Queercents

Those are the words of my mayor, Gavin Newsom, who shared some vindicated words about yesterday’s California Supreme Court ruling that declared a ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. After all, he’s the guy that started a gay marriage frenzy here in San Francisco in 2004, and then saw those marriages ruled invalid months later.

It was a celebratory scene yesterday here in San Francisco. Homos everywhere were hands-up in joy, dancing in the street. See for yourself: click here.

Straight supporters were beaming with excitement too. One straight girl in my journalism class happily asked, “Do you think there’s a lot people getting engaged tonight? I wonder if there’s going to be a rush of June weddings.” [Maybe a mid-June rush: it will take at least 30 days for the ruling to go in effect. This SF Gate article has more info.]

Of course I was excited and grateful for the court’s decision, but at the same time I thought, OK, that’s just one more state that thinks I’m good enough to get married. You’re telling me I should be jumping up for joy because I’m being granted rights I already deserve? Read the rest of this entry »

Public service employment is a topic I haven’t covered much of. This weekend I spent some time attempting to sort out my financial situation in light of my soon-to-be-in-repayment student loans. I graduate from Law School on Friday!

As a quick aside here is a great resource that I wish a financial fairy godmother could have whispered in my ear before I spent the better part of Sunday getting my information organized. The National Student Loan Data System compiles your loan and other finaicial aid information in once place. Even if you have multiple degrees from multiple institutions the NSLDS is a good place to get started.

As part of my research I learned about a new loan forgiveness program Congress recently authorized in the College Cost Reduction Act.  Aspects of this program are sure to offer hope and encouragement to graduates seeking lower paying careers or careers in the public service. Read the rest of this entry »

Chrysler’s latest incentive to reverse faltering car sales is fascinating. Car and Driver reports (via Yahoo!) that Chrysler will guarantee $2.99 gas to customers who purchase a new Dodge, Jeep or Chrysler vehicle from May 7 through June 12.

Here in San Francisco, the average cost of gasoline is $4.05 per gallon. (You can check prices for your location at MSN Autos.)

Sounds like an amazing deal for those of us in pricier metropolitan areas. However, looking at restrictions that apply and doing some number crunching makes this program look a bit… shrug inducing. Read the rest of this entry »

For this week’s News Bites, I’m doing a semi-rant on news, although, I’m not quite ranting about news because I’m mostly responding to the tech buzz Apple generates, a lot of which shows up in financial press blogs.

Screw it — I’ll just make this an open letter to Apple. Feel free to chime in.

Apple,

I cannot keep up with you. You spark more rumors than Miley Cyrus.

I need a new computer, and I’m not one of your customers who can afford to replace mine every time you update a model. But you keep updating your damn models every 6 months! When the hell should I buy my computer? Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to our new feature News Bites where we discuss money in the news: Be aghast, discuss, or just lurk. We don’t mind.

Here’s an item from the San Francisco Chronicle about a global rice shortage that may sour Costco and Sam’s Club shopping trips this weekend:

The worldwide rice crisis lapped over into the United States this week when Costco Wholesale and Wal-Mart’s Sam’s Club, the two biggest warehouse retail chains, limited the amount of bulk imported rice customers can buy. Sam’s Club said the restriction is due to “recent supply and demand trends.”

Try not to complain. Apparently, the rice shortage caused rioting deaths in Cameron and hungry protesters in Haiti to boot their prime minister. Read the rest of this entry »