Friday, July 30, 2010

budgeting personal finances


penis enlargement

AMD tops Nvidia in graphics chip shipments | Nanotech - The <b>...</b>

AMD passed Nvidia in graphics chip shipments in the second quarter, according to a marketing research firm. Read this blog post by Brooke Crothers on Nanotech - The Circuits Blog.

Small <b>News</b> - Gadgetwise Blog - NYTimes.com

SanDisk has a new flash drive that's the size of a paper clip.

Transfer <b>news</b> England goalkeeper David James agrees to sign for <b>...</b>

England keeper goes from World Cup finals to the Championship.



Quizzle.com: Your Home, Money, Credit and Life - All in One Spot by QuizzleTown


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AMD tops Nvidia in graphics chip shipments | Nanotech - The <b>...</b>

AMD passed Nvidia in graphics chip shipments in the second quarter, according to a marketing research firm. Read this blog post by Brooke Crothers on Nanotech - The Circuits Blog.

Small <b>News</b> - Gadgetwise Blog - NYTimes.com

SanDisk has a new flash drive that's the size of a paper clip.

Transfer <b>news</b> England goalkeeper David James agrees to sign for <b>...</b>

England keeper goes from World Cup finals to the Championship.


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Quizzle.com: Your Home, Money, Credit and Life - All in One Spot by QuizzleTown































Tuesday, July 27, 2010

foreclosure report



The House Ethics Committee on Thursday cleared Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Long Beach) in her dealings with a bank that cancelled the sale of a foreclosed home she owns in Sacramento.

The bipartisan panel unanimously found that Richardson “did not receive an improper gift or other benefit'' when Washington Mutual placed a hold on the sale.

But the committee's 87-page report brought new attention, in an election year, to the financial affairs of the congresswoman with a history of problems making her house payments, defaulting on three different houses, including the Sacramento house that had become rundown.

The committee found that Richardson was “a victim of mortgage fraud.'' Although her mortgage application for the Sacramento home said she was receiving rental income from properties she owns in Long Beach and San Pedro, it wasn't so. Her mortgage broker, “without her knowledge, fraudulently submitted false rental income information,” the committee said. The committee referred the mortgage broker to the Justice Department for possible prosecution.

But the report noted that the congresswoman “admitted that she did not review the mortgage application as closely as she should have.'' She also told committee investigators that she was unaware her home was sold at foreclosure until she received a phone call from a reporter.

The panel, formally known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, concluded that Washington Mutual treated Richardson the same as it would treat “any other similarly situated customer.''

The committee found that the bank had “mistakenly” allowed the foreclosure sale after informing Richardson that it had placed a 60-day hold on the foreclosure proceedings.

Richardson bought the Sacramento house for $535,000 in early 2007 after her election to the state Assembly. The house went into foreclosure in early 2008, after her election to Congress.

It was bought by a real estate investor for $388,000. But then Washington Mutual took back the house and returned it to Richardson. The bank settled a lawsuit filed by the buyer by refunding the foreclosure sale amount and paying the buyer an additional $100,000, the report says.

-- Richard Simon




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Shakesville: Today in Not <b>News</b>: The Afghanistan War Blows

The biggest news about this leak should be that the horror the documents reveal isn't actually news. Not to anyone who's been paying attention to the war we're totally not supposed to be paying attention to. ...

Meet the &#39;roadable aircraft&#39; image - Flying car gets closer to <b>...</b>

View Meet the 'roadable aircraft' image in CNET News' 'Flying car gets closer to takeoff (photos)' slideshow - CNET News.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Getting Things Right | Small Business <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

Marketer Mark Brimm hates when gurus tell entrepreneurs and other marketers they're doing it wrong. Though there are certainly right ways and wrong ways to.



Foreclosure protest at San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank by Steve Rhodes


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Shakesville: Today in Not <b>News</b>: The Afghanistan War Blows

The biggest news about this leak should be that the horror the documents reveal isn't actually news. Not to anyone who's been paying attention to the war we're totally not supposed to be paying attention to. ...

Meet the &#39;roadable aircraft&#39; image - Flying car gets closer to <b>...</b>

View Meet the 'roadable aircraft' image in CNET News' 'Flying car gets closer to takeoff (photos)' slideshow - CNET News.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Getting Things Right | Small Business <b>News</b> <b>...</b>

Marketer Mark Brimm hates when gurus tell entrepreneurs and other marketers they're doing it wrong. Though there are certainly right ways and wrong ways to.


big white booty

Foreclosure protest at San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank by Steve Rhodes


Monday, July 26, 2010

web site promotion internet marketing


how to lose weight fast

AMERICAblog <b>News</b>: &#39;Afghan War Diary&#39; — Wikileaks massive <b>...</b>

Note which news-blond(e)s trash Wikileaks. (I'm looking at you, Chuck Todd; prove me wrong.) Those that do — list them as unreliable. They're part of the War Sales Team. Operatives. I'll have more. This exposes a whole layer of analysis ...

This Week&#39;s Health Industry <b>News</b> - Prescriptions Blog - NYTimes.com

More earnings reports from health insurers and drug companies, as well as agency hearings on medical devices.

Amy Walter Joins ABC <b>News</b> As Political Director - The Note

Amy Walter joins ABC News as political director, it was announced today. Based in Washington, Ms. Walter will oversee all political coverage on ABCNews.com, including ABC's 'The Note.' The Note, authored by ABC News' Rick Klein, ...



 Finally The Secrets Of Website Promotion Revealed by Tech Informatics


























Sunday, July 25, 2010

web site promotion internet marketing


Hillary Rodham Clinton Says Despite Withdrawal Plans, US, World <b>...</b>

(July 20) -- US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told an international conference in Kabul today that the United States and the world will stand with Afghanistan even after Washington begins withdrawing its troops next summer.

Small Business <b>News</b>: The Social Media Trend | Small Business Trends

Social media as a small business tool is definitely no fad. Look at how social media, from blogs to Twitter to Facebook, has changed the way businesses operate,

Google, LA hit speed bumps on move to cloud | Digital Media - CNET <b>...</b>

Google had a June 30 deadline to get all of Los Angeles' city employees up and running on Google Apps, but that didn't happen. Delay could cost Google more than $100000. Read this blog post by Sam Diaz on Digital Media.


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Audelow by L'agence Medianet

























Thursday, July 22, 2010

personal finance planning

Earlier today Phandroid seemed to have off-contract pricing information on the upcoming T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant – the T-Mobile variant of the Samsung Galaxy S – as $329 without contract. Sounds great right? Well, that was taken down from the T-Mobile site promptly – turns out the actual off-contract pricing is set at $450.

T-Mobile contacted Phandroid and informed them that the actual off-contract price of the device was $450. The pricing makes sense. It would not be so smart for Magenta to have priced the device  at such a low price, as that would encourage people to just buy the device outright and not get on a contract (the more lucrative option for any carrier). T-Mobile, the 4th largest carrier in the US needs all of the customers it can get, whether its on or off contract, but contracts are what make you stay with the carrier. As such, T-Mobile would like to wrangle you into paying them for two years of your life, as does every other carrier.

The $49 pricing applies to the Even More Plus plan T-Mobile offers, which is a contract free plan that offers the option to pay for your no-contract phone in installments – think of it as smartphone financing. I’ve been on this plan since it was debuted late last year, and the option to finance a phone is really convenient. Paying $20 extra dollars per month for a MyTouch 3G (that I never use, but still a decent back up) is no problem in my book. It gives the customer the option to leave T-Mobile, but would still have to pay the remainder of the financed device. I’d expect this option to be available for the Vibrant as well when it comes to this specific plan, but the monthly payment price is not yet known. In the picture below, it states that you can pay for the device over time for as little as $16.50 a month, but since it was taken down, the price could be higher.

After being in contracts for so long, and wanting a different phone almost every other month, I started buying smartphones unlocked or at full no-contract prices. I can leave any carrier of my own accord, and I can take my phone with me (to AT&T…..). $450 for a phone is not bad, especially for a Samsung Galaxy S. And, there’s no doubt that the T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant will be the best Android phone T-Mobile has ever put in their line up.

I was planning on getting this device, but now I think I’m going to wait another six months until we start seeing some Gingerbread devices hitting market. Anyone else out there thinking the same thing?

[Via: Phandroid]


In the past I have been in financial prison while making a ‘good’ living, and now find myself more financially ‘free’ while making less money than I’ve earned in almost 20 years. I think financial freedom is mostly about attitude. Freedom means that I have choices, and mostly, choices are about having an awareness of what my choices are.


e.g. I bought gas for the car today and when I wrote down the debit in my checkbook and spending notebook (that I carry everywhere) I realized I had not spent any money in almost one week. I also realized that although it is two days til payday, I have over $250 in my checking account. (not including a small amount in savings.) When I was earning three times my current income in the early 1990’s it was rare that I had any money by two days before payday, making those last couple of days before payday very fearful.


I could have chosen not to buy gas today and instead walked or taken the bus everywhere I need to travel, in my city it is not an easy way to function but it is doable. So buying gas for the car was a choice. However it was not a choice I wanted to make.


However, some “spending less” choices I do make. I choose not to have cable TV. I have “rabbit ears” and get seven channels, which is about six more than I need. I rarely buy clothes, (probably about $200 per year total) and usually they come from Goodwill or TJ Maxx or big sales at Macy’s. I rarely eat out, but I eat very well at home. I NEVER buy coffee out, even though I am a coffee snob. Instead, I buy fair trade organic coffee a pound at a time and make it at home. A pound for $10 lasts over two weeks, compared to $2 per cup in a cafe.


I have a busy social life, I am involved in church and civic life, I have family and relationship commitments, I teach and consult and write professionally. I go to cultural events (many are free or super cheap in my city.) I read a lot. (mostly used books or library books.)


My life is rich and full and I use my money is as a tool to make that happen. I also donate ten percent of my gross to my church, which is heavily involved in social justice causes.

At times I get wistful about things that I want or places I’d like to travel. At some point I will make a choice to shift some of my money toward those things, but I feel financially free about 90 percent of the time in my current lifestyle.


Part of my money goes toward saving and part on paying off old debt but both are at a pace that is workable for both me and my creditors. I don’t let it make me crazy or compromise my quality of life.


Every time I make my mortgage payment I am making a choice. Every time I pay my electric bill I am making a choice. The consequences of not making those payments are not consequences that I want to experience. However, it is still MY CHOICE.


I don’t know what the meaning of life is, but I think that if something happens to me tomorrow, I will be much more satisfied with my time on earth living how I live today than if I had spent the last several years sacrificing everything I enjoy in order to put more money in the bank, in order to have “financial freedom.”


“To Have More, Desire Less.”




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Rachel Maddow - Video | Fox <b>News</b> | Shirley Sherrod | Mediaite

While President Obama may be trying to avoid diving into the racial fray right now, Rachel Maddow jumped right in last night. In a fairly devastating segment Maddow tied this week's Shirley Sherrod debacle to previous cases, ...

Reid Abandons Cap &amp; Trade in Face of Bipartisan Opposition « The <b>...</b>

Hitting a wall of bipartisan opposition to placing a price on carbon, even if just in the utility.

ASUS EP101TC Now Shipping with Android | Netbooknews - Netbooks <b>...</b>

Today the Netbook News team went down to the ASUS headquarters to hang out with the Eee Pad team, and we learned something that actually made us breath a sigh of relief. The EP101TC pad will dropping Windows CE and will be shipped with ...



 by Julia Delligatti


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Rachel Maddow - Video | Fox <b>News</b> | Shirley Sherrod | Mediaite

While President Obama may be trying to avoid diving into the racial fray right now, Rachel Maddow jumped right in last night. In a fairly devastating segment Maddow tied this week's Shirley Sherrod debacle to previous cases, ...

