Help Making Money

Just FYI and not a commercial endorsement but I've been struggling with this idea that the U.S. gov't will somehow get their hooks into my IRA account. Apparently they've floated the idea, no link though.

I went with what's called a "checkbook" IRA that is essentially a LLC that is personally owed and acts as the IRA holder. An IRA servicer is the official administrator (perhaps wrong technical term).

How it works after it is all set up is your IRA funds go to the servicer who in return wires them into your LLC account which you have set up with a local credit union or bank. You have to invest those funds in accordance with IRS guidelines, but you can take physical delivery of PM's for instance.

I used IRA financial services out of florida who in turn uses IRA Services out of California. The transaction went off without a hitch. I ordered from Apmex and wired the funds from the LLC account, had them sent to me (in the name of the LLC) and then transferred them to another physical location where they are out of the reach of the US gov't and other unsavory characters.

Might be something to consider for those of you looking to get your IRA out of the sights of the gov't without taking an immediate tax hit or early withdrawal hit. Possession being 9/10th's of the law and all.

Thanksgiving is almost here, and that means there's only a month of shopping left in the holiday season. However, while this can be a scary realization for many people, you don't have to worry — because we've got ideas for the geeks on your list (or anyone else you want to convert to a life of geekery) covered.

This year, we're giving you the next best thing to actually buying the gifts for you. Your friendly neighborhood Splash Page team has come up with a wide-ranging list of books, games, toys, music and various other things to buy for everyone on your list — from the hardcore fanboys and fangirls to someone who's still learning the difference between Green Lantern and Green Hornet.

In the end, we tried to avoid some of the most obvious comics-related gifts this year and give you a mash-up of our own wishlists and the items we're planning to buy for our own friends and family. Here's hoping you find it helpful when it comes time for you to start dropping your hard-earned money on manufactured holiday joy.

If you're buying gifts for someone new to comics or in need of a familiar name or title to catch their attention, how about "The Dark Tower" graphic novels (based on the popular Stephen King novels) or Dark Horse Comics' "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or "Serenity" comics (based on Joss Whedon's fan-favorite television series)? They all feature original stories that unfold within and expand the world each one is based upon. There's also IDW Publishing's critically praised "Parker" graphic novels based on the crime-noir novels of Donald Westlake (which also inspired such movies as "Point Blank" and "Payback"). "The Hunter" and "The Outfit" are available now, and they're as beautiful to look at as they are to read.

If you're shopping for someone who loves music almost as much as comics, why not pick up an album by nerd rockers Kirby Krackle? It's filled with ridiculously cool, addictively sing-able tunes about comics, gaming, love, and, well... everything else that being a geek is all about. My favorite track? An ode to Green Lantern titled "Ring Capacity." It's brilliant. Also worth checking out is "Zero Day," the latest album from nerdcore rapper extraordinaire MC Frontalot (named the "rapper laureate" of the massively successful "Penny Arcade" webcomic), as well as the awesomely indie soundtrack for this year's hit film "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World." Oh, and if you're looking to give someone a nostalgia-inducing trip down memory lane, snag them a copy of "The Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection." It's a collection of popular and little-known jingles (who knew "The Atom" had a theme song?) featuring DC characters.

If you're shopping for young readers, pick up a copy of "Tiny Titans/Lil Archie." The books combine all-ages superhero fun with classic Archie characters and sensibility. You might also want to check out Boom Studios' "Muppet Show" comics and Archaia Studios' "Fraggle Rock" comics. Both of these series are just as good as the television shows they're based on, and to be honest, you'll probably enjoy the heck out of 'em, too.

For older readers, why not pick up a few novels written by and for comics fans. Matt Myklusch's "Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation" is a great novel that feels a lot like the "Harry Potter" series, except instead of magic and wizards, it deals with superheroes and supervillains. There's also "Machine of Death: A Collection of Stories About People Who Know How They Will Die," featuring a bunch of stories written (and occasionally illustrated) by some of the biggest names in the webcomics world, including "Dinosaur Comics" creator Ryan North and "Wondermark" creator David Malki.

Looking to help someone prep for next year's slate of comic book movies? Ryan Reynolds name-dropped "Green Lantern: Secret Origin" as one of the books that inspired the upcoming movie, so it can't hurt to revisit Geoff Johns' origin story. On the other side, Marvel's upcoming slate of movies all draw heavily from the publisher's line of "Ultimate" comics, so picking up the first volume of "The Ultimates" (the "Ultimate"-universe version of The Avengers) will get readers ready for what's to come in 2011 and beyond.

Buying for a comics fan with some gaming tendencies? You can't go wrong with "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions" for various systems, which gives players the opportunity to web-swing as several different incarnations of Spider-Man over the years. There's also the downloadable game based on "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" for the Playstation Network, and the all-ages friendly "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" for the Nintendo Wii. All three games are bunches of comics-inspired fun.

Beyond the normal DVD and Blu-Ray suggestions of "Iron Man 2," "Kick-Ass," "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" and other recent big-screen adaptations, you might want to consider some outside-the-box selections like "Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods," a documentary about one of the comics industry's most celebrated writers of the modern era. There's also "Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist," which puts the spotlight on one of the greatest creators ever to craft a comic. If documentaries aren't exactly what you're searching for, pick up a copy of "DC Showcase Collection." It's a collection of the excellent animated shorts DC and Warner Bros. have included on their larger animated features the last year or so, focusing on lesser-known characters. Every one of them is animated gold.

If you know someone who enjoys the latest television series based on comics like "The Walking Dead" or "Human Target," why not introduce them to the source material? Image Comics' "The Walking Dead Compendium, Volume 1" collects the first eight chapters of the comic in one hefty book. And though it doesn't quite match up with the comic, Vertigo's "Human Target: Chance Meetings" collects several great storylines from writer Peter Milligan's celebrated work on the series and offers a nice example of why the character is so popular.

On the toy front, we'd be fools not to point you in the direction of Hasbro's awesome Iron Man 2 helmet. It's made to fit just about any head, and is both ridiculously cool and surprisingly comfortable to wear on a regular basis (trust me on this). Of course, if you're buying for kids, you might as well complete the package and buy the Iron Man 2 3-in-1 Repulsor and Iron Man 2 Arc Light — just for the sake of completion. (Note: Star Wars fans, there's a Boba Fett version of the helmet, too.)

And finally, if you're looking for something that will look great on a bookshelf and is as much a status symbol as it is reading material, DC's "Absolute Planetary" hardcovers come with a hefty price tag but are well worth the price. If that's along the lines of what you're looking for, Image Comics' "Spawn Origins Collection" hardcover is another book that will not only be appreciated by whoever receives it, but will make you look that much cooler for picking it out.

And that's about it for the first-ever MTV Splash Page Gift Guide. Here's hoping it gives you some shopping suggestions for the geeks on your list (especially if you're one of them).

Happy shopping, and an early Happy Holidays from MTV Splash Page!

Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter! You can also follow me, Splash Page editor Rick Marshall, on Twitter!

