AFP - Hundreds of thousands of government supporters took to Iran’s streets on Wednesday in a show of force against the opposition, with a senior cleric telling their leaders to repent or face death.
Read more of Iran opposition leaders told to repent or else (AFP)…
Russia is considering sending a spacecraft to a large asteroid to knock it off its path and prevent a possible collision with …
Read more of Russia may send spacecraft to knock away asteroid…
AP - North Korea announced Tuesday that it has custody of an American who entered the country illegally on Christmas Eve — first possible word from Pyongyang about a 28-year-old Arizona man who activists say sneaked into the reclusive country to raise international attention to its dire human rights situation.
Read more of North Korea: American detained after illegal entry (AP)…
President Obama emerged from seclusion to try to quell criticism of the government's handling of an attempted plane attack as a branch of Al Qaeda claimed responsibility.
Read more of Obama Seeks to Reassure U.S. After Bombing Attempt…
China brushed aside international appeals and executed a British man convicted of drug smuggling and whose relatives say was mentally unstable and unwittingly lured into the crime.
Read more of China Ignores Appeals, Executes Briton…
Sheen and Mueller still want to be together, knives and all.
Charlie Sheen spent most of Christmas in jail for allegedly assaulting his wife, Brooke Mueller, and reportedly threatening her with a knife. The couple are now expected to seek professional help with their relationship.
Read more of Did Charlie Sheen Pull a Knife on Brooke Mueller?…
Reuters - An attempted Christmas Day bombing of a U.S. passenger jet has put a spotlight on the growing prominence of al Qaeda in Yemen and the expanding role of the U.S. military and spy agencies in fighting the group.
Read more of Attempted bombing spotlights al Qaeda growth in Yemen (Reuters)…
If you don’t buy it now, the price will go up.
Sales people love limited time offers, because there aren’t many ways to get a customer to make a purchase faster than telling them that the price will be higher if they buy later. But for a customer, is it worth it to say yes?
With baby Sara coming and constant talk about family visits, the idea of a bigger place has moved back front and center in the Ning household. I’ve been delaying my family’s desire to buy a house for two years now. It was fortunate that home prices nationwide have dramatically come down, but that’s hardly why it was a good decision.
Even if home prices went up, it’s more costly for us to own a home.
That’s because every day we are in the bigger house, we are paying more property taxes, more utilities, and more repairs. The more we pay, the less we keep. We have been paying less than two thousand dollars per month on our apartment, but it’s not unusual to hear our friends complaining about their five to six thousand dollars home expenses every month.
Never mind the missing interest with your down payment. Everyone I know who owns a house is paying more than the ones who rent, even when tax savings and the hidden equity in mortgage payments are factored in.
If a sales person tells you that the prices will go up, it still might be better to wait and pay a higher price later.
Here’s another reason why you should take a long time to research your car purchase. The longer you take, the longer you are keeping your current car and the more cost effective it becomes.
Sure, you may lose out on a great year end deal now, but waiting three more months on a car purchase without fail will likely reduce your car purchases in your lifetime once or even twice. Isn’t that a better deal?
When someone gives you an offer you can’t seem to refuse on the spot, say no and wait anyway.
Everything works pretty much the same way. New clothes, shoes, iPods, laptops, TVs, cars, house, and more. The size of the purchase doesn’t matter. The longer you can wait, the less you will end up spending.
Buy now or be forever priced out. Well, that might be the best thing that’s going to happen to you.
What do you think? How often do you say yes because someone tells you the price will be higher later?
—
Related Articles at Personal Finance Blog by Money Ning:
Read more of Once in a Life Time Deals are Almost Always Costly…
Bob Arum has issued an ultimatum, but don’t think the fight’s off if Floyd Mayweather’s camp ignores the deadline.
Read more of Breaking point for Pacquiao-Mayweather?…
The Indianapolis Colts kept saying a perfect season didn’t matter. They meant it. Coach Jim Caldwell pulled Peyton Manning and a handful of other starters for the previously unbeaten Colts in the third quarter, and the Jets took advantage by rallying for a 29-15 victory that ended the NFL’s longest regular-season winning streak at 23 games.
Read more of Jets end Colts’ pursuit of perfection 29-15 (AP)…
AP - Police say Ivana Trump has been escorted off a plane in Florida after she became belligerent when children were running and screaming in the aisles.
