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New changes will improve options for children and young adults and protect the coverage of anyone who is sick.
Is there anything more confusing to the public than health care reform? That's what a recent Associated Press poll suggests.
Now that several new provisions of health reform have kicked in, let's look at what effect -- if any -- they will have on you or your family. Most important: They provide more insurance options for children and young adults. Also of note: Insurance companies can no longer drop coverage of people who get sick.
- Car insurance:Compare rates on 2,400 vehicles
For many families, these changes couldn't happen soon enough. But more extensive reforms to provide affordable coverage to many of the nation's uninsured -- now a staggering 50.7 million people, according to the latest census report -- won't take effect until 2014. (A video by the Kaiser Family Foundation provides an excellent overview.)
Here are the latest developments:
Fares are up and seats will be harder to come by this year.
This Deal of the Daycomes fromKelli B. Grantat partner site SmartMoney.
It's time to start your holiday shopping -- for airfare, at least.
Last year, would-be travelers had the luxury to buy at the last minute, with airlines slashing ticket prices until the week before Christmas to fill empty seats. Not this year.
World's Largest Ice Cream Social will dish up free ice cream. And don't forget Bud's free beer.
This weekend, there is no excuse for not going out and enjoying some free fun.
Depending on the weather, you might choose a free visit to a national park or a free visit to a museum.
Entry to all 392 U.S. national parks is free on Public Lands Day, Saturday, Sept. 25. (Admission to some national parks is always free.) The next free day at national parks that charge admission will be Nov. 11, Veterans Day.
Organize a neighborhood produce swap and enjoy a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.
Kind of like spinning straw into gold. And this sort of thing goes on all the time thanks to the Hillside Produce Cooperative, a group of neighbors in northeast Los Angeles.
In a post called "Delicious and nutritious free food," Angela outlined several reasons to love this idea:
If you didn't opt in for the service, your bank can no longer charge you a hefty fee. Instead, your debit card will be declined.
This post comes from Brandon Ballenger at partner site Money Talks News.
According to recent reports, roughly half of Americans last month chose to decline the "courtesy" overdraft protection offered by their banks.
That's the service that pays the transaction but charges a fee -- typically about $30 -- sometimes resulting in big tabs for tiny purchases. Enrollment used to be automatic, but new rules require that banks now get your permission before signing you up. (Here's our story about the new overdraft rules.)
While most consumer advocates (including us) applaud the decision to not sign up for the service, it's left millions of Americans walking around with no protection at all.
If you can't live on that amount of money each year, it's your fault.
This guest post comes from Len Penzo at Len Penzo dot Com.
A few weeks ago I shared with you 10 characteristics of debt-free people of modest means.
- Quick quiz: 10 questions to estimate your credit score
In that article I specifically asked my readers to consider this question:
Why is it that there are families out there with household incomes under $40,000 comfortably making ends meet and saving for retirement with no debt on the books -- or at worst, a single mortgage payment -- while others who made millions per year like Sinbad, Ed McMahon, Mike Tyson, and Stephen Baldwin had trouble keeping their financial heads above water?
While my list of 10 traits was met with general acceptance, I did manage to start up a minor debate among the readers as to whether or not it was really possible for the majority of folks here in the good ol' USA to make ends meet on $40,000 per year.
How can I make such a claim?
Bundle's free tool shows your daily spending habits, categorized and compared with those of other people just like you.
This post comes from MSN Money.
MSN Money's new partner, Bundle.com, offers an answer to the question every consumer has: How am I doing?
- Quick quiz: 10 questions to estimate your credit score
Starting this month, MSN Money readers will be able to aggregate their checking, credit and investment accounts to create a comprehensive picture of their own spending. They'll be able to build smarter budgets with drag-and-drop functionality and set long-term goals. They'll be able to compare notes with others in the same situations.
But Bundle completes the personal-finance puzzle with its critical missing piece:
Shortcuts, faked documents and forged signatures -- activists uncover evidence of overburdened courts and mortgage processors.
This post comes from Marilyn Lewis of MSN Money.
This week's mortgage industry revelation -- that one of the country's largest lenders is halting evictions because of concerns that a large number of its foreclosures were improperly processed -- "took the housing industry by surprise and set the foreclosure blogosphere abuzz." That's the assessment from Mother Jones, the muckraking magazine.
"Could bank's admission about dubious foreclosure documents cast doubt over millions of foreclosures filed by Wall Street banks in the past few years?" MJ asks.
The flawed process has created "an opening for borrowers to contest some of the more than 2 million foreclosures that have taken place since the real estate crisis began," says The Washington Post.
Copyright © 2014 Microsoft. All rights reserved.
Fundamental company data and historical chart data provided by Morningstar Inc. Real-time index quotes and delayed quotes supplied by Morningstar Inc. Quotes delayed by up to 15 minutes, except where indicated otherwise. Fund summary, fund performance and dividend data provided by Morningstar Inc. Analyst recommendations provided by Zacks Investment Research. StockScouter data provided by Verus Analytics. IPO data provided by Hoover's Inc. Index membership data provided by Morningstar Inc.
CareerCast has released its list of jobs that really aren't as glamorous as they seem.
- Best rates on savings
Find the highest rates on savings accounts, CDs and money market accounts.
- Are you saving enough for retirement?
- Find a great credit card
- Car insurance premiums by model
- Video: Easy DIY smoked meats at home
A charcuterie master shares his process for cold-smoking meat at home.
- Jetpacks about to go mainstream
- Weird things covered by home insurance
- Bing: 70 percent of adults report 'digital eye strain'


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Guest Post: Breed Review
For Halloween Week, I wanted to have some more posts than usual, so I asked my friend Antonia to help me out. Here is her review on the adult horror novel Breed, which I think could also appeal to young adults, as long as you can handle the gory murder scenes. Do me a favour and follow Antonia on Twitter if you think you'll enjoy her tweets, and she also has a Goodreads if you want to follow her bookish updates.
by Chase Novak
Genre: adult fiction, horror, thriller, mystery
Publication date: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought
Add to Goodreads | Buy the book
SYNOPSIS: Alex and Leslie Twisden lead charmed lives-fabulous jobs, a luxurious town house on Manhattan's Upper East Side, a passionate marriage. What they don't have is a child, and as they try one infertility treatment after the next, yearning turns into obsession. As a last-ditch attempt to make their dream of parenthood come true, Alex and Leslie travel deep into Slovenia, where they submit to a painful and terrifying procedure that finally gives them what they so fervently desire… but with awful consequences.
Ten years later, cosseted and adored but living in a house of secrets, the twins Adam and Alice find themselves locked into their rooms every night, with sounds coming from their parents' bedroom getting progressively louder, more violent, and more disturbing.
Driven to a desperate search for answers, Adam and Alice set out on a quest to learn the true nature of the man and woman who raised them. Their discovery will upend everything they thought they knew about their parents and will reveal a threat so horrible that it must be escaped, at any cost.
'Breed' brings horror in your home.
This is one of the creepiest, weirdest and most special books I've ever read. The story begins with Alex Twisden and Leslie Kramer, an infertile young couple, who are very much in love with each other but their efforts concerning offspring are nothing more than fruitful. They hear about a successful doctor in Slovenia and decide to take a chance… But fertility, just like life itself, is a like a chess game. You make a move and sometimes it's victorious, other times you just lose.