Tags gift guide 2010

bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

bench craft company rip off
Apple ya vende paquetes de tarjetas de regalo IPAD | iLounge <b> Noticias </ b> de noticias iLounge discutir el Apple ahora vende paquetes de tarjetas de regalo IPAD. Buscar más noticias de Apple iPod de los principales independientes, el iPhone, y el sitio de IPAD.

Fox <b> Noticias </ b> Co-anfitrión Bill Hemmer es un puente adrenalina JunkieFormer bungee ahora consigue su emoción el camino mucha gente - de Fox News Channel.

Campamento Carnahan Para Fox News <b> </ b>: ¿Por qué solo nosotros fuera? | TPMMuckrakerLawyers para el ex candidato al Senado Robin Carnahan argumentan que la cadena Fox News es singularizar el demócrata de Missouri en su demanda alegando su campaña violado los derechos de autor de la red.


bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

bench craft company rip off

Just FYI and not a commercial endorsement but I've been struggling with this idea that the U.S. gov't will somehow get their hooks into my IRA account. Apparently they've floated the idea, no link though.

I went with what's called a "checkbook" IRA that is essentially a LLC that is personally owed and acts as the IRA holder. An IRA servicer is the official administrator (perhaps wrong technical term).

How it works after it is all set up is your IRA funds go to the servicer who in return wires them into your LLC account which you have set up with a local credit union or bank. You have to invest those funds in accordance with IRS guidelines, but you can take physical delivery of PM's for instance.

I used IRA financial services out of florida who in turn uses IRA Services out of California. The transaction went off without a hitch. I ordered from Apmex and wired the funds from the LLC account, had them sent to me (in the name of the LLC) and then transferred them to another physical location where they are out of the reach of the US gov't and other unsavory characters.

Might be something to consider for those of you looking to get your IRA out of the sights of the gov't without taking an immediate tax hit or early withdrawal hit. Possession being 9/10th's of the law and all.

Thanksgiving is almost here, and that means there's only a month of shopping left in the holiday season. However, while this can be a scary realization for many people, you don't have to worry — because we've got ideas for the geeks on your list (or anyone else you want to convert to a life of geekery) covered.

This year, we're giving you the next best thing to actually buying the gifts for you. Your friendly neighborhood Splash Page team has come up with a wide-ranging list of books, games, toys, music and various other things to buy for everyone on your list — from the hardcore fanboys and fangirls to someone who's still learning the difference between Green Lantern and Green Hornet.

In the end, we tried to avoid some of the most obvious comics-related gifts this year and give you a mash-up of our own wishlists and the items we're planning to buy for our own friends and family. Here's hoping you find it helpful when it comes time for you to start dropping your hard-earned money on manufactured holiday joy.

If you're buying gifts for someone new to comics or in need of a familiar name or title to catch their attention, how about "The Dark Tower" graphic novels (based on the popular Stephen King novels) or Dark Horse Comics' "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or "Serenity" comics (based on Joss Whedon's fan-favorite television series)? They all feature original stories that unfold within and expand the world each one is based upon. There's also IDW Publishing's critically praised "Parker" graphic novels based on the crime-noir novels of Donald Westlake (which also inspired such movies as "Point Blank" and "Payback"). "The Hunter" and "The Outfit" are available now, and they're as beautiful to look at as they are to read.

If you're shopping for someone who loves music almost as much as comics, why not pick up an album by nerd rockers Kirby Krackle? It's filled with ridiculously cool, addictively sing-able tunes about comics, gaming, love, and, well... everything else that being a geek is all about. My favorite track? An ode to Green Lantern titled "Ring Capacity." It's brilliant. Also worth checking out is "Zero Day," the latest album from nerdcore rapper extraordinaire MC Frontalot (named the "rapper laureate" of the massively successful "Penny Arcade" webcomic), as well as the awesomely indie soundtrack for this year's hit film "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World." Oh, and if you're looking to give someone a nostalgia-inducing trip down memory lane, snag them a copy of "The Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection." It's a collection of popular and little-known jingles (who knew "The Atom" had a theme song?) featuring DC characters.

If you're shopping for young readers, pick up a copy of "Tiny Titans/Lil Archie." The books combine all-ages superhero fun with classic Archie characters and sensibility. You might also want to check out Boom Studios' "Muppet Show" comics and Archaia Studios' "Fraggle Rock" comics. Both of these series are just as good as the television shows they're based on, and to be honest, you'll probably enjoy the heck out of 'em, too.

For older readers, why not pick up a few novels written by and for comics fans. Matt Myklusch's "Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation" is a great novel that feels a lot like the "Harry Potter" series, except instead of magic and wizards, it deals with superheroes and supervillains. There's also "Machine of Death: A Collection of Stories About People Who Know How They Will Die," featuring a bunch of stories written (and occasionally illustrated) by some of the biggest names in the webcomics world, including "Dinosaur Comics" creator Ryan North and "Wondermark" creator David Malki.

Looking to help someone prep for next year's slate of comic book movies? Ryan Reynolds name-dropped "Green Lantern: Secret Origin" as one of the books that inspired the upcoming movie, so it can't hurt to revisit Geoff Johns' origin story. On the other side, Marvel's upcoming slate of movies all draw heavily from the publisher's line of "Ultimate" comics, so picking up the first volume of "The Ultimates" (the "Ultimate"-universe version of The Avengers) will get readers ready for what's to come in 2011 and beyond.

Buying for a comics fan with some gaming tendencies? You can't go wrong with "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions" for various systems, which gives players the opportunity to web-swing as several different incarnations of Spider-Man over the years. There's also the downloadable game based on "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" for the Playstation Network, and the all-ages friendly "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" for the Nintendo Wii. All three games are bunches of comics-inspired fun.

Beyond the normal DVD and Blu-Ray suggestions of "Iron Man 2," "Kick-Ass," "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" and other recent big-screen adaptations, you might want to consider some outside-the-box selections like "Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods," a documentary about one of the comics industry's most celebrated writers of the modern era. There's also "Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist," which puts the spotlight on one of the greatest creators ever to craft a comic. If documentaries aren't exactly what you're searching for, pick up a copy of "DC Showcase Collection." It's a collection of the excellent animated shorts DC and Warner Bros. have included on their larger animated features the last year or so, focusing on lesser-known characters. Every one of them is animated gold.

If you know someone who enjoys the latest television series based on comics like "The Walking Dead" or "Human Target," why not introduce them to the source material? Image Comics' "The Walking Dead Compendium, Volume 1" collects the first eight chapters of the comic in one hefty book. And though it doesn't quite match up with the comic, Vertigo's "Human Target: Chance Meetings" collects several great storylines from writer Peter Milligan's celebrated work on the series and offers a nice example of why the character is so popular.

On the toy front, we'd be fools not to point you in the direction of Hasbro's awesome Iron Man 2 helmet. It's made to fit just about any head, and is both ridiculously cool and surprisingly comfortable to wear on a regular basis (trust me on this). Of course, if you're buying for kids, you might as well complete the package and buy the Iron Man 2 3-in-1 Repulsor and Iron Man 2 Arc Light — just for the sake of completion. (Note: Star Wars fans, there's a Boba Fett version of the helmet, too.)

