personal finance programs

In a powerful and well-reasoned speech, economist James Galbraith (son of John Kenneth Galbraith, by the way) has strong words for President Obama. He also offers his thoughts on "where progressives go from here" (h/t Digby). It's a strong piece, well worth your careful read (my emphasis throughout).

On Obama, he says "one could say he has betrayed hopes." Please check the paragraphs that lead to that sentence; they don't contain a rant, but a list.

On the future and the Democratic Party, his analysis is excellent:

What happens next? Let's again not kid ourselves, we have lost a great many seats in the House of Representatives and the House of Representatives isn't coming back into a Democratic majority in the near future. Simply because of the balance of exposures -- the larger numbers of Democratic Senators exposed to reelection in the next cycle, the greatest likelihood is that the Senate will also go Republican in two years time. President Obama has set his course. He has surrounded himself with the advisers of his choice and as he moves to replace President Summers we hear from the press that the priority is to "repair the rift with his investors on Wall Street." What does that tell you? It tells me that he does not have President Clinton's fighting and survival instincts. I've not heard one good reason all day to believe that we are going to see from this White House the fight that we want, that he could win in two years, or any reason we should be backing him now.

The Democratic Party has become too associated with Wall Street. This is a fact. It is a structural problem. It seems to me that we as progressives need -- this is my personal position -- we need to draw a line and decide that we would be better off with an under-funded, fighting progressive minority party than a party marked by obvious duplicity and constant losses on every policy front as a result of the reversals in our own leadership.

What should progressives do? He offers a list, including:

it seems to me that we as progressives need to make an honorable defense of the great legacies of the New Deal and Great Society -- programs and institutions that brought America out of the Great Depression and bought us through the Second World War, brought us to our period of greatest prosperity, and the greatest advances in social justice. Social Security, Medicare, housing finance -- the front-line right now is the foreclosure crisis, the crisis, I should say, of foreclosure fraud -- the progressive tax code, anti-poverty policy, public investment, public safety, and human and civil rights. We are going to lose these battles– get used to it. But we need to make an honorable fight, to state clearly what our principles are and to lay down a record which is trustworthy for the future. ... We are not going to get these things, but we should have a clearly defined program so that people know what they are.

Why work to do all this? Because "in the long run we need to recognize that the fate of the entire country is at stake. Its governance can't be entrusted indefinitely to incompetents, hacks, and lobbyists. Large countries can and do fail, they have done so in our own time."

And finally, about hope (a concern I hear constantly):

We need to lose our fear, our hesitation, and our unwillingness to face the facts. If we thereby lose some of our hopes, let's remember the dictum of William of Orange that "it is not necessary to hope in order to persevere."

The president should know that, as Lincoln said to the Congress in the dark winter of 1862, he "cannot escape history." And we are heading now into a very dark time, so let's face it with eyes open. And if we must, let's seek leadership that shares our values, fights for our principles, and deserves our trust.

I present this as one well-reasoned contribution to a discussion we must be having, starting now, if we are ever climb our way — together — out of this mess.

I understand that Iowa is 14 months away, give or take. That's not much time. I'm not making a recommendation yet; but I am saying that whatever progressives decide to do, we need to decide it soon. I offer this speech as one voice in that discussion.

Yours in perseverance,

GP

Mesoloan

Now, as for today's entrepreneurs, first up today was Hardika Shah presenting Mesoloan, a small enterprise loan program for Indian entrepreneurs in the $2,000-$20,000 loan size bracket. This is a segment that is well beyond traditional micro-finance, but also somewhat below the scope of the regular financial institutions. Hardika intends to build a financial institution focused on this segment with financing from social entrepreneurship oriented venture funds like Unitus.



It turns out that in my Vision India 2020 book, I have a similar project called FDBI. My personal analysis is that to make a financial institution successful by catering to the said segment will require a tight control of the types of businesses that are financed. This is why I have focused on micro-franchise oriented businesses where a tightly controlled structure is replicated across a large number of small businesses. My recommendation to Hardika is to study the FDBI project

DaisyClip

Next Annette McClellan presented DaisyClip, a non-surgical contraception device for women that she is in the process of syndicating a $1.8 million financing round for. Her market penetration plan is to start with India, and she wanted to know what kinds of options/connections we could provide. Well, there are some government and NGO contacts that I have in mind for her to explore. However, she will, of course, need to clear the clinical trials and get the proper regulatory approvals.

Voices.com

Our next presenter was David Ciccarelli discussing Voices.com, an interesting niche marketplace for freelance voice talent used by businesses and entertainment companies. David has 25,000 freelancers of which about 20% are paying subscribers (a very good number). He also has 120,000 companies using the talent from his marketplace.



David asked how to convert more of his users to paying users. I pointed him to the oDesk case study in which I have discussed the strategy for a marketplace in great detail. David is also struggling with the notion of his community taking the transactions offline.

Well, eLance has experienced similar problems, and I asked David to concentrate on communicating to his user base of service providers the value of building a reputation through references and reviews/customer feedback. Taking the transaction offline would mean the service provider would not get any feedback from the transaction. Nor will she or he get any assistance with dispute resolution, for example. Overall, I felt that making the reputation-building features available only to the premium members would be a good way to convert more free users to paying customers.