First of all, this book was horrific, really scary. The way the author describes the scenery of the house (in which tremendous things take place) catches your breath and prevents you from breathing normally. The plot was magnificent, so many twists and kept me at ease until its last page.
This book really is about how true monsters, scarier than bloody vampires or tough werewolves (so common in today's fiction), can live among us and inside us. People tend to get stuck in particular ideas and forget that, sometimes, the consequences of these ideas can prove to be fatal for them and their families. That each and every one of us can stick to his/her lifelong dream, but we must always keep in mind what this dream may mean to the people around us and to ourselves when life will have transformed us, because time has this ability of changing angelic people into monsters.
Overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars, because it was a particularly enjoyable read. It was fresh, original, nothing like I read in the past. I strongly recommend it to people who love horror books and are at ease with graphic murder scenes and spooky environments. 'Breed' will not disappoint you, you'll find yourself turning the pages late at night. A book with amazing life-lessons. So, yes, go read it as soon as possible.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5 stars)
"What happens when you can't trust the adults who are raising you?"
+ Ten by Gretchen McNeil
+ Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine, #1) by Ransom Riggs
+ The Name of the Star (Shades of London, #1) by Maureen Johnson

subset: commoncrawl


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easyJet Plc
Air Transportation Scheduled United Kingdom
| OTC Markets: ESYJY | London Stock Exchange: EZJ
Similar to: Dart Group Plc
easyJet Plc provides passenger airline and carrier services. The principal activities of the company and its subsidiaries include airline operations, aircraft trading and leasing. It provides hotels, travels, gatwick express trains, airport lounges, easybus and travel insurance services. Its services are frequently in short haul and medium haul point to point routes. easyJet was founded by Stelios Haji-Ioannou in March 1995 and is headquartered in Luton, the United Kingdom.


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Yellowstone: Bison slaughters done for the season
Bison ready for new pastures?
Yellowstone says "biobullets" for bison won't work
Study finds Catalina Island Conservancy contraception program effectively manages bison population
Europe's bison, beavers and bears bounce back
Bison transferred to reservation from Yellowstone
Study finds climate change to shrink bison, profit
Canada ships 30 wood bison to Russia
Dome-headed dinosaurs did more than just butt heads
We have all seen nature shows with footage of bighorn sheep rearing up and "butting heads" with each other using their heads and enlarged horns. People often assume other animals with horns and comparable head structures ...
Oct 23, 2012 3.5 / 5 (2) 0
Wildlife Conservation Society releases list of Asian species at the conservation crossroads
Embryo transfer results in healthy purebred Yellowstone bison calf
Yellowstone National Park has two of the last remaining large herds of pure-bred bison in North America, but moving them out of the park to reproduce has been tough with public concerns over their widespread ...
Aug 31, 2012 not rated yet 0
Study reveals impact of historical domestic cattle hybridization with American bison
Leopard in dramatic photo traced to 2004 camera trap
A dramatic photo of a male leopard dragging a massive gaur (or Indian bison) calf in Karnataka's Bandipur Tiger Reserve turned out to be the same animal photographed by a WCS camera trap nearly eight years ...
Jul 19, 2012 5 / 5 (1) 0


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Alva's Journal
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Actress Julia Roberts flashed her tremendous megawatt smile at a star-studded Big Apple bash benefiting the late Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall children's charity, and "Extra" has the raw video!
The cause is a longtime favorite of Julia's -- the pretty woman began working with the charity 13 years ago -- and she's dedicated to keeping Newman's dream going.
The event was hosted by Joanne Woodward (Newman's wife of 50 years), and featured performances by Harry Connick Jr. and James Taylor. Watch Harry Connick's raw interview here.
Since its founding in 1988, Hole in the Wall camps have opened in 50 states, allowing more than 164,000 kids with cancer and serious blood diseases to be carefree kids again. Learn more about the Hole in the Wall gang here.
The late Paul Newman's charity work included the opening of Hole in the Wall camps for children with serious illnesses. Celebrities are honoring Paul's legacy by giving back to support the camps.
Joanna Woodward, Robert Redford and Julia Roberts will host "A Celebration of Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Camps," a star-studded benefit evening in New York City. Other celebrity guests and performers include Jerry Seinfeld, James Taylor, Harry Connick, Jr., Yo-Yo Ma, Art Garfunkel, and Joshua Bell.
Check out these websiters for more information on how you can purchase tickets or donate to the Hole in the Wall camps.
Rumor has it that Tom Cruise and John Travolta are going to remake the classic "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," but is it true?
Take aim and fire -- this rumor has been shot down! Cruise's reps tell "Extra" that this report is simply a fabricated story from the British tabloids.
The original "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" starred Hollywood legends Robert Redford and Paul Newman.
Sundance founder Robert Redford kicks off the film festival in Park City, Utah -- and opens up about the death of his close friend Paul Newman. Redford also talks about the festival sharing the spotlight with Barack's inauguration.
Did Paul Newman help Tom Cruise prepare for his role in "Days of Thunder" by teaching him how to race cars?
Cruise says that's true! "I think he taught me how to race cars just so he could beat me!" Cruise tells the NY Times. The superstar also revealed that Newman had a special nickname for him. "You know, he called me 'Cruiser'... Cruiser!"
An avid racecar driver, Newman made a name for himself in the racing world. Newman died this past September of lung cancer.
Tom's new film, "Valkyrie" cruises into theatres Christmas Day.
Julia Roberts looks fabulous at 41, but the mother of three reveals to "Extra" that she won't be slipping back into those thigh-high boots to reprise her role in a sequel to "Pretty Woman."
"No one wants to see an old hooker!" Julia exclaimed, "Do they?" Roberts joined fellow celebrity Jack Nicholson at a benefit for the charity of the late Paul Newman -- and admits that the "Shining" actor left her star struck while holding son Henry. "I was in the afternoon here during rehearsal and I had my baby with me," Julia confesses, "and it's chilling when Jack Nicholson goes, 'Henry, how ya doing kid?' It's like 'Aaahhh!'"
"Extra" then asked via Fan Cam about her favorite actresses. "Oh there's so many. Frances McDormand, Susan Sarandon, Annette Bening," she exclaimed.
With the election a week away, the talk turned to politics according to Julia. The actress brushed off the wardrobe debacle as the least of her worries about GOP ticket! "I could give two s***s about wardrobe," opined Roberts. "I don't think it's her wardrobe we have to worry about."
A star-studded San Francisco event was held in honor of the late actor and philanthropist Paul Newman, raising money for the late star's charity and to pay homage to the screen legend.
Jack Nicholson, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Warren Beatty and Sean Penn were among A-listers who performed a dramatic reading of "The World of Nick Adams." The event also featured a video montage of Newman and a performance by singer Bonnie Raitt, dedicated to Newman.
Paul Newman's charitable work and humble nature was praised by his colleagues -- and the actors he worked with proved no exception. "Paul was a member of the ensemble more than anything else," Tom Hanks told AP. "He didn't care about the hierarchy, but he was a guy, quite frankly, who should have won the Nobel Peace Prize."
The fundraiser benefited The Painted Turtle, a camp founded by Newman to help children with life-threatening illnesses. Throughout his life, Paul Newman and his Newman's Own foods gave over $250 million to charity. The actor died of cancer last month at age 83.