And finally, if you're looking for something that will look great on a bookshelf and is as much a status symbol as it is reading material, DC's "Absolute Planetary" hardcovers come with a hefty price tag but are well worth the price. If that's along the lines of what you're looking for, Image Comics' "Spawn Origins Collection" hardcover is another book that will not only be appreciated by whoever receives it, but will make you look that much cooler for picking it out.

And that's about it for the first-ever MTV Splash Page Gift Guide. Here's hoping it gives you some shopping suggestions for the geeks on your list (especially if you're one of them).

Happy shopping, and an early Happy Holidays from MTV Splash Page!

Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter! You can also follow me, Splash Page editor Rick Marshall, on Twitter!

Tags gift guide 2010

bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

bench craft company rip off

Just FYI and not a commercial endorsement but I've been struggling with this idea that the U.S. gov't will somehow get their hooks into my IRA account. Apparently they've floated the idea, no link though.

I went with what's called a "checkbook" IRA that is essentially a LLC that is personally owed and acts as the IRA holder. An IRA servicer is the official administrator (perhaps wrong technical term).

How it works after it is all set up is your IRA funds go to the servicer who in return wires them into your LLC account which you have set up with a local credit union or bank. You have to invest those funds in accordance with IRS guidelines, but you can take physical delivery of PM's for instance.

I used IRA financial services out of florida who in turn uses IRA Services out of California. The transaction went off without a hitch. I ordered from Apmex and wired the funds from the LLC account, had them sent to me (in the name of the LLC) and then transferred them to another physical location where they are out of the reach of the US gov't and other unsavory characters.

Might be something to consider for those of you looking to get your IRA out of the sights of the gov't without taking an immediate tax hit or early withdrawal hit. Possession being 9/10th's of the law and all.

Thanksgiving is almost here, and that means there's only a month of shopping left in the holiday season. However, while this can be a scary realization for many people, you don't have to worry — because we've got ideas for the geeks on your list (or anyone else you want to convert to a life of geekery) covered.

This year, we're giving you the next best thing to actually buying the gifts for you. Your friendly neighborhood Splash Page team has come up with a wide-ranging list of books, games, toys, music and various other things to buy for everyone on your list — from the hardcore fanboys and fangirls to someone who's still learning the difference between Green Lantern and Green Hornet.

In the end, we tried to avoid some of the most obvious comics-related gifts this year and give you a mash-up of our own wishlists and the items we're planning to buy for our own friends and family. Here's hoping you find it helpful when it comes time for you to start dropping your hard-earned money on manufactured holiday joy.

If you're buying gifts for someone new to comics or in need of a familiar name or title to catch their attention, how about "The Dark Tower" graphic novels (based on the popular Stephen King novels) or Dark Horse Comics' "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or "Serenity" comics (based on Joss Whedon's fan-favorite television series)? They all feature original stories that unfold within and expand the world each one is based upon. There's also IDW Publishing's critically praised "Parker" graphic novels based on the crime-noir novels of Donald Westlake (which also inspired such movies as "Point Blank" and "Payback"). "The Hunter" and "The Outfit" are available now, and they're as beautiful to look at as they are to read.

If you're shopping for someone who loves music almost as much as comics, why not pick up an album by nerd rockers Kirby Krackle? It's filled with ridiculously cool, addictively sing-able tunes about comics, gaming, love, and, well... everything else that being a geek is all about. My favorite track? An ode to Green Lantern titled "Ring Capacity." It's brilliant. Also worth checking out is "Zero Day," the latest album from nerdcore rapper extraordinaire MC Frontalot (named the "rapper laureate" of the massively successful "Penny Arcade" webcomic), as well as the awesomely indie soundtrack for this year's hit film "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World." Oh, and if you're looking to give someone a nostalgia-inducing trip down memory lane, snag them a copy of "The Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection." It's a collection of popular and little-known jingles (who knew "The Atom" had a theme song?) featuring DC characters.

If you're shopping for young readers, pick up a copy of "Tiny Titans/Lil Archie." The books combine all-ages superhero fun with classic Archie characters and sensibility. You might also want to check out Boom Studios' "Muppet Show" comics and Archaia Studios' "Fraggle Rock" comics. Both of these series are just as good as the television shows they're based on, and to be honest, you'll probably enjoy the heck out of 'em, too.

For older readers, why not pick up a few novels written by and for comics fans. Matt Myklusch's "Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation" is a great novel that feels a lot like the "Harry Potter" series, except instead of magic and wizards, it deals with superheroes and supervillains. There's also "Machine of Death: A Collection of Stories About People Who Know How They Will Die," featuring a bunch of stories written (and occasionally illustrated) by some of the biggest names in the webcomics world, including "Dinosaur Comics" creator Ryan North and "Wondermark" creator David Malki.

Looking to help someone prep for next year's slate of comic book movies? Ryan Reynolds name-dropped "Green Lantern: Secret Origin" as one of the books that inspired the upcoming movie, so it can't hurt to revisit Geoff Johns' origin story. On the other side, Marvel's upcoming slate of movies all draw heavily from the publisher's line of "Ultimate" comics, so picking up the first volume of "The Ultimates" (the "Ultimate"-universe version of The Avengers) will get readers ready for what's to come in 2011 and beyond.

Buying for a comics fan with some gaming tendencies? You can't go wrong with "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions" for various systems, which gives players the opportunity to web-swing as several different incarnations of Spider-Man over the years. There's also the downloadable game based on "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" for the Playstation Network, and the all-ages friendly "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" for the Nintendo Wii. All three games are bunches of comics-inspired fun.

Beyond the normal DVD and Blu-Ray suggestions of "Iron Man 2," "Kick-Ass," "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" and other recent big-screen adaptations, you might want to consider some outside-the-box selections like "Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods," a documentary about one of the comics industry's most celebrated writers of the modern era. There's also "Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist," which puts the spotlight on one of the greatest creators ever to craft a comic. If documentaries aren't exactly what you're searching for, pick up a copy of "DC Showcase Collection." It's a collection of the excellent animated shorts DC and Warner Bros. have included on their larger animated features the last year or so, focusing on lesser-known characters. Every one of them is animated gold.

If you know someone who enjoys the latest television series based on comics like "The Walking Dead" or "Human Target," why not introduce them to the source material? Image Comics' "The Walking Dead Compendium, Volume 1" collects the first eight chapters of the comic in one hefty book. And though it doesn't quite match up with the comic, Vertigo's "Human Target: Chance Meetings" collects several great storylines from writer Peter Milligan's celebrated work on the series and offers a nice example of why the character is so popular.

On the toy front, we'd be fools not to point you in the direction of Hasbro's awesome Iron Man 2 helmet. It's made to fit just about any head, and is both ridiculously cool and surprisingly comfortable to wear on a regular basis (trust me on this). Of course, if you're buying for kids, you might as well complete the package and buy the Iron Man 2 3-in-1 Repulsor and Iron Man 2 Arc Light — just for the sake of completion. (Note: Star Wars fans, there's a Boba Fett version of the helmet, too.)

And finally, if you're looking for something that will look great on a bookshelf and is as much a status symbol as it is reading material, DC's "Absolute Planetary" hardcovers come with a hefty price tag but are well worth the price. If that's along the lines of what you're looking for, Image Comics' "Spawn Origins Collection" hardcover is another book that will not only be appreciated by whoever receives it, but will make you look that much cooler for picking it out.

