i’m definetely not popping gamestop into the question, because it is the worst scam on the whole fuc***g planet! im wondering how much a pawn shop or any other place will give me for ds, ps2, gameboy, and psp games, and also for the systems.

January 24, 2012 at 12:21am

Can I claim my in laws that live with me the whole year and their only income is social security and or disability? I understand the 5 rules to claiming someone other than a child but does disability and social security count towards the $3700 limit? that is the only money they received in 2011 neither one had any type of job.

Answer:  Scott – thank you for your question.

I can only give you an overview of what you need to look at because your comments do not explain the specific type of benefits being received.

There are several kinds of benefits paid by the Social Security Administration.  One of them, Supplemental Security Income is not taxable and not considered part of gross income.

Social Security Retirement and Social Security Disability benefits are not taxable and not considered gross income unless certain requirements are met.

Generally, a portion of these benefits are taxable when 1/2 half of the benefits plus all other income including tax exempt interest is more than a base amount determined by filing status.

For example, the base amount for filing status Married Filing Joint is $32,000.

Disability, if it is in the form of a pension is generally taxable as wages prior to reaching retirement age and as pension after retirement age.

If part of the disability is paid as workers compensation, that part is tax free and not considered a part of gross income.

To help you determine if the $3,700 gross income limit is met you may want to review two Internal Revenue Service Publications; Publication 915 covers Social Security Benefits and Publication 525 covers taxable and nontaxable income.

Both of these publications are available at the IRS web site, irs.gov.

Need tax help? Send in your tax questions to Richard Panick, IRS media relations specialist. 

Are these benefits included in gross income?

At worst, the signing means the New York Yankees will have a rather expensive fourth outfielder.

But, gosh darn it, he’s gonna be the best fourth outfielder out there with that kind of money.

Adding Yoenis Cespedes would give the Yankees a strong outfield with a lot of flexibility.  Judging from the scouting reports, Cespedes’ skills would allow him to play any of the outfield positions even though center field is his natural spot.

He’d be able to give the regular outfielders rest during those long stretches.  and with that flexibility, the Yankees can also give the other starters a rest by having a rotation at DH.

Sure, Jesus Montero is there, but I’d feel better if the 22-year-old would find a position to play.

Yoenis Cespedes could very well end up being the next star, but that’s only if he can survive in the majors.

The New York Yankees will likely give him a shot in spring training and keep him on the bench unless he can prove otherwise.  

However, if he struggles too much, don’t be surprised if the Yankees send their prized signing down to the minors for some fine tuning.

Scouts believe Cespedes has what it takes to be a great player in the majors, the question is how soon will that be?  as of now, he’s a very raw prospect who hasn’t faced major league pitchers or even played any major league games.

The learning curve could prove too much and the Yankees could stick him in the minors until he’s ready.

That way, when he does come back up, he’ll likely join Jesus Montero, Austin Romine, Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances as the young guns of the franchise.

Those guys, along with Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and CC Sabathia will form the new basis of the team and have a perennial championship team like they did in the late 1990s with Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettite.

Nick Laham/Getty Images

For Yoenis Cespedes to get any regular playing time, the New York Yankees would have to move one of their outfielders.

The most likely bet is Nick Swisher, but Brett Gardner’s also an interesting option which I’ll explore later.

Since he’ll likely be getting a lot of money, I’d prefer if he wasn’t a platoon player, but his skills might not yet be ready to handle the major leagues everyday.

Cespedes could end up being in a platoon with the possibility of being a full-time player in 2013 or beyond.

The Yankees could platoon Cespedes with one of their young guys in the minors or a veteran until they feel he’s ready to take over as the lone starter.

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Yoenis Cespedes is an outfielder and the New York Yankees’ outfield seems pretty set.  Therefore, it makes sense that the Yankees might be thinking of moving one of those outfielders either this offseason or by the trade deadline.

Of course, it could also mean that some other player might get traded as well, maybe even Cespedes himself.

A trade involving Cespedes would obviously come during the actual season once the Yankees and other teams see what he can do in the majors, or even the stateside minors.

However, it is more likely that a trade involving another player could possibly be lined up should the Yankees sign him.

Brian Cashman wouldn’t sign him unless they had a plan and that plan just might be a blockbuster trade.

We’ll cover the two (three actually) players who are likely to be moved with a Cespedes signing.

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

The most obvious choice would be to ship one of the New York Yankees’ other outfielders to a different team.

They aren’t gonna move Curtis Granderson, his 41 home runs, and his MVP-like season which means Brett Gardner and Nick Swisher are going to be the ones who might get moved.

Brett Gardner is the younger, more versatile option while Nick Swisher is the power-numbers veteran and a good clubhouse presence.

The Yankees would like to move Swisher’s contract over Gardner, but Gardner might be the one who would command a better price on the trade market.

Either one could entice a team in dire need of outfield help to part with a back-end starting pitcher, just someone who could give the Yankees some depth, which is what they truly need.

Neither one of those guys alone could bring another ace or a certified no. 2 to New York, but this next guy might.

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Boy, does it seem like this guy’s name is involved with every New York Yankees rumor or what?

Jesus Montero is by far the Yankees’ best prospect.  He’s shown what he can do at the major league level and he’s got loads of potential, well his bat does anyway. We’ll have to wait on his glove to catch up.