Paul Newman inspired the world with his charismatic onscreen presence and selfless acts of charity. His older brother, Arthur, has released a statement on his Paul's death, calling him his "role model and mentor."
The statement reads: "Beyond his place as a world famous 'super star', his reputation as a top international race car driver and rightful recognition as a most generous global philanthropist, Paul was my loyal and supportive brother for the past 83 years."
Arthur adds, "Although he was a year younger, from the time we were boys, I always considered him my role model and mentor. His love for Joanne, his daughters, and all in our family, will provide us strength in times to come. He was just about the best human being I have ever known."
On October 27, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis will be among a star-studded list of people who will pay their respects to Paul Newman by performing in a reading of "The World of Nick Adams," written by Paul's longtime friend A.E. Hotchner. The gala will benefit The Painted Turtle -- a Hole in the Wall camp for children with life-threatening illnesses, founded by Newman. For more information about the event, click here.


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The study, which outlined the cost of the city contracting with other agencies for services or going with its own police department, identified what the consultants deemed inadequate within Patterson Police Services, as well as the current contract with Stanislaus County.
The study indicated that the city should eliminate one detective position stating detective caseloads were too light, leaving three detectives. They also wish to hire two more sergeants for night shift coverage and better supervision during the graveyard hours. It was recommended the eliminated detective be moved to cover traffic.
Hughes indicated that a detective had already been moved to traffic and two traffic officers were covering the city.
She said Tuesday Nov. 12 that she receives many complaints about traffic in the city and moved quickly on the recommendation.
"The majority of complaints I receive, either by email or phone are traffic related," she said, noting she was expecting holiday traffic to increase due to the addition of a Walmart Supercenter and the Amazon Fulfillment Center. She said schools were also calling regarding traffic concerns.
"One thing that is increasing is our city is traffic," she said.
Concurring with the recommendation for the addition of two nighttime sergeants, Hughes stated that operations and city coverage would be more efficient.
One problem the city runs into at night, Hughes indicated, was the loss of a patrol deputy when they have to transport someone they've arrested to the County Jail on Hackett Road in South Modesto to be booked.
When the deputy leaves, there is one less deputy patrolling, she said. Adding sergeants to the nighttime shift would allow coverage to continue even if an arrest is transported, she said.
The report also stated that there was no target by Patterson Police Services for the division of time by deputies between proactive—or crime prevention—and reactive or responding to crimes.
Departments should strive to have 50 to 60 percent of the time spent in reactive mode and 40 to 50 percent of the time spent in proactive mode, according to the study.
Hughes said the recommendations from the report will help Patterson Police Services handle hotspots when resources are needed and still be proactive in the long run, leading to more arrests.
Hughes, later in the meeting when the report was released Oct. 22, indicated that major crimes or part one crimes as reported to the F.B.I. had dropped over the last year by more than 13 percent.
Part one crimes include homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft and arson. Detectives often investigate those crimes. But she said lower caseloads for them may be due to the work of patrol deputies handling less complex investigative work that doesn't call for intensive items like search warrants.
Contact Nick Rappley at 892-6187, ext. 31 or email@example.com.


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But you close your eyes and the glory fades
Posted on Tuesday, 15th of October 2013 with 7,597 notes, by: mrhawthorne
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Credit Cards That Grow Your Assets
Published on - November 11th, 2010 (Modified on - December 6th, 2013) (by Robert Brokamp)
This is a guest post from Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool's Rule Your Retirement service. He contributes one new article to Get Rich Slowly every two weeks.
My better half and I are two days into the process of re-evaluating our best rewards credit cards for 2012, contemplating switching to a card with better rewards. For us, it comes down to which one provides the most cash back; if it provides a way to get that money invested automatically, all the better.
Airfare rewards don't appeal to us because, as parents of four kids (that we know of), it's too expensive to fly too often, even if we get a free ticket every once in a while. Plus, I like the idea of a reward that leads to good financial behavior (investing) rather than more consumption (even if the flight is free, you're going to spend money wherever you're going).
But before we get into the cards I'm considering, we must start with the obligatory sermon about debt. Here's what I — a fellow who was once studying to be a priest — came up with:
To those who walk through the valley of the shadow of debt, know that to everything there is a season, and a time for every purchase under heaven. For what will it profit you if you gain the whole wardrobe but lose your FICO? Therefore keep watch, because you know not the day the Master Card will come. I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a person to eliminate debt by paying the monthly minimum.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's McHouse, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's showy wife, nor his maidservant, nor his X-Box, nor his ass (unless he has a Booty Pop). Those who live by the card, die by the card. And the number of the beast shall be 26.6%.
Cash is always patient and always kind. Blessed are the cheap, for they shall inherit the net worth. Consider the lilies of the valley, how they grow; they neither transfer nor maintain a balance.
So go forth, and borrow no more. Love your net worth as yourself.
Lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from Visa.
Amen. (And keep your mitts out of the collection box.)
The lesson, my brothers and sisters, is this: If you maintain a balance on your credit card, forget rewards programs; just get the card with the lowest rate, and pay it off. Now, for those who pay off the balance each month, here are three cards that could put some money in your investment accounts.
The Bank of America Upromise Card
This is our current card. If you don't already know, Upromise is a program by which certain purchases through certain partners result in money deposited in a Upromise account. That money can then be deposited in a 529 account, which allows you to save money for college on a tax-free basis, as long as you use the money for qualified expenses. Between the card and other Upromise rewards, we've been able to add more than $1,000 to our college savings accounts.
- The good stuff: No annual fee, earn 1% toward college savings on every purchase, as well as up to 10% on qualifying grocery and drug store purchases and 10% at participating restaurants (with one version of the card) or 2% at Exxon or Mobil gas stations (another version). You can also earn 2% on certain online purchases through Upromise. Right now they're offering a $50 signing bonus.
- The fine print: You don't get earn 10% on all of your purchases at grocery and drug stores — just selected (and limited) items. Plus, you have to find participating stores. Then, you'll likely have join the stores' loyalty programs and register your membership number with Upromise.
The Fidelity Investment Rewards Visa Card
- The good stuff: No annual fee, and — in the words of Fidelity's website — "Turn 1.5% of purchases into a deposit in your Fidelity account (earn 2% once you've spent $15,000 annually)."
- The fine print: That does not mean 1.5% to 2.0% of the value of your purchases will be deposited in your account. Rather, "You'll earn 1.5 points for each $1 spent on the first $15,000 in purchases per year, and 2 points per $1 in purchases thereafter." For every 5,000 points you accumulate, you'll get $50 added to your account. Kinda misleading, if you ask me. Still, it ends up being a decent reward, percentage-wise. I calculate that it results in a reward of 1.33% of purchases if you spend $15,000 in a year, and 1.66% if you spend $30,000 in a year.
The Fidelity Rewards American Express Card
- The good stuff: No annual fee, and you get 2 points per $1 spent. This ends up in a much more straightforward 2% reward. The card's website has a little calculator that gives you an idea of how much you'd earn from the rewards program, and how much that could be worth years from now, assuming different rates of return on your investments.