And that's about it for the first-ever MTV Splash Page Gift Guide. Here's hoping it gives you some shopping suggestions for the geeks on your list (especially if you're one of them).

Happy shopping, and an early Happy Holidays from MTV Splash Page!

Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter! You can also follow me, Splash Page editor Rick Marshall, on Twitter!

Tags gift guide 2010

bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

bench craft company rip off

Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple now selling iPad Gift Card packages. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

Fox <b>News</b> Co-Host Bill Hemmer Is An Adrenaline Junkie

Former bungee jumper now gets his thrills the way many people do -- from Fox News Channel.

Carnahan Camp To Fox <b>News</b>: Why Single Us Out? | TPMMuckraker

Lawyers for former Senate Candidate Robin Carnahan are arguing that the Fox News network is singling the Missouri Democrat out in its lawsuit alleging her campaign violated the network's copyrights.

Making Money Guide

Thanksgiving is almost here, and that means there's only a month of shopping left in the holiday season. However, while this can be a scary realization for many people, you don't have to worry — because we've got ideas for the geeks on your list (or anyone else you want to convert to a life of geekery) covered.

This year, we're giving you the next best thing to actually buying the gifts for you. Your friendly neighborhood Splash Page team has come up with a wide-ranging list of books, games, toys, music and various other things to buy for everyone on your list — from the hardcore fanboys and fangirls to someone who's still learning the difference between Green Lantern and Green Hornet.

In the end, we tried to avoid some of the most obvious comics-related gifts this year and give you a mash-up of our own wishlists and the items we're planning to buy for our own friends and family. Here's hoping you find it helpful when it comes time for you to start dropping your hard-earned money on manufactured holiday joy.

If you're buying gifts for someone new to comics or in need of a familiar name or title to catch their attention, how about "The Dark Tower" graphic novels (based on the popular Stephen King novels) or Dark Horse Comics' "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or "Serenity" comics (based on Joss Whedon's fan-favorite television series)? They all feature original stories that unfold within and expand the world each one is based upon. There's also IDW Publishing's critically praised "Parker" graphic novels based on the crime-noir novels of Donald Westlake (which also inspired such movies as "Point Blank" and "Payback"). "The Hunter" and "The Outfit" are available now, and they're as beautiful to look at as they are to read.

If you're shopping for someone who loves music almost as much as comics, why not pick up an album by nerd rockers Kirby Krackle? It's filled with ridiculously cool, addictively sing-able tunes about comics, gaming, love, and, well... everything else that being a geek is all about. My favorite track? An ode to Green Lantern titled "Ring Capacity." It's brilliant. Also worth checking out is "Zero Day," the latest album from nerdcore rapper extraordinaire MC Frontalot (named the "rapper laureate" of the massively successful "Penny Arcade" webcomic), as well as the awesomely indie soundtrack for this year's hit film "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World." Oh, and if you're looking to give someone a nostalgia-inducing trip down memory lane, snag them a copy of "The Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection." It's a collection of popular and little-known jingles (who knew "The Atom" had a theme song?) featuring DC characters.

If you're shopping for young readers, pick up a copy of "Tiny Titans/Lil Archie." The books combine all-ages superhero fun with classic Archie characters and sensibility. You might also want to check out Boom Studios' "Muppet Show" comics and Archaia Studios' "Fraggle Rock" comics. Both of these series are just as good as the television shows they're based on, and to be honest, you'll probably enjoy the heck out of 'em, too.

For older readers, why not pick up a few novels written by and for comics fans. Matt Myklusch's "Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation" is a great novel that feels a lot like the "Harry Potter" series, except instead of magic and wizards, it deals with superheroes and supervillains. There's also "Machine of Death: A Collection of Stories About People Who Know How They Will Die," featuring a bunch of stories written (and occasionally illustrated) by some of the biggest names in the webcomics world, including "Dinosaur Comics" creator Ryan North and "Wondermark" creator David Malki.

Looking to help someone prep for next year's slate of comic book movies? Ryan Reynolds name-dropped "Green Lantern: Secret Origin" as one of the books that inspired the upcoming movie, so it can't hurt to revisit Geoff Johns' origin story. On the other side, Marvel's upcoming slate of movies all draw heavily from the publisher's line of "Ultimate" comics, so picking up the first volume of "The Ultimates" (the "Ultimate"-universe version of The Avengers) will get readers ready for what's to come in 2011 and beyond.

Buying for a comics fan with some gaming tendencies? You can't go wrong with "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions" for various systems, which gives players the opportunity to web-swing as several different incarnations of Spider-Man over the years. There's also the downloadable game based on "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" for the Playstation Network, and the all-ages friendly "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" for the Nintendo Wii. All three games are bunches of comics-inspired fun.

Beyond the normal DVD and Blu-Ray suggestions of "Iron Man 2," "Kick-Ass," "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" and other recent big-screen adaptations, you might want to consider some outside-the-box selections like "Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods," a documentary about one of the comics industry's most celebrated writers of the modern era. There's also "Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist," which puts the spotlight on one of the greatest creators ever to craft a comic. If documentaries aren't exactly what you're searching for, pick up a copy of "DC Showcase Collection." It's a collection of the excellent animated shorts DC and Warner Bros. have included on their larger animated features the last year or so, focusing on lesser-known characters. Every one of them is animated gold.

If you know someone who enjoys the latest television series based on comics like "The Walking Dead" or "Human Target," why not introduce them to the source material? Image Comics' "The Walking Dead Compendium, Volume 1" collects the first eight chapters of the comic in one hefty book. And though it doesn't quite match up with the comic, Vertigo's "Human Target: Chance Meetings" collects several great storylines from writer Peter Milligan's celebrated work on the series and offers a nice example of why the character is so popular.

On the toy front, we'd be fools not to point you in the direction of Hasbro's awesome Iron Man 2 helmet. It's made to fit just about any head, and is both ridiculously cool and surprisingly comfortable to wear on a regular basis (trust me on this). Of course, if you're buying for kids, you might as well complete the package and buy the Iron Man 2 3-in-1 Repulsor and Iron Man 2 Arc Light — just for the sake of completion. (Note: Star Wars fans, there's a Boba Fett version of the helmet, too.)

And finally, if you're looking for something that will look great on a bookshelf and is as much a status symbol as it is reading material, DC's "Absolute Planetary" hardcovers come with a hefty price tag but are well worth the price. If that's along the lines of what you're looking for, Image Comics' "Spawn Origins Collection" hardcover is another book that will not only be appreciated by whoever receives it, but will make you look that much cooler for picking it out.

And that's about it for the first-ever MTV Splash Page Gift Guide. Here's hoping it gives you some shopping suggestions for the geeks on your list (especially if you're one of them).

Happy shopping, and an early Happy Holidays from MTV Splash Page!

Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter! You can also follow me, Splash Page editor Rick Marshall, on Twitter!

Tags gift guide 2010

Social products are an interesting bird. For even the most experienced product designer, social products prove an elusive lover. While there are many obvious truths in social products, there are also alot of ways to design them poorly. Especially when you are deep in the moment making pixel-level decisions trying to remember what’s important, things may not be so clear.

