Online TV
Filed under: Blog Entries, Entertainment & Sports, Technology
I think I’ve just found my favorite online tech addiction. I’ve seen the commercial for Hulu before, but I never thought about checking it out until a friend of mine introduced me to it. Hulu is an online video service that offers hit TV shows, movies and clips at Hulu.com and other online destination sites – all for free, anytime in the U.S. Hulu brings together a large selection of videos from more than 130 content providers, including FOX, NBC Universal, MGM, Sony Pictures Television, Warner Bros. and more. Users can choose from more than 1000 current primetime TV hits such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, Alf, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, and clips from Saturday Night Live, Friends and other popular TV shows and movies.
During full length episodes, you have to watch a 30 second commercial, but it’s really not that big of a deal for what you get. It really is just one more way to get your fix of television. With faster Internet speeds we are going to see more companies like this popping up. Hulu seems to have a good network of television stations which will allow them to have better shows than some other companies I’ve seen attempt this. Check out the listing of full episodes, clips and movies they offer. Here’s the commercial that aired during the Superbowl.
President Obama’s Weekly Address – 02/21/09
Filed under: Blog Entries, Obama, Personal Finance, Politics, Society & Culture, Technology
Two important takeaways from the President’s Weekly Address this morning.
#1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will start having an impact as soon as a few weeks from now, in the form of the quickest and broadest tax cut in history:
#2, once the economy has recovered and we’ve laid the groundwork for a sustainable future, the President is committed to taking on the massive deficits we inherited:
Watch the full address and read the text at whitehouse.gov.
Sallie Mae Scholarship Application Open
Filed under: Blog Entries, Education, Personal Finance
Just a quick reminder. The American Dream Scholarship Program is accepting applications. The deadline to submit your application is April 15th and the award amount is from $500-$5,000.
If I Had a Tax Refund Check…
Filed under: Blog Entries, Obama, Our Rights, Personal Finance, Politics, Society & Culture, Technology
Friday night my family and I watched the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in the Senate on C-SPan2. I’m not sure if you’ve seen the passage of a bill before, but it is a crazy process. Everyone is trying to argue their point and make deals to get their bill passed. Needless to say the President didn’t get his wish on a bipartisan passage of the recovery act because both sides wanted their version of the bill to be passed. While it was interesting, it was kind of sad to see grown people act like kids because they didn’t get their way. Where is the working together to get things done? Where’s the compromise? Isn’t that what America wanted?
While sitting there, I had to think, what would I do with a little extra stimulus money? It was a pretty easy question to answer because I had a couple of times under the Bush Administration to do it. I have to admit, I wasn’t a good American because I used it to pay bills. I know the Republicans were counting on me “stimulate” the economy, but I had bills to pay. I guess in some way it helped because the electric, phone and water companies were able to get their money. Tax cuts and checks are great, but that can’t be the only solution. Even if I were to go out and spend a little money on something, how much of it would be on American made products anyway?
I don’t know whether the ARRA will work or not, but at least it’s a step in a different direction. The ideas of the past haven’t improved much, so let’s give it a try and pray things get better. If you would like to review and comment on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, it’s posted on the White House website for all to see.
Text of the Conference Report — Division A
Text of the Conference Report — Division B
Joint Explanatory Statement — Division A
Joint Explanatory Statement — Division B
President Obama’s Weekly Address – 02/14/09
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Obama, Our Rights, Personal Finance, Politics, Society & Culture, Technology
Today President Obama is celebrating the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as a “major milestone on our road to recovery,” while still emphasizing that we have many miles yet to go.
“This historic step won’t be the end of what we do to turn our economy around, but the beginning,” he says in his weekly address. To get us there, he invokes President Kennedy, who said, “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.”
President Obama acknowledges that some people are skeptical about the plan given how Washington has performed in the past, which is why he’s encouraging people to check back at Recovery.gov — the site where, once the plan is in action, you’ll be able to track the funds.
“Ultimately, this is your money, and you deserve to know where it’s going and how it’s spent,” he says.
Watch the President’s address and read the full text here.
Photo Phinish: NOT Made In America?
