| Where have you gone, George Bailey?
ANOTHER HOLIDAY season has come and gone with more reruns of Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life." We could sure use banker George Bailey now that the mortgage mess threatens to do what the rapacious Mr. Potter, the town's richest citizen, could not: end the "nonsense" of providing mortgages for the working poor. For some time to come, people in the real world of 21st-century America without a good deal of money in the bank and super-secure jobs will find it difficult to qualify for mortgage loans. George Bailey isn't coming to the rescue. If you are a borrower, you may send your monthly payment to Bailey's bank, but Bailey is long since out of the picture. Shortly after originating your loan, Bailey sold it to a consolidator, very likely a government-sponsored agency such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac that packages individual mortgages into a mortgage-backed security.
How fast does sea level rise once glaciers start retreating during a ...
Sea level rise averaged 1 meter (3.3 feet) per century after the last glacial maximum. There are over 100 sq km of land in Fraser Delta that are less than 1 meter above sea level. It is some of the highest priced land in BC, heavily built up for homes,industry, and commercial buildings.
Once it started it didn't stop until sea level had risen by 180 to 200 meters (600 to 660 feet).
During the 'melt water surge' Sea Level rise averaged 4 meters per century, for 500 years. That gives over 9 feet in a 70 year lifetime.
Water St. in St. John's was settled in the early 1500s. At 4 meters/century it would be 20 meters underwater by now.
We are at the tipping point for avoiding catastrophic climate change.
Deniers who claim sea level couldn't rise by 20 feet simply don't know what they are talking about, but that is an old story by now.
Deal to make BofA No. 1 in mortgages
The Bank of America and Countrywide branch offices are seen in Pasadena, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008. A buyout of hobbled mortgage lender Countrywide Financial likely would be approved by regulators, analysts say, because otherwise the company could file for bankruptcy, further disrupting the market for home loans. .
The 90-Grand Phone Call
In early July, Joel Albert headed to his local Staples in Potomac, Md., to buy a paper shredder. The retired broadcast journalist opted for the cheapest model he could find -- one that accommodated just five documents at a time and cost less than $30. His purchase was a small gesture toward trying to establish some measure of security for his finances -- giving him and his wife just a little peace of mind in the aftermath of his role in the now widely publicized identity theft ordeal that unfolded just weeks before. Albert was one of the 30,000 victims of the largest identity theft racket in U.S. history. He was no small contributor to the culprits' total take of $3 million and counting. His contribution? Nearly 90 grand in equity he had built up in his Maryland home over the past 31 years.
Toymakers, buyers rebuild trust after China safety scares
He estimated that production costs will climb 15 percent this year as demands for stricter quality control, a strengthening Chinese yuan, rising labour and raw material costs and high oil prices hit bottomlines. Samuel Shum, vice president of Hong Kong's 35-year-old Manley Toys Ltd., expects to increase prices by as much as 10 percent this year. "We cannot increase our price too much because no matter how beautiful our products look, we'll scare away customers," he said. Shum however believes fears over Chinese products have begun to fade and predicts better sales this year. Some overseas buyers such as Critti said they felt a 10 percent price rise was acceptable but warned they would consider looking elsewhere if their customers find the increases too much. But one thing buyers and manufacturers can agree on is that the recalls will shake up the industry.
Tennessee poverty rate rises more quickly than U.S. rate
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Solidarity rises above a whisker in writers strike
Two late-night TV show hosts, David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, returned to the air this month, bearded and visibly sympathetic to the writers' cause. Letterman blinked first, though, shaving his beard off on his show, but O'Brien is still rocking the red menace upon his face. I never thought it possible that I could like O'Brien any more than I already did, but now that he resembles a pirate, somehow Ido.Among the striking writers, beards seem to have taken on the image of a symbol for what these men and women want to accomplish in standing up to their corporate overlords. Maybe they want to appear rough and tumble, willing to risk their livelihoods for what they believe is fair. It's possible that they want to look devoted enough to their cause that they don't have that extra 10 minutes in the morning it takes to shave those whiskers off their faces.
Could God have set evolution in motion?
It is in this intellectual and philosophical environment that these brave innovators debated and forged the foundations of our country. Central to this debate was how to avoid the interference of religion with the blossoming of the American democratic idea, while acknowledging the rights of people to practice a variety of religions. They sought balance through compromise. Hence, the only clear way to guarantee freedom of, or freedom from religion, was to form a secular republic. Regardless of their individual beliefs, they knew that government should not align with any particular religion as this by default alienates those that are not of that faith and could impede the free exercise of religion. Certainly, the intent of that body politic is in the outcome. The importance of this concept is evinced in its station as the first passage of the First Amendment.
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