text:
From 2000 to 2003, when Ben Bernanke was a professor and then a Fed Governor, he wrote extensively about monetary policy at the zero bound on interest rates. He advocated aggressive stimulus policies, such as a money-financed tax cut and an inflation target of 3%–4%. Yet, after U.S. interest rates hit zero in 2008, the Fed under Chairman Bernanke took more cautious actions. This paper asks when and why Bernanke changed his mind about zero-bound policy. The answer, at one level, is that he was influenced by analysis from the Fed staff that was presented at the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting of June 2003. This answer raises another question: why did the staff's views influence Bernanke so strongly? I seek answers to this question in the social psychology literature on group decision-making. (JEL E52, E58)]]>
The Great Recession sparked wide interest in the economic effects of fiscal policy. That interest is reflected in an ongoing debate over the size of the fiscal multiplier. This survey article addresses three questions: What models do economists use to estimate that multiplier? Why do estimates of it vary widely? How can economists use those estimates to judiciously analyze U.S. economic policy? (JEL E62, H30, H50)]]>
We examine the effect of California paid family leave (CPFL) on young women's labor force participation and unemployment, relative to men and older women. CPFL enables workers to take at most 6 weeks of paid leave over a 12-month period in order to bond with new born or adopted children, or to care for sick family members or ailing parents. The policy benefits women, especially young women, as they are more prone to take such a leave. However, the effect of the policy on overall labor market outcomes is less clear. We apply difference-in-difference techniques to identify the effects of the CPFL legislation on young women's labor force participation and unemployment. We find that the labor force participation rate, the unemployment rate, and the duration of unemployment among young women rose in California compared to men (particularly young men) and older women in California, and to other young women, men, and older women in states that did not adopt PFL. The latter two findings regarding higher young women's unemployment and unemployment duration are unanticipated effects of the CPFL program. We utilize robustness checks as well as unique placebo tests to validate these results.(JEL H43, J13, J18, J48)]]>
Scientific evidence on the effect of sugar consumption on obesity has propelled policy makers in several states across the United States to propose the imposition of a tax on soft drinks sales. In this article, we look at the effect of two tax events: a 5.5% sales tax on soft drinks imposed by the state of Maine in 1991 and a 5% sales tax on soft drinks levied in Ohio in 2003. We investigate this question by using sales data collected by scanner devices in the two states, where soda taxes where enacted as well as on neighboring states. We employ a difference-in-difference matching estimator (DIDM) that, in our setting, permits the comparison among treatment and control groups based on brand identity. Results suggest that neither sales tax had a statistically significant impact on the consumption of soft drinks. This finding is robust to several alternative specifications. (JEL D12, H22, C90, L66)]]>
In this article, we examine two offsetting incentives that may affect a baseball player's willingness to play with injuries. We allow for the usual disincentive effects associated with long-term contracts, while also incorporating the importance of the incentives associated with contract renewal. Our results are consistent with the previous work that showed those likely to retire at the end of their current contracts have an increased incentive to shirk. For those who expect to re-sign a subsequent contract, however, we find that players tend to step up their effort as they approach the final year of their contract.(JEL L83)]]>
This study is the first to explore the relationship between minimum wage increases and state gross domestic product (GDP). Using data drawn from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the Current Population Survey (CPS) from 1979 to 2012, I find no evidence that minimum wage increases were associated with changes in overall state GDP. However, this null finding masks substantial heterogeneity in the productivity effects of minimum wages across industries and over the business cycle. Difference-in-difference-in-difference estimates suggest that a 10% increase in the minimum wage is associated with a short-run 1% to 2% decline in state GDP generated by lower-skilled industries relative to more highly skilled industries. This differential appears larger during troughs as compared to that during peaks of the state business cycle. (JEL J3, J4, L5)
Are state bond ratings, ceteris paribus, related to economic freedom? We test for the relationship between economic freedom and an aggregate index comprised of ratings by Standard & Poor, Moody's, and Fitch. We also test for a relationship between economic freedom and the ratings by these three agencies individually. With a sample covering all 50 states for the period 1995–2008, the evidence strongly indicates that state bond ratings are positively and significantly related to overall economic freedom as well as three sub-categories of economic freedom. Our results show that the quantitative impact of economic freedom on bond ratings is comparable to the effect of state real income and the unemployment rate. (JEL E43, H71)]]>
This article utilizes a unique data set to examine the relationship between a group of potential explanatory variables and educational corruption in Ukraine. Our corruption controls include bribing on exams, on term papers, for credit, and for university admission. We use a robust nonparametric approach in order to estimate the probability of bribing across the four different categories. This approach is shown to be robust to a variety of different types of endogeneity often encountered under commonly assumed parametric specifications. Our main findings indicate that corruption perceptions, past bribing behavior, and the perceived criminality of bribery are significant factors for all four categories of bribery. From a policy perspective, we argue that when bribe control enforcement is difficult, anti-corruption education programs targeting social perceptions of corruption could be appropriate. (JEL K42, J16, C14)]]>
Evaluating the effect of pay-equity laws is important and yet difficult as one needs to deduce what would have occurred without the policy intervention. We use a new tool, synthetic-control method, to examine the effects of Ontario's Pay Equity Act on the gender pay gap. This tool enables us to create a "Synthetic" Ontario, which resembles Ontario more closely than does any other single province. Using Synthetic Ontario to compare what actually happened in Ontario to what would have happened, we find that the act has had little or no effect on the female-male wage gap in Ontario. (JEL J7, J3)]]>
Using a panel of up to 114 countries covering the years 1990 through 2010, we estimate the effect of Internet use on changes in countries' Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) scores. The point estimates suggest that the marginal effect is generally positive. However, starting from above-average EFW scores (>7.7 out of 10; examples in 2010 include the UK, Switzerland, and Hong Kong) the marginal effect turns negative. Taking this interaction into account, the marginal effect is positive and statistically significant for countries starting at initial EFW scores of around 6 or less. Examples of countries with 2010 EFW scores near this threshold include China, Nigeria, and Pakistan. We discuss mechanisms that potentially generate this conditional relationship between Internet use and institutional change. (JEL O10, O43, P48)]]>
We explore international variation in business cycle dynamics to gain insights into the recent pattern of robust productivity growth during downturns (productive recessions) and weak employment growth during recoveries (jobless recoveries) seen in some advanced economies. We find that sectoral change is associated with productive recessions but that labor market rigidity can impede reallocation and reduce the probability of a productive recession. We also find evidence of a link between productive recessions and jobless recoveries and that recessions dominated by reductions to employment, rather than changes in average employee hours, are more likely to be associated with jobless recoveries. (JELF44, E32)]]>
Household characteristics variables are used to quantify alcohol and tobacco participation and spending level decisions for households in Turkey using a sample-selection system. Statistical tests support separate analyses for urban and rural households and joint estimation of the equation system to ameliorate biases and improve statistical efficiency of estimates. Household characteristics play important roles in determining binary consumption decisions and levels of spending on tobacco but play less definitive roles in alcohol spending, for both urban and rural households. Differences are found in consumption behaviors between the two types of households. (JEL C24, D12, I18)
Declining work force participation rates are a potentially important public policy issue for governments in countries with large capital inflows. Here we consider remittances as both a household and individual characteristic to estimate the impact of this nonwage transfer on labor supply decisions in Honduras. Although an initial view suggests moderate reductions across the working-age population, we find evidence of increased participation through a reallocation of labor time across work categories. Our inclusion of the individual nature of remittance reception suggests less emphasis on the unified household perspective is warranted. (JEL O15, O12, J29)]]>
