Making Money Software

Online forums and communities present a largely untapped opportunity for making money — at least according to Dan Gill, cofounder and chief executive of Huddler.

The San Francisco startup is officially launching today. It’s one of those weird launches where the company has actually been working with customers for more than a year, and is only now getting around to telling the media that it exists. Gill said he wanted to make sure the technology was solid before doing too much to publicize it and attract competition.

Community-building software is a broad category, but Huddler approaches the market with a specific audience and mission. It’s looking for popular, product-focused forums that are built on either vBulletin or phpBB technology. Huddler contacts the owner of the site, offering to modernize the forum and bring in more money too.

Gill gave me a long list of benefits that Huddler can offer over older platforms. It gives the sites a makeover, so they look a bit less old-fashioned, not to mention more advertising-friendly. It optimizes the pages for search engines, and also makes them easier to share through Facebook Connect. And all the software is hosted online, rather than installed on someone’s computer, which means there’s less hassle for whoever’s managing the site.

Financially, there’s not much risk to the forum owner, since the software is free. Huddler is only paid by through a percentage of the increased revenue that it brings to a site. That revenue boost comes in a number of ways, Gill said — since the sites are product-focused, Huddler creates a product page with a link where visitors can buy the item in question. It also allows companies selling related products to create their own pages on the forum and engage with the community. And of course the sites can run advertising.

The transition to Huddler can be a challenging one because of the technology issues, as well as the likelihood that change will upset some forum members. Gill didn’t offer any details, but he hinted that he has seen his share of angry comments from users who didn’t like a new forum. But Huddler has become more proficient at both moving content to a new site and preparing users for the change, he said.

There are now 24 sites using Huddler, adding up to a total of 9 million unique monthly visitors. The success stories include EpicSki, which saw a 70 percent increase in natural search traffic after switching to Huddler, and DenimBlog, which doubled pageviews in two months and is now bringing in three times the amount of revenue.

Huddler raised $5.5 million in funding from New Enterprise Associates last year. For now, the company is focusing on existing forums because they’ve already got the audience, but Gill said, “There’s no reason you won’t be able to start your own Huddles in the future.”

[image via Flickr/Daniel Borman]

Next Story: Salesforce: Yes, Chatter really does improve productivity Previous Story: Otoy scores important deals for its server gaming technology

Digital cameras can tell a head from a bed, Facebook organises photos by manually-added face tags, iPhoto tries its best to put a name to a face. But really good technology to auto-identify the people in pictures could have big application on the web.

Last week, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) was rumoured to have acquired Polar Rose, a Swedish company making such software for web and other uses, for $29 million.

Now, Tel Aviv, Israel-based Face.com, which says its software can automatically pluck out any pictures of you from Facebook’s seven billion photos, has raised a $4.3 million second-round investment, as that prospect steps up.

The Face.com money is coming from VC Rhodium, Russian search site Yandex and existing backers. “We’re going to use the money to boost our development team, hire some new and talented people, and build out additional infrastructure,” CEO Gil Hirsh blogs.

The uses for true facial recognition are clear to see…

—Facebook could eliminate the need for users to “tag” friends in pictures.

—Mobile phones could automatically identify portrait subjects before photos are shared with online services.

—Searchers like Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and Yandex could make their image search more accurate.

—iPhoto could improve its people-centric picture library.

—Ditch the business cards: just point a camphone at a new contact’s face to get his/her details.

For these and other reasons, visual recognition could become a hot M&A area. Consider what Google is doing with its mobile shopping app and Google Googles app, having this year acquired a visual art recognition startup to bolster the latter.

The model: licensing. Polar Rose this month closed its free face-tagging demo service to concentrate on licensing its technology to users. It and Face.com use APIs to enable facial recognition for third parties.

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Online forums and communities present a largely untapped opportunity for making money — at least according to Dan Gill, cofounder and chief executive of Huddler.

The San Francisco startup is officially launching today. It’s one of those weird launches where the company has actually been working with customers for more than a year, and is only now getting around to telling the media that it exists. Gill said he wanted to make sure the technology was solid before doing too much to publicize it and attract competition.

Community-building software is a broad category, but Huddler approaches the market with a specific audience and mission. It’s looking for popular, product-focused forums that are built on either vBulletin or phpBB technology. Huddler contacts the owner of the site, offering to modernize the forum and bring in more money too.

Gill gave me a long list of benefits that Huddler can offer over older platforms. It gives the sites a makeover, so they look a bit less old-fashioned, not to mention more advertising-friendly. It optimizes the pages for search engines, and also makes them easier to share through Facebook Connect. And all the software is hosted online, rather than installed on someone’s computer, which means there’s less hassle for whoever’s managing the site.

Financially, there’s not much risk to the forum owner, since the software is free. Huddler is only paid by through a percentage of the increased revenue that it brings to a site. That revenue boost comes in a number of ways, Gill said — since the sites are product-focused, Huddler creates a product page with a link where visitors can buy the item in question. It also allows companies selling related products to create their own pages on the forum and engage with the community. And of course the sites can run advertising.

The transition to Huddler can be a challenging one because of the technology issues, as well as the likelihood that change will upset some forum members. Gill didn’t offer any details, but he hinted that he has seen his share of angry comments from users who didn’t like a new forum. But Huddler has become more proficient at both moving content to a new site and preparing users for the change, he said.

There are now 24 sites using Huddler, adding up to a total of 9 million unique monthly visitors. The success stories include EpicSki, which saw a 70 percent increase in natural search traffic after switching to Huddler, and DenimBlog, which doubled pageviews in two months and is now bringing in three times the amount of revenue.

Huddler raised $5.5 million in funding from New Enterprise Associates last year. For now, the company is focusing on existing forums because they’ve already got the audience, but Gill said, “There’s no reason you won’t be able to start your own Huddles in the future.”

[image via Flickr/Daniel Borman]

Next Story: Salesforce: Yes, Chatter really does improve productivity Previous Story: Otoy scores important deals for its server gaming technology

Digital cameras can tell a head from a bed, Facebook organises photos by manually-added face tags, iPhoto tries its best to put a name to a face. But really good technology to auto-identify the people in pictures could have big application on the web.

Last week, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) was rumoured to have acquired Polar Rose, a Swedish company making such software for web and other uses, for $29 million.

Now, Tel Aviv, Israel-based Face.com, which says its software can automatically pluck out any pictures of you from Facebook’s seven billion photos, has raised a $4.3 million second-round investment, as that prospect steps up.

The Face.com money is coming from VC Rhodium, Russian search site Yandex and existing backers. “We’re going to use the money to boost our development team, hire some new and talented people, and build out additional infrastructure,” CEO Gil Hirsh blogs.

The uses for true facial recognition are clear to see…

—Facebook could eliminate the need for users to “tag” friends in pictures.

—Mobile phones could automatically identify portrait subjects before photos are shared with online services.

—Searchers like Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and Yandex could make their image search more accurate.

—iPhoto could improve its people-centric picture library.

—Ditch the business cards: just point a camphone at a new contact’s face to get his/her details.

For these and other reasons, visual recognition could become a hot M&A area. Consider what Google is doing with its mobile shopping app and Google Googles app, having this year acquired a visual art recognition startup to bolster the latter.

The model: licensing. Polar Rose this month closed its free face-tagging demo service to concentrate on licensing its technology to users. It and Face.com use APIs to enable facial recognition for third parties.

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Fox <b>News&#39;s</b> Obama &#39;Loves Gangsta Rap&#39; Headline Is Pulled Down

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personal finance books

In fact, it’s these piles of personal-finance books that have prompted me to make this week Book Week at Get Rich Slowly. I used to review several books each month, but I’ve only reviewed a handful in 2010. This week, I’ll review some of the books I’ve read recently (though not Lonesome Dove), and the GRS staff writers will each review a book, too.

As part of Book Week, I want to do something about the pile of personal-finance books on the floor of my office. I’m not in the mood to wade through the legalities that go along with a contest, so I’ll probably just make it simple by giving them away. I’ll sort through my extra books over the next couple of days, and later in the week I’ll do some sort of give-away.

The only thing I know for sure: In order for me to consider sending you a book, you must have a previously-published comment on this site. I’m not going to send books to first-time commenters. (Why not? Because these folks are often just swinging by from other sites because they’ve heard they can get something free.) So, if you think you might want a book, be sure to comment on one of the upcoming book reviews or on an article from the archives.

That’s it for now. Tune in tomorrow for reviews of The Art of Non-Conformity and The Simple Dollar.

This post is from staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com. This post is part of Book Week at Get Rich Slowly.

Since my twin victories of paying off our last credit card and funding a summer of travel, my husband has begun to show interest in personal finance.

It’s not that he wasn’t supportive of my efforts before — he just preferred to support them from a safe, ignorant distance. A distance from which I handed him an envelope of cash each week to do the grocery shopping, he didn’t ask too many questions, and somehow we were climbing out of debt. He was more than happy to adopt any frugal-living strategy I suggested, as long as he didn’t have to think about the Big Picture.

That system worked, but I longed for more active participation from him. Not only because I wanted us to share equally in the journey toward financial freedom — I do want that — but also for a selfish reason. I wanted him to participate because he’s better at this stuff than I am. He’s a whiz at spreadsheets. The man has a Ph.d in Physical Chemistry. You don’t get one of those without doing a few math problems.

Lately, I’ve been getting my wish. My husband has been talking with a financial advisor at the university he works for, and having clear, honest conversations with me about our money.

This seemed like the perfect time for me to read Mary Hunt’s How to Debt-Proof Your Marriage.

Relationship first

Hunt’s book covers the basics of personal finance and debt destruction, with a special focus on doing it as a couple. Before she even begins talking about financial management, Hunt talks about strengthening the foundations of your marriage. You can’t have financial harmony without emotional intimacy, she says.

I couldn’t agree more. It’s clear in my own marriage that spending time relaxing together on vacation helped my husband and me both chill out and have better conversations during our family finance meetings too.

