Locally Related Stories

Another media fight that could impact Green Bay:

Time Warner might be losing Viacom cable channels (Comedy Central, CMT: Pure Country, Logo, Palladia, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, MTV Tr3s, Nickelodeon, Noggin, Nick 2, Nicktoons, Spike, The N, TV Land, VH1, VH1 Classic, and VH1 Soul) because of a disagreement over fees.

Time Warner will respond to Viacom’s advertisement, Mr. Dudley said, by highlighting the availability of television content on the Internet. “We will be telling our customers exactly where they can go to see these programs online,” Mr. Dudley said. “We’ll also be telling them how they can hook up their PCs to a television set.”

On a totally unrelated note, I'm not sure what to make of, this:

"Divine Temple, 425 Cherry St., is hosting an adult spelling bee at 2 p.m. Saturday.The fee to watch the spelling bee is $5 for per adult and $1 per school-age child. Call (920) 436-9740 for information."

HUGE SUPER SECRET WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR CREDIT!

The attitude conveyed in the first bullet of this release drives me nuts.

You want to know how to improve your credit? Spend only what you can afford and pay your bills on time. It's that simple: if you don't have the money, don't spend it. If you use credit cards, then pay them off in full every single month. Each penny of interest you give to a lender is money you could have kept and spent or invested. 20% on a thousand dollar balance over a year is enough for a new HDTV. You want that HDTV, right? Then spend what you have to spend and then STOP SPENDING. Put together a budget with cash in envelopes and stop using credit cards altogether if you have to. Once you have a proven track record of keeping your word by paying your bills on time, your credit score will recover. I promise.

Consider something for a moment... If you have to work to improve your credit rating, do you have the bill paying track record and fiscal judgment to buy a house? If you have to play games to get a bank to give you money at a reasonable rate, shouldn't that send up some warning flags? Why not see if you can't get your financial house in order before piling on the additional stresses and expenses of owning a house?

Don't get me wrong. I believe home ownership strengthens neighborhoods and is usually a great investment. But when someone with minimal financial discipline and resources buys a home, that home will likely be foreclosed or resold in short order. That's not good for neighborhoods or families. Nor is a family giving away a huge chunk of their spending on sub-prime loan interest when they could be investing that money in their family. If all someone can get is a variable rate or sub prime loan, then they shouldn't buy the house.

I don't know this dude out of Michigan. But I do know and trust some folks at NeighborWorks. If you are at risk of losing your home or interested in getting your first give them a call. Either way, the sooner the better. They can't help you until you call. If your fiscal house is in order, there are some OUTSTANDING deals out there right now. If not, they will help you get there.

Medical Ethical Gray Areas

Biohackers are customizing DNA in their kitchens.

The CIA has found an interesting use for Viagra.

Much risk taken in both situations-- what if the old guy has a heart condition and dies or that new gene sequence wipes out the planet? OTOH, both situations have (massive?) potential upside too.

Midnight Rule Changes

Outgoing presidential administrations apparently make all kinds of rule changes at the last minute. Once in place, they can be difficult for the successor to undo. From what I've read, this has been the case since at least the Carter administration.

So I don't get something. Why does a rule change trump state law?

Here's one example where folks where medical folks won't have to offer the morning after pill.

Another one where the outgoing EPA administrator forbids regulating carbon dioxide emissions.

The Homeland Security angle.

There is other coverage out there.

It's one thing when congress passes a law, it's a whole different thing for some outgoing political appointee to invalidate state laws by sending out a memo... Perhaps these things should be somehow restricted in the window between the election and the inauguration when there is zero political pressure restraining the lame duck.

Snipers

This article has it about right, I think. Snipers save lives, especially innocent lives.

Green Bay and NE Wisconsin has an indirect tie to these folks in that American Snipers seems to be based here. If you would like to help, they take donations and are holding a charity drawing with various prizes.

It seems criminal to me that these guys don't seem to be getting what they need and a civilian organization is required to try and fill that gap. Many, many letters mention the lack of proper equipment.

Preventing the accidental deaths of innocents while dealing with the bad guys can only help hasten the end of these wars. Almighty willing, our troops will return home soon.

Time to pay your house off?

Ouch. Owing more than we're worth is pretty painful if it's true.

Give someone else...

...a speeding ticket!

I don't know what to think about private firms issuing them. That's seems like it should be a function of government.