Black Friday's Best & Worst Places to Shop!

The American economy has been improving and consumers are beginning to feel the urge to splurge. With Black Friday approaching I thought I'd point out the best and worst places for you to spend your MONEY!

My first bit of advice is to stay home and don't go out there! It'll be a crazy mess! If you do go shopping, beware, disappointment awaits you! Most of the stores are selling the same items as last year at the same prices. This weekend, retailers have all out violated the true meaning of the words 'sale' and 'discount' with their so called scam/bargains.

The worst places for holiday shopping will be Amazon, Best Buy, Big Lots, Walmart, and Costco. If you shop there, you'll be sorry in every way!

The best places for holiday shopping this year is JCPenney and Macy's. Good deals on clothing can also be found at Sears. Toys R Us has a very big selection of Kid-friendly Android Tablets, but Kohl's is the best place to shop for toys. If jewelry is on your list I suggest that you find the nearest Kmart. They are offering the best discounts on jewelry this year, some items up to 80%.

On this Black Friday the best things to buy are the things you probably won't be rushing to the store to get. For real value, this is the year to buy cookware, bedding, clothing and jewelry.

Remember this, Black Friday is a day where everyone is expected to go shopping. The stores are stocked with lots of cheaply made off-brand products specially made for this shopping weekend. The best thing you could do for yourself and your family is to stay home, stay safe and just stay away from the madness!

If you think better deals can be found on Cyber-Monday, well you are misinformed. The deals to be had on Monday aren't deals at all, they'll be no different from products/prices seen in sales at different times earlier in the year.

The real deals to be had will probably be in early January!

All told, Black Friday is the worst day you could ever leave home for, it brings out the manic behavior lurking within. It has been opined that it is a time of happiness and giving and I'll just say this. That's a load of malarkey! This Blackest of all Fridays brings out a selfishness and greediness that makes ordinary nice people monsters!

Beware!

AMA's International Song of the Year - Little Apple - Chopstick Brothers

Little Apple is the Big Surprise

The American Music Awards (AMA's) have picked “Little Apple” as the International Song of the year for 2014. The song came out this past May as a promotional piece for the film 老男孩之猛龙过江, or in English it is called “Old Boys: The Way of The Dragon.” It was an instant hit in mainland China and has grown in popularity worldwide ever since.

The song is composed by Wang Taili and is performed by Xiao Yang and Wang Taili who are known as the “Chopstick Brothers.” Their accompanying video has over 900 million views on Youku. Youku is the YouTube of China. Since its release the song has been covered and parodied thousands of times. No matter where you go in China you're going to hear...'you're my little apple-etc.'

People of all ages do their aerobics and dancersize to the tune of ... ??? you guessed it ... you're my little apple!

This song is an up-tempo catchy dance tune that is easy to follow. It is basic and repetitive with simple lyrics. It nonsense nature and silly video makes it a fun little tune to enjoy. It may not become as big as PSY's “Gangnam Style”, but it is definitely the most played and talked about tune of the year. Check it out for yourself!

AMA Winners & Nominees 2014

Little Apple

小苹果

xiǎo píngguǒ

India Needs Investment for Mobile Broadband to work!

India Needs Investment for Mobile Broadband to work!

Having access to other markets, and access to more information would go a long way towards developing the second most populous country in the world. The ever expanding importance of the internet will positively affect financial services, social services, productivity and also help transportation and really, the possibilities of the Internet are endless.

The impact of better internet service is obvious and we've seen the benefits that derived in several other countries, most notably would be China!

The sad truth is that India is ranked 100th in terms of digital infrastructure. Approximately 100 million people of the 900 million customers have mobile broadband. The connection quality is terrible, often with speeds less than 1 Mbps and much of the time even slower! When you buy or subscribe to something advertised as 3G, you're getting 3G service in name only!

Mobile internet is quickly replacing the home based internet that has been prevalent for much of the past two decades. Mobile internet is the future and in China it is the most important and first choice.

Why, you may wonder? In India most of the allocated bandwidth is committed to the government. The rest is distributed by too many different commercial suppliers.

There are around ten different providers and some would say this is a big part of the problem. With this many providers, the profitability is limited and that leaves little to no room to improve the infrastructure. What can be seen is chaotic inefficiency and the ISP's in India struggle and compete with each other and this all hurts potential revenue.

