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America's 10 Best Places to Grow Up
Yahoo! Real Estate: "If you could create the ideal community to raise a child in, what ingredients would you include? First off, you'd probably want a low crime rate.
A strong school system would also be key. From there, you'd need lots of other children, expansive green spaces to play in, and plenty of nearby family events. Toss in an abundance of artistic and recreational activities, and all of a sudden you've got one heck of a place to grow up. At U.S. News, we wanted to find out if any communities like that already existed—and if so, where they were located. So we dug into our database of 2,000 different places all across the country and pinpointed the locales that met these criteria. We then examined these communities more closely to determine which places offered the best combination of safe neighborhoods, fun activities, and top-notch educators. Click on the link to read our selections for America's 10 Best Places to Grow Up."
Recession leaving couples without work
READ MORE: Reinventing America- msnbc.com: "Eleanora and Francis Scully didn’t live a lavish life, but it was a life they loved.The Scullys shared the same apartment in the New York borough of Brooklyn for 32 years, raising two sons before settling into a comfortable existence on their own again.
In the evenings after work, they would sometimes meet in front of the building and head out for a slice of pizza or a cup of coffee. On the weekends, they might go hiking in Pennsylvania or spend the day at the beach. Every once in a while, they went to Illinois or Florida to visit their grown sons.
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“Life was just — you couldn’t ask for more,” remembered Eleanora Scully, 53.
But now that life has unraveled due to job losses that eventually left the Scullys unable to pay their bills and stay in the apartment they rented for decades.
The lengthy recession is delivering a double blow to some American families, leaving both spouses without a job at the same time. The dual loss of income — and the difficult prospect of finding two new jobs — has some facing deep financial fears, including losing their homes and taking on expensive health care costs without the safety net of an employer’s insurance plan. It also is threatening the stability of some families, who are looking at a future very unlike the one they planned for."
For class of 2009, degree doesn’t mean a job
READ more on msnbc.com: "Matt Dumont has been looking for work since May.“I’ve had a couple times that I was told that I was one of the top applicants, went in for an interview, and then I just never heard back from them,” said Dumont, who graduated last spring from Abilene Christian University in Texas with a degree in English and minors in Spanish and the Bible.
Dumont was haunting the college’s Career Center last week, looking for leads and advice. But the prospects are not promising for him and thousands of other new college graduates: Employment counselors and job placement specialists say the class of 2009 faces a daunting task finding work in the worst economy since the Great Depression."
7-year-old Alexandra Yee dances "Come On Over"
Alexandra is 15-years-old now, but here she is dancing a jazz solo (Come On Over) as a 7-year-old...pretty awesome ;-)
SHOW #77 - NerdBoyTV: RealPlayer SP (beta)
In this episode of NerdBoyTV, Ryan Yee demos the RealPlayer SP (beta) and shows how to convert YouTube videos to play on your iPod, Blackberry, or Palm Pre.
Starbucks boosts prices on some beverages
Consumer news- msnbc.com: "Starbucks Corp. is raising prices on certain harder-to-make beverages — and cutting the costs for simpler ones like a plain cup of coffee, the company said Thursday.
The price hikes, on average between 10 and 15 cents and as much as 30 cents, went into effect Thursday.
“This is as a part of our comprehensive approach to providing the value while balancing our business responsibilities,” said spokeswoman Valerie O’Neil."
The price hikes, on average between 10 and 15 cents and as much as 30 cents, went into effect Thursday.
“This is as a part of our comprehensive approach to providing the value while balancing our business responsibilities,” said spokeswoman Valerie O’Neil."
Obama to End ‘Cash for Clunkers’ on Monday
NYTimes.com
NOTE from Ryan: This program really was a great idea! Too bad I couldn't use for my used 2003 Ford Windstar purchased near the end of July...oh well, my timing is soooooooooooo bad.
"The Obama administration plans to end the popular $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program on Monday at 8 p.m EDT, The Associated Press has learned.
