Will Craigslist put down the pimp cane?

There are few sites on the web that allow users to find used furniture, roommates, a new job and a booty call all within a few clicks of each other. Craigslist, one of the largest online classified ad sites on the web, has been under a lot of pressure since the emergence of the “Craigslist killer.” A 22-year old Boston man responded to an erotic massage ad and murdered the masseuse. The homicide has many people asking if Craigslist is responsible for facilitating meet-ups between its users.

State attorneys general from Missouri, Illinois, and Connecticut met in New York to discuss the site with a Craigslist representative. Finger pointing and ad citations began. Craigslist CEO, Jim Buckmaster, expressed his desire to work with law enforcement to stop illegal activity on the site. People are speculating that this means the complete removal of the erotic services section. Has Craigslist made prostitution too easy? read more

Getting deep: Selling out or selling your soul?

When you create something that other people will read, listen to, taste or touch, it’s always wise to think about your audience, that is if you want to be successful. Feedback and criticism are vital to growing and learning, but when does it become too much? Pandering to your audience can become tiresome and takes away originality. Being well liked as an artist, musician, writer, chef, or other career can be reward, but if the work isn’t your own, it can chip away at your soul.

Many people start out loving something and it quickly turns into a twisted, bizarre version that you’ve have to bend and disfigure as a way to make money. The American dream if all about having the freedom to find something you love. Integrity is often the first character trait shelved once making ends up meet becomes a struggle.

This is why rock stars drink and party and do drugs. There is a nagging voice somewhere in their head that has no idea what is going on anymore. The voice will wonder “Where is the music that used to be played in my best friend’s garage?” “Why do all my songs sound like Fall Out Boy, or Britney Spears?”

Is there a way to be truly successful without selling out?

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5 Tips for a Virtual Vacation

Spring is here, which means its time to start planning your vacation. The economy is in the tanker and many people are opting to stay close to home or vacation locally. When I feel the need to escape, I have a few tricks that let me see the world without leaving my living room. Best of all, they’re all free! Here’s my list for five ways to go on a virtual vacation:

5. CIA’s World Factbook
The government spends millions learning about other countries. The tax dollars are already spent, so benefit from it. The CIA’s World Factbook is a bit encyclopedia-like, but offers enough data to help you see the world by numbers. For example, I just discovered that Thailand has a slightly larger population than France. Why bother with Wikipedia when you have the cool factor of reading stuff from the CIA?

4. Photo Tours
There is no substitute for seeing the locales you desire to visit. This might seem like a weak comparison to actually being there, but the photography from Life, National Geographic, and Flickr can be amazing. read more

Peanuts, Crackerjacks and Heart Attacks

A friend forwarded me this little tidbit which wafted across the Associated Press Mobile News Network—damn those people and their iPhones always getting the important news before I do!

There is a ballpark in Michigan which offers a 4-pound, $20 burger. This burger has five beef patties, five slices of cheese, about a cup of chili with salsa and corn chips served on a sesame-seed bun. Apparently, the minor league West Michigan Whitecap baseball franchise wants all their fans to have heart attacks. In their defense, the person who eats the whole burger will be awarded a t-shirt attesting to such BEFORE keeling over in a pool of their own cholesterol.

I’ve noticed this trend catching on at other ballparks around the nation.  First there was the Sauget, Illinois Gateway Grizzlies who brought us Baseball’s Best Burger.  A juicy burger, sharp cheddar, and bacon served between two halves of Krispy Kreme’s Original Glazed donut.  And now the chefs at the GCS Stadium are vying for the title of Baseball’s Best Hot Dog with 1/5 pound of Black Angus dog topped with a couple of strips of bacon, sautéed onions, sauerkraut and cheese sauce. read more

Taking the Paper Out of Newspaper

With classified ads and traditional sponsors drying up, many mainstream newspapers have found their online counterparts to actually make more money than their print editions. It has left many to suspect that the newspaper as we know it is on a slow stumble towards death.

The argument has often been countered by the fact that a media never dies, it just adapts and remains functional for a niche audience. While this may be true, there is something to be said about the ease of use and functionality of a good old American newspaper. Its cheap, disposable, and can be read anywhere.

Today marks the first coffin nail in the death of newspapers. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer said that Tuesday would be their last print edition of the print paper. That’s right, a major city’s big newspaper is going online only! The New York Times article on the story mentions that it will resemble a blog-style paper, ala Huffington Post, and will remain locally focused.

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Is it the Federal Reserve’s Fault?

With all the talk about economic crisis, is it any wonder that the sense of helplessness is spreading? For the most part, citizens feel that they have little control over the government’s actions.

As someone that doesn’t come from a political background and that struggled in American government classes, I found something very helpful for wrapping my head around the causes of the economic recession that’s going on. I found this great documentary created by the Ludwig von Mises Institute.

The documentary is 42 minutes long and covers a lot of ground in America’s financial history. Admittedly, it points the finger at the Federal Reserve System for being the main cause of most money issues we’re currently facing, but leaves some room for debate. The economy doesn’t work in a vacuum and the changing economies of China and India are bound to influence foreign markets. Do you agree? Share your thoughts in the comments.