Reid Abandons Cap &amp; Trade in Face of Bipartisan Opposition « The <b>...</b>

Hitting a wall of bipartisan opposition to placing a price on carbon, even if just in the utility.

ASUS EP101TC Now Shipping with Android | Netbooknews - Netbooks <b>...</b>

Today the Netbook News team went down to the ASUS headquarters to hang out with the Eee Pad team, and we learned something that actually made us breath a sigh of relief. The EP101TC pad will dropping Windows CE and will be shipped with ...


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 by Julia Delligatti































Wednesday, July 21, 2010

personal finance books


I recently reviewed Gary Rivlin's important new book, Broke USA, for the Huffington Post. Thus, I was stunned when I noticed that the book had been reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.



I wondered if the reviewer, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and I had read the same book.



f you go by her philosophy, payday lenders and other members of the "poverty industry" are upstanding entrepreneurs, performing a service for society!



She waits until the second to last paragraph to "mention" that payday lenders are providing this wonderful service at "something like a 300% to 400% interest rate."



Ms. Mangu-Ward makes a historic comparison of those in the "poverty industry" with loan sharks of a different era. I'm not sure that Mangu-Ward, a Yale University graduate, has ever met a loan shark. I have.



As I note in my book Son of a Son of a Gambler, loan sharks and gamblers populated my hometowns of Covington and Newport in Northern Kentucky.



Although the sharks were aggressive in their collections policies, any loan shark who charged 400% would have soon been floating in the Ohio River.



I also doubt that many loan sharks were ever touted for their entrepreneurial acumen in the Wall Street Journal.



The sad thing is that the Wall Street Journal would allow such a slanted and biased reviewer to write a review for their newspaper.



She leaps to conclusions that show a lack of research, especially for a graduate of an Ivy League school.



For example, she said that Rivlin brings "a level of financial illiteracy and disdain for entrepreneurs that is somewhat surprising in a man who once covered Silicon Valley for the New York Times."



If Mangu-Ward had done her homework, she would have read Rivlin's books, The Plot to Get Bill Gates and The Godfather of Silicon Valley. The first book shows Rivlin's tremendous empathy with the featured entrepreneur and the second shows some keen insights into how businesses truly operate.



Anyway, Broke USA is not about entrepreneurism. It's about the poverty industry and how loan sharking has become legalized.



Rivlin devotes much of his book to efforts in North Carolina and other states to offer payday loans at a more reasonable interest rate. He notes how the United States armed services put a 36% cap on any payday loans made to military personnel.



None of that important information made it into a "review" that in the author's mind puts payday lenders in the same category as Mother Teresa: Doing good for the poor.



I don't remember Mother Teresa charging 400% interest rates.



Despite what the Wall Street Journal says, Broke USA is an even-handed look at the poverty industry.



A little even-handedness would have gone a long way in the Wall Street Journal's review.



http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704629804575325840351124892.html?mod=googlenews_wsj



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-mcnay/wall-street-and-legalized_b_596986.html





Don McNay, CLU, ChFC, MSFS, CSSC is an award-winning financial columnist and Huffington Post Contributor.



You can read more about Don at www.donmcnay.com





McNay has Master's Degrees from Vanderbilt and the American College and is in the Hall of Distinguished Alumni of Eastern Kentucky University.



McNay has written two books. Most recent is Son of a Son of a Gambler: Winners, Losers and What to Do When You Win The Lottery



McNay is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table and has four professional designations in the financial services field.










I met James Montier at a value investment seminar in Italy in 2007 where he presented. We had long discussions later the day and into the evening on value investing and investment strategy.


James was kind enough to put me on his distribution list and I really looked forward to each of his articles as they always taught me something.


Unfortunately James decreased his writings since taking a position with the asset manager GMO in 2010.


I decided to put this resource page together so Eurosharelab visitors can also benefit from James’s investment wisdom.


James Montier’s Amazon Page shows all the books he has authored as well as the following short biography:


James Montier is a member of GMO’s asset allocation team.


Prior to that, he was the co-Head of Global Strategy at Société Générale and has been the top-rated strategist in the annual Thomson Extel survey for most of the last decade.


Montier is the author of four market-leading books:


• The Little Book of Behavioral Investing: How not to be your own worst enemy (Little Book, Big Profits)


• Behavioral Finance: Insights into Irrational Minds and Markets


• Behavioral Investing: A Practitioners Guide to Applying Behavioral Finance


• Value Investing: Tools and Techniques for Intelligent Investment


He is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Durham and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.


2010


In this May 2010 article called I Want to Break Free, or, Strategic Asset Allocation does not equal Static Asset Allocation James Montier talks about in the beginning investing was a simpler and happier.


The essence of investment was to seek out value; to buy what was cheap with a margin of safety. Investors could move up and down the capital structure (from bonds to equities) as they saw fit. If nothing fit the criteria for investing, then cash was the default option.


But that changed with the rise of modern portfolio theory and, not coincidentally, the rise of “professional investment managers” and consultants.


In March 2010 Miguel Barbosa in his Simolean Sense blog interviewed James Montier about his book Value Investing: Tools & Techniques For Intelligent Investing.


In the second part of the interview Miguel talks to James about his other book The Little Book of Behavioral Investing – How Not To Be Your Own Worst Enemy.


In this February 2010 article, the first since joining GMO, James Montier asks Was It All Just A Bad Dream? Or, Ten Lessons Not Learnt from the financial crisis.


2009


In November 2009 article titled Only White Swans on the Road to Revulsion James Montier makes the argument that that the housing bubble and the crisis following its collapse was not an unforeseen event but rather the result of over optimism and the illusion of control, two classic human behavioural mistakes.


This article is the text of a speech called Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast, or how EMH has damaged our industry which James Montier delivered at the at the August 2009 CFA UK conference on “What ever happened to EMH”. Dedicated to Peter Bernstein (EMH = Efficient Market Hypothesis)


Here is the video recording of the above mentioned speech by James Montier: Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast. The video is 42 minutes long, but well worth watching.


The financial times in this 24 June 2009 article EMH, AMH: Edwards and Montier ride again motions James Montier leaving Societe Generale to join US investment manager Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co, just after he and Albert Edwards won the Thomson Extel European analysts award in May 2009 as the top global strategy team.


In this 2 June 2009 research paper Forever blowing bubbles: moral hazard and melt-up James Montier explored the bubble phenomenon and what happens in the future after a bubble pops. He explores the possibility that all the government rescue packages initiated in 2008 have the possibility to again inflate a substantial bubble.


In this 24 June 2009 Financial Times article called Insight: Efficient markets theory is dead. James Montier explains why the efficient markets theory is dead but still lives because of academic inertia.


In June 2009 James Montier’s published this list of his Favorite Investment Books as well as a Summer reading list of more recent titles.


In May 2009 shortly after the market started its recovery from its March 9 2009 lows James Montier in this article titled Sucker’s rally or the birth of a bull? asks if this is a suckers rally and if so what investors could do to protect themselves. He also gives a few short ideas from his shorting screen.


In this 27 January 2009 article Clear and present danger: the trinity of risk, James Montier writes about the three primary and interrelated sources of investment risk; Valuation risk, business or earnings risk and balance sheet or financial risk.



2008


In this excellent review of James Montier’s book – Behavioral Investing: A Practitioner’s Guide to Applying Behavioral Finance, Bruce Grantier summarises the main points of the book with emphasis on mistakes and biases followed by a discussion of number of behavioral phenomena.


In the article The psychology of bear markets published in December 2009, during the brunt of the bear market James Montier writes about that the mental barriers to effective decision-making in bear markets are as many and varied as those that plague rationality during bull markets but that they more pronounced as fear and shock limits logical analysis.


In this 25 Nov 2008 article called The road to revulsion and the creation of value, James Montier argues that the road to revulsion – sharply declining prices – ends in an investment nirvana with unambiguously cheap assets.


In this 25 November 2008 Bloomberg article Montier Has ‘Never Been More Bullish’ on Stocks James Montier makes the cast that stocks are “distinctly cheap” because they trade at 15.4 times the 10-year moving average of its companies’ profits, compared with an average of 18 for the U.S. market since 1881.James wrote that fifteen stocks in the U.S. index, pass his test for “deep value,” while a tenth of shares in Europe and a fifth in Asia qualify.


In this 27 October 2008 article – An admission of ignorance: a humble approach to investing James Montier details his investment strategy.


It makes no sense to forecast, the importance of a margin of safety, avoid trying to time the market and buy cheap insurance. But most importantly, humility should be the central theme of a good investment process.


In this October 22nd, 2008 Financial Times blog post by Paul Murphy summarises an article Analysts are rubbish by James Montier about the bullish bias built in to the investment industry by the analysts and that analysts are exceptionally good at one thing and one thing only – telling you what has just happened.


In this 9 September 2008 article – The dangers of DCF James Montier writes about the dangers Of Discount cash flow (DCF) saying its implementation is riddled with problems but the good news is that several alternatives exist.


In this 23 June 2008 article – You are still wasting your time, or, are analysts just overpaid secretaries? James Montier writes about the whether company visits are useful for fund managers. The answer in general is no but they can be improved by learning to look for evidence that disagrees with us, and seek to disprove our ideas, rather than illustrate them with supportive evidence.


In this article The Road To Revulsion 16 June 2008 James Montier writes about bubbles, that bubbles are a by-product of human behaviour, and that human behaviour is sadly all too predictable.


The details of each bubble are different but the general patterns remain very similar. He also touches on the propensity for commentators to continually proclaim the end of the problem and a resumption of business as usual.


In the 30 May 2008 article Inflation Not The Problem Albert Edwards and James Montier explain why they are sceptical of all the market commentators saying that the worse market decline of the recession was over. How right they were, but it’s the way they arrived at their conclusion that makes the article worthwhile reading.


If you have any interest at all in short selling this is an article for you. On 26 May 2008, with the markets particularly overvalued James Montier turned his thinking to short selling writing Joining The Dark Side: Pirates, Spies and Short Sellers.


In the article he explains a simple short screen with surprising results shown through back testing in the USA and Europe.


In the article with the catchy title Asleep at the wheel, or, How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb published on 7 April 2008 James Montier points out that company management and analysts are unwilling to revise their profit estimates in spite of the looming recession as everyone thinks their business is recession resistant. He points out that this is why they are all overoptimistic and how you can avoid falling into the same trap.


In this 13 March 2008 research article called Remember, Cassandra was right! James Montier makes a strong argument that the mess in the US economy and housing market was not caused by a black swan event (unpredictable) but rather was sadly predictable.


It follows the standard pattern of a bubble deflating, some thing that we have seen a thousand times before.


On 12 January 2008 James made the last post on his blog called Behavioural Investing – The application of psychology to finance and the home of an investing sceptic.


The articles he wrote is luckily all still there and it’s a real treasure trove of information.


In this 15 January 2008 article The Dash To Trash And The Grab For Growth James Montier wrote just shortly after the absolute peak in the 2008 bull market he suggests that if you cannot move to cash because of career risk then invest in large dividend paying companies as what is going to happen to growth stocks at already high valuations is not going to be pretty. How right he was.


