Financial Terrorism

Financial terrorism is what this country is facing at the moment, led by big oil companies. By attacking the very nerve point of this country, it is causing ripple affects through the economy. Higher gas is leading to higher food, higher clothing, less travel, less spending and a crashing economy.

Why is this being allowed to continue? Why hasn't congress or the president stepped in? Why are average Americans working for gas money, so they can continue to work?

Many Americans drive SUV's and are now stuck with them for the simple reason that they have no resale value anymore, or are upside down in the payment, or are in such a credit mess they can't get financing.

The rich are getting richer even through this crisis. There can be no other explanation for the "foreclosure relief act" or whatever fancy name they called it. Given credit to people who buy foreclosures. How about doing something to keep them from being foreclosed? Rich are buying them up like candy, renting them out to people who lost their homes, and will re-sell them for double the amount in a few years. All the while enjoying their tax breaks.

It's disgusting. And whats more disgusting is that we as Americans are letting it happen.

Online savings with coupons

With riswing gas prices, cost of living increase, and even bread rising, its time to surf for some more savings. I found just the website. Couponchief.com has an abundance of much needed savings.

Spring is coming, so one area I am looking for savings is in lawn and garden. Lucky for me, couponchief has just what I need. Home depot is on there, with monster savings. Free shipping, 20 to 50% off in a clearance section, Plus even some 10% off + free shipping bargains. This will not only save money, by getting a nice savings, but it will also save gas, which as we all know is a priority.

So, lets see, now I have the yard taken care of, but what about my new camaro I just bought. I guess it would be too much to hope for that they have JCWhitney there. Yes, even JCWhitney is located on this page, with very nice savings.

Now, lets see, mothers day is coming up, as well as a few birthdays and such. What one store always says it best? Could they possibly have a hallmark section as well? Yep, surely they do. Hallmark coupons are online, making shopping for mom a breeze.

Now, I have found the three things I was going to drive all over the city for, saving myself time, money, and gas.

Vampire Electronics

Vampire electronics, energy sucking denizens of the night, stealing pennies from our very pockets. These electronic devices consume power even when you think they are safely turned off. Everything from your cell phone charger to the cable box on your tv, they are all guilty of this crime.

In recent years, the term vampire electronics has become something of a catch name for electronic devices that still consume power even when turned off. There may be a difference as small as a single watt, all the way up to possible over 100 watts of power. Little by little, this adds up, creating a higher then necessary electric bill. Here are a few handy tips to help cut down on the amount of electronics causing this, and how to be more aware of what is gnawing pennies from your pocket.

1. 1. Consumer electronics. TV's, DVD's, stereo systems, and even just the cable box are all guilty. When the switch is turned to the off position, these devices still consume power. There are two solutions to this. One solution is to plug them all into a surge protector strip, and when they are not being used, turn the strip off. Another solution for those that may not want to do this, is to install a timed strip, and have it turn off when you are not around the house, or overnight when sleeping.

2. Battery Chargers. All types, cell phone, razor, cordless drills, cameras, anything that charges some sort of a battery needs to be unplugged from the wall once the battery is charged. Just a quick walk through my house the other day discovered 5 separate chargers plugged in, consuming power. It's a habit we have gotten into, and one we need to break.

3. Computers. A lot of people leave their computers on all the time. This is bad from an energy conservation standpoint. With power supplies approaching and surpassing 800 watts, that is just power going down the drain.

These are a few simple ways to save energy in your home, and to keep your pennies in your own pocket.

Tired of the official polls?

So, I am very tired of all the polls that focus on a select few demographics. Naturally, being the number crunching nerd I am, I created a nice little online survey, that takes less then a minute to complete. I am going to run it for two weeks, then repost the results, in all its excel glory to this blog

Please, feel free to take it, then check back in to see what an unbiased poll looks like!

The link is Our Next president.

Buying a used car

With gas prices skyrocketing, and no end in sight, a lot of people are trying to get out of their gas guzzler and get into something a little better on gas, or cheaper payments, or anything they can to save some money. Here are a few tips I found during my latest car buying adventure.

Trade: If you are going to trade your car in, here is some vital information for you. You won't get anything for your car. I talked to several dealers, and they are giving either "fair" or poor" trade in value for cars. And they use whichever is cheaper, KBB or edmunds. So, that $25k new car you bought last summer, is now valued at around $12k. If you have a gas guzzler, good luck with that as well. Of course this leave a majority of the people what is called upside down in the payment.

