Friday, December 2, 2011

Philip Glass Will Appear At Occupy Lincoln Center

Philip Glass will occupy Lincoln Center.

At 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 1, Glass will appear as a part of a general assembly in the plaza and deliver a statement by mic-check. The assembly will engage in an "open conversation about the effects of increased privatization and corporatization of all aspects of society, and the use of nonviolent civil disobedience around the world to reclaim the commons," according to the Occupy Wall Street website.

Glass's opera "Satyagraha," which focuses on the story of Gandhi in his early years of non-violent protest in South America, is currently having a run at the Metropolitan Opera.

"The anti-war movements were empowered by Gandhi's history and our own," Glass wrote in a blog for The Huffington Post.

But for the Occupy organizers, the opera also underlines some of the ironies in performing such a piece at Lincoln Center, whose corporate sponsors include David Koch. Occupy protestors were supposed to march on Lincoln Center in mid-October, though only a few showed up on the night they were scheduled to protest.

"We see a glaring contradiction in ?Satyagraha? being performed at the Lincoln Center where in recent weeks protestors from Occupy Wall Street have been arrested and forcibly removed for exercising their First Amendment rights to peaceful public assembly," they wrote.

They go on to note that Bloomberg L.P. is one of Lincoln Center's major sponsors, calling out Mayor Bloomberg for his treatment of the Occupy movement.

"The juxtaposition is stark: while Bloomberg funds the representation of Gandhi's pioneering tactics of nonviolent civil disobedience in the Metropolitan Opera House, he simultaneously orders a paramilitary-style raid of the peaceful public occupation of Liberty Park, blacking out the media, while protestors are beaten, tear-gassed, and violently arrested," they wrote.

The Occupy movement does not yet have permission to protest on the Lincoln Center plaza, and some members have threatened to start a hunger strike if they do not receive permission, continuing the strike until they receive permission.

"In responding to the general frustration and sadness we feel, these "movements" have taken up once again these basic principles of activism and non-violence," Glass wrote of the Occupy movement. "We should be proud that the basic guarantees of free speech and assembly are at the core of our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Those who would deprive us of these "inalienable rights" are the real radicals."

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/01/philip-glass-occupy-lincoln-center_n_1122974.html

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4 surefire ways to slash rising ATM fees

4 surefire ways to slash rising ATM fees

Using ATM machine
Highlights
  • Community and online banks and credit unions are unlikely to begin charging higher fees.
  • Switching banks to avoid fees isn't always the answer. It can cost you.
  • Online banks typically reimburse you for out-of-network ATM charges.

It sounds like a familiar refrain, but some big banks are upping their ATM fees again.

These fees are aimed at folks who use outside ATMs. TD Bank now charges its customers $2 for withdrawals from ATMs outside its network. And HSBC has raised its fee from $2 to $2.50.

Keep this in mind: These are double-dose fees. They're added onto whatever the outside ATM owner charges. And these noncustomer fees reached record highs in 2011, according to the Bankrate 2011 Checking Survey. The average fee that banks charge noncustomers to use ATMs is $2.40.

These ATM fees also vary by locale. They're highest in Denver at $2.75. Seattle, San Diego and Houston also dinged ATM users with high fees. Cleveland charged the lowest fees: $2.06.

Behind this push are banks rooting around for more income. The Durbin Amendment (part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act) has taken effect, and it cuts bank interchange fees. These fees are charged to merchants for debit card payments. The result is that large banks could lose billions of dollars in income, so they're searching for ways to increase income by upping debit card or ATM fees.

To be sure, these higher ATM fees are avoidable, says Greg McBride, CFA, senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com. You can switch to community banks, credit unions or online banks that don't charge ATM fees and may not begin charging them because they're exempt from the Durbin Amendment, he says. Switching to cash, checks or credit cards also makes sense.

In addition, some banks lower fees for customers with large accounts or direct deposit. For example, HSBC USA reimburses Plus Banking customers for three withdrawals per month at outside ATMs. Bank reimbursement policies can vary, so it pays to read the fine print, McBride says.

"If you want to stay with your current bank, see how you can avoid fees," says Ed Mierzwinski, a consumer advocate at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group in Washington, D.C.