This study implements a regular vine copula methodology to evaluate the level of contagion among the exchange rates of six Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru) from June 2005 to April 2012. We measure contagion in terms of tail dependence coefficients, following Fratzscher's (1999) definition of contagion as interdependence. Our results indicate that these countries are divided into two blocks. The first block consists of Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico, whose exchange rates exhibit the largest dependence coefficients, and the second block consists of Argentina and Peru, whose exchange rate dependence coefficients with other Latin American countries are low. We also found that most of the Latin American exchange rate pairs exhibit asymmetric behaviors characterized by nonsignificant upper tail dependence and significant lower tail dependence. These results imply that there exists contagion in Latin American exchange rates in periods of large appreciations, whereas there is no evidence of contagion during periods of currency depreciation. This empirical regularity may reflect the "fear of appreciation" in emerging economies identified by Levy-Yeyati, Sturzenegger, and Gluzmann (2013). (JEL C32, C51, E42)]]>
Variations in physician supply, and the impact on a patient's use of physicians, remains a concern. This article asks how the supply of physicians is associated with both the number of visits and the dollar value of services received from general practitioners and specialists. Ontario respondents in the Canadian Community Health Survey 2000/2001 are linked to their Ontario Health Insurance Program claims for 3 years (1999–2002). A geographic weighting method is employed to account for physician supply in surrounding jurisdictions. The results are consistent with the conclusion patients substitute one physician type for another when physician supply is constrained. (JEL I10, I12, C29, C39, C52)]]>
Using a fixed effect weighted least square model, we examine how changes in the share of beer purchases from large containers (>12 oz.) impact alcohol-related fatal accidents. We find that, after holding beer purchases and overall alcohol-consumption constant, an increase in total beer purchases from containers greater than the standard size of 12 oz. increases alcohol-related fatal accidents. We confirm our results persist across several investigations of robustness, as well as the use of instrument variables methods. Outcomes suggest that policy makers should consider differential excise taxes for the purchase of larger than standard size beer containers. Such a policy would likely reduce the number of alcohol-related fatal vehicle crashes and help to internalize the negative externalities associated with drunk driving. At the very minimum, these results suggest that individuals prone to dangerous levels of drunk driving are the consumers that most prefer large container size consumption. This is consistent with the idea that binge drinkers and beer drinkers are much more likely to drive while legally intoxicated. (JEL I18, K4)]]>
This article examines evidence for the private rationality of decisions to choose bottled water using a large, nationally representative sample. Consumers are more likely to believe that bottled water is safer or tastes better if they have had adverse experiences with tap water or live in states with more prevalent violations of EPA water quality standards. Perceptions of superior safety, taste, and convenience of bottled water boost consumption of bottled water. Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to drink bottled water due to their relatively greater exposure to unsafe water and greater risk beliefs. The coherent network of experiences, beliefs, and actions is consistent with rational consumer choice. (JEL D12, D80, Q50)]]>
This article examines products liability when consumers have private information about their susceptibilities to product-related harm. In this case, it is efficient for consumers to self-select their purchases, with those especially prone to harm refraining from purchase. Achieving this outcome requires consumers to bear their own harm, given that producers cannot observe consumer types. When consumers also misperceive risk, the problem becomes more complicated because accurate signaling of risk requires that firms bear liability. A trade-off therefore emerges between imposing liability on firms versus consumers. This article characterizes the choice among liability rules in the presence of this trade-off. (JEL K13, L15)]]>
This article empirically investigates whether the link between foreign direct investment (FDI) and income inequality varies with financial development. Using a smooth transition regression model to a panel of developing and advanced countries over the period of 1976–2005, the results indicate that financial development indeed defines the relationship between FDI and inequality. FDI raises income inequality and the effect becomes stronger in magnitude with financial sophistication. The results also indicate a large variation in the FDI effect across countries and over time, contingent on financial development. (JEL C23, F40, O15)
Export competitiveness (XC) is a country's ability to compete globally through expanding export capacity and upgrading export sophistication. How does foreign direct investment (FDI) affect XC? This article studies the issue based on evidence from Chinese manufacturing. Using data on 21 manufacturing sectors for 31 regions over 2005–2011, we construct the XC index and its three composite indicators, following the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Four findings emerge from the estimates: (a) FDI is a key driver of China's export success; (b) China's absorptive capacity reinforces the effects of FDI through domestic learning efforts; (c) FDI seems to contribute more to export capacity than export upgrading, especially in labor-intensive/low-tech products; and (d) high-tech FDI from the western world seems to be more conducive to export upgrading than low-tech FDI from developing economies. (JEL F21, F23, O14, O53)]]>
An increase in the availability of emergency contraception (EC) may lead to a decrease in the abortion rate. The 2006 Food and Drug Administration ruling, which relaxed the prescription requirement for EC for women aged 18 and older, allows us to apply the difference-in-difference methodology on the age-by-year-by-state abortion data to test this hypothesis. Contrary to the literature, we find a moderate reduction in abortion rates among women aged 18 and 19 after 2006 in states that were affected by the change, compared with changes in the control group. These results are robust in a number of specifications and pass the event specification test. (JEL J13, J18)]]>
One of the more contentious policy changes in the past decade in the United States involves the decisions by several state legislatures and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to permit sales of emergency contraception on a nonprescription basis. We took advantage of a set of natural experiments to estimate the impact of changes in state and federal level nonprescription emergency contraception access on the probability of high-school students' sexual and contraceptive behaviors. We extracted data from the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey for New England states that had data about contraceptive use (Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) from 2003 to 2009. We combined this student-level data with information on when states and the FDA began allowing nonprescription sales of emergency contraceptives. We estimated a series of difference-in-difference models on the impact of these policies on the probability that students were sexually active and on the probability of condom or hormonal birth control use conditional on sexual activity. We found that switching emergency contraception to a nonprescription status had no systematic effect on the probability of sexual activity or the conditional probability of hormonal birth control use, but that it significantly reduced the probability that public school students used condoms by between 5.2% and 7.2%. (JEL I18, I12, I29)]]>
This article uses continuous micro-level data to investigate the income redistribution effect of the personal income tax (PIT) in China beginning in 1997. We find that the average tax rate plays a larger role in determining the income redistribution effect of PIT than tax progressivity does. Although tax progressivity decreased as a result of rising personal incomes and a constant PIT policy prior to 2005, the income redistribution effect of the PIT improved as a result of the higher average tax rate. The tax reform beginning in 2006 increased tax progressivity while decreasing the average tax rate, thereby weakening the income redistribution effect of the PIT. Further analysis indicates that the middle-income group was the only net loser before 2005, but it benefited from the PIT policy reform. A cross-country comparison shows that China has a lower PIT burden and higher progressivity than developed countries; in fact, China's levels of progressivity and tax burden are similar to those of Latin American countries. (JEL H24, D31, H31)
This article extends recent analyses linking the alleged oil curse to a broader set of institutions (13 in number) than democracy, the institution that has received the most attention in the literature. It does so using panel data for over 100 countries between 1975 and 2005, wherever possible, and compares the effects obtained with several different measures of both the importance of oil and experience in the industry and of the interactions between them. Most importantly, instead of simply examining the effect of oil and experience in the industry on the contemporary levels of these various institutions, this study focuses on the effects on changes in the various institutional indicators from one decade to another. While not surprisingly our results reveal considerable sensitivity in the effects of oil resources, oil experience, and interactions across different specifications, they also suggest a number of important findings. The most robust of these are the significant negative effects of oil rents on bureaucratic quality and on socioeconomic conditions. We also find that the number of years since peak oil discovery has a positive effect on government stability, but a negative one on bureaucratic quality. When interactions are allowed for, still more negative effects on institutions are identified, at least partially re-enforcing several of the institutional links in the oil curse hypothesis. (JEL O13, P16)]]>
