Thursday, January 6, 2011

Going Like Sixty

Going Like Sixty

Breathe Easy. First Baby in Smallburg Was From a Woman.

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 10:22 PM PST

Ted Williams, Man With Golden Voice, Didn’t Try Very Hard

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 12:46 PM PST

Homeless Radio Voice Over Ted Williams

Yup, I was as amazed as you the first time I heard the classic FM radio voice come out of Ted Williams scruffy, meth-mouth.

Two thoughts crossed my mind.

1. I hope this isn’t a hoax perpetrated by some radio station.  I’m still not convinced this might be the case. The only thing that keeps from yelling “hoooooooooax” is the guy’s meth mouth. But even that can be faked with some good fakery. I’m guessing that since the guy is making television appearances and getting some close scrutiny that he is probably a for real crack-addled bum that got lucky.

2. This guy wasn’t trying very hard to get work. He does voice-over for crying out loud. Pick up a damn phone! Here are the offers he has since being “discovered”:

  • interest from Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert
  • voiceover work at Quicken Loans Arena
  • NFL is also hot on the tails of Williams’ voice to see if he is interested in doing voiceover work for the NFL Films division.

“I really, really want to get this guy in a seat for an audition,” Kevin McLoughlin, NFL Films’ director of post production, told the Daily News. “When I first heard about it, I was like, ‘Good voices are a dime a dozen.’ When the voice hit me (on video clip), I said, ‘I’ve got to get this guy an audition. This guy deserves a second chance.’”

  • The Ohio Credit Union League offered a $10,000 opportunity to do voice-over work for the Ohio Credit Union League, pending a background check. He also was offered a house.
  • MTV: Someone claiming to be from MTV called into “The Morning Zoo” to say that they’d love to work with Williams.
  • ESPN:  has expressed interest in Williams, too.
  • Radio: A Pennsylvania radio station is apparently interested in Williams.
  • Giving back: The television station WBNS-TV wants to use Williams as a narrator for One Day To End Homelessness, a telethon planned for Jan. 31.

When you have the “golden voice” like Ted Williams has, it can’t be that tough to find some voice work – even in Columbus, Ohio. And you know, a couple phone calls to some voice agents in Los Angeles would have gotten this guy work in a heartbeat.

He really wasn’t trying very hard. And don’t whine about his crack-addled brain on drugs being fried.  The guy sounds pretty damn lucid in the interviews. He knows who Susan Boyle is, fer cryin’ out loud. He’s been sober for 2 1/2 years!

C’mon!

This kind of story makes me sad for all the plain-Janes and Joe Schmoes that are standing on the street corners begging like Ted Williams and incurring the wrath of passers-by.

It makes me sad for those people that standing in line for minimum-wage jobs with no benefits while drawing unemployment benefits that probably will end soon.

Ted Williams has set back the work ethic of every down-and-out schlub in America. Luckily, they don’t have access to any media and don’t have a clue that Ted Williams is even out there.
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Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog)

Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog)

Baby Boomers Blog Carnival Seventy-third Edition

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 03:08 AM PST

Welcome to the January 5, 2011 editionBaby Boomers U.S. Blog Carnival of the Baby Boomers Blog Carnival. There are some really well thought out and insightful Boomer articles for you to peruse this week.

So, grab a cup of coffee (or tea),  sit back in your most comfortable chair, put up your feet and Enjoy.

This one’s for you!

Family

Joe Plemon presents Rethinking Our Family Christmas Gift Exchange posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “An over the top gift exchange this past Christmas has spurred our family to rethink our Christmas celebration. We are making changes.”

Eliza Fayle presents From Baby Boomer to Mother-in-Law: How to Play Your New Role posted at Silver and Grace.

Nicole Elena Robertson presents Family photos posted at Nicole Elena Robertson, saying, “Child of a Baby Boomer sees old family photos through her own generation’s eyes.”

Davidl2001 presents Divorced Families Cause Problems For College Students posted at 50 Plus Finance, saying, “It seems college students with divorced parents have a harder time getting financial aid for college”

Fitness

Super Saver presents My Brain is Trapped in a Fifty-Two Year Old Body posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “One of my challenges with getting older is my brain still competes like my body is twenty years old.”