Hunt and I part ways in the chapters about how to achieve that emotional intimacy, though. She bases her prescription for marital bliss on traditional gender roles. She includes chapters for each sex on how to make deposits in the other’s Love Bank — a metaphorical bank of goodwill made of small, loving gestures.

The Love Bank is an adorable idea, one I’m tempted to put into practice here in my own home. I’m pretty sure I won’t be making my deposits to my husband’s Love Bank by biting my tongue when I disagree with him, though. Likewise, I don’t expect him to express his love for me by bringing me flowers and handling all the tough decisions for me like the natural leader of our family should.

Hunt is a generation (or two) older than I am, and what works for her marriage is so foreign to my young, feminist mind that it was actually a little hard to read. But leaving aside the details of how you get to an intimate marriage, though, she and I agree wholeheartedly that it’s important to get your emotional needs met before you can effectively work together with your spouse to manage your finances.

Money second

The personal-finance half of the book will be familiar to most GRS readers. Hunt advocates an approach similar to Your Money or Your Life and Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover, one that begins with calculating your net worth and tracking your expenses. From there, she covers the basics of setting up an emergency fund, creating a spending plan, and starting a debt snowball (though she uses different terms for these steps).

Like her ideal of a healthy relationship, Hunt’s financial advice seems a little dated in places. A lot of it has to do with how to organize your three-ring binders, or how to painstakingly accomplish by-hand calculations that Mint can do for you in a few minutes. If you’re a devotee of the pen-and-paper approach, though, her chapters on how to track and plan your spending are rock solid and detailed enough to easily follow.

The one thing in this book that made me want to put it down, run to my office, and implement it on the spot was, in fact, her filing system. Hunt takes a few pages to go over exactly what personal records you should be keeping, and outlines an elegant effective way to organize them. I spent an hour tearing apart my filing cabinet yesterday as soon as I read those pages. I may not want my marriage to look much like hers, but I’m delighted to have made over my filing cabinet in Mary Hunt’s image.

Different views

There are a few areas where Mary’s financial advice deviates from the usual Get Rich Slowly formula. One is the matter of the debt snowball. She encourages readers to start saving 10% of their income towards an emergency fund immediately, while still paying the minimums on their credit cards. Only after saving up a fully funded six-month emergency fund would Hunt advise you to roll those savings into your credit card payments.

Given the relative interest rates on credit cards and savings accounts, this approach will almost certainly cost you money. If it works for you psychologically, though, by all means pursue it. No matter what order you do them in, the key steps of tracking your spending, creating an emergency fund, and snowballing your debt payments will lead you to financial security.

Another place where she breaks with conventional wisdom is in her savings and spending ratios. GRS readers are familiar with the Balanced Money Formula that encourages us to use 50% of our money for living expenses, 30% for fun and 20% for savings. Hunt advises 10% for giving, 10% for saving and 80% for spending.

The order of those percentages is vital to her. A devout Christian, Hunt feels that all the money that comes into your life is a blessing from God, and promptly giving 10% of it back to God shows you can be trusted with this blessing, and more of it will come your way.

I’m not a Christian, but I admire Mary’s faith and devotion to charitable giving. It’s a goal of mine to give 10% of my income. I’ve written about that here before, and readers made a persuasive case for waiting until my debts were paid before giving so much away. For now, I give a modest amount and look forward to giving more in the future.

I think that for Hunt, the psychological benefits of giving 10% and saving 10% before you make any spending decisions at all outweigh the financial benefits of paying off your debts as fast as possible and then beginning to accumulate and donate wealth.

It’s an interesting approach, and one that might work for a lot of people. Particularly if you’re a devoted Christian and looking for a personal-finance book that reflects your values, you’ll find a lot of good in How to Debt-Proof Your Marriage. If you’re looking for a book that’s totally focused on financial savvy and relationship skills, though, this might not be your best bet.

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Washington (CNN) - Fresh on the heels of Joe Miller's surprising win over Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the Alaska Republican Senate primary, the Tea Party movement is setting its sights on Delaware.

Now the Delaware Republican Party is taking heed – and taking on – the Tea Party-backed candidate in the state's Republican Senate primary, sparking a war of words between the state's establishment GOP and the Tea Party movement.

It's a race that pits conservative Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell against moderate Rep. Mike Castle, Delaware's former two-term governor and lone Congressman since 1993.

Both candidates' campaigns have become increasingly caustic, especially as Tea Party-backed candidates across the country have picked up win after win against GOP establishment candidates.

The Tea Party Express endorsed the conservative O'Donnell in July, and recently committed to spending at least six-figures in the state.

"We are launching an aggressive multimedia and multi-platform campaign to help propel Christine O'Donnell to victory, and we've only just begun," Amy Kremer, Chairman of the Tea Party Express, said in a statement.

The group originally planned to spend about $250,000 on the race, but is now considering expanding their presence with TV and radio ad buys in Philadelphia, said Tea Party Express political director Joe Wierzbicki.

A similar last minute media blitz by the Tea Party Express is credited with propelling Miller – a formerly little known candidate – to victory over Murkowski, the Republican Party-backed incumbent.

The group launched a series of TV and radio ads Thursday that support O'Donnell, and rail against Castle as a liberal candidate who "just keeps supporting the failed policies of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid."

It's a move that has the Castle campaign fighting back.

"Out-of-state interest groups have threatened to spend half a million dollars to fund the disgusting tactics being used by the O'Donnell campaign to make accusations," said Castle campaign manager Mike Quaranta.

Meanwhile, the Castle campaign has launched therealchristine.com, a site devoted to aggregating negative news about O'Donnell.

Tom Ross, state committee chairman of the Delaware Republican Party, defended the negative nature of the site. "The stories might not be flattering, but they are factual. ...Sometimes it is necessary to make sure that the facts get out there," Ross said.

O'Donnell has faced criticism over her personal finance issues and leftover debt from previous, unsuccessful bids for a Delaware Senate seat. She has also been accused of misstating the results of her run against Joe Biden.

When asked to clarify her remarks in an interview Thursday with radio host Dan Gaffney of WGMD, O'Donnell seemed to grow increasingly frustrated, and ultimately blamed her statements on a grueling campaign schedule.

Ross, who is backing Castle, said that O'Donnell's history is troubling.

"This is a group and candidate that clearly seem to have a problem with facts. It is shocking that they would come in and support a candidate of Christine O'Donnell's ilk," he said.

"It is sad that the group didn't investigate the candidate that they're supporting… and surprising they would take their supporters' money that they donated and squander it in such a fashion," Ross said.

Ross also questioned whether O'Donnell is capable of pulling off an upset similar to Miller's win in Alaska.

"In Alaska, it was that Joe Miller is an Ivy League grad, a war hero, excellent standing in the community," Ross said. "Look at Christine O'Donnell. She has none of those attributes. She is career politician. She's run unsuccessfully for Senate three times."

Yet, Wierzbicki criticized Ross for dismissing O'Donnell, calling her a true conservative.

" is everything that is wrong with the establishment of the Republican Party. He should be fired for serving to undermine a Republican candidate who stands on conservative principles. It's his job to advance all Republicans in the state of Delaware. Instead he has become a tool for those who wish to thwart the Republican Party platform and turn the GOP into a Democrat-lite outfit. We find him reprehensible and shameless," Wierzbicki said.

Republican Gov. Chris Christie of neighboring New Jersey endorsed Castle Thursday.

The winner will face Democrat Chris Coons in the race for Vice President Joe Biden's former seat.

If you walked into the average bookstore, you'd think that women rule the roost when it comes to personal finance. From Suze Orman's now-classic Women and Money to the more recent (and more colorfully titled) Bitches on a Budget, there's no shortage of do-it-yourself financial advice tailored to women.



Apparently, though, when women make the momentous move from self-help to seeking professional advice about investing and retirement, things go rapidly downhill. A recent study by the Boston Consulting Group revealed that women perceived themselves as receiving wealth management services at a level of quality that is inferior to that received by their male counterparts.



According to the study, women are the key decision-makers when it comes to 27% of the wealth worldwide: that's $20 trillion! But despite the massive chunk of power they wield, 55% of the women surveyed in the study said they felt their wealth manager could do a better job of advising them. Almost a quarter of the respondents said private banks needed "significant improvement" in the services they offer to women.



"The dissatisfaction stems from the unshakable perception that men get more attention, better advice, and sometimes even better terms and deals," according to study co-author Peter Damisch. "We heard this sense of subordination time and time again in our interviews."



This perceived disparity in service arose from several key disconnects in the relationships and communications between women and their financial advisers. Manisha Thakor, Chartered Financial Analyst and women's financial literacy advocate, offers some steps savvy female investors can take to avoid being under-served by their wealth managers and investment advisers:



1. Find your adviser and get your financial education from women-run resources.



The financial services industry is dominated by males and therefore the "DNA is structured around the male experience," Thakor explains, adding that she sees many firms making an effort to change this. Most financial advisers are men, who may not inherently understand the whole-life nature of the average woman's financial plans and needs. They also may have very different communication styles than their women clients.



Thakor recommends women use women-created resources like LearnVest and DailyWorth to educate themselves in order to avoid the intimidation factor when talking about investment products with their advisers. She also encourages women to consult Garrett Planning Network, founded by Certified Financial Planner Sheryl Garrett, to locate a local certified financial planner who works on an hourly-fee-only basis. Taking these steps, Thakor explains, may alleviate the concern expressed by many women in the BCG study that they were not being taken seriously or talked to on the same level as male clients by their financial advisers.



2. Expressly state your ideal career trajectory, then ask how you should alter your investment plans accordingly.



In the BCG study, women stated that their investment advisers fundamentally misunderstood what was actually important to them, and recommended a too-narrow range of inappropriate investment vehicles as a result. Many said their advisers assumed they had a lower risk tolerance than they actually did, or that their advisers focused on short-term results and disregarded their long-term goals, which often included time out to care for a child or parent.