1. Option 1: Sell it yourself to a private buyer. This will get you more for your car, and give you cash to take to the dealer. With credit the way it is, cash is a huge bargaining point.
2. Option 2: Trade it in and take what they give you. This is mostly for people who don't have the patience to sell one on their own. And if you are selling a gas guzzler, you will be competing with the others trying to sell theirs as well.

So, we have your older car taken care of, its either been sold and you have cash in hand, or you are going down to the dealer with it as a trade. Before you go, browse the internet sites of the dealers you will be going to. A lot of time they have "special internet pricing" available if you contact them online. This helps many ways, it saves gas, lets you get an idea of whats in your price range, and most importantly, gives you the opportunity to research what they are selling.

Once you have found a couple of cars you are interested in, do the following things.

1. Go to Edmunds.com, or KBB.com and get the retail sale price of that car. Compare it with what they are offering for it, try and find some buying leverage. Know exactly what the dealer should be selling that car for.
2. Go to your bank/credit union. Talk to the loan officer, find out interest rates, what you qualify for, and a guestimate on the payment and terms of that car. Its best to do your own financing with your own bank, instead of the car lot doing it for you. You will probably get a better rate, and if you go in to the lot, saying you have financing, you can haggle a bit more.
3. Call your insurance provider. The last thing you want is to find out your insurance is going up $60 or so a month because that car is a "high theft" risk, or something else silly.

Now that you have cash/trade, financing, and you know your payment, and insurance, take a few minutes and do a quick analysis of your monthly finances. Make sure you can afford it. Once you have, and you can, its time to head to the dealer. Hopefully, you contacted them through internet sales and have an appointment.

Once you arrive, don't reveal all your cards, don't talk down payment, don't talk trade, anything. If they are pushy, leave, or ask for another sales person. Don't play their game. Its their rules, their game. Ask to see the car, ask to test drive it. Drive it with the windows up, radio down, and listen. Roll the windows down and listen. Check the A/C, heat, fans, turn signals, etc. Depending on the dealer, take it to a mechanic of your choice to check it out.

When you get back to the dealer, and you decide you want it, show them the value of their car if it is priced higher then what it should be, ask them to come down. Chances are they will have to ask their boss, don't let them go alone! Go with them and show the boss the paper work. Sometimes they will, because they know they can get it back in fee's etc. Get that price on a deal sheet. Once they have it on a deal sheet, make your down payment offer. After they subtract it, get it signed, call your credit union before they can add the other fees. Pay for the title and tags yourself at the courthouse, no need to pay their fees.

There are many ways to play the game with them, but the main one is don't give away too much upfront, drop it on them once they give you the lowest price on the vehicle you want.

Ultimate gaming solution

As most of my readers can tell, I enjoy gaming a LOT. Online games, offline games, casino games, you name it, I play it. Being in engineering, I also enjoy all the technicalities that go on behind the scene. I have always wondered what goes into games, who makes them, protection, and distribution.

I came across an interesting website the other day. Betsoftgaming is the website that is home of BetSoft Gaming. This company is on the leading edge of casino game development. Constantly re-releasing and re-vitalizing the industry, they have a focus on a complete casino experience. New state of the art rooms, live dealer interface, BetSoft Gaming will give players and licensee an experience they will never forget. A few unique things I found was simulated horse racing, something missing from a lot of casino's.

I am well aware that the average person thinks it is all rigged; however, BetSoftGaming includes encryption, digital certificates and other new cutting edge protection to make the online experience as fulfilling as a casino experience should be.

Give them a peek at Betsoftgaming, you wont regret it!

Clones

"Begun, the clone war has." So spoke Jedi Master Yoda. His words from a sci-fi movie may be ringing true. In recent news the FDA said its okay to eat cloned animals. Hey, great, more food huh.

Shortly thereafter it was also announced that a human has been successfully cloned, in the laboratory of course, and not actually allowed to live. But it was the first time a human embryo clone had occurred, according to news anyway, in the U.S.A.

If we add two and two together, we come to the conclusion that the FDA just approved the agencies to clone humans for food.

Read it again, yeah, I went there. Realistically, this isn't true. Well, more then likely anyway. However it brings up a question. How far are we willing to go? Back when cloning began, it had a sci-fi feel too it. Scientist warned of the complications involved in cloning animals and humans, and the ethics. Animals are being successfully cloned and living longer, almost as much as humans. I can see the benefits of this to supplement food supplies in needy countries.

But human cloning? This opens the door to moral, ethical, and scientific questions. Should we? Should we develop a life just to test it? What mental state would it have? How deep in the genetic code is the original? If developing a clone, bringing it full term to childbirth, infecting it with childhood diseases to find cures, and then finding a cure for cancer and saving lives happened, would it be wrong?

A situation that definitely bears watching.