Still, switching banks to avoid fees isn't always the answer. Some customers with online banking or several accounts at one bank will find that getting disentangled is difficult. And switching also can cost you, including time spent finding a new account, Mierzwinski says.

So what's a consumer to do?

Here are four ways to avoid paying ATM fees.

Switch to a credit union. Because they are co-ops owned by depositors, credit unions usually charge fewer fees and they cost less -- even for using ATMs. Why? They rely on the 28,000-ATM Co-Op Network nationwide, which includes 5,500 7-Eleven stores. It's a surcharge-free system that's bigger than ones offered by Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase & Co.

You can even make deposits at some credit union ATMs, says Marsha Baker, who teaches consumer finance at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo.

Get cash at grocery stores or drugstores. When making a purchase at a grocery store or drugstore, you can usually choose to also get cash. These withdrawals are free. Target and Wal-Mart stores also give you cash-back options.

Try online banks. Since they lack their own networks, online banks typically reimburse you for out-of-network charges. Others tap into large nationwide ATM networks that are bigger than what banks offer. For example, ING Direct banking customers can access the nation's largest surcharge-free network, Allpoint Network, which has 40,000 ATMs in 50 states. And Ally Bank reimburses customers who use any ATM nationwide. Charles Schwab also offers high-yield checking that reimburses you for ATM withdrawals made worldwide.

These days, some online banks let you download free smartphone apps for locating network ATMs. For example, ING Direct offers an ATM-finder app you can use to pinpoint any Allpoint ATM.

To counter growing bank fees, new resources are popping up. Take online financial services provider BankSimple. Still under development, its aim is helping you manage your money and bypassing bank fees. It also gives customers access to no-charge ATMs via Allpoint's network.

Plan out your cash needs. Taking out lots of cash at once also can help you budget better. With cash, you spend 10 percent to 15 percent less than with debit cards, says Baker. The trick is figuring out how much money you'll need a few days in advance.

Whichever method you opt for, avoiding out-of-network ATMs can save you big bucks over time.

Allstate dumps the unbundled

Allstate dumps the unbundled

By Jay MacDonald ·
Friday, December 2, 2011

Some Allstate home insurance customers are being shown the door by the "Good Hands" people for refusing to bundle their homeowners insurance and auto insurance policies.

Insurance Journal reports that Allstate recently informed some 45,000 North Carolina customers that it will not renew their homeowners insurance policies unless they also purchase commercial or private auto insurance coverage with the company by Dec. 15.

Allstate says the move will enable it to better serve its 400,000 in-state homeowners. Minus the unbundled, of course.

Robert Hunter, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America, says the "Good Hands" people are simply cherry-picking the more lucrative customers who bundle their home and auto with the company.

He may be right. Presumably, the company has made no similar moves to jettison auto policyholders who insure their homes with other carriers. After all, home insurance is where the big bucks live.

Insurance Journal reader reaction was mixed. A sampling:

  • "It is my belief that this action is a violation of more than (2) North Carolina insurance laws. First, it is considered an inducement … to buy their auto insurance through Allstate. Second, this action could be in violation of both North Carolina and federal 'Unfair Trade Practices.'"
  • "Next they will require a life insurance policy to write a homeowners."
  • "More carriers should follow their move across the entire country. If they did perhaps rates would level out and come down slightly."
  • "I think it is entirely fair that Allstate is doing this. I don't think it's fair that State Farm insures a person's home while they have their auto with Geico or Progressive, neither of whom sell home insurance, which is the most difficult to buy."

Insurance bundling continues to be a bewildering mess for consumers. It's opaque, driven by introductory offers that quickly evaporate, making it well-neigh impossible to compare rates. While most of us do bundle our home and auto coverage, many if not most would save on out-of-pocket premiums by unbundling. That said, trust and convenience factors convince the majority of us to bundle, even if we know we could pay less if we didn't.

That said, in my view it's one thing for an insurance company to offer a bundled "discount" and quite another to drop policyholders for refusing to bundle. While I'm sure it makes sense to the Allstate number-crunchers, I'm doubtful they factored in the potential brand damage from this poorly timed move.