In order to make mobile broadband to work, India needs to invest more in these networks. Sad and shocking, not even one operator in India is able to deliver true 3G connectivity while most everyone else in developed countries is enjoying 4G, WiFi and even utilizing Bluetooth in the same capacity.

Getting permission to do anything with the infrastructure requires the approval of several local governing offices. A discouraging nightmare. The government absolutely has to come up with a simpler national framework in order for any progress to really take place.

Mobile internet in India is a disaster and the results are obvious, you have an industry in debt with a poor financial outlook, and frustrating customer experiences. These are the bitter realities facing mobile broadband users in India and it's why so few are connected.

India is a great country and I am certain that they will untangle all the bureaucratic obstacles that hinder their progress. It will require assertive leadership with clearly defined goals. Mobile broadband is here to stay and cannot be ignored. They simply need to catch-up to the rest, because being left behind would be devastating!

Kim Kardashian - The Paper Cover - Bottoms Up!

Kim Kardashian – The Paper Cover

Todays ultra exhibitionist Kim Kardashian stuns the public once again with her outrageous over the top antics.

This time it's the cover of The Paper, and this new cover gives new meaning to the phrase 'bottoms up' 

The Paper Magazine is a fashion and pop culture magazine based in New York and their Winter issue hit the stands on Thursday November 13^th.

The magazine had only one idea in mind and that was to as they put it, to 'break the internet.'

"For our winter issue, we gave ourselves one assignment: Break The Internet. There is no other person we can think of who is up to the task than one Kim Kardashian West."

Kim Kardashian is photographed by French photographer Jean-Paul Goude who has recreated his now famous 'Champagne Incident' image during a recent shoot this past September in Paris. The cover photo recreates his work from some 30 years earlier that featured his then girlfriend Grace Jones. The photo that was to break the internet is not as outragous as some of the comments and postings it has inspired. For sure, whether you're aware of it or not it's a nostalgic nod to an era long gone.

Kim herself makes light of it all when she tweeted...

Maybe the most stunning fact about all of this is how much she was paid for posing for this cover. Nothing!

Obama Issues Immigration Executive Order - Boehner Cries Foul Again!

Obama Issues Immigration Executive Order.

Boehner Cries Foul Again!

The biggest news of the day is President Obama's Immigration Executive Orders. They are only temporary as he puts it, and they really don't amount to much. He may only have acted within his legal limits, but the new Executive Orders issued do not go far enough.

Here is what they do:

• Immediate Relief For 4-5 Million From Fear of Deportation.
• New Staffing and Resources at Border.
• Credit Card Payments for Naturalization Fee in 2015.
• *Adjustments to H1-B Specialized Worker Visas. (See Below)
• Spouses of H1-B visas can now get work permits and work legally.

"Today, our immigration system is broken, and everybody knows it." - President Obama

“What I’m describing is accountability, a common-sense, middle ground approach. If you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. If you’re a criminal, you’ll be deported,” - President Obama

The new plan gives 4-5 million illegal immigrants a chance to apply for work permits and a temporary reprieve from deportation. Those who have been in the U.S. for at least five years and are parents of citizens or legal permanent residents are eligible to apply. The White House said a million more might benefit through other new or expanded programs.

The White House considered deferring deportation of the Dreamers’ parents, but Karl R. Thompson from the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department. says that “the proposed deferred action program for parents of DACA recipients would not be a permissible exercise of enforcement discretion.”

President Obama was only able to defer the Dreamers' deportation two years ago, and allow them to become eligible to work in the U.S. “Deferred action ... does not provide you with a lawful status.” Which leaves us all a bit confused, but it has to do with Congessional intent and technical legalities. Although there is a degree of uncertainty here, Dreamers' parents who don’t have a U.S. citizen child aren’t likely to be deported.

The President is trying to narrow the group of people who would be subject to deportation, in what the White House says is an effort to focus 'enforcement resources' on gang members, serious criminals and those who crossed the border after Jan. 1, 2014.

These new changes are long overdue and much needed, but they are not enough and as President Obama plainly says, these new executive orders are only temporary and can change or disappear as soon as Congress/ the house of misrepresentatives put forth a Bill for him to sign.

The real problem and the major obstacle to immigration reform is 'The Speaker of The House' – John Boehner!