The only magic I’ve found in designing compelling social products that have the best shot at breaking through the noise and capturing people’s time and money is in being extremely clear on how your social product meets a few key design principles.

1. Design your product to matter in a world of infinite supply. In 2010, people are inundated with an overwhelming number of people, applications, requests, alerts, relationships, and demands on their time. You love your product. The benefits of it are totally obvious to you. However, if you and every member of your team can’t crisply articulate what emotional benefit someone will get from spending 15 minutes on your social product that they can’t get on Facebook, LinkedIN, or Twitter, you’ve got work to do.

This isn’t touchy feely stuff. Neither I nor the prospective people who may use your social product care about your features, your game mechanics, or how amazing your application will be when there are millions of people on it. I’m selfish with my time and you’ve got seconds to hook me in with something new. And I’m not alone.

To successfully use the fleeting moments you have, you need to orchestrate everything under your control to work together seamlessly under a single brand with a single reason for existence. Make it emotional. If your team can’t tie back every decision they are making to the emotion you want people to feel when they are using your social product, then your reason for existence isn’t strong enough to serve its role, which is to guide your team and the product decisions you are making.

2. Be the best in the world at one thing. To put an even finer point on the focus required of any social upstart, you need to be best in the world at one thing. For Lululemon, they’ve built a $450 million annual revenue business by focusing on the black yoga pant. For Twitter, it’s the 140 character message. For Facebook, it is connecting you to the people you already know. Everything these companies do ties back to a specific thing they are going to be best in the world at doing.

It’s not always obvious upfront what should be your best in the world focus and enshrining the wrong thing can be a problem. However, it is much worse to build a social product without guiding principles. When you are focused on the one thing your social product is going to do better than everyone else, all you need to launch is your one thing and no more.

Ask yourself and every member of your team what you are best in the world at every week. Even better, define it, agree on it, print it out, blow it up, and put it on the wall. This should be the filter by which everyone is making product decisions.

3. Seek out uniqueness. Today’s social platforms and applications are fantastic at meeting people’s need to belong. But equally important – especially in a world of infinite supply – is what makes us feel different and special. People want scarcity. People want exclusivity. This doesn’t mean your social product should be limited to a niche. Frontierville was built for mass appeal – so that I could play with ALL of my friends – but it still finds ways to bring uniqueness into its social experience via neighbors, customization of your plot, and collections.

When people talk about exclusivity and scarcity these days, discussions of game mechanics are never far behind. I love game mechanics as much as the next person. However, if you are implementing game mechanics in the exact same way as everyone else, you’ve got a problem. It goes back to the issue of infinite supply. If there is an infinite supply of points, badges, and levels because they exist on every single social product out there, the minute you use them without being thoughtful, you are losing your shot at exclusivity and scarcity. A better approach is to figure out what makes people feel unique and special on your service independent of any specific game tactic. Then, selectively cherry pick the features that reinforce your emotional reason for existence for people. For uniqueness to work, you have to lead, not follow.

4. Focus on your most important interaction until you have it right. Once you have the critical features defined, there is typically one interaction that is clearly the most important to get right. It’s the interaction that if you get right means someone comes back and, if you don’t get it right, you can’t realize your full potential. Take this interaction and be maniacal about it. For Twitter, this is the Twitter stream. For Polyvore, this is the set page. For Facebook, this is the news feed. For YouTube, it’s the video page. For Dailybooth, it’s the live feed page. It’s the interaction where your magic happens, so give it the care and feeding needed to make it a star.

5. Choose your words carefully. The earlier you are as a social product, the more your word choice should be different and distinct from everything else out there. Early on is the time to have something important and different to say. In fact, all the great brands of the past 30 years have started out appealing to the passionate and rebellious first. Virgin? Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Apple? The 1984 commercial. Nike? The subculture of intense runners sporting moustaches. Facebook? A few still remember the original Scarface logo.

There are things to copy from other services and there are things to make uniquely your own in social products. Layouts? Do your best but pay attention to what is already working. Colors? Hard to be original here, but blue is pretty played out. Icons? A toss up. Terminology? Own it. Your word choice is the primary place for you to have a point-of-view and present not only what you want your brand to emotionally mean to the people using it but the kinds of relationships you want people to have as a result of using your social product.

6. Create a party, not a museum. Great social products are clean, simple, and fast. The successful ones have little design flare, so that the people, photos, videos, text, and comments are front and center. The more design you add from colors to treatments, non-web-fonts, and graphics, the less your social application will feel like a party and the more it will feel like a museum. Or a magazine. Neither are a great goal. You want your social product to feel like it is a living and breathing party, not expensive furniture you’re not supposed to sit on.

7. Develop relationships, not features. Today, we have multiple personalities and different types of relationships with people in the real and virtual worlds. If you are going to design a new social product, it’s not enough to just offer a feature, like photos, videos, or events. You need to look at how the relationships on your social product will be important and different from the relationships you and others have already on Facebook, LinkedIN, and Twitter.

Most people will say that Facebook Connect handle the whole “people” thing for any new social product. I would argue that Facebook Connect is a start but if you can’t quickly show someone a new relationship dynamic or similar people in your social product in a way that is unique to your application, the value of people interacting in your new product will accrue back to Facebook and not you.

For example, I’ve found that on most new social applications I join I have the same 10 Facebook friends – typically my most prolific friends on Facebook already – on this new service too. In most cases, because these new social applications are just an extension of the things I’m already following them do on Facebook, such as sharing photos, events, lists, and videos, I don’t have a reason to come back to this new application a second time.

For a new social product, you need to think about how your social product expands, deepens, and changes the relationships people have today online and in the real world. This isn’t easy to achieve. The best example of a social product doing this well is Quora. Originally seeded with Facebook’s social graph, it has quickly differentiated itself by showing you people you may care about because of their thoughtful commentary, experience, and expertise displayed on topics that are important to you.

It takes alot for people to care about new people in the context of a new social product. Spending your time and energy on what constitutes similarity or what new relationships you want people to have as a result of your application is time worth spent.

As I think about what’s going to be created, discovered, invented, and re-imagined with social software in the next six months let alone the next five years, I can’t help but be excited. These principles shine a light on the first few feet in front of us, but, with every new social product success there will be new ones. As Alan Kay timelessly put it, “the best way to predict the future is to invent it.” I, for one, can’t wait to see what’s next.

Gina Bianchini is the founder of Ning, the leading online platform for the world’s organizers, activists and influencers to create their own social experiences with over 80 million unique users each month.

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Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

eric seiger do

Good <b>News</b>: Chrome Now Sandboxes Flash for More Secure Browsing

Adobe Flash Player is now sandboxed in the latest dev channel release of Google Chrome, bringing a huge security benefit to Chrome users. Here's why:

Colts <b>News</b>: COLTS <b>NEWS</b>

The Colts announced roster news and injury updates on Tuesday.

Google <b>News</b> Testing More Social Features With “Most Shared” Box

Google Operating System noticed Google News added a new box to the side bar named Most shared. The most shared box must be using social sharing features to.

