Massachusetts and the 5th of November

October 31, 2011

On the 5th of November an effort is going on in the US. This movement is called Move Your Money Day. But, you live in Massachusetts so how will this affect you?

Move your money Boston is a key part of this nationwide on the event because it can have a big effect on big bank branches. According to the 2010 US Census there are 617,594 people living in Boston. 6,547,629 people live in the state of Massachusetts. The State of Massachusetts and the city of Boston can have a huge effect on the big banks and their policies. In Massachusetts there are a lot of local, small banks and Credit Unions in Mass. Over 74 different local banks are operating in Massachusetts. So no matter where you live there is probably a great bank nearby. In all likelihood there is even one in the town where you live. If you close your account in a big bank and open one in a smaller bank you will probably be...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Finance, General 

Android Gaming on the Samsung Galaxy S2

October 29, 2011

The Samsung Galaxy S2 launched last spring, a fair while ago in mobile phone terms, but it’s still close to the bleeding edge of the market, rivaling the new Apple iPhone 4S in overall capability. TheGalaxy S2 has built up a reputation as an all-round performer, being a great smartphone for web browsing and videos among other things. But how well does it hold up as a gaming platform?

 

Even two or three years ago, serious gamers probably had a portable console of choice – a Nintendo DS, or Sony PSP, perhaps – as well as a smartphone. Times have changed. The new smartphones – certainly including the Galaxy S2 – are at least as good, in terms of graphics a...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Technology 

Facebook to build data center near Arctic Circle

October 29, 2011

Facebook announced Thursday, October 27, that it would immediately begin building a massive data center – its third globally and first in Europe – in the Swedish town of Luleaa, near the Arctic Circle, according to AFP.

“After a rigorous review process of sites across Europe, we concluded that Luleaa offered the best package of resources, including a suitable climate for environmental cooling (and) clean power resources,” said the world’s largest social media site, which counts more than 800 million users worldwide.

The icy region was especially attractive due to its cool climate, “...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Social 

The ‘Regressives’ Flat Tax Plans

October 29, 2011

Herman Cain’s “Plan 9-9-9 From Outer Space” would replace the current tax code with a 9 percent individual income tax, a 9 percent corporate tax, and a 9 percent sales tax. Cain calls it a “flat tax.” (It’s actually more akin to a “value added tax,” or VAT Tax).

This week, Governor Goodhair Rick Perry of Texas wi...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Real Estate 

Life-at-Fertilization Initiative has Hope in Mississippi

October 28, 2011

A national effort to put abortion bans into state constitutions is looking for its first victory next month in Mississippi, where voters are being asked to approve an amendment declaring that life begins when a human egg is fertilized.

Supporters hope the so-called personhood initiative will succeed in a Bible Belt state that already has some of the nation’s toughest abortion regulations and only a single clinic where the procedures are performed.

The initiative is endorsed by both candidates in a governor’s race that’s being decided the same day. While Mississippi is the only state...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Politics 

The cultural impact of advertising

October 28, 2011

For the last few weeks I’ve been carrying around a report entitled The Advertising Effect, from theCompass think tank. I’ve been meaning to write about it and haven’t got round to it. I’ve been reminded of it this week the publication of a new report from WWF and the Public Interest Research Centre, Think of me as Evil? (George Monbiot writes about it here) The report takes its title from a quote from a notable advertiser who remarked that he “would rather be thought of as evil than useless,” and it’s an analysis of how advertising impacts culture.

Obviously advertising is a useful thing to the businesses that use it, and that’s all of them if they expect to have any cust...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Marketing 

Review: Give Refuge to the Stranger

October 28, 2011

The United States is an immigrant nation, a haven for those fleeing persecution. This image of a welcoming country, however, has dramatically changed since the Cold War. In the shadow of 9/11 and the recent economic recession, the immigration issue has become increasingly sensitive. Xenophobia, job competition, and the federal government’s limited resources have led to rigid and even harsh immigration policies and legislation. This change in public opinion and government policy has undermined the right of asylum.

In her new book Give Refuge to the Stranger: The Past, Present, and Future of Sanctuary, Linda Rabben — a...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Immigration 

Jumping Ship: Should Android Users Switch to the iPhone 4S?

October 27, 2011

When the rumor mill was at its zenith, when talk of an iPhone 5 that would come in a teardrop shape and include an expanded screen was rife, many tech heads expected Apple to slay all comers in the Android smartphone market. Handsets such as Samsung’s Galaxy S2 and the HTC Sensation were going to be blown out of the water, they asserted. The big Apple was coming.

Of course, there was no iPhone 5, and as such, it would appear that rumors of Android’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. The iPhone 4S is an impressive device, but can it realistically hope to halt the inexorable rise of Andr...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Gadgets 

Do We Need ‘Student Loans’ for Billionaires?

October 27, 2011

Students of modest means must pay a stiff price to build their capacity to contribute to society – and pay interest if they can’t afford that price. A wealth tax could apply this same principle to America’s rich.

Polly Toynbee, a commentator for Britain’s Guardian newspaper, plays a role quite similar to Paul Krugman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist who doubles as a New York Times columnist. Both regularly advance well-reasoned — and even inspirational — attacks on the concentration of income and wealth that have left the United States and the UK the world’s two most unequal developed nations.

Both also rate as eminently pragmatic. They champion the polit...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Finance 

Jaci Velasquez’s New Single “Give Them Jesus” a Hit at Radio

October 27, 2011

Single is featured on Inpop Records CD release titled ‘Diamond’ hitting stores nationwide February 7, 2012

On February 7, 2012, Multi-Award Winning Artist Jaci Velasquez will be releasing her new Inpop Records album titled Diamond. The first single released from this album is called “Give Them Jesus” which has been the Most Added song at Christian AC Radio in its first two weeks of release. Today, the single climbed the Billboard Christian Audience Chart to #46 with over a half million impressions. The single is also poised in the #1 New & Active slot on both the Billboard Christian AC Monitored and Indicator charts as well. “Jaci deli...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Entertainment 

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