Just about every team in the league would love to have him and the Yankees would love to keep him, but sometimes things just don’t work out.

As of right now, Jesus Montero does not have a “position”.  He’s the Yankees DH and played as a catcher in the minor leagues.  However, the Yankees don’t trust his glove enough to play him behind the plate everyday and they also have Russell Martin.

Should the Yankees sign Yoenis Cespedes and not trade one of their outfielders, Jesus Montero, the kid without a position, could be the one to go.

The Yankees could create a rotation for the DH spot and that way give their older players a bit of a rest at least once a week.

Dangling Montero would also give the Yankees the best chance of landing that star pitcher to pitch behind CC Sabathia they covet so much.

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman knows what it’s like to have an owner go over his head and make a signing.  He went through it with the Boss, George Steinbrenner, and his son, Hank, did it last season with the Rafael Soriano signing.

Cashman has shown the ability to hold off making signings and trades when the pieces don’t add up.  Signing Yoenis Cespedes wouldn’t be a Cashman-like thing to do.

Which means that somebody, probably chip off the old block Hank Steinbrenner, called the shots and signed him or demanded him to be signed.

This goes with the panic button theory, since if Hank Steinbrenner starts calling the shots instead of Cashman, the Yankees might see a repeat of the 2001-2007 era when Daddy George Steinbrenner was calling the shots and the Yankees were spending money every year.

This could mean a rift in the Yankees front office and a deterioration of the team.  So if the Yankees do sign Cespedes, I hope Cashman’s the one who wanted it.

Yoenis Cespedes and the NY Yankees: What It Could Mean and How It Would Work

The Sacramento City Council has approved several preliminary measures to finance a new arena, including a key step earlier this week asking companies interested in leasing the city’s downtown parking operations to come forward. Upfront revenue from a parking deal could provide $200 million to put toward the arena.

That would be the largest chunk of money for the project, which is expected to cost at least $406 million. The parking measure passed by a 7-2 vote. a final vote is expected in February on the entire financing plan — with details of public and private contributions, including from the NBA and the Kings.

“We’re encouraged that something can be done. obviously, we’re leaving that up to the mayor and the city and the NBA,” Gavin Maloof said. “but the NBA is keeping us apprised of everything that’s going on.”

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA All-Star, is planning to meet with NBA Commissioner David Stern and other executives in new York on Friday to continue discussions. The Central Valley’s only major professional franchise almost moved to Anaheim this summer, but the league and the Maloofs decided to give the city one final chance to approve a workable financing plan.

While a March 1 deadline has been imposed, the league also extended that a year ago while the Maloofs pursued options to move the team to Southern California. Joe Maloof said the City Council’s tight schedule would still give the team enough time to make a decision — if everything stays on schedule.

“We’re optimistic guys, always have been. we look at the positive parts,” Joe Maloof said. “we think as long as the mayor continues on with his ideas, we’ll see if they can come to fruition.”

The Maloofs also noted an increase in ticket sales, corporate sponsors and overall excitement building momentum toward a Sacramento solution.

Johnson convinced owners at the NBA Board of Governors meeting in new York earlier this year to keep the team from moving this summer. he secured pledges — which later became checks — for more than $10 million in Kings sponsorship and ticket sales, essentially buying Sacramento time this season.

“The community has been really great,” Joe Maloof said. “Our ticket sales are going through the roof. Our corporate sponsors are way up. I think we’re second in the league in group sales. It’s just been great, sold a lot of tickets and the phone is ringing off the hook. I think they’re all excited about this team and the fact that we’ve got a good young team with a lot of talent and looking forward to big things.”

Follow Antonio Gonzalez at: twitter.com/agonzalezAP

Copyright 2011 The associated Press. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Sacramento Kings owners ‘optimistic’ about city meeting March 1 deadline to finance new arena

Choosing the perfect holiday gift can be difficult, particularly when it comes to determining the appropriate Apple portable media player to give to your dearest and nearest. This year, however, it’s the tiniest bit easier. And it is because Apple has done us all the favor of leaving last year’s iPod lineup in place. If you liked the look of last year’s iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod Classic, and iPod touch, you’ll like them just as much this year as they’ve changed very little.

Which to purchase–either for yourself or as a gift–depends a lot on the money you have to spend and what you’d like that iPod to do. do you want an iPod that plays music only–no video? you have exactly two choices (and only one of them has a display). Need an iPod that stores a large chunk of a massive iTunes library right there on the iPod? Apple offers one perfect iPod. how about an iPod that’s equally at home playing games and sending email as it is playing music, podcasts, and movies? you have up to three choices (depending on how particular you are about the device actually bearing the “iPod” name). to help make those choices more clear, let’s look at this (and last) year’s lineup of Apple’s portable media players.

iPod shuffle

Today’s $US49 4G iPod shuffle looks very similar to the 2G shuffle of yore but, unlike that earlier iPod model, if you care to you can navigate the device by holding down a VoiceOver button (or pressing the controller on the optional $29 Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic). doing so causes the iPod to announce the name and artist of the currently playing track. Press and hold the VoiceOver or headphone controller button and the iPod lists all of its playlists.