This paper examines the impact of privatization on gender discrimination in China across firms with different technology intensities. Using a comprehensive firm-level survey, the paper identifies gender wage-productivity differentials by directly estimating the relative productivity levels of workers from the production function of firms. The panel structure of the survey is taken advantage of by following firms that were fully state-owned in the initial year, and distinguishing them from firms that were later privatized. The main results show that privatization was associated with an increase in relative productivity of female workers in high technology industries, and a reduction in relative productivity of female workers in low technology industries. Time varying coefficient results suggest that the improvements in gender outcomes in high technology industries may not be maintained in the long run as the relative wage and productivity ratios tend to deteriorate, potentially due to low supply of highly educated female workers. At the same time, outcomes in privatized low technology industries increase over time, lowering the wage and productivity gaps between male and female workers. (JEL J16, J31, P20)]]>
This article analyzes the effects of China and India on manufactured exports of the G7 economies. The following three findings stand out. First, the rivalry effect of China is robustly significant in all investigated markets, including the world and the G7 countries collectively and individually, while the rivalry effect of India is significant in the French, Italian, Japanese, and world markets but insignificant in other markets. Second, the rivalry effect of China in the world market is substantial in 13 of 22 manufacturing industries, and most pronounced for textiles, telecom equipment, fabricated metal products, computing machinery, and furniture, while this effect of India is significant only in one industry (basic metals). Third, Germany is the only G7 economy that appears not to be affected by China's rivalry effect. Germany has also been more successful than other G7 economies in penetrating the Chinese market. (JEL O4, F1)]]>
The public good benefits arising from an historic high school gymnasium are estimated using the contingent valuation method. While other works focus on larger cities and usually emphasize new buildings for professional teams, this study looks at an historic building for amateur sports. It is found that the benefits are small in spite of the importance of the building and high school sports in general to the history of the city. Because this gymnasium is particularly large and recognized, this would seem to give an upper bound to the value of sports arenas in cities of this size. (JEL H41, L83)]]>
This research utilizes a compensating differential framework to measure the social benefits of minor league baseball teams. Consistent with findings at the major league level, individual housing observations from 138 metropolitan areas between 1993 and 2005 show that affiliated teams are associated with a significant 6 to 8% increase in rents in mid-sized markets ranging from 0.4 to 1.4 million people. On the other hand, independent teams and stadiums are associated with insignificant effects on rents. The positive effect of affiliated minor league teams suggests they are a valuable urban amenity that can contribute to local quality of life. (JEL H23, H41, H71, R50, L83)]]>
Charter school competition can only work as a policy to improve public education if schools that do not contribute to this goal are allowed to fail. We estimate survival regressions to assess the effects of various factors on the probability of school failure. We find that students' test scores are the most important determinant of survival: a one standard deviation increase reduces the probability of failure by 76%. Higher expenditures per student and a longer wait list result in smaller, but significant, reductions. Enrollment, average performance in the host district, and student demographics do not significantly affect school survival. (JEL I21, H75)]]>
We analyze the multiple channels of influence that global financial crisis-induced credit restrictions had on New Zealand's subnational housing markets. The dynamics caused by the credit shock are compared to those caused by a migration shock, a more common form of housing shock in New Zealand. We focus on the impacts on two outcome variables, house prices and housing supply, within a structural time series model of regional housing markets. Both shocks cause substantial and prolonged cyclical adjustments in each variable. Similar cyclical dynamics could complicate the conduct of macroprudential policies designed to affect bank credit allocation. (JEL E32, E44, R21)]]>
Using military residency data from 1998 to 2005 across all 50 states, I find that income taxes deter legal residencies and that the effect grows as income increases. My results indicate that states with no income tax or with exemptions for military wages experience 100% and 39% more service member residencies, respectively, than states with an income tax. The influence of state tax policy increases with higher pay and tenure. My findings are in keeping with economic theory, which suggests that high income workers will migrate out of high tax areas and be replaced by low income workers. (JEL H24, H71, J61)]]>
This article examines the determinants of local tax rates. For the two main local taxes in Spain—the property tax and the motor vehicle tax—we test the existence of tax mimicking, yardstick competition, and political trends in a sample of 2,713 municipalities. Using various spatial models, the results support the hypothesis of tax mimicking, with coefficients above 0.40. We also show the relevance of political variables such as the ideology of incumbents and political fragmentation. The fact that incumbents with weaker political support exhibit stronger mimicking behavior is interpreted as evidence in favor of yardstick competition. Finally, we find that incumbents mimic neighboring municipalities ruled by the same political party, confirming the political trends hypothesis. (JEL C31, H71, H77)]]>
I examine how taxes and tax progressivity affect two different types of entrepreneurship—established business ownership and nascent entrepreneurship—in a large group of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, using 2000–2009 macro-level Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data. Empirical evidence from Arellano-Bond generalized method of moments estimation suggests that higher tax progressivity exerts a negative influence on nascent enterprises but appears to have no impact on established business ownership. Changes in marginal and average tax rates are found to have no significant influence on either type of entrepreneurship. The most important contribution of the article is the comparison of tax impacts on actual and nascent entrepreneurship rates. (JEL H24, H29, M13, M19)]]>
Using Current Population Survey data, I examine how same-sex couples' labor force participation and health insurance coverage change as a result of their unions being legally recognized. The results indicate female same-sex couples switch from arrangements where both members work to arrangements where only one member of the couple works. Being able to gain health insurance through a spouse's employer seems to play a major role in this change. Male same-sex couples experience no change in their labor force participation or health insurance. (JEL J08, I13, J18)]]>
In the extant literature of business cycle predictions, the signals for business cycle turning points are generally issued with a lag of at least 5 months. In this paper, we make use of a novel and timely indicator—the Google search volume data—to help to improve the timeliness of business cycle turning point identification. We identify multiple query terms to capture the real-time public concern on the aggregate economy, the credit market, and the labor market condition. We incorporate the query indices in a Markov-switching framework and successfully "nowcast" the peak date within a month that the turning occurred. (JEL E37, G17)]]>


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Weekly Spending Summary (4/6-4/12)
Some of you have wondered where I get my printable coupons. Here are the main coupon sites that I use: Coupons.com, Coupon Network, Smart Source, Red Plum, Ibotta, Hopster, Checkout 51 and Saving Star. Manufacturer websites and Facebook pages are another great source.
Favorite buys:
- Free Crest toothpaste
- Free Nexcare medical tape
- $1.69 Eight O'Clock coffee
- Free fish sticks
- Bacon for $1.24/lb!
Total Spent: $69.90
Total Saved with Coupons: $24.00
Total Saved with Sales: $28.03
Total Saved:$52.03
CVS: $0 (gift card)
Saved with Coupons: $12.50
Saved with Sales: $4.99
I used a gift card that we earned through our credit card rewards program to pay for this purchase of $1.47.
The toothpaste was free, the Nexcare a moneymaker of $0.50, the Dawn cost $0.50 and the nuts were just a decent price. I was very happy to get the medical tape as we were needing some. I'm amazed how often something unusual like that that we need just "happens" to be on sale about the time we need it!
- Dawn dish soap $0.99
- Crest toothpaste $4.99
(bought with rain check)
- CVS brand almonds $3.50
- Nexcare medical tape $4.49
Coupons Used:
- $1.00 Crest printable coupon
- $0.50 Dawn coupon from Sunday newspaper coupon inserts
- $11.00 in Extra Bucks (CVS coupon that print at register for purchasing specific items
Got Back:
- $4.00 in Extra Bucks coupon for purchasing the Crest (can be used on next purchase of any item)
- $5.00 in Extra Bucks coupon for purchasing the Nexcare (can be used on next purchase of any item)
Giant: $14.61
Saved with Coupons: $11.50
Saved with Sales: $23.04
I got some wonderful deals this week even though I didn't do any of the gas deals. There were some decent gas deal that I could have done but I didn't really need any of the products and just decided to pass them up this time.