This weekend as I was working on computer, I found a flag pin and looked on the back to see where it was made. Recently, I’ve been doing that a lot because I’ve noticed that very few products in my household are actually NOT Made in America. I remember the big Made in America ad campaign when I was a kid and there was a lot of pride in the products we produced. What’s happened to us? I’m guilty myself because a brotha likes to save money, but come on! The American flag pin?!
Now, I’m always down for a good deal, but where are all the American products? So far my search around the home isn’t going too well. I thought I’d post a few of my findings on the blog.
- Black & Decker Toaster Oven (Made in China)
- All TVs (Made in Japan)
- Pair of jeans (Made in Indonesia)
- Hanes T-Shirts (Made in Honduras)
- Dell Laptop for Work (Made in Malaysia)
- Kids Toys (Made in China/Taiwan)
- Dishwashing Liquid (Made in America)
So what do you have that’s NOT Made in America?
P.S. Just so everyone knows, I threw this pin in the trash after photgraphing it. I just can’t bring myself to wear an outsourced flag pin. It’s not right.
Dallas Aggies Establish $100,000 Scholarship
Filed under: Blog Entries, Education, Personal Finance
Here’s some financial news you can use. With the tightening of household budgets and the increase in college tuition, it’s good to see the Dallas A&M Club come to the help of those students in low-income families who are interested in receiving higher education. I was one of those kids and with scholarships, grants and loans was able to get a quality education from a great school. Way to go Ags.
The Dallas A&M Club, which has raised scholarship money for decades, has established a $100,000 Regents’ Scholarship to help high school seniors from Dallas County fund their Texas A&M education.
The Dallas A&M Club Regents’ Scholarship was set up under the Texas A&M Regents’ Scholars Program, which assists students whose parents do not hold college degrees and whose family income is less than $40,000 per year. These first-generation college students receive the scholarship for up to four years. Students’ extracurricular activities and academic achievements also are considered in determining who will receive the scholarship.
Dallas A&M Club President Holly Pritchard ’95 said this scholarship, established through the Texas A&M Foundation, appealed to the club because it could be paid in installments. Pritchard said the club’s ability to specify a preference for Dallas County high school seniors was another plus that made the program a good choice.
In addition to financial assistance, the Regents’ Scholars Program helps students with the academic and social aspects of college life. Recipients must live on campus their freshmen year, participate in a learning community and attend an orientation designed by continuing Regents’ Scholars.
Each year, about 600 entering freshmen receive Regents’ Scholarships and the program has a 90 percent retention rate, according to Texas A&M’s financial aid office. Nearly 2,000 Regents’ Scholars attend Texas A&M today.
The Regents’ Scholars Program was established in 2003 by former Texas A&M President Robert Gates and initially was funded through the university’s operating budget. In 2006, the Texas A&M Foundation began working with private donors to create endowed Regents’ Scholarships.
Because the new Regents’ Scholarships are endowed, they will support first-generation Aggies continually. An individual or a group can establish a Regents’ Scholarship with a gift of $100,000 that can be paid over a period of up to five years. Matching corporate gifts may be applied, and these scholarships can be created through planned gifts such as bequests, annuities and life insurance. The donor may name a Regents’ Scholarship in memory or honor of a person, class, a company or an organization, such as the Dallas A&M Club.
These scholarships, administered through Texas A&M’s financial aid office, are part of “Operation Spirit and Mind” a multi-year $300 million scholarship initiative currently under way at Texas A&M.
The Dallas A&M Club, established in 1902, holds annual fundraisers, such as a chili cook-off, crawfish boil and “coaches’ night,” to support the five – soon to be six – $5,000, two-year scholarships that it awards directly to Dallas-area students.
Any Aggie who lives in the Dallas area is automatically a member of the club and invited to participate in events, Pritchard says. She explains that the Dallas A&M Club, which meets once a month, is moving away from dues-based membership so Aggies can determine their own level of participation in the club’s social and fundraising activities.
“I became active in the Dallas A&M Club because I wanted to make friends,” Pritchard says. “But I am proud of the scholarships we give. I was a scholarship recipient when I attended A&M, and it really helped my family.”