Thakor offers women a script of sorts to remedy this communication disconnect. "Go in and say: "I want to be a mom and I may take X amount of time out of the work force," she advises. Then ask, "How do we adjust how much I need to save and how I should invest to compensate for this?"



3. Start saving early.



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Making Money Online Forum

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

Mobile payments are the logical extension of online shopping; a way for customers to buy what you have while they’re on the go. But the technology has some added perks that make it a powerful purchasing tool for small businesses.

There are a lot of resources and articles out there telling businesses to pay attention to location-based networking or to maximize their social media presences, but there is a lack of information on the monetary benefits of these investments. Mobile payments, however, are a great way for businesses to make money.

It should be noted, there are two related fields of mobile payment: First, using your phone as a credit card in-store, and second, paying while on the go. We’ll be focusing largely on the latter.

Below is just a selection of reasons that small businesses should care about mobile payments. Add your voice to the comments below: Is this just another fad? Are mobile payments still years away? Why has North America been so slow to adopt?

It’s Going to be Everywhere/>

We already use our phones for everything: Calling, texting, surfing the web, video chats (thank you, Phone), and updating our social networks. class='blippr-nobr'>Societyclass="blippr-nobr">society, by and large, has grown accustomed to using phones for daily activities. Why shouldn’t instant purchasing be added to that list?

Total worldwide mobile payments stood at USD $68.7 billion in 2009, according to a study from Telecoms Market Research. That number is predicted to rise by more than 800% in the next four years. Simple, DIY credit card processing solutions, like the Complete Credit Card Solution and Square, have already hit the iPhone market, and more services are expected in the future for all platforms.

Social Impulse/>

Phones are inherently social, and advanced functions like geo-location are making it easier for users to connect with others in their networks to share consumption habits and recommendations. Location-based services, for example, enable users to recommend their favorite restaurants, shops and others venues. And group buying sites like Groupon have expanded the possibilities for quick, social purchases.

By adding a mobile payment option, small businesses can capitalize on these peer recommendations with a purchase. Rather than direct your customers to an online shop site or have them note it down for later, they can instantly buy your product.

Mobile payments take advantage of impulse purchases; essentially when you buy something based on spur-of-the-moment decision making. class='blippr-nobr'>Impulseclass="blippr-nobr">Impulse buys are usually associated with emotional reactions to a product. They are partly why ringtone sales have been so successful. Like a tone? You can often download it instantly with just a couple clicks, no secondary sites necessary. Make sure your customers are able to buy your product the instant they want it.

Micro-Transactions/>

The real heart of small business mobile payments is the micro-transaction. Paying less is generally better than paying more. People are also more willing to pay frequent small payments rather than throw down a lump sum. Using ringtones as an example, more people would pay $1 for several ringtones than shell out $5 in one go for five ringtones.

Small business can follow this trend by selling less-expensive goods online, as smaller goods could be a real hit for the mobile payment crowd. Customers can more easily rationalize those smaller purchases and drive more sales to your business.

Another perk for biz owners is that mobile transaction fees are usually less than credit card fees. Sales through mobile could save you a small amount on every purchase.

Customer Data/>

Mobile payments enable merchants to collect data in much the same way as your everyday credit card purchases. Adding mobile payments to your business can help keep track of customer phone numbers, buying histories, and any other necessary information. Having this extra source of data about customers and their purchasing habits will enable you to offer more targeted and relevant deals, discounts and products to specific purchasers.

Collecting data can be a bit tricky, since it gets into privacy rights and issues (e.g., Facebook privacy concerns), so make sure your business is aware of how you can and cannot use customer information.

Regardless of your purposes, whether it be data, profit, or social loyalty, mobile payments are definitely an area for small businesses to watch.

More Business Resources from Mashable:

- HOW TO: Choose the Best Workspace for Your Business/> - 5 Winning Social Media Campaigns to Learn From/> - 10 Emerging Social Platforms and How Businesses Can Use Them/> - 10 Free WordPress Themes for Small Businesses/> - 8 Funding Contests to Kick Start Your Big Idea

Image courtesy of iStockphotoclass="blippr-nobr">iStockphoto, photo_smart

For more Business coverage:

class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Businessclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Business channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Online forums and communities present a largely untapped opportunity for making money — at least according to Dan Gill, cofounder and chief executive of Huddler.

The San Francisco startup is officially launching today. It’s one of those weird launches where the company has actually been working with customers for more than a year, and is only now getting around to telling the media that it exists. Gill said he wanted to make sure the technology was solid before doing too much to publicize it and attract competition.

Community-building software is a broad category, but Huddler approaches the market with a specific audience and mission. It’s looking for popular, product-focused forums that are built on either vBulletin or phpBB technology. Huddler contacts the owner of the site, offering to modernize the forum and bring in more money too.

Gill gave me a long list of benefits that Huddler can offer over older platforms. It gives the sites a makeover, so they look a bit less old-fashioned, not to mention more advertising-friendly. It optimizes the pages for search engines, and also makes them easier to share through Facebook Connect. And all the software is hosted online, rather than installed on someone’s computer, which means there’s less hassle for whoever’s managing the site.

Financially, there’s not much risk to the forum owner, since the software is free. Huddler is only paid by through a percentage of the increased revenue that it brings to a site. That revenue boost comes in a number of ways, Gill said — since the sites are product-focused, Huddler creates a product page with a link where visitors can buy the item in question. It also allows companies selling related products to create their own pages on the forum and engage with the community. And of course the sites can run advertising.

The transition to Huddler can be a challenging one because of the technology issues, as well as the likelihood that change will upset some forum members. Gill didn’t offer any details, but he hinted that he has seen his share of angry comments from users who didn’t like a new forum. But Huddler has become more proficient at both moving content to a new site and preparing users for the change, he said.

There are now 24 sites using Huddler, adding up to a total of 9 million unique monthly visitors. The success stories include EpicSki, which saw a 70 percent increase in natural search traffic after switching to Huddler, and DenimBlog, which doubled pageviews in two months and is now bringing in three times the amount of revenue.

Huddler raised $5.5 million in funding from New Enterprise Associates last year. For now, the company is focusing on existing forums because they’ve already got the audience, but Gill said, “There’s no reason you won’t be able to start your own Huddles in the future.”

[image via Flickr/Daniel Borman]

Next Story: Salesforce: Yes, Chatter really does improve productivity Previous Story: Otoy scores important deals for its server gaming technology

Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox <b>News</b> | Media Matters | Mediaite

You'll never believe this one, but it appears Keith Olbermann isn't the biggest fan of Fox News. But in case there was any doubt, on last night's Countdown he made it clear again, going after what he sees as the network blatantly ...

Stock Market <b>News</b> Briefs: Goldman Sachs Group, McDonald&#39;s, Mylan <b>...</b>

Bed Bath & Beyond ] reported better-than-expected earnings after the close of markets yesterday. Fiscal second quarter earnings beat estimates by 7.

Official Google Blog: Google <b>News</b> turns eight

Today we celebrate the eighth birthday of Google News. Not long after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we started building and testing Google News with the aim of helping you find current events from a wide variety of global and ...

robert shumake

Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox <b>News</b> | Media Matters | Mediaite

You'll never believe this one, but it appears Keith Olbermann isn't the biggest fan of Fox News. But in case there was any doubt, on last night's Countdown he made it clear again, going after what he sees as the network blatantly ...

Stock Market <b>News</b> Briefs: Goldman Sachs Group, McDonald&#39;s, Mylan <b>...</b>

Bed Bath & Beyond ] reported better-than-expected earnings after the close of markets yesterday. Fiscal second quarter earnings beat estimates by 7.

Official Google Blog: Google <b>News</b> turns eight

Today we celebrate the eighth birthday of Google News. Not long after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we started building and testing Google News with the aim of helping you find current events from a wide variety of global and ...

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

Mobile payments are the logical extension of online shopping; a way for customers to buy what you have while they’re on the go. But the technology has some added perks that make it a powerful purchasing tool for small businesses.

There are a lot of resources and articles out there telling businesses to pay attention to location-based networking or to maximize their social media presences, but there is a lack of information on the monetary benefits of these investments. Mobile payments, however, are a great way for businesses to make money.

It should be noted, there are two related fields of mobile payment: First, using your phone as a credit card in-store, and second, paying while on the go. We’ll be focusing largely on the latter.

Below is just a selection of reasons that small businesses should care about mobile payments. Add your voice to the comments below: Is this just another fad? Are mobile payments still years away? Why has North America been so slow to adopt?

It’s Going to be Everywhere/>

We already use our phones for everything: Calling, texting, surfing the web, video chats (thank you, Phone), and updating our social networks. class='blippr-nobr'>Societyclass="blippr-nobr">society, by and large, has grown accustomed to using phones for daily activities. Why shouldn’t instant purchasing be added to that list?

Total worldwide mobile payments stood at USD $68.7 billion in 2009, according to a study from Telecoms Market Research. That number is predicted to rise by more than 800% in the next four years. Simple, DIY credit card processing solutions, like the Complete Credit Card Solution and Square, have already hit the iPhone market, and more services are expected in the future for all platforms.

Social Impulse/>

Phones are inherently social, and advanced functions like geo-location are making it easier for users to connect with others in their networks to share consumption habits and recommendations. Location-based services, for example, enable users to recommend their favorite restaurants, shops and others venues. And group buying sites like Groupon have expanded the possibilities for quick, social purchases.

By adding a mobile payment option, small businesses can capitalize on these peer recommendations with a purchase. Rather than direct your customers to an online shop site or have them note it down for later, they can instantly buy your product.

Mobile payments take advantage of impulse purchases; essentially when you buy something based on spur-of-the-moment decision making. class='blippr-nobr'>Impulseclass="blippr-nobr">Impulse buys are usually associated with emotional reactions to a product. They are partly why ringtone sales have been so successful. Like a tone? You can often download it instantly with just a couple clicks, no secondary sites necessary. Make sure your customers are able to buy your product the instant they want it.

