile personal finance tool. We rounded up the nominations and put the top five before you for a vote. Now we're back with your favorite.

Leading the pack by a brutal landslide; Mint's mobile finance application took home 76% of the vote. Following behind Mint, Pageonce pulled in 14%. Rounding out the bottom of the Hive were Pocket Money (3%), EasyMoney (2%), and ProOnGo (1%).

Click on the chart below to see the results in graph form.

Have an idea for the next Hive Five? Shoot us an email at tips@lifehacker.com with "Hive Five" in the subject line and we'll do our best to get your idea the attention it deserves.

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

surface encounters macomb surface encounters michigan

News - Natalie Portman Shows Off Pregnancy Curves at People's ...

She keeps her hand on her bump in her awards-season debut.

Scripting News: Everything is dead

But programmers don't think this way, and I guess most programmers aren't news junkies. Because it was impossible to get through to them. No matter, the market eventually decided. A lot of wasted time, which sucks, but hardly the end of ...