Read more of Police: Ivana Trump becomes angry, taken off plane (AP)…
AP - Iran would be willing to swap nuclear material with the West in Turkey, the foreign minister said in the country’s latest counteroffer to a U.N.-drafted deal aimed at thwarting Tehran’s ability to produce atomic weapons.
Read more of Iran willing to swap nuclear material in Turkey (AP)…
Hello Readers,
Not everybody celebrates Christmas, but everyone should join in the holiday spirit and enjoy the time off, the holiday decorations and the general happy mood that surrounds us this time of the year.
May Santa be generous to you and your family. Have a very Merry Christmas!
Regards,
David (MoneyNing)
—
Related Articles at Personal Finance Blog by Money Ning:
Read more of Merry Christmas from MoneyNing…
Mourners for a founding father of Iran's Islamic revolution flooded the holy city of Qum and faced off with Iranian security forces, witnesses said.
Read more of Funeral for Iranian Cleric Turns Into a Vast Protest…
I mentioned before that I am shopping for a new car. I’ve been to multiple dealerships since this is the first new car I’ve ever bought, and (for some odd reason) wanted to experience the new car buying experience complete with high-pressure sales tactics. Here are some examples of lies and deceptions that I’ve run across so far from different folks.
MSRP “Market Value Adjustment”
Apparently, MSRP isn’t good enough for some cars. I like the Honda Fit, which is a relatively popular car in my area and one in which the MSRP isn’t that much higher than invoiced (as confirmed by TrueCar.com) and thus doesn’t have that much built-in profit.
So, they add another $1,000 to $2,000 and tell customers that this makes the price “market value”. Of course, as I finish negotiating back down a bit below MSRP they admit “oh, the first price I said is only for folks who don’t know how to buy a car. But one person every week walks in and pays it!”.
And people wonder why car-buying isn’t a fun experience.
Options That Aren’t Optional
Another way to boost profit is to package a bunch of options like floor mats, wheel locks, or keyless entry and make a non-official $600 options package and put it on all the cars. When you don’t actually want something, say, wheel locks, they just say “oh, it’s already installed, sorry”. I can remove the floor mats in about 30 seconds, pal. If you push, they’ll let you buy one without options only if you commit to one that hasn’t arrived yet but is on their shipping list.
Jacked Up Options Prices
If you’ve already artificially tried to raise the price of the car, and then tack on default accessories, what is left? Make the price of the accessories above MSRP.
I wanted to buy a cargo cover for the back, and was told it was $225. When trying to negotiate, I got the sob story “oh, I only make $20 on this anyway”. Really, then why can I go online to another genuine Honda Dealer at College Hills Honda for only $119 plus shipping? And the retail price is shown as $165??
Always look online for a dealer that has fair prices on direct accessories, and either use that price to haggle or buy the accessories separately if you’re willing!
The Magically Disappearing Newspaper Ad Car
Finally, they even whipped out the magic for me. I saw a dealer with a newspaper ad for a 2009 model car at a great price, only $150 over invoice. I called them, and they said it was in stock. I drove over, and they said to take a seat and they’d bring it over. “Oh! I’m sorry, that car has just been sold. Can I interest you in something else?” I was pissed and started walking out the door. “Okay, okay! What if I offered you a 2010 car that had identical features or better at the same price!” Fine, show me. Now. After we look for a 2010 that was similar for about 10 minutes, the 2009 was miraculously available again!
That’s it for now, I’ve got to catch another flight, but I’ve got more salesman deceptions to share later…
Read more about Deceptive Car Salesman Tactics For Popular Cars…
AP - Israel has admitted that in the 1990s, its forensic pathologists harvested organs from dead bodies, including Palestinians, without permission of their families.
Read more of Israel harvested organs in ’90s without permission (AP)…
Top-ranked Alabama will have four All-Americans playing in the Senior Bowl. Cornerback Javier Arenas, offensive guard Mike Johnson, nose guard Terrence Cody and placekicker Leigh Tiffin have accepted invitations to play in the NFL audition for top senior prospects, Senior Bowl officials announced Saturday.
