Why you want to use Joomla instead of Wordpress | joomla-blog | If you have been around at Compass Designs recently, you will have noticed I have done a redesign. I was using the WordPress component for my blog. I was finding it very difficult to use, its basically WordPress running inside Joomla which was clunky. For me there were 9 key things I wanted from my blog: Flexible layout Search Engine Optimized Titles A robust and good looking comment systemTags, like Digg, Del.icio.us etcA solid RSS which could service categoriesAbility to have an RSS feed be automatically emailed to peopleCategories in Sidebar“Chicklets”Trackbacks and Pings Let’s see how I did with each of these: Flexible layout This is where Joomla simply beats WordPress into the ground.. and then jumps up on down on it. The summary? WordPress is a blogging tool, its really good at it.
Stopping Unsolicited Mail, Phone Calls, and Email | Consumer Information Tired of having your mailbox crammed with unsolicited mail, including preapproved credit card applications? Fed up with getting telemarketing calls just as you're sitting down to dinner? Fuming that your email inbox is chock-full of unsolicited advertising? The good news is that you can cut down on the number of unsolicited mailings, calls, and emails you receive by learning where to go to "just say no." Consumer Reporting Companies If you decide that you don't want to receive prescreened offers of credit and insurance, you have two choices: You can opt out of receiving them for five years or opt out of receiving them permanently. To opt out for five years: Call toll-free 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit www.optoutprescreen.com. To opt out permanently: You may begin the permanent Opt-Out process online at www.optoutprescreen.com. If you don't have access to the Internet, you may send a written request to permanently opt out to each of the major consumer reporting companies. Mail
Epic Beard Man - Encyclopedia Dramatica Nice shoes, bad attitude. Facebook: Unknown Twitter: Unknown Page created by: Summary Epic Beard Man (Thomas Alexander Bruso aka Vietnam Tom aka Tom Slick ) is a 67 year old Vietnam war veteran who gained internet fame via YouTube video. Origins The event occurred on Bus Number 3057 of the AC transit system at the corner of 20th Street and Webster Street in Oakland, and was first posted to YouTube by Iyanna Washington , another rider on the bus who caught the fight on her phone. In February of 2010, the video spread to 4chans random board with the plight of "Return EBM's Bag", where it spread rapidly. Transcript from the video - Michael: AC Transit! Current status On May 8th 2011 a video was released of Epic beard man with an update on his status and the fact that he is now homeless. The video was produced with high quality and is intended to garner some donations or help for EBM in Oakland, CA. Facts Real name Thomas Alexander Bruso. Images Videos [NSFW] The fight on the bus Related Pages
Robocalls | Consumer Information Consumers are getting more and more unsolicited robocalls. As the number of these calls has multiplied, so have the number of complaints reported to the FTC, state and local law enforcement agencies, and consumer organizations across the country. What's a Robocall? If you answer the phone and hear a recorded message instead of a live person, it's a robocall. You've probably gotten robocalls about candidates running for office, or charities asking for donations. What's the Reason for the Spike in Robocalls? Technology is the answer. What's the FTC Doing About Robocalls? Duing the last few years, the FTC has stopped billions of robocalls that offer everything from fraudulent credit card services and so-called auto warranty protection to home security systems and grant procurement programs. Many different companies use the same or very similar recorded messages. Robocallers fake the caller ID information that you see on your phone. What Should You Do If You Get a Robocall? If you get a robocall:
'Hannity' Obtains Copy of Pre-State of the Union Talking Points This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," January 26, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. SEAN HANNITY, HOST: All right, in my hand I am holding an e-mail. An e-mail that you and I were never supposed to read. Now this is an e-mail containing the official White House pre-State of the Union talking points. And tonight, right here on this program, we are going to expose this document for the fraud that it is. Now earlier today we spoke directly with the White House, and although they would not confirm nor deny the authenticity of this e-mail we believe it is the real thing. Now this document proves that this White House is out of touch with mainstream America. Now the official talking points, they're split into three specific categories that the White House calls rescue, rebuild and restore. • Watch the video Now this is what the White House wants its surrogates to go on TV and tell you the American people? Well, yes, they can. It is simply not true. HANNITY: Yes.
Stopping unwanted phone calls and text messages | Consumer Information Unwanted phone calls or random text messages seem to come at all hours. They bug you at work, interrupt your dinner, or wake you up when you’re sound asleep. I think we can all agree they’re a real nuisance. If your phone number is one of the more than 217 million numbers on the Do Not Call Registry, you’ve taken action to stop most unwanted sales calls. If you get an unwanted sales call or a robocall—a recorded message that’s pitching a product or service— it’s probably a scam. If you’re getting repeated calls from the same number, you might want to ask your service provider to block the number; for calls from different numbers, ask if they offer a service to block unwanted calls. What about those random text messages?