Micro-Transactions/>

The real heart of small business mobile payments is the micro-transaction. Paying less is generally better than paying more. People are also more willing to pay frequent small payments rather than throw down a lump sum. Using ringtones as an example, more people would pay $1 for several ringtones than shell out $5 in one go for five ringtones.

Small business can follow this trend by selling less-expensive goods online, as smaller goods could be a real hit for the mobile payment crowd. Customers can more easily rationalize those smaller purchases and drive more sales to your business.

Another perk for biz owners is that mobile transaction fees are usually less than credit card fees. Sales through mobile could save you a small amount on every purchase.

Customer Data/>

Mobile payments enable merchants to collect data in much the same way as your everyday credit card purchases. Adding mobile payments to your business can help keep track of customer phone numbers, buying histories, and any other necessary information. Having this extra source of data about customers and their purchasing habits will enable you to offer more targeted and relevant deals, discounts and products to specific purchasers.

Collecting data can be a bit tricky, since it gets into privacy rights and issues (e.g., Facebook privacy concerns), so make sure your business is aware of how you can and cannot use customer information.

Regardless of your purposes, whether it be data, profit, or social loyalty, mobile payments are definitely an area for small businesses to watch.

More Business Resources from Mashable:

- HOW TO: Choose the Best Workspace for Your Business/> - 5 Winning Social Media Campaigns to Learn From/> - 10 Emerging Social Platforms and How Businesses Can Use Them/> - 10 Free WordPress Themes for Small Businesses/> - 8 Funding Contests to Kick Start Your Big Idea

Image courtesy of iStockphotoclass="blippr-nobr">iStockphoto, photo_smart

For more Business coverage:

class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Businessclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Business channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Online forums and communities present a largely untapped opportunity for making money — at least according to Dan Gill, cofounder and chief executive of Huddler.

The San Francisco startup is officially launching today. It’s one of those weird launches where the company has actually been working with customers for more than a year, and is only now getting around to telling the media that it exists. Gill said he wanted to make sure the technology was solid before doing too much to publicize it and attract competition.

Community-building software is a broad category, but Huddler approaches the market with a specific audience and mission. It’s looking for popular, product-focused forums that are built on either vBulletin or phpBB technology. Huddler contacts the owner of the site, offering to modernize the forum and bring in more money too.

Gill gave me a long list of benefits that Huddler can offer over older platforms. It gives the sites a makeover, so they look a bit less old-fashioned, not to mention more advertising-friendly. It optimizes the pages for search engines, and also makes them easier to share through Facebook Connect. And all the software is hosted online, rather than installed on someone’s computer, which means there’s less hassle for whoever’s managing the site.

Financially, there’s not much risk to the forum owner, since the software is free. Huddler is only paid by through a percentage of the increased revenue that it brings to a site. That revenue boost comes in a number of ways, Gill said — since the sites are product-focused, Huddler creates a product page with a link where visitors can buy the item in question. It also allows companies selling related products to create their own pages on the forum and engage with the community. And of course the sites can run advertising.

The transition to Huddler can be a challenging one because of the technology issues, as well as the likelihood that change will upset some forum members. Gill didn’t offer any details, but he hinted that he has seen his share of angry comments from users who didn’t like a new forum. But Huddler has become more proficient at both moving content to a new site and preparing users for the change, he said.

There are now 24 sites using Huddler, adding up to a total of 9 million unique monthly visitors. The success stories include EpicSki, which saw a 70 percent increase in natural search traffic after switching to Huddler, and DenimBlog, which doubled pageviews in two months and is now bringing in three times the amount of revenue.

Huddler raised $5.5 million in funding from New Enterprise Associates last year. For now, the company is focusing on existing forums because they’ve already got the audience, but Gill said, “There’s no reason you won’t be able to start your own Huddles in the future.”

[image via Flickr/Daniel Borman]

Next Story: Salesforce: Yes, Chatter really does improve productivity Previous Story: Otoy scores important deals for its server gaming technology

robert shumake

Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox <b>News</b> | Media Matters | Mediaite

You'll never believe this one, but it appears Keith Olbermann isn't the biggest fan of Fox News. But in case there was any doubt, on last night's Countdown he made it clear again, going after what he sees as the network blatantly ...

Stock Market <b>News</b> Briefs: Goldman Sachs Group, McDonald&#39;s, Mylan <b>...</b>

Bed Bath & Beyond ] reported better-than-expected earnings after the close of markets yesterday. Fiscal second quarter earnings beat estimates by 7.

Official Google Blog: Google <b>News</b> turns eight

Today we celebrate the eighth birthday of Google News. Not long after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we started building and testing Google News with the aim of helping you find current events from a wide variety of global and ...

robert shumake

Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox <b>News</b> | Media Matters | Mediaite

You'll never believe this one, but it appears Keith Olbermann isn't the biggest fan of Fox News. But in case there was any doubt, on last night's Countdown he made it clear again, going after what he sees as the network blatantly ...

Stock Market <b>News</b> Briefs: Goldman Sachs Group, McDonald&#39;s, Mylan <b>...</b>

Bed Bath & Beyond ] reported better-than-expected earnings after the close of markets yesterday. Fiscal second quarter earnings beat estimates by 7.

Official Google Blog: Google <b>News</b> turns eight

Today we celebrate the eighth birthday of Google News. Not long after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we started building and testing Google News with the aim of helping you find current events from a wide variety of global and ...

Making Money on Ebay

A movement that's rewriting the rules for politics is also rewriting new rules for fashion.

Clothing is an extension of your values, a sartorial statement of who you are as an American. And while you're shouldering the rebirth of a nation's glory, why not shoulder a smart-looking blazer in the process?

While Tea Partiers respect, more than anything, the freedom to wear what they like, there are some new essentials for the man looking to "restore honor" to America… and his wardrobe. Below, a selection of the Fall essentials for the Tea Partier dressing for the profession, the polls or the protest.

Wolverine Boots

These Made In America classics are equally good for stomping through snow drifts from an November Maine Nor'easter in order to cast a vote for Tea Party gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage as they are for stomping liberal guts. Forget Wolverine's casual offerings and go straight to the work series. What is harder work than restoring honor to America?

Starting at $109

Don't Tread on Me Tee

Barring the unmistakable Gadsden flag symbol, this comfortable Don't Tread on Me t-shirt is perfect for mornings spent lounging around with a copy of the Wall Street Journal. There is no better version than that offered by the official don't tread on me outfitters. Gadsden and Culpeper's America Heritage Shoppe, Ltd. was founded after 9/11 in Albany, NY with the goal "to be America’s Official Don’t Tread on Me Outfitter by providing inspiring historical information, a wide variety of unique quality products and excellent customer service.” Made in the USA, the shirt is 100% cotton because being angry doesn't have to mean being uncomfortable. [Warning: Don't accidentally buy the "Don't Teabag On Me" t-shirt created by liberal homosexual pornography website Wankette.]

$18.99

Vintage Carhartt

Nothing identifies you as ready to do the work that America needs like Carhartt. American, rugged, durable, reliable, just like your values, Carhartt was clothing the American work ethic before Roosevelt tried to dismantle the free market and it will be clothing it after Obama fails to do the same. But don't buy your Carhartt new and rigid. Vintage is key. Shop eBay for some worn-in classic silhouettes. Vintage Carhartt jackets will turn any blue shirt and khaki combo into the uniform of a Tea Party Patriot.

Prices vary. Check eBay for latest.

Shredded Money

What better way to stand behind the belief that the Obama administration's socialized overtaking of America is making the nation's dollar worthless? Stuffed with shredded dollars from the US Federal Reserve, this handsome cigar pen is just as appropriate signing billion-dollar bailout contracts as it is singing foreclosure and Chapter 7 documents. Pair the unique pen with a set of shredded money cufflinks and you'll be fashionable declaring your feelings on the economy as you move all your holdings into gold.

Pen $15. Cufflinks $50.

Patriot Ale

Powell, Ohio's Liberty Tavern does not joke about freedom. A copy of the Boston watering hole that fueled the greatest independence movement the world would ever know, Liberty Tavern serves a special brew crafted by Sam Adams: Patriot Ale. And though they've got hummus on the menu, you have the freedom to not order it. Instead, try the "Betsy Ross Basket" (golden brown chicken tenders with fries and honey mustard) or the "Liberty Sticks" (funnel cake rods disused with cinnamon and powdered sugar… and freedom). Sorry though, you have to go to Powell for Liberty Tavern's take on the American Dream.

Entrees start around $14 Monday Special: $4.50 for 23 sweet oz. Flight prices to nearby Columbus, OH vary.

Pocket Constitution

Including the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and all amendments, even pesky ones like the 14th, this handsome pocket edition of the world's greatest document measures just 3.5" by 5".

Not only will you be armed against the tyranny of a government run amok, your smartly-bound edition will support the work of the Cato Institute, one of the world's greatest advocates of "individual liberty, free markets and peace." For globe trotters, it's also available in Arabic.

$4.95; Arabic: $6.95

USS Ronald Reagan Hat

You may not be able to command your own Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier, but you can remind everyone that one represents your will as an American citizen. In honor of his greatness, Ronald Reagan was the first ever living former President to receive the tribute of having a Naval vessel named after him. And while you may not actually physically serve alongside the sailors of the Reagan, your spirit does. Leave it outside in the rain a few times to give it the look of a hat that's actually seen military action.

$14.95

Anglo-Confederate Society Necktie

From the fine Ben Silver Collection in Charleston, this stately, cardinal red, navy blue and white-starred necktie was worn during the Civil War by British Parliament members to quietly express sympathy for the Southern cause's war against central government tyranny. What better way to protest the current socialization of American liberties than to pair your work uniform with a little fetching bit of noble history?

