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hi... sorry Ive been away for a while. welcome to the board.
my personal advice to a first time buyer:
1) take you time, look around alot
2) dont buy new
3) neighborhood, neighborhood, neighborhood
4) get educated on mortgage loans, avoid interest only and negative amortization and find out about prepayment penalties
good luck.
my daughter who is a political science major, was so impressed at hearing Barack Obama in person, she is now an intern for his campaign. She said he had the crowd really going.
I have a friend who has been in real estate for ages and he recommended the area outside of St. George Utah. But I think that many areas in California area still a good buy in the next few years as things soften up as long as you can wait til the market turns up again.
true. real estate takes patience and long term outlook. I'm guessing those who are investing largely in penny stocks are looking more for get rich quick schemes.
I'd love to see more on this board and I wish I had the resources to be purchasing investment properties right now... the next year or two is the perfect time.
I bought my last coffee there as well... good and much better price than anywhere else.
Intervie with Ron Paul
...Repubs calling on The Decider-Commander Guy to come up with a strategy to leave Iraq, which is where most of the country is.
but that sad thing is that every day people are dying while these idiots in Washington pussy foot around.
I've heard good things about Mark Warner. I think the GOP is heading for a routing in the next election if they continue to support Bush's failed policies.
This fatal complacency
Climate change is already destroying millions of lives in the poor world. But it will not stop there
Desmond Tutu
Saturday May 5, 2007
Guardian
What if dealing with climate change meant more than a flick of a switch? Would our friends in the industrialised world think differently if the effects of climate change were worse than extended summer months and the arrival of exotic species? Cushioned and cosseted, they have had the luxury of closing their minds to the real impact of what is happening in the fragile and precious atmosphere that surrounds the planet we live on. Where climate change has occurred in the industrialised world, the effects have so far been relatively benign. With the exception of events such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the inhabitants of North America and Europe have felt just a gentle caress from the winds of change.
I wonder how much more anxious they might be if they depended on the cycle of mother nature to feed their families. How much greater would their concerns be if they lived in slums and townships, in mud houses, or shelters made of plastic bags? In large parts of sub-Saharan Africa, this is a reality. The poor, the vulnerable and the hungry are exposed to the harsh edge of climate change every day of their lives.
The melting of the snows on the peak of Kilimanjaro is a warning of the changes taking place in Africa. Across this beautiful but vulnerable continent, people are already feeling the change in the weather. But rain or drought, the result is the same: more hunger and more misery for millions of people living on the margins of global society. Even in places such as Darfur, climate change has played a role. In the semi-arid zones of the world, there is fierce competition for access to grazing lands and watering holes. Where water is scarce and populations are growing, conflict will never be far behind.
In so many of the countries where the poorest live, governments are ill-equipped to cope. Katrina was a challenge for the US, so why should we be surprised that the annual cyclone season off the east coast of Africa continues to stretch the governments of Mozambique and Madagascar to their limits? Where governments are weak, the reliance on humanitarian agencies is greater.
People who work for bodies such as the UN World Food Programme are finding their work is a humanitarian "growth industry". Indeed, the numbers of people who know what it's like to go hungry stands at more than 850 million, and they are still growing by almost 4 million a year. The increasing frequency of natural disasters makes the fight against hunger even more challenging. The World Bank estimates that the number of natural disasters has quadrupled from 100 a year in 1975 to 400 in 2005.
In the past 10 years, 2.6 billion people have suffered from natural disasters. That is more than a third of the global population - most of them in the developing world. The human impact is obvious, but what is not so apparent is the extent to which climatic events can undo the developmental gains put in place over decades. Droughts and floods destroy lives, but they also destroy schools, economies and opportunity.
Every child will remember the story of the three little pigs and the big bad wolf. In the world we live in, the bad wolf of climate change has already ransacked the straw house and the house made of sticks, and the inhabitants of both are knocking on the door of the brick house where the people of the developed world live. Our friends there should think about this the next time they reach for the thermostat switch. They should realize that while the problems of the Mozambican farmer might seem far away, it may not be long before their troubles wash up on their shores.
· Desmond Tutu is a former archbishop of Cape Town and a Nobel peace laureate
http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329810652-103677,00.html
Retired generals challenge GOP in ads
By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer
CONCORD, N.H. - Three retired generals challenged a dozen members of Congress in a new ad campaign Wednesday, saying the politicians can't expect to win re-election if they support President Bush's policies in Iraq.
