• safer-networking.org - spyware blocker
• howthingswork.com - info for inventors
• nolo.com - intellectual property info
• cardweb.com - card survey for finding new cards

The city of Detroit wants to start a Fast Food Tax that will require anyone eating fast food to pay a tax in addition to the sales tax on food. The so-called “fat tax” has Michigan residents divided. Some are upset because they already pay tons in taxes. Others say it will help the city’s budget deficit and prevent people from eating as much fast food. It’s the first tax initiative of its kind, according to the National Restaurant Association, in that it’s only fast food restaurants in the city of Detroit. Even if you get a salad and low fat dressing, you’d be subject to the tax. Clark doesn’t get it. Detroit has repeatedly made the list of cities with a high number of overweight people, and the $17 million anticipated windfall would help the city. But he doesn’t think people will go for this. New York is also considering applying a tax on junk food, video games and television commercials. What will they think of next?

Are you familiar with “spyware” or “adware?” About two-thirds of computers have spyware, which are viruses or programs loaded on to a computer when a user mistypes a site. Spyware can slow down or even crash your system. CNet News has reported that all kinds of viruses are launched when people mistype the site “google.com.” It adds all kinds of malicious stuff on your computer and even memorizes your key strokes to look for words you regularly type. In addition, corporate America is playing along. The L.A. Times has found that corporations, desperate to reach customers, are in cahoots with the people creating this sypware. That way, they can have ads pop up on your computer. Travelocity and Mercedes are just a few of the hundreds of companies, according to the Times. So, what should you do to prevent people from stealing your money and infecting your computer? You want to add the program, Spybot Search & Destroy. You can find it on Clark’s site or by going to safer-networking.org. You need to use the program routinely in order for it to work. It’s a free program, but the company asks for donations to keep its site running. It’s simple and it will prevent lots of hassles.

Women get gouged on personal care items like razors and toiletries. Whether it’s make-up or shampoo, the mark-up for women is unbelievable. Clark did a TV story about shampoo in recent years. In it, he talked to a chemist who said all shampoo is the same. It’s simply detergent that cleans your hair. The difference is in the conditioner. If you must spend a lot of money on something and you want it to make a difference, spend it on your conditioner. And consider using men’s products if you’re a woman. They’re much cheaper and they’re the same products.

People take many risks in the real estate industry these days, including taking out something called “payment option mortgages.” These mortgages allow you to pay your loan as if you’re paying a 1 percent interest rate, even though the real rate is much higher. So, you’re not paying anything off and you end up owing substantially more money on a house than its worth. Standard & Poors (S&P), a rating industry, agrees that these loans are risky. These loans are often sold as investments, and people who get involved consider them investments. Really it’s just speculating and it could blow up in their faces. If you have one of these loans, you have the option to make a real payment – and you should! Taking out a loan that grows instead of shrinks each month is dangerous! And you need to correct what you’ve done.

Clark talked recently about the fact that 1.2 million people die in auto accidents worldwide each year. In the U.S., we lose about 40,000 to 50,000 year. That number may go up because of all the distracting technology being added to cars. People are apparently installing DVD monitors in cars so that the driver can watch a movie or watch TV. Many people, including Clark’s producer, Kevin, check and send e-mails while driving with PDA devices. It’s bad enough to e-mail while driving. Why would anyone think it’s a good idea to watch a movie behind the wheel? It’s dangerous to you and to everyone else on the road. The good news is that there also devices that keep people alert and attentive on the road. The “Napzapper,” for example, buzzes when your head dips below a certain point, as if you’ve dozed off. If you get beeped or buzzed, please pull off the road and either get a meal or a hotel room before you get back on the road.

Clark is definitely known as a thrifty guy. But he used to be much worse. He and his wife Lane have compromised in the nearly 10 years they’ve been married. He’s a little less cheap and she has become a little cheaper. But being cheap is not a bad thing, especially in a country where the national savings rate is 0 percent. Someone who thinks the same way is Michelle Singletary, the syndicated financial writer. Each year she hosts a contest known as the “Penny Pincher of the Year” in an effort to celebrate frugality. This year, first place went to a man from Hawaii whose family collected dozens of recyclable cans while on vacation this year. Each can was worth 5 cents in Hawaii, so the family members took their cans back home in their suitcases and redeemed them. Another winner actually washes her clothes while taking a shower. Singletary wanted to make a point about the fact that people waste money and don’t think twice about it. It’s good to think twice about it.