Frost Momentum is a checking account that reward customers for making lots of debit card purchases by increasing their interest rate.
Created by Frost Bank, which has about 100 branches throughout Texas, here’s how it works:
If your balance is below $15,000, you’re paid a “base” interest rate of 2.76% for the first three months. Then the base rate drops to 0.01% (that is not a typo).
If your balance is between $15,000 and $150,000 you’ll earn a “base” APY of 2.80%, with no time limitation.
For every 10 debit card purchase you make each month, you earn a “bonus” of 0.05 percentage points, up to a maximum of 50 purchases or 0.25 percentage points.
So you could boost the APY to 3.05% for accounts with balances of at least $15,000 (but to just 0.26% on accounts with balances under $15,000 after the first three months.)
With all of these rules, you’ll need the rather cool calculator Frost provides to figure out what your returns will actually be.
But there are no fees and it’s tough to find a short-term CDs paying more than 2.80% APY, assuming you can maintain the $15,000 balance required to qualify for that interest rate.
Swipe the card at every Taco Bell drive-thru and movie theater concession stand you hit and Frost Momentum gets a little better.
http://www.bankaholic.com/frost-bank-280-to-305-checking/
Friday, March 6, 2009
Australian Eartquake - Melbourne
MELBOURNE (AFP) — Australia's second-largest city, Melbourne, was shaken by an earthquake Friday, but police said there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Residents reported buildings shaking across the metropolitan area and other parts of southeastern Victoria state, recently ravaged by wildfires which killed 210 people.
"Being so close to the fire areas and having been on alert the last two to three weeks, our only thought was 'oh my God, what now?'" said Kate Bruce of Doreen.
"My kids thought that the roof was coming off, that's how loud it was here."
The United States Geological Survey said the 4.7 magnitude quake struck about 96 kilometres (59 miles) southeast of Melbourne shortly before 9.00 pm (1000 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometres.
"We were just sitting down watching the TV and then the whole house absolutely shook," James Sandman of Drouin town told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"The foundations shook, the walls moved, they wobbled, and myself and my wife just looked at each other and we both then looked at the exits wondering 'do we need to get out?'"
Seismologist Phil Cummins at Geoscience Australia, which monitors earthquake activity, told the national AAP news agency the quake "is unlikely to have caused any damage, except possibly some minor damage near the epicentre."
"We are in Gippsland in Krowera, and the earth tremor sounded like an explosion here," another resident said.
"[It] felt like something very big had hit the house. Our power also went out for about eight to 10 minutes."
Victorian State Emergency Service spokesman Allen Briggs said the service had been inundated with phone calls from the public but there had been no reports of any damage immediately after the tremor.
"It was certainly enough to rattle windows and we've had reports it was felt in metropolitan Melbourne and as far down as Warragul and Leongatha in Gippsland," Briggs said.
Just three Australian earthquakes are known to have caused fatalities, the University of Western Australia says on its website, with the worst being in 1989 in Newcastle in New South Wales state, which killed 13 people.
Residents reported buildings shaking across the metropolitan area and other parts of southeastern Victoria state, recently ravaged by wildfires which killed 210 people.
"Being so close to the fire areas and having been on alert the last two to three weeks, our only thought was 'oh my God, what now?'" said Kate Bruce of Doreen.
"My kids thought that the roof was coming off, that's how loud it was here."
The United States Geological Survey said the 4.7 magnitude quake struck about 96 kilometres (59 miles) southeast of Melbourne shortly before 9.00 pm (1000 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometres.
"We were just sitting down watching the TV and then the whole house absolutely shook," James Sandman of Drouin town told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"The foundations shook, the walls moved, they wobbled, and myself and my wife just looked at each other and we both then looked at the exits wondering 'do we need to get out?'"
Seismologist Phil Cummins at Geoscience Australia, which monitors earthquake activity, told the national AAP news agency the quake "is unlikely to have caused any damage, except possibly some minor damage near the epicentre."
"We are in Gippsland in Krowera, and the earth tremor sounded like an explosion here," another resident said.
"[It] felt like something very big had hit the house. Our power also went out for about eight to 10 minutes."
Victorian State Emergency Service spokesman Allen Briggs said the service had been inundated with phone calls from the public but there had been no reports of any damage immediately after the tremor.
"It was certainly enough to rattle windows and we've had reports it was felt in metropolitan Melbourne and as far down as Warragul and Leongatha in Gippsland," Briggs said.