- The fine print: As with the Fidelity Visa card above, the cash earned from this card can only be deposited in a Fidelity brokerage account or IRA, which is fine if you already have an account. If not, you have to open an account. Fidelity funds have $2,500 minimums (unless you sign up for a $200-a-month automatic investment plan), and it will take a while to earn that much from the credit card, which earns $100 for every $5,000 spent. You can invest in stocks, though you'll pay a $7.95 commission. Fortunately, Fidelity allows you to purchase 25 exchange-traded funds commission-free. You can also have the money deposited in a Fidelity 529 plan, though the investment options are more limited, and the plan may not be as good as what's offered by your own state (either in terms of investment choices, expenses, or tax breaks).
Ouch! My brain!
In January, J.D. asked readers for advice on picking the best credit card. He wrote: "My thoughts are that looking at credit card offers makes my mind numb." I feel the same way, which is why I haven't finished the process of choosing a new card after two days.
I also think this is fine place to bring this post to an end (before it makes your mind numb, if it hasn't already). There are plenty of other details about these cards that I didn't include. I'm also considering just a plain, old cash-back card (though I like that the rewards are automatically deposited in investment accounts with these cards). If you have any experience with these cards — or have a recommendation of your own — add a comment below.
Credit cards are tricky tools — convenient and useful, but dangerous. Plenty of GRS readers will say that people should stick with cash or a debit card, and those are worthy arguments. But if you're going to use a credit card, you might as well make the most of it.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company.
This article is about Credit Cards, Money Hacks
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.
Discover is a paid advertiser of this site. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the Discover online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards.
For most people, I think this is a bad idea. If they do not have a proper budget and don't know where each dollar is going, credit cards tend to promote overspending and spontaneous behavior. Even with the rewards, most of the time there is more money spent than saved.
For our personal expenses, we use a BofA Worldpoints. It has no fee and your earn 1%. You can either take it as a check or gift card. I wait until I accrue $250 and take it as a check. We usually put it towards a vacation.
For our business, we use Discover biz card. No fee. It earns 5% on first $2000 on office supplies, 2% on 1st $2000 on gas and then 1% on other purchases. We usually cash this in for gift cards, since they give you more for the money. Ex. $25 gift card is only worth 20 points.
We use a cc for everthing and pay off at end of month. It works for us, but I'm sure we would spend less if we used cash, but we love the points system. I have thought about looking into other cards, but I've never put the time into research and these cards work for me.
American Express Blue Sky for (almost) all purchases. Earn 1 point for every dollar spent. Get $100 toward travel related purhcases for every 7500 points (1.33% reward). What's nice about this card is that you book your travel yourself and then get your reward in the form of a statement credit, so the rewards are very flexible.
Ouch! My brain hurts just reading the post. No wonder I haven't looked at cards for a long time. And, there are thousands out there. I think for now I will just keep paying them off every month and not look for a new one.
Maybe, I'll pal with JD and do it by January or next July.
I'll stick with the Visa through my credit union; getting 1% cash back rewards at "participating stores" isn't enough to persuade me to join the evil that is Chase or Bank of America. I expect frugality and responsibility in my financial institution, and the big banks don't really cut it.
I wonder how the author responds to the studies that show people who use credit spend on average 18% more for the same item. Said another way, studies show that people who use credit, whether or not they pay off the balance in full, spend more than those who don't. I know that was true for me and I paid off the balance every month, but when we switched to debit we cut our misc. spending by more than a 1/3.
I was talking with a neighbor about this and he had a good suggestion, he loves his credit card rewards, but he uses his credit card not for day to day spending but for his monthly bills, bills that he would be paying anyways, phone, internet, etc. I might consider doing that but I just love not having any debt (except for the mortgage) and going back to credit is going back to debt in my mind. If I could pay my mortgage with my credit card and collect the rewards I might do it.
I think you've mentioned it in the past, but if you travel internationally frequently the Capital One cards are great as they have no foreign exchange fee. You can save on whatever your current card's fee is on every purchase, which can wind up being very significant (a couple percent? I don't know what banks are charging these days).
One card to consider is a Rewards Checking card. Do twelve transactions a month and earn 4% or more on your balance. You qualify by number of transactions, not the dollar amount. Hence it is the more frugal way to go.
You can still use a Rewards Checking card in combination with a regular credit card rewards program.
My main credit card is the Chase Freedom card. I get 1% cash back on everything, and (last I checked) 3% cash back on gas. For online purchases, if you purchase things at certain retailers through the Chase Rewards site, you can get additional cash back. (Barnes & Nobel, 5%; Apple, 2%; Walmart, 2%) There are also quarterly specials. Once quarter, it was 5% cash back on airline travel, and I scored big (on tickets I was already planning to buy).
My dad uses some sort or Discover card that starts out paying you less than 1% back, but the more you save, the more you earn back, and Dad spends enough to bump himself up a few levels, and so he winds up earning more than 1%. I don't spend as much as he does, so the flat 1% back works better for me.
BTW, I learned about credit cards from my parents. They just use them for convenience's sake, pay their balances off every month, and use their card's perks to their advantage. And credit cards is one area where I'm proud to say I take after my folks.
I have 3 credit cards that I use for different things.
1. American Express Blue Cash: it has cash back, but its a pretty lame amount. However, I really like using the Amex travel services that are a perk of the card. They also have great customer service. To me its worth it for the automatic rental insurance when you use it to rent a car.
2. Low interest card through my credit union. I use this one when I want to float some money on bigger purchases. The rate is really low (under 5%) and the "points" work in conjunction with my checking account "points"
3. The old student Visa. The rate is terrible, but cash back is 2%. Who am I kidding? This is the card number that is tied to waaaay too many auto-renew items.
In response to #6/Sam
No one has ever been able to find the alleged Dun & Bradstreet study. In fact, JD has researched this mythical study for a book he is writing. He reports that Dun and Bradstreet has no record of this study. I hope that people will stop quoting a study that does not exist.
See: http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/04/27/money-myths-and-the-importance-of-thinking-for-yourself/
I would like to also strongly recommend the pentagon federal credit union platinum cash rewards card ( https://www.penfed.org/productsAndRates/creditCards/RewardCards.asp ) no fees, no minumum purchases to qualify. it offers 5% cash back on gas, 2% grocery and supermarket, and 1% other, plus seasonal promotions. the best thing about this cashback program (beside the relatively high %s) is it just calculates your reward each month and deducts it from your statement balance, so you don't have to do anything to get the reward, it just appears.
you have to be somewhat associated with the US military or DoD, but there is an easy loophole where you can join a pro veterans organization like the military family association for a small one time fee and that covers it, no military background required.
We have an Amazon Visa through Chase. We've had it for several years now, but if I remember right, it's 1% back on everything, 2% on grocery and gas, and 3% on Amazon.com purchases. You can exchange your points for a check in the mail on a regular basis, which I like, and since we shop on Amazon for many of our online purchases, it's a good deal for us.
Changing credit cards certainly helped me when I was looking for low interst ratecards to replace my higher rate cards. I usually ended the card after the period of the low introductory rate….
I've always thought Discover offered the most rewards/cash back for money spent. Though it sure seems it's accepted less places than VISA and MasterCard. Many places don't accept Amex either.
Instead of using a credit card to get 5% cash back at Barnes and Noble buy your books from Amazoan and save 40%. Very few people have the will to use credit cards to their advantage.
I use the HSBC Cash Back Platinum card.
I used to use Amex's Blue Cash card that a few others have mentioned, but got tired of trying to figure out its terms (2.5% for the first $6,500 of gas and grocery bills, 1% for the first $6,500 of everything else, then 5% for gas and grocery and 2.5% of everything else, unless its a leap year or full moon).