The nearly square 4G iPod shuffle is offered in a single 2GB capacity. you can fit approximately 500 4-minute songs encoded as 128-kbps AAC in that 2GB of flash storage. It’s available in five colors–silver, blue, green, orange, and pink. Like shuffles before it, this one bears a clip, allowing you to securely attach the thing to your clothing, backpack, or purse. And, like the 2G iPod shuffle, it has no display but rather, on its face, Volume up, Volume Down, Next/Fast-forward, Previous/Rewind, and Play/Pause buttons.

The mission of the iPod shuffle remains the same. It’s Apple’s least expensive iPod and holds over a day’s-worth of music (again, with music encoded as 128-kbps AAC), making it a solid choice as a workout companion or a careless kid’s first iPod. although navigable through VoiceOver, there are far easier iPods to operate. And, of course, no display means no videos or extra features that require a display (contacts and calendars, for example).

Best for: Athletes (and wanna-be athletes); kids; those who like to press play and go about their business; anyone seeking a spare, kick-around iPod.

Not for: People looking for easy navigation of their music library; those wanting to carry lots of music; individuals desiring an iPod on which to watch videos.

iPod nano

In 2010 Apple changed the nano’s shape, but, in a turnaround of tradition, the company removed features rather than added them. Specifically, 2009’s Click Wheel fifth-generation (5G) iPod nano could play videos; sported a low-resolution video camera; and could display contacts, calendars, and notes. the 6G iPod nano has a smaller screen; a touch interface rather than Click Wheel; can’t shoot or display video of any kind; and dispenses entirely with contacts, calendars, and notes. It does, however, include an FM radio capable of buffering 15 minutes of audio, just as did the 5G iPod nano, and it can display still images you sync to it. A software update issued in the fall of 2011 added a number of stylish clock faces to the nano for those who like to wear it as a watch. the iPod nano is now very much a music player and little else.

Available in 8GB ($US129) and 16GB ($US149) capacities and in seven colors (silver, gray, blue, green, orange, pink and Product Red) the 6G iPod nano is, in some ways, more like a display-bearing iPod shuffle than a successor to the 5G iPod nano. It earns this comparison due to its small size and lack of hardware play controls–you play and navigate through it via on-screen touch controls or with an optional headset that features an inline controller. And for some people–those who want a lightweight, more navigable, higher-capacity iPod for their workouts, for example–that’s perfect. It’s also a cute little thing.

Best for: Exercising iPod owners; older kids who can be trusted to not lose it; public transportation commuters; anyone who wants to carry a reasonable amount of music in a stylish package.

Not for: Individuals desiring an iPod on which to watch videos or keep contacts, calendars, and notes; those who find a touch interface isn’t appropriate for every purpose.

iPod classic

We’ve taken to calling this the “death watch” iPod around the Macworld offices. As the one iPod that still holds a mechanical hard drive–and the model that hasn’t seen an update in several years–we keep waiting for Apple to pull the plug on the thing. And yet, year after year, it lives on. And it does for a compelling reason–if you need a lot of storage (meaning over 100GB), the iPod classic is your only choice.

The $US249 iPod classic is available in silver or black in a single 160GB capacity. It will carry 40,000 4-minute songs encoded at 128-kbps AAC, which works out to a little more than 111 days of continuous music. Additionally, it can play videos and show images on its 2.5-inch color display and hold contacts, calendars, and notes. nothing new, nothing particularly flashy, just a whole lot of room to store all or the bulk of your media library.

Best for: People who want to take all (or a large portion) of their iTunes media libraries with them.

Not for: Those for whom capacity isn’t as important as an iPod touch’s feature set; the visually impaired and blind, who would find it very difficult to navigate this iPod’s interface.

iPod touch

The fourth-generation (4G) iPod touch is the closest Apple has come to feature parity with the iPhone with its inclusion of front- and rear-facing cameras, FaceTime support, HD video recording, support for the mobile version of Apple’s iMovie, an A4 processor, a Retina display, and a built-in microphone.

While the 4G iPod touch’s and iPhone 4S’s features are similar, they’re not the same. Of course, the iPod touch doesn’t support the iPhone’s phone features–voice calling and text and media messaging. nor does it include the Siri intelligent assistant feature. It also lacks the iPhone’s GPS circuitry and can’t transfer data over an EDGE or 3G network. And while, like the iPhone 4S, it has a rear-facing camera and a Retina display, the iPod touch’s rear-facing camera is much lower resolution (.7 megapixels versus the iPhone 4S’s 8 megapixels) and the Retina display is not nearly as readable off-angle as that of the iPhone’s display. at the same time, it also doesn’t require a two-year commitment with monthly charges.

The iPod touch comes in three capacities–8GB, 32GB, and 64GB–priced respectively at $199, $299, and $399. these models, in ascending order, hold 1750 128-kbps AAC-encoded songs or 10 hours of video, 7000 songs or 40 hours of video, and 14,000 songs or 80 hours of video. while the iPod touch may not match the capacity of the iPod classic, a 64GB iPod touch that can hold 40 two-hour movies is nothing to sneeze at.

One of the things that makes the touch such a great iPod is the 3.5-inch (diagonal) touchscreen display. because of its bright and fairly large display, this is the iPod you’ll want to take to bed with you when you’re in the mood for a late-night movie. unlike with the iPod classic, this is an iPod you can stare at throughout a double-feature without squinting for hours afterwards.