2007


In this blog post called The Sources of Value, written in October 2007 James Montier analyses which of the component sources of return leads to value, over reasonable periods of time, to outperform growth?


On 3 October 2007 James Montier posted a blog article titled Sector rotation: an investment dead end? He argues that investors focusing on sectors rather than stocks are barking up the wrong tree.


James Montier’s book Behavioural investing: a practitioner’s guide to applying behavioural finance was published in September 2007. At the link above you can read parts of the book at Google Books.


In this 24 September 2007 blog post called The myth of exogenous risk and the recent quant problems James Montier argues that many aspect of investment risk are endogenous (like a gambler playing poker, where the actions of the other plays are integral to the game) to the way in which we invest.


The problems experienced by the quant funds in August may help highlight some of these issues.


In this 10 September 2007 blog post Yet more evidence on the folly of forecasting, or why we don’t need economists! James Montier presents even more evidence that humans cannot forecast and why you should avoid listening to anyone who says he can as well as avoid it yourself.


On 21 August 2007 James Montier posted a blog article titled Earnings manipulation as a source of short ideas. He identifies shorting candidates through a measurement called the M score. Past results are impressive in identifying under-performing companies.


On 15 March 2007 James Montier posted a Macro Research article titled Global Equity Strategy . Investing 101: A reading list. Here he comes up with a collection of his best books in different categories (classics, modern, psychological and hidden gems) that is arguably the best reading list for any aspiring investor.


In the 30 January 2007 article by James Montier CAPM is CRAP James says that the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is insidious. It creeps into almost every discussion on finance. And them he goes on to systematically take the model apart with real life examples and evidence.


In his 10 January 2007 research paper Contrarian or conformist? James Montier, in his usual style puts himself against the common view saying that the then biggest consensus portfolio bets to him seemed to be small cap and low quality however large cap, high quality looks like the better bet to him. To emphasise he quotes Sir John Templeton once observed, “It is impossible to produce a superior performance unless you do something different from the majority”.


2006


In this 30 November 2006 article with the enticing title Improving returns using inside information James Montier explains the results of a unknown but interesting research paper on share buybacks and how they, when implemented, are a powerful indicator for positive returns.


In this July 2006 research note titled Come out of the closet, or, show me the alpha James features a study that suggests

closet indexing accounts for nearly one third of the US mutual fund industry. Stock pickers account for less than 30% of the market, yet they have real investment skill. A fascinating read.


The article Prophet Among Pinstripes in the April 2006 issue of Fastcompany magazine features James Montier where he gives his five laws about investing bias, evolution, and true happiness.


In March 2006 shortly after the release of Joel Greenblatt’s book The Little Book That Beats the Market James tested the strategy worldwide and in this article called The little note that beats the markets found that on average the Little Book strategy

beats the markets by around 7% p.a. between 1993-2005, and with lower risk than the market! Value plus quality seems to make sense.


In the article Behaving Badly published in February 2006 James Montier features a short test you can take after which you will also become a strong believer in behavioural finance. Give it a try!


2005


In November 2005 James Montier wrote the article Seven Sins of Fund Management – A behavioural critique where he explores some of the more obvious behavioural weaknesses inherent in the ‘average’ investment process.


For example he writes that the first sin was placing forecasting at the very heart of the investment process. An enormous amount of evidence suggests that investors are generally hopeless at forecasting. So using forecasts as an integral part of the investment process is like tying one hand behind your back before you start.


In this 31 March 2005 article called Bargain Hunter James Montier confesses that he is an unabashed value investor. He adds that if the reader does not share this viewpoint, or isn’t open to be persuaded of the merits of such an approach, he should stop reading now for what follows will only distress his.


James teams up with Rui Antunes his “usual accomplice and compatriot in adventures involving large amounts of data” and embarked upon an investigation of value strategies.


In the article Abu Ghraib: Lessons from behavioural finance and for corporate governance, wrote at the end of January 2005 James Montier says even though it is tempting to believe bad behaviour is the result of a few rotten individuals. However, the overwhelming psychological evidence suggests that if you put good people into bad situations they usually turn bad.


2004


In the June 2004 paper If it makes you happy James Montier leaves investment advice aside and explores one of Adam Smith’s obsessions: what it means to be happy.


He also discusses why that’s important to investors, and how we can seek to improve our own levels of happiness. The article further lists

James’s top ten suggestions for improving happiness.


In the article Who’s a Pretty Boy Then? Or Beauty Contests, Rationality and Greater Fools James Montier in February 2004 played a classic Keynes’ beauty contest with over 1000 professional investors.


He found that on average professional investors are using between one and two steps of strategic thinking in forming their expectations. He also found that many investors suffer the curse of knowledge and end up either picking zero or severely underestimating the irrationality of other players.


These results speak directly to the ability of investors to exit the market before the mass exodus. He found, unsurprisingly, that only a very small minority shows the required level of strategic thinking to beat the gun.


In this 76 page presentation Insights into irrational minds and market Applied Behavioural Finance: Insights into irrational minds and market James Montier gave in 2004 he in great detail described the behavioural biases investors are prone to. Its a great summary of a lot of his previous work in a presentation format, summarised in bullet points and graphs.


2003


This November 2003 issue of welling@weeden James Montier offers a reality and earnings checks.


In this January 2003 research paper Running with the Devil: The Advent of A Cynical Bubble James Montier explores the nature and underlying psychology of four different kinds of bubbles. To assess which comes closest to describing the current market.


To us, the current market environment is largely a greater fool market. Because such markets lack fundamental support, they are liable to precipitous declines.


2002


In Darwin’s Mind: The Evolutionary Foundations of Heuristics and Biases James Montier in December 2002 writes that a catalogue of biases that cognitive psychologists have built up over the last three decades seem to have stem from one of three roots – self-deception, heuristic simplification (including affect), and social interaction.


In this paper James explores the evolutionary basis of each of these roots. The simple truth is that we aren’t adapted to face the world as it is today. We evolved in a very different environment, and it is that ancestral evolutionary environment that governs the way in which we think and feel.


In 22 November 2002 James Montier wrote in Part man, part monkey that leaving the trees could have been our first mistake. Our minds are suited for solving problems related to our survival, rather than being optimised for investment decisions. We all make mistakes when we make decisions. The list below gives a top ten list for avoiding the most common investment mental pitfalls.



  1. You know less than you think you do

  2. Be less certain in your views, aim for timid forecasts and bold choices

  3. Don’t get hung up on one technique, tool, approach or view flexibility and pragmatism are the order of the day

  4. Listen to those who don’t agree with you

  5. You didn’t know it all along, you just think you did

  6. Forget relative valuation, forget market price, work out what the stock is worth (use reverse DCFs)

  7. Don’t take information at face value, think carefully about how it was presented to you

  8. Don’t confuse good firms with good investments, or good earnings growth with good returns

  9. Vivid, easy to recall events are less likely than you think they are, subtle causes are underestimated

  10. Sell your losers and ride your winners


>



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The iPad just got a game changing <b>news</b> reader, it&#39;s called Flipboard.

It offers a way to “flip” through news, photos and updates from what your friends on Facebook and Twitter are sharing. Rather than scrolling through posts and links, Flipboard organises everything shared into a magazine like format, ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media, SEO and Marketing | Small <b>...</b>

Small business in the Internet age is still about marketing. In this case much of that marketing takes place online. The tools you will use include social media.

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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

how to manage personal finances


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One of the more stressful aspects of the newly married is deciding how to arrange your finances. Some people believe individuals who marry should maintain their own bank accounts, credit cards and everything else they had before the marriage. Others still maintain that once couples marry, they should pool all of their resources and share them jointly. And then there are course those that fall somewhere in-between. Different methods work for different people and the trick is figuring out which is best for you. If you are someone who is newly married or plan to be any time soon, the list below of five savvy tips on how to manage your money after marriage can serve as a guideline, with suggestions and pitfalls, for the various arrangements.

1 - Pool Everything. Certainly there is risk in pooling everything. The first is because one of the parties in the marriage may be more of a spendthrift, or have difficulty controlling costs. Or one may be a averse to spending money on anything they deem unnecessary. Another problem arises whenever the couple find they need to reach a consensus on major purchases, or even minor ones if the combined income is still small. The biggest risk of all of course is that the marriage won't last and one or the other will feel cheated if they came to the marriage with more assets.

2 - Keep everything separate. One of the leading causes of contention within marriages is money, so it would seem the way to avoid this problem is for both parties to maintain their own accounts rather than share. The problem here is that people are human, and thus have feelings. If one of the people in the relationship makes more money than the other, there lies an inherent imbalance in the way their life will be lived. The person who makes less may come to resent having to ask for money, or the one who makes more may begin to feel they should have more say in where the money is spent. There is also another issue that may not become apparent until several years into the marriage, and that is when there are separate accounts, people are able to hide purchases of things they don't want their spouse to know about, which can lead to all manner of ugly things. Finally, there are quite often feelings that unless everything in a marriage is shared, there won't be feeling of a true bonding between the two people as life becomes navigated individually rather than as a team.

3 - Find a middle ground. There is of course the possibility of finding a middle ground. For example both people can maintain separate bank accounts and/or credit cards, and also open a shared account for shared expenses. In fact, this is quite often what people do. This is especially important regarding credit cards, and doubly so if one of the parties to the marriage has more difficulty controlling credit purchases. By maintaining separate credit cards, separate credit histories are maintained as well, which could be a blessing if one of the people involved destroys their credit by overextending themselves. Finally, by maintaining separate credit histories, the more responsible person won't be responsible for the others debt should the marriage fail.

4 - Personal differences. One of the biggest hurdles many couples face is when there are differences of opinion on which of the three options described above to choose. Quite often the person that makes more prefers the separate accounts structure, leaving the person who makes less to feel as if they have little or no choice in the matter, which can lead to resentment. In addition there are often extended family issues, such as when in-laws have opinions on how finances should be handled in a marriage. Religious issues may also arise as there are many faiths that believe if a couple doesn't pool their resources, they're not truly joined, and thus not truly married in the eyes of god.

5 - Bottom line. What this all means is that newly married couples need to look very closely at how they feel about marriage and money. Each needs to decide for themselves first whether they believe in pooling resources or not. And if so, how strongly do they feel. In addition, the difference in pay scale between the two people needs to be looked at very carefully to avoid contention later on. For example, if one person makes significantly more money than the other, and the couple has chosen to keep their finances separate, will the one that makes more contribute more towards the major cost factors, such as mortgage and utilities? These are things that need to be decided as soon after (or even before) the wedding as possible so as to minimize the possibility of contention later on. The bottom lines is, regardless of which financial options couples choose, there needs to be a consensus or there will be trouble later.

These five savvy tips on how to manage your money after marriage are meant as guidelines for people who are newly married and haven't' yet thoroughly thought through how they want to manage their finances. If you are in such a position, I hope these tips help you figure out which way to go. Good luck.


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<b>News</b> Roundup: Doris Roberts Heads to &#39;The Middle,&#39; Scott Porter <b>...</b>

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Monday, July 19, 2010

personal finance books

  • Colbert King:

    Family, marriage and the contribution of fathers come together as topics for reflection on Father's Day. So I'd like to know why Barack Obama, a husband and a father in a family structure that encompasses bonds deemed essential to our society, is constantly and savagely attacked by conservative leaders whose personal circumstances undermine the family values they espouse?



