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SOPA Is Evil

Piracy So the record companies, the movie studios, the obsolete media, and some large software companies want the ability to nuke a website from orbit if they find any of their intellectual property there.

Or a hint of their intellectual property.

Or, “Oops, I guess that wasn’t ours. How much business did you lose during the 6 month appeal of a non-judicial takedown?”

Pure crap.

I’m not saying that from the perspective of some junior high pirate watching free porn in his parents’ basement. Intellectual property is the basis of my livelihood. I am a Microsoft Certified Professional; a software engineer. I am a blogger; a writer. I am a web developer; again, pure IP.

Giving private companies the right to arbitrarily take down sites for what may or may not be an actual violation is absurd.

Over the last few years, a law firm called Righthaven(spit!) has been teaming up with news agencies around the country to extort fees out of websites–generally small sites–for violating their copyright. Most of those cases involved individual users–not owners–posting fair-use snippets of articles. Since the cases were filed in Nevada, it would have cost more to fight the suits than to simply pay the blackmail, typically $5,000-$10,000.

Now, add the ability to threaten to administratively shut down the site if settlement isn’t made in 24 hours. That eliminates the ability to consult with an attorney, undermining the legal system completely.

All because once-successful companies can’t cope with the current world.

I’m not a fan of piracy. I enjoy buying movies because that encourages the people who made them to continue to make movies. The delivery system sucks.

Netflix has developed a successful business model out of making it easier to watch movies legally than to pirate them. For $8/month, you can watch as many movies as you’d like. If you have a $50 Roku, or any number of other devices, you can watch right on your TV. Add another $8/month to that, and you can get new DVDs delivered right to your door. For less than $20/month, they are delivering licensed, legitimate content and making a profit doing so.

How did the movie companies respond?

Did they increase the availability of their libraries, to get more wanting-to-be-honest customers paying a small fee to watch their content?

Of course not. They reduced the instant library and extended the amount of time before they would license new movies for rental. They made it harder to get their content legitimately, which increased the amount of piracy.

Now, since Plan A is biting them in the ass, they are pushing for yet more legislation to salvage their failed business models.

Here are three options for watching movies I don’t own:

Option 1: Instant

Through the magic of Amazon Instant, Netflix Instant, or any of the magical Roku channels, I can…

Open an account. Once.
Find a movie I want to watch.
Watch it immediately. This could be included in a membership fee, or as an individual rental.

Option 2: Piracy

I am not recommending illegal activity. This is for the sake of example, only.

Download torrent software, like uTorrent. Once.
Go to a site like Torrentz.com and find a movie I want to watch.
Click the torrent link, let the torrent software open it and download the movie.
Watch the movie in a couple of hours. For free.

Option 3: Buy it.

Drive to the store each time I want to watch a movie.
Spend $15-$20 on the movie.
Drive home.
Fight the bank vault of plastic and tape they wrap the movies in.
Put the DVD in the player.
Watch 5 minutes of “Don’t Be a Pirate” garbage. Hey jerkface, if I’m watching the DVD, I didn’t pirate it. Bad market-targeting here.
Watch 15 minutes of commercials that I can’t skip through.
Watch 15 minutes of ~~commercials~~ previews that I can’t skip through.
Watch the movie. This process takes longer than the piracy and costs more than option 1.

On top of that, I’m told I’m a pirate if I back up my movies for archival purposes. Or if I rip my movies to my network to allow me to watch them conveniently. I’m told that I’m merely licensing the content of the disc, but if the disc fails, I have to buy a new one. I can’t just download the content again.

This is a failure, and it isn’t a legislative failure.

The companies that are embracing modern options are succeeding, and will continue to do so. The companies that refuse, at the expense of their potential customers, will sink.

Pros and Cons of Cashback Credit Cards

Finance

English money — Image by Images_of_Money via Flickr

The news that the Bank of America is introducing a cashback credit card is of little surprise. The credit card industry is competitive and customers enjoy the thought of earning while they are spending!

There are both pros and cons of cashback credit cards however and they are not suitable for every circumstance. So, before committing to a card, consider the advantages and disadvantages.

Firstly, cashback cards can be financially profitable but this depends on whether you have the funds to make the repayments. If you are having difficulties with debt, these cards are probably not the most suitable.