Read more of 5 Alabama players headed to Senior Bowl…
I am thinking about buying a good friend the Shun Ken Onion 9 piece knife block set. I think that he would really enjoy it. It is one of the hottest items for Christmas this year. Many people are buying it for friends and family. The only problem with it is that it is kind of expensive.
It is about five hundred and fifty dollars for a set of them. I wish I could find them for cheaper. I am only buying this for our friend because I know he really needs new knives. Every time that we go over there it seems like he never has knives to cook with. It is kind of fun to make fun of him though.
These knives are really good though. People have been talking about them a lot. Supposedly they are the best knives out there right now. Maybe I'll have to buy a set for myself as well.
by Claudine Zap
Here’s a fairy tale that could only happen in the movies. Man makes YouTube video. Goes to Hollywood. Gets pots of money and a movie deal. Except this story is true.
An unknown producer from Uruguay, Fede Alvarez, shelled out about $300 to create a cool video of a robot invasion in Montevideo, the capitol of Uruguay. The four-minute short, “Ataque de Panico!” (Panic Attack) features ginormous (but slow-moving) weapon-wielding robots that blow stuff up.
We have to admit, it has pretty amazing production values. The Playlist gushed that the director may be the next Neill Blom
Read more of From Uruguay to Hollywood: Watch the Video…
Liz Cheney called parts of President Obama’s Nobel acceptance speech in Oslo “shameful” during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. Cheney was particularly incensed by “this notion that America abandoned our ideals after 9/11″ and that we “tortured people.” She accused Obama of “slandering the men and women in the CIA.”
Keith Olbermann fact-checked her criticism on his MSNBC show last night, concluding that “for any U.S. official to stand up against torture by other U.S. officials does not impugn the entire organization”:
No, he meant your father. Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, M
Read more of Olbermann Fact Checks Liz Cheney’s Attacks On Obama’s Oslo Speech (VIDEO)…
Repaying the loans given them under the Troubled Asset Relief Program will free them from close regulatory scrutiny. The announcements marked the latest step toward recovery for the U.S. financial system.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Read more about Citigroup, Wells Fargo To Repay Bailout Money…
If you ask me, nothing says Merry Christmas quite like a stage comedy about Santa Claus’ gay relationship with toymaker Geppetto, a descendant of Pinocchio.
Read more of Rod Dreher: GLSEN’s toxic reading list eroticizes children…
There’s nothing Super about the Pittsburgh Steelers anymore. The defending NFL champions lost their fifth straight and had their playoff hopes thrown for a loss by the lowly Cleveland Browns, who ended a 12-game skid against their bitter rival by beating the Steelers 13-6 on Thursday night in subzero wind chills.
Read more of Steelers’ skid now 5, Browns win 13-6 (AP)…
This is how bad it’s getting for Tiger Woods : even his fellow pros are now starting to speak out against him. First it was Jesper Parnevik expressing his frustration and disappointment , saying he “probably thought [Woods] was a better guy than he is.”
Read more of Fellow PGA pros speak out on Tiger Woods: ‘A phony and a fake’…
Facebook has changed their privacy settings in an attempt to allow users to have more control over who sees their information. The new controls allow the user to specify their settings for each piece of content, from pictures to updates, to who they want viewing their page.
There is also an option to allow customization of groups of friends, so they would receive only certain updates, such as “work buddies”, or “family”. To make these privacy changes, users must log on to review and update those settings. Facebook is hoping that this will bolster confidence in their site and make users want to use their service more. With so many networks out on the web these days, and the large number of people who use them, it is important to feel that information is secure. Who better to monitor and make sure that the information obtained on the web isn’t used for the wrong purposes that the user himself.
For more on today’s hottest stories, check out our top searched list. What other big stories happened today? Let us know! Come back for tomorrow’s Hot Searches and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for daily updates. Are you curious what is hot in the Europe, check out the UK Hot Searches .