The HSBC Cash Back card just gives 1% on everything, period. I also like the simplicity of their website, which makes it easy to pay and check rewards. This adds value as well.
When you're already playing a risky game of using credit cards for the rewards, I feel keeping things as simple as possible increases the likelihood that you won't slip up and lose months of rewards to a single interest charge.
Like Alex (#10) I also have the American Express Blue Card. Basic Details: on your first $6,500 spent/yr you earn 1.0% on gas, groceries and drugstore and 0.5% on everything else. After $6,500 spent/yr you earn 5.0% on gas, groceries and drugstore and 1.25% on everything else. You get a rebate on your last bill of the annual cycle. It may be lame but we are averaging about 1.3% near the end of our cycle for the year.
#6 Sam I have no doubt that many people spend more on credit than they do with cash, but that study doesn't dictate every single credit card user's behavior. We now pay our credit cards every single day. There's no way we're paying more with credit and I'm sure there are many more like us who are even more disciplined and can pay in full monthly and still keep expenses in check.
We have used primarily our Amex for the last few years. It forced us into the habit of paying in full each month, but now I check the currently running rewards promotion on each card and we use the proper one for each purchase, e.g. if Discover is running its 5% back grocery store purchases, we use Discover there. We almost always convert to gift cards which ups the value. Bridal showers, new clothes, and to some degree, Christmas – these budget busters are blips on the radar screen now thanks to credit card rewards.
We have a UPromise but it's rarely the best bet rewards wise. It was one of our first rewards cards – I think we've had it for about 10 years – it's added a negligible amount to our 529.
I second the PenFed Visa card. The points are converted into a credit on your on your bill each month – no calling to redeem or waiting until you've collected points in an arbitrary round number.
I also use the PenFed American Express Travel Rewards card for my travel expenses (which for me are frequent). 5 points for airline, 3 for restaurants and hotels, 1 on everything else – though right now there is a special for 2 points on everything else through Dec. This is not cash back, but you redeem points for travel or items, including gift cards.
PenFed is a wonderful credit union with fantastic customer service. Refinancing my mortgage was 100% stress free.
We use a Fidelity 529 card (originally from Fidelity, now with FIA Card Services). No fee and 2% gets transferred to our Fidelity 529 account for our daughter. We pay in full each month, no balance carried.
It's helped her account grow much faster than just our normal monthly investment.
We tried other benefit cards, but found this to be the most financially prudent one around.
I use a usaa cash rewards platinum. No fee, 25 day grace period, 2% reward, more if I bother with usaa's mall like partnership membershop website.
I also send in a copy of reciepts to visa warranty extending registration for items costing over about $400.
I haven't tested this perk yet though, yet to find out if I am wasting my time.
For UK readers, the co-op do a nice cashback card for members (1% on co-op purchases, 0.5% on all purchases), with no annual fee.
Not as high a cashback rate as some cards, but they also donate 1.25p to charity for every £100 spend – not much, but still something, and their ethical stance on investments is nice for those who care about such things.
You have to be a co-op member to get it, as the cashback is added to you "divvy". It doesn't cost anything to join as far as I can remember, and gains you "divvy" (i.e. cashback) on all co-op purchases if you swipe your membership card, as well as on savings, money in current accounts and mortgages with the co-op bank.
I'm also an Amex user. I have to pay the balance in full every month, which keeps a lid on spending. And Amex has great customer service and travel perks (for instance, I can call the concierge and say, I want to spend $2000 on a beach vacation for 2 people. What can you find for me?) Also, they will give me a refund in the event that a retailer won't, and anything I buy with my Amex has an automatic warranty with them. The annual fee is not cheap, but I usually make up for it with rewards and it's worth it to me to get the level of service that Amex provides.
timely post as i just cancelled a rewards card two minutes ago as after years of getting the rewards, they now decided to impose a membership fee. i guess they couldn't justify raising my interest rate, so they did this. so i'm thinking that i'll go back to not using a credit card at all. years ago when my credit was absolutely trashed and i had no credit cards or a debit card, i managed to travel and rent a car during this low credit period of my life. a personal check worked fine. the hotel and rental car company weren't happy, but they didn't deny me. i really have to wonder why more people don't question the credit practices of our economy which penalize people who choose not to use credit cards. i'm not talking about taking out a loan or mortgage. i understand a credit history is important to a lender and a credit card is a good way to establish that. i'm talking about renting a car or getting a hotel room. give me a break.
The alledged credit card study showing people spend 20% more with credit cards shows up yet again. It is Dave Ramsey that continually touts that non-existent study. I'm betting he made it up to further convince people to get rid of credit cards and stop incurring debt.
But for those of us who use credit responsibly, the rewards can be great. I'm done with frequent flyer cards – you can never use those darned tickets! I have two outstanding that I can never use when I need a ticket. I get 1% cash back on all purchases plus 10% back on all REI purchases from an REI-sponsored US Bank card. Love it!
Pentagon Federal Credit Union has a rewards card that gives 5% back on Gas,2% back on groceries and 1% on everything else. BUT if you aren't in the habit now of paying off your cards you need to start before even looking for new card.
We use the Costco Amex. Since we're members of Costco anyway, it's an easy rewards system. 1% for everything, 2% for restaurants and travel, and 3% for gas, IIRC.
We have a different rewards Visa (Royal Caribbean, since we're cruisers) for places that don't take Amex, but we're considering cashing out our points and switching that one to a cash back card as well.
The card I use earns 1% cash back, which is paid against my mortgage principal in $25 increments. Best use of points I can think of.
Of course if I moved my mortgage to another bank the card would become worthless and I'd probably look for another one with better cash back.
The fidelity card sounds enticing, but we probably just going to stick with Chase Freedom card. That card gives 1% back on everything and 5% on a few things. We minimize credit card purchases anyway so this is not a huge deal to us. The target is to get under 10k credit card use per year and we are right around there. We use cash mostly these days. 1% or 1.3% does not make a huge difference for us.
I agree with yoyo(#12) and Michelle (#20) – the penfed visa is really nice because you don't have to keep track of your rewards or save up to a certain amount before you get it back, or wait until the end of the year. Instead, every month, it comes off your bill! If you have a family of 4, I bet you spend a lot on groceries and 2% back with no tiers or anything would be a good benefit…and the 5% gas is also great.
You have to either be military or pay $20 to "join" the national family of military association or something like that (their website explains it)…plus it's another $5 into their savings account for a "membership" to the credit union. The savings account is ok on interest, better than a big bank, and easy to transfer money into (transferring it back out is harder, plan to spend what you put in)
I also agree with Wearsunscreen (#22) – my USAA cards are great because they have excellent protection, extend warranty, rental insurance, and I can convert my rewards whenever I hit 3000 points into $25…the rewards aren't as high as Penfed but you can open an investment account with USAA and have the reward cash put straight into that. Plus, their rates are a little better and they give high CL….again though, I'm a member so it might be a little different for non-members.
But either of those would be my suggestion – both are easy to use and don't require tiers, waiting a full year, or jumping through hoops.
(and to those saying you spend more with a CC – that's only if you can't budget right! If you have $X to spend and you only spend $X, who cares what you used to spend it)
This post reminds me of an NPR story I heard not too long ago. I can't find the link, but it talks about a woman on welfare who opens credit card accounts to get the great discounts, pays the bill, and then closes the account. Apparently her score was pretty high despite this behavior. I think that really is the only way to beat the banks at their own game. The meager cash back and "points" system hardly pays.