General

Terry Hamburg presents BABY BOOMER WORD GAME posted at Boomer To You, saying, “A few of us were Yippes, more were Yuppies, and still more didn’t know what they were”

Madison DuPaix presents Two Years After the Bank Bailouts: Has Taxpayer Money been Repaid? posted at My Dollar Plan, saying, “Two years after the taxpayer bailout package, find out exactly how much it cost.”

Health

AEDINSY presents Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms posted at Diabetic-Digest.com, saying, “People who have diabetes often don't know it, because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Discover a valuable source of information on the symptoms of diabetes.”

Linda@NHE presents 12 Tips On Protecting Yourself From Cell Phone Radiation posted at Natural Health Ezine, saying, “A few simple ways Boomers can protect themselves from cell phone radiation…”

Humor

Madeleine Begun Kane presents What Do Jews Do On Christmas? A Limerick Explanation posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Who Needs A Door, Anyway? posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

Retirement

Jeff Rose, CFP presents What Happens When You Over Contribute into IRAs? posted at Jeff Rose, saying, “Is it really possible to save too much? When it comes to contributing to your IRA, it can.”

Jeff Rose, CFP presents Personal Finance Things to Do Before Age 50 posted at Consumer Boomer, saying, “There are some personal finance things you will need to do before you turn 50. This article will give you some real insight to what those thing are.”

Travel

Marvin Grossman presents Shopping for a 2011 car? Here are the top safety picks posted at Car Insurance Articles, saying, “See who was able to snag the top award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.”

Work

Job-Interview-Site.com presents How to Be a Good Manager and a Good Leader? posted at Job Interview Guide, saying, “The article provides 8 Keys to Being a Good Manager and Tips on Being a Good Manager and a Leader.”

BWL presents 7 Tips To Ask Your Boss for a Pay Raise posted at Christian Personal Finance, saying, “A look at a few simple tips to help you improve your chances of getting a pay raise when you ask…”

Charles Chua C K presents Effective Ways to Deal with Unemployment posted at All About Living with Life.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of baby boomers blog carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

BCSubmitter.comRemember, when you submit an article, please fill in the Category and Remark Fields to add your own description of your post. Please Submit only ONE Article per Carnival, multiple articles Will Not Be Accepted.

Since this is a community endeavour, please feel free to advise me through comments or my contact form if there is something you think I can do to improve the Carnival.

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You may also want to join the Baby Boomers US Forum for conversations by Baby Boomers about topics important to Baby Boomers!

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The Boomer Chronicles

The Boomer Chronicles

Should We Worry? (the Global Disaster Edition)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 10:24 AM PST

Should we worry that entire flocks of birds are falling out of the sky?

Should we worry that Australian farmers have not been able to grow crops because of record high temperatures and droughts, and now are being flooded out?

Should we worry that some island nations are beginning to pull up stakes because the water is rising all around them?

Should we worry that more and more weather-related catastrophes (stronger tropical storms, etc.) are occurring?

And something I’ve noticed for the past couple of years: Should we worry that, here in the Northeast, moths were still flying around up until a few weeks ago?
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Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Consumer Boomer

Consumer Boomer

Best Banks to Open a Roth IRA

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:55 AM PST

The Roth IRA has become one of the most talked about financial products on the market. So much so, that the word "Roth" has come to be synonymous with retirement funds, even though there are other types of IRA's out there, including things like the traditional IRA, the SIMPLE IRA, and the education IRA.

All of these have their benefits and drawbacks. Some of them are relatively new to the IRA market. The SIMPLE IRA for instance allows an employer to fund an IRA for himself or herself and his or her employees, but also allows employees to contribute up to $11,500 each year into an IRA – even more if you’re over the age of 50.

But with all this talk of different kinds of IRAs, the Roth still enjoys the greatest reputation as a worthwhile retirement investment. And for good reason. The down side is that contributions are not tax deductible when they are put into the Roth, but the upsides are many. Roth IRA earnings accumulate tax free, and are tax free even upon distribution. The waiting period for withdrawing funds is also relatively short. To withdraw from a Roth IRA without penalty, the waiting period is only 5 years. Of course, it's advised to wait as long as possible before withdrawing funds, but should an emergency occur it's good to know that the money is available.