The strategies for maximizing your benefits from cashback credit cards depend on making repayment deadlines. Prioritize cards that have a 0% APR introductory rate.

If you can make your repayments within this 0% interest rate, or on time each month, you will not incur any interest charges. It is important to be organized so that you always meet repayment dates.

Once the 0% APR has finished, cashback credit cards will often then revert to a high APR. If you cannot pay all your debt, these charges will mount up quickly.

If this is likely to happen to you, consider looking at alternative cards with a low but constant APR, so that you do not encounter such high charges while repaying your debt.

Cashback cards are not always the smartest move financially when it comes to outstanding debt. Although they may offer a 0% balance transfer, this is not always as simple as it sounds.

If you transfer an outstanding balance to a new card, even with a 0% APR introductory period, any repayments made will be charged against your newest purchases.

This means that it is more difficult to pay off the original balance transfer if you are also using the card to purchase new items and of course, it is very tempting to do so as you have the 0% APR available.

Be aware that if you do not pay the balance transfer amount by the end of the 0% period, you will then have to pay a much higher rate on this amount.

So you either need to be sure that you can pay off the balance transfer in full in addition to new purchases or consider using a separate card just for a balance transfer.

Although this may seem more work, it can potentially save you a great deal of money in interest charges. Remember any credit card is only worthwhile if it helps you manage your money.

Some cashback cards also have a minimum spend requirement and often this is paired with a specific time frame. Read all the criteria about the card before committing to it.

Otherwise, you could be charged for not reaching the minimum spend limit or not doing so within the required time frame. Consider these issues when choosing a card.

Cashback cards can be very useful and allow you to earn money while you are spending, but they need to be used with wisdom. Research your options to ensure you select the right card for you.

Post by MoneySupermarket.

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How to Die Well

Finance

Most people don’t die quickly.

As much as I would rather die suddenly–while putting a smile on my wife’s face–the odds are that I will spend my last hours or days in a hospital, unable to make the decisions about my care.

Will I be doing my vegetable impression after a car accident, or be left unable to speak during a botched Viagra implanantation in my 90s? I don’t know.

There is one thing I know about the end of my life. I do not want to linger for months, blind and deaf, on a feeding tube. I don’t want my family to spend the last few months of my life secretly ashamed of hoping for my burden to end. I’d like my end to be quick enough that the emotions they are feeling aren’t a sad combination of guilt and relief, just sadness at my passing and happiness at having had me.

That’s the legacy I’d like.

The problem is making my wishes known. If I’m lying in a hospital bed, asking to be allowed to die, they’ll consider me suicidal instead of rationally considering my request. If I’m completely incapacitated, I won’t even be able to ask.

I can certainly make my wishes known beforehand, but how will my family be able to communicate my desires to the doctors in charge and how will they convince the doctor that they aren’t just after my currently imaginary millions?

That’s where a living will comes in. A living will, also know as an advanced directive, is simply a formal document that explicitly states what you want to happen to you if you are too out of it to make your wishes known.

Aging With Dignity has put together an advanced directive called Five Wishes that meets the legal requirements for an advanced directive in 42 states.

The Five Wishes are:

1. Who is going to make decisions for you, if you can’t? For me, the obvious choice is my wife. She appears to like me enough to want me around and love me enough to do what needs to be done, even if it’s difficult. On the chance that we end up in the same car accidents, matching vegetables on a shelf, I’ve nominated my father for the unpleasantness. I don’t think I’ve told him that, yet.

2. What kind of treatment do you want, or want to refuse? When my Grandpa was going, he made sure to have a Do Not Resuscitate order on file with the nursing home, the clinic, and the hospital. He knew it was his time and didn’t want to drag it out.

3. How comfortable do you want to be? Do you want to be kept out of pain, at all costs, even if it means being drugged into oblivion most of the day? Do you want a feeding tube, or would you rather only receive food and fluids if you are capable of taking them by mouth?

4. How do you want to be treated? Do you want to be allowed to die at home? Do you want people to pray at your bedside, or keep their religious views to yourself? Some people want to be left alone, while others are terrified of dying alone. This wish also covers grooming. Personally, if I soil myself, I’d like to get cleaned up as soon as possible. I’ll have enough to deal with without smelling bad, too.