Just three Australian earthquakes are known to have caused fatalities, the University of Western Australia says on its website, with the worst being in 1989 in Newcastle in New South Wales state, which killed 13 people.
Earthquakes are to blame for the current global warming
New study says earthquakes cause global warming Alarmists have some serious explaining to do about man-made global warming, according to a new study. The study makes a strong, if unusual, argument that global warming is connected to earthquakes. Diandong Ren of the University of Texas claims that carbon dioxide (the greenhouse gas vilified by everyone from James Hansen to Al Gore) is released into the atmosphere by earthquake activity.
The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, cites mudslides as the reason behind the release of CO2. Mudslides scour plants and topsoil away from the surface in large swaths. The buried plants then decompose, releasing carbon dioxide. The study uses the May 2008 earthquake in Wenchuan, China as an example. The earthquake that killed nearly 70,000 people could have released an amount of CO2 equal to “2% of the annual global emissions from fossil fuel combustion of the new few decades.” The climatologist has also designed a computer model to predict CO2 release from post-earthquake mudslides.
The study, however, creates something of a chicken-or-the-egg debate among global warming critics. In a 2006 report published in The Wall Street Journal, author Sharon Begley argued that melting glaciers actually spur volcanic activity and trigger earthquakes. Begley cites the geologic record and claims that the link between glaciers and earth processes has clear throughout history:
[The link between glaciers and earth processes] has reared its ugly head in the past, especially during periods of rapid climate change such as the end of ice ages. When ice sheets retreated 10,000 years ago, for instance, Iceland experienced a surge in volcanic eruptions. Volcanoes in the Mediterranean, Antarctica and eastern California also seem to have been awakened by retreating ice.
Begley’s argument has been picked up and echoed by many publications, including a recent LiveScience article that says Earth’s rebounding crust is to blame:
One particular feature that can change the balance of forces in Earth's crust is ice, in the form of glaciers and ice sheets that cover much of the area around Earth's poles plus mountains at all latitudes. The weight of ice depresses the crust on which it sits.
The tension between Diandong Ren’s study and the articles blaming earthquakes on man-made global warming is difficult to reconcile. Both cannot be right. If so, the scientific community is trying to wrap its head around a massive vicious circle. If everyone’s claims are correct, earthquakes not only release a high percentage of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but they effectively cause themselves. I have a hard time believing that any natural process starts and ends with itself. However, studies like Ren’s help quiet claims about man-made global warming and force alarmists to better explain themselves.
http://www.examiner.com/x-3420-Cleveland-Weather-Examiner~y2009m3d5-Earthquakes-to-blame-for-global-warming-study-says
The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, cites mudslides as the reason behind the release of CO2. Mudslides scour plants and topsoil away from the surface in large swaths. The buried plants then decompose, releasing carbon dioxide. The study uses the May 2008 earthquake in Wenchuan, China as an example. The earthquake that killed nearly 70,000 people could have released an amount of CO2 equal to “2% of the annual global emissions from fossil fuel combustion of the new few decades.” The climatologist has also designed a computer model to predict CO2 release from post-earthquake mudslides.
The study, however, creates something of a chicken-or-the-egg debate among global warming critics. In a 2006 report published in The Wall Street Journal, author Sharon Begley argued that melting glaciers actually spur volcanic activity and trigger earthquakes. Begley cites the geologic record and claims that the link between glaciers and earth processes has clear throughout history:
[The link between glaciers and earth processes] has reared its ugly head in the past, especially during periods of rapid climate change such as the end of ice ages. When ice sheets retreated 10,000 years ago, for instance, Iceland experienced a surge in volcanic eruptions. Volcanoes in the Mediterranean, Antarctica and eastern California also seem to have been awakened by retreating ice.
Begley’s argument has been picked up and echoed by many publications, including a recent LiveScience article that says Earth’s rebounding crust is to blame:
One particular feature that can change the balance of forces in Earth's crust is ice, in the form of glaciers and ice sheets that cover much of the area around Earth's poles plus mountains at all latitudes. The weight of ice depresses the crust on which it sits.
The tension between Diandong Ren’s study and the articles blaming earthquakes on man-made global warming is difficult to reconcile. Both cannot be right. If so, the scientific community is trying to wrap its head around a massive vicious circle. If everyone’s claims are correct, earthquakes not only release a high percentage of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but they effectively cause themselves. I have a hard time believing that any natural process starts and ends with itself. However, studies like Ren’s help quiet claims about man-made global warming and force alarmists to better explain themselves.
http://www.examiner.com/x-3420-Cleveland-Weather-Examiner~y2009m3d5-Earthquakes-to-blame-for-global-warming-study-says
Was that an earthquake? Do you know what an earthquake feels like?