The Ragu was $0.75 each, the Eight O'Clock coffee was just $1.69, the ketchup was $1.49, the Fisher Boy fish stick were free and the Farmland bacon only $1.24 each! I was super excited to get bacon for such a great price. We've already enjoyed some in homemade Egg McMuffin sandwiches using some of the Thomas English Muffins that I got several weeks ago for incredibly cheap. Such a delicious, easy meal!
I also was happy to get more coffee before summer hits. This will likely be the last good deal I'll be able to get on it until fall or early winter. And while we don't go through coffee as fast in the summer as we do in the cold months, we still do use it- especially for homemade iced coffee. (You'll find a link to the recipe below where I talk about it and the free coffee that I got!)
- 2 Ragu pasta sauce $1.25 each
- 4 Eight O'Clock coffee $2.69 each (on sale buy one, get one free)
- Nature's Promise organic ketchup $1.99
- 2 Fisher Boy Fish Sticks $0.99 each
- 4 Farmland Bacon $2.24 each (on sale buy one, get one free)
Coupons Used:
- $1/2 Ragu coupon from Sunday newspaper coupon inserts
- Two $2/2 Eight O'clock printable coupon
- $0.50 Nature's Promise coupon from in-store coupon machine
- Two $1.00 Fisher Boy printable coupons
- Four $1.00 Farmland printable coupons
Aldi: $16.54
Stopped by Aldi for a few of my "regular" things as well as a few things that I don't normally purchase like canned Great Northern Beans. We were having guests for dinner the one evening and while I like to have people over, I always get hung up on what to serve. There were lots of things that I could have made using ingredients that I had on hand but for some reason my Creamy White Chili just felt like the thing to make. It's delicious and so easy to throw together. And so I decided to go ahead and get the beans and sour cream to make that. Silly? Maybe. But sometimes it's worth spending a tad more just to alleviate the stress!
- Sweet Potatoes 3lb. $1.79
- 2 Sour Cream $1.29 each
- Coffee Filters $1.19
- Cinnamon $0.99
- Spinach $1.79
- Heavy Whipping Cream $1.99
- Corn Chips $0.89
- Napkins $1.49
- Brown Sugar $1.19
- 4 Great Northern Beans $0.59 each
Misc.: $38.75
- $20.00 of this was for grocery cash. I'll use this to purchase produce at our local farmer's market as well as eggs from a local farm.
- $18.75 of this was for 15 lbs. of ground beef that we bought from my in-laws. My dad-in-law works for a farmer and they had a cow go down that needed to be butchered. His boss told him that he could have it for the cost of butchering it and they generously allowed us to enjoy some of at that price too- just $1.25/lb.! And that other little pack of meat that you see? It's some bologna that they got made as well. My mom-in-law just threw that in as a little bonus!I'm going to use my trick of mixing ground turkey with the ground beef to make it last longer, since I can get ground turkey for much less than I can typically find ground beef.
- This Dunkin' Donuts coffee was totally free! Yes, you read right. I was so excited! I won a giveaway from my favorite couponing blog, For the Mommas and this was part of it. Even better than the coffee was the $250 Visa gift card that was part of the giveaway package as well. I'm serious, I nearly fell off my chair when I read the email saying that I had won that! Such a fun surprise! And the coffee is really good too. I've been enjoying it in my homemade iced coffee.
Tags: budget, couponing, frugal living | Categories: My Deals, The Thrifty Frugal Mom


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Art and Donna Ellingson, Mountain Lake, and Phillip and Lori Kruger, Lakefield, announce the engagement of their children, Elsie Ellingson and Eric Kruger.
Ellingson is a homeschool graduate and graduate of the massage therapy program at Minnesota West Community and Technical College. She is currently employed at Menards in Mankato.
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HP offers its 3.26-lb. HP Spectre x360 13t Intel Broadwell Core i5 2.2GHz 13.3" 1080p Touchscreen Laptop, model no. K1M35AV_1, for $949.99. (Choose the 8GB memory option and matching i5-5200U processor to get this price.) Coupon code "150SPRING" cuts it to $799.99. With free shipping, that's $150 off list and the lowest total price we could find. Features include an Intel Core i5-5200U 2.2GHz Broadwell dual-core processor, 13.3" 1920x1080 (1080p) WLED-backlit IPS touchscreen LCD, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, 3-cell battery, and Windows 8.1 64-bit. (No optical drive is included.)
Of note, you can also downgrade to 4GB RAM in the customize menu to drop the price to $749.99 after coupon. (You will also need to change the processor to the i5-5200U 4GB option.) Deal ends April 30.
HP Broadwell i5 Dual 13" 1080p Touch Laptop
$800 free shippingShop Now
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text: Originally a working hacienda with high walls and large fields beyond, Hacienda Misne is now a beautifully restored hotel with guest rooms situated just inside the original walls, enclosing well sculptured grounds. Rooms are spacious and very well appointed. We enjoyed the restaurant chef's artistic and delicious creations as well as late evening drinks at the bar. Another reviewer noted... More


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Before You Start Your Summer Fun, Check for These Recalled Products
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By CPSC Blogger on April 24, 2014
Winter is finally giving way to warmer weather. This means kids are playing outside and adults are firing up their grills and working on their lawns. Now would be a good time to check on whether any of your summer products were recalled this past winter. Check out the list of recalled products below. To check other products for safety issues, go to SaferProducts.gov.
|Product Photo
|Char-Broil Recalls Patio Bistro Gas Grills
|69,300 units in U.S. and 1,900 in Canada
|The electronic ignition on the grill can ignite unexpectedly, posing a burn hazard.
|Snoopy Sno-Cone Machines Recalled by LaRose Industries
|102,000 units
|A brass rivet can fall out of the sno-cone machine's ice-shaving cylinder and into a sno-cone, posing a risk of injury to the mouth or the teeth.
|Toro Recalls TimeMaster and TurfMaster Lawn Mowers
|34,500 units in United States and 1,600 in Canada
|The mower's blade can break and injure the user and others nearby.
|Solowave Recalls Home Playground Tube Slides with Port Holes
|10,800 in the United States and 9,900 in Canada
|The plastic port hole-type windows in the tube slide can break, posing a laceration hazard to children.
|Sterling Rope Company Recalls Sewn Cords
|9,200 in the United States and 480 in Canada
|Sewn cords break at a lower weight than published weight values, posing a fall hazard.
|Nationwide Industries Recalls Trident Pool Gate Latches
|2,500 units
|The magnet contained in the striker portion of the latch assembly can come loose, preventing the latch from securing a gate.
|Horizon Hobby Recalls Remote Controlled Model Helicopters
|1,980 units United States and 200 in Canada
|The tail rotor grip used for securing the tail rotor blade to the tail rotor hub can separate and release from the helicopter, posing a risk of a crash and injury hazard.
|Gas Trimmers Recalled by efco
|1,400 units in the United States and 166 in Canada
|The muffler on the trimmer's engine can break during use and pose a fire hazard.
|Nantucket Distributing Recalls Clay Bowl Outdoor Fireplaces
|1,200 units
|When fire is lit, pieces of the clay fireplace bowl can blow off of the bowl posing impact and burn hazards
This address for this post is: http://www.cpsc.gov/onsafety/2014/04/before-you-start-your-summer-fun-check-for-these-recalled-products/News Source : Before You Start Your Summer Fun, Check for These Recalled Products
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Dealers Share Tips that Pack a Punch
Would you love the opportunity to get in a room with your fellow door and window dealers and pick their brains? What do others do when they receive a bad review? Do you get your showroom displays for free? You don't? Why not? How do you get people to like your Facebook page? What do […][continue reading...]