    Consider Obama: Raised by a single mother in a middle-class family where hard work and education were watchwords, Obama graduated from two of the top schools in the country, Columbia University and Harvard Law School. His legal scholarship was recognized when he became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. He married and, equally important, has stayed married to Michelle Robinson, a Princeton graduate and Harvard Law alumna. He lives with his wife, two children and his mother-in-law. Obama: constitutional law professor, civil rights lawyer, state legislator, U.S. senator, 44th U.S. president, family man.



    Now let's turn to Obama's foremost critics: Rush Hudson Limbaugh III, Newton Leroy Gingrich and Sarah Palin.





  • Eighty-five percent of Swedish fathers take parental leave. It's expected, both by employers and society as a whole.




    In this land of Viking lore, men are at the heart of the gender-equality debate. The ponytailed center-right finance minister calls himself a feminist, ads for cleaning products rarely feature women as homemakers, and preschools vet books for gender stereotypes in animal characters. For nearly four decades, governments of all political hues have legislated to give women equal rights at work — and men equal rights at home.



    Swedish mothers still take more time off with children — almost four times as much. And some who thought they wanted their men to help raise baby now find themselves coveting more time at home.



    But laws reserving at least two months of the generously paid, 13-month parental leave exclusively for fathers — a quota that could well double after the September election — have set off profound social change.





  • In 2002, a telecommunications engineer with dual Canadian/Syrian citizenship was seized from JFK airport, held in solitary confinement for two weeks without adequate access to an attorney, then sent to Syria, where he was imprisoned for a year and tortured. Then, he was released back to Canada. Jeralyn explains that although the Supreme Court denied cert in his civil lawsuit against U.S. officials, at least someone official is investigating. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police.


  • Blackwater is awarded a new contract -- under another name, of course -- to guard U.S. consulates in Afghanistan. --Susan Gardner

  • Republicans just can't help revealing their unhinged extremism, and no matter how many times they later backtrack, they are what they are.




    The Republican nominee for a northern New Mexico congressional seat suggested during a radio interview that the United States could place land mines along the Mexican border to secure the international boundary.



    Asked Monday to clarify, Tom Mullins emphasized that he does not advocate doing so.



    He was just making conversation. Or something.



  • Dahlia Lithwick:




    Almost two weeks ago, former Supreme Court Justice David Souter gave the commencement speech at Harvard, a speech that's been variously described by some of my favorite legal writers as a denunciation of "originalism," a defense of "living constitutionalism," and a suggestion that "judicial activism" is a game both liberals and conservatives can play. But the striking aspect of Souter's remarkable speech is that it rejected virtually all of these easy ideological labels and addressed itself to two much simpler questions: Is the meaning of the Constitution clear? And is the task of divining that meaning easy? These incisive questions themselves beg an even more pressing constitutional question: Why must justices first leave the bench before they can speak seriously about the importance of the court?





  • Science Daily:




    Advances in high-yield agriculture over the latter part of the 20th century have prevented massive amounts of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere -- the equivalent of 590 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide -- according to a new study led by two Stanford Earth scientists.





  • Andrew Lawler, in Science Magazine:




    After decades of taboo and controversy, Pacific Rim archaeologists are finding new evidence that Polynesians reached South America before Europeans did, voyaging across the world's largest ocean around 1200 C.E.





  • Cynthia Tucker's reaction to President Obama's energy speech was concise and pointed.


  • Diego Valle makes a comprehensive analysis of the Drug War in Mexico. Suffice to say that the present strategy isn't working. If you don't have a lot of time, just scroll down to his conclusions.


  • Europe's recession might bring down Germany's Merkel government, and is leading to a rise in xenophobia and racism.


  • Markos linked this, last week, but it deserves an encore. After taking apart the canard that Social Security is going broke, digby ends with this gem:




    Any deficit scold who doesn't put reducing health care costs at the very top of the agenda is just a demagogic crank doing the dirty work for the aristocratic overlords.





  • Defense Secretary Robert Gates claims Iran could launch hundreds of missiles into Europe. At least he didn't claim it could be done in 45 minutes.


  • Pretend you're surprised:




    Recent setbacks in Afghanistan have intensified debate over the wisdom of the Obama administration's plan to begin withdrawing U.S. military forces next summer and highlighted reservations among military commanders over a rigid timeline.



    At a Senate hearing Tuesday, Gen. David H. Petraeus, who oversees U.S. forces in the Mideast and Afghanistan, offered "qualified" support for President Obama's plan to begin withdrawing troops in July 2011.



    You have to admire the logic. The worse things get, the longer we have to stay.




I recently reviewed Gary Rivlin's important new book, Broke USA, for the Huffington Post. Thus, I was stunned when I noticed that the book had been reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.



I wondered if the reviewer, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and I had read the same book.



f you go by her philosophy, payday lenders and other members of the "poverty industry" are upstanding entrepreneurs, performing a service for society!



She waits until the second to last paragraph to "mention" that payday lenders are providing this wonderful service at "something like a 300% to 400% interest rate."



Ms. Mangu-Ward makes a historic comparison of those in the "poverty industry" with loan sharks of a different era. I'm not sure that Mangu-Ward, a Yale University graduate, has ever met a loan shark. I have.



As I note in my book Son of a Son of a Gambler, loan sharks and gamblers populated my hometowns of Covington and Newport in Northern Kentucky.



Although the sharks were aggressive in their collections policies, any loan shark who charged 400% would have soon been floating in the Ohio River.



I also doubt that many loan sharks were ever touted for their entrepreneurial acumen in the Wall Street Journal.



The sad thing is that the Wall Street Journal would allow such a slanted and biased reviewer to write a review for their newspaper.



She leaps to conclusions that show a lack of research, especially for a graduate of an Ivy League school.



For example, she said that Rivlin brings "a level of financial illiteracy and disdain for entrepreneurs that is somewhat surprising in a man who once covered Silicon Valley for the New York Times."



If Mangu-Ward had done her homework, she would have read Rivlin's books, The Plot to Get Bill Gates and The Godfather of Silicon Valley. The first book shows Rivlin's tremendous empathy with the featured entrepreneur and the second shows some keen insights into how businesses truly operate.



Anyway, Broke USA is not about entrepreneurism. It's about the poverty industry and how loan sharking has become legalized.



Rivlin devotes much of his book to efforts in North Carolina and other states to offer payday loans at a more reasonable interest rate. He notes how the United States armed services put a 36% cap on any payday loans made to military personnel.



None of that important information made it into a "review" that in the author's mind puts payday lenders in the same category as Mother Teresa: Doing good for the poor.



I don't remember Mother Teresa charging 400% interest rates.



Despite what the Wall Street Journal says, Broke USA is an even-handed look at the poverty industry.



A little even-handedness would have gone a long way in the Wall Street Journal's review.



http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704629804575325840351124892.html?mod=googlenews_wsj



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-mcnay/wall-street-and-legalized_b_596986.html





Don McNay, CLU, ChFC, MSFS, CSSC is an award-winning financial columnist and Huffington Post Contributor.



You can read more about Don at www.donmcnay.com





McNay has Master's Degrees from Vanderbilt and the American College and is in the Hall of Distinguished Alumni of Eastern Kentucky University.



McNay has written two books. Most recent is Son of a Son of a Gambler: Winners, Losers and What to Do When You Win The Lottery



McNay is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table and has four professional designations in the financial services field.










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A lot of us discount the cliché "that education s is life long process." However it's absolutely critical for us to keep growing and learning after we get out of high school and college. Imagine how someone who studied computers in the 1960's would be if they didn't upgrade their skill set! We are gaining new and more advantage technology every year, and it's affecting every field of business. We have to be able to improve ourselves. This just doesn't go for our career though; we should strive to learn more about our family, our health, and our finances every year. The average millionaire reads a non fiction book a month; maybe you should consider reading one now and then! Here are three great personal finance books that you should read before 2007 is up.

To start out, there's a good chance that if you read personal finance books every now and then, you've already read the Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley. The book describes how millionaires control their financial life, as opposed to how the average person controls their financial life. You may not have read his follow up, The Millionaire Mind. Stanley's new book about finance discusses the qualities of millionaires and how they got to where they are today. Hopefully you will be able to adopt some of the characteristics in the book to help you ensure a more successful financial future.

Of course it's just as important to know what not to do when it comes to personal finance, and that's precisely why I suggest that you read "Why We Want You To Be Rich" by Donald Trump & Robert Kiyosaki. In this book they are propagating the same financial ideas which lead them and their businesses to severe financial hardship. Some of Trump's businesses have filed bankruptcy and Kiyosaki himself filed bankruptcy! These are two people you should not be taking personal finance advice from. They do not factor risk into the equation of personal finance which gets them into severe financial trouble. You should read this book so you can understand the follies of their advice and others who spread around similar information.

Another new book on the scene which you should definitely read is "Get Clark Smart" by radio host Clark Howard. The book bills it self out to be the "ultimate guide to getting rich", unfortunately it's a bit misnamed. It doesn't have a whole lot of secrets to become rich, but it does provide a lot of unique insight which will allow you to be wise and sound with your personal finances.





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Morning <b>News</b> | Slog | The Stranger, Seattle&#39;s Only Newspaper

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That hilarious animated Taiwanese news segment on Steve Jobs and the iPhone 4 we posted earlier now has English subtitles, thanks to reader Michael Chang. It shows Jobs defeating Bill Gates in a lightsaber battle and donning a Darth ...


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Friday, July 16, 2010

personal finance money management


1. Stop buying Ritalin for your kid.


Did you know that a study showed that learning to swim well improved reading and writing skills in ADD-diagnosed children? If you do not have a body of water nearby, maybe other physical exercise will improve your child's focus and calmness.


For example, when I lived with a family in the countryside of Nicaragua - where there are no roads, no electricity (no TV or screens of any kind), and you hike a mile to get to the river to carry back water - I noticed that the children were much calmer and more focused. For example, four-year-olds expertly sharpened machetes then climbed trees to cut limbs for firewood.


Children are capable of so much more than Western Industrialized Society allows them to do. One child in particular comes to mind. She grew up running on hillsides, climbing trees, digging clay with her aunts on the rising of the full moon, scrubbing clothes on a rock in the river that birthed from a nearby spring where the Duende lived (the spirit of the mountain). I never heard her complain, even in the most physically uncomfortable of circumstances. She has grown up into a remarkably self-possesed young woman and a brilliant ceramic artist.


Save money on drug prescriptions and have happier children and a happier you.


2. Stop buying air fresheners.


Save money and protect your health. Those air freshener sprays are laden with chemicals that harm you and the environment from start to finish.


Instead, pick some flowers from that community garden you created with your neighbors. (Or ask your kid to run over and pick the flowers. More exercise for a growing body and mind!). The natural floral scent will freshen the room. And they are a lot more beautiful to look at than a can that will go into the garbage and then into landfills that won't be healthy for the earth for many, many years. When the flowers wilt and get slimy, add them to your compost and they will soon be nutrition for next year's flowers!


And to really clean the air, potted plants work great. Get a cutting from a friend, some dirt from outside, and a pot can be any old container. Place in a sunny spot and just add water. Potted plants suck out volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air in your home.




Stop Equating Monthly Payments with Affordability to Avoid Financial Trouble





Few of us can claim to not be guilty of at least a purchase or two where we said to ourselves "Only X per month? That's not bad at all!" Using the monthly payment to assess affordability, however, is a financial trap.

Photo by ell brown.


With the variety of ways people can acquire credit and spend money these days it's unsurprising that financial mistakes and misfortunes abound. Over at U.S. News & World Report they've put together a list of seven common financial mistakes. Among the mistakes they highlight is seeing the monthly bill as an indicator that something is in your budget.