Google may be showing some of its Silicon Valley influence with a new feature that makes it easier to answer a classic California question: “Did you feel that? Was it an earthquake?”
Now you can just type in the words “earthquakes San Francisco” (for example) if you want to see a list of recent earthquakes near (you guessed it) San Francisco. You can also do a general search for “earthquakes” if you just want to know which parts of the world are shaking. The feature also lets you click to see the earthquake epicenter on Google Maps.
On one level, this is a bit underwhelming, since Google isn’t providing any new information or even aggregating a particularly rich set of data — all of the earthquake information comes from the US Geological Survey’s Earthquake Center website. But this makes the information searchable so users don’t have to navigate the USGS’ lists and maps. It also lets you use Google’s tools to find out more — for example, you can Google the local time when the earthquake occurred. Perhaps most importantly, it’s yet another question you can answer without ever leaving Google.
My only real complaint is the fact that the earthquake listings just kind of sit there. Sure, you can map them, but how about a link to the full earthquake profile on the USGS site? Or to relevant stories in Google News?
In his blog post, Google Software Engineer Mike Danylchuk writes, “Traditionally, we’ve had to wait for answers as reporters scrambled to investigate and spread the news.” As someone who’s covered some small earthquakes for the local paper, I like this tool, but it only helps with what was already the easiest part of the job — namely, contacting the USGS (or visiting its website) and confirming that there was an earthquake. A cub reporter still has to tackle the tough task of tracking down some locals and asking, “Did you feel it? Did you feel it?”
http://venturebeat.com/2009/03/05/was-that-an-earthquake-google-it-and-find-out/
Now you can just type in the words “earthquakes San Francisco” (for example) if you want to see a list of recent earthquakes near (you guessed it) San Francisco. You can also do a general search for “earthquakes” if you just want to know which parts of the world are shaking. The feature also lets you click to see the earthquake epicenter on Google Maps.
On one level, this is a bit underwhelming, since Google isn’t providing any new information or even aggregating a particularly rich set of data — all of the earthquake information comes from the US Geological Survey’s Earthquake Center website. But this makes the information searchable so users don’t have to navigate the USGS’ lists and maps. It also lets you use Google’s tools to find out more — for example, you can Google the local time when the earthquake occurred. Perhaps most importantly, it’s yet another question you can answer without ever leaving Google.
My only real complaint is the fact that the earthquake listings just kind of sit there. Sure, you can map them, but how about a link to the full earthquake profile on the USGS site? Or to relevant stories in Google News?
In his blog post, Google Software Engineer Mike Danylchuk writes, “Traditionally, we’ve had to wait for answers as reporters scrambled to investigate and spread the news.” As someone who’s covered some small earthquakes for the local paper, I like this tool, but it only helps with what was already the easiest part of the job — namely, contacting the USGS (or visiting its website) and confirming that there was an earthquake. A cub reporter still has to tackle the tough task of tracking down some locals and asking, “Did you feel it? Did you feel it?”
http://venturebeat.com/2009/03/05/was-that-an-earthquake-google-it-and-find-out/
Facebook worm - New virus affects Facebook
The Facebook worm or Facebook virus, or Koobface, whatever you call it, is wrecking havoc once again. This time it is morphing, evolving into a new form that could easily lure Facebook users.
The Facebook worm is also attacking other popular social networking sites like MySpace, Bebo, Hi5, myyearbook, Friendster, and LiveJournal.
How the Facebook Worm works
When you log in to your Facebook account, you will see an invitation link that looks like coming from a friend. Once you follow that link, you'd be redirected to a site that looks like YouTube with fake comments and video responses, and be asked to download the fake Adobe Flash plug-in to view the video.
Once you download and install the malicious software, boom! Koobface worm has hijacked your Facebook account. What it does next is try to infect all your friends by sending them the same messages. This also allows hackers to execute commands on your affected machine to gather info. And who knows what these hackers can do to your vital information!