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DWM magazine has compiled a list of manufacturers who offer high-performance windows, to serve as a resource for both the industry and the end consumer.
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A New Perspective
WDMA Literally Knows its Way Around Washington
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The Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) spring meeting and legislative conference that wrapped up this week in Washington, D.C., gave this fenestration newcomer more great opportunities to meet and interact with some of the top people in our industry. But on Tuesday, I also got a fascinating glimpse into how groups like WDMA personally […]
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Now is the best time of year to get your sales team together for training. They are the soldiers you will rely on to win the battle and gain the sale. A well-trained sales team is vital in today's competitive marketplace. They aren't just out there taking orders. Arm them with knowledge, arm them with […]
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A Tale of Two Bills: 10-Year Paybacks are Back in Vogue
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Some good news came out of Washington last week with the reintroduction of the Shaheen-Portman Senate Bill S 2262 (aka the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act), a measure that's publicly endorsed by 140+ corporations, including Quanex. As you might recall, this energy-savings bill became ensnarled in politicking last May, leaving us wondering if it […]
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10 Steps to Having a Great Idea
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Ideas are the most powerful things in the world. Money, talent, customers and growth will flow to the best ideas. Any problem can be solved with the power of an idea. These claims show that having an "ideation" is critical to your long term-success. I agree So where do you get ideas? These are some […]


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You know, those darn Muslims. Making trouble when they should be quiet, asking for stuff they shouldn't be asking for - them and their creeping shariah! Ok, that is sarcasm, in case you didn't get it. I'm thinking that much more R-rated versions of what I just wrote is what some folks must be thinking today in wake of the Supreme Court's decision favor of Gregory Holt in Holt v. Hobbes (or officially Gregory Houston Holt, AKA Abdul Maalik Muhammad, petitioner v. Ray Hobbs, director, Arkansas … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Rules in Favor of a Muslim Prisoner's Beard
UPDATE: Duke University Cancels Decision for Weekly Adhan to be Called on Campus
Scroll below for additional information and photosCongratulations Franklin Graham. Guess you've succeeded. In about 24 hours since I first started seeing the article that Duke University made the decision to allow Muslim students to give the adhan (call to prayer) on Fridays from the bell tower of its chapel, that decision has been rescinded. According to this ABC News article: In a release Thursday, the university said Muslims will instead gather on the quadrangle before heading into a … [Read more...]
#JeSuisCharlie – When Will Clemency and Kindness Prevail over Extremism?
I'm wagering that when many of us (speaking to Muslims now, or people who have read a bit about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings be upon him) were growing up or first starting to learn about our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), we were told the story of the Prophet and the woman who threw garbage on him.As the hadith goes, as this was told to me by my parents, when the Prophet Muhammad was trying to spread the word of Islam as it was being revealed to him by Allah ( … [Read more...]
The Here and the Now
We sat and played scrabble on the futon in our "cozy" New York City apartment. She was a new bride, as was I. I was even more newly pregnant with our first child – just a few weeks and on bed rest. My husband was in his first year of residency and hers was interviewing for a residency position in the city, which was why she was spending the day with me. (Her husband's parents and mine were friends.) We had that in common, and so between new marriage talk and other chit-chat, we passed the day ple … [Read more...]
The Non-Negotiables
As the kids grow, especially with A entering in her tween-coming-into-teen-middle-school-years, our stories, struggles, challenges and joyful moments take on a different flavor. And what I'm able to share with you about those stories changes as well. Because even though A is as eager as ever to see herself in my writing and know that this story isn't just her brother's story (which it isn't), I know there are things that she'd rather not have the whole world know.I've been thinking about non- … [Read more...]
#IllRideWithYou – The World I Want to Raise My Children In
Perhaps – no, I'm certain – that these are the images and these are the stories we need to remember.Christians joining hands to protect Muslims bowing down in prayer in Tahrir Square in February of 2011 while protests and fighting raged around them. Or in 1941 Sarajevo, when Zejneba Hardaga, a veiled Muslim woman, covered the yellow star on her Jewish friend Rivka Kalb's left arm as they walked through the streets.Or today when Australian Rachel Jacob tweeted that a Muslim woman sitting o … [Read more...]
Dear Pope Francis, Thanks for Bringing Love to Those with Autism
I was sitting with a group of newcomers, reverts, new and old friends yesterday at a luncheon our halaqa (Islamic study group) had put together to reach out to anyone new to our community. In speaking with our small group about why we need to reach out to each other and stay connected, a sister in the group made an important observation (paraphrasing):It can be hard for reverts (converts to Islam) in our community. They can feel lost or disconnection. Not welcomed. The Christian community … [Read more...]


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The care of children and adolescents with digestive diseases and disorders goes beyond diagnosis and treatment. For young patients, a digestive disease can affect the daily routine, diet, social interactions, and even time spent learning. The Center for Advanced Digestive Care (CADC) at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center understands this impact, and provides numerous services that go beyond treating the disease often at little to no cost to CADC patients. These services include:
- Nutritional counseling
- Genetic counseling
- Educational and emotional support
- Transitional care as an adolescent approaches adulthood
Through all support services, CADC providers can help patients and families identify helpful tools and resources available to help them with their medical care.
Contact the Center for Advanced Digestive Care at 1-877-902-2232 for more information on any of these services.
Nutritional Assessment & Counseling
Nutritional counseling by registered dietitians at the CADC can help reduce disease recurrence and alleviate patients' symptoms. Mindful of the central role that nutrition plays in treating and managing digestive disorders, our pediatric gastroenterologists conduct a thorough nutritional assessment of all our pediatric patients, looking carefully at vitamin and nutrient levels, caloric intake, and overall well-being. Since many digestive diseases often occur before or during adolescence, we focus on correcting nutritional deficiencies early to support normal growth and development. Our nutrition team helps guide patients toward a sound diet and appropriate nutritional therapies to prevent and treat digestive disorders and to support recovery and healing after surgery.
Genetic Counseling
Genetic evaluation and testing can help to make a definitive diagnosis in a child, as well as predict the risk of developing a digestive disease in future children or other family members. We perform a battery of molecular genetic tests for children with conditions that often run in families. Improved understanding of genetics allows us to offer earlier care and more targeted therapies to children with a family history of these disorders, giving them the opportunity to build healthy lives. Genetic education and counseling help patients understand and cope with the results of genetic tests.
Learn more about genetic counseling at the CADC.
School & Child Life Services
Digestive diseases can take young patients away from the classroom and activities crucial to their development. The staff at the CADC works with patients and families to address educational and emotional issues.
Because we know that any hospitalization brings with it anxiety and stress, we have several child life programs available that are designed to address your child's emotional needs and help make the hospital stay less intimidating.
Transitional Care
In many cases, your child's illness is a diagnosis that will require lifelong vigilance, special care, and follow-up. The CADC therefore has a transition program to help adolescent patients take charge of their own medical care when the time comes to move from pediatric to adult health care.
As a way to initiate a pathway to self-sufficiency and assist patients in taking charge of their health as young adults, the transition program begins during adolescence. Partnering with our patients, we introduce them to their new physicians and specialists; help them understand the critical importance of keeping up-to-date with their therapies and appointments; and provide them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to make responsible decisions affecting their care.
Learn about support and wellness services for adults at the Center for Advanced Digestive Care.