Marketing Green Products and Services to Indian Consumers

Then Tarini Kinkar discussed a media concept for marketing green products and services to Indian consumers. The business idea was not very well fleshed out, and needs a lot of work still. One of my key concerns is that the level of awareness about green and environmentally conscious issues is very, very low in India. Also, the business model for the business is unclear.

Klonos
bench craft company scam

UK Police Hunt Killer of Landscape Architect Joanna Yeates

A murder investigation is under way in England today after police confirmed that a 25-year-old landscape architect, whose snow-covered body was found on Christmas Day by dog walkers, was strangled. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones ...

NJ Gov. - AOL <b>News</b>

There's no word on whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his family visited Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park this week as his state was buried in a real blizzard, but the rising Republican rock star may have seen his ...

Fox Utterly Destroys Cable <b>News</b> Ratings Competition in 2010 <b>...</b>

The blowout comes on the heels on Fox News' surging 2009, when the News Corp.-owned channel posted its highest-rated year in the network's 13-year history. (Overall, cable news audiences were down across the board -- though FNC's ...

bench craft company scam

UK Police Hunt Killer of Landscape Architect Joanna Yeates

A murder investigation is under way in England today after police confirmed that a 25-year-old landscape architect, whose snow-covered body was found on Christmas Day by dog walkers, was strangled. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones ...

NJ Gov. - AOL <b>News</b>

There's no word on whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his family visited Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park this week as his state was buried in a real blizzard, but the rising Republican rock star may have seen his ...

Fox Utterly Destroys Cable <b>News</b> Ratings Competition in 2010 <b>...</b>

The blowout comes on the heels on Fox News' surging 2009, when the News Corp.-owned channel posted its highest-rated year in the network's 13-year history. (Overall, cable news audiences were down across the board -- though FNC's ...

bench craft company scam

UK Police Hunt Killer of Landscape Architect Joanna Yeates

A murder investigation is under way in England today after police confirmed that a 25-year-old landscape architect, whose snow-covered body was found on Christmas Day by dog walkers, was strangled. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones ...

NJ Gov. - AOL <b>News</b>

There's no word on whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his family visited Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park this week as his state was buried in a real blizzard, but the rising Republican rock star may have seen his ...

Fox Utterly Destroys Cable <b>News</b> Ratings Competition in 2010 <b>...</b>

The blowout comes on the heels on Fox News' surging 2009, when the News Corp.-owned channel posted its highest-rated year in the network's 13-year history. (Overall, cable news audiences were down across the board -- though FNC's ...

bench craft company scam

UK Police Hunt Killer of Landscape Architect Joanna Yeates

A murder investigation is under way in England today after police confirmed that a 25-year-old landscape architect, whose snow-covered body was found on Christmas Day by dog walkers, was strangled. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones ...

NJ Gov. - AOL <b>News</b>

There's no word on whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his family visited Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park this week as his state was buried in a real blizzard, but the rising Republican rock star may have seen his ...

Fox Utterly Destroys Cable <b>News</b> Ratings Competition in 2010 <b>...</b>

The blowout comes on the heels on Fox News' surging 2009, when the News Corp.-owned channel posted its highest-rated year in the network's 13-year history. (Overall, cable news audiences were down across the board -- though FNC's ...

bench craft company scam

UK Police Hunt Killer of Landscape Architect Joanna Yeates

A murder investigation is under way in England today after police confirmed that a 25-year-old landscape architect, whose snow-covered body was found on Christmas Day by dog walkers, was strangled. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones ...

NJ Gov. - AOL <b>News</b>

There's no word on whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his family visited Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park this week as his state was buried in a real blizzard, but the rising Republican rock star may have seen his ...

Fox Utterly Destroys Cable <b>News</b> Ratings Competition in 2010 <b>...</b>

The blowout comes on the heels on Fox News' surging 2009, when the News Corp.-owned channel posted its highest-rated year in the network's 13-year history. (Overall, cable news audiences were down across the board -- though FNC's ...

bench craft company scam

UK Police Hunt Killer of Landscape Architect Joanna Yeates

A murder investigation is under way in England today after police confirmed that a 25-year-old landscape architect, whose snow-covered body was found on Christmas Day by dog walkers, was strangled. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones ...

NJ Gov. - AOL <b>News</b>

There's no word on whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his family visited Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park this week as his state was buried in a real blizzard, but the rising Republican rock star may have seen his ...

Fox Utterly Destroys Cable <b>News</b> Ratings Competition in 2010 <b>...</b>

The blowout comes on the heels on Fox News' surging 2009, when the News Corp.-owned channel posted its highest-rated year in the network's 13-year history. (Overall, cable news audiences were down across the board -- though FNC's ...

bench craft company scam

UK Police Hunt Killer of Landscape Architect Joanna Yeates

A murder investigation is under way in England today after police confirmed that a 25-year-old landscape architect, whose snow-covered body was found on Christmas Day by dog walkers, was strangled. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones ...

NJ Gov. - AOL <b>News</b>

There's no word on whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his family visited Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park this week as his state was buried in a real blizzard, but the rising Republican rock star may have seen his ...