Have you or someone you know been served with this arm-twist ultimatum from the "Good Hands" folks? I'd welcome your thoughts.


Read more: http://bestinsurancequotes4u.com/

Should I tap my pension to buy a car?

Should I tap my pension to buy a car?

Tara Baukus MelloQuestionDear Driving for Dollars,
I am retiring in about six months, and I'm planning to buy a new car. There are several ways I can finance the purchase. I can pay cash from a savings account, use certificates of deposit that are maturing or borrow from my pension with an interest rate of 3.3 percent over five years. I'm thinking the pension is the best choice due to the interest rate. The loan will reduce my monthly payout, but it is not enough to affect my standard of living. What should I do?
-- Joanne Soon To Be Retired

AnswerDear Joanne,
Your smartest financial decision is the one that will cost you the least. Paying cash for a car will cost you the least because you won't pay any interest. But if the interest you are earning on that money currently in savings exceeds the interest rate you can get on a car loan, then financing the car can still put you ahead. This is true whether you use money from your savings account or the CDs that are maturing.

As far as borrowing from your pension when you retire, the 3.3 percent rate is a good rate, but interest rates on car loans are lower than they have been in recent years. If you have good credit, you may qualify for a similar rate through the automaker's lending arm or a credit union.

If you do opt to borrow from your pension, make sure you understand any tax implications from doing so as well as what that money is expected to earn in interest if you keep it in your pension fund. It's likely that it may be better financially to get a car loan elsewhere, even at slightly higher interest rate, and keep your pension fund intact.

Cheap Insurance Myth

The Cheap Insurance Myth
It was once widely known that cheap insurance was just that: cheap insurance. It did not cost much, but it also didn’t cover much. This is still true today in that you can find very inexpensive policies that don’t cover very much; however, don’t be fooled into thinking that all cheap insurance policies aren’t worth much.

Insurance companies are changing their insurance rates all the time. Sometimes they raise them when there have been a large number of claims, and sometimes they lower rates when they are looking to pick up more clients. What all of this amounts to is that a cheap policy might just represent a market shift or a change in the needs of a particular company. In other words, you must compare quotes and seek them out. Just make sure that the policy represents your needs well.
But, what if I don’t understand about buying insurance?
Most people shy away from dealing with insurance companies and insurance agents. It is often confusing and an unpleasant subject to face. In fact, almost 11 million households in the United States with children younger than 18 years-old have no individual life insurance whatsoever according to the research firm, LIMRA. The Insurance Information Institute says that things are not better on the renters’ side of insurance either. Approximately 57% of all renters do not own some type of renters insurance. Many people cite the lack of knowledge about the insurance industry and the products it provides to protect consumers as one of the main reasons for their lack of coverage. But, everyone can and should learn about insurance.

Bestinsurancequotes4u.com has the best insurance companies on our website to help you learn and decipher all of the industry jargon and answer all of your insurance-related questions so you purchase the exact type and amount of insurance that you need without overpaying. Bestinsurancequotes4u.com can help you navigate the in insurance industry in comfort of your own home.
Planning for your death, theft, or a tragic loss is not a pleasant topic. Too often, consumers make rushed decisions without finding out all of the details about the type of insurance policy they need. Not learning as much you need about insurance may lead to you overpaying, buying too much insurance coverage, or maybe not carrying enough insurance to protect your loved ones in the event of a catastrophe.

Online Insurance Quotes Save Families Money

Online Insurance Quotes Save Families Money
Insurance is a fact of everyday life. If you want to own a car, a home, or a business, or simply want to protect your family’s health, you need to be insured. Getting coverage can sometimes become an overwhelming and confusing process, and sometimes an expensive one, but it doesn’t have to be, Bestinsurancequotes4u.com provides you not only with the ability to compare quotes, but also with the information you need to make the process easier.

You need to know how to compare insurance rates so that you are getting the best deal to protect your home, car, business, health or family. First, once you select the type of insurance from the menu on Bestinsruancequotes4u.com, your work isn’t finished. You now need to compare the exact policies from each company and see A) who offers the best price? B) Who offers the most comprehensive coverage? And C) Who offers the most coverage for the best price?