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High School
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A loyal fan to The OC
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The View's Elisabeth Hasselbeck a NFL "expert"?
Elisabeth Hasselbeck, co-host of "The View," and wife of former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck, recently appeared on both SportsCenter and NFL Live. Her husband, who played for the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers, retired in 2007 after a one year stint with the Cardinals. Hasselbeck's longest stay was […] [Read More]
New addiction: BBC's Robin Hood
Looking for a new obsession now that Jersey Shore and Teen Mom are getting old? The answer may be to cross the seas to England for BBC's twist on the classic Robin Hood. After seeing Kevin Costner's version, Mel Brooks comedic Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Disney's version, and the trailers for the upcoming Robin […] [Read More]
Pants on the ground!
In this hilarious video of Gen. Larry Platt auditioning for American Idol, we can see one of the funniest auditions ever! Even Simon Cowell said "I have a horrible feeling that song could be a hit." William Hung was famous because of how bad he was, but this guy will be a star because his song […] [Read More]
The relapse of a "24″ addict
Look, I stopped watching "24″ when it got lame and it was really hard to walk away. At first I was gripped, spending all afternoon during the summer locked in my home watching episode after episode. Jack Bauer became the modern day Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry because they were individuals who almost could (as believable […] [Read More]
John McCain + Matt Lauer = funny video
An exclusive interview with Matt Lauer reveals another side of Senator John McCain yesterday. Matt Lauer questioned Senator John McCain about allegations in a new book that his campaign did little background research on Sarah Palin before choosing her to be his running mate. Check it out and let me know what you think! [Read More]
Are you ready for ESPN3…D? Every sports fan's dream has come true today. ESPN has announced that they will be creating an ESPN 3D network, which will make them the first 3D network on TV. ESPN 3D will be up and running just in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The first time ESPN […] [Read More]
Mayne Street's Best: Kenny Mayne Ticks off Scoop Jackson
Kenny Mayne is one of the funniest people in sports. Kenny Mayne's webisode series Mayne Street is hosted on < "http://espn.go.com/">ESPN and releases videos once a week. Mayne has had some memorable videos, but his duel with Scoop Jackson on 1st and 10 was easily the funniest video ever, and the funniest thing I've ever […] [Read More]
My top 5 TV shows of 2009
The year is almost to an end. There were certainly many new shows this year, some for the better and some for the worse. Here are my top five favorite shows of 2009. Enjoy! 1. Melrose Place: It's back and better than ever. It portrays the lives of 20-something year olds that live together in […] [Read More]
Talk to the Moose
If you've watched enough TV then you've most likely seen the seasonal Gap commercials. In case you haven't, they're basically just a group of adults or kids dancing and singing while advertising about the clothes they're wearing. A popular one is "Talk to the Moose" where a group of little girls dance, sing and cartwheel around […] [Read More]
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A ti Bob trailer sounds very cool.Originally Posted by She&I
In regards to the fork, I have not seen one yet, nor ridden one, merely posted for conversation.
I must be having a grandpa moment because I'm not sure which racers and how Black Sabbath got tied in. Can you clarify for my tired old brain?
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Kids enjoy crafting with all kinds of materials. Take a look at these options and select a material that you may already have in the house to enjoy a day of crafting with your children.
Woven Placemat
Basic weaving skills and this original Free Kids Craft project
Duct Tape and Rubber Band Message Board
The chic Duct Tape and Rubber Band Message Board is
Turkey Tic Tac Toe Fun
Turkey Tic Tac Toe Fun is a new look to
Wise Guy Owl Pine Cone Craft
Whooo wouldn't fall in love with this Wise Guy Owl
Baby Owl
Whooooo wouldn't love to have this cute little Baby Owl. Great
Fun and Fluffy Felt Owl
Owls are a big favorite and this Fun and Fluffy
Blingy Washer Necklace
Teens especially will enjoy making the Blingy Washer Necklace for
Craft Stick Pumpkin Frame
The kids will love making this Craft Stick Pumpkin Frame
Craft Stick Goofy Monster
This Craft Stick Monster is made out of a few
Eek! There's a Mouse in the House!
Here's a great idea that will make children feel like
Halloween Spook Spoons
These Halloween Spook Spoons are fun for the kids and the
Rag Doll Wig
This Rag Doll Wig is perfect for Halloween or school
Ghost Windsock
This Ghost Windsock is another great classroom project from the
Recycled Cardboard Tube Scarecrow
This fun Recycled Cardboard Tube Scarecrow made from a paper towel
Backpack Ghost
Make this fun Backpack Ghost to get the kids excited
Leaf Stick Kids Craft
This Leaf Stick Kids Craft is a great fall craft


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Remember These? Retro Thanksgiving Sitcom Episodes!
By wa_tracy on November 21, 2012
BlogHer Original Post
As the Holiday Season is upon us, there are so many traditions to relish in. From spending time with family, to nomming delicious food, and starting new traditions with my daughter, November and December are some stellar months. Alongside all these fun times, there is also the traditional vegging out on the couch, not worrying about work, to watch the boob tube, especially as the sitcom holiday episodes start to roll in.
As I've already been gleaning new Thanksgiving episodes, I've been thinking about all the television hilarity that has happened in the past. I mean, Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday for great comedic writing with all the fun family antics that can occur. So here is a trip down memory lane with some favorite classic Thanksgiving sitcom episodes.
Friends: There are so many fabulous hysterical Friends Thanksgiving episodes. Two, though, stand out amongst the rest. First there is "The One With The Rumor" when Brad Pitt guest starred as Will, as Monica's high school friends who recently lost 150 pounds, Will, we learn was cofounder of the "I Hate Rachel Green Club." Pitt and his comedic timing were pure perfection, which still leaves my sides hurting from laughter as I rewatch that episode. The other episode that stands out the most in my mind is "The One With All The Thanksgivings." By the end of the episode, Chandler upset with Monica, storms back to his apartment. Unbeknownst to him, Monica dons a raw turkey on her head ala Joey, and dances around to make Chandler giggle. The fez hat and giant sunglasses make perfect accoutrements to get the job done.
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The only thing related to Jungle Book at any disney park ever, surprisingly, was a stage show in Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom in 1998-1999.Originally Posted by merlinjones
It'd be cool to see Jungle Cruise become Jungle Book Cruise. Yes, that'd be a cartoon, but it's a classic. It's not some cowboy doll and friends, and it's not a spaceship toy named Buzz.


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brand accolades
Posted by Shirley Brady on May 3, 2011 04:00 PM
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Yassky today announced the winner of the city's Taxi of Tomorrow competition: the Nissan NV200.
"It's going to be the safest, most comfortable and most convenient cab the City has ever had," said Bloomberg at today's press conference about the winning vehicle, which will feature a paint job that pays tribute to the city's iconic Checker Cab company, which closed last year.
"We started this process to leverage our taxi industry's purchasing power to get the highest quality taxi, one that that can expand and redefine the legendary image of New York City taxicabs," he added about the prize, which is worth $1 billion to the winning automaker.Continue reading...
More about: Nissan, Automotive, New York City, Michael Bloomberg, NYC Taxi, Checker Cab, Awards, Taxi of Tomorrow, Nissan Leaf, Electric Vehicles
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Hi, I'm Amelie McConnell and I am 13 years old. I decided to audition for Peggy because I have always wanted to be an actress (I'm not even kidding!) because the idea of being in a film is amazing!
I am reading Swallows and Amazons at the moment, which I am really enjoying. I have read it before - well, been read it - but I was young then so I can't remember much!
Sorry that it's a bit dark, our house is just generally a bit dark. Also I have braces at the moment, which I'm sure didn't exist in 1929 but they are coming off in July!