Fox Utterly Destroys Cable <b>News</b> Ratings Competition in 2010 <b>...</b>

The blowout comes on the heels on Fox News' surging 2009, when the News Corp.-owned channel posted its highest-rated year in the network's 13-year history. (Overall, cable news audiences were down across the board -- though FNC's ...

bench craft company scam

UK Police Hunt Killer of Landscape Architect Joanna Yeates

A murder investigation is under way in England today after police confirmed that a 25-year-old landscape architect, whose snow-covered body was found on Christmas Day by dog walkers, was strangled. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones ...

NJ Gov. - AOL <b>News</b>

There's no word on whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his family visited Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park this week as his state was buried in a real blizzard, but the rising Republican rock star may have seen his ...

Fox Utterly Destroys Cable <b>News</b> Ratings Competition in 2010 <b>...</b>

The blowout comes on the heels on Fox News' surging 2009, when the News Corp.-owned channel posted its highest-rated year in the network's 13-year history. (Overall, cable news audiences were down across the board -- though FNC's ...

bench craft company scam

UK Police Hunt Killer of Landscape Architect Joanna Yeates

A murder investigation is under way in England today after police confirmed that a 25-year-old landscape architect, whose snow-covered body was found on Christmas Day by dog walkers, was strangled. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones ...

NJ Gov. - AOL <b>News</b>

There's no word on whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his family visited Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park this week as his state was buried in a real blizzard, but the rising Republican rock star may have seen his ...

Fox Utterly Destroys Cable <b>News</b> Ratings Competition in 2010 <b>...</b>

The blowout comes on the heels on Fox News' surging 2009, when the News Corp.-owned channel posted its highest-rated year in the network's 13-year history. (Overall, cable news audiences were down across the board -- though FNC's ...

bench craft company scam

UK Police Hunt Killer of Landscape Architect Joanna Yeates

A murder investigation is under way in England today after police confirmed that a 25-year-old landscape architect, whose snow-covered body was found on Christmas Day by dog walkers, was strangled. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones ...

NJ Gov. - AOL <b>News</b>

There's no word on whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his family visited Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park this week as his state was buried in a real blizzard, but the rising Republican rock star may have seen his ...

Fox Utterly Destroys Cable <b>News</b> Ratings Competition in 2010 <b>...</b>

The blowout comes on the heels on Fox News' surging 2009, when the News Corp.-owned channel posted its highest-rated year in the network's 13-year history. (Overall, cable news audiences were down across the board -- though FNC's ...

bench craft company scam

UK Police Hunt Killer of Landscape Architect Joanna Yeates

A murder investigation is under way in England today after police confirmed that a 25-year-old landscape architect, whose snow-covered body was found on Christmas Day by dog walkers, was strangled. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones ...

NJ Gov. - AOL <b>News</b>

There's no word on whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his family visited Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park this week as his state was buried in a real blizzard, but the rising Republican rock star may have seen his ...

Fox Utterly Destroys Cable <b>News</b> Ratings Competition in 2010 <b>...</b>

The blowout comes on the heels on Fox News' surging 2009, when the News Corp.-owned channel posted its highest-rated year in the network's 13-year history. (Overall, cable news audiences were down across the board -- though FNC's ...

bench craft company scam

Making Money Web

The Social Analyst is a column by Mashable Co-Editor Ben Parr, where he digs into social media trends and how they are affecting companies in the space.

When Google first announced Chrome OS, the questions surrounding it were numerous and the expectations were off the charts. Many wondered whether it was Google’s attempt to destroy Microsoft or if it would cannibalize Android instead.

It’s more than a year later, and Google has finally unveiled Chrome OS. While it’s not ready for prime time quite yet, the search giant has created a frenzy with the release of the CR-48 test notebook.

Still, the questions remain. Who is Google targeting with Chrome OS? Why does it have both Android and Chrome OS? What are the company’s strategic goals?

While some critics have been attacking the flaws in the OS (forgetting it’s still incomplete) or predicting its demise, they’re not addressing the bigger picture. Chrome OS is just one piece of a master plan focused on shifting the world even further onto the web and satisfying the Google Revenue Equation.

Google’s Strategy With Chrome OS

When Chrome OS was first announced, I argued that the cloud-based operating system didn’t need to outsell Windows in order to achieve its goals.

Here’s what I said back then:

“As long as you’re on the web, Google wins. So we need to stop framing the Google-Microsoft battle in the context of ‘Chrome OS vs. Windows,’ because Google will not win a straight up battle. And guess what? That’s not Google’s goal. We need to frame it in the larger context of the Google Revenue Equation and how much time we spend on the web.”

The Google Revenue Equation, as I defined it back then, is “Revenue = Amount of Time on the Web.” For every minute we spend on the web and every page we visit, Google makes more money from its vast advertising network.

A year later, I still believe I hit the nail on the head. Chrome OS completely eliminates the desktop and challenges you to only use the web to get things done. And you know what? In almost every case, there’s a web app to replace a program in your Windows Start Menu or Mac OS X Dock. I’ve been able to do almost everything on my CR-48 that I can on my PC or Macbook Pro. And for those few things I haven’t been able to accomplish, there will probably be an app in the Chrome Web Store that will eventually do it.