All iPod touches support the creation of Genius playlists and Shake-to-Shuffle, operate as Internet appliances (for Web browsing, email, YouTube, iCloud syncing, and weather and stocks updates over Wi-Fi), include a built-in speaker good enough for FaceTime and game sounds, and let you purchase and download media from the iTunes Store, apps from the App Store, and ebooks from Apple’s iBookstore. they also support iTunes Match. So, while you can store a very large music library on an iPod classic, if you’ve paid Apple $25 a year for iTunes Match, you can access that same media library over a Wi-Fi connection. And even if you haven’t ponied up for iTunes Match, with a Wi-Fi connection you can redownload purchased music, apps, TV shows, and ebooks you’ve purchased from Apple’s online stores.

Access to these stores and iCloud media is one of the primary attractions of the iPod touch. With iTunes Store access, you can acquire media on the go (provided the place you go has Wi-Fi). This is highly convenient when you’re sitting in an airport between flights and wish to download an album, TV episode, or movie–if you’re sure you’re connected to a very fast Wi-Fi network–for the next leg of your journey. just as convenient is grabbing a free or low-cost game from the App Store that helps you while away the hours in coach. And if you need something to read, the iBookstore and the iPod touch’s Retina display make it easy to do.

Best for: Those who want to enjoy most of the advantages of add-on applications, the iTunes Store, the iBookstore, Wi-Fi access to the Internet (and all that comes with it, including iTunes Match), an always-with-you still and video camera, FaceTime, and portable video, but don’t need a phone.

Not for: Those looking for an exercise-only iPod–it’s a little bulky and, with its glass screen, you don’t want to drop it on a locker room’s tile floor or the jogging trail. People seeking the best retina display and rear-facing camera Apple offers in a portable device.

The other guys

Although this is a buying guide for iPods, it’s possible you or your lucky gift-recipient-to-be might want another Apple device that can also act as an iPod–specifically, an iPhone or iPad. So in the interest of no device left behind, here’s a look at your other Apple options.

iPhone 4S In the context of an iPod shoppers guide, this is one of the rare times when you get to discuss the iPhone while downplaying its phone functionality–what it brings to the table as an iPod. And the answer to that lies very much in areas where the iPod touch either entirely or inadequately fails to deliver.

Again, the iPhone 4S–available in black or white and in 16GB ($199), 32GB ($299), and 64GB ($399) capacities–has a better rear-facing camera and Retina display than the touch. its EDGE and 3G connectivity mean not only that you can make calls from anywhere its carrier deigns to allow, but also access the Internet. GPS circuitry lets you know where you are at all times (and the Compass app tells you which direction you’re facing, although maybe not which way the wind is blowing). It has a far better speaker than the touch. And, via Siri, you can command it to do your bidding.

That means that, as a media player, you have the opportunity to access streaming media (from Netflix, Pandora, Last.fm, Rhapsody, Spotify, Rdio, and Mog, for example) even when out of reach of an accessible Wi-Fi network. It also expands your wireless options for downloading music, podcasts, books, and apps from Apple’s emporiums. And, like the iPod touch and iPad, it supports iTunes Match, allowing you access to your media in the cloud.

But, as ever, the iPhone is a tricky holiday gift. When you give someone an iPhone, you saddle them with a two-year commitment. If he or she is an existing customer of a particular carrier–AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint–that’s not too terrible. but if the object of your holiday affection needs to switch carriers in order to have an iPhone, your gift becomes a burden.

If you’re determined to purchase an iPhone 4S as a gift, you’ll find that it’s easier to do than it once was. In-store purchase is no longer required. you can now have an iPhone delivered to you and activate it online. or you can purchase an iPhone Gift Card from the online Apple Store. although the right and proper thing to do would be to fill the card with the purchase price of a new iPhone, you’re welcome to choose any amount you like from $25 to $2500.

iPad 2 the iPad is Apple’s best way to enjoy music and video in a portable package. It is because of its large 9.7-inch, 1024-by-768-pixel touchscreen, decent internal speaker, and, on some models, the option to use a 3G network.

The iPad 2 is available in two models–the iPad 2 with Wi-Fi and the iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G. It’s available in black or white. Each comes in three capacities–16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. the Wi-Fi-only models cost $US499, $US599, and $US699, respectively.

The iPad’s large display means the best video viewing experience on a portable iOS device. Whether you’re watching video stored on the iPad or streamed via an application such as Netflix or Hulu Plus, you get a picture that you needn’t squint to see, and one large enough that you and a friend can watch together. (Yes, the speaker is good and loud enough that you usually don’t need headphones or an external speaker for such casual viewing.)

It’s also a quite fine ebook reader. Sweetening the pot is the number of free ebooks available through Apple’s iBookstore and from Project Gutenberg. And because the iBooks app supports PDF files, you can load your iPad with such files for work and pleasure. And, of course, there are the countless apps you can get from Apple’s App Store.

Guide: to buying an iPod

i want to sell video games online..where can i get the most money..is there anywhere where i can get free shipping…not amazon or ebay and please no rude answers

Everyone is always looking for different ways to make money and save money. by using coupon codes when you’re shopping online, you can save a ton of money on your everyday purchases. this isn’t just on items like clothes or toys, but you can also save big on beauty products and toiletries as well. with the current downfall in the economy, people want to save all of the money that they can. Coupon codes make buying the things that you need more affordable, and you feel better while you shop knowing that you’re saving a ton of money. there are several different methods that can be used to get the online coupon codes that are available all over the Internet, and using a few of them can be the best way to find the best deals, and to get the most rewarding codes possible.

