I didn’t mention Buy Nothing Day, since I was on the road and had other things in mind, but I reflect back on Friday and I indeed, bought nothing at all. Bonnie got a bib free for shipping off of Spots, but I don’t really count that as buying, and in the end that only cost a dollar and a half.

I sort of wish every day were Buy Nothing Day, but I suppose most retailers this year will say that it is, even though Black Friday was evidently not horribly inadequate, although nothing to write home about. People went for the loss leader items–killed for them in fact (how would you like to be a part of that mob, knowing that you might have played a part in a man’s death?)–but will they stay for the stuff that’s not so discounted?

Next couple weeks will tell . . .

No–not auctions (necessarily) of videos.

There are all kinds of sites out there that have auctions and items for sale on them, the classified ads of the internet age. But I had not heard of any that had videos on them. Maybe I’m just behind the times! But I’ve stumbled upon a site which might just be the next big thing - listasaurus, which has video classifieds and video auctions.

“The obvious advantage to an online classified or auction is that you get a more tangible glimpse of the item in its surroundings. You have a better sense of its condition, and whether it works or not. I’ve received items from online auctions that were defective, causing a number of problems; and I have passed up on items suspiciously, but if I had seen them operating I might have been more willing to invest in them. This good be especially valuable for real estate sales: a cameraman could perambulate around the property giving the buyer a very good idea of what they were looking at, instead of a still photo of some building.

Listasaurus will also pay for listings in auctions and classifieds, something which I simply don’t understand but which is apparently true. I don’t auction a lot of things or sell online myself, but people who do might check this out, as crazy as it sounds. One could make money selling the item and on the ad. Bizarre!

Something of the nature of this year’s Christmas season (beyond anecdotal evidence so far presented) will appear tomorrow morning. The traditional Black Friday rush will be on . . . or not. CNN’s Black Friday story is not sanguine on the topic:

“The bad news is that this could be the worst holiday [shopping] season on record,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst with NPD Group.

“People will line up at 5 [a.m.] for the doorbuster deals,” he said. “There’ll be a little bit of frenzy for the $400 computer. And it will all be over by 10 [a.m].”

And frankly I agree. It is anecdotal to be sure, but I haven’t seen one lick of Christmas cheer, either in my place of business or anywhere else on the Plaza.

Well, they will light the lights tonight. Perhaps that will get a little life flowing, at least in Kansas City.

Then again . . . some crank has been circulating an email that Oak Park Mall is extremely dangerous. That’s nothing short of a vicious prank, as little as I like the Oak Park Mall.

How does that song go? Not like that, I know–but it’s what’s stuck in my head now that I think about it.

Now, if you are wanting to start a small business to create an additional revenue stream, as I have mentioned before, you may want to consider forming an LLC, or Limited Liability Company.
What is a Limited Liability Company? In law, it is somewhat the same as a legal human being, so when you form an LLC it is as if a sort of new person has been minted, ready to take some of the liability of doing business for you. One important one (especially in this economy) is that you will not be personally liable for the debts of the business. If this business fails, and you haven’t committed crimes or mingled your personal monies into it, then your own finances and house are generally safe from people looking to get their money back. They have to deal with the LLC instead of you “personally”. There are additional benefits, not least of which are the potential for improved tax benefits for you.

Incorporating doesn’t have to be a difficult mystery to master. Clicandinc.com, for instance, is a company that will help incorporate a business in any state online. No attorney is required to assist you (as long as your confidence level is high in such things, of course, and don’t take my word as any legal advice!) It is really just a matter of putting together boilerplate documents, which doesn’t necessarily require legal expertise. The folks at clicandinc.com  can do that work for you at a reasonable charge, and you can have a professional LLC set up within twenty four hours, boosting your credibility with your clients right away.

Why not incorporate a business, then? Your small business might stand to improve its professionalism and tax situation, and you might improve your personal liability. This can lower your risk and help you financially to succeed.

“I’m going to sue you!”

What an idle threat. because you aren’t, and everyone knows it. Lawsuits cost money, and everyone knows that. Even if you have a good case, you aren’t suing anybody.

But what’s this–can you? Slipping and falling at the mega lo mart, and you’re just a poor schlub they can laugh at –until you get a lawsuit loan!

How does it work? If you lose your case, you pay nothing. Nothing! If the lawsuit loan folks think that your case is winnable, you get an advance to pay your legal fees. Their advance and their fees are paid out of the judgment. What could be better than that?