$95

American Flag Socks

We're all patriots underneath. Some of us are just more patriotic underneath than others. These fine socks float the American standard even if you're waiting in the customs line at Paris' Charles de Gaulle. Do you have something to declare? Oui!

$8

"Ballroom" Jeans

Nothing says I'm ready for work and relaxing like a pair of Duluth "Ballroom" Jeans. The extra crotch gusset space is perfect for carrying around the huge set of balls required to believe that Obama is a Muslim.

$34.50 / $39.50 tall

Ralph Lauren Purple Label Suit

Before Sarah Palin let her husband Todd take the stage to join her on the long journey of restoring honor to America, she got him the proper attire for such an undertaking, buying him three Ralph Lauren Purple Label suits. The Purple Label identifies this Lauren line as the ultimate expression of luxury for the modern gentlemen, no matter how throwback his politics are. While you may have no GOP coffer, you can dress like you do.

Starting around $4,000

You wouldn't believe what Abe Sauer is wearing.

I’m 14 1/2 weeks pregnant with our first & now that things are starting to not fit anymore, I have been trying to do some maternity clothes shopping. But wow! I didn’t realize clothing yourself while pregnant was so expensive! Just curious to know if you had any ideas or thoughts on places to go for good deals on maternity clothes. -Eden

Maternity clothes can definitely be very pricey, but there’s no need to spend exorbitant amounts on a whole new wardrobe to clothe you while pregnant. Instead, take it as an opportunity to get creative and think outside the box. Here are some things which have allowed me to spend very little on maternity clothes over the course of my last three pregnancies:

Re-purpose Items You Already Have

I’m pretty petite, so the 30 pounds I always gain with each pregnancy mean I go up at least two to three sizes in clothing by the end of my pregnancy! Needless to say, I’m not one of those women who can wear her regular jeans the entire pregnancy (I wish!).

However, I’ve found that some things in my wardrobe can still be worn until at least six months. Sweaters, high-waisted blouses and items which can be layered work especially well for this. So start with what you already have in your closet and see if there are some items which can be re-purposed to work as maternity clothes — at least for a little while.

Borrow From Friends

So many friends have been kind to let me borrow their maternity clothes from them over my last few pregnancies. They’ve always offered to share and I’ve been more-than-happy to take them up on their offer. And I’ve been happy to return the favor to others now that I’ve built up my own “collection” of maternity clothes.

Buy Used

Before going out and buying anything new, definitely check out the possibilities available for used clothing. Craigslist, Freecycle, garage sales, eBay, consignment stores and many other sites online carry used maternity clothes — often at a fraction of the price of buying new.

Shop the Clearance Racks

Motherhood Maternity, Target and Old Navy usually have some pretty good clearance racks in the maternity section. If you keep your eye on them when you’re out shopping, you’ll likely be able to find some good deals. And if you can pair the clearance deal with a coupon (which are often released for Target and Old Navy) you might find a killer deal! In addition, you can occasionally find some great deals online at Kohl’s when they have $0.99 shipping and a coupon code.

Choose Quality Over Quantity

Since I’m a minimalist, I always find it easiest to just have a few classic pieces which mix and match. A few pair of jeans or capris (depending upon the season, a pair of really comfy yoga pants, a couple of skirts, a few casual shirts and a few dressy shirts. I go for quality over quantity and just wear the items over and over and over again during those four months or so when I’m in maternity clothes full-time.

I’ve found it’s best to buy shirts which have ties in the back as these can be adjusted with your growing belly. I like elastic-banded pants, jeans and skirts which go under the belly (like these) as I can wear them my entire last half of the pregnancy and then for a few weeks postpartum, too. Making sure you buy items which can be worn more than a few weeks saves a lot of time and effort.

What are your ideas and suggestions for saving money on maternity clothes? Tell us in the comments.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 9/22 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another day means more Kansas City Chiefs news. Let's be sure to play nice in the comment sections today. We're all Chiefs fans even if we might have different (though no less passionate) visions of what this ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: ROI Realities

To understand how to run a small business is to understand ROI. That is, we must understand how to bring a return on investment for every decision we make when.

More People Watched Fox <b>News</b> Monday Than Obama Town Hall <b>...</b>

In fact, far more people watched the Fox News Channel's "Happening Now" with Jon Scott and Jenna Lee airing at the same time than tuned in to see what the President had to say. Potentially even more embarrassing, when you add in those ...

robert shumake

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 9/22 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another day means more Kansas City Chiefs news. Let's be sure to play nice in the comment sections today. We're all Chiefs fans even if we might have different (though no less passionate) visions of what this ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: ROI Realities

To understand how to run a small business is to understand ROI. That is, we must understand how to bring a return on investment for every decision we make when.

More People Watched Fox <b>News</b> Monday Than Obama Town Hall <b>...</b>

In fact, far more people watched the Fox News Channel's "Happening Now" with Jon Scott and Jenna Lee airing at the same time than tuned in to see what the President had to say. Potentially even more embarrassing, when you add in those ...

A movement that's rewriting the rules for politics is also rewriting new rules for fashion.

Clothing is an extension of your values, a sartorial statement of who you are as an American. And while you're shouldering the rebirth of a nation's glory, why not shoulder a smart-looking blazer in the process?

While Tea Partiers respect, more than anything, the freedom to wear what they like, there are some new essentials for the man looking to "restore honor" to America… and his wardrobe. Below, a selection of the Fall essentials for the Tea Partier dressing for the profession, the polls or the protest.

Wolverine Boots

These Made In America classics are equally good for stomping through snow drifts from an November Maine Nor'easter in order to cast a vote for Tea Party gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage as they are for stomping liberal guts. Forget Wolverine's casual offerings and go straight to the work series. What is harder work than restoring honor to America?

Starting at $109

Don't Tread on Me Tee

Barring the unmistakable Gadsden flag symbol, this comfortable Don't Tread on Me t-shirt is perfect for mornings spent lounging around with a copy of the Wall Street Journal. There is no better version than that offered by the official don't tread on me outfitters. Gadsden and Culpeper's America Heritage Shoppe, Ltd. was founded after 9/11 in Albany, NY with the goal "to be America’s Official Don’t Tread on Me Outfitter by providing inspiring historical information, a wide variety of unique quality products and excellent customer service.” Made in the USA, the shirt is 100% cotton because being angry doesn't have to mean being uncomfortable. [Warning: Don't accidentally buy the "Don't Teabag On Me" t-shirt created by liberal homosexual pornography website Wankette.]

$18.99

Vintage Carhartt

Nothing identifies you as ready to do the work that America needs like Carhartt. American, rugged, durable, reliable, just like your values, Carhartt was clothing the American work ethic before Roosevelt tried to dismantle the free market and it will be clothing it after Obama fails to do the same. But don't buy your Carhartt new and rigid. Vintage is key. Shop eBay for some worn-in classic silhouettes. Vintage Carhartt jackets will turn any blue shirt and khaki combo into the uniform of a Tea Party Patriot.

Prices vary. Check eBay for latest.

Shredded Money

What better way to stand behind the belief that the Obama administration's socialized overtaking of America is making the nation's dollar worthless? Stuffed with shredded dollars from the US Federal Reserve, this handsome cigar pen is just as appropriate signing billion-dollar bailout contracts as it is singing foreclosure and Chapter 7 documents. Pair the unique pen with a set of shredded money cufflinks and you'll be fashionable declaring your feelings on the economy as you move all your holdings into gold.

Pen $15. Cufflinks $50.

Patriot Ale

Powell, Ohio's Liberty Tavern does not joke about freedom. A copy of the Boston watering hole that fueled the greatest independence movement the world would ever know, Liberty Tavern serves a special brew crafted by Sam Adams: Patriot Ale. And though they've got hummus on the menu, you have the freedom to not order it. Instead, try the "Betsy Ross Basket" (golden brown chicken tenders with fries and honey mustard) or the "Liberty Sticks" (funnel cake rods disused with cinnamon and powdered sugar… and freedom). Sorry though, you have to go to Powell for Liberty Tavern's take on the American Dream.

Entrees start around $14 Monday Special: $4.50 for 23 sweet oz. Flight prices to nearby Columbus, OH vary.

Pocket Constitution

Including the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and all amendments, even pesky ones like the 14th, this handsome pocket edition of the world's greatest document measures just 3.5" by 5".

Not only will you be armed against the tyranny of a government run amok, your smartly-bound edition will support the work of the Cato Institute, one of the world's greatest advocates of "individual liberty, free markets and peace." For globe trotters, it's also available in Arabic.

$4.95; Arabic: $6.95

USS Ronald Reagan Hat

You may not be able to command your own Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier, but you can remind everyone that one represents your will as an American citizen. In honor of his greatness, Ronald Reagan was the first ever living former President to receive the tribute of having a Naval vessel named after him. And while you may not actually physically serve alongside the sailors of the Reagan, your spirit does. Leave it outside in the rain a few times to give it the look of a hat that's actually seen military action.

$14.95

Anglo-Confederate Society Necktie

From the fine Ben Silver Collection in Charleston, this stately, cardinal red, navy blue and white-starred necktie was worn during the Civil War by British Parliament members to quietly express sympathy for the Southern cause's war against central government tyranny. What better way to protest the current socialization of American liberties than to pair your work uniform with a little fetching bit of noble history?

$95

American Flag Socks

We're all patriots underneath. Some of us are just more patriotic underneath than others. These fine socks float the American standard even if you're waiting in the customs line at Paris' Charles de Gaulle. Do you have something to declare? Oui!

$8

"Ballroom" Jeans

Nothing says I'm ready for work and relaxing like a pair of Duluth "Ballroom" Jeans. The extra crotch gusset space is perfect for carrying around the huge set of balls required to believe that Obama is a Muslim.

