The brass Blog

Ready, Set, Grill!

laurensigel — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:43:02 +0000

If you've grown up in the U.S, no doubt you have come to associate the 4th of July with tasty grilled treats. I can't think of a better way to celebrate our nation's independence from Great Britain than to watch fireworks and gorge on juicy and crispy hot dogs, mouth-watering hamburgers, and other delicious morsels (veggies included). It's no surprise that Independence Day is the number one grilling holiday in the U.S.

I Want To Ride My Bicycle

laurensigel — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:33:04 +0000

In these tough times, we are all looking at ways to save. For me, that means riding my bike wherever and whenever I can. Bicycles are a legitimate part of the nation's transporation mix, and more and more Americans are choosing to ride their bike to work. True, bikes come with some maintenance costs, but frankly paying $20 to $30 for a new bike tires or a bike seat every now and then is pocket change compared to the maintenance of owning a car.

New Phones, New Fees

brandongoldner — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:37:53 +0000

When my cell phone contract came up for renewal, I decided to ditch my old phone for one that had everything I could want: Touch screen, applications to keep track of pro sports teams (Blazers!), a decent browser… I'm worth it, right?

Out With The Old

laurensigel — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:08:05 +0000

Here in Oregon, June is the transition month between rainy spring to glorious summer. If your closet looks anything like mine, it is a mess of winter sweaters, summer t-shirts, and old long sleeved shirts. So, the question is: what should you do to conquer your seasonally confused wardrobe?

There are plenty of consignment shops who are in need of your old winter clothes, and they will pay cash for that sweater you accidentally shrunk last winter.

Green For Junkers

codywetmore — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:50:54 +0000

If your old beater has seen better days, a government program might be able to help you get something new.

The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) allows people to trade in their old cars to help the environment and the auto industry. If you qualify, you could receive $3,500-$4,500 to offset the cost of a newer, more fuel efficient vehicle. But it comes with a few restrictions:

Credit Card Companies Forgive Debt... Sort Of

brandongoldner — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:36:18 +0000

Imagine you owe over $5,000 on your credit card.

Out of the blue, the company calls to ask if you can pay just 80% of the balance, and they’ll waive the rest.

You refuse. Then the company calls you later, and asks for only 50%.

Hello! I'm New!

brandongoldner — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:48:48 +0000

Imagine you’re sitting at your desk, taking care of a few odds and ends – homework, updating your Facebook page – and you come across a really cool listing.

All Hail Text Master

codywetmore — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:59:58 +0000

This year's National Texting Champion has been crowned. While some may view this activity as a waste of time, the 15-year-old text master took home $50,000.

Reducing Waste And Expenses

codywetmore — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:54:26 +0000

Recycling is all well and good, but it's easy to forget that reusing products is another great strategy to help the environment. When reusing products you can be creative, taking things you normally would throw away and turning them in to products you would otherwise have to buy.

Facebook Vanity

laurensigel — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:22:09 +0000

Starting at midnight Eastern time on Saturday (June 13th), Facebookers around the world will be able to personalize their URLs. This means that the URL for your Facebook Pages and profile will no longer be a randomly assigned number. The idea behind this change is that Facebook is trying to make it easier to find people via search engines while boosting its Internet traffic.