Using a coupon code is very easy for anyone to do. the code has to be entered in somewhere during the checkout process. the computer will tell you right away if the code is valid. if the code worked, you will see the amount of money that you saved at the bottom, or sometimes right beside items. different codes that are common to find are free shipping coupon codes, codes for a certain percentage off a purchase, or codes for spend so much money get a specific amount off your purchase. These are easy to use, and they can really save you a lot of money. if an item that you want to buy is already on sale at 15% off, and you have a 20% off coupon code, you are going to save 35% total. For a $50.00 purchase you’re going to save $17.50. That is a lot of money, and people really shop around to see where they can get the most for their dollar.

The first way to get coupon codes is to go to the company website, and sign up for their emailing alert list. the company will send you an email every so often with a notification of sales or promotions going on, and also with coupon codes to use when you check out. These coupons will come over time, and you can use them when you see them. some websites will have codes displayed on the site. be sure to remember that you were intending on using a code to checkout with. if you forget, the site isn’t going to remind you to enter your code. there are several couponing sites on the Internet that only talk about couponing. the sites feature printable coupons and coupon codes, along with sale alerts. Type in the name of your favorite store at one of these sites, and see what different coupons are available.

People often also like to share coupon codes. Stores will send out coupon codes to customers who spend a certain amount of money in their stores, or customers who have recently made a purchase. the customers who get these codes will post them in forums so others can also use them while checking out. if you are shopping online and leave some items in your cart without going through with the transaction, the site may send you and email offering you a promo code to persuade you to follow through with the purchase. Sharing these types of codes is helpful as well. For those who like to shop in store, be sure to save all of your receipts. on printed receipts you can easily find coupon codes for your next visit in the store, or to use on the Internet shopping.

Using codes can save you a lot of money throughout the year on a variety of items. Shopping online at a discount paper products manufacturer can be very affordable if you have a free shipping coupon. this would allow you to get supplies like paper plates and toiletries to last for several months at extremely low prices, and the items are delivered directly to your door. Large wholesalers often have coupon codes for new memberships, or coupons for free memberships as well.

If the cost of living has got you down, use coupons to get back on your feet. the money that you can save during one trip to the store using coupons can be enough to make a difference in your everyday life. Coupons can be used in thousands of stores around the globe, and you can start using coupons right away to see an immediate difference in your shopping bill.

Cut the Cost of Living With Coupons

When impulse spending gets the better of her, Sheila Baldago normally does two things. first, she hides the shopping bags somewhere safe — in her friend’s car or in the stack of clothes in her closet. second, she keeps mum about it.

It’s not that she’s scared her husband will fly off the handle if he finds out about her shopping spree.

"I just feel guilty whenever I buy something for myself and he doesn’t do the same," Baldago, who works as an account executive in Dubai, explains.

"But when I get caught, I explain that shopping reduces my stress and it’s one way of rewarding myself for working so hard."

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She insists a little self-indulgence is fine, so long as she doesn’t splurge on expensive stuff and put the family’s budget in danger.

"I get away with it because somehow, I know he will find out for sure and I can tell him everything then," she said.

"I don’t mind keeping money secrets if it’s just spent on little things because I do that. But I wouldn’t like it if it’s a huge amount. I think the spouse should know if you’re spending Dh500 and above."

Whatever you call it — secret spending or financial infidelity — it seems a lot of people in the UAE are guilty of it. a survey by Visa released in September 2011 revealed a penchant for secret shopping among UAE residents.

According to the research, which was conducted among 980 shoppers of Souq.com, nearly 40 per cent admitted to having secretly bought items online without telling their partner.

More than one in ten (14 per cent) confessed to spending secretly between Dh1,000 and Dh5,000, while a small portion (3 per cent) owned up to making larger clandestine purchases worth up to Dh20,000.

Richard Taylor of Acuma Wealth Management isn’t surprised to hear about couples keeping money secrets. in fact, experience tells him that women are more likely to lie about the cost of clothes, make up and furniture, while men are more likely to lie about how much money they have burnt on gambling, socialising or drinking and expensive gadgets.

"however, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that many lie [outright] about what they are spending, although obviously this will go on. I think it would be fairer to say that most couples tell the occasional white lie and can be pretty economical with the truth — and about different things."

But when it comes to money and relationships, is secret spending bad or good? in the words of Steve Gregory, managing partner at Holborn Assets, people have a right to have money of their own, to spend as they wish.

But it is when clandestine spending gets out of hand that problems arise.

"I think people may lie about their spending, at least occasionally, just to avoid conflict, and I also think this may actually be healthy as long as it is occasional," he said.

"after all, when receiving a birthday present, we don’t really have a right to demand to know how much it cost our partner, does it?

"It’s when people hide debt issues from one another that trouble brews. the offended party will be quite rightly angry to discover they need to bail out the partner when the bank starts calling constantly."

CESI Debt Solutions, a nonprofit organisation, cited one case of a happily married 65-year-old, whose secret purchases started to pile up. Like many people, Victoria Johnson (name changed) was also buying things for herself, her children and friends without the knowledge of her husband. the purchases added up and her debt clocked $17,000.