Chase Freedom Visa. One point per dollar, quarterly bonus categories, bonus on purchases through Ultimate Rewards mall. As a Chase checking customer, I get 10% bonus on total amount spent plus 10 points every time card is used (for refillable cards, say a subway pass, I might do in increments as opposed to one lump sump for more bonus points.) Then I use points to offset cost of an airline ticket booked through UR Travel (after making sure site's airfare is not more expensive than at other travel sites). Double points on every dollar spent using UR Travel.
My main card is the Upromise card. All of the rewards are transferred automatically towards a 529 plan every quarter. Over six years time, the rewards alongwith the gains from the investment have the account around $4,500. I consider this account as a supplemental 529 to support the two main 529′s I have set up for my daughters through my State's offerings. I will share this with you if you are considering the Upromise card, if you have more than one child, direct that all of the rewards go to one child. You're rewards will transfer faster than if you equally divide the rewards between each child. Rewards will transfer every quarter if you have reached $25.00.
I learned this lesson regarding transfers when I first started by sharing the rewards between both children. Rewards that have reached the $25 minimum are transferred to the 529 every quarter. So when the first quarter came up, each child had about $15, since neither had at least $25, no transfer was made to the 529 until the following quarter. I missed the earning potential of having the money invested in the 529 for 3 months. Needless to say, after putting all of the rewards in one child's name, I have never had that problem again.
Another thought on the Upromise program is that the real money comes from the investment earnings. Sure it's nice to fill the car up with gas, buy groceries, or what have you, and know that corporate America is contributing a small amount to your child's education. The real value comes from the investment return that is made off of that money in the 529 plan.
On a second thought about the alleged study that shows people who use credit cards spend more than people who use cash, I would probably agree with that premise, if you are speaking generally about the population as a whole. My experience is that people who really work their rewards programs are a whole different breed of credit card user than the general public. We use them as cash, but collect a return off of the purchase. I would never think of buying something, just to get 1% of the price refunded, that would be crazy. The credit card industry definitely has us on their radar, they refer to us as free-riders. They don't make as much money off of us, because we don't carry balances, but they still make money off of us in the form of transaction fees that they charge the merchants. They make 3% from the merchants on our transactions and pay us 1% in rebates, and they cross their fingers that maybe, just maybe, one day we won't make our payment in full. Not likely
I have the Fidelity Visa and it's really not as tricky as it sounds. For both Fidelity cards above, the rewards are not required to end up in a Fidelity brokerage account– you can set up a Fidelity "mySmart Cash" account which is effectively Fidlity's high interest checking account (free to set up/no minimum balance needed), and then have the rewards automatically deposited after each 5000 point are earned. You're then free to do whatever you want with the cash (e.g., move it to Vanguard funds).
LOL I don't have any credit cards and don't plan on getting any but I sure loved your sermon!
I use my Chase Freedom card for purchases that are in the current 5% category (right now it's movies, department stores, and *groceries*.)
I use my PenFed card for gas (5%), groceries (2%), and for everything else if my Chase Freedom card isn't currently offering the 5% rate. PenFed has seasonal 3% rewards on categories; right now it's electronics and sporting goods.
We use our card to "double dip". We have an interest bearing checking account at Woodstone Credit Union that currently is paying 3.01% APY up to $10,000. We have a Capital One cashback card that pays 2% on gas and groceries.
We use the credit card for purchases and then pay the card in full each month from our interest bearing checking account.
This does 2 things, 1) our money sits in the checking account earning 3% interest until needed and, 2) we earn 2% cashback on our purchases.
In theory we earn 5% on our credit card purchases. In theory…
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Amex One card. It gives you 1% back in cash that is deposited directly into a free high-yield savings account. While high-yield is a relative term these days, it's still the highest rate I can find anywhere else and Free money! If you charge a lot for work and are responsible with credit cards I highly recommend it.
We've been getting offers from Wells Fargo recently about a rewards card that pays 1% toward our Wells Fargo Mortgage. That's the one I would get if I was going to get one.
We had a rewards card for years and years. We paid it off each month and scored A LOT of airline tickets. However, one month we didn't get it all paid….and then the next month…and before we knew it, we had a balance. I guess I'm one of those people who just shouldn't get one despite years of good budgeting. At least that's the conclusion I've come to. The rewards aren't worth it.
Agree with Avenger2354. I have been using the Upromise card for about 2 full years and I am averaging about a 2.2% return in cash into the 529 account. I use my credit card as cash, never have carried a balance in 20 years of having a credit card. When I purchase something I try to get the absolute best deal, coupons, clearance, combined with sales etc.. that I can and don't buy stuff I don't need. Also American Express cards can limit you since they are not taken everywhere. I couldn't have charged my wifes graduate tuition with AMEX either. Plus the dining extra rewards program allows you to get a % back (usually 4-8)of your total cost including tip and taxes, some of the restaurants also are on restaurant.com where you can get a $25.00 gift certificate for $2.00, so you get a double bonus. I do like to eat out so this ends up being a great deal. The other big new advantage is if you sign up for a new Sallie Mae online money market (currently paying 1.5%) and follow the directions you can link that account to your upromise account and you will get 10% of your annual upromise funds deposited into your Sallie Mae account as a bonus. Plus after your 529 needs are done you can either direct your earnings to and federal Sallie Mae loans or your new savings account. The send you all kinds of deals as well letting you know about bonus opportunites as well and if those bonus opportunities correspond to my normal spending patterns it works well for me.
Robert's articles are the highlight of GRS for me I was rolling on the floor after reading that sermon!!
With the Fidelity Amex account I just transfer the money into my non-fidelity bank account. Very simple, no investment requred!
Here is a link to a more recent study on cash vs. credit spending. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080907123704.htm
I don't have time to find the study everyone normally quotes but there is more than one. I'm not trying to bring the credit users down just throwing out the idea that using a credit card with an eye towards rewards may end up costing you more in the long run even if you pay off your credit card in full.
I've got a rewards card myself, Captial One, I just don't use it except when traveling, no foreign exchange fee.
I have 12 credit cards. I transfer the balance from one card to the next each month using a proprietary algorithim I perfected and have yet to pay any interest or any bill. That's right. I don't pay it off. I transfer it off.
And the rewards. They changed my life. Airfare, cash back. allows my budget to be in the black each month.
Actually, Credit cards are crap, and it amazes me how many of the responders chime in about their preferred borrowing tool. I hear "we don;t carry a balance" Oh yeah? Wanna guess again. When you use a credit card, you have a balance. You may not be charged interest, but you have a balance. Just not on this months "bill".
And I am also amazed at how many people know all these details about how different cards work in different situations. How much time and effort does it take to follow all of this.
And forget the Dunn & Bradstreet study. Look at the MIT study, do a quick Google, and check out a tiny company called McDonalds to find out what really happens when people spend with a credit card.
There is no reason to use a credit card other than for credit. Every other reason is a justification. Which is fine, people are irrational, especially with money. And especially those who don't think they are.
I just found this from 2008. From Get Rich Slowly of all places.
Chasing credit card rewards is like chasing interest rates on savings accounts – not worth it for most people to gain an extra few bucks here and there.