Equating monthly payments with affordability: Far too many of us decide whether we can afford something based on whether we can manage the monthly payment. This is particularly true for homes, cars, and furniture. But just because we can handle a payment does not mean we can truly afford something. Monthly payments also ignore the true cost of ownership. A car, for example, costs a lot more than the monthly payment when you consider insurance, gas, repairs and maintenance. Instead of focusing on the monthly payment, separate needs from wants and evaluate how you might better use the money. If you still have consumer debt, for example, consider paying the debt off before buying something that will commit you to future monthly payments for potentially years to come.



Shifting your perspective away from "Do I have an extra $200 a month to spend on this thing?" to "Is spending $200 a month plus all the additional expenses on this thing the best use of my money?" will help you channel your money towards more productive uses. Check out the full list of money mistakes at the link below or share your best advice on easily corrected financial choices in the comments below.



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Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen: Green <b>News</b> Report: July 15, 2010 (Audio)

TWITTER: @GreenNewsReport The 'GNR' is also now available on your cell phone via Stitcher Radio's mobile app!

Exclusive: A 2nd Christmas Attack, In NYC? « Liveshots

Law enforcement officials who spoke with Fox News could not say what came of the report. Even though one FBI official acknowledged he couldn't "rule out" that a test run and attack in New York City were ultimately attempted, ...

Eric Boehlert: When Does Fox <b>News</b>&#39; Ugly Race Baiting Become The Story?

The conservative movement is now wallowing in the kind of unapologetic race-baiting that mainstream American politics hasn't seen in decades, if not generations.



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Thursday, July 15, 2010

foreclosure help

Two years into the housing crash, Fannie Mae just now announced a war on strategic defaulters:


WASHINGTON, DC — Fannie Mae (FNM/NYSE) announced today policy changes designed to encourage borrowers to work with their servicers and pursue alternatives to foreclosure. Defaulting borrowers who walk-away and had the capacity to pay or did not complete a workout alternative in good faith will be ineligible for a new Fannie Mae-backed mortgage loan for a period of seven years from the date of foreclosure. Borrowers who have extenuating circumstances may be eligible for new loan in a shorter timeframe.


Fannie Mae will also take legal action to recoup the outstanding mortgage debt from borrowers who strategically default on their loans in jurisdictions that allow for deficiency judgments. In an announcement next month, the company will be instructing its servicers to monitor delinquent loans facing foreclosure and put forth recommendations for cases that warrant the pursuit of deficiency judgments.


Troubled borrowers who work with their servicers, and provide information to help the servicer assess their situation, can be considered for foreclosure alternatives, such as a loan modification, a short sale, or a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. A borrower with extenuating circumstances who works out one of these options with their servicer could be eligible for a new mortgage loan in three years and in as little as two years depending on the circumstances.


It's an dramatic move for the much-maligned company. But first of all, the plan sounds too vague to result in many prosecutions.


Second, the war on default is a terrible market indicator. Fannie Mae is worried about an increase in strategic defaults, which is caused by and contributes to a fall in prices. Indeed, that's what's been happening all spring, as home values keep dropping in many markets.


Don't miss: 14 Reasons To Fear The Growing Mortgage Bubble


I’ve been around Firedoglake as long as most of you, and I’m happy to be asked to tell you what matters to me about FDL.


What is most striking to me about the FDL of today is the diversity of subject matter: wingnut-filleting, Palin-watching, bassets, Figs & ferrets, Saturday preaching and Sunday contemplation, arts fine and not-so, food from far and near. And that just the nights and weekends! During the business part of every single day, you can tune to Firedoglake for the best coverage of foreclosure fraud, ongoing torture and wiretapping abuses, America’s galloping corporatism, and Republican pandering to the worst of their base.


If there’s a status quo ante that needs puncturing and exposure, you already know Firedoglake writers have a bead on it. You’ve read about it here, or you will soon.




Can you please help FDL raise $60,000 by day’s end so that we can continue to provide you with such a wide range of topics, views, and perspectives untainted by lobbyist money and untrammeled by corporate leash?


There isn’t a better place on the internet for a wider range of topics. If the subject is elite misperception of our deficit problem, you know it’s covered here. If the topic is ignoring the American people’s views on raising taxes on the rich to recoup this century’s losses, it’ll be front-paged at FDL. If the topic you want is our elite non-profit organizations supposedly dedicated to the issue in their mission statement giving this new Democratic president a free pass or even a ringing endorsement, look no further. If you’ve been away from the ‘tubes all day and want to catch up quickly on the stories missed by the Legacy Media, tune in to the News Desk Roundup. If the intersection of politics and the Left Coast glitterati is your game, LaFiga has you covered.


But, for me, what matters most is Firedoglake’s coverage of Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender (LGBT) issues, and the effort the blog has undertaken to cover the Prop 8 referendum and the subsequent historic efforts to overturn that civil rights rollback in federal court.


The day after the 2008 election, when jubilant progressives elsewhere prematurely celebrated the election of a young, dynamic Democratic president and LGBT Californians sat stunned and demoralized at our civil rights stripped away, Jane Hamsher sent me an email saying, “We will not rest until this injustice is undone, Teddy.”


This isn’t Firedoglake’s issue: we’re not a ‘gay blog’ and most of us aren’t ‘gay bloggers.’


But amidst my tears on Election Day Plus One, Jane’s email presaged the work FDL has done the last 18 months. FDL is not an LGBT blog nor are we LGBT bloggers, many of us. But the expert team assembled to liveblog from Judge Vaughn Walker’s courtroom — David Dayen, Marcy Wheeler, and Emptywheel’s bmaz — lifted me up. They provided me with the will to continue as my fingers cramped and my back cried out. As I wept in the courtroom while brave plaintiffs described the simple human rights they were daily denied as a gay couple and a lesbian couple, I had the power of FDL with me and behind me.


And you knew where to look for this coverage, because FDL’s tremendous backstage crew had provided a Hub where all our coverage lived — and will always live as long as there’s a federal trial underway on our right to marry.


I knew I could not rest until we’d seen that trial through — and there’s plenty more to come, you know very well, no matter the decision Judge Vaughn Walker renders.


There were plenty of LGBT bloggers covering the trial, twitterers and texters too. But if you wanted the core coverage, the word-for-word explication, the sense of the courtroom, the attitude from the bench, the despair and confusion among the Counsel for Defendant-Intervenors — here’s where you tuned in. The activist organizations and LGBT organizers and bloggers provided plenty of fine background, flavor, color, and perspective.


Firedoglake was the model, though — and for that I am very grateful and thankful. Aren’t you?


Please help Firedoglake raise $60,000 by the end of the day so that we can, among many other things, bring you continued Prop 8 Trial coverage: at the full Ninth Circuit, at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and — eventually — at the Supreme Court.


I appreciate all the support you’ve provided me, and my co-livebloggers, throughout the trial in San Francisco. Can you please make that support tangible today in a way that will allow us to continue to provide you the coverage you’ve come to expect from us?


Thank you very much!




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Bungie.net : Bungie Weekly Update: 07.09.10 : 7/9/2010 2:53 PM PDT

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The Washington Post Company has acquired iCurrent, an online tool that allows users to collect news automatically according to their ...




























Wednesday, July 14, 2010

web internet marketing

It’s Monday, which means it’s time for Mashable’s guide to upcoming social media and web events, parties and conferences. For more upcoming event listings, check out Mashable’s Events section.

This summer, don’t forget to check out the class='blippr-nobr'>Mashableclass="blippr-nobr">Mashable U.S. Summer Tour that’s making stops at Seattle, San Francisco, Washington D.C, New York and Chicago!

id="more-309437"> Would you like to have your conference or event listed here? If so, please contact us at least one month before your event to establish a media partnership.

Here are some tips on how to network, share your information, and/or promote your event using social media:

– HOW TO: Plan and Promote Events with Social Media/> – 35+ Ways to Find and Plan Events Online/> – 8 Ways to Create Paperless Business Cards/> – 5 Useful iPhone Apps for Business Networking

Mashable’s Weekly Social Media and Marketing Event Guide is proudly supported by Eventbrite, the Web’s Event Marketplace./>

June 21-23, 2010, Denver, CO: Hosted by WebmasterRadio.FM, AffCon 2010 is a conference series designed specifically to meet the needs of affiliate marketers. As such, admission is FREE for all working affiliates to attend! Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to meet and share ideas with the brightest business people in the affiliate marketing industry. Pulling together an amazing lineup of session panelists and speakers (including super affiliates), AffCon 2010 – Denver also features an exhibit hall, general and targeted skills sessions, networking and WebmasterRadio.FM’s epic AffiliateBash. Get registered today!

June 21-24, 2010, Ottawa, ON: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute’s class='blippr-nobr'>Forumclass="blippr-nobr">Forum on Social Media for Government: How To Engage Your Employees And Citizens By Using The Latest Web 2.0 Technologies To Drive Communication Results, to learn how to capture the power of social media in your organization, along with helpful tools, tips and techniques to get started. Hear practical advice, firsthand, from leading organizations such as: City of Ottawa, ON; Public Safety Canada; U.S. Department of State; Norfolk County, ON; Canadian Internet Registration Authority; Office of the Ombudsman, ON; Alberta Environment; Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada; Public Service Commission of Canada; Ottawa Public Library; Department of National Defence; Corporation of the City of London, ON; Thornley Fallis Communications & 76design; and more. Mention Mashable when registering to save $200.

June 22-23, 2010, Atlanta, GA: The Business Of WordPress Conference is focused on providing generally non-technical business people with a roadmap for how they can leverage class='blippr-nobr'>WordPressclass="blippr-nobr">WordPress to establish or advance their business’ presence on the web. This two-day event will include a Workshop Day on June 22nd for hands-on WordPress training. The second day will be an all day conference to learn what’s possible on the web today with WordPress, which now makes it easy for almost anyone to launch a world-class website. Register now and save 15% off of the June 23rd Conference. Use discount code mashable.

June 22-24, 2010, Santa Clara, CA: Now in its third year, Velocity – the Web Performance and Operations Conference from O’Reilly Media – is dedicated to helping people build a better class='blippr-nobr'>Internetclass="blippr-nobr">Internet that is Fast by Default. Join hundreds of web developers and experts under one roof, Velocity packs a wealth of big ideas, know-how and connections into three concentrated days. You’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned immediately for high impact results and you’ll come away prepared for what’s ahead. O’Reilly Velocity 2010 is the premier conference dedicated to building industrial strength sites, at internet speed. Register Now and save 15% with Discount Code vel10msh at http://en.oreilly.com/velocity2010.

June 23, 2010, San Francisco, CA: The B2B Search Strategy Summit is designed by B2B Search Engine Marketers for B2B Search Engine Marketers to provide strategic and tactical Marketing knowledge and bring together the best minds in B2B search engine marketing, email, PR, social media and lead generation to share leading-edge information and experience. Conference attendees will walk away with a toolbox full of new strategies and tactics to apply immediately to current B2B Marketing challenges and opportunities. Register today and save 30% when you use the code MASHABLE. Attendance is limited to 150 B2B marketing professionals.