"I never meant to run up that big a bill," she said.

"I kept saying I would pay it off, but I just never did, and soon it got out of hand. by then I was embarrassed, ashamed and I didn’t tell my husband because I knew it would cause problems," a CESI press statement quoted her as saying.

Luxury car addiction

Dr Rogayeh McCarthy of the Counselling and Development Clinic in Dubai has encountered quite a lot of UAE residents guilty of secret spending. one husband addicted to luxury cars is hiding one Ferrari in South Africa, just to avoid conflict with his wife.

"he has two Ferraris here and one Ferrari in another country. he does not want his wife to know about it because she will definitely get angry, knowing that they don’t own a house yet. But he just loves Ferraris. His priorities are different."

McCarthy warns that keeping secrets can sometimes be indicative of a more serious problem in the marriage. Some people keep secrets because they don’t feel secure in the relationship or they simply want to avoid conflict with their controlling spouse.

"For example, there’s a wife who purchased houses without her husband’s knowledge or she’s buying land in India behind her partner’s back. There is no sense of togetherness and transparency. the wife in this scenario is insecure about the future. People who do things like this feel they have to build up their own future without their spouse in the picture so that in case something bad happens, they are in a fin-ancially stable position.

"Keeping money secrets is a sign that there is already a problem. it is not just destroying trust in the marriage, but the family’s budget as well.

"you have a husband who is obsessed with [a] bicycle and he keeps secretly buying stuff related to his hobby. Eventually, his spending piles up and it gets out of control. Ultimately, the family’s budget suffers."

Taylor says secret spending isn’t a major problem "in general," but it can pose serious issues when it gets out of control.

"in a healthy, solvent relationship, I really don’t think it causes major problems if the wife spends a bit more on the things that matter to her that the husband doesn’t understand, and vice versa."

"in fact, bar the occasional argument when the other party finds out the true cost of certain items/activities, I think it can actually contribute to a happier relationship with both parties getting what they want without any major downside," he said.

"however, as with all things in life, there is a line and once that line is crossed, it can become a major problem that has the capacity to ruin relationships and even lives."

"I have seen situations where it has got completely out of control and a spouse has been in hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, all spent on discretionary lifestyle items — of which their spouse had nearly no idea," he said.

"It’s one of the worst situations I’ve ever encountered as a financial adviser and when this sort of deceit has gone on for so long, it is literally devastating for all parties involved."

The cost of financial infidelity

I don’t know about you, but there is one thing that I hate of every single model of iPhone and iPod (iPod Classic, Nano, Touch, etc)

I hate the fact that I can’t listen to it unless I have my earphone/headphone attached well, that won’t be a big problem if I simply want to listen to my favorite songs while jogging around in the morning or running on the treadmill in my favorite gym. but, I hate to use my headphone while working in my desk. Why doesn’t Apple create a built-in speaker for this tiny yet powerful music player?

Well, since complaining won’t solve anything, I decided to get myself a portable dock speaker system for my iPod. however, it wasn’t until I arrived at the electronic store that I realized there are so many selections out there. in fact, I got overwhelmed by those vast selections and unable to choose the best one for met. I decided to postpone my purchase and do some researches in the internet before I spend my money on those systems.

Based on my researches, I found that Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S715i could very well be the best option for me. Logitech is a well-known manufacturer with decades of flawless history. it was founded in 1930 and has continued to deliver high quality products time after time. Logitech S715i is certainly not an exception

There are several reasons why I chose S715i over other speaker systems. however, the most prominent ones are:

1. it fits whatever type of iPod and iPhone that you have. in fact, it was designed with the Universal Dock C connector to perfectly match any iPod products.

2. it is light and slim. Unlike other systems that are bulk and heavy, Logitech S715i is light and slim. its design is compact and portable; weighing no more than 3.5 pounds. I could conveniently carry it around within my bag.

3. it produces excellent audio quality It’s indeed a small speaker system, but produces powerful sound. the 8 custom-tuned speaker drivers helped it to produce deep bass and crisp high notes. It’s hard to believe that such beastly performance could be packed into something so portable

Logitech S715i – The Best Companion for Your iPod and iPhone

And while his isolationist brand of foreign policy may be a non-starter for some establishment Republicans, its appeal among independents is helping Paul gain ground in a crowded Republican field. His boost is an indication of just how volatile the Republican presidential race is in this state and across the country.

“the good news is the country has changed in the last four years in a way I never would have believed,” Paul told about 80 Republicans and independents at the Pizza Ranch restaurant in this town on Friday. “In the last four years, something dramatic has happened.”

What has helped Paul rise here has been more methodic than dramatic.

His campaign here is a stark comparison to the shoestring, rag-tag operation of four years ago that attracted a narrow band of supporters.

This time, he has built an Iowa organization with the look of a more mainstream campaign.

He has raised more money, hired three times the staff and started organizing his campaign in Iowa earlier than before. Paul was the first candidate to begin airing television ads this fall, and has maintained the most consistent advertising schedule in Iowa.

“We have a more structured, methodical, traditional campaign with Ron Paul here in Iowa more often,” said Drew Ivers, an Iowa Republican Party central committee member and Paul’s Iowa campaign chairman.

Paul is better-known this time, and has spent almost twice as much time in Iowa at this point in the 2012 campaign than in his bid for the 2008 caucuses. Paul finished in fifth place, closely behind Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson in Iowa in 2008.