Chrome OS is an attempt to condition us to rely on the web rather than the desktop for our needs. But that’s just one of many avenues Google has for accomplishing its goals.

Getting Us on the Web, One Product at a Time

Chrome OS. The Chrome Web Store. Cloud Connect. Message Continuity. Google TV. Google Buzz. Android. All of these Google products are designed to get people to use the web for longer each day. They are helping push people to the online cloud, where Google dominates.

Android is Google’s vision of a web-centric mobile world. Google TV is its attempt to get you to browse the web on the living room screen. And Chrome OS is about weaning you off the desktop and getting you to use the browser exclusively.

For the vast majority of people, Chrome OS will satisfy their needs. Need to edit a photo? There’s an app for that. Want to play Solitaire? There’s an app for that too. Eventually there will be plenty of options for watching your favorite movies as well.

Because the OS is free and open-source though, we bet that devices running it will be a great deal cheaper than their Windows counterparts, making them attractive buys for price-conscious consumers. Even if Chrome OS flops in the market when it debuts in mid-2011, it’s still a relatively small investment for an experiment that has big potential for the company’s bottom line.

Google’s entire business model is based on getting you to stay on the Internet. If it can find a way to get you online for a minute longer every day, it’s a no-brainer for the company. Chrome OS is just a component of a bigger strategy to keep us eternally connected to the web.

InDinero

Billed as the Mint.com for small businesses, InDinero launched in early July and is a real-time financial dashboard for companies. The Y Combinator-backed startup is led by 20-year-old Jessica Mah, who got the idea for InDinero while she was selling items on eBay in middle school.

"I had no idea how much money I was actually making," Mah told us in July. Mah, who is obviously some kind of super-genius, graduated from UC Berkley's computer science program this year at the age of 19 and promptly began putting the finishing touches on the Web app, which closely resembles Mint.com.

InDinero is free for up to 50 transactions per month, $29.95 for up to 500, and $99.95 for an unlimited number of monthly transactions.

Rapportive

Rapportive may not have been designed specifically for small businesses, but it sure makes life for pretty much any business owner easier. The Gmail plugin creates a widget that sits to the right of any open email message and culls data from the Web to tell you exactly who miscellaneousperson@whateverbusiness.com really is.

Depending on how readily available such details are, Rapportive will pull an avatar image, name, job title, recent tweets and links to any active social networking profiles the person may have. You can even connect with somebody on LinkedIn via Rapportive, without leaving Gmail.

Next page: No longer is there a barrier for even the smallest of businesses to begin accepting credit cards where ever they may be...

bench craft company scam

Assange: Republicans, Democrats, Fox <b>News</b> conducting terrorism <b>...</b>

Assange counters 'high-tech terrorist' label by accusing his critics of terrorism.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

bench craft company scam

Assange: Republicans, Democrats, Fox <b>News</b> conducting terrorism <b>...</b>

Assange counters 'high-tech terrorist' label by accusing his critics of terrorism.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

bench craft company scam

Assange: Republicans, Democrats, Fox <b>News</b> conducting terrorism <b>...</b>

Assange counters 'high-tech terrorist' label by accusing his critics of terrorism.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

bench craft company scam

Assange: Republicans, Democrats, Fox <b>News</b> conducting terrorism <b>...</b>

Assange counters 'high-tech terrorist' label by accusing his critics of terrorism.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

bench craft company scam

Assange: Republicans, Democrats, Fox <b>News</b> conducting terrorism <b>...</b>

Assange counters 'high-tech terrorist' label by accusing his critics of terrorism.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

bench craft company scam

Assange: Republicans, Democrats, Fox <b>News</b> conducting terrorism <b>...</b>

Assange counters 'high-tech terrorist' label by accusing his critics of terrorism.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

bench craft company scam

Assange: Republicans, Democrats, Fox <b>News</b> conducting terrorism <b>...</b>

Assange counters 'high-tech terrorist' label by accusing his critics of terrorism.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

bench craft company scam

Assange: Republicans, Democrats, Fox <b>News</b> conducting terrorism <b>...</b>

Assange counters 'high-tech terrorist' label by accusing his critics of terrorism.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

bench craft company scam

Assange: Republicans, Democrats, Fox <b>News</b> conducting terrorism <b>...</b>

Assange counters 'high-tech terrorist' label by accusing his critics of terrorism.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

bench craft company scam

Assange: Republicans, Democrats, Fox <b>News</b> conducting terrorism <b>...</b>

Assange counters 'high-tech terrorist' label by accusing his critics of terrorism.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

bench craft company scam

Assange: Republicans, Democrats, Fox <b>News</b> conducting terrorism <b>...</b>

Assange counters 'high-tech terrorist' label by accusing his critics of terrorism.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 12/23 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning, Chiefs fans! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news. I'm going shopping!