Hot Searches for December 10, 2009
1. Obama accepts Nobel - Obama accepts prize and defends US Wars
2. Chris Cuomo - Leaving ABC for 20/20 gig
3. Tyler Perry - His mom who was inspiration for Madea character dies
4. Biggest Loser Winner - Danny Cahill sheds 239, most in show history
5. Barbara Walters - 10 most fascinating people of the year show aired
6. Seabrook Explosion - Tank explodes at Houston plant
7. Facebook Privacy Settings - turns over more privacy control to user
8. As The World Turns - CBS cancels after 54 years
9. Top Chef Winner - Michael Votaggio beats out his brother for title
10. Russian Missile Test - failed 8th test, could have caused swirling lights
more: social networks, online social networks, business social networks, mobile social networks, social networking tools
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Read more of Facebook Privacy Changes…
EW.com: History was made on Tuesday night’s episode of The Biggest Loser. And EW has an interview with the winner….all is revealed after the jump!
Danny Cahill, the 40-year-old land surveyor and father of two from Broken Arrow, Okla., is now the biggest loser — quite literally — of The Biggest Loser. Having shed 239 pounds (more than any other contestant in the show’s history), Cahill talked to EW after the Dec. 8 finale about the milestone and whether his rapid weight loss was safe.
EW: You are truly the biggest loser!
DANNY CAHILL: Yes, no one has ever lost that amount of weight. Wh
Read more of ‘Biggest Loser’ Winner: ‘I Worked My Tail Off’…
Even Washington spin doctors can’t sell the BCS over a college football tournament. It’s all about the Benjamins.
Read more of Wetzel’s playoff plan: Money talks…
When the history of the Obama presidency is written, the day he decided on a troop surge may prove to be a turning point, a high-stakes gamble to turn around a losing war.
Read more of How Obama Came to Plan for 'Surge' in Afghanistan…
AP - The family of a slain British woman said Saturday they were pleased with the murder conviction of American student Amanda Knox but said there was no sense of celebration.
Read more of Victim’s family: ’satisfied’ with Knox conviction (AP)…
It tastes so good! Some people think that it’s only a breakfast food but I don’t care. I could eat cereal all the time everyday for every meal. The crunchy taste you get every spoonful. The only downside to cereal is that you have to eat it quick before it gets disgusting from sitting in the milk for a while.
One of my favorite cereals is Cap’n Crunch with crunch berries. They happen to sometimes though cut the rood of your mouth and turn some certain things green, but other than those couple things they are a really tasty treat. Another one of my favorites is Lucky Charms.
It can’t get better then eat a bowl full of marshmallows. Not only can you enjoy cereal in a giant bowl of milk but if you want you can put it in a bag and carry it around all day with you and eat it as a snack.
Whenever I see a funny sign, I like to take pictures of it. For example, one time we stopped at a rest area. There was a sign that asked the people to keep their dogs on leashes.
Apparently there was a cliff that dogs had often jumped off of and never returned. On the sign they generously decided to put a picture of a dog jumping off of a cliff for everyone to see.
This way they would at least be able to recognize that they were serious when they asked you to keep your dog on a leash. I thought this was hilarious.
Sure, email is great, but there’s something uniquely heartwarming about the kind of card that comes in the actual mail — especially for folks who don’t hear from us as often as they should, simply because they aren’t online.
So we’ve made it as easy to send snail-mail holiday cards as it is to send email. Simply fill out the form below and we’ll send one free holiday postcard on your behalf. Yes, through the mail and everything.
Courtesy of Google, via Gizmodo. Send a happy thought today! All the cards have a little Gmail logo hidden somewhere.
Read more about Snail Mail a Holiday Card For Free w/ Google…
In the Milgram experiment, they had people applying shock to people if they didn't read the paragraph correctly. They wanted to see how far people would push it.
Everyone would do exactly as the guy who was standing behind them with a lab coat on told them. They figured their authority figure told them that they weren't hurting the person and that if they were the authority would get the blame.
It's funny how blindly we follow authority sometimes. I think we should probably be a little more cautious.
On the eve of a hearing to confirm a second term for the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said Bernanke should have done more to help struggling Americans. The Senate needs 60 votes to override Sander’s “hold” on the nomination and move forward with a vote.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Read more about Senator Moves To Block Bernanke Confirmation…
President Obama outlined a plan Tuesday night to speed the deployment of an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan early next year, nearly tripling the force he inherited at the start of his presidency, and then to start withdrawing American personnel in July 2011 as a way to prod the Afgha…
Read more of Obama announces 30,000 additional troops for Afghanistan…
Today just may be the easiest Holiday shopping day for a lot of folks. It is Cyber Monday, and a record number of people are expected to take advantage of the online deals, including me. This is the day when my fellow shoppers and I can shop in the comfort of our own home, using the laptop. No having to put up with grumpy shoppers, or stand in long lines, or worst, get into one of those long lines, and remember we forgot to pick up one of those ‘can’t miss deals’! I’ve been there and done that!