How to protect yourself from the Facebook Worm
Easy. Be cautious of what you click. If you are suspicious, don't click the link. Always make sure where the link will lead you.
http://salaswildthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/03/facebook-worm-facebook-virus-whatever.html
The Facebook worm is also attacking other popular social networking sites like MySpace, Bebo, Hi5, myyearbook, Friendster, and LiveJournal.
How the Facebook Worm works
When you log in to your Facebook account, you will see an invitation link that looks like coming from a friend. Once you follow that link, you'd be redirected to a site that looks like YouTube with fake comments and video responses, and be asked to download the fake Adobe Flash plug-in to view the video.
Once you download and install the malicious software, boom! Koobface worm has hijacked your Facebook account. What it does next is try to infect all your friends by sending them the same messages. This also allows hackers to execute commands on your affected machine to gather info. And who knows what these hackers can do to your vital information!
How to protect yourself from the Facebook Worm
Easy. Be cautious of what you click. If you are suspicious, don't click the link. Always make sure where the link will lead you.
http://salaswildthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/03/facebook-worm-facebook-virus-whatever.html
American Idols 36 Wildcard Winners
OK, so the wild card round was tonight and four more people got through: Jasmine, Megan, Matt and Anoop. Yep, it's a Top 13!
Jesse -- Singing "Tell Me Something Good" with a little too much makeup but otherwise looking cute, Jesse was working too hard to be a soul mama. When you've got it, it comes effortlessly and you NEVER look like you're trying. Randy was mixed but the other three were stronger, with Simon saying she was indulgent but still glad he put her through. At least she learned to shut her mouth when the judges were talking.
Matt -- Sang the Jackson Five while dressed like Justin Timberlake. All the judges thought he was a thousand times better though Simon did not like his look. I thought he was better too but wasn't that enthusiastic.
Megan -- Sang the unlikely KT Tunstall gem "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree," an odd choice for someone who claims to be a country gal. Katharine McPhee was a revelation when she did it but I felt Megan was reaching for the bluesiness and flat in places. Paula gave the half-hearted "I enjoyed watching you," Kara gave her a huge plug to go through while Simon and Randy liked her despite the vocal weaknesses. Huh?
Von -- Von kept the hair towering high while singing "Sorry Seems To The Hardest Word" at a key that was even higher. Just the key he chose was dreadful and probably ruined his chances because it caused him to sing in a strange falsetto. He did get better in the lower register but not enough. Simon put the kibosh right away and the other judges agreed. Serious Paula showed up here: "I've been studying the way you perform...." Kara really has allowed her to become unexpectedly sober. Simon even referenced Paula as the house expert by saying he asked Paula what Von originally performed. Bye Von, come back next year.
Jasmine -- Singing "Reflection" by Christina Aguilera and looking lovely but not too dressed up, Jasmine was a bit beauty pageant by which the judges usually mean powering through the big notes without any subtlety. She had a lot of rough notes and most everything she tried was rough around the edges at best, if not a complete disaster. With faint praise, the judges said she was better than before, with Paula saying she was "determined," and Simon saying she sounded at times like a young girl trying to sound grown up but then changed paces by saying she was in the running.
Ricky -- Also looking like Timberlake, Ricky sang the Stevie Wonder classic "Superstitious," which Stevie sang on the Grammys alongside the Jonas Brothers (who were cool, but still suitably thrilled). I could have done without the Justin Guarini camera smile but except for one brief bad low note and a high pitched squeal, he was pretty darn funky. The two gals loved him but Simon put the kibosh on and randy weighed in by saying "Superstitious" sounded too indulgent to him.
Tatiana - Just her intro speech annoyed me. Please, put her on a reality show where she belongs, but I won't watch it. Singing "Saving All My Love For You" in a classy dress that worked for her, Tatiana just trudged through the mellow beginning and powered it up whenever she got the chance. Virtually no personality (as a singer; she's got loads as a person), she just sang like Whitney's version (for the third time on this song!) as much as possible and then had a dreadful riff at the end. Why they even discuss her, I don't know. She's not a good singer and Simon was best when he skewered her lie about singing the song again because she couldn't get any other song cleared.
Anoop -- Singing "My Perogative" and looking fine, Anoop began goofily, getting all sexy and growly, then got a little better but started shouting and except for the trademarked big Idol note toward the end, it was pure karaoke. The audience went berzerk for him and Simon said he's not much of a singer but people like him, admitted they weigh personality as well as singing ability and basically said his winning charm would get him through.