June 23-24, 2010, Boston, MA: Join us for the USENIX Conference on Web Application Development (WebApps ‘10) which will be part of the USENIX Federated Conferences Week. WebApps ‘10 is a new technical conference filled with the latest research in all aspects of developing and deploying Web applications. The diverse 2-day conference program will include invited talks by industry leaders including Adam de Boor, class='blippr-nobr'>Googleclass="blippr-nobr">Google, on “class='blippr-nobr'>Gmailclass="blippr-nobr">Gmail: Past, Present and Future,” a variety of topics and new techniques in the paper presentations, WiPs and a poster session. Since WebApps ‘10 is part of USENIX Federated Conferences Week, you’ll also have increased opportunities for interaction and synergy across multiple disciplines. Learn more at http://www.usenix.org/webapps10/mash. Receive $100 discount by entering CONW10MASH upon registration.

June 23-25, 2010, Boston, MA: Join us for the 2010 USENIX Annual Technical Conference (USENIX ATC ‘10) which will be part of the USENIX Federated Conferences Week. Don’t miss the 3-day conference program filled with the latest innovative work in systems research, including invited talks by Ivan Sutherland on “Some Thoughts About Concurrency,” Ben Fry on “Visualizing Data,” and Matt Welsh on “RoboBees.” Find out about the latest in groundbreaking systems research in the paper presentations, WiPs and a poster session. Since USENIX ATC ‘10 is part of USENIX Federated Conferences Week, you’ll also have increased opportunities to network with peers across multiple disciplines. Learn more at http://www.usenix.org/atc10/mash. Receive $100 discount by entering CONW10MASH upon registration.

June 24, 2010, Oklahoma City, OK: Get Social Conference is hosting a groundbreaking social media business event in Oklahoma City. GSC is a traveling half-day unconference focused on the business case for social media. This cozy unconference is limited to 150 attendees at a cost of $100 & includes VIP all-access to the legendary OKC Tweetup boasting 400+ attendees. Mashable readers receive a 25% off discount by using the code Mashable.

June 24, 2010, Seattle, WA: Deploy is the premier event to learn about the technology and techniques to get your software product or web application built and shipped faster and cheaper. Hear from technology leaders who have delivered, like Vanessa Fox, Brady Forrest and Cheezburger Network’s Scott Porad. You’ll learn the latest effective technology to meet your product goals. To see all of the topics and speakers go to http://deployday.com. To save an additional 10% use the promotion code mashable. Don’t miss it!

June 24-25, 2010, New Orleans, LA: At The Customer Centric Solutions Expo we’ll discuss how health plans should re-assess their customer service practices to ensure they implement “new” service models that meet the needs of their members. As health plans implement strategies to transform their business into customer centric organizations, essential to their success will be new customer service models supporting marketing, communications and benefit design strategies. Remain competitive in this new marketplace, register today to SAVE $200 on the current registration rate, mention PROMO CODE: XCX344 to qualify (not valid for gov’t rate).

June 25, 2010, Walla Walla, WA: The Wine Bloggers Conference is now in its third year, with wine bloggers, social media experts and wine industry insiders gathering in Walla Walla, the heart of Washington’s wine country. The conference is limited to 300 attendees and content will focus on blogging and social media as related to the wine industry. Sponsorships are still available for wineries or other companies wishing to promote their product or service to wine bloggers. Mention mashable on your registration form to receive a $10 discount, not combinable with other discounts or for those already registered.

June 25, 2010, London, UK: Cleaning up communications: Let’s face it. For reputation makers – from ’social media experts’ to ‘communicators’ , PR folk and ‘reputation managers’, that ’spin doctor’ tag is never too far away and our collective reputation is less than pristine. In an environment where trust is vital, what can be done to clean up communications? An informal, conversational event, with speakers including the PRCA. Free event.

June 28–29, 2010, Sydney, class='blippr-nobr'>Australiaclass="blippr-nobr">Australia: Crime and Legal Issues in Social Media will advise and assist professionals on the utilisation of social networking without fear of the risks. Some organisations are still hesitant to maximise their use of online networking. Risks such as breach of privacy, fear of legal action, developing a negative reputation and lack of control have given way to avoidance of this important medium. The event will explore the legal implications of using social media and the policies that manage the risks. Save 15% when using code CrimeSocialMash or call +61 1300 550 662

June 29, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Whether it’s social games, social news, social discovery, social search or other forms of social solutions, developers today are facing new hurdles in building instantly scalable products. As new technologies emerge to address the challenges faced by social application developers, it’s increasingly important to come together for knowledge sharing purposes./> The first Social Developer Summit will bring together social application developers to discuss the challenges, solutions and best practices for building applications in the rapidly expanding social web economy. At the Social Developer Summit, industry experts will share tips and case studies for building high performance social web products. Register with promo code SDSMASH and save 20%!

June 29-30, 2010, London, UK: The 2nd annual Cloud Computing and Enterprise 2.0 World Forum is the perfect event to learn and discuss the future development and integration of cloud and enterprise 2.0 services and products. Building on the success of the 2009 show, this two day conference and exhibition will provide a focused platform for the global cloud computing and enterprise social media industry. The 2010 show will include a free-to-attend exhibition with scenario based workshop area and key service providers demonstrating their products.

July 1, 2010, London, UK: Brand Republic’s Achieving Maximum Value From Your Social Media Strategy conference. Learn which social media strategies have yielded proven results, how to build brand awareness, deal with negative PR, gain senior buy-in, measure and monitor your success and integrate your social media campaign with traditional marketing and PR. Roundtable discussions, case studies and presentations from social media experts including: BT, Photobox, Speedo, BSkyB, class='blippr-nobr'>Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook, Lastminute.com, Labour Party, Amnesty International, Mirror Group, TripAdvisor, Fatface, Space.NK, SeaFrance and many more. Register online quoting MASHABLE50 and receive an extra £50 off the early booking discount at www.socialmediastrategyevent.com.

July 2, 2010, London, UK: class='blippr-nobr'>Social Mediaclass="blippr-nobr">social media and the Social Web are two of the most dominant web trends today. BrightLemon is bringing together a number of leading figures in this field to discuss why, how and who should use the “Social Web.” The focus for this event will be on building online communities, social web tools and how they benefit organizations and brands. Register for FREE now.

July 6, 2010, New York, NY: Game Dynamics and Marketing. Learn how to increase user engagement, promote viral adoption and make your app fun through game dynamics. class='blippr-nobr'>Foursquareclass="blippr-nobr">Foursquare motivates people to share their location by offering badges and mayorships. On Facebook, class='blippr-nobr'>LinkedInclass="blippr-nobr">LinkedIn and class='blippr-nobr'>Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter users are obsessed with their connection counts. On Q&A sites people spend hours sharing their expertise for free — just for the prize of being seen as an expert to their peers. Learn the secrets to make your site into a game that is both fun and promotes the behavior you’re after. Mashable readers can receive 25% off registration with promo code mashable.

July 7, 2010, Melbourne, Australia: Digital Sport Summit is Australia’s premier sport and digital media event. Hear from social media pioneers who are changing the face of Australian sport. Learn how social media and mobile technology is taking fan engagement to a whole new level. Featuring leaders in Australian sport and digital media – including Australian Football League star, Harry O’Brien – there is something for everyone. Mashable readers get $20 off the ticket price with the code dssmash.

July 8, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Social Media Marketing 2010 San Francisco will bring together leading brands and marketing experts to explore the power of social networks./> During this one-day event, a team of renowned marketing experts will provide guidance on how to effectively engage with customers via social media, give tips on how to maximize the impact of your campaigns and offer insights into new services to try and trends to watch out for. This is the ultimate event for anyone involved in social media or digital marketing. Media partners include Mashable, Adrants, State of Search and Seededbuzz. Speakers include Chris Heuer, Ben Parr, David Gelles, Joe Vazquez, Tom Foremski, Kym McNicholas, Dan Martell, Jennifer Neeley Lindsay, Hiten Shah, Murray Newlands and Marissa Louie. Register with code mashable to get a 10% discount.

July 12, 2010, Washington, D.C.: Online Marketing Summit (OMS) is coming to D.C. with all new B2B and B2C case studies and social media integration tracks, unparalleled networking opportunities and an exclusive “Social Media and Content Marketing Workshop and Breakfast,” brought to you by the Online Marketing Institute and Wharton Interactive Media Initiative. Learn search, social media and integrated marketing from the leading experts at Kodak, ExactTarget and HubSpot. Register now with promo code MASH20 for 20% off.

July 12-13 & 15-16, 2010, Singapore & Hong Kong: Join us at this Media Relations conference. This 2-day event will see leading PR practioners gather to share more about the integration of social media & traditional media. PR professionals can look forward to discussing strategies that help you achieve your communication objectives and enhance your media relations & positive coverage. Learn how top B2B and B2C companies integrate new media tools for an all-rounded approach. Register today. Save 10% when you enter Mashable under ‘Additional Info’.

July 12-13, San Francisco, CA: MobileBeat 2010, VentureBeat’s third annual executive conference on the future of mobile, has expanded this year to a new two-day format. The theme: The Year of The Superphone and Who Will Profit. We’re assembling the major players in the industry to discuss, debate and explore who’ll win in the midst of the superphone revolution, and why. Join 500 mobile industry leaders — from the major U.S and international carriers, to the top device makers, developers, startups, marketers and investors — for two packed days of exciting content, breakaway sessions, power networking, and deal-making. For all events details, click here. Register here with promo code VB_Mashable and save 15%.

July 12-15, 2010, Washington, D.C.: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute’s 19th Forum on Social Media for Government: How To Engage Your Employees And Citizens By Using The Latest Web 2.0 Technologies To Drive Communication Results, to learn how to incorporate social media into your communications and marketing plans and leverage the latest interactive Web 2.0 tools and techniques to advance your organizational goals. Hear practical advice, firsthand, from leading organizations such as: Army Corps of Engineers; National Wildlife Federation; USDA; City of Raleigh, NC; University of Georgia Libraries; CDC; U.S. Department of Defense; U.S. Navy; Social Security Administration; U.S. General Services Administration; Transportation Security Administration; and more. Mention Mashable when registering to save $200.

July 13, 2010, London, UK: This senior level forum offers SVPs, VPs, Directors & Heads of eCommerce, Online, Marketing, Digital and Customer Experience the opportunity to discuss strategies, solutions and best practice for enhancing the customer experience and delivering competitive differentiation by effectively managing and integration online, social and mobile channels. Offering a unique mix of keynote briefings, interactive discussions and one-to-one meetings Customer Experience Online will provide you with a unique opportunity to propel your online initiatives to success and position yourself at the forefront of the industry. Spaces are limited and by invitation only, click here to find out if you qualify. When booking your place, please use discount code MASH_BAN for a 10% discount.

July 19-20, 2010, Marina del Rey, CA: BlueGlass LA, the widely anticipated follow-on conference to the Search & Social Spring Summit, is brought to you by an industry first: a special collaboration between firms Search & Social and 10e20, online marketing industry leaders. The speaker lineup includes leading technologists and entrepreneurs like Ben Huh from ICanHasCheezburger, Neil Patel from KissMetrics, Dave McClure from FF Angel and Brent Csutoras, social media expert whose company was recently acquired by 10e20. These experts will huddle with attendees to personally help them brainstorm digital marketing opportunities. Save 10% with discount code: mashablebg.

July 19-23, 2010, Portland, OR: OSCON takes place at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. In its 12th year, OSCON continues to be the premier meeting ground for everyone using open source. At OSCON, you’ll participate in hundreds of sessions covering open source languages and platforms, practical tutorials that go deep into technical skill and best practices, inspirational keynote presentations, an Expo Hall featuring dozens of the latest projects and products, fun networking events and activities and the best “hallway track” around. No matter the economic climate, a strong technology foundation is the key for moving your business and projects forward. In just five information-packed days (and nights) OSCON gives you the tools you need to succeed. Join over 2,500 people passionate about open source and register now and save 15%. Use discount code os10mash when registering at: http://www.oscon.com/oscon2010.

