September 23, 2014

Finding a Door Into Banking, Walmart to Offer Checking Accounts

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/business/finding-a-door-into-banking-walmart-to-offer-checking-accounts.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

Here comes Wal-Bank again.

After years of thwarted efforts to break into banking, Walmart is making another run at everyday financial services.

Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, is teaming up with Green Dot, known for its prepaid payment cards, to supply checking accounts to almost anyone over 18 who passes an identification check.

Daniel Eckert, senior vice president at Walmart, said on Tuesday that the accounts would be available nationwide by the end of October. The accounts are intended to be low-cost alternatives to traditional bank checking accounts, with no fees for overdrafts or bounced checks and no minimum account balance.

*end of excerpt*

Mea culpa: I was wrong about Wal-Mart offering space to lawyers, so, I have no objection to this either.

September 23, 2014

Blizzard cancels its 'World of Warcraft' successor

http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/23/6833563/blizzard-cancels-its-world-of-warcraft-successor

"What comes after World of Warcraft?" It's the question Blizzard has been asking for years. WoW is one of the most successful games of all time — just one of many for the studio behind StarCraft, Diablo, and Hearthstone. The next-generation project even had a name: Titan.

Titan is dead.

Though never official, Blizzard co-founder and CEO Mike Morhaime has confirmed with Polygon that the project has been canceled. Senior VP of story and franchise Chris Metzen elaborated further:

September 23, 2014

Favorite pizza, if you must eat outside of your home or order in

For me, any small Italian restaurant. Do you have a fave restaurant ? FTR, I don't find Pizza Hut vomitous, although I know most do.

September 23, 2014

learned something from you

I am in Zone 9b and FL has zones 8a to 10b, I think, in the Keys.

September 23, 2014

National Voter Registration Day

http://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/about

http://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/register-to-vote/

http://www.rockthevote.com/voter-registration/online-application-system/online.html

I had no idea one could register to vote online ! I had to do it old-school style in 1976, of course. I'm sure the Republicans hate this. Do you have to appear in person to verify your identity ?

September 23, 2014

Invest 99E, Tropical Depression Fung-wong, no threats to US

details here: http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/

September 22, 2014

BS percentage needed on "the 25 year Great Depression"

http://moneymorningtv.com/rickards/ocho.php?pub_id=454975&s1=gdnmmp3

Yes, it's obviously a profit-driven site, so that places its credibility in doubt immediately. Is this 100% BS, or is there any truth to it ? I keep seeing this all over the net. Thanks.

September 22, 2014

Today is the first day of fall, for those of us in the northern hemisphere !

No threats to the US. Tropical Storm Fung-wong lashes China.



The rest here: http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/

September 22, 2014

MightyText: a way to send text messages (sms) from your pc or tablet to a phone....

If you're like me and hate typing text messages on those very small keyboards on phones...relief

http://mightytext.net/

To use this, your phone has to use Android. You install it on your PC by an extension on Chrome, Firefox, or use the Webapp (click the link).

http://www.myphonedesktop.com/ <~~~~ That looks like the same thing for Iphone/iOS.
I admit to not reading it.

Now I can send longer texts to my son without driving myself batty

September 21, 2014

So, anyone else thrilled about fall starting tomorrow at 1029 PM EDT ?

I suppose only we weather geeks are No fall-ish weather for me for 5 weeks or so.