June 30, 2010

Put Your Money in Smaller Banks: A Guest Post

Last week, I confessed that my BP boycott was probably shortsighted, but didn't know what else to do.
This prompted some interesting Facebook conversations about what else we should be boycotting. Which leads us to a guest post today from my friend, Bry Willis. I offer a quick counter-point at the end.
Put Your Money in Smaller Banks
A guest post by Bry Willis "When promoting small banks, we are more importantly advocating local banking. Local banking keeps money closer to the community, so the money saved there is more likely to be invested nearby. It's also better for small businesses, because proportionally, smaller banks lend more to small businesses than larger banks. When a local bank writes a mortgage, they also have a greater interest in scrutinizing the creditworthiness of the borrower. The largest banks tend to repackage these mortgages, passing the risk on to another party, so they have little vested interest in the quality of the loan or the community where the loan originated. Small banks were not responsible for the recent financial meltdown and failure of the derivatives market. They were also not creating these instruments and putting depositor money at risk.  Credit unions are another local alternative. They are similar to banks, but they are owned by their depositors. People with common interests pool their funds and earn interest on their deposits by providing loans to one another—think of the Bailey Building & Loan in the holiday classic film, "It’s a Wonderful Life." Also, despite what you may assume, bigger banks statistically have higher fees and worse interest rates than small banks. Smaller banks are also more likely to provide you personal service—to treat you like a human instead of a number. You are more likely to speak with a human instead of winding through a labyrinth of telephone service automation: “Press 5 to talk to someone. We care about your call; we just don’t care enough to hire someone to speak with you in the next 20 minutes…” As the adage goes, “Think globally. Act locally.” These banks you should avoid like the plague: Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley." -------------------------------- Thanks Bry! Although, I have a follow-up question on your logic. You have convinced me that local banks are better in my self-interest, from a sheer capitalist point of view. If this changes in the future, and I can get better interest rates and lower fees from a large bank with better efficiencies, should I switch?
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June 29, 2010

What is the Q.E.D. Podcast?

QED: An entertainment podcast dedicated to answering life's biggest mysteries. Just because the show FlashForward is off the air doesn't mean I'm done podcasting. Through our relationship with the writers on the show, a new podcast was born last night. Dave and I are teaming up once again - this time with Quinton Peeples, renowned Hollywood writer and director, and the executive story editor of FlashForward. This podcast is going to launch from where shows like LOST and FlashForward left us. Talking about the philosophical, metaphysical and theological. QED. It's a latin phrase (and a FlashForward homage). Quod erat demonstradum. Thus completes the proof. Each week we'll take a new topic. Research. Discuss. Debate. And weigh all the evidence before we stamp our QED at the end of each episode. Check out the amazingly-designed www.qedpodcast.com (designed by listener and friend Tasha Brand of Creoars Design Studio) and start helping us find answers to life's biggest mysteries. Our premier episode is now available on iTunes! Go subscribe.
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June 28, 2010

The Death of Retail and Real-Life Browsing

I needed new eyeglasses. So, I went to the mall. Tried on a bunch of pairs. Found one pair of frames I really liked. Wrote down the SKU number. Went home. Looked it up online. Purchased it for half the store's retail price. If we keep doing this, the retail stores won't stay in business, and I won't be able to use this tactic. But, I'm stupid if I pay double for the same thing. So, what's the solution?
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June 25, 2010

Going to a Waterpark or Getting High?

My wife and I went to the waterpark today to celebrate my new full-time job! More on that in the future... Two topics for the day. 1. I love waterparks. The adrenaline. The tranquility. The fun. It's amazing. So, what's the physiological difference between going to a waterpark and getting high? There's an obvious physical difference. The harm of drugs on your body opposed to the health benefits of walking up 40 flights of stairs at a waterpark. But, in terms of "fun", what's the difference? Which leads me to my new favorite quote, "Once water parks get cheaper than pot, I'll stop smoking." *Note: I do not and have never smoked pot. 2. We overheard a 14-year old girl's conversation with her friends while in line. "We had been only going out 3 weeks and he wanted to have sex. Only 3 weeks!" She was upset. Not at the prospect of having sex with a 14-year old boy, but at the speed of the intimacy. Lord, help us.
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June 24, 2010

