8 Things I Think I Think (and Personal Finance Links)

As I do every now and again, I steal ideas pay homage to Football Writer Peter King and the 10 Things I Think I Think part of his column. Most of the time the thoughts are on football, but there’s always a section where he talks about any non-football thoughts.

I thought I’d use my late link round-up as an excuse opportunity to get some of those out.

• Busy, Busy, Busy – I feel like I’ve been running around with my head cut off recently. Just dealing with my hosting company to keep this site alive has been a ginomous chore. If you have e-mailed me and I haven’t got back to you in a timely manner, try again in 7-10 days.
• Haiti – A side effect of being busy is that I haven’t been able to say much about this. If I can get a few minutes, I’m going to try to do some fund raising for a charity in Haiti that is particularly close to me and my wife.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day – I hate to let this holiday go unrecognized, so here’s a little shout to that. Interestingly, on the day of remembering one of the greatest supporters of equal rights someone called our house to ask for our support against same-sex marriage. No matter where you stand on the issue, it seems very odd timing to try to advocate that some people shouldn’t have equal rights.
• Mo’Nique’s Golden Globe Speech – I don’t typically watch the Golden Globes, but I got sucked into it this past weekend with the wife. I really liked Mo’Nique’s speech. I actually yelled out, “any girl who can stand up, will stand up” as I flashed back to the relevant episode of Buffy.
• My Stupid Dog – While on the topic of that episode, I can’t remember a day that’s passed where I haven’t said, “That’s my dog, always doing the stupid thing.” For those who watched Buffy, you know this is a term of endearment, not one of chastising.
• The Patriots – With the Patriots season long over now and the Jets still keeping their Super Bowl parade reservations, things couldn’t be much worse for a football fan in Boston. Many are predicting the end of the franchise’s competitiveness. I have about 3,000 words to say on that topic, but I’ll reserve that for another blog and let you know if I get a chance to write it.
• The Celtics and Red Sox – Boston shouldn’t feel too down. They still have the Celtics who seem to be one of the best 3 or 4 teams in the NBA. The Red Sox added Lackey, Beltre, and Cameron in the offseason basically increasing their ability to prevent runs about 7000%. Losing Jason Bay gives some of that back, but I think they still come out better than they were last year.
• Taco Bell’s Hidden Value Item – Taco Bell is playing an interesting trick on their menu. If you order the Fresco Ranchero Soft Taco, it will set you back $1.89. It’s one of their more healthy options so I bet a lot of people order that. Most people don’t know that you can just order their $0.89 Chicken Soft Taco from their Why Pay More menu and ask for it Fresco Style. Looking at the menu the difference seems to be that Rachero has southwest chicken while the one from the Why Pay More menu is savory chicken. It seems that the more expensive one is negligibly healthier for you, but I don’t think it’s worth the huge premium.

With all that off my mind… Here are the links from last week that I promised you.

Money Writers:

• Brip Blap posts the two-income myth.
• Digerati Life asks need a job? Job resources and employment statistics!
• Frugal Dad wonders are you saving money just to save, or saving with purpose?
• Generation X Finance says new law makes it harder for teens to get a credit card starting February 22
• Million Dollar Journey discusses workplace culture shock: adjusting to a new company culture.
• Money Smart Life provides a lost credit card Q&A.
• My Dollar Plan shows how you can score free stuff on your birthday.
• The Sun’s Financial Diary provides readers with tips on how to save money on heating this winter.

Top PF Posts:

• The Smarter Wallet blogs yard sale deals: where to buy cheap treasures!
• Get Rich Slowly shares a reader story: how I cut 16 years from my mortgage in just one hour.
• Five Cent Nickel asks joint or separate: which checking works better for you?
• Free Money Finance talks about 10 things not to buy in 2010.
• All Financial Matters posts Question of the Day ““ The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
• FruGal Totally Money asks what’s the worst thing you’ve read on a PF blog?
• Consumerism Commentary says that American Express membership rewards points can be used to pay taxes.
• Learn to invest in 2010: 4 steps to educating yourself by Wise Bread.
• The Consumerist interviewed an anonymous Facebook employee and says network keeps track of whom you stalk most.
• Investor Centric Blog shares 10 predictions for investors in the new decade.