So who did you think did the best? Did the judges make the right choice? Personally, none of them blew me away at all. But the live, immediate decisions by the judges made it a fun hour of TV. Tatiana kneeling down in front of the judges while Paula told her she was going to go places and even be an actress (duh!) almost made dealing with the girl worthwhile. And Anoop's stunned double take when he knew he was gone only to find out there'd be a Top 13 was priceless.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/emamerican-idolem----top_b_172382.html
Jesse -- Singing "Tell Me Something Good" with a little too much makeup but otherwise looking cute, Jesse was working too hard to be a soul mama. When you've got it, it comes effortlessly and you NEVER look like you're trying. Randy was mixed but the other three were stronger, with Simon saying she was indulgent but still glad he put her through. At least she learned to shut her mouth when the judges were talking.
Matt -- Sang the Jackson Five while dressed like Justin Timberlake. All the judges thought he was a thousand times better though Simon did not like his look. I thought he was better too but wasn't that enthusiastic.
Megan -- Sang the unlikely KT Tunstall gem "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree," an odd choice for someone who claims to be a country gal. Katharine McPhee was a revelation when she did it but I felt Megan was reaching for the bluesiness and flat in places. Paula gave the half-hearted "I enjoyed watching you," Kara gave her a huge plug to go through while Simon and Randy liked her despite the vocal weaknesses. Huh?
Von -- Von kept the hair towering high while singing "Sorry Seems To The Hardest Word" at a key that was even higher. Just the key he chose was dreadful and probably ruined his chances because it caused him to sing in a strange falsetto. He did get better in the lower register but not enough. Simon put the kibosh right away and the other judges agreed. Serious Paula showed up here: "I've been studying the way you perform...." Kara really has allowed her to become unexpectedly sober. Simon even referenced Paula as the house expert by saying he asked Paula what Von originally performed. Bye Von, come back next year.
Jasmine -- Singing "Reflection" by Christina Aguilera and looking lovely but not too dressed up, Jasmine was a bit beauty pageant by which the judges usually mean powering through the big notes without any subtlety. She had a lot of rough notes and most everything she tried was rough around the edges at best, if not a complete disaster. With faint praise, the judges said she was better than before, with Paula saying she was "determined," and Simon saying she sounded at times like a young girl trying to sound grown up but then changed paces by saying she was in the running.
Ricky -- Also looking like Timberlake, Ricky sang the Stevie Wonder classic "Superstitious," which Stevie sang on the Grammys alongside the Jonas Brothers (who were cool, but still suitably thrilled). I could have done without the Justin Guarini camera smile but except for one brief bad low note and a high pitched squeal, he was pretty darn funky. The two gals loved him but Simon put the kibosh on and randy weighed in by saying "Superstitious" sounded too indulgent to him.
Tatiana - Just her intro speech annoyed me. Please, put her on a reality show where she belongs, but I won't watch it. Singing "Saving All My Love For You" in a classy dress that worked for her, Tatiana just trudged through the mellow beginning and powered it up whenever she got the chance. Virtually no personality (as a singer; she's got loads as a person), she just sang like Whitney's version (for the third time on this song!) as much as possible and then had a dreadful riff at the end. Why they even discuss her, I don't know. She's not a good singer and Simon was best when he skewered her lie about singing the song again because she couldn't get any other song cleared.
Anoop -- Singing "My Perogative" and looking fine, Anoop began goofily, getting all sexy and growly, then got a little better but started shouting and except for the trademarked big Idol note toward the end, it was pure karaoke. The audience went berzerk for him and Simon said he's not much of a singer but people like him, admitted they weigh personality as well as singing ability and basically said his winning charm would get him through.
So who did you think did the best? Did the judges make the right choice? Personally, none of them blew me away at all. But the live, immediate decisions by the judges made it a fun hour of TV. Tatiana kneeling down in front of the judges while Paula told her she was going to go places and even be an actress (duh!) almost made dealing with the girl worthwhile. And Anoop's stunned double take when he knew he was gone only to find out there'd be a Top 13 was priceless.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/emamerican-idolem----top_b_172382.html
Kanye West and Kelly Clarkson to be together on `Idol'!
Here's some wild news to top off a night of wild card picks on American Idol: Fox announced that the Kanye West, together with a fellow Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson, will perform at the live results show March 11. West will sing "Heartless" and Clarkson will perform her single "My Life Would Suck Without Out" before the Top 13 picks find out who will stay and who will go.
http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/03/kanye-west-and.html
http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/03/kanye-west-and.html
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