I would LOVE to play the part of Peggy. Thank you for watching!
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StartUpHire is the place to find Financial Analyst - FP&A jobs. Review the list of Financial Analyst - FP&A career opportunities to the left. These Financial Analyst - FP&A jobs represent some of the most rewarding careers available.
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Description About Us: Market Force has been recognized as a ?Cool Vendor of the Year? by Gartner Group, ranked #69 on the Forbes ?America?s Most Promising Companies? list, a top private company by Colorado Business Magazine, ranked #21 on the Honomichl List and one of the3/12/2015 Louisville, CO Save This Job
Description About Us: Market Force has been recognized as a ?Cool Vendor of the Year? by Gartner Group, ranked #69 on the Forbes ?America?s Most Promising Companies? list, a top private company by Colorado Business Magazine, ranked #21 on the Honomichl List and one of the3/12/2015 Louisville, CO Save This Job
You will be responsible for financial planning, reporting, and analysis of nLIGHT's expanding businesses in Vancouver, Washington and Hillsboro, Oregon. We are seeking an entrepreneurial and hands-on professional who will partner with management and3/4/2015 Vancouver, WA Save This Job
Location: Houston, TX Job Id: 5005 # of Openings: 1 We are searching for Financial Analyst to provide financial and analytical support across the Sales, Operations, Technology, and Marketing functions. We are a tight-knit team with a fast paced, energetic, and3/13/2015 Houston, TX Save This Job
A pioneer in next-generation LED lighting solutions, Digital Lumens is taking a game-changing approach to the commercial and industrial lighting market with Intelligent LED Lighting Systems ? wireless networks of smart, sensor-laden LED fixtures connected to LightRules software ?1/25/2015 Boston, MA Save This Job
SEGA Networks Inc. dba Three Rings seeks a Senior User Acquisition Financial Analyst to conduct quantitative analysis of mobile game application performance data and formulate financial models to simulate outcomes with the aim of helping management make capital allocation2/18/2015 San Francisco, CA Save This Job
Position Location: Intematix Corporate Headquarters, Fremont, CA Reports to: Financial Analyst General Purpose/Objectives: Prepares financial trend and data analysis reports. Performs financial analysis on identified problems/projects within defined parameters. Provides3/4/2015 Fremont, CA Save This Job
Foster City, California Job Description Konica Minolta is currently seeking a Sr. Financial Analyst: - Prepare annual budget and periodic forecasts. - Generate full P&L, unit, and headcount plans and forecasts. - Analyze current market trends, competition environment and their3/16/2015 Foster City, CA Save This Job
JOB DESCRIPTION â FINANCIAL ANALYST Title: Financial Analyst Department: Finance Reports to: Finance Director Salary status: Full-time, Exempt Job Summary: The Financial Analyst is an integral part of the finance team. With dotted line support to the Engineering and3/29/2015 Waltham, MA Save This Job
Sparta Systems is looking for a Financial Analyst to assist with the analytical, reporting, and decision support needs of our rapidly expanding business. Key Responsibilities Include: Budgeting, forecasting, reporting, analysis and working and communicating effectively with3/16/2015 Holmdel, NJ Save This Job
Position Summary Reporting to the Director of Finance, the Senior Financial Analyst will be responsible for many of the financial aspects for his/her internal clients, including but not limited to strategic analysis, reporting and decision support for assigned internal clients.2/18/2015 Bothell, WA Save This Job
Job Number:003802 Job Title:Sr. Financial Analyst Number of Openings:1 Job Type (Employment Type):Direct Hire Country:United States State/Province:Illinois City:Chicago Job Schedule:Full Time Level of Education:Four-Year Degree Years of Experience:6 Position Description The Sr.3/23/2015 Chicago, IL Save This Job
Metamarkets is seeking a Senior Financial Analyst to join their growing team. The core mission of this role is to influence business partners at all levels to drive business results via budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis. Candidates will be expected to utilize their2/9/2015 San Francisco, CA Save This Job
About PulsePoint PulsePoint? is a next-gen advertising technology platform that fuses the science of programmatic targeting, distribution and optimization with the art of content marketing. Our platform is powered by terabytes of impression-level data, allowing brands to1/25/2015 New York, NY Save This Job
Job Purpose: If you appreciate a role that is highly analytical, allows you to define and improve operating processes, and you are a ?roll up your sleeves? type of person with a passion for finance, we have just the right job for you. GT Nexus, a cloud-based supply chain3/24/2015 Oakland, CA Save This Job
The Company: As the market leader in Advertising Business Management, Operative?s core purpose is to connect people, processes and technology in a way that allows media and advertising industries to run an increasingly complex business with simplicity. We give media companies2/16/2015 New York, NY Save This Job
Department: Finance & Accounting Job Title: Senior Financial Analyst Job Location: South San Francisco Description: This position is the key financial liaison with research, early development and non-clinical development and the finance department. This position has a diverse2/7/2015 South San Francisco, CA Save This Job
New York, NY General & Administrative Job Description Complex Media is looking to hire a highly motivated Junior Financial Analyst to join in this newly created role. The Analyst will support various members of the Finance Team on tasks regarding Accounts Payable, financial3/9/2015 New York, NY Save This Job
About the Job Here is your chance to work at a fun, rapidly growing tech-startup in the heart of New York. RealMatch is looking for a Senior Financial Analyst to join its finance team. As a key contributor at an emerging company, you will have the ability to truly make a strong2/23/2015 New York, NY Save This Job
Description: Scientific Protein Laboratories LLC (SPL), is a biopharmaceutical world leader in the development and cGMP-compliant manufacturing of pancreatic enzymes and heparin. We have an opening in Waunakee WI (Madison Area) for an experienced Senior Financial Analyst The1/26/2015 Waunakee, WI Save This Job


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Zynga that brought OMGPOP took the game offline, so you can only play it by downloading their APP. Sorry.
Instead, as an alternative try: 8 Ball Pool Multiplayer
You are currently playing Pool OMGPOP, a online game for free on kbh games. 2343 Users has rated it 7.9 out of 10. If you like Pool OMGPOP, then you might also enjoy the following: The game developer that created this is OMGPOP. Check back daily to see what new fun games are added. We are dedicated to bring you the best online gaming experience.


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Efficient Open Floor Plan Suggestions
Hi, My husband and I are just beginning the process of building a new home. Where do you guys get your house plans? We have scoured the internet and some books but haven't found the perfect one yet. We are looking for something maybe around 1700 sqft. Nothing huge but something with a nice master bedroom/bath with shower and tub/walk in closet and 2 additional bedrooms. I would also like a pantry and a laundry room with a sink. We want one level with an unfinished basement. We're building in North Carolina (if that matters) - also wondering what people are paying these days to build in NC. Thanks!
Some people find plans on the internet or in plan books. Some folks find a builder they like and then just choose one of the builder's plans. Some people hire an architect to design a custom plan just for them. A few of us spend uncounted hours designing our own homes.
It all depends on what you want, how much money you're willing to spend, and/or how much time/effort you're willing to spend educating yourself, and/or how much you want/need an expert to guide you through the entire process.
As for prices to build, everyone asks that question and nobody ever gets what feels like a satisfactory answer. The truth is, there are just too many variables for any answer you get - other than a bid price based on building a specific floor plan on a specified lot - to be anything more than the grossest of ball-park guesstimates.