This year, there are a considerable amount of online sites that are offering no shipping charges, as well as deep discounts on lots of items. Also, by shopping online, I can take my time and comparison shop, to make sure the best deal is found. Lots of sites also have great coupons to use on hot products that you may not find in the store.
I can also save some time by having the company I purchased my gift from, wrap it and send it direct to anywhere. That will make my life easier since I won’t have to stand in line at the post office.
So far, I’ve been able to mark off several items on my list today, maybe since the deals are so good, I should just pick up a few ‘Santa’ gifts for myself!
For more on today’s hottest stories, check out our top searched list. What other big stories happened today? Let us know! Come back for tomorrow’s Hot Searches and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for daily updates
Hot Searches for November 30, 2009
1. Cyber Monday - Great Online Discounts to be had.
2. Mike Penner - Sports writer for LA times passes away at age 52
3. Tiger Woods crash - Issues statement, admits fault
4. Minarets - Swiss vote to ban iconic Mosque towers
5. Seattle Shootings - Suspect cornered and presumed dead
6. Tareq Salahi - Senate calls for charges for party crashers
7. Charlie Weis - Speculation whether he will remain coach at ND
8. BCS Rankings - Who will be in the Bowl games?
9. Church of Scientology - Blamed for suicide
10. Pamela Bach - David Hasselhoffs ex-wife arrested for DUI
More: Cyber Monday sales, best online deals, online toy deals, hot deals online, computer deals online
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Read more of Cyber Monday Sales…
Clippers play-by-play man Ralph Lawler and color analyst Michael Smith met with Grizzlies center Hamed Haddadi before Sunday’s game at Staples Center, where they expressed regret for an incident that earned the TV broadcasters a one-game suspension. It was the first meeting between the teams since Lawler’s and Smith’s off-the-cuff remarks about the Iranian-born center during the final…
Read more of Clippers announcers meet with Haddadi before game (AP)…
AP - The popular Utah cave where a 26-year-old medical student died earlier in the week will be closed permanently and his body will not be removed, state and county officials said Friday.
Read more of Body of trapped Utah spelunker won’t be recovered (AP)…
AP - Just a year after the global downturn derailed Dubai’s explosive growth, the city is now so swamped in debt that it’s asking for a six-month reprieve on paying its bills — causing a drop on world markets Thursday and raising questions about Dubai’s reputation as a magnet for international investment.
Read more of Dubai request for debt ’standstill’ raises fear (AP)…
World stock markets tumbled Thursday as investors fretted over the debt problems at Dubai World, a government investment company, and the continuing slide in the dollar, which earlier fell to a 14-year low against the yen.
Read more of Dubai debt fears hit world markets hard (AP)…
President Obama will talk about the troop increase and bringing troops home, as he walks a fine line between demonstrating resolve and reassuring Americans that the commitment to Afghanistan is not open-ended.
Read more of Obama Will Use West Point as Backdrop to Present Afghan Strategy…
AP - Muslim pilgrims circled Islam’s holiest site Wednesday in their traditional white robes, with a few additions — umbrellas and face masks — as the opening of the annual hajj was complicated by torrential rains and fears of swine flu.
Read more of Islam’s hajj: rain and fears of swine flu (AP)…
While the White House is mum about who will be among the 300 or so lucky invitees to President Obama’s first state dinner Tuesday night, word is already leaking out about who’s not going to be there. Chief among the non-attendees: top Republican lawmakers. House Minority Leader John A. Boehner was invited but won’t be there; he’s on Thanksgiving break and home in Ohio. His deputy, Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, didn’t get an invitation to the dinner. The president didn’t invite his 2008 rival, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, even though Mr. Obama the candidate pledged a post-partisan presidency. .
Read more of Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner…
A year after the global economy teetered on the verge of collapse, a recession — a lingering and unwelcome guest — has settled in at dinner tables across the land.
Read more about A great burden grows…