The Benefits of Being a “White” Black Man

You can hang with both groups, comfortably. Isn't that a huge advantage? (Note: this post was inspired by Donald Glover on the show "Community")
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June 23, 2010

The Superiority of Genetic Hotness

I recently entered into a contentious discussion with a friend in regards to whether or not there is a correlation between aesthetic beauty and intellect. Right away, you want to jump to the conclusion that "of course there's not." Or even go in the opposite direction. "Most hot people are ditzes and most brainy people are ugly." But, from a microevolution standpoint, that doesn't really add up. The best genes pick the best genes. Whether you're rich and marrying a trophy wife, or hot and marrying a smart guy, good genes tend to intermingle. So, there is a really good chance that by now in our human development, there is a significant coreelation between aestheic beauty and intelligence. It's not mean. It's science.
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June 22, 2010

www.whyeverypresidentsucked.com

 
After two long years, my masterpiece is now ready to be unveiled.
 
Designed for teachers, trivia buffs and the politically cynical, www.whyeverypresidentsucked.com is an interactive and musical site that aims to halt a voter's search for future presidential perfection by detailing how each former President has failed to live up to these expectations.
 
Flip through the pages of a beautifully-designed coffee-table book. Read the brief failures of each and every president. And watch an original video song inspired by each failure.
 
Go check it out, tell your smart friends and most importantly, let me know what you think!
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June 21, 2010

Why George H.W. Bush Sucked: The Song

#41. George H.W. Bush


Capo 6
G, G/F#, G/F, Em

read my lips
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

here’s the thing about promises
silly us, we expect you to keep them

so when you say ‘no new taxes’, you can’t tax everything and think we’ll forget
gasoline, cigarettes, beer and Medicare
furs, jewels, cars, boats, planes and more

read my lips
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

don’t lie blatantly
think we’re stupidly
gonna forget

‘cause when you lost our trust
you lost our trust
read our lips
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June 18, 2010

If Seinfeld Had Hot People…

Seinfeld is arguably one of the greatest comedies of all time. And yet, I feel like the show, Friends, is often given equal weight, at least in terms of popularity among my generation. And from a guy who watches both shows, that's an outrage. Watch an episode of Friends and an episode of Seinfeld back to back. I can't imagine you'll laugh harder at Friends. So, what's the difference? Why the shared mass popularity between both shows? Because Seinfeld is hysterical, but makes you look at George Constanza for a half hour. And Friends is chuckle-funny but gives you 5 1/2 fashion models. Pretty people are fun to watch. But what George Constanza lacks in aesthetic genetics, he makes up for with hilarious "Woody Allen" self-deprecation and paranoia. Maybe if George were hot, it wouldn't be as funny. But Chandler probably could have pulled off that character. And then it wouldn't be AS confusing when an unemployed man came home with an attractive girlfriend every other episode.
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June 17, 2010

San Francisco: A Brief Review

1. The Hills Are No Joke People talk about San Francisco being "hilly", but wow. Get used to public transportation, because you're going to need it to get around this city. Even 6-8 block stints can be overwhelming when they're up a 20-degree grade. 2. What the Heck is Your Sweet Tea Made of? Ok, you know the wonderful hot tea served at Chinese restaurants? When you order "Sweet Tea" in California, you get an iced version of that.  SO weird, and it still boggles my mind. 3. Eco-Friendly Sustainable Food San Francisco is a food lover's paradise. Our hotel in San Francisco was not only LEED Certified, but its restaurant's entire menu was completely organic and sustainable. And the local farmer's market held at Ferry Marketplace every Saturday is unbelievable. 4. In and Out Burger I don't exactly know what makes this place so appealing. I come here because I'm a Big Lebowski fan, and the food is featured so prominently in it. But, it really is the best fast food "food" I've ever had. 5. Full House It's nothing like the show promised me.
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