The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 <b>News</b> launches

Today I'm very excited to tell you that Health 2.0 News is launching. We've had the Health 2.0 Blog for several years now and of course have extensively covered the world of Health 2.0 and the Health 2.0 Conferences on THCB. ...

bench craft company scam

Making Easy Money

Twice within four days, my name has popped up in the Bush-era secret cables uncovered by WikiLeaks. Lucky me. Though nowhere near as earth-shattering as the uncovering of American misdeeds in Iraq and Afghanistan, these classified cables provide a stunning and bizarre peek into the paranoid minds of the Bush White House when it came to the subject of one Michael Francis Moore.

And considering how WikiLeaks has released only 1,826 cables of its planned drop of 251,287 -- and I've already played a starring role twice -- I can only say I await with bemused anticipation how the moi-storyline will play itself out.

The most recent secret cable revelation is in today's Guardian newspaper of London. It's entitled, "US Intervened in Michael Moore NZ Screening." Oh yeah, baby! New Zealand! That's where we'll stop Moore and his band of evildoers!

The date was July 30, 2004. Fahrenheit 9/11 was already a huge hit in the United States. Just to give you an idea how huge, it had hit #1 at the box office, the only documentary to have ever accomplished this feat, and had made more on its opening weekend than Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

But it was no easy path to get there. Disney (which owned Miramax) was apoplectic when they saw the final cut. So they pulled the film from its theatrical schedule. Then they put a permanent block on its release, ensuring no one would see it. But then the New York Times, in a front page story, reported that the real reason Disney hated Fahrenheit was they were worried about the tax breaks it got in Jeb Bush's Florida for Disney World. This caused some embarrassment, so Disney then sold Fahrenheit to the Weinstein Bros., who said they'd spend their own money to distribute it.

The release of the film caused concern at the White House, as this was the reelection year. They hired a pollster who told them the film might tip the election. That was enough for them to swing into action. Much of July was a nonstop barrage of attacks on me and the movie. But that just resulted in more tickets being sold.

Which brings us to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. There are few nations on earth further away from us. A local chapter of the ruling Labor Party apparently had decided to do a fundraising screening of Fahrenheit 9/11. It was to be hosted by the Prime Minister's Cabinet Secretary for the Environment.

Well, when the U.S. Embassy in Wellington got word of this, it was like all heck broke loose. America was offended! Phone calls were made to the Prime Minister! Then to the Cabinet Secretary! We... are... not... happy!

Apparently, the Kiwis backed down and the Cabinet Secretary withdrew as the host. A sigh of relief whiffed its way through the American embassy. Moore stopped! The cable back to Washington showed the embassy had no problem taking credit for putting the kabosh on yours truly:

... it is probable that this potential fiasco may only have been averted because of our phone calls -- it is apparent to us that neither the Minister nor anyone else in the Labour government seems to have thought there was anything wrong with a senior Minister hosting such an event.

So here's my question:

Really?

I mean, seriously -- really? This is how the Bush State Department was spending its time -- on a single screening of Fahrenheit 9/11 in freakin' New Zealand? Or maybe... was this kind of interference happening just to New Zealand? Call me crazy, but I gotta feelin' it doesn't stop there. Just as a health insurance executive has now come forward as a whistleblower to reveal the millions spent to smear Sicko, I can't help bt wait for the day when the whistleblower from the Bush White House comes forward to tell the fascinating tale of how the Bush team believed they had to do something -- anything -- to stop Fahrenheit. Or worse (like the "Plan B" the health insurance companies discussed -- to "push Michael Moore off a cliff."). I didn't want to think about what the Bush Plan B would be. Just wasn't worth the crazy-making. So I ignored the things I'd hear, kept my head down and motored on.

But, it does make you wonder. And I ask you, is it fair to pose the question: If they were this focused on some insignificant screening in New Zealand, what else were they up to? And I don't mean in regards to me. I mean anyone who was on their enemies list...

I can't wait to read more classified cables.

P.S. Of course, given the false claims the State Department made in the other "secret" cable about my movie Sicko, I guess anything was possible.

P.P.S. Don't miss the REAL revelations from just the first batch of WikiLeaks cables. For instance, the Obama administration worked together with Republicans to kill an investigation by Spain into Bush's torture. Pfizer hired a private investigator to dig up dirt on the attorney general of Nigeria. Bush's ambassador to France planned to "retaliate" against the country for standing up to Monsanto. And we're less than 1 percent of the way through ...

WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is a movie with big ideas on its mind, but it only knows how to communicate them in crayon. It’s a seriously stupid film that seems to have gotten a half-hearted pass from critics simply for being timely. I hesitate to even call it a sequel to Wall Street, since it’s relevant to that film in theme only; Gordon Gekko barely factors into the narrative, and on the rare occasion that he does, it only further exposes how dramatically inert the whole thing is. The rest of the runtime is spent on characters blathering buzzwords and financial jargon in an attempt to push an agenda so thoughtlessly constructed that it necessitates what’s essentially a big budget PowerPoint presentation in order to drive it home. Oh and hey look at that, here’s Susan Sarandon in a five minute role as Shia LaBeouf’s real estate agent mom. See, now we’re dealing with the housing market! God we’re topical!

Available on Blu-ray? Yes.