$34.50 / $39.50 tall

Ralph Lauren Purple Label Suit

Before Sarah Palin let her husband Todd take the stage to join her on the long journey of restoring honor to America, she got him the proper attire for such an undertaking, buying him three Ralph Lauren Purple Label suits. The Purple Label identifies this Lauren line as the ultimate expression of luxury for the modern gentlemen, no matter how throwback his politics are. While you may have no GOP coffer, you can dress like you do.

Starting around $4,000

You wouldn't believe what Abe Sauer is wearing.

I’m 14 1/2 weeks pregnant with our first & now that things are starting to not fit anymore, I have been trying to do some maternity clothes shopping. But wow! I didn’t realize clothing yourself while pregnant was so expensive! Just curious to know if you had any ideas or thoughts on places to go for good deals on maternity clothes. -Eden

Maternity clothes can definitely be very pricey, but there’s no need to spend exorbitant amounts on a whole new wardrobe to clothe you while pregnant. Instead, take it as an opportunity to get creative and think outside the box. Here are some things which have allowed me to spend very little on maternity clothes over the course of my last three pregnancies:

Re-purpose Items You Already Have

I’m pretty petite, so the 30 pounds I always gain with each pregnancy mean I go up at least two to three sizes in clothing by the end of my pregnancy! Needless to say, I’m not one of those women who can wear her regular jeans the entire pregnancy (I wish!).

However, I’ve found that some things in my wardrobe can still be worn until at least six months. Sweaters, high-waisted blouses and items which can be layered work especially well for this. So start with what you already have in your closet and see if there are some items which can be re-purposed to work as maternity clothes — at least for a little while.

Borrow From Friends

So many friends have been kind to let me borrow their maternity clothes from them over my last few pregnancies. They’ve always offered to share and I’ve been more-than-happy to take them up on their offer. And I’ve been happy to return the favor to others now that I’ve built up my own “collection” of maternity clothes.

Buy Used

Before going out and buying anything new, definitely check out the possibilities available for used clothing. Craigslist, Freecycle, garage sales, eBay, consignment stores and many other sites online carry used maternity clothes — often at a fraction of the price of buying new.

Shop the Clearance Racks

Motherhood Maternity, Target and Old Navy usually have some pretty good clearance racks in the maternity section. If you keep your eye on them when you’re out shopping, you’ll likely be able to find some good deals. And if you can pair the clearance deal with a coupon (which are often released for Target and Old Navy) you might find a killer deal! In addition, you can occasionally find some great deals online at Kohl’s when they have $0.99 shipping and a coupon code.

Choose Quality Over Quantity

Since I’m a minimalist, I always find it easiest to just have a few classic pieces which mix and match. A few pair of jeans or capris (depending upon the season, a pair of really comfy yoga pants, a couple of skirts, a few casual shirts and a few dressy shirts. I go for quality over quantity and just wear the items over and over and over again during those four months or so when I’m in maternity clothes full-time.

I’ve found it’s best to buy shirts which have ties in the back as these can be adjusted with your growing belly. I like elastic-banded pants, jeans and skirts which go under the belly (like these) as I can wear them my entire last half of the pregnancy and then for a few weeks postpartum, too. Making sure you buy items which can be worn more than a few weeks saves a lot of time and effort.

What are your ideas and suggestions for saving money on maternity clothes? Tell us in the comments.

robert shumake

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 9/22 - Arrowhead Pride

Good morning Chiefs fans. Another day means more Kansas City Chiefs news. Let's be sure to play nice in the comment sections today. We're all Chiefs fans even if we might have different (though no less passionate) visions of what this ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: ROI Realities

To understand how to run a small business is to understand ROI. That is, we must understand how to bring a return on investment for every decision we make when.

More People Watched Fox <b>News</b> Monday Than Obama Town Hall <b>...</b>

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robert shumake

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 9/22 - Arrowhead Pride

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To understand how to run a small business is to understand ROI. That is, we must understand how to bring a return on investment for every decision we make when.

More People Watched Fox <b>News</b> Monday Than Obama Town Hall <b>...</b>

In fact, far more people watched the Fox News Channel's "Happening Now" with Jon Scott and Jenna Lee airing at the same time than tuned in to see what the President had to say. Potentially even more embarrassing, when you add in those ...

Making Money on Line

1. 
   SON says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
   
   

   DAD I AM HOMOSEX.

   
   
   
   




2. 
   DAD says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
   
   

   SON I AM DISAPPOINT.

   
   
   
   




3. 
   Rob Mac says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
   
   

   Or we could simply “print” money to retire some of our debt. This would reassure people who get freaked out at the size of the debt and would have the same inflationary effect of handing the money out to American citizens. The stimulative effect would likely be a bit less, but I’d take that tradeoff.

   
   
   
   




4. 
   JR says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
   
   

   Aren’t you missing the role of international trade. What you say makes sense if all goods and services are produced locally. Once you take intl. trade into account, more/printed money could simply go into buying more from other countries, who could theoretically hold that money for an indefinite time.

   
   
   
   




5. 
   chris says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
   
   

   It’s true that at some point the money-printing would spark high inflation.

   
   

   Yes — specifically, after aggregate demand was boosted to the point that it exceeded aggregate supply. We’re nowhere near that point — I think literally trillions of dollars short of it — so there’s plenty of room to play around with helicopter drops. Please do, Mr. Bernanke.

   
   
   
   




6. 
   timmie says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
   
   

   Did that truly huge spike in Fed spending 2008-2009 lead to rapid economic growth? No. What evidence is there that things would be any different now? None.
   
   The Great Reckoning that we are now experiencing was, as your cite points out, only postponed through half a decade of public and private debt increasing by 10% a year and when that became unsustainable our financial system cratered.
   
   Does anyone think we can return to those levels of profligacy for five years or more? Does anyone doubt that even that level of new debt would prove inadequate to cure what ails us?
   
   Our recent history has been one huge Keynesian experiment gone wrong. But to put out the fire in the dining room Matt wants to burn down the house.

   
   
   
   




7. 
   chris says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
   
   

   Did that truly huge spike in Fed spending 2008-2009 lead to rapid economic growth? No.

   
   

   No, it only halted a once-in-a-century level of economic collapse in its tracks.

   
   

   But I guess since the first gallon of water didn’t put the fire out, it’s time to abandon that plan and switch to gasoline.

   
   
   
   




8. 
   Ape Man says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
   
   

   “Or we could simply “print” money to retire some of our debt.”

   
   

   This is incorrect. If you think it through, it will help you understand how money works on the macro scale.

   
   

   A treasury note is an account at the Fed that bears interest. It has a fixed, often very short, term of maturity.

   
   

   If you “print money” to “retire” that debt, all you are doing is changing those interest-bearing Fed accounts into non interest-bearing Fed accounts. The people who held those dollars want to hold them as Treasury notes. They will immediately reinvest them in… Treasury notes.

   
   

   3

   
   
   
   




9. 
   zyxw says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 8:50 pm
   
   

   Another structural problem now is income inequality. If income was spread out more fairly there would be a lot more money spent generating more jobs, etc. There’s only so much the super rich can spend–after awhile you really can’t buy that much more stuff, so instead they are hoarding it at the moment waiting for the economy to rebound so they can eventually invest in something and make even more money to hoard.

   
   
   
   




10. 
    Shooter242 says:
    
    
    
    September 9th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
    
    

    * You can print all the money you want but if people don’t want to borrow, it doesn’t matter.
    
    * As for throwing everybody a grand, it didn’t work with Bush’s $600 because you and everyone else knows it’s a one-off.
    
    * Then there is the payroll credit for about the same amount of money, how did that work out?

    
    

    Do you think our problem could be related to Congress serving up legislative pigs in a poke? For all it’s wonderfulness, health insurance in Massachusetts has led to Mass Gen Hospital
    
    to barring new primary care patients. Now imagine that over an entire country. Any chance that would lead to more saving and less spending?

    
    

    As for income inequality, Al Gore making millions has no effect on anyone that he doesn’t employ. Interestingly, the US is pretty far down on the property rights ladder globally. Apparently we are behind China, Gambia, and Jordan. Having yahoos here threaten to confiscate wealth by hook or crook, isn’t reassuring.

    
    
    
    




11. 
    BB says:
    
    
    
    September 9th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
    
    

    So, why do we even keep track of the deficit? I accept the fact that we have a sovereign currency, not on a gold standard, etc., which means that we don’t have to go in debt (i.e. sell bonds) for every dollar we print/create. Thus taxation is merely an anti-inflationary measure. So…shouldn’t we just keep track of inflation and adjust our federal spending accordingly, since the deficit doesn’t actually mean anything?

    
    
    
    




12. 
    urgs says:
    
    
    
    September 10th, 2010 at 2:23 am
    
    

    Defraud small savers (thats allright, since so many of them are foreigners nowadays – evil Chinese, many of them living from less than 1$ a day), shovel some windfall gains to big business ===> ?????????? =====> Jobs!

    
    

    aelkejeellekeleljklejlelje

    
    
    
    




13. 
    Evil Twin says:
    
    
    
    September 10th, 2010 at 2:35 am
    
    

    You can print all the money you want but if people don’t want to borrow, it doesn’t matter.

    
    

    And here we see the return of the invisible bear riding phantom bond vigilantes. Yes, the modifiers are a bit unclear. That’s because Shooter is a fucking moron whose knowledge of financial matters is roughly the same as a four month old.

    
    

    Hey, dumbfuck, do you know what you do when people don’t want to borrow money from you? You raise the stakes, you promise them more in return for loaning you the money. Do you know what interest rates look like right this moment you dimwitted clod?

    
    

    Come back when you have something to say that isn’t discredited talking points.

    
    
    
    




14. 
    Lewis says:
    
    
    
    September 10th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
    
    

    At the risk of confirming Matt’s views, I think Prof Keen explains it well : http://www.debtdeflation.com/blogs/2010/09/05/back-to-the-future/

    
    
    
    




15. 
    Superior Excellence Better Flavor-Organic Kona Coffee | Toilet Safety Rail says:
    
    
    
    September 11th, 2010 at 5:50 am
    
    

    Matthew Yglesias » Mo’ Money, Mo’ Demand

    
    
    
    

DAVID GREGORY, HOST: E.J., the economy and taxes and where things stand.