Another Democrat Makes Push To (Potentially) End The Filibuster Another Democratic senator is making a legislative push that could alter the use of the filibuster, this time by trying to give senators more authority to change the parliamentary rules that bind their actions. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) introduced a resolution on Monday that would give the Senate the ability to vote on its own rules and regulations every two years, when a new Congress convenes. "We, as elected representatives, have a duty to our constituents. Udall's Communications Director Marissa Padilla explained in a brief conversation with the Huffington Post that this was not a frontal attack on the filibuster itself. Mustering 67 votes for anything (let alone a congressional rule change) is an impossibly tall order. Padilla said the Senate would pass its own set of rules at the beginning of each Congress by a simple majority. "Essentially no rules can change or many rules can change," Padilla said.
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The Second Clinton? On the one hand, last week’s Volcker-fest signaled that the Obama administration wants to get tough on Wall Street. Given that they almost certainly don’t have the votes in the Senate (and probably not the House, either), this may have been a purely political calculation, and it remains to be seen how much substance lies behind the marketing. But even so it was probably smart politics, since it forces Republicans to either go along (which ain’t gonna happen) or come out in favor of hedge funds and proprietary trading. On the other hand, what the —-? Ezra Klein describes what is likely to go wrong here. “The administration will target worthless programs, like agricultural subsidies, in order to preserve good programs. Brad DeLong, who is usually more sympathetic to the administration than I, calls it “Dingbat Kabuki,” and then he really gets going: Update: The usually understated Mark Thoma thinks along similar lines (in uncharacteristically not understated tones): By James Kwak
New limits on telemarketers | Consumer Information Scammers want your money, but they don’t want to get caught taking it. That’s why fraudulent telemarketers ask people to pay with systems that deliver a quick, anonymous cash payout like cash-to-cash transfers or cash reload card PINs. However, it’s now illegal for telemarketers to ask for payment by: cash-to-cash money transfers — like those from MoneyGram and Western UnionPINs from cash reload cards like MoneyPak and Vanilla Reload The FTC amended the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) to ban these practices starting June 13, 2016. If a telemarketer asks you to use one of these payment methods, he’s breaking the law. The amended Rule also bans telemarketers from calling to ask for your bank account information and using it to create a ‘remotely created check’ that you never see, or sign. You have other protections under the Rule, including: If you hear from telemarketers who don’t follow the rules, hang up and report them to the FTC.
Berry: Obama said "big difference" between '10 and '94 is "me" - January 25, 2010 Rep. Marion Berry's parting shot, published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette [no link, subscription only] offers a warning to moderate Democrats and border state moderates — warning of a midterm bloodbath comparable to the 54-seat D-to-R swing in 1994. But the jaw-dropper is Berry's claim that President Obama personally dismissed any comparison between Democrats now and under Bill Clinton 16 years ago — by saying his personal popularity would bail everybody out. The retiring Berry, who doesn't say when the remarks were made, now scoffs at Obama's 50-or-below approval rating: Writes ADG reporter Jane Fullerton: Berry recounted meetings with White House officials, reminiscent of some during the Clinton days, where he and others urged them not to force Blue Dogs “off into that swamp” of supporting bills that would be unpopular with voters back home.
The Telemarketing Sales Rule | Consumer Information The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) puts consumers in charge of the number of telemarketing calls they get at home. The TSR established the National Do Not Call Registry, which makes it easier and more efficient for consumers to reduce the number of unwanted telemarketing sales calls they get. How can I put my number on the National Do Not Call Registry? You may register online at donotcall.gov, provided you have a working email address, or by phone, by calling toll-free 1-888-382-1222 (TTY: 1-866-290-4236) from the number you wish to register. Registration is free. What does registration entail? If you register by phone, you must call from the number you want to register. How does the National Do Not Call Registry work? The law requires telemarketers to search the registry every 31 days and avoid calling any phone numbers that are on the registry. When did the National Do Not Call Registry take effect? Restricts unauthorized billing. Reduces abandoned calls.
President Obama on Scott Brown Massachusetts Victory President Obama warned Democrats in Congress today not to "jam" a health care reform bill through now that they've lost their commanding majority in the Senate, and said they must wait for newly elected Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown to be sworn into office. The president also said the same voter anger that swept him into office in 2008 carried Brown into office on a stunning upset victory Tuesday night over heavily favored Democrat Martha Coakley. Watch George Stephanopoulos' exclusive interview with Obama tonight on "World News" and "Nightline" and tomorrow on "Good Morning America." Check your local listings. "Here's my assessment of not just the vote in Massachusetts, but the mood around the country: the same thing that swept Scott Brown into office swept me into office," the president said in an exclusive interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos. "People are angry and they are frustrated. Brown defeated Coakley in the special election to replace the late Sen.
US may block undersea cable backed by Google, Facebook, report says US officials are reportedly seeking to block an undersea data cable backed by Google and Facebook that links Los Angeles to Hong Kong. The Justice Department, which leads a multiagency review panel known as Team Telecom, is opposed to the cable because of national security concerns over its Chinese investor and the direct link to Hong Kong, according to a report Wednesday from The Wall Street Journal. Much of the nearly 8,000 mile long Pacific Light Cable Network has already been installed along the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean, with commercial service expected to launch near the end of this year. However, the PLCN project might not be granted the license it needs to operate due to opposition from Team Telecom, the Journal said, citing people familiar with the review. If the license application is rejected, this would be the first time the US has denied an undersea cable license because of national security, according to the Journal.