"I am outraged, as are the majority of Americans. I'm a lifelong Republican, but it's past time for change," retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste told reporters.
"Our strategy in Iraq today is more of the same, a slow grind to nowhere which totally ignores the reality of Iraq and the lessons of history," Batiste said. "Our president ignores sound military advice and surrounds himself with like-minded and compliant subordinates."
Batiste and Paul Eaton, also a retired major general, are featured in the ads by VoteVets.org. They challenge the president's argument that he listens to his commanders on the ground in Iraq and say the president's Iraq policies endanger U.S. security.
"The fact is, the president has never listened to the soldiers on the ground effectively," said retired NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark, who ran for president in 2004. "This administration is not listening to the troops and is not supporting them."
Other veterans promoted the campaign at a news conference in Manchester, the start of a six-state publicity tour targeting Republican Sens. John Sununu (news, bio, voting record) of New Hampshire, Susan Collins (news, bio, voting record) of Maine, Norm Coleman (news, bio, voting record) of Minnesota and John Warner (news, bio, voting record) of Virginia, plus nine House members.
Many in the group, including Sununu, have criticized various aspects of administration policy, but all have opposed legislation to establish a timetable for withdrawing American troops.
"Telling members of al-Qaida, militias or insurgent groups the date we will begin and end troop withdrawals is irresponsible," Sununu said.
Separately in Manchester, about a dozen peace activists staged a sit-in at Sununu's office to oppose the war. They read the names of 22 New Hampshire troops who died in Iraq. They also stood around a pile of shoes. Attached to each pair was the name of an Iraqi killed in the conflict. Outside, about 30 protesters waved signs.
When VoteVets.org ran ads in February, Sununu said critics of the war have every right to speak out, "but no group or individual should claim to speak for all the patriotic Americans serving in Iraq and around the world in our armed forces."
The House members targeted by the new ads are Mary Bono (news, bio, voting record) of California, Phil English of Pennsylvania, Randy Kuhl (news, bio, voting record) and James Walsh (news, bio, voting record) of New York, Jo Ann Emerson (news, bio, voting record) of Missouri, Timothy Johnson (news, bio, voting record) of Illinois, Mike Rogers and Fred Upton (news, bio, voting record) of Michigan and Michael Castle (news, bio, voting record) of Delaware.
English's spokeswoman, Julia Wanzco, fired back.
"The congressman has long stated that he is for a political settlement not a surge, and at the end of the day, these ads are more about cheap Democratic political stunts than about solving the actual problem," she said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070509/ap_on_re_us/generals_iraq_ads
yes, the date should be much sooner.
I would hope for regular cars the target is much higher than 35 mpg. I had a 1969 VW that got 31 mpg.
I don't think that's nearly agressive enough.
Is that a newer book?
I think he should be impeached and tried for war crimes.... along with Cheney and Rumsfeld. I'm very concerned how much more damage and how many more lives it will cost if we wait until 2008.
yes, exactly :)
my point being that it wasn't about "faulty intelligence". it was about an administration that was determined even before 911 to invade Iraq.
Against All Enemies
Clarke, a veteran Washington insider who had advised presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush, dissects each man's approach to terrorism but levels the harshest criticism at the latter Bush and his advisors who, Clarke asserts, failed to take terrorism and Al-Qaeda seriously. Clarke details how, in light of mounting intelligence of the danger Al-Qaeda presented, his urgent requests to move terrorism up the list of priorities in the early days of the administration were met with apathy and procrastination and how, after the attacks took place, Bush and key figures such as Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, and Dick Cheney turned their attention almost immediately to Iraq, a nation not involved in the attacks.
http://www.amazon.com/Against-All-Enemies-Richard-Clarke/dp/0743268237/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0565564-2...
The Price of Loyalty by Ron Suskind
But while those sections are intriguing, other passages are simply revelatory: O'Neill asserts that Saddam Hussein was targeted for removal not in the 9/11 aftermath but soon after Bush took office. Paul O'Neill makes for an interesting protagonist. A vaunted economist from the days of Nixon and Ford, he returns to a Washington that's immeasurably more cutthroat.
http://www.amazon.com/Price-Loyalty-George-Education-ONeill/dp/0743255461/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-0565564-2...
agreed. He is a destroyer... lives, the environment and more.