Making Money on Line

Yesterday we all had the displeasure of reading the latest piece of sycophantic brownnosing by what has become everyone's most hated hypocrite. Today, the brilliant Sean Corrigan of Diapason Securities strikes again with the letter that should have been written. We hope someone of greater repute (not to mention circulation, reach and net income) than the NYT will grow some balls and post this.

Dear Uncle Sam,

My mother told me to send thank-you notes promptly. I've been remiss, but you know, with my firm's revenues up 30% and its net income up nearly threefold since the Crisis struck, I thought I'd better be careful in case anyone considered my praise was a little less than disinterested.

Just over two years ago, in September 2008, the country faced an economic meltdown. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the corrupted, corporatist rent-seekers you had long encouraged to disrupt the proper allocation of scarce means in the mortgage system in the lust for venal political advantage, had been forced into 'conservatorship' (i.e., they were permanently battened on the teat of the long- suffering tax-payer). Several of the largest commercial banks were teetering as a result of their leaders' blind pursuit of short-term gain in the regime of extreme moral hazard instituted by you and your central bank. One of Wall Street's giant investment banks had gone officially bankrupt, and the remaining three were poised to follow (at least until you allowed them to practice the legal fraud of what I then called 'mark-to-myth' in assessing their net worth) — but, of course, the full impact of flouting the eternal capitalist imperative of loss- avoidance and profit-seeking could not be allowed to be borne by them, now could it? Fortunately, the fact that AIG, the world's most notorious mispricer of credit risk, was at death's door offered you a way to make those same investment banks nearly whole through the back door. I believe the gamblers-in-charge who needed such unheard of levels of assistance are largely still in place and still making out like bandits at the expense of everyone else. Way to go!

Many of our largest industrial companies, foolishly over-reliant on hot-money, short-term financing via a commercial paper market that had disappeared up the tail-pipe of the mythical 'global saving glut' were weeks away from exhausting their cash resources. Indeed, all — well, many — oh, alright: some of the most badly run - of corporate America's dominoes were lined up, ready to topple at lightning speed. My own company might have been the last to fall — since I am not only a recognised investment genius, but very thick with a number of your more influential servants - but that hypothetical distinction provided little solace with even my stock price back at 1998 levels, before reckoning for inflation or the weaker dollar.

Nor was it just business that was in peril: 300 million Americans were in the domino line as well and it is, of course, not just a constitutional right, but a precept of natural law, that you must act as that vast, tutelary deity of whom de Tocqueville spoke when you were still little more than a lad and so spare the improvident, the indolent, and the plain unfortunate the consequences of their actions, even if it costs the thrifty, the industrious, and the innocent very dear in the process. Just days before, the jobs, income, 401(k)'s and money-market funds of these citizens had seemed secure. Then, virtually overnight, everything began to turn into pumpkins and mice — but, then again, if you take my strictures (q.v., below) about 'bubbles' into account, maybe they were nothing more than Bibbedy-bobbedy-boo all along (except where they held shares in MY company, of course). There was no hiding place. Thanks to your misplaced efforts in trying to keep a lid on the volcano for at least the previous decade (some would say ever since the early 1930s), instead of allowing it to depressurize in its own good time, a destructive economic force unlike any seen for generations had been unleashed.

Only one counterforce was available, and that was you, Uncle Sam. Yes, you are often clumsy, even inept (allow me a little euphemism here: I'm trying to be nice). But when businesses and people worldwide race to get liquid, you are the only party armed with the printing press and primed with an utter disregard for the long term consequences of using it and so can take the other side of the transaction. And when our citizens are losing trust by the hour in institutions they once revered — institutions which you fostered, pretended to regulate, and from which you continue to take hefty political contributions - only you can prop up a house of cards of your own construction.

When the crisis struck, I knew you would not waste the opportunity to expand the role you could play — Crisis and Leviathan, and all that. But you've never been known for speed, and in a meltdown minutes matter. I worried whether the barrage of shattering surprises would disorient you. Absent any guiding principles, drunk on the unbridled power of executive privilege, and utterly contemptuous of due process, you would rush ('like a fire-engine going the wrong way down a one way street') to improvise ill-thought out - and often conflicting - solutions on the run, violate legal boundaries and avoid constitutional inconveniences, like Congressional hearings and studies. You would also need to get turf-conscious departments to work together in mounting your counterattack. Ah, well, better luck, next time! The challenge was huge, and many people thought you were not up to it - who says you should always discount the consensus?

Well, Uncle Sam, you delivered. Oh boy did you deliver! People will second-guess your specific decisions; you can always count on that, just as you can count on the resulting uncertainty about exactly what stunt you're gonna pull next to paralyze entrepreneurial decision-making and so prolong the slump far beyond its natural span. But just as there is a fog of war, there is a fog of panic and under its veil you certainly did a number of things which would not stand up to scrutiny in the unlikely event you ever honoured a FOIA appeal to reveal exactly who did what to (or for) whom and why. Overall, your actions were remarkably effective in taking the failure of a few egregiously over-leveraged, private- sector companies and magnifying it into a global collapse, passing the losses of the billionaire financier class onto the individual saver and the small businessman, wherever they might be found.

I don't know precisely how you orchestrated these - certainly, the noise that came out was much more Berg than Bach. But I did have a pretty good seat as events unfolded (don't I always?), and I would like to commend a few of your troops. In the darkest of days, Ben Bernanke, Hank Paulson, Tim Geithner and Sheila Bair finally grasped - after much prior public denial - the gravity of a situation in whose development at least the first three had been actively instrumental. As for dear ol' Dubya, I give him great credit for leading, even as Congress postured and squabbled, for if there's one thing that sells tickets in this Theatre of the Absurd, it's Leadership (capitalized, naturally, just like Fuhrerprinzip), even if too few care to check quite where they are being led until it's far too late to do anything about it.

You have been criticized, Uncle Sam, for some of the earlier decisions that got us in this mess — most prominently for not battling the rot building up in the housing market (though to limit ourselves to this narrow field is to deny much of the discredit due you). But then, few of your critics saw matters clearly either (even though several of them now tediously hog the headlines by pretending that they did) since, they, too, are all Neo-Keynesian, macroeconomic-aggregate astrologers with no real grasp of economic theory. In truth, almost all of the country became possessed by the idea that home prices could never fall significantly - a mania which never could have taken hold had we had abolished the Fed and put in place an honest monetary system, of course. (Since you ask, my S&P put shorts and my bearish USD position are again doing quite nicely, thanks).

That was a mass delusion, reinforced by rapidly rising prices that discredited the few skeptics who warned of trouble. Delusions, whether about tulips or Internet stocks, produce bubbles. And when bubbles pop, they can generate waves of trouble that hit shores far from their origin. This bubble  was a doozy and its pop was felt around the world. Thank the Lord, you've been trying might and main ever since to reinflate a new one on the wreckage of the old (see my comments about pumpkins and
mice, above).

So, again, Uncle Sam, thanks to you and your aides. Often you are wasteful, and sometimes you are bullying. On occasion, you are downright maddening (this is meiosis, not euphemism, in case you were wondering). But in this extraordinary emergency, you came through — and the world would look far different now if you had not. What a shame we'll be picking up the multi-trillion tab for that utterly ill-advised intervention for many a long year to come (I use the term 'we' loosely, of course, since I'm reaping what I did not sow as per usual).