A Bill that will certainly pass the Senate is being held up by Boehner. He won't even allow the House to vote on it. A bill that is prepared and ready to be voted on. A Bill that needs a simple yes or no vote from the House to proceed. This Bill is held up by Boenher, while he's out crying foul to the public, spewing lies and misinformation. He's resorted to childish name-calling and crying foul over executive orders, proclaiming them as over-reach, stating that the President has ruined any chance of a bipartisan deal. John Boehner is a liar! John Boehner is the one to blame for government inaction, he's the one holding everything up!

The Republican plan all along has been to do nothing, just wait. In waiting they were able to make President Obama look weak, indecisive and ineffective. They never wanted to address this issue at all. All they care about right now is their time-off and the coming holidays! They have done everything they could to sabotage and delay any action on immigration. President Obama has been more than patient and has tried to work with Republicans, but it was their inaction that really forced him to act and issue the new Executive Orders on Immigration.

It's time for the worst Congress that ever misrepresented us to get off their lazy worthless lying asses and pass a bill! And, America needs a New Speaker of the House, get rid of Boehner! How he ever got this far in politics is one of those great mysteries of the world that we'll never understand

*Adjustments to H1-B Specialized Worker Visas.

Continued from the above portion of this article: For more streamlined, and point of fact specifics on the new adjustments and changes with regard to the H1-B and other Visas read the following linked article.

Obama Executive Action – High skilled Immigrants

http://www.h1bwiki.com/obama-executive-action-high-skilled-immigrants/

President Obama's Executive Action Speech November 20th

http://youtu.be/wejt939QXko

Lies We Are Told About Illegal Immigrants

Lies We Are Told About Illegal Immigrants

Americans have been told for many years about all of the negative effects that undocumented immigrants are responsible for. They're blamed for everything and are an easy target. It's because of them, we have so many problems ourselves!
Do you always believe everything you hear from politicians? Probably not all politicians, just the ones you like. Well, you should be better than that, because all politicians are liars and opportunists.

I'm only saying you should realize there is always 2 sides to a coin and many more to a story. Instead of sounding like a robot drone who repeats what someone else is saying you would be better all around to evaluate facts and make up your own mind. Don't let others make your mind up for you. Simple enough?


When it comes to illegal immigrants or undocumented immigrants we are always told that they don't pay taxes and they don't pay into Social Security, that they drain our system and take our jobs and the complaints go on and on.
This is absolute balderdash. They've paid Billions and they have paid more into the system than is truthfully reported. They pay in all the while knowing because of their status they'll never be eligible to receive any benefits. They can receive emergency care.


Stephen Goss says - "They are paying an estimated $15 billion a year into Social Security with no intention of ever collecting benefits." Stephen Goss is the Chief Actuary of the SSA. He also added... "Without the estimated 3.1 million undocumented immigrants paying into the system, Social Security would have entered persistent shortfall of tax revenue to cover payouts starting in 2009."



So, there's a bit old cold water in the face, a splash of reality! But wait, there's more-read on...

IRS figures show that 50% to 75% of an estimated 11 million unauthorized U.S. immigrants file and pay income taxes each year.

And how many times have your heard that they take American jobs and drain the system, the truth is the jobs they take are not the jobs that Americans want. Many of these jobs probably only exist because they, the illegal immigrants, will take them. These jobs have actually helped the US economy and America needs these immigrant workers and as for draining the system these undocumented immigrants do not qualify for welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, and most other public benefits. These programs require proof of legal immigration status. More in your face truth, even legal immigrants cannot receive these benefits until they have been in the United States for at least five years!

The AFL-CIO supports the President's Executive Orders. "For far too long, our broken immigration system has allowed employers to drive down wages and working conditions in our country," - "The brunt of the impact has been born by immigrant workers, who face the highest rates of wage theft, sexual harassment, and death and injury on the job."

Many will offer differing views, but I am inclined to think for too long the American citizens have been conditioned to hate and despise immigrants and blame them for everything.


There is no easy answer to today's immigration problems, but the problems won't go away just by ignoring them. The immigrants are already here and here to stay, it's time to get them them legal status and include them in our society. We'll all be better off in the long run.

https://www.uschamber.com/immigration-myths-and-facts-0

https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/legacy/reports/Immigration_MythsFacts.pdf