The intense focus on Iowa this time may be working, with surveys showing Paul is reaching deeper into the caucus electorate.

A recent Bloomberg News poll showed him in close second place in Iowa, behind Herman Cain and narrowly ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

The same poll showed more Iowa caucus-goers had been contacted by the Paul campaign than any of the other six GOP campaigns actively competing for the Jan. 3 caucuses.

Two weeks earlier, the Des Moines Register’s poll showed Paul in solid third place, behind Cain and Romney.

And Paul seems to have been able to sustain his support after finishing a close second in the Iowa GOP’s August straw poll, while straw poll winner Michele Bachmann, a Minnesota representative, has dipped in Iowa polls since.

But it’s unclear whether Paul can cobble together broad enough support to win the caucuses with a plurality of the vote. at the very least, he will impact the results of the contest. but to what degree is anyone’s guess.

The one thing that hasn’t changed from four years ago is Paul’s style.

He remains the mild-mannered, professorial former obstetrician, delivering long explanations of the history of U.S. monetary and trade policy.

In Anamosa, the audience of more than 130 at the small town’s community center applauded when he said he would propose cutting $1 trillion from the federal deficit his first year in office, primarily by vastly reducing U.S. foreign aid.

But he also called for shrinking the military budget by reducing the U.S. military presence around the world, arguing that Congress and military contractors are too closely tied together.

“Yes, we have to have national security, but we don’t get it by bankrupting our country and being in everyone’s face constantly,” Paul said.

The sentiment rings true with Charles Betz, a 47-year-old network engineer from nearby Tama, Iowa. he has typically been an independent voter, but is registered as a Republican so he can caucus for Paul on Jan. 3.

It’s Paul’s foreign and national security policy that has drawn fire from establishment Republicans. former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who is competing with Paul in Iowa for the outsider vote, has been vocally critical of Paul’s stance.

So has Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican who has been courted by most of the GOP candidates.

“I gave Paul credit for having the most ambitious plan to reduce the debt, which he does,” Branstad told the Associated Press. “but I don’t agree with him on foreign policy, at all. I’m real concerned with his views on that.”

Paul’s rivals have particularly criticized his view that Iran does not pose a serious threat to the U.S., a point Paul made again Friday.

“Think about how the war drums were beating to get into Iraq. none of it was true, and I don’t believe the stories now about why we should be shaking in our boots over Iran,” he said. “they are absolutely incapable of attacking us.”

Paul was traveling from small-town Vinton to equally small Anamosa Friday, before capping the day with a major rally in metropolitan Cedar Rapids, where he was to be endorsed by the founder of the Cedar Rapids tea party.

His focus isn’t limited to Iowa.

Paul will be in new Hampshire early next week, where he finished fifth four years ago.

This time, Paul’s fiscally-conservative profile combined with his anti-interventionist foreign policy could help him do better.

Associated Press writer Steve Peoples in Exeter, N.H., contributed to this report.

Amgen In Epogen Supply Deal With DaVita – From the Wires – Salon.com

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Thursday, November 3, 2011 9:31 PM EDT

With the storm behind us and power still being restored, I’m sure a lot of you can’t get on your favorite console and play your favorite sport games; yet. What about your mobile phone?EA Sports has mobilized many of their popular titles and offers them for a reasonable price. they offer, Madden NFL 12, Fight Night Round 4, Madden NFL 10, EA Air Hockey, NBA Street and many more.there is plenty to choose from, but before you cough up the money you might want to know a little more about them.there is no denying that these versions are slimmer than the console versions. so, if you know that going in you can manage your expectations. That doesn’t mean that these games can’t be fun.

One of them that I tried is Madden NFL 12 and it’s decent. The graphics made it feel like I was playing on the Sega Genesis again, which isn’t a bad thing and there is a lot stuffed into it. you get 32 teams, a decent sized playbook, an exhibition and season mode and commentary from Cris Collinsworth, Gus Johnson and John Madden.Madden NFL 12 mobile will set you back $8 and it’s definitely a game you will want on your phone.another game I tried was EA Pool, because how can you go wrong with billiards; especially one that is priced at $1.99.this game offers 8 ball and 9 ball game types and multiplayer. yet, once I started playing this game I soon realized why it was priced so low; it’s horrible. there are no redeeming qualities here. The controls are weird, the way you look at the pool table is awkward and it’s just not a fun experience. You’ll end up deleting this app off your phone after ten minutes of play time.The next one on the list is Fight Night Round 4. this is another one that I enjoyed.The game allows you to customize your own boxer, fight against boxing legends and it offers mini-games.Fight Night Round 4 will catch your eye early, it has 3D graphics that reminded me of classic Nintendo 64 and controls are pretty well. The game is marketed at $2.99 and it’s worth the price.so if you have internet available on your phone, I strongly suggest trying Madden NFL 12 and Fight Night Round 4. they offer a fun experience and they might allow you to forget about having no power.If you’re not into sport games and still want a game to help you pass the time I strongly recommend Words with Friends. this game has been around awhile and I found myself playing this all the time during the storm.The only problem with word with friends is those websites and other apps that help people cheat, and people do try to cheat. so, if someone starts using words that you never heard of and seem to be out of that persons vocabulary, you probably have a cheater on your hands. so, all of those, except EA Pool, are good ways to get your gaming fix and survive without any power.