Your grateful nephew, W

PS: Do I get my nice, shiny new medal now, please?

PPS: Please excuse the shocking punctuation, left largely unamended by the editorial staff at the nation's premier newspaper.

Are you having a hard time looking for the perfect holiday gift for your friends and family members who have genitals so incredible and unique that airport security workers will inevitably begin hoarding fuzzy, x-ray images of them? Well, Jeff Buske, a Colorado inventor, has got you covered. Buske has invented a line of underwear with metallic inserts designed to block out the TSA’s prying eyes and protect you from harmful radiation. The inserts are shaped like fig leaves, making the same leaves Adam and Eve wore when the serpent attempted to touch their junk.

From Denver’s CBS4:

“‘The object is not to make money but to protect the public, educate people and ultimately see these X-Ray machines put in the dumpster,’ said Buske.

He said it’s impossible to hide something from TSA screeners behind the metal plates.

‘If someone is trying to hide something large under the thing it’s going to show up as a bulge, visible to the eye, the product is very thin,’ said Buske .”

It’s an interesting idea and another sign of growing dissatisfaction with the TSA’s measures, but isn’t there an obvious problem here? If you go through the scanner and the guard sees that you have purposefully affixed metal inserts on your body to hide something from them, wouldn’t that give them a very clear and specific reason to look in exactly those areas? So instead of having someone look at your bikini area with a computer, you’ll kind of be forcing them to reach their hands into your undies to find out what’s down there. I mean, Buske claims you can’t hide anything under the inserts, but unless these are recognizably mass-produced items, the guards probably aren’t going to know that.

Oh well, if they do protect people from radioactive rays (which the TSA is still claiming isn’t a problem) then that will probably be enough for most people. And honestly, we’re fine with that. We hope these catch on. Mostly to see if the next line contains “sexy” metallic insert underwear for members of the Mile High Club.

(via Gawker)

Follow us on Twitter.

Sign up for Mediaite’s daily newsletter.

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<b>News</b> Made Meaningless: Meticulous Art by Kim Rugg : WebUrbanist

Working seven days a week, artist Kim Rugg spends five months cutting the letters out of the front page of a newspaper and rearranging them alphabetically.

Real Estate <b>News</b>: Home Mortgage Rates Stabilize - Developments - WSJ

Here is a look at real-estate news in today's WSJ:

Last Look: Style <b>News</b> You Might Have Missed (PHOTOS, POLL)

Welcome to Last Look, where we round up the Style scraps that didn't make it to our news page this week. Click through and catch up on what else happened since Monday!

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<b>News</b> Made Meaningless: Meticulous Art by Kim Rugg : WebUrbanist

Working seven days a week, artist Kim Rugg spends five months cutting the letters out of the front page of a newspaper and rearranging them alphabetically.

Real Estate <b>News</b>: Home Mortgage Rates Stabilize - Developments - WSJ

Here is a look at real-estate news in today's WSJ:

Last Look: Style <b>News</b> You Might Have Missed (PHOTOS, POLL)

Welcome to Last Look, where we round up the Style scraps that didn't make it to our news page this week. Click through and catch up on what else happened since Monday!

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Yesterday we all had the displeasure of reading the latest piece of sycophantic brownnosing by what has become everyone's most hated hypocrite. Today, the brilliant Sean Corrigan of Diapason Securities strikes again with the letter that should have been written. We hope someone of greater repute (not to mention circulation, reach and net income) than the NYT will grow some balls and post this.

Dear Uncle Sam,

My mother told me to send thank-you notes promptly. I've been remiss, but you know, with my firm's revenues up 30% and its net income up nearly threefold since the Crisis struck, I thought I'd better be careful in case anyone considered my praise was a little less than disinterested.

Just over two years ago, in September 2008, the country faced an economic meltdown. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the corrupted, corporatist rent-seekers you had long encouraged to disrupt the proper allocation of scarce means in the mortgage system in the lust for venal political advantage, had been forced into 'conservatorship' (i.e., they were permanently battened on the teat of the long- suffering tax-payer). Several of the largest commercial banks were teetering as a result of their leaders' blind pursuit of short-term gain in the regime of extreme moral hazard instituted by you and your central bank. One of Wall Street's giant investment banks had gone officially bankrupt, and the remaining three were poised to follow (at least until you allowed them to practice the legal fraud of what I then called 'mark-to-myth' in assessing their net worth) — but, of course, the full impact of flouting the eternal capitalist imperative of loss- avoidance and profit-seeking could not be allowed to be borne by them, now could it? Fortunately, the fact that AIG, the world's most notorious mispricer of credit risk, was at death's door offered you a way to make those same investment banks nearly whole through the back door. I believe the gamblers-in-charge who needed such unheard of levels of assistance are largely still in place and still making out like bandits at the expense of everyone else. Way to go!

Many of our largest industrial companies, foolishly over-reliant on hot-money, short-term financing via a commercial paper market that had disappeared up the tail-pipe of the mythical 'global saving glut' were weeks away from exhausting their cash resources. Indeed, all — well, many — oh, alright: some of the most badly run - of corporate America's dominoes were lined up, ready to topple at lightning speed. My own company might have been the last to fall — since I am not only a recognised investment genius, but very thick with a number of your more influential servants - but that hypothetical distinction provided little solace with even my stock price back at 1998 levels, before reckoning for inflation or the weaker dollar.

Nor was it just business that was in peril: 300 million Americans were in the domino line as well and it is, of course, not just a constitutional right, but a precept of natural law, that you must act as that vast, tutelary deity of whom de Tocqueville spoke when you were still little more than a lad and so spare the improvident, the indolent, and the plain unfortunate the consequences of their actions, even if it costs the thrifty, the industrious, and the innocent very dear in the process. Just days before, the jobs, income, 401(k)'s and money-market funds of these citizens had seemed secure. Then, virtually overnight, everything began to turn into pumpkins and mice — but, then again, if you take my strictures (q.v., below) about 'bubbles' into account, maybe they were nothing more than Bibbedy-bobbedy-boo all along (except where they held shares in MY company, of course). There was no hiding place. Thanks to your misplaced efforts in trying to keep a lid on the volcano for at least the previous decade (some would say ever since the early 1930s), instead of allowing it to depressurize in its own good time, a destructive economic force unlike any seen for generations had been unleashed.

Only one counterforce was available, and that was you, Uncle Sam. Yes, you are often clumsy, even inept (allow me a little euphemism here: I'm trying to be nice). But when businesses and people worldwide race to get liquid, you are the only party armed with the printing press and primed with an utter disregard for the long term consequences of using it and so can take the other side of the transaction. And when our citizens are losing trust by the hour in institutions they once revered — institutions which you fostered, pretended to regulate, and from which you continue to take hefty political contributions - only you can prop up a house of cards of your own construction.