Do you remember when he stood in front of Teddy Roosevelt's picture and people compared him to Teddy? I was appalled at their ignorance and I'm sure Teddy is rolling in his grave at what Bush has done to the environment.
Edwards on Environment/Global Warming (video)
http://www.dfalink.com/edwards.php
Edwards on Environment/Global Warming (video)
http://www.dfalink.com/edwards.php
At this moment, the Bush administration is deciding whether to protect Idaho's unspoiled wild forests -- or sacrifice them to large-scale industrialization and logging.
We need your urgent action to help ensure that these wildlands
-- 9.3 million acres of vital wildlife habitat and fantastic recreation areas -- remain off-limits to destructive mining, logging and roadbuilding.
Please go to http://www.savebiogems.org/yellowstone/takeaction
right away and tell the Bush administration to uphold protections on the spectacular Caribou-Targhee National Forest and other wild forests in Idaho.
BioGems Defenders like you have repeatedly helped defeat the Bush administration's attempts to dismantle the Roadless Rule, a landmark conservation measure that protects nearly 50 million acres of America's last wild forests from industrial development and logging.
But before he left office, former Idaho Governor James Risch submitted a destructive proposal that would weaken these crucial protections in his state.
If approved, this plan would pave the way for the expansion of polluting phosphate mining into unspoiled areas of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Phosphate mining would poison the area's clear streams with toxic selenium, a deadly risk to fish and wildlife.
Please go to http://www.savebiogems.org/yellowstone/takeaction
and urge the Bush administration to reject former Governor Risch's proposal and allow the Roadless Rule to continue safeguarding every acre of Idaho's wild forests.
Thank you for helping defend Caribou-Targhee National Forest and other pristine forestlands from destruction.
Sincerely,
Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council
<< from an email >>
Have you read either The Price of Loyalty or Against All Enemies? I highly recommend both.
Carbonite
Someone passed on a free trial of this online backup solution... during the "initial" backup process, it slowed down not only my interenet connection, but my desktop processing because it is so invasive. It even interferred with shutdown. The free trial ran out before the initial backup was completed. And then, when I tried to uninstall the thing, it froze up my computer.
Piece of crap to avoid IMO.
Take a Step
I am pleased to offer a new “Take A Step” tip to improve our environment and stop global warming. These tips are designed to allow everyone to take a step in their daily lives for a better world. A collection of these tips may be found at http://boxer.senate.gov/takeastep/index.cfm
Sincerely,
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
TAKE A STEP: CUT THE PLASTIC BOTTLE HABIT
Plain water is the fastest-growing market in plastic bottled
beverages. Plastic bottles for water are the least-recycled
plastic beverage bottle. Plastic bottles from water and soda
pile up in our landfills and take hundreds of years to break
down.
Not only do all these bottles create huge waste problems, they
also are produced from petroleum and require energy to
manufacture. And there are transportation costs involved in the
distribution of the bottles from where they are produced to
where they are filled to where they are stored to where you
ultimately purchase them.
Be sure to recycle all plastic bottles and, when you can, buy
larger ones instead of many smaller ones.
Take a step and cut the plastic bottle habit.
<< from an email >>
As Chairman of the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee, I'm working to reduce air pollution, global warming, and energy usage. As part of this effort, I was pleased to introduce the "Public Buildings Cost Reduction Act of 2007."
The goal of this bill is to improve our air quality, reduce global warming pollution, and save taxpayer money all at the same time by accelerating the use of cutting-edge technologies and practices that can dramatically cut energy use in public buildings.
Everyone can take part in reducing our use of energy and the amount of carbon dioxide we emit. However, I believe that the federal government should lead by example. My bill will help to ensure less polluting and more cost-effective government buildings operated by the General Services Administration, or GSA. The GSA owns or leases more than 8,000 buildings used by the federal government, making it the nation's largest public real estate organization. Under my bill, GSA must establish a program to speed the use of energy-efficient technologies and practices and must install highly-efficient lighting in its buildings.
My bill also creates a $20 million per year EPA grant program for 5 years to help local governments make their buildings more cost-effective and energy efficient. The grant program will require a 40 percent match from the local government and will require grantees to show they will cut energy bills by 40 percent through adoption of highly efficient technologies and practices. EPA will have to verify the efficiency and savings for the program.