5. What do you want your family to know? This includes any funeral requests you have and whether you’d like to be cremated, buried, or both, but also goes beyond them. Do you want your family to know that you love them? You can also take this section to ask feuding family members to make peace or ask them to remember your better days, instead of the miserable few at the end.

The last 3 wishes are unique to the Five Wishes document, but they are excellent things to include. The most important part of advanced directive is the advanced part. You have the right to want whatever works for you, but your wishes don’t matter if nobody knows about them.

How about you? Do you have a living will? Does your family know what you want to have happen if the worst happens?

Buying a Fixer Upper House

Business

Have you ever thought about buying a fixer upper house? In recent years there have been some great options for people looking to purchase property for the sole purpose of renovating and flipping real estate. There are some great locations with pretty nice houses that have either been damaged or neglected and are now for sale. These circumstances make it difficult for someone to purchase and remodel the house without spending a lot of money. In recent years there have been a couple of options for people who want to buy run down houses to flip. Mortgage companies have come out with different mortgage options for anyone who is looking to invest in real estate. There are loans tailored to meet whatever goal you have when purchasing a house that even allocate funds for renovation. The two that we will discuss in this post are Home Path and FHA 203 (k) renovation loans.

HomePath Loan:

The HomePath loan program was created by Fannie Mae and is meant to offer foreclosed homes to anyone who qualifies to purchase them. This type of loan is great because not only do you qualify for a loan to buy the house but also receive enough for renovations and remodeling. This pushes buyers to purchase homes that have been foreclosed and thus contributing to the real estate market and the economy as a whole. It’s also great for the buyer because it give them incentive to purchase a space that they might not go for right off the bat. Everybody wins.

FHA 203 (k) Renovation Loans:

203K loans allocate funds for the initial purchase of the house along with funds for the renovations. Companies offer low down payments and flexible underwriting guidelines. Almost any kind of residential property qualifies making it really easy to get approved. Many people don’t know that this kind of loan exists but it is definitely something that is not only beneficial to those taking out the loan but also to those looking to get rid of a place that won’t sell on its own because it isn’t visually or aesthetically appealing.

If you are on the market looking for a home, consider taking out a HomePath or 203k loan designed for houses that might need some fine tuning to look their best. It is a great option for anyone looking to flip property and for anyone who wants to purchase a space that might not be appealing upon first glance. Fixing up a place will not only increase the value of your new home but also probably cost a lot less than if you were to purchase a newly remodeled space for market value.

Late Pass: Insurance for the Terminally Ill?

Misc

This is a guest post.

Uh oh. Not only have you put in decades of loyal service for a company that does not offer a life insurance policy to employees, now you have a terminal disease that has numbered your days. You always meant to get a life insurance policy at some point, but it was just one of those things that there was never enough money left for at the end of a month after bills, groceries and just enough fun to make worthwhile.

Your life is one that needs insuring to protect your family following the now-inevitable, but has that ship sailed? Is it possible to make up for lost time by obtaining a life insurance policy as a terminally ill patient?

You already know that insurance companies are experts at assessing risk. Each potential policy holder is effectively examined to determine their likelihood of living a reasonably long time, and a terminal illness is an obvious negative in this department.

Many insurance companies will be hesitant to offer a comprehensive policy that they know they will have to pay out in fairly short order, but you may be able to get a type of life insurance known as graded premium life insurance.

With graded premium life insurance, you pay a monthly premium to retain coverage. If your illness should terminate within two years, your family will receive all the premiums you have paid as a benefit. Should you last longer, the insurance provider pays the full value of the policy. This is a compromise that gives you the peace of mind that a life insurance policy can provide while allowing the insurance provider to minimize their risk.

These policies typically have cash values ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, so while they might not guarantee the permanent stability of your family, it will offer them much-needed assistance through what is sure to be a difficult time in their lives. Premium amounts vary by age and relative health, but generally the closer you are to qualifying for a payout, the more it costs to enter the lottery.

Life is unpredictable except for its certain end, and sometimes this reality leaves us less prepared for the future as we would like. Fortunately, a terminal illness does not make a person completely uninsurable in most cases. Of course, it is much easier and less expensive to get life insurance as a person who is not dying, so the best strategy may be to invest before your health becomes an issue.

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Option 1: Instant

Option 2: Piracy

Option 3: Buy it.