Notable Extras: DVD – A commentary by director Oliver Stone, and A Conversation with Oliver Stone and the Cast of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Blu-ray – Includes everything on the DVD, as well as a 5-part look at the real Wall Street (“Unfinished Business: Oliver Stone & Cast Revisit Wall Street”, “Gordon Gekko is Back: Character Study”, “Lifestyles of the Wall Street Rich and Infamous”, “A Tour of the streets of Wall Street”, “Trends, Schemes, and Economic Collapse – How did it Happen?”), deleted and extended scenes, an In Character With feature, and a digital copy of the film.

bench craft company scam

CBS <b>News</b> airs fake, typo-ridden cover of Bush&#39;s &#39;Decision Points <b>...</b>

During a Sunday book special, CBS News aired a misspelled, mocking cover of Bush's memoir Decision Points.

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...

Bad <b>news</b> from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at <b>...</b>

Bad news from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at Gitmo.

bench craft company scam

CBS <b>News</b> airs fake, typo-ridden cover of Bush&#39;s &#39;Decision Points <b>...</b>

During a Sunday book special, CBS News aired a misspelled, mocking cover of Bush's memoir Decision Points.

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...

Bad <b>news</b> from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at <b>...</b>

Bad news from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at Gitmo.

bench craft company scam

CBS <b>News</b> airs fake, typo-ridden cover of Bush&#39;s &#39;Decision Points <b>...</b>

During a Sunday book special, CBS News aired a misspelled, mocking cover of Bush's memoir Decision Points.

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...

Bad <b>news</b> from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at <b>...</b>

Bad news from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at Gitmo.

bench craft company scam

CBS <b>News</b> airs fake, typo-ridden cover of Bush&#39;s &#39;Decision Points <b>...</b>

During a Sunday book special, CBS News aired a misspelled, mocking cover of Bush's memoir Decision Points.

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...

Bad <b>news</b> from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at <b>...</b>

Bad news from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at Gitmo.

bench craft company scam

CBS <b>News</b> airs fake, typo-ridden cover of Bush&#39;s &#39;Decision Points <b>...</b>

During a Sunday book special, CBS News aired a misspelled, mocking cover of Bush's memoir Decision Points.

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...

Bad <b>news</b> from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at <b>...</b>

Bad news from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at Gitmo.

bench craft company scam

CBS <b>News</b> airs fake, typo-ridden cover of Bush&#39;s &#39;Decision Points <b>...</b>

During a Sunday book special, CBS News aired a misspelled, mocking cover of Bush's memoir Decision Points.

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...

Bad <b>news</b> from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at <b>...</b>

Bad news from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at Gitmo.

bench craft company scam

CBS <b>News</b> airs fake, typo-ridden cover of Bush&#39;s &#39;Decision Points <b>...</b>

During a Sunday book special, CBS News aired a misspelled, mocking cover of Bush's memoir Decision Points.

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...

Bad <b>news</b> from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at <b>...</b>

Bad news from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at Gitmo.

bench craft company scam

CBS <b>News</b> airs fake, typo-ridden cover of Bush&#39;s &#39;Decision Points <b>...</b>

During a Sunday book special, CBS News aired a misspelled, mocking cover of Bush's memoir Decision Points.

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...

Bad <b>news</b> from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at <b>...</b>

Bad news from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at Gitmo.

bench craft company scam

CBS <b>News</b> airs fake, typo-ridden cover of Bush&#39;s &#39;Decision Points <b>...</b>

During a Sunday book special, CBS News aired a misspelled, mocking cover of Bush's memoir Decision Points.

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...

Bad <b>news</b> from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at <b>...</b>

Bad news from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at Gitmo.

bench craft company scam

CBS <b>News</b> airs fake, typo-ridden cover of Bush&#39;s &#39;Decision Points <b>...</b>

During a Sunday book special, CBS News aired a misspelled, mocking cover of Bush's memoir Decision Points.

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...

Bad <b>news</b> from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at <b>...</b>

Bad news from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at Gitmo.

bench craft company scam

CBS <b>News</b> airs fake, typo-ridden cover of Bush&#39;s &#39;Decision Points <b>...</b>

During a Sunday book special, CBS News aired a misspelled, mocking cover of Bush's memoir Decision Points.

Facebook Rolling Out More Prominent Design of <b>News</b> Feed Filters

Facebook is rolling out a new way to filter the news feed. Users with access to the redesigned feature see a drop-down arrow beside their Most Recent news feed tab on the home page, revealing filters for status updates, Photos, Links, ...

Bad <b>news</b> from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at <b>...</b>

Bad news from freed detainee: The Jews used witchcraft on me at Gitmo.

bench craft company scam

manage personal finances

bench craft company scam machine

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

The week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Some ports have begun already and while this is overly exciting there is still plenty of other news that has gone down. Let's take a minute to look at some of the other stuff you may have missed. ...

<b>News</b> Corp&#39;s &#39;The Daily&#39; pub to hit iPad in January? -- Engadget

We heard News Corp's 'iPad newspaper' The Daily was on track for release in early 2011, but AllThingsD is hearing something more specific -- week.

dobench craft company scam pills work

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

The week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Some ports have begun already and while this is overly exciting there is still plenty of other news that has gone down. Let's take a minute to look at some of the other stuff you may have missed. ...