As usual with these things, this is not legal advice. Talk to your lawyer (who can give legal advice), consider the fees being applied, and consider if this makes economic sense to you.

And a slow one. There is traffic on the street, but it is somewhat trickling.

The debt and credit crisis continues apace, and it passeth mine understanding. Apaprently the government is going to pump in another six hundred billion dollars by buying moere mortgage related debt? Who forecloses now? The government? And twenty — or is 25, or 100 — billion dollars are being “pumped” someplace — Brush Creek, perhaps? — to “free up” consumer credit, whatever that means.

I begin to believe that there is no end to this. They are just making up money now, money that doesn’t even exist. Where is it all coming from?

I have also ceased to believe in Obama’s tax credits for the middle class. There are no such things, and I will never see them. And having dutifully paid my mortgage so far, I see that I have been a chump.

This is just chaos. If we have an international crisis of any significant scale we are toast.

If you are in the market for a new HDTV, you will quickly discover that the entire subject is confusing, intimidating, and downright frightening. Questions bob up nightmarishly in your mind. What if I get the wrong television? What if I pay $2000 and the stupid thing stops working? Is it really better than a CRT unit? How do other people feel about this brand? This is an awful lot of investment to make going blind, after all.

For HDTV deals, you really need to start with a solid review site. The one linked above, youreviewelectronics.com, is a good start, because not only do you get links to any current deals and sales, the right hand navigation bar has links to reviews of all of the major brands, with their basic features, screen sizes, at which stores they are usually sold (very useful info!) and such like. It is important to compare these features — after all, sometimes you are comparing apples to oranges because of technology differences. When you’ve finished reading the reviews of the brands that interest you, the left hand navigation bar has the current top ten deals on HDTV units.

This is a good place to start your research, and from there you can branch out farther and read more deeply.

Getting short term loans for a small business has become difficult lately, but it is not (yet) impossible. Despite all the money they have been getting from the Federal Reserve, banks may not be loaning money freely, but there are still sources for loans. Now, you have to consider your economic situation, and say,is my business really going to stay afloat? If the reality is that you know that this is only a short term solution and that you are just digging yourself deeper, it might be wise to find another way out of the situation. You should approach a nontraditional lender with a sense of caution.However, a nontraditional lender such as onlinecheck.com, with services such as business loans, health care funding, and merchant cash advances on Credit card processing, might be a solution if your business is sound and the problem is only your usual bank refusing credit because they are scared of their own shadow. It is something you might investigate.

Or that is what the television commercials are telling me. That’s the kind of thing that unnerves me–not an economic crisis, but seeing an economic crisis on television ads, for crying out loud. Credit is tough, true, but I hear that cheap auto loans are available still. Banks may not be loaning money freely, but there are still places to get loans. Now, you have to consider your economic situation, and say, am I really worthy of this loan? Because a cheap loan company will undoubtably give it to you whether you are are not. They are in business to make money, either on the loan or on the car. A bank has a (slightly) higher feeling, perhaps, of community responsibility. So I would caution you to approach any nontraditional lender with a sense of personal responsibility and caution.

That said, if you absolutely need a vehicle, and you have absolutley no where else to turn, and you feel the loan is appropriate, a nationwide nontraditonal lender such as www.nowgetloan.com may be for you. Just read the fine print, and be aware of your own financial state.

Atlanta debt consolidation is the same as New York debt consolidation is the same as Los Angeles debt consolidation — everywhere across the country consumers face the same problem. The average person in debt fails to understand a complicated consolidation process. They get into debt through ignorance of compound interest and fiscal restraint, and discover that escaping it is a dark country they understand just as little. Debt consolidation can be frightening. The first thing to remember, when seeking help, to to make certain that (1) the debt consolidation agency or credit counselor that you use be accredited, and (2) that you get credit counseling advice, and that (3) consolidation itself may well not be the solution that you need. Many companies offering assistance are really for profit and have a vested interest in you using them. They may charge more than others who would do the same for less and help you more. Some very disreputable outfits even encourage you to break the law, leaving you in a worse place than when you started

Read everything they give you, and ask questions at every turn, especially if you don’t like the sound of what you are hearing. Just because they are sitting across the desk from you doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.

All of that said, ADC promises to start the debt consolidation in about half an hour. This may be true, but I would shop around thoroughly — after all, spending before thinking got you into this mess — and don’t forget what they always say about things that appear too good to be true. Remember: the first step is always to stop accumulating more debt.