When the crisis struck, I knew you would not waste the opportunity to expand the role you could play — Crisis and Leviathan, and all that. But you've never been known for speed, and in a meltdown minutes matter. I worried whether the barrage of shattering surprises would disorient you. Absent any guiding principles, drunk on the unbridled power of executive privilege, and utterly contemptuous of due process, you would rush ('like a fire-engine going the wrong way down a one way street') to improvise ill-thought out - and often conflicting - solutions on the run, violate legal boundaries and avoid constitutional inconveniences, like Congressional hearings and studies. You would also need to get turf-conscious departments to work together in mounting your counterattack. Ah, well, better luck, next time! The challenge was huge, and many people thought you were not up to it - who says you should always discount the consensus?

Well, Uncle Sam, you delivered. Oh boy did you deliver! People will second-guess your specific decisions; you can always count on that, just as you can count on the resulting uncertainty about exactly what stunt you're gonna pull next to paralyze entrepreneurial decision-making and so prolong the slump far beyond its natural span. But just as there is a fog of war, there is a fog of panic and under its veil you certainly did a number of things which would not stand up to scrutiny in the unlikely event you ever honoured a FOIA appeal to reveal exactly who did what to (or for) whom and why. Overall, your actions were remarkably effective in taking the failure of a few egregiously over-leveraged, private- sector companies and magnifying it into a global collapse, passing the losses of the billionaire financier class onto the individual saver and the small businessman, wherever they might be found.

I don't know precisely how you orchestrated these - certainly, the noise that came out was much more Berg than Bach. But I did have a pretty good seat as events unfolded (don't I always?), and I would like to commend a few of your troops. In the darkest of days, Ben Bernanke, Hank Paulson, Tim Geithner and Sheila Bair finally grasped - after much prior public denial - the gravity of a situation in whose development at least the first three had been actively instrumental. As for dear ol' Dubya, I give him great credit for leading, even as Congress postured and squabbled, for if there's one thing that sells tickets in this Theatre of the Absurd, it's Leadership (capitalized, naturally, just like Fuhrerprinzip), even if too few care to check quite where they are being led until it's far too late to do anything about it.

You have been criticized, Uncle Sam, for some of the earlier decisions that got us in this mess — most prominently for not battling the rot building up in the housing market (though to limit ourselves to this narrow field is to deny much of the discredit due you). But then, few of your critics saw matters clearly either (even though several of them now tediously hog the headlines by pretending that they did) since, they, too, are all Neo-Keynesian, macroeconomic-aggregate astrologers with no real grasp of economic theory. In truth, almost all of the country became possessed by the idea that home prices could never fall significantly - a mania which never could have taken hold had we had abolished the Fed and put in place an honest monetary system, of course. (Since you ask, my S&P put shorts and my bearish USD position are again doing quite nicely, thanks).

That was a mass delusion, reinforced by rapidly rising prices that discredited the few skeptics who warned of trouble. Delusions, whether about tulips or Internet stocks, produce bubbles. And when bubbles pop, they can generate waves of trouble that hit shores far from their origin. This bubble  was a doozy and its pop was felt around the world. Thank the Lord, you've been trying might and main ever since to reinflate a new one on the wreckage of the old (see my comments about pumpkins and
mice, above).

So, again, Uncle Sam, thanks to you and your aides. Often you are wasteful, and sometimes you are bullying. On occasion, you are downright maddening (this is meiosis, not euphemism, in case you were wondering). But in this extraordinary emergency, you came through — and the world would look far different now if you had not. What a shame we'll be picking up the multi-trillion tab for that utterly ill-advised intervention for many a long year to come (I use the term 'we' loosely, of course, since I'm reaping what I did not sow as per usual).

Your grateful nephew, W

PS: Do I get my nice, shiny new medal now, please?

PPS: Please excuse the shocking punctuation, left largely unamended by the editorial staff at the nation's premier newspaper.

Are you having a hard time looking for the perfect holiday gift for your friends and family members who have genitals so incredible and unique that airport security workers will inevitably begin hoarding fuzzy, x-ray images of them? Well, Jeff Buske, a Colorado inventor, has got you covered. Buske has invented a line of underwear with metallic inserts designed to block out the TSA’s prying eyes and protect you from harmful radiation. The inserts are shaped like fig leaves, making the same leaves Adam and Eve wore when the serpent attempted to touch their junk.

From Denver’s CBS4:

“‘The object is not to make money but to protect the public, educate people and ultimately see these X-Ray machines put in the dumpster,’ said Buske.

He said it’s impossible to hide something from TSA screeners behind the metal plates.

‘If someone is trying to hide something large under the thing it’s going to show up as a bulge, visible to the eye, the product is very thin,’ said Buske .”

It’s an interesting idea and another sign of growing dissatisfaction with the TSA’s measures, but isn’t there an obvious problem here? If you go through the scanner and the guard sees that you have purposefully affixed metal inserts on your body to hide something from them, wouldn’t that give them a very clear and specific reason to look in exactly those areas? So instead of having someone look at your bikini area with a computer, you’ll kind of be forcing them to reach their hands into your undies to find out what’s down there. I mean, Buske claims you can’t hide anything under the inserts, but unless these are recognizably mass-produced items, the guards probably aren’t going to know that.

Oh well, if they do protect people from radioactive rays (which the TSA is still claiming isn’t a problem) then that will probably be enough for most people. And honestly, we’re fine with that. We hope these catch on. Mostly to see if the next line contains “sexy” metallic insert underwear for members of the Mile High Club.

(via Gawker)

Follow us on Twitter.

Sign up for Mediaite’s daily newsletter.

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<b>News</b> Made Meaningless: Meticulous Art by Kim Rugg : WebUrbanist

Working seven days a week, artist Kim Rugg spends five months cutting the letters out of the front page of a newspaper and rearranging them alphabetically.

Real Estate <b>News</b>: Home Mortgage Rates Stabilize - Developments - WSJ

Here is a look at real-estate news in today's WSJ:

Last Look: Style <b>News</b> You Might Have Missed (PHOTOS, POLL)

Welcome to Last Look, where we round up the Style scraps that didn't make it to our news page this week. Click through and catch up on what else happened since Monday!

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<b>News</b> Made Meaningless: Meticulous Art by Kim Rugg : WebUrbanist

Working seven days a week, artist Kim Rugg spends five months cutting the letters out of the front page of a newspaper and rearranging them alphabetically.

Real Estate <b>News</b>: Home Mortgage Rates Stabilize - Developments - WSJ

Here is a look at real-estate news in today's WSJ:

Last Look: Style <b>News</b> You Might Have Missed (PHOTOS, POLL)

Welcome to Last Look, where we round up the Style scraps that didn't make it to our news page this week. Click through and catch up on what else happened since Monday!

bench craft company finances

<b>News</b> Made Meaningless: Meticulous Art by Kim Rugg : WebUrbanist

Working seven days a week, artist Kim Rugg spends five months cutting the letters out of the front page of a newspaper and rearranging them alphabetically.

Real Estate <b>News</b>: Home Mortgage Rates Stabilize - Developments - WSJ

Here is a look at real-estate news in today's WSJ:

Last Look: Style <b>News</b> You Might Have Missed (PHOTOS, POLL)

Welcome to Last Look, where we round up the Style scraps that didn't make it to our news page this week. Click through and catch up on what else happened since Monday!

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