<b>News</b> Corp&#39;s &#39;The Daily&#39; pub to hit iPad in January? -- Engadget

We heard News Corp's 'iPad newspaper' The Daily was on track for release in early 2011, but AllThingsD is hearing something more specific -- week.

effective bench craft company scam

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

The week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Some ports have begun already and while this is overly exciting there is still plenty of other news that has gone down. Let's take a minute to look at some of the other stuff you may have missed. ...

<b>News</b> Corp&#39;s &#39;The Daily&#39; pub to hit iPad in January? -- Engadget

We heard News Corp's 'iPad newspaper' The Daily was on track for release in early 2011, but AllThingsD is hearing something more specific -- week.

homebench craft company scam

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

The week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Some ports have begun already and while this is overly exciting there is still plenty of other news that has gone down. Let's take a minute to look at some of the other stuff you may have missed. ...

<b>News</b> Corp&#39;s &#39;The Daily&#39; pub to hit iPad in January? -- Engadget

We heard News Corp's 'iPad newspaper' The Daily was on track for release in early 2011, but AllThingsD is hearing something more specific -- week.

bench craft company scam stretching

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

The week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Some ports have begun already and while this is overly exciting there is still plenty of other news that has gone down. Let's take a minute to look at some of the other stuff you may have missed. ...

<b>News</b> Corp&#39;s &#39;The Daily&#39; pub to hit iPad in January? -- Engadget

We heard News Corp's 'iPad newspaper' The Daily was on track for release in early 2011, but AllThingsD is hearing something more specific -- week.

bench craft company scam tips

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

The week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Some ports have begun already and while this is overly exciting there is still plenty of other news that has gone down. Let's take a minute to look at some of the other stuff you may have missed. ...

<b>News</b> Corp&#39;s &#39;The Daily&#39; pub to hit iPad in January? -- Engadget

We heard News Corp's 'iPad newspaper' The Daily was on track for release in early 2011, but AllThingsD is hearing something more specific -- week.

extreme bench craft company scam

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

The week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Some ports have begun already and while this is overly exciting there is still plenty of other news that has gone down. Let's take a minute to look at some of the other stuff you may have missed. ...

<b>News</b> Corp&#39;s &#39;The Daily&#39; pub to hit iPad in January? -- Engadget

We heard News Corp's 'iPad newspaper' The Daily was on track for release in early 2011, but AllThingsD is hearing something more specific -- week.

website

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

The week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Some ports have begun already and while this is overly exciting there is still plenty of other news that has gone down. Let's take a minute to look at some of the other stuff you may have missed. ...

<b>News</b> Corp&#39;s &#39;The Daily&#39; pub to hit iPad in January? -- Engadget

We heard News Corp's 'iPad newspaper' The Daily was on track for release in early 2011, but AllThingsD is hearing something more specific -- week.

bench craft company scam enlargement pumps

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

The week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Some ports have begun already and while this is overly exciting there is still plenty of other news that has gone down. Let's take a minute to look at some of the other stuff you may have missed. ...

<b>News</b> Corp&#39;s &#39;The Daily&#39; pub to hit iPad in January? -- Engadget

We heard News Corp's 'iPad newspaper' The Daily was on track for release in early 2011, but AllThingsD is hearing something more specific -- week.

- h p -

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

The week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Some ports have begun already and while this is overly exciting there is still plenty of other news that has gone down. Let's take a minute to look at some of the other stuff you may have missed. ...

<b>News</b> Corp&#39;s &#39;The Daily&#39; pub to hit iPad in January? -- Engadget

We heard News Corp's 'iPad newspaper' The Daily was on track for release in early 2011, but AllThingsD is hearing something more specific -- week.

best bench craft company scam pill

Fox <b>News</b> Viewers Are The Most Misinformed: Study

UPDATE: Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New ...

The week in Android <b>News</b> | Android Central

Some ports have begun already and while this is overly exciting there is still plenty of other news that has gone down. Let's take a minute to look at some of the other stuff you may have missed. ...

<b>News</b> Corp&#39;s &#39;The Daily&#39; pub to hit iPad in January? -- Engadget

We heard News Corp's 'iPad newspaper' The Daily was on track for release in early 2011, but AllThingsD is hearing something more specific -- week.

bench craft company scam surgery cost

Making Money Off Youtube

Amid a shrinking home entertainment market, many in Hollywood have questioned whether any investment in a film library these days is a wise one. However, people close to Colony said the firm is convinced that Miramax was a largely ignored asset that will generate enough cash to repay the debt portion of the purchase within four years.

The library comes with about $300 million in revenue committed from existing deals, along with approximately $100 million in projected revenue for movies released in the last 10 years, people close to the acquisition said.

Under Lang, the new Miramax is expected to explore making a digital distribution deal with Google’s YouTube, building miramax.com as a destination site to view movies online, and launching a new cable channel devoted to its library, which includes titles such as "Shakespeare In Love" and "Chicago." The new owners will also seek a new distributor for Miramax's DVDs, a service that will continue to be handled by Disney for the next several months.