E.J. DIONNE, WASHINGTON POST: Well, actually, I think the administration is in a position where it should pick a big fight with the Republicans. I, I at least half agree with what Rich just said. They're clearly down in this election. If the election were held now, they'd probably lose the House, though not the Senate. I think they can claw back enough to hold on to the House. I think they should pick a big fight on the renewal of the Bush tax cuts and say, "We want to renew them for everybody earning under $250,000 a year. Heck, maybe we can actually renew them for everybody earning under a million dollars a year." Draw a line and say, "We want to give them tax cuts now. They want to fight for millionaires." So you can have that fight. I think they can win it. But they need to shake up this race to salvage some of those seats. They need to hang on to 218 House seats.

MR. GREGORY: Right. I'm going to get to Charlie in a second.

But, Rich, back to the--you know, because I've, I've pressed Republicans on the point of, "Hey, you want to cut the deficit? Well, it's going to cost $3 trillion to extend all of these tax cuts. How do you pay for it?" And Republicans say to me, "You know, that's--that argument is off base here, that it's existing tax policy and that you shouldn't be making that argument." And respond to E.J.'s point.

Readers are recommended to fasten their seat belts, for Gregory likely without knowing it had nicely placed the ball on the tee for Lowry, and the National Review editor was about to launch the longest nationally televised drive of his life straight down the middle of the fairway: 

RICH LOWRY, NATIONAL REVIEW: Well, there, there, there are a couple things. I think E.J.'s political advice is exactly wrong, although I appreciate him half agreeing with me. I'll take what--I'll take whatever I can get.

MR. GREGORY: Right. That may be all you get.

MR. DIONNE: That's great progress.

MR. GREGORY: That may be all you get.

MR. LOWRY: But, you know, before August, before they left--Congress left for the August recess, you had three Senate Democrats saying, "We need to extend all these things less temporarily." And that was before this awful last month the Democrats suffered. I think it only got harder, if not impossible, not to extend all of these. So I expect the Obama administration either to say, "Let's do it for one year," or to punt it to the lame duck session. But even if they extend it for one year, that will be an amazing sign. If you have these large Democratic majorities in the Senate and the House extending all the Bush tax cuts, huge sign of the way the worm has turned politically.

MR. GREGORY: Yes.

MR. DIONNE: One idea is to put on the table, one of the things you could do with the money you save from not giving the tax cut to people earning over $1 million, you could either redistribute the rest of that to people down below a million, or you could begin to create an infrastructure bank to try to build us for the long-term. You need to look like you're making a--you're drawing a clear line with the Republicans.

MR. LOWRY: But there, there, there you're sucking money out of the economy in the short-term in order for the long-term in a weak economy. That makes no sense. Raising taxes, there's no theory in which raises taxes in a slow economy makes sense.

MR. GREGORY: All right.

MR. LOWRY: Keynesians don't favor it, supply-siders don't favor it.

Round one clearly went to Lowry.

A bit later as promised, Gregory brought Charlie Cook into the discussion. As readers will notice, this also set Lowry up to demolish Dionne:

MR. GREGORY: All right, but for everybody here, what is the bottom line? How did the president and Democrats get to this point? Is it a bad economy, case closed, Charlie, or is there a leadership question, a failure of leadership by the president that has got him to this point?

CHARLIE COOK, EDITOR THE COOK POLITICAL REPORT: Democrats desperately needed three things to happen this year. Number one, they needed unemployment to turn around. And when you look at the, the groups that were sort of the booster, that pushed them over the top, among African-Americans the unemployment rate is 16.3, you know, way more than it was when the president took office; Hispanics, 12; young people, 26, the job market for recent college graduates the worst in 35 years. He desperately needed unemployment to turn around. Number two, he needed attitudes toward healthcare reform to fundamentally change, with people saying, "OK...

MR. GREGORY: And that hasn't happened.

MR. COOK: And that--it just hasn't happened. And they had to get control of the agenda. And right now what they're doing is they're paying a price for having focused so thoroughly on health care for a solid year at a time when the economy was deteriorating. And, for a lot of voters, they just see the president and Democrats as having checked the box on stimulus and then gone to cap and trade and health care leaving the economy to deteriorate.

Absolutely outstanding analysis by Cook. With the table nicely set, Gregory invited Lowry and Dionne to continue the debate: 

MR. GREGORY: Have it out, you two. The question of the economy rules everything, or a question of leadership, E.J.?

MR. DIONNE: First of all, in that Donnelly ad, it's interesting that John Boehner, the Republican leader, was also in that picture.

MR. GREGORY: Yeah.

MR. DIONNE: And there are Republicans--the Republicans are unpopular, too. That's going to be something Democrats want to play. I think the biggest mistake Obama made was in not making a big argument from the beginning, "Here's where we started, here's where we're going. It's going to be rough getting there. But if you stick with me, this is going to get better." FDR did that, Ronald Reagan did that. He needed to do that.

MR. GREGORY: But trust in government was different when FDR did it.

MR. DIONNE: Right. But he needed to restore trust in government, and I think he was in a position to do that. He needed to emphasize the way they're actually reforming government, which they are, but nobody knows it.

MR. GREGORY: The flipside of that question, you can address this big one.

MR. LOWRY: Sure.

MR. GREGORY: But is also, have, have Republicans done anything to really regain trust about their leadership...

MR. LOWRY: No, it's most...

MR. GREGORY: ...to an oppositional strategy?

MR. LOWRY: ...it's mostly a free gift from Obama fundamentally fumbling this. And I disagree with E.J. again. I'm going to have to agree with you at some point, E.J. just to be a good colleague here on the set. But people know what Obama's about. They know what the program is. They know he's growing government because he thinks that's good for the economy and good for the country's future. They get it. The problem, I think, is threefold. One is ideological grandiosity. Democrats thought in '08 they had a mandate from heaven to do everything they ever wanted, when really they were just getting an opportunity because people were recoiling from the Republicans and the poor state of the economy.

Indeed. New York Times columnist Tom Friedman made the same point on ABC's "This Week" Sunday about Obama over-reading his mandate. But I digress: 

LOWRY: Then there was the cynical opportunism that Charlie referred to, a crisis is--never let a crisis go to waste. Therefore do health care, try to cap and trade, things that have nothing to do with the economy or may actually be harmful to it. And then three, there's the fact that the program has not worked on its own terms. The stimulus has not worked. So you add all three of those things up and you have a very grim picture. And another huge problem, independents are much closer to the tea partiers on the big issues and even on the smaller hot-button ones--spending, debt, Arizona immigration law, Ground Zero mosque, all that--much closer to the tea partiers than they are to the Democrats. 

Indeed.

Game, set, and match Lowry.

Bravo, Rich. Bravo. 

—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.

Coming soon: A brand-new NewsBusters design. But we need your help!

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1. 
   SON says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
   
   

   DAD I AM HOMOSEX.

   
   
   
   




2. 
   DAD says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
   
   

   SON I AM DISAPPOINT.

   
   
   
   




3. 
   Rob Mac says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
   
   

   Or we could simply “print” money to retire some of our debt. This would reassure people who get freaked out at the size of the debt and would have the same inflationary effect of handing the money out to American citizens. The stimulative effect would likely be a bit less, but I’d take that tradeoff.

   
   
   
   




4. 
   JR says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
   
   

   Aren’t you missing the role of international trade. What you say makes sense if all goods and services are produced locally. Once you take intl. trade into account, more/printed money could simply go into buying more from other countries, who could theoretically hold that money for an indefinite time.

   
   
   
   




5. 
   chris says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
   
   

   It’s true that at some point the money-printing would spark high inflation.

   
   

   Yes — specifically, after aggregate demand was boosted to the point that it exceeded aggregate supply. We’re nowhere near that point — I think literally trillions of dollars short of it — so there’s plenty of room to play around with helicopter drops. Please do, Mr. Bernanke.

   
   
   
   




6. 
   timmie says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
   
   

   Did that truly huge spike in Fed spending 2008-2009 lead to rapid economic growth? No. What evidence is there that things would be any different now? None.
   
   The Great Reckoning that we are now experiencing was, as your cite points out, only postponed through half a decade of public and private debt increasing by 10% a year and when that became unsustainable our financial system cratered.
   
   Does anyone think we can return to those levels of profligacy for five years or more? Does anyone doubt that even that level of new debt would prove inadequate to cure what ails us?
   
   Our recent history has been one huge Keynesian experiment gone wrong. But to put out the fire in the dining room Matt wants to burn down the house.

   
   
   
   




7. 
   chris says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
   
   

   Did that truly huge spike in Fed spending 2008-2009 lead to rapid economic growth? No.

   
   

   No, it only halted a once-in-a-century level of economic collapse in its tracks.

   
   

   But I guess since the first gallon of water didn’t put the fire out, it’s time to abandon that plan and switch to gasoline.

   
   
   
   




8. 
   Ape Man says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
   
   

   “Or we could simply “print” money to retire some of our debt.”

   
   

   This is incorrect. If you think it through, it will help you understand how money works on the macro scale.

   
   

   A treasury note is an account at the Fed that bears interest. It has a fixed, often very short, term of maturity.

   
   

   If you “print money” to “retire” that debt, all you are doing is changing those interest-bearing Fed accounts into non interest-bearing Fed accounts. The people who held those dollars want to hold them as Treasury notes. They will immediately reinvest them in… Treasury notes.

   
   

   3

   
   
   
   




9. 
   zyxw says:
   
   
   
   September 9th, 2010 at 8:50 pm
   
   

   Another structural problem now is income inequality. If income was spread out more fairly there would be a lot more money spent generating more jobs, etc. There’s only so much the super rich can spend–after awhile you really can’t buy that much more stuff, so instead they are hoarding it at the moment waiting for the economy to rebound so they can eventually invest in something and make even more money to hoard.