July 20, 2010, New York, NY: Word of Mouth Supergenius is where you’ll learn to be a fantastic word of mouth marketer with 12 how-to classes, 12 real-world case studies and six brilliant authors. You’ll learn practical, hands-on techniques to get started, grow your program and earn amazing word of mouth. Save $75 off registration by using the code ILoveMashableWOM.

July 21, 2010, New York, NY: Social Convergence & The Enterprise: Case Studies & Roundtables. The conference will demonstrate how leading consumer and B2B brands are embracing social media and networking across the enterprise. The case studies will be followed by moderated interactive roundtables. Use promo code MASH for a discounted rate of $155.

July 21, 2010, Toronto, Ontario: Building on the success of a sold-out NYC event, Cross Media Toronto will bring together leaders from all key media industries to discuss, demonstrate and debate cross media integration and partnerships. This is not your ordinary listen-to-talking-heads gabfest. One jam-packed panel with five executives from key sectors that will act as the bridge between four technology demos and two cross-media case studies, as well as what’s sure to be a heated debate on a pressing current issue. The event will move quickly with some company introductions from the floor allowing everyone to know who is there and what they do. We want something big to come out of this. Mashable readers save 15% off using the discount code MASH2010.

July 21-23, 2010, Sydney, Australia: KM & Collaboration Australia will feature renowned and respected international keynote presenters and Australian industry practitioners who will explore prospects and challenges in networking and collaboration, social media and Web 2.0, sustainability and profitability, and will outline and explain best practice tools, techniques and advancements in these critical areas. The event will provide you with useful, practical and timely lessons that you’ll be able to implement within your organization as soon as you return to the office! Save 15% when using code KMAusMash at http://www.kmaustralia.com/registration.htm.

July 22, 2010, London, UK: Brightlemon Drupal Training – Introducing Drupal (London): This Drupal course quickly gets you up to speed with building dynamic database-driven websites with class='blippr-nobr'>Drupalclass="blippr-nobr">Drupal. It begins with a basic introduction into the main concepts behind Content Management Systems (CMS) and the types of websites they are meant to help create. A running theme throughout the course is to illustrate how one can map general requirements to specific Drupal concepts. Buy tickets here.

July 23, 2010, London, UK: Brightlemon Drupal Training – Advanced Drupal (London): This Drupal training course gives you a head-start and walks you through all the methods used in more advanced dynamic websites. Create complex content types, sophisticated displays of content and its filtering, advanced community features. Learn how to handle multiple types of media from audio podcast to video and present content with attractive effects. Buy tickets here.

July 26-28, 2010 Chicago, IL: Celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the eduWeb Conference, a premier annual event for higher education. We have 4 tracks, 46 presentations, 4 pre-conference workshops, 2 receptions and a dynamite program. Professionals in marketing, PR, alumni, admissions, advancement, student affairs, IT, athletics and other HE departments attend eduWeb to learn how to strategically communicate through their online presence. Register now and save an additional $50; use discount code: 10eduWebMash.

July 27, 2010, New York, NY: The Future of Jewish Nonprofit Summit (#FOJNP) gathers handpicked professionals, volunteers and lay leaders to candidly interact in a laid back setting to unlock the full value of moving this vital industry forward. Some of the most respected nonprofit professionals, social media experts, marketers and online fundraisers are coming together to share their best practices, ideas and case studies. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Visit http://www.fojnp.com for complete details. Use registration code mashable for 15% off.

July 29, 2010, Santa Monica, CA: Back by popular demand, Schmoozd 3 is scheduled to make another go-around at the Wokcano. The last event had over 300 people from a variety of fields: entertainment, tech, medical, marketing, venture capitalists, the press and many more. Schmoozd is an exclusive social mixer bringing together professionals in marketing, advertising, technology, social media and startups. The event is designed to facilitate knowledge sharing, relationship building and deal making. For more information, please visit www.schmoozd.com. Mashable readers get 50% off when registering via this link.

July 29-30, Philadelphia, PA: For nine years, Supernova has anticipated the major business, technology, and policy trends of the Network Age. Supernova Forum 2010: Perestroika will combine the best aspects of executive, academic, and participant-organized conferences. Produced with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, it features compelling innovators, leaders, intellectuals, and policy-makers in a dynamic networking environment. Hear Beth Noveck (US Deputy CTO), David Cohen (Comcast), Jeff Jarvis (BuzzMachine), Danah Boyd (Microsoft Research), John Borthwick (Betaworks), faculty from the world’s top business school, and other thought leaders. Save 25% with discount code mash10 at http://www.supernovahub.com

August 3, 2010, Mountain View, CA: See Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, and Jason Calacanis, CEO of Mahalo.com, speak at the The Founder Showcase. This quarterly startup pitch and networking event brings together over 275 investors, founders, and members of the press in Silicon Valley to hear talks from leading CEOs and pitches from 10 hot technology startups. Over $1MM has been raised by presenting companies at previous Founder Showcase events. Tickets start at just $40 — to register or enter the free Pitch Competition, go to foundershowcase.com. Mashable readers get 15% off by using discount code mashable_15.

August 11-13, 2010, Washington, D.C.: Whether you’re a researcher, a system administrator, or a policy wonk, come to USENIX Security ‘10 to find out how changes in computer security are going to affect you. The 3-day program includes an innovative technical program, starting with a keynote address by Roger G. Johnston of the Vulnerability Assessment Team at Argonne National Laboratory; invited talks, including “Toward an Open and Secure Platform for Using the Web,” by Will Drewry, Google; a refereed papers track, including 30 papers presenting the newest advances; and a Poster session displaying the latest preliminary research. Gain valuable knowledge on a variety of subject areas, including detection of network attacks, privacy, Internet security, Web security and more. Learn more at http://www.usenix.org/sec10/mash. Receive $100 discount by entering SEC10MASH upon registration.

August 13, 2010, Nashville, TN: At Big South Social Media Summit, come listen to some of the most forward-thinking business giants from companies like Southwest, SAP, Comcast, Domino’s as well as social media loving celebrities who will speak directly on how they drive ROI through social media. Speakers will share real-world success stories, pit falls and case studies to demonstrate the true value of social media. This summit will allow business leaders to finally understand how social media can propel their business and how to produce real results. More than the mechanics, this is a relatable summit that will open eyes to the power of social media in business. Get 15% off the ticket price by using the vacomash discount code.

August 13-15, 2010 – Boston, MA: The 6th Annual Second Life Community Convention 2010 brings Residents of the Second Life community together to network, build friendships and to discuss Second Life in a common forum. This year’s convention will be held at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers, with a new organizing committee at the helm. In addition to new programming and content, AvaCon, Inc. has also launched a new website at http://www.slconvention.org which has all the details for the convention. SLCC is the largest virtual world convention combining art, business, community events, education, music, non-profit and the technical aspects of Second Life, other virtual worlds and related technologies in one location. Register Now & save an additional 10% using the discount code Mashable2010 at http://slcc2010.eventbrite.com/?discount=Mashable2010.

August 15-17, 2010, New York, NY: Affiliate Summit East, the premier affiliate marketing conference, is taking place August 15-17, 2010 in New York City. This three day conference includes an exhibit hall with affiliate merchants, vendors and networks, as well as multiple tracks of educational sessions covering the latest trends and information from affiliate marketing experts. Use discount code mashable for 10% off any pass type.

August 16-20, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Discover the tools of engagement at this year’s SES San Francisco. No longer just lecturing your customers, learn to listen and converse in a more social world. Our experts will show you how integrating search, social media and video in even basic ways will transform both your site’s visibility and profitability. Packed with sessions on PPC management, information architecture, social media, local search, mobile application development, video optimization and other advanced topics, we have created an educational and networking environment designed for both beginners and veterans in digital marketing. Register by July 30th and SAVE up to $554 with code MHNY15.

August 17-19, 2010, Seattle, WA: Taking place during Seattle Geek Week, pii2010 (privacy identity innovation) will explore how emerging technologies and business models are impacting the way data is created, shared and aggregated and how to strike a balance between protecting sensitive information and enabling innovation. The conference will also serve as the official launch pad for pii Labs, an open forum for brainstorming and collaborating that will be held at the Space Needle building. Tickets start at $345, and Mashable readers save 20% when they register with this Discount Code: 4MASH. Sign up today at http://www.pii2010.com!

August 26, 2010, Galway, Ireland: Attend BlogTalk 2010: the 7th International Conference on Social Software. Join developers, researchers, practitioners and others who share, analyze and enjoy the benefits of social software and social media. Keynote speakers including Stowe Boyd, Dan Gillmor and Don Thibeau will share insights and discuss future developments. There will also be a one-day workshop on microblogging as part of the event. The cost is €200 for early birds and €250 for regular registrants. Use the mashtalk promotional code when registering to save 10%. We will also have a medieval banquet, but space is limited so register early.

September 7-9, 2010, Las Vegas, NV: The Global App Show is focused on delivering the optimum network environment for app developers, mobile manufacturers, businessmen and users alike. If you are serious about your app, if you want to increase your downloads, users and audience growth rate, improve your development skills, quality or functionality of your app, if you want to influence decision makers, find experts, sell a product or service, if you want to promote yourself as an industry expert, or build your brand, then you cannot afford to miss the Global App Show. Go to GlobalAppShow.com, mention MASH and receive $25.00 off your show pass. Early pricing ends June 15th.

September 13-14, 2010, Charlotte, NC: Social Media 4 Responders is the first hands-on social media conference specifically designed with responders in mind. Law enforcement; fire service, emergency management, public health, disaster and crisis aid, emergency medical services, public utilities and the list goes on! Seven hands-on workshops and four power packed sessions over two-days that will provide you with the knowledge & skill you need to get your organization engaged in the fastest growing means of communication in the world. Follow us on Twitter hashtag #sm4r. Use promo code Mashablesm4r to save 10% on your registration fee.

September 15, 2010, Los Angeles, CA: Announcing our 2nd annual Digital Media Pipeline conference which will offer the only industry event that has as its primary focus – the distribution pipeline that helps connect the world’s leading digital media content providers with the end user. Digital Media Pipeline offers an opportunity for digital retailers, Hollywood studios and aggregators, technology and service providers to share learnings and experiences in the business of retailing digital entertainment. Join us; register now and use the discount code MASH45 to receive $45 off.

September 16-17, 2010, Dallas, TX: This year’s 2nd Social Media Optimization Summits event, presented by Multifamilypro, brings together small to mid-sized business owners with an interest in putting social media to work successfully within their organizations. The event offers two full days of intensive, hands-on workshops from the intermediate to advanced level, led by top social media experts including Brian Solis of FutureWorks, Jason Falls of SocialMediaExplorer.com, Shama Kabani of The Marketing Zen Group and Shama.TV, Geno Church of Brains on Fire and more. The unique “See it. Hear it. Do it.” approach allows attendees to learn by doing and begin applying newly-acquired skills and knowledge while the event is underway. Register now and save $125 at: http://optimizationsummits.com/. Use discount code Mashable.