The new Miramax will have between 60 and 80 employees and about $15 million in annual overhead spending, said people with knowledge of the plans. Though executives will explore rights deals and partnerships for sequels and spinoffs based on its library, Miramax won’t finance the production of new films for at least a year, those people said.

A key figure in the Miramax negotiations was Nanula, a longtime senior executive at Disney who served as chief financial officer when the company acquired the specialty studio in 1993 from the Weinsteins.

When his boss, Barrack, gave him a green light to pursue entertainment acquisitions in late June, Nanula suggested they look at Miramax. Barrack contacted Tutor, who was already in talks with Disney to buy Miramax after a previous deal with Burkle and the Weinstein brothers collapsed.

As he had longstanding relationships with several Disney executives, including its lead negotiator, Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy Kevin Mayer, Nanula spearheaded the talks beginning in early July. He and fellow Colony principal Justin Chang helped to shape the deal that Colony, Tutor and Disney agreed to in principle on July 23.

In the ensuing four months, many details of the purchase were reshaped, as investors originally brought in by Tutor, including Morgan Creek Productions Chief Executive James Robinson, were replaced by parties associated with Colony, most notably the Qatar fund.

Colony and Tutor plan to begin assembling their executive team in the coming weeks. Along with Lang, who has extensive experience in digital media, they are expected to hire a senior television distribution executive to sell Miramax movies to cable and broadcast networks around the world. At one point, talks were underway with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer TV executive Jim Packer, but the two sides didn't reach an agreement.

-- Ben Fritz

Related:

Ron Tutor-led group closes Miramax deal

New Miramax closing in on CEO, other executives

Disney agrees to sell Miramax to investor group led by Ron Tutor

Top photo: Thomas J. Barrack. Bottom photo: Richard Nanula. Credit: Colony Capital.

Honesty time: I don’t watch Dancing with the Stars, but I’m going to suck it up and try to watch for the sake of my…ahem…art. Apparently, this Maksim Chmerkovskiy guy is quite the heartthrob. He doesn’t really rock my boat, but I don’t judge. I know a lot of people don’t understand my attraction to Orlando Bloom. He’s just so pretty!

But back to Maksim. First off, he’s still on the show. His partner is Brandy. He’s not the one who’s been out and about holding hands with Bristol Palin. He was engaged to fellow DwtS dancer Karina Smirnoff for a time and reportedly hooked up with former partner Erin Andrews. I’m not sure about his relationship status now.

Bullying is a hot topic, and Maks he says he was bullied as a kid for being a dancer.

The 30-year-old was born in the USSR but his family immigrated to the US when he was 14, where he had problems making friends due to the language barrier and his love of dance.

“I was always small and skinny. I’d sit at the back of the room in school because I didn’t have many friends, because I had different interests….There was the usual sexuality-related stuff, people calling me gay. When I’d say I danced, people would act like I was diseased. Halloween sucked for me, as my windows would be egged. It hurt and was very upsetting.

I was absolutely picked on. When we moved to the U.S., my second day I was beaten up and had my roller blades stolen. I was 14. But all that was an invaluable lesson to me in determination. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!”

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition, November 15, 2010]

Maks credits his family with helping him through the bullying, but also thanks the same kids who bullied him.

“I went out a few months ago and ran into some kids I went to school with who were in cliques I didn’t belong to. The guys came up to me and said, ‘Maks, mad respect! We always knew you’d make it.’ I was like, ‘That’s funny. When you bullied me for my lunch money, it didn’t sound like you were respecting me.’ They apologized. I credit my success to the kids who beat me up!

Bullying is upsetting and shameful, but the shame is on the bully. My advice is to find a place you can go to where you feel you belong…Change your environment if you have to. Start over. Your life has too much of a price to throw it away!”

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition, November 15, 2010]

It seems like Maks is jumping on the “Famous People Who Were Also Bullied” bandwagon, basically telling kids being bullied to suck it up like he did and turn it into a positive experience. If YouTube and Facebook has existed 15 years ago when was being bullied, he may realize that bullying can be more severe when it also ends up online for everyone to see.

On the other hand, he does reinforce the “It Gets Better” message, which can be helpful to teens who think high school is the eternal ninth circle of hell. At least that’s what it was like for me, until I left for college. College didn’t change me from a geek to a swan, but like Maks said, I found other geeks like me to hang around with.

As for Maks, he competes tonight on Dancing with the Stars on ABC, where they will do the “insta-dance.” This means the couples won’t find out which song they’ll be dancing to until they’re on the dance floor.

Photos courtesy of WENN. Note by Kaiser: He has a really tiny head!





bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...

bench craft company scam

Planet In The Sky With Diamonds - Science <b>News</b>

Carbon-rich world discovered 1200 light-years away.

Saudi Arabia - Fox <b>News</b> - David Letterman | Mediaite

Here's an interesting tidbit we can thank jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for: according to cables included in the recent WikiLeaks document drop, informants have told diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia that American ...

Fox <b>News</b> Boss Ordered Staffers To Echo GOP Talking Point About <b>...</b>

Media Matters has obtained leaked emails that show how a top Washington editor at Fox News directed his journalists not to use the phrase "public option." Instead, Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, told staffers to use ...