We've had the Chase Freedom for years and even though they recently changed the reward program, still think it fits us best. We get 1% for everything and another 4% on bonus categories that switch quarterly. So far we've always got the max bonus since the bonus categories are pretty common stuff – gas, groceries, home improvement, movies, etc. They also have an online "mall" where you can get bonus points for ordering stuff. I've used it a few times for stuff I was going to buy anyway.
The best part is I get a check in the mail in a couple days. No messing with frequent flier miles or other gimmicks. They also sometimes discount gift cards – like a few months ago we got a $25 Lowes card for $20.
@Troy – My jaw hit the floor when I read the first paragraph of your response! I'm still laughing actually. We're in the boat of people who used credit cards responsibly in our 20′s but have given them up thanks to Dave Ramsey and our own good choices. I do miss the rewards sometimes, but I really enjoy growing our savings account and paying off our mortgage within the next 4 years, about 20 years early.
That being said…we had a Discover that got the 1% cash back with 5% categories every 3 months. I always enjoyed the rewards and would give the gift cards as presents to my niece and nephew for their birthday or to buy Christmas gift. Now that we don't use credit cards and have a zero balance budget we are "getting rich slowly" and just pay for it out of our checking account. It goes into our budget before we actually spend it. Crazy idea huh?
@Troy – how did you find 12 cards with no balance transfer fee?
"And I am also amazed at how many people know all these details about how different cards work in different situations. How much time and effort does it take to follow all of this."
I use a complicated tool called a "Post it Note" stuck to a card. It requires updating approximately once per quarter. I only have two cards anyway though, so if I weren't too lazy to remember what the rotating categories were I wouldn't even have to do that.


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Wait up, Magma.
Sean Riley said...
Wait up, Magma.
I agree there was an ettiquette breach here -- The player should have let people know before hand. But if they had done so, just said out-of-character, "Before you invite me in, you have to know that I don't do ANY shadow spells. I don't know any. If you want to bring in someone else instead, I'll understand."
Then what's the problem?


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New to Bullseye? Subscribe to the show in iTunes or via the RSS feed, or check out our SoundCloud page to share any or all of these interviews or recommendations!
Jason Kottke, proprietor of Kottke.org, a collection of some of the most interesting links the internet has to offer, joins us this week to share some all-time internet picks. First, he enlightens us about the practice of sending children through the mail. He also shares a mind-bending physics thought experiment -- if an airplane moves forward on a conveyor belt that's moving in the opposite direction at the same speed, can the airplane take off?
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When Benedict Cumberbatch spoke to us last year, the interview centered on his portrayal of one of the most well-represented heroes in literature -- Sherlock Holmes. Jesse started off their discussion with talk of a more sinister role, however -- Cumberbatch's upcoming portrayal of the Star Trek villain John Harrison. With the release of Star Trek: Into Darkness so far away from the interview's original air date, that part of their chat didn't make the cut. Now that the film's release is a matter of months away, however, it seems a fitting time to revisit it.
Cumberbatch shares his appreciation for the mystery surrounding the new Star Trek film, deconstructs the challenges inherent in bringing a fresh perspective to his interpretation of the legendary detective for the BBC series Sherlock, and details how he emerged from a tremendous trauma with a renewed dedication to living life fully.
Both season one and season two of BBC's Sherlock are available now. You can also stream them online via Netflix and Amazon Instant.
(A alternate cut of this interview originally aired 5/15/12)
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Craig Finn is the lead singer and guitarist for the Brooklyn rock outfit The Hold Steady. Earlier this year, Finn released his debut solo album Clear Heart Full Eyes. This week he tells us about the song that changed his life: The Replacements' "I Will Dare", off their 1984 album Let It Be.
(This segment originally aired 5/15/12)
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Celebrated director Errol Morris's acclaim is well-earned -- his documentary films are all masterfully executed and extraordinarily compelling. Some of his films, such as The Thin Blue Line
(which ultimately helped secure an innocent man's freedom from prison) drive at an objective truth, while others are more concerned with the unique truths of individuals' experiences.
Errol Morris joined us in 2011 to talk about his film making process, celebrating reality versus fiction, and the enduring popularity of his Miller High Life commercials. Morris's most recent film, Tabloid, and most recent book, A Wilderness of Error: The Trials of Jeffrey MacDonald are available in stores now.
(This interview originally aired 07/18/11)
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For The Outshot this week, Jesse basks in the warm, loving glow of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready", and explains exactly why the singer's smiling face hangs on the wall above his son's crib.
If you've got a song that lifts you up like this one does, share the warmth on the MaxFun forum by picking your own Outshot.
(This Outshot originally aired 5/15/12)
This week's pop culture picks come care of Jason Kottke, of Kottke.org. Jason tracks down the best the internet has to offer, but this week he's all about documentaries. First up, it's a pair of short documentaries about Allan Benton and his ham. Allan is the owner of Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams, and we travel inside both his office and curing house in the films.
Next, it's the feature-length documentary Senna, profiling the thrilling and ultimately tragic tale of Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna. Senna is not just for Formula One fans -- it's a gripping profile, and the racing footage is thrilling no matter who you are. It's currently available on Netflix Instant.
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Benedict Cumberbatch is a British actor currently bringing Sherlock Holmes to life in PBS's Masterpiece series Sherlock, alongside Martin Freeman of The Office as John Watson. While Cumberbatch and Freeman are the latest in a long line of actors to play these characters, there is something fresh about their adaptation: Sherlock takes place in the present day, updating the classic detective to our modern era. In the past year, Cumberbatch has memorably stolen scenes in period dramas like War Horse and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Benedict tells us about bringing a new take to an iconic character, and what keeps Holmes relevant to both writers and audiences all these years later. He also opens up about how a life-threatening altercation while filming in South Africa in 2004 left him changed as a person. The Series Two finale of Sherlock airs this Sunday, May 20th, on PBS's Masterpiece. Series Two will be available on DVD just two days later, on Tuesday the 22nd.
(Embed or share this interview with Benedict Cumberbatch)
Craig Finn is the lead singer and guitarist for the Brooklyn rock outfit The Hold Steady. Earlier this year, Finn released his debut solo album Clear Heart Full Eyes. This week he tells us about the song that changed his life: The Replacements' "I Will Dare", off their 1984 album Let It Be.
(Embed or share Craig Finn's Song That Changed My Life)
Morgan Webb is a video game journalist and the co-host of X-Play on the G4 TV network. Webb fell into work in front of the camera entirely by accident via a research position on Tech TV's The Screen Savers, and it wasn't long before she wound up in front of the camera. Tech TV would eventually merge with G4, and X-Play is now the longest-running program on the network.
Morgan talks about what it means to be a gamer, what she loves about the gaming experience, and her struggle for journalistic legitimacy.
Thanks to Dave Ciaccio for editing this segment.
(Embed or share this interview with Morgan Webb)
For The Outshot this week, Jesse basks in the warm, loving glow of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready", and explains exactly why the singer's smiling face hangs on the wall above his son's crib.
If you've got a song that lifts you up like this one does, share the warmth on the MaxFun forum by picking your own Outshot.