   
   
   
   




10. 
    Shooter242 says:
    
    
    
    September 9th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
    
    

    * You can print all the money you want but if people don’t want to borrow, it doesn’t matter.
    
    * As for throwing everybody a grand, it didn’t work with Bush’s $600 because you and everyone else knows it’s a one-off.
    
    * Then there is the payroll credit for about the same amount of money, how did that work out?

    
    

    Do you think our problem could be related to Congress serving up legislative pigs in a poke? For all it’s wonderfulness, health insurance in Massachusetts has led to Mass Gen Hospital
    
    to barring new primary care patients. Now imagine that over an entire country. Any chance that would lead to more saving and less spending?

    
    

    As for income inequality, Al Gore making millions has no effect on anyone that he doesn’t employ. Interestingly, the US is pretty far down on the property rights ladder globally. Apparently we are behind China, Gambia, and Jordan. Having yahoos here threaten to confiscate wealth by hook or crook, isn’t reassuring.

    
    
    
    




11. 
    BB says:
    
    
    
    September 9th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
    
    

    So, why do we even keep track of the deficit? I accept the fact that we have a sovereign currency, not on a gold standard, etc., which means that we don’t have to go in debt (i.e. sell bonds) for every dollar we print/create. Thus taxation is merely an anti-inflationary measure. So…shouldn’t we just keep track of inflation and adjust our federal spending accordingly, since the deficit doesn’t actually mean anything?

    
    
    
    




12. 
    urgs says:
    
    
    
    September 10th, 2010 at 2:23 am
    
    

    Defraud small savers (thats allright, since so many of them are foreigners nowadays – evil Chinese, many of them living from less than 1$ a day), shovel some windfall gains to big business ===> ?????????? =====> Jobs!

    
    

    aelkejeellekeleljklejlelje

    
    
    
    




13. 
    Evil Twin says:
    
    
    
    September 10th, 2010 at 2:35 am
    
    

    You can print all the money you want but if people don’t want to borrow, it doesn’t matter.

    
    

    And here we see the return of the invisible bear riding phantom bond vigilantes. Yes, the modifiers are a bit unclear. That’s because Shooter is a fucking moron whose knowledge of financial matters is roughly the same as a four month old.

    
    

    Hey, dumbfuck, do you know what you do when people don’t want to borrow money from you? You raise the stakes, you promise them more in return for loaning you the money. Do you know what interest rates look like right this moment you dimwitted clod?

    
    

    Come back when you have something to say that isn’t discredited talking points.

    
    
    
    




14. 
    Lewis says:
    
    
    
    September 10th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
    
    

    At the risk of confirming Matt’s views, I think Prof Keen explains it well : http://www.debtdeflation.com/blogs/2010/09/05/back-to-the-future/

    
    
    
    




15. 
    Superior Excellence Better Flavor-Organic Kona Coffee | Toilet Safety Rail says:
    
    
    
    September 11th, 2010 at 5:50 am
    
    

    Matthew Yglesias » Mo’ Money, Mo’ Demand

    
    
    
    

DAVID GREGORY, HOST: E.J., the economy and taxes and where things stand.

E.J. DIONNE, WASHINGTON POST: Well, actually, I think the administration is in a position where it should pick a big fight with the Republicans. I, I at least half agree with what Rich just said. They're clearly down in this election. If the election were held now, they'd probably lose the House, though not the Senate. I think they can claw back enough to hold on to the House. I think they should pick a big fight on the renewal of the Bush tax cuts and say, "We want to renew them for everybody earning under $250,000 a year. Heck, maybe we can actually renew them for everybody earning under a million dollars a year." Draw a line and say, "We want to give them tax cuts now. They want to fight for millionaires." So you can have that fight. I think they can win it. But they need to shake up this race to salvage some of those seats. They need to hang on to 218 House seats.

MR. GREGORY: Right. I'm going to get to Charlie in a second.

But, Rich, back to the--you know, because I've, I've pressed Republicans on the point of, "Hey, you want to cut the deficit? Well, it's going to cost $3 trillion to extend all of these tax cuts. How do you pay for it?" And Republicans say to me, "You know, that's--that argument is off base here, that it's existing tax policy and that you shouldn't be making that argument." And respond to E.J.'s point.

Readers are recommended to fasten their seat belts, for Gregory likely without knowing it had nicely placed the ball on the tee for Lowry, and the National Review editor was about to launch the longest nationally televised drive of his life straight down the middle of the fairway: 

RICH LOWRY, NATIONAL REVIEW: Well, there, there, there are a couple things. I think E.J.'s political advice is exactly wrong, although I appreciate him half agreeing with me. I'll take what--I'll take whatever I can get.

MR. GREGORY: Right. That may be all you get.

MR. DIONNE: That's great progress.

MR. GREGORY: That may be all you get.

MR. LOWRY: But, you know, before August, before they left--Congress left for the August recess, you had three Senate Democrats saying, "We need to extend all these things less temporarily." And that was before this awful last month the Democrats suffered. I think it only got harder, if not impossible, not to extend all of these. So I expect the Obama administration either to say, "Let's do it for one year," or to punt it to the lame duck session. But even if they extend it for one year, that will be an amazing sign. If you have these large Democratic majorities in the Senate and the House extending all the Bush tax cuts, huge sign of the way the worm has turned politically.

MR. GREGORY: Yes.

MR. DIONNE: One idea is to put on the table, one of the things you could do with the money you save from not giving the tax cut to people earning over $1 million, you could either redistribute the rest of that to people down below a million, or you could begin to create an infrastructure bank to try to build us for the long-term. You need to look like you're making a--you're drawing a clear line with the Republicans.

MR. LOWRY: But there, there, there you're sucking money out of the economy in the short-term in order for the long-term in a weak economy. That makes no sense. Raising taxes, there's no theory in which raises taxes in a slow economy makes sense.

MR. GREGORY: All right.

MR. LOWRY: Keynesians don't favor it, supply-siders don't favor it.

Round one clearly went to Lowry.

A bit later as promised, Gregory brought Charlie Cook into the discussion. As readers will notice, this also set Lowry up to demolish Dionne:

MR. GREGORY: All right, but for everybody here, what is the bottom line? How did the president and Democrats get to this point? Is it a bad economy, case closed, Charlie, or is there a leadership question, a failure of leadership by the president that has got him to this point?

CHARLIE COOK, EDITOR THE COOK POLITICAL REPORT: Democrats desperately needed three things to happen this year. Number one, they needed unemployment to turn around. And when you look at the, the groups that were sort of the booster, that pushed them over the top, among African-Americans the unemployment rate is 16.3, you know, way more than it was when the president took office; Hispanics, 12; young people, 26, the job market for recent college graduates the worst in 35 years. He desperately needed unemployment to turn around. Number two, he needed attitudes toward healthcare reform to fundamentally change, with people saying, "OK...

MR. GREGORY: And that hasn't happened.

MR. COOK: And that--it just hasn't happened. And they had to get control of the agenda. And right now what they're doing is they're paying a price for having focused so thoroughly on health care for a solid year at a time when the economy was deteriorating. And, for a lot of voters, they just see the president and Democrats as having checked the box on stimulus and then gone to cap and trade and health care leaving the economy to deteriorate.

Absolutely outstanding analysis by Cook. With the table nicely set, Gregory invited Lowry and Dionne to continue the debate: 

MR. GREGORY: Have it out, you two. The question of the economy rules everything, or a question of leadership, E.J.?

MR. DIONNE: First of all, in that Donnelly ad, it's interesting that John Boehner, the Republican leader, was also in that picture.

MR. GREGORY: Yeah.

MR. DIONNE: And there are Republicans--the Republicans are unpopular, too. That's going to be something Democrats want to play. I think the biggest mistake Obama made was in not making a big argument from the beginning, "Here's where we started, here's where we're going. It's going to be rough getting there. But if you stick with me, this is going to get better." FDR did that, Ronald Reagan did that. He needed to do that.

MR. GREGORY: But trust in government was different when FDR did it.

MR. DIONNE: Right. But he needed to restore trust in government, and I think he was in a position to do that. He needed to emphasize the way they're actually reforming government, which they are, but nobody knows it.

MR. GREGORY: The flipside of that question, you can address this big one.

MR. LOWRY: Sure.

MR. GREGORY: But is also, have, have Republicans done anything to really regain trust about their leadership...

MR. LOWRY: No, it's most...

MR. GREGORY: ...to an oppositional strategy?

MR. LOWRY: ...it's mostly a free gift from Obama fundamentally fumbling this. And I disagree with E.J. again. I'm going to have to agree with you at some point, E.J. just to be a good colleague here on the set. But people know what Obama's about. They know what the program is. They know he's growing government because he thinks that's good for the economy and good for the country's future. They get it. The problem, I think, is threefold. One is ideological grandiosity. Democrats thought in '08 they had a mandate from heaven to do everything they ever wanted, when really they were just getting an opportunity because people were recoiling from the Republicans and the poor state of the economy.

Indeed. New York Times columnist Tom Friedman made the same point on ABC's "This Week" Sunday about Obama over-reading his mandate. But I digress: 

LOWRY: Then there was the cynical opportunism that Charlie referred to, a crisis is--never let a crisis go to waste. Therefore do health care, try to cap and trade, things that have nothing to do with the economy or may actually be harmful to it. And then three, there's the fact that the program has not worked on its own terms. The stimulus has not worked. So you add all three of those things up and you have a very grim picture. And another huge problem, independents are much closer to the tea partiers on the big issues and even on the smaller hot-button ones--spending, debt, Arizona immigration law, Ground Zero mosque, all that--much closer to the tea partiers than they are to the Democrats. 

Indeed.

Game, set, and match Lowry.

Bravo, Rich. Bravo. 

—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.

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