Even narrowing down your request to "cost to build in NC" doesn't help. NC is a very big state with a highly varied geography and huge demographic and cost-of-living differences from one county to another. I can easily imagine that the price of building the exact same house could easily vary by 75% or more depending on whether you were talking about building it in the middle of the Research Triangle Park area, in the mountains around Asheville, along the Outer Banks somewhere, or down on an old tobacco farm in the Bladen Lakes region. And I'm not just talking about higher land values in some areas than others. Because cost-of-living is so different in some places than in others, labor prices will vary significantly. You would, for example, probably pay a whole lot more for a plumber to come out and lay your plumbing lines if you were building in Chapel Hill than you would if you were building in, say, Lumberton.
Wish I could give you a better answer. I know it frustrated me no end that I couldn't get a reasonable idea of what it would cost to build until after I'd already committed a heck of a lot of money towards building. Unfortunately, that is just the way the process works. You can try an online building cost calculator like the one in the link below - but I found it to underestimate the cost of building my home buy more than 40%.
However, if you're looking for a builder and happen to be planning to build in southeastern NC, I have an uncle that builds homes around that area and I can vouch for his integrity and for the beauty of his work. I'm in Texas so I couldn't get him to build my home for me but, when I go to visit, I'll often go round with him to see the houses he is working on. I've seen enough of his work to judge its quality for myself. And, I've met enough of his customers to know that they all consider him an honest, reliable businessman. Email me offline if you're interested in getting his name or more info. (Just click on the MY PAGE link after my name and that will take you to a page with a link that says "email me".)
Here is a link that might be useful: Online building cost estimator
We toured model homes until we found one that felt like "home." Then our builder coordinated with the model home's builder to get the original plans, and then we sat down with our builder to make modifications to the existing plan. We're still wanting to do more tweaking, but it's close.
We toured about 75 model homes in Minneapolis and 25 in Phoenix before we finally found "the one."
alliegator - do you mind saying how much your plan cost? It seems you need to know ahead of time that you definitely want one of their plans before starting the process. Can any contractor build one of these homes?
bevangel - you make great points. Thanks for the info. about the cost estimators. I just want to avoid buying a plan that ultimately will be out of our price range when we go for bids. We'll probably just talk to some contractors and see some things they have already built and start from there I suppose.
Thanks for your thoughts everyone.


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Unexpected joy found while serving as a 'V'
I'm not going to spell out the "V" word in case, like me, it makes you feel as if you're trapped in an elevator with an army of fire ants.
I am going to tell you that in spite of my aversion to the word, in spite of acute bouts of laziness both winter and spring, in spite of dreading to see my "free days" nibbled like an Oreo cookie, I've spent many Wednesday afternoons this past semester "V'ing" at Dilworth Elementary.
The draw, of course, was my beguiling granddaughter, Ashley Birle, who's 7, and until school lets out today, a member of the awesome Andrea Franklin's rollicking first-grade class.
What began for me as a chore born of duty ended in joyful attachment.
I mean, really. Who can "criss-cross-apple-sauce" faster than Iverson or Anna?
Who can listen as raptly as Wyndham and Yaszmeen?
Who can hug as scrunchingly as Myah and Ava?
Opening new worlds
Many who "V" help youngsters read aloud.
I'll be the first to admit I lack the patience and prefer to do the reading myself.
What I don't lack is the memory of growing up an only child – often lonely – and how reading presented me with worlds that sizzled with people and drama.
Kings and queens and witches and trolls and, vividly, a brother and sister who made their way home through a dark forest by following a trail of moon-lit pebbles.
Read aloud to kids – it must be an engaging book and one with eye-catching illustrations – and watch how they knee-drift closer and closer to your chair, how they gorge on words and images.
Watch their worlds widen – from their backyards to The Edge of Nowhere (with apologies to Mercer Mayer's "How the Trollusk Got His Hat.")
Help is always needed
Dilworth Elementary, obviously, is not Charlotte Country Day.
A child in Ashley's class confided to me one afternoon that her neighborhood is "nasty."
About 63 percent of the kids in the school are on free or reduced-price lunch.
Worse, there were 319 unexcused absences across the grades in 2007 (compare that with 77 at Sharon Elementary).
"Vs" make a difference at any school, but especially at a school like Dilworth.
This year, 78 "Vs" gave Dilworth 864 "V" hours.
I asked administrative assistant Jacqueline Landis-Hines if they needed more.
"Always," she said.
I know you're busy. But if you want to share the gospel of reading, I urge you to give of yourself next year to these kids whose fragile lives can flower or fail.
For now, I bid farewell and a carefree summer to my favorite first-grade class:
Alexis and Izreil and Essence and Rhodni.
Wyndham and Iverson and Yaszmeen and Axel.
Myah and Ahmayia and Michael and Kaylin and Jaya.
Colby and Anna and Calob and Ava and Al'Mahn.
And especially little Miss Ashley Birle.
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Category Archives: magic
Defense Against the Dark Arts: Warding off Witchcraft
This month's Archaeology magazine has some photos from Knole House in Kent showing a series of hatch marks carved into the floor beneath where the protestant King James I would have slept in the early 1600's. The marks are intended … Continue reading
The Bones of the Magi
In my Dark Apostle series about medieval medicine and magic, my secret society of witches refers to themselves as "Magi," (singular: magus) from the Persian word for one with knowledge of Oriental magic and astrology (according to my OED). Interestingly, … Continue reading
Posted in history, magic, medieval, relics, religion, research, The Dark Apostle Tagged cathedral, Cologne, Germany, Koln, Magi, Medieval Germany, relics, shrine of the Magi, three kings Leave a comment
Of Druids and Motorcycles
Today is the autumn equinox, when day and night are equal in length, at one time considered an event worthy of note. Certain groups still observe the occasion, notably, the druids of England. Their preferred venue is, of course, the … Continue reading
Posted in essays, history, magic, religion Tagged autumn equinox, druids, English Heritage, Stonehenge 1 Comment
40 Years of Rule-based Magic: Celebrating the Anniversary of Dungeons and Dragons
As many of you may know, this year we celebrate the 4oth anniversary of the Dungeons and Dragons Role-playing system. No doubt some of you readers have been players at one time or another, no doubt some of you have … Continue reading
Posted in essays, fantasy, fiction, magic, worldbuilding, writing Tagged D&D, Dungeons and Dragons, Dungeons and Dragons 40th anniversary, fantasy, fantasy writing, gamers, gaming, magic, worldbuilding Leave a comment
Elisha Magus Cover Reveal!
Hey, Everyone! This was meant to happen on Goodreads, which is not allowing me to change the cover image for the book today–not to worry, we'll get it straightened out. In the meantime–Ta-da! In Elisha Magus, the barber-surgeon, feared and … Continue reading
Posted in books, Elisha Magus, fantasy, magic, medieval, The Dark Apostle, Uncategorized Tagged book cover reveal, Dark Apostle, E. C. Ambrose, Elisha Magus, historical fantasy, medieval fantasy, novel 3 Comments
Consciousness, the Grail, and the Writing Process
On Monday evening, I had the chance to attend a presentation entitled "Grail Mania," by Diana Durham, which included a scene from her play about Perceval's meeting with the Fisher King and his vision of the grail. Maybe you're a … Continue reading
Posted in essays, fantasy, fiction, history, magic, medieval, Uncategorized, writing, writing process Tagged Arthurian legend, Diana Durham, Jung, Jungian analysis, King Arthur, The Holy Grail Leave a comment
Review: Sword of the Ronin
Sword of the Ronin by Travis Heermann My rating: 4 of 5 stars A rich, engaging, morally complex historical fantasy, deeply embedded in Japanese culture. This is the second novel in a series, but I must tell you up front … Continue reading
Posted in book reviews, books, fantasy, history, magic, Uncategorized Tagged books, fantasy, fiction, historical fantasy, history, Japanese historical fantasy, Japanese Mythology, Travis Heermann Leave a comment