(Embed or share this Outshot on Curtis Mayfield)
Here's where you can find some of our favorite people this week:
Asheville, NC - They Might Be Giants at The Orange Peel on Sept. 28th;
Atlanta, GA - Adam Corolla at the Tabernacle on Sept. 30th;
Baton Rouge, LA - Brian Posehn at the Manship Theater on Sept. 26th and 27th;
Bloomington, IL - The Comedy Attic will feature Jackie Kashian and Maria Bamford on Sept. 22nd, 23rd and 24th and Doug Benson (taping an episode of Doug Loves Movies) on Sept. 26th;
Boston, MA - The Wilbur Theater will host Bill Burr on Sept. 23rd and 24th and Louis CK on Oct. 1st; Das Racist will be at the Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub on the 28th;
Canton, MA - The Hold Steady will appear at the Life Is Good Festival on Sept. 24th;
Chicago, IL - They Might Be Giants with Jonathan Coulton at The Vic Theater on Sept. 23rd;
Colorado Springs, CO - Doug Benson at The Black Sheep on Sept. 21st;
Des Moines, IA - Demitri Martin will appear at Hoyt Sherman Place on Sept. 23rd;
Detroit, MI - Chris Tucker will perform at the Fox Theater Detroit on October 1st;
Indianapolis, IN - They Might Be Giants and Jonathan Coulton at The Vogue on the 22nd; Doug Benson at Crackers on Sept. 25th; Chris Tucker at the Murat Theater at Old National Center on Sept. 30th;
Louisville, KY - The Improv will host Marc Maron on Sept. 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th and Doug Benson on October 1st; Bob Edwards will be appearing to promote his new book, "A Voice in the Box: My Life in Radio", at the Filson Historical Society on the 22nd;
Madison, WI - Dave Atell will at the Comedy Club on State on Sept. 23rd and 24th;
Miami Beach, FL - Chris Tucker will be at the Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater on Sept. 24th;
Nashville, TN - They Might Be Giants and Jonathan Coulton at the Cannery Ballroom on Sept. 27th;
New Haven, CT - Das Racist will play at Toad's Place on Sept. 29th;
New Orleans, LA - Chris Tucker at the UNO Lakefront Arena on Sept. 23rd;
New York, NY: Colson Whitehead will be doing a book signing at McNally Jackson Books as part of the New Yorker Festival on October 2nd; He'll also be participating in a panel discussion about Alternative Realities at SVA Theatre on Sept. 30th;
Omaha, NE - Demitri Marin will be at the Omaha Music Hall on Sept. 24th;
Ottawa, ON - Greg Proops will be performing "Whose Live Anyway?" at the Centrepointe Theater in Ottawa, ON on Sept. 23rd;
Philadelphia, PA - The Hold Steady at the Popped Music Festival on Sept. 23rd; They Might Be Giants and Jonathan Coulton at the Theater of the Living Arts on Sept. 30th.
Portland, OR - Scott Thompson and Kevin McDonald perform "Two Kids, One Hall" at Helium on Sept. 22nd, 23rd and 24th; Tig Notaro at Mississippi Studios on Sept. 28th;
Providence, RI - Das Racist at The Met on Sept. 30th;
Raleigh, NC - Kevin McDonald and Scott Thompson performing "Two Kids, One Hall" at Goodnights on Sept. 29th, 30th, Oct. 1st and 2nd;
Richmond, VA - They Might Be Giants and Jonathan Coulton at the The National on Sept. 29th;
Salt Lake City, UT - Jimmy Pardo at Wiseguys Comedy Club on Sept. 30th and Oct. 1st;
Sayreville, NJ - Brian Posehn at the Starland Ballroom on Sept. 30th;
Seattle, WA - Demitri Martin at The Neptune Theater on Sept. 30th and Oct. 1st;
St. Louis, MO - They Might Be Giants and Jonathan Coulton at The Pagaent on Sept. 24th
Tulsa, OK - They Might Be Giants and Jonathan Coulton at Cains Ballroom on Sept. 25th;
Ventura, CA - Doug Benson at the Ventura Harbor Comedy Club on Sept. 28th;
Washington, DC - Das Racist at the 9:30 Club on October 1st.


text: Dynamic Leadership Experiences At Wheaton, student leadership is less about titles and what you do and more about who you are becoming. Purposeful development is essential in preparing students to become more fully who God has called them to be. Therefore, the goal of leadership development at Wheaton College is to encourage the intention of the heart and mind helping students grow in Christ-like leadership as servants in God's kingdom. Building Christian Friendships There are so many ways to connect with friends on campus and in the community. Attending the Talent Show. Enjoying the sounds of a student concert. Playing in a powder-puff football game. Participating in a student organization. Visiting Chicago. Serving at a local outreach community center. These are some of the essential ingredients in making the Wheaton community a playful and meaningful experience. Encouraging Integrative Work At Wheaton, students go the extra mile. They take what they learn in the classroom and bring it to life.Students are inspired to extend the boundaries of learning through the activities they become involved in, the resources they utilize, and the people they meet. So, if you want to get involved in the college radio station, enroll in a public speaking course to gain additional speaking skills. If you enjoy poetry, join the staff of a student run literary magazine. If accounting motivates you, manage the finances of a student club. A racial reconciliation discussion group will teach you not only to appreciate differences, but to be a more effective advocate for social change. All of these connections can provide you with a laboratory for growth, enhancing the kind of complete-person development that the liberal arts context at Wheaton promotes.


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Local Weather
Current Conditions:
Partly Cloudy, 92 F
Fri - Scattered Thunderstorms. High: 91 Low: 78
Sat - Thunderstorms. High: 89 Low: 75
Sun - Scattered Thunderstorms. High: 87 Low: 74
Mon - Scattered Thunderstorms. High: 86 Low: 73
Tue - Isolated Thunderstorms. High: 90 Low: 73
Full Forecast at Yahoo! Weather
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Notice of Public Hearing
Mission Economic Development Corporation
Notice is hereby given that the Mission Economic Development Corporation will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers, 1201 East 8th Street, Mission, Texas to consider the following project or projects during the proposed fiscal year 2011-2012: (1) City of Mission proposed budget $500,000, additional funding $135,000, amended budget not to exceed $635,000.
(2) VIDA Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement in an amount not to exceed $75,000. Anyone interested is invited to attend and present their comments.
Date of publication: August 19, 2011
Anna Carrillo
City Secretary
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The Progress Times is the hometown newspaper for the local communities of Mission, Sharyland, Alton, Palmview, La Joya and surrounding areas in Western Hidalgo County. We have a staff of veteran reporters who work diligently every week to bring our readers the latest news as it affects their hometown area and people.


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Tag Archives: Mae Plo
Paleo Recipe: Pumpkin Sausage Soup
I created this recipe to make use of some ingredients I had on hand from the Farmer's Market forage. I had several small pie pumpkins and some Calabrese Sausage from Franco's Sausage. The Andouille Sausage is my absolute favorite, but … Continue reading
Posted in Recipes Tagged canned coconut milk, Cooking, Farmer's Market, green curry paste, Low Carb, Mae Plo, Paleo, Paleo diet, Paleo Recipe, Pressure Cooker Recipe, Recipe, sustainable food, Thai Curry 1 Comment
Paleo Thai Curry Recipe
On Friday night I like to cook something that uses up all the produce in the refrigerator. We go to the Farmer's Market to forage for food on Saturday morning, and I like to make room for the fresh goodies … Continue reading
Posted in Recipes Tagged canned coconut milk, green curry paste, Mae Plo, Paleo, Recipe, Thai Curry Leave a comment