One of the great things about our service is convenience. The average form is typically around 115 questions and if you use a service like ours, you only have to fill out these questions once and you can get as many as three insurance quotes from major providers from your area.

Compare Multiple Free Online Insurance Quotes

Compare Multiple Free Online Insurance Quotes
Are you searching for lower insurance rates? You've come to the right place for help. BestInsuranceQuotes4u.com gives you instant access from the leading providers in your area. You can compare online insurance quotes from multiple carriers in order to find the best coverage at the right price. Saving money on the coverage you need has never been so easy.

Finding cheap insurance is simple - all you have to do is select the type of insurance you are looking for and enter your zip code and select the multiple insurance quotes online from several insurance carrier's in your area so you can compare cheap insurance and choose the best policy. Discover an easier way to get the coverage you need using BestinsuranceQuotes4u.com. We specialize in providing consumers options when it comes to purchasing insurance all in the comfort of your home because our only goal is to help you connect with the right insurance provider, the results you receive will be completely unbiased. That means you will get actual insurance quote from the most compatible providers in your area to ensure the coverage you find is catered to your specific needs. By selecting the type of insurance and entering your zip code you will receive a list of multiple insurance companies so you can compare the options and choose the best policy. No matter what type of insurance coverage you are in search of, we are here to help you find the right policy.

Why Insurance Quote Websites?

Why Insurance Quote Websites?

There was a time when buying insurance was a dreary chore that meant talking to an agent who had only limited insurance company contacts, listening to explanations of mind-numbing policies and costs and then trying to figure out what was best for you.

Thanks to modern technology, the chore of choosing insurance has been streamlined into a far faster and more efficient process. Whether you are seeking car insurance quotes or investigating how to best provide health, homeowners, renters or life insurance, comparing quotes has never been easier. Be sure to check our top three ranked products: NetQuote, InsureMe and Bestinsurancequotes4u.com

You now can use online services that are connected to a multitude of agencies to help you search for the best deal and best coverage. With these services, you have access to literally thousands of insurance agencies in the United States and Canada from which to choose. Online choices give you many benefits, including:

  • Time Savings: There are so many insurance agencies in the U.S .and Canada that provide various levels of coverage. It could take hundreds of hours to talk to all the agents involved to find the best plan or get a particular type of insurance coverage. However, most services today can provide insurance quotes the very same day, often within minutes.
  • Convenient Location: You can search by zip code to find the agents near your home or business who offer the kind of coverage you need.
  • Multiple Quotes: Most sites can connect you with several agents in your area and many of them can provide several insurance quotes.
  • Financial Savings: All of the insurance quote services we've reviewed are free. Most services have access to thousands of agents who can provide a wide range of price structures, so you can search for the lowest rate for the best insurance to suit your needs.
  • No Obligation: Each site we reviewed offers quotes with no obligation to buy anything, and an agent will not call you unless you request that service.
  • Privacy Protection: The best sites we reviewed give you an extensive privacy policy in writing and also use a secure site protocol to encrypt your personal information so it is safe.

These services are free, try to protect your personal data and present no obligations, so you have nothing to lose by searching for the best deal. In this site, you will find articles on insurance quotes and other related issues, as well as comprehensive reviews and a side-by-side comparison to help you make an informed decision on which service is right to find a quote for the type of insurance you need.

At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™

Insurance Quote Website: What to Look For

There are many services from which to choose, but finding the one that best fits your needs can be a challenge. We picked the most reputable services available and rated them based on the following criteria:

Types of Insurance Quotes
The most comprehensive services offer many coverage options and have access to thousands of agencies. Some services offer only basic policies such as auto or home insurance, whereas others have access to special coverage like professional liability or medical malpractice.

Ease of Use
These sites should be easy to navigate from the start, and the quote request form should take only a few minutes to fill out.

Number & Type of Quotes
The more quotes you receive, the more choices you'll have regarding policy options and pricing. A good service will offer up to four or five quotes as well as alternative links to agencies that may be able to help if you have a special need. It also helps if the quotes present different policies and plans so you can study them and see what will work best for you.

Help & Support Options
Insurance quote websites should offer a variety of contact methods for customer support including telephone, email, mail or instant message. Online support may range from help menus to FAQs pages to glossaries.