September 21–22, 2010, London, UK: ad:tech London is the UK’s essential free to attend event for professionals seeking to stay ahead of the latest interactive media, advertising and marketing trends. The event unites advertisers, media owners and agencies to harness the power of digital and deliver real marketing ROI. Alongside the exhibition, there is also a conference featuring 100+ international speakers for serious digital innovators and marketers. Mashable readers can take 20% off their conference ticket price – call John Corrick on + 44 (0) 203 180 6595 and quote Mash10. Register online now at www.ad-techlondon.co.uk.

September 21, 2010, London, UK: Join us at this topical event to ensure that you are fully aware of all the legal and regulatory requirements surrounding data protection, as well as to hear how other organizations are handling these challenges. Speakers include Rosa Barcelo, Senior Legal Adviser to the EUROPEAN DATA PROTECTION SUPERVISOR, and Martin Hoskins of everything everywhere (the company that manage T-Mobile and Orange), who will discuss the lessons learnt from T-Mobile’s data breach experience. Plus, don’t miss out on our post-conference workshop on Cloud Computing. Mashable readers save 10% with the following code: KW8112MASH. For more info or to register, go to http://www.ibclegal.com/dataprotectionmash.

September 22-23, 2010, Singapore, Asia: At Social Media World Forum Asia, become educated, discover, engage, network, share and collaborate in the world of social media. Ideal for those looking to embrace the latest in brand engagement, monitoring, ROI, advertising and building communities. learn from social networks, brands, advertisers and analysts. Mention you are a Mashable reader to receive 15% discount

September 27, 2010, Miami, FL: Calling all Affiliates, Merchants, Advertisers and Social Media Strategists looking to CONNECT to the right people, LEARN from the experts, increasing their EARNING potential and GROW their business! The Performance Marketing Expo is the premier event for best-in-class educational sessions (become an expert at Landing Page Optimization, Search, Social Media Strategies and Relationship Management), highly effective facilitated networking (in the Tune-Up Shop, Idea Factory, Masters of the Universe Roundtable sessions) and access to the leading Super Affiliates (Stephanie Nelson, Coupon Mom – Zac Johnson, MoneyReign, – Todd Martini, Alex’s Coupons – plus, eCoupons, MarketAmerica, TrialPay, Parent Media and more). Save 15% when using code PME2010MASH at www.iirusa.com/performancemarketingexpo.

September 28-30 2010, London, UK: IIR’s Mobile Broadband World is an absolute must for all those involved in the MBB ecosystem, including Mobile Operators, Content Developers, Financial Investors, Press and Media, Consultants, Technology Partners, Handset Developers and more. To claim your 10% discount courtesy of Mashable, please quote I2GS2MASH when registering.

September 28, 2010, London, UK: Brands are frequently companies’ most valuable asset. The threats to this valuable asset are increasingly coming through online channels. This event will provide practical solutions and risk mitigation strategies for brand owners to combat these critical risks. Join experts from companies including Abercrombie and Vodafone to benefit from the practical advice and guidance they can provide. Not only will they share their own experience of preventing brand abuse, but will explain how they derive real ROI from their brand protection activities. Mashable readers save 10% on the event with the code KW8079MASH. For more info or to register, please go to http://www.ibclegal.com/obpmash.

September 30, 2010, London, UK: Bringing together collective thoughts on Social Media for 2011. We know its going to be much more than an introduction to Social, we’re looking forward into the bigger picture about how we communicate within the platforms and how we measure and integrate Social Media into our strategies. We’re bringing together some of the leading authorities in Social Media, from app developers to word of mouth evangelists to discuss where and how the industry is evolving! – ‘A forward thinking social media conference’. For more information, please visit http://www.social-collective.com. Mashable readers can receive 25% off ticket prices at registration with promo code MASH25

September 30, 2010, London, UK: Get the latest on the attempts to increase regulation surrounding the moderation of UGC. What qualifies as illegal and inappropriate content and how should it be dealt with? This year Luisa Edwards, Head of Commercial, Google Legal EMEA, will share with you her expertise on the interactive online environment, based on experience managing the legal challenges facing class='blippr-nobr'>Youtubeclass="blippr-nobr">YouTube. Plus attend the workshop Social Networking and the Law: Challenges, Risk & Opportunities; a fully interactive guide on protecting your organisation and maximising on the opportunities that social networking presents. Mashable readers save 10% on the event with this code: KW8094MASH. For more info or to register, go to http://www.ibclegal.com/ugcmash.

October 4-7, 2010, Atlanta, GA: FutureMedia Fest 2010 – Explore new paradigms in how Content is Created, Distributed, and Consumed with FutureMedia at Georgia Tech. Join our mash-up of talent, ideas, trends and technology. Hear directly from top industry execs and visionaries. Talk with investors. Meet interactive marketing experts. Network with potential partners. Experiment real-time with open innovation. Industry leaders, academics, entrepreneurs and VC’s will inspire and challenge attendees with provocative panel discussions, facilitated small discussion groups, and hands-on demos of next generation technology. Register today at http://www.futuremediaglobal.com and use the code FutureMedia 2010.

October 5-6, 2010, Prague: EyeforTravel’s Online Marketing & Social Media in Travel Summit brings together top travel brands to share key insights on how to maximize the impact of your online marketing and social media initiatives. The 2 days are packed full of case studies, presentations and networking opportunities. Speakers hail from across Europe and include Lufthansa, Lonely Planet, Expedia, TripAdvisor, P&O Cruises and many more. Use the code MASHABLE to claim your €100 discount on the price to attend.

October 13-14, Princeton, NJ: Brought to you by the producer of the sold-out ePharma Summit, the Multi Channel Pharma Marketing Event brings together product managers and marketing operations under one roof to discuss cross-channel media plans for building brand value and elevating top line sales. Join us at the ONLY industry event focused on breaking down internal silos to achieve channel integration and maximize return on engagement. Visit www.multichannelevent.com for more information. Register with Priority Code XP1515MASH to save 15% off standard registration!

October 14-15, 2010, London, UK: Creating and distributing video online? Join us at Online Video Strategies this October in London and learn how to choose the online video solutions that meet your needs, increase audience engagement with interactivity, use video for marketing, promotion and branding, deliver video to the iPad, iPhone, and other mobile devices, leverage video for internal and external corporate communications, make sure your video gets seen by viewers and search engines, and measure the ROI of your video projects. In addition, Online Video Strategies is a featured event at Streaming Media Europe and all delegates enjoy unlimited access to the Streaming Media Expo as part of their registration. Register at www.streamingmediaglobal.com/ovs. Quote priority code MASHABLE20 for a 20% discount.

October 14-16, 2010, Las Vegas, NV: BlogWorld & New Media Expo is the first and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference, and media event dedicated to promoting the dynamic industry of new media including all forms of blogging, podcasting, social media, social networking, online video, music, Internet TV and radio. The BlogWorld conference features more than 120 educational sessions, panel discussions and keynote presentations, while the New Media Expo features the only industry-wide new media marketplace where thousands converge to network and find all of their online business and marketing resources. Running concurrent with the BlogWorld conference, the Social Media Business Summit is the world’s largest social media business conference where marketing executives, business owners and world-renowned companies send their teams to learn the strategies, tactics, tools and technologies they need to build their brands and grow their businesses with social media. Register today!

October 17-19, 2010. New York, NY: Pivot Conference is the only industry conference to explore and evaluate the attitudes, technologies and preferences of the “always on” 18-34 year old consumer. Attend Pivot Conference and hear from those successfully engaging with today’s emerging consumer and create your own action plan for success. Register today with code MASH101 and save 20%.

October 17-20, 2010, Scottsdale, AZ: agencyside presents one of the only digital marketing conferences exclusively developed for agencies. BOLO 2010 brings new ideas, new knowledge and actionable next-steps to both help your bottom line and achieve the goals of your clients. We realize time and money are both tight. That’s why we’ve designed a conference that’ll expand how you think and at the same time teach you hands-on how to manage digital more efficiently. You’ll hear from industry thought leaders through keynotes, panel discussions and one-on-one meetings. agencyside has a proven track record for helping agencies become experts in the digital space. Build a team of subject matter experts. Fine tune operations to sustainable profitability. Generate new business for digital marketing services. This event will show you how. Early Bird of $699/person through June 18th. Use discount code mashable to save 15% off registration at any time.

October 26, 2010, San Jose, CA: Get real about social media at SocialTech 2010—the only conference dedicated to teaching B2B high-tech marketers how to harness the power of social media. You’ll learn from B2B marketing leaders at companies like IBM, Intel, SAP, HP, Adobe and Cisco how to use social media to achieve real, measurable business results. Enjoy networking and keynotes from Guy Kawasaki, Robert Scoble and Jeremiah Owyang. Can’t make it to San Jose? You can join us online. Register today and save 10% with coupon code MASH10!

October 27-29, 2010, Washington, DC: This event will showcase 15 federal perspectives on different strategies government agencies can implement to comply with the Obama Administration’s Open Government Directive. The social media realm will be a prevailing topic of discussion as it has been the prime means federal agencies have taken to achieve compliance, but problems with its use still persist. This event will provide ADVANCED solutions and ideas to the policy, security, monitoring and measuring struggles that many agencies face on a daily-basis. Mashable subscribers will enjoy a 10% discount when they mention MASHABLE in their follow-up email to the event contact listed here: http://www.marcusevansch.com/mmp

November 1-2, 2010, New York, NY: Are you a health marketing and communications professional? Please join us at unNiched 2010, a unique collaborative boot camp where you will actively learn and use collaboration, strategic marketing and communications skills. Using our unNiched Innovation Model, gain the tools to create and drive marketing communications success within (and without) your organization. In addition, you’ll have access to a private online group and learn from a range of experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AIDS.gov, Edelman, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and the Stanford University Persuasive Technology Lab. Use the discount code Mashable and get 10% off.

November 30, 2010 – December 2, 2010, London, UK: Online Information is the largest UK event dedicated to the information industry. Taking place in the Grand Hall at London’s Olympia, the exhibition attracts more than 9,000 visitors each year from around the world. This unique, free to attend event consists of an exhibition with more than 200 international exhibitors alongside an extensive seminar programme. Online Information covers 6 core segments: Content Resources, ePublishing Solutions, Library Management, Content Management, Search Solutions and Social Media, providing an annual meeting place for this global industry. Mashable readers may register to attend here.

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Eventbrite is an online events marketplace where tens of thousands of individuals, businesses and organizations of all sizes manage, promote and sell tickets to their events. Make your event a success on Eventbrite.

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Story of the Week




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More coverage and analysis from ReadWriteWeb





The Real-Time Web Summit, New York City



You're invited to join ReadWriteWeb for our third event and our first on the East Coast: the ReadWriteWeb Real-Time Web Summit, on June 11 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. This is our second Summit on the Real-Time Web, following on from our successful debut event in Mountain View last October. It will follow the same unconference format, which we have gotten a lot of great feedback on.


The Real-Time Web is a set of technologies that impacts almost every service, activity and application on the Web. We were one of the first news outlets to analyze the Real-Time Web and we've since written extensively about it. Come to the summit to understand how it impacts you, your business and your next development.


The ReadWriteWeb team is excited about our first New York event and we look forward to seeing you there! Click here to get a 30% discount on your registration.



Real-Time Web




  • YouTube Adds Real-Time Discussion Support with Google Moderator

  • Oilaholic: Oil Spill Goes Real-Time

  • Spy-in-the-Sky as a Cloud Service


More Real-Time Web coverage. Don't miss the next wave of opportunity on the Web supported by real-time technology! Get ReadWriteWeb's report, The Real-Time Web and its Future.



Augmented Reality