Two congressional officials familiar with the plan say the Transportation Department will wind down the program that offers car buyers rebates of $3,500 or $4,500 for trading in older vehicles for new, more fuel-efficient models. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the plan.
The Obama administration was set to announce details on Thursday."
NOTE from Ryan: This program really was a great idea! Too bad I couldn't use for my used 2003 Ford Windstar purchased near the end of July...oh well, my timing is soooooooooooo bad.
"The Obama administration plans to end the popular $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program on Monday at 8 p.m EDT, The Associated Press has learned.
Two congressional officials familiar with the plan say the Transportation Department will wind down the program that offers car buyers rebates of $3,500 or $4,500 for trading in older vehicles for new, more fuel-efficient models. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the plan.
The Obama administration was set to announce details on Thursday."
SHOW #79 - NerdBoyTV: Acer Aspire One Netbook
In this episode of NerdBoyTV, Ryan Yee tells you how he purchased the excellent Acer Aspire One Netbook (10.1 display, 1G RAM, 160 HD, 6 cell battery) that retails for $378 for $286 out-the-door on ebay (no shipping, no sales tax).
SHOW #76 - NerdBoyTV: Nokia E71x
In this episode of NerdBoyTV, Ryan Yee reviews the terrific Nokia E71x cellphone with its 3.2 megapixel camera and battery that lasts up to 3 days (yes days, not hours).
The Mona Lisa Speaks! Cool
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Wow, some guy's Facebook account was "hacked!"
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
New credit card rules may reveal unwelcome details
Yahoo! Finance
NOTE from Ryan: It sure sounds like these credit card companies have ALL the cards in their hands, huh?
"The rules your credit card company operates by will start getting much clearer on Thursday. But just because you'll know what they're up to doesn't mean you're going to like what you learn.
Regulations aimed at reining in practices like unexpected interest rate increases and credit limit cuts start with two rules. Consumers will now be given advance warning of any major changes to the terms of their accounts, and get more time to pay their balance after receiving a bill."
NOTE from Ryan: It sure sounds like these credit card companies have ALL the cards in their hands, huh?
"The rules your credit card company operates by will start getting much clearer on Thursday. But just because you'll know what they're up to doesn't mean you're going to like what you learn.
Regulations aimed at reining in practices like unexpected interest rate increases and credit limit cuts start with two rules. Consumers will now be given advance warning of any major changes to the terms of their accounts, and get more time to pay their balance after receiving a bill."
10 stupidest tech company blunders
PC World- msnbc.com
Note from Ryan: I found this listing of the 10 stupidest tech company blunders soooooooooo interesting. I remember these WHEN they happened. Wanted to share them with you.
"Some of the biggest high-tech deals never happened. Some of the most promising products and services never came to be. Why? Because the people and companies involved didn't realize what they were letting slip through their fingers, or they simply couldn't foresee what would happen afterward.
Change just a few circumstances, and there might not be an Apple or a Microsoft today. Yahoo might be the king of the search hill, with Google lagging behind. You might be reading this on a Xerox-built computer via a CompuServe account while listening to your favorite tunes on a RealPod.
People say hindsight is 20-20. If so, our vision is acute. Here are our picks for the biggest missed opportunities in the history of technology."
Note from Ryan: I found this listing of the 10 stupidest tech company blunders soooooooooo interesting. I remember these WHEN they happened. Wanted to share them with you.
"Some of the biggest high-tech deals never happened. Some of the most promising products and services never came to be. Why? Because the people and companies involved didn't realize what they were letting slip through their fingers, or they simply couldn't foresee what would happen afterward.
Change just a few circumstances, and there might not be an Apple or a Microsoft today. Yahoo might be the king of the search hill, with Google lagging behind. You might be reading this on a Xerox-built computer via a CompuServe account while listening to your favorite tunes on a RealPod.
People say hindsight is 20-20. If so, our vision is acute. Here are our picks for the biggest missed opportunities in the history of technology."