To find the insurance quote service that will work best for your insurance needs, whether you are looking for car insurance quotes or any other type of insurance, read our reviews and check out these firms. You may be happily surprised at how easily and smoothly the necessary, but often tedious, task of buying insurance can be.

Is Kris Humphries Gay?!?


Based on a new tabloid report, perhaps Kim Kardashian should be the one claiming she was defrauded her her marriage to Kris Humphries.

Why? Because the basketball player is gay, people! Star Magazine makes that clear in its latest issue by quoting an anonymous source who shares this story from the couple's honeymoon:

Kris Humphries Star Magazine Cover

“One night she came back to their hotel room in a trench coat... She lit candles, put on some music and started doing a sexy striptease. But Kris barely looked up from the TV! He was like, ‘Later babe. I’m watching SportsCenter now.’”

Well... was Scott Van Pelt anchoring that edition? Because, come on, that dude is hilarious!

Khloe allegedly asked Kim if her husband was homosexual and Kim supposedly had to think about it after awhile because, this tabloid hilariously states, "there were signs."

A publicist for Humphries scoffs at this suggestion and has simply referred to the chatter as "completely false and ridiculous." But what do you think? Is Kris Humphries gay?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/is-kris-humphries-gay/

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Whiskey and cigarettes (Balloon Juice)

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Strauss-Kahn opens up in new book (Reuters)

PARIS (Reuters) ? Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn says his sexual encounter with a New York hotel maid was "consensual but stupid" and cost him his chance to be the next French president, according to a biography to be published on Thursday.

The book, written by Michel Taubmann who says Strauss-Kahn confided in him, covers sex scandals that have dogged the former French finance minister even after the U.S. assault case ended his career as IMF head and wrecked his chances of running in France's 2012 election.

"Nothing would have happened if I hadn't had this consensual, but stupid relationship with Nafissatou Diallo," Strauss-Kahn is quoted as saying in the book. "That day, I opened the door to all the other affairs."

Strauss-Kahn was arrested in New York on May 14 onboard a plane bound for Europe minutes before take-off and charged with attempting to rape Diallo.

Prosecutors eventually dropped all criminal charges, leaving him free to return to his native France. French prosecutors then ruled that a separate sexual assault complaint filed against Strauss-Kahn by a writer involved an incident that happened too long ago for legal action.

"I could have been in a position to be president," Strauss-Kahn is quoted as saying in the book. "Now, I'm no longer in that position, that's all."

He adds that he had an "uninhibited sex life" but says that was not unusual in political and business circles and that he had done nothing illegal.

The media furor around Strauss-Kahn has not stopped with the Diallo case. His name has appeared in media reports on a judicial probe into a prostitution ring in the north of France, known as the Carlton Affair.

That case involves a prostitution ring, discovered this year, that operated in the luxury Carlton Hotel in the city of Lille.

Strauss-Kahn last month asked to speak to investigators in the case to try to end the "dangerous and malicious insinuations."

"In the press, they link my name to prostitution. It's unbearable," he is quoted as saying in the book. "I did go to sex parties, it's true, but usually those who came to these soirees were not prostitutes."

(Reporting By John Irish; Editing by Roger Atwood)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111130/people_nm/us_biography_strauss_kahn

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92% Take Shelter

schizophrenia or prophecy? this is a hard film to score. its at least a 4 star film, and potentially 5, so ill go in between. it doesnt have a high re-watchability factor which is my only criticism, and that isnt really a criticism because its more a product of the material then the quality of the film. this is easily one of the best films of the year, and one of the better films in the past few years. shannon and chastain were both amazing in their roles, which for chastain amazes me because she has so little experience in film, and even the supporting players around them all added wonderful performances. the subject matter is as engaging as it gets, and as i hoped for through the entire film, things are not what they seem. beautiful direction by nichols, amazing cinematography for such a small scale story, and the material was handled with perfect care. nichols, shannon, and chastain probably all deserve oscar noms, and this is the type of soul stirring film that must be seen. i havent felt like this leaving a film since "a serious man".

November 7, 2011

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/take_shelter/

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