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

I liked last week’s new format of mentioning random things, so I thought I’d continue with it. As always, if you aren’t interested just scroll down to the personal finance links or come back tomorrow.

• I think that I got a really good deal on a new-to-me (refurbished) laptop this week. My previous computer, a Dell Inspiron 1525 with a low-end Core 2 Duo chip, is actually still quite fast for my purposes, but one drop about 14 months ago hit a hinge pretty hard. Repeated opening and closing over the year lead to it almost falling off this past Friday. I expect to publish an article about my new computer search over the next few days.
• I think that I set expectations sufficiently low for Twilight Eclipse that I didn’t mind it too much. Personally, I think the whole series is a mix of an episode of a 1980’s Ghostbusters cartoon and the Buffy-Angel-Spike triangle. I was a big fan of that Ghostbuster’s episode for the line: “Peter, so what happens when a vampire bites a werewolf and a werewolf bites a vampire?”
• I think that Kevin Youkilis is deserving to go to the All-Star Game. I’d appreciate it if you could vote him in over the next few days. Why should you vote for him? He finished 3rd in American League MVP voting in 2008 and 6th in 2009… but he is hitting better this season than either of those two.
• I think that if you combine the previous two bullet points (Movies and Kevin Youkilis), you get the movie I watched last night, Milk Money. He had a 2 second cameo in it. I saw Grown-ups earlier in the week, making it the second movie (with Milk Money) to prominently feature a working tin-can phone. Perhaps I was just completely incompetent, but I could get them to do much of anything as a kid.
• I think that before I move on from talking about Boston sports, the best story in baseball this year may be the Red Sox. I might have written about the Red Sox had a lot of injured players on the disabled list last week. They added a couple more this week and announced that All-Star pitcher Clay Buchholz will miss the game as he is scheduled to go on the disabled list. The Boston Globe has an All-Star line-up of Red Sox players on the disabled list and that was before Buchholz was expected to go to the DL. I read the Red Sox have 11 guys on the DL while the closest team has 5. They are considered by most to be one of the top five teams in baseball even with all these injuries.
• I think you should expect an article about my trip to Google’s Campus on Friday of this week.
• I think I regret missing the chance to wish everyone a happy and safe Fourth yesterday.

Money Writers:

• Brip Blap presents 5 best websites for job seekers.
• Digerati Life gives these garage sale tips: how to sell junk for cash.
• Frugal Dad asks should I walk away from my mortgage?
• Generation X Finance posts this reader question: I’ve lost a lot of money in the market. Should I get out? What would you do?
• Million Dollar Journey asks can British Petroleum (BP) go bankrupt?
• Money Smart Life offers these 10 cheap kids birthday party tips for the crafty, clever, and frugal.
• My Dollar Plan wonders are CDs obsolete?
• The Sun’s Financial Diary shares some great green convenient ways to clean.

Top PF Posts:

• The Smarter Wallet explains how the Greek debt crisis impacts the global economy.
• Free Money Finance goes over the
  costs of working.
• Grad Money Matters blogs ah, the financial implications of a dreamer marrying an uber-realist…
• One Frugal Girl asks men to weigh in: do you want to be the primary financial provider for your family?
• Bill Eater asks hate budgets? How to save money anyway.
• Totally Money presents central Europe travels: transport on a budget.
• Well-Heeled Blog goes over a few financial topics for living together.
• Ready to be Rich writes the fringe benefits of failure and the importance of imagination.
• Credit Addict shares the five wildest credit card charges.
• Cash Money Life blogs how to avoid online loan scams.