This bill just makes common sense, and it saves the government money. Another benefit is that it will spur the production on more efficient products, benefitting all consumers. We passed this bill unanimously in my Committee, with the support of Republicans and the Bush Administration. It is through steps such as this that we can make a significant difference in reducing the amount of energy we consume and, consequently, slowing global warming.
Sincerely,
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
<< from an email >>
Japan gives $100M to global warming fight
KYOTO, Japan, May 6 (UPI) -- The Japanese government Sunday said it has donated $100 million to the Asian Development Bank as part of its efforts to fight global warming.
Japanese Finance Minister Koji Omi said the funds will be used both to fight global warming and to increase the Asia-Pacific region's investment climate, the Kyodo news agency reported.
"Japan will establish two funds in cooperation with the ADB... I expect this initiative will help ensure sustainable economic development in the region," he said.
Known as the Investment Climate Facilitation Fund and the Asian Clean Energy Fund, the donation also represents the most recent aspect of Japan's "Enhanced Sustainable Development for Asia" initiative.
Omi also said that while Japan continues to make environmentally-friendly strides, other nations like the United States and China must follow suit.
"More efficient use of energy and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions in Asia are necessary for achieving sustainable growth not only in the region but also in the world," he said.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/05/06/japan_gives_100m_to_global_warming_fight/
"The richest people in the world look for and build networks; everyone else looks for work". Robert T. Kiyosaki, Author, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad"
a word from board management...
I've noticed a trend to disgress into other subjects not directly related to global warming, such as religion. Let's keep on topic as much as possible please.
Also, in general, please address the topic and not other posters and what you think of them.
Thanks!
a must see video (Apple unveils I-Rack)
yeap... what about those still there and those Bush & Co still wants to send there?
great quote and I whole heartedly agree.
first hand info about our presence in Iraq:
he has a very selfish attitude IMO
even if a person isn't convinced about global warming it makes sense to be environmentally conscienscious... it's the same philosophy as on your wombat board about being frugal with what you have.
seems to me your suggestion would end up punishing the children as much if not more than the parents.
having grown up as an only child, I felt very strongly about have a sibling for my first born. I believe you learn important lessons about cooperation and conflict management from having siblings.
Also, I wonder if the study looked at the years after the kids are grown? I had 5 kids and although that was a few too many in terms of financial stress, etc., when they were growing up... the rewards now that they are all grown are wonderful.
...we became heartbroken to think that the President of the United States and his top advisers have partially built a career on global warming not being real.
and to be a bit more cynical... I think it's very likely that they have deliberately sabotaged any efforts to address global warming since one of their main agenda's is to support big energy companies, especially oil.
always follow the money... it tells alot. good article
Newswise — IOP Publishing is pleased to announce the online publication of “Global scale climate-crop yield relationships and the impacts of recent warming” in the widely respected Environmental Research Letters. This study is the first to estimate how much global food production has already been affected by climate change.
Changes in the global production of major crops are important drivers of food prices, food security and land use decisions. During the years of 1981-2002, global warming reduced the combined production of wheat, corn and barley by 40 million metric tons per year. These cereal grains form the foundation of much of the world’s diet. The study demonstrates that although many individuals see global warming as a problem of the future, warming over the past two decades has already had significant effects on global food supply.
The article appears in the current online edition and is available at the following link: http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/1748-9326/2/1/014002.
“Global scale climate-crop yield relationships and the impacts of recent warming” is authored by Dr. David B Lobell of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, along with Dr. Christopher B Field of Carnegie Institution.
Environmental Research Letters is the world’s first open-access journal to cover the whole of environmental science. Designed to serve the entire community by bringing together research, policy and business concerned with environmental change and management the journal offers a stimulating combination of research letters, perspectives, news items and job/conference announcements.
*To learn more about Environmental Research Letters please visit, http://erl.iop.org or contact Terri Morhaleck at 215-627-0880 or email to morhaleck@ioppubusa.com.
IOP Publishing is a not-for-profit learned society publisher, with a reputation for quality and high standards of service. We have a comprehensive range of products serving the physics and physics-related communities, and we are an established leader in the world of scientific journals and electronic publishing. To learn more about Environmental Research Letters and other IOP Publishing journals, please visit journals.iop.org/.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/529219/?sc=rssn