EA’s mobile sports games could be a fun alternative

In a truly bizarre Europe-wide canvassing operation, a number of media organisations working in partnership with the Groupe Bernard Tapie have began contacting ex-Full Tilt players to ask how they would like their bankroll to be paid back. While this initially seems like fantastic news for anyone with funds locked up in the poker site, as with anything that seems too good to be true there is a catch; namely that anyone contacted by Groupe Bernard Tapie

DAVIS (CBS13) — a young dog born with an unusual deformity is being cared for by the Yolo County SPCA but will soon need a good home.

Joey, a six-and-a-half-week old Chihuahua, was born without her front legs, but a veterinarian refused to euthanize the dog when the breeder brought her in.

“The vet decided no,” said Yolo SPCA spokesperson Megan Galloway. “She doesn’t know there is anything wrong and she’s a happy puppy, otherwise she was just born deformed.”

Joey has to push up onto her back legs to get around, but she can get where she needs to go, Galloway said.

“She loves to cuddle or just go in her bag and be carried around,” Megan said. “She will do anything for a bit of peanut butter.”

The Yolo SPCA has Joey in foster care and is hoping to raise enough money to get her a custom-fit wheel chair to get around, something that could cost about $700.

“There are other dogs like her, so I don’t think it’s uncommon, but it’s definitely a Chihuahua problem. it probably has to do with inbreeding and just bad breeding,” Megan said.

Joey is the featured angel fund pet for the Yolo SPCA, which means money donated will go to her medical expenses.

Two-Legged Chihuahua Looking For New Home

For a long time I believed that copying games required a high level of expertise, and a lot of research. This was the case for a while, since you had to investigate yourself on finding software on the internet that would allow you to do this. but now with the introduction of various software applications. the whole process to copy Wii games can be performed with ease and in a number of very simple steps.

For both beginners and intermediates in the game copy world, can now simply the whole process by using software to copy games. In the past you needed a high level of technical knowledge to copy games. You had to do your own research on the right software. You had to find out yourself what DVD drive would be best to burn the discs. You had discover which blank discs worked well for the best quality of backups.

Many of this was done by trial and error. Costing both time and money. however now there is a wealth of information available online. Sometimes all in one place, and it will allow you to copy games simply and quickly.

This software can bypass the built in copyright protection, allowing users to create backups of Wii games. Before you needed to discover the right software to do this. By downloading various applications, installing them on your computer and trying different ones.

With the amount of viruses and trojans running loose on the internet, it is a big risk trying to find this software yourself. Luckily I have state of the art anti-virus installed on my computer. I downloaded and tried a few of these so called free applications. Some of the were same packed with dodgy files and there was no chance I was going to risk my PC. therefore I suggest trying the safer and more reliable software.

The correct software can guide you through the whole process to copy Wii games with ease. Some even provide tutorials, given you a step by step guide to backing up & burning games. the right software will have a built in Wizard, or a good interface that will walk you through the steps. so don’t worry you don’t have to guess which buttons to press, have no idea what order to do stuff in and end up with rubbish quality duplicates of your games.

Good quality blank DVD’s can also be more expensive than regular ones. therefore I would suggest getting software that can guide you, so you don’t risk wasting many of these trying to figure how to copy Wii games yourself.

Do I Need Technical Experience to Copy Wii Games?

I don’t know about you, but when you’re as obsessed with gaming (and in particular PS3) as I am, you quickly start to learn that it’s not the cheapest hobby in the world. That coupled with my movie obsession had me almost broke.

I was always buying games I’m sure I’d like, only to find out that I didn’t really enjoy them. I’d also spend tons on DVD rental a month – it all added up.

In fact I can’t remember how much I’ve spent on purchasing games and DVDs over the years – a small fortune, probably. That’s why I’ve come up with 3 money-saving tips I’d like to share, which I learned about the hard way.

Rent games instead of buying them – It took me a good while to discover that this was even possible. I wished I’d found out about this earlier than I did. there are a variety of services out there on the net where you can rent games, often with a free trial period. this is a great way for auditioning games before you buy. I have a plethora of abandoned games which I’ve either had to sell on or are just gathering dust on my shelf. Renting games means you know which games tickle your fancy before you buy.

Use your PS3 as a Blu-ray player – instead of going out and buying an expensive stand-alone Blu-ray player to play your Blu-ray discs you can use your trusty PS3. this could possibly save you at least 400

Save on DVD, Blu-ray Purchases and even Cinema Tickets – Usually if you want to watch a film you have to buy the DVD or Blu-ray or stream the movie to your computer on a small screen. but you can now stream movies to PS3 and enjoy the full cinematic experience on your own full-sized television screen. No need to buy an expensive TV with movie streaming facilities or visit the cinema to see your latest flick either.

There are plenty of online services out there on the web for renting games and movies, but many aren’t necessarily geared towards the PS3 user or make full use of the PS3 movie streaming facilities. Some of the services out there presently are Blockbuster, Netfix, Cinema Paradiso, and of course good old iTunes. not all of which cater to the whims of us PS3 users. one service that I have recently found that ticked all the right boxes for me as a PS3 obsessive is Lovefilm.

Why the PS3 Can Save You Money – 3 Tips for Putting Cash Back in Your Pocket