So What's the Best Bank to Invest In?

It's important to realize that there's no one right answer for everyone. Additionally, it's a good idea not to spend too much time hemming and hawing about the right bank to invest with. What's more important is to start your IRA soon, to maximize the amount of time your money will have to build interest and value.

The highest rate that I’ve been able to find is through Everbank.  You can read more about Everbank here.

Considerations for Your Bank Roth IRA

That said, there are a few things you'll want to consider. First, consider the level of customer service you're going to need. If you're new to investing, you'll need a little more hand holding along the way. Investing with a bank that offers some help for young investors is probably a sound idea for the person in this situation. Call a few banks and have quick conversations about their offerings. See who you like the most, and who has the best customer service claim.

Also look for a bank that has a lot of free advice out there for managing your money. Check for banks that have active blogs or customer communities. Talk to these people and check on money management conversations. You want a partner that will help you leave your IRA in place for as long as possible so it can gain interest and help fund a comfortable retirement.

Look at factors like Minimum Deposit, Stock Trades Commission, Options Trades Commission, Margin Rates and inactivity Fees. Some banks may seem good on the surface, but then hit you with fee after fee for things that seem pretty silly. Customer service is important, but if you get nickel and dimed into paying for it, the cost versus the benefit may begin to shift.

Best High Interest Savings Account Online For Your Roth IRA

Everbank

  • Low $1,500 initial-deposit requirement
  • No-fee Online and Mobile Banking
  • Up to six withdrawals per month
  • 3 month bonus rate for new signees
  • FDIC Insured
  • Read here for EverBank Review

Sign up Here for EverBank Yield Pledge Money Market Account.

ING Direct

  • Low initial deposit requirement
  • Easy to use interface
  • FDIC Insured
  • Mobile Banking

Sign up here for ING Direct Savings Acccount.

Ally Bank

  • FDIC Insured
  • Very competitive rates on savings and CD’s
  • Open account with 0$
  • No Minimum Balance

Sign up here for Ally Bank savings account or CD’s

WT Direct

Competitive interest rate for higher balances

  • No minimum balance or maintenance
  • Friendly customer service
  • FDIC insured

Sign up here for WT Direct savings account.

Discover Bank

  • Fast & free online transfers
  • No minimum balance
  • $500 to get started
  • Pays 5 times the national average

Sign up here for Discover Bank online savings and CD’s
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Going Like Sixty

Going Like Sixty

Kentucky and Vietnam Linked By Vast Cave System

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 09:21 AM PST

Whoa. Is it too early in 2011 to blow your mind?

BTW: I already have my typo-of-the-year for 2011. I was commenting about this video…

I referred to trilling her “hours”… what a dope…

Anyway, I have my typo-of-the-year, so you can have your Holy Shit moment of the year…

The National Geographic has released pictures of a vast cave system in Vietnam.

Cave in Vietnam

The National Geographic is quick to label it the largest cave in the world.

When Howard and Deb first saw these enormous spaces, they felt certain they had discovered the largest cave in the world—and they might be right.

Largest. Not longest. That still is the domain of Mammoth Cave just up the road. Mammoth Cave is 367 miles long – they think! Last time I read, some expert cavers at the local university were in a hole near Lexington, Kentucky and speculate that it’s connected to Mammoth Cave. Lexington is about 130 miles from Mammoth Cave.

But how cool would it be if the Vietnam Cave and the Kentucky Cave had a connection? The hole to China that every kid dreams of comes true!

Can you say underground railway?

Drop some moonshine in this end and by the time it passes the earth’s core, it’s distilled in to fine Kentucky Bourbon. Drop a chunk of coal from Eastern Kentucky and out comes diamonds in Vietnam. Drop tobacco in here and all of Vietnam can puff away from the resulting smoke.

Drop some rice in the Vietnam end and by the time it reaches Kentucky, it’s cooked rice. Woo-hoo.

Kentucky loses again.
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