In addition to the Dallas A&M Club, Lee ’95 and Lotfus Fitzwater III ’93, the Hygeia Foundation, and the Houston A&M Club have established endowed Regents’ Scholarships.
To learn more about the Regents’ Scholars Program, visit scholarships.tamu.edu and search for “regents.” To find out how to create an endowed Regents’ Scholarship, contact the Texas A&M Foundation at giving.tamu.edu or (800) 392-3310 or (979) 845-8161.
Contact: Mary Vinnedge, (800) 392-3310, Ext. 216 or m-vinnedge@tamu.edu
Cool Inaugural Photo by David Bergman
Filed under: Blog Entries, Laughable, Obama, Society & Culture, Technology
This is pretty cool. Check out this photo of President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address. Check out some of the snapshot images also. I think my favorite is the one of Justice Clarence Thomas sleeping. Chaney and Newt don’t look too happy to be there also. See if you can find them and others as you zoom around the photo. Talk about hi-def! Have fun.
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By: David Bergman (DavidBergman) on January 22, 2009
I made this Gigapan image from the north press platform during President Obama’s inaugural address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on January 20, 2009. It’s made up of 220 images and the final image size is 59,783 X 24,658 pixels or 1,474 megapixels.
** LARGE FORMAT PRINTS OF THIS IMAGE ARE NOW AVAILABLE HERE:
http://gallery.pictopia.com/davidbergman/photo/7565856/
Read more about it on my blog at:
For more information from the photographer, send a blank email to pano@davidbergman.net
Date Taken: January 20, 2009
Date Added: January 22, 2009
Bookmarked: 105 times
Total Views: 4189298 views
Snapshots: 1755
Size: 1.47 gigapixels
Field of View: 194.19 degrees wide, 80.09 degrees high
President Obama’s Weekly Address – 02/07/09
Filed under: Blog Entries, Obama, Personal Finance, Politics
There was bad news and then there was good news.
Yesterday we learned that in January, the country suffered its largest one-month job loss in 34 years.
But last night, the Senate struck a compromise on the economic recovery plan and put us on our way to giving the economy the short-term jolt and long-term investments it needs.
“Americans across this country are struggling, and they are watching to see if we’re equal to the task before us,” the President says in this morning’s Weekly Address. “Let’s show them that we are.”
Watch the President’s address and read the full text here.
credit-land.com
Filed under: Blog Entries, Business, Family, Personal Finance
In a time when bailouts are going to banks, yet credit is still hard to come by, it’s good to know there’s a place that can show you the money. There’s a website called credit-land.com where you can find some really good deals on cash back cards, introductory rates and balance transfers. I did a post a while back regarding the fact that I paid off all my credit cards and it was a big deal for me. But sadly it was short lived. Over a six month period my car needed some major maintenance, new tires (on both cars) and my wife’s car was due for one of those 100,000+ mile services. In each case the fastest way to get it done was to put it on the card.
This of course drove the balance back up and we were forced to pay 19% a month in interest for something we hadn’t planned for in the budget. I’d been in this situation many times and had gotten some really good low interest, no fee balance transfers from Citibank. But in this crappy economy, no deals at the time were being offered. I tried to get Wells Fargo to lower my rate, but they said “No Deal”. I called some other banks and all turned my offer down. Now I have a good FICO score, so it couldn’t have been that. But after a couple of weeks I found a balance transfer deal that I could live with. It wasn’t like the deals of the past and it took some time and patience to get it.
It sucks to have to rob Peter to pay Paul, but sometimes the situation calls for it. Check out this site when you get a chance because there’s a lot of good information on it. They can help you find any type of credit card you’re looking for, so you don’t have to go through the runaround and waste time like I did. While there, you can get the latest credit cards news, tips on how to improve your credit score and answers to other financial questions like the best way to manage your credit debt. It’s all about being informed because that’s what’s going to help you make better decisions. I wish I had known about this site earlier myself.
Finally, I’d like to say, this is not financial advice. This is just something that worked for me and my family in our current situation. I just couldn’t see paying 19% when I could consolidate to 0% for a year. Be wise about your finances because money doesn’t grow on trees (I sound like my dad) and it takes more time and effort to get out of a bad financial situation than it does to get into one.
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