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2012 survey of balance transfer cards shows offers getting better
In fact, CreditCards.com's January 2012 survey of 37 credit cards (see a sampling below ... and many also are offering similar deals for purchases. On the flip side, however, issuers have continued to raise balance transfer fees since our January 2011 ...
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'Forgiveness ratings' finds credit card issuers unforgivable
The American Bankers Association, which represents banks and credit card issuers, declined to address specific findings of the survey, preferring instead to issue a general statement. "Most people see credit cards as ... On the other side of the equation ...
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MasterCard, startup PaidPiper tap into credit cards for mobile payments
Money transfers via mobile phone are common in many developing countries where traditional banking and credit cards are scarce ... He introduced the concept at Mobile Web and Apps World, a side conference held in New Orleans on Monday, the day before ...
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5 best credit cards for graduates
chief executive of the credit card shopping site Card Hub. The five best, in his estimation, not only provide no-fee cards to new graduates, most also offer cash back and rewards. The flip side? The interest rates are high, so any kid that ...
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BMO Gets in the Game With Launch of New BMO MLS Team Credit Cards
The new BMO MLS team credit cards give soccer ... "Being field-side at the games with the fans, we know how dedicated they are to their teams. BMO partnering with MLS to offer these new cards means that along with their favourite team jerseys ...
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Good and Bad in Credit-Card Binge
The category–which includes credit cards–had been on a downtrend over the last three ... joblessness and past debt. On the half-full side: According to the Conference Board, February and March had a gain in the percentage of consumers ...
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Colorado Law Enforcement Invited to Identity Theft Summit in Thornton, Presented by FBI-LEEDA & LifeLock
The Pueblo County women had stolen multiple credit cards and forged approximately 71 checks totaling ... not only on the other side of the world but right here in our own backyards." As a leader in identity theft protection, LifeLock knows ...
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Bank Of America Apparently Doesn't Want Credit Card Customers Who Pay Their Cards Off
He'd been a Bank of America credit card holder for five years ... I've done everything right to be in good standing with Bank of America and you blind-side me by closing my account?" He says there were several seconds of silence before the supervisor ...
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Why did we move to Paris?
Earlier generations of Americans wanted to live on the other side of the Seine ... a bank to open a checking account and apply for a credit card. Well, France didn’t have credit cards. Perhaps didn’t grasp them, conceptually — it wasn ...
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Resolved Question: Idiots Everywhere... Long joke but well worth reading.?
IDIOTS AT WORK...
I was signing the receipt for my credit card purchase when the clerk noticed that I had never signed my name on the back of the credit card. She informed me that she could not complete the transaction unless the card was signed. When I asked why, she explained that it was necessary to compare the signature on the credit card with the signature I just signed on the receipt. So I signed the credit card in front of her. She carefully compared that signature to the one I signed on the receipt. As luck would have it, they matched.
ADVICE FOR IDIOTS...
An actual tip from page 16 of the HP Environmental, Health & Safety Handbook for Employees: Blink your eyelids periodically to lubricate your eyes.
IDIOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD...
I live in a semi-rural area. We recently had a new neighbour call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road. The reason: Many deer were being hit by cars and he no longer wanted them to cross there.
IDIOTS IN FOOD SERVICE...
My daughter went to a local Taco Bell and ordered a taco. She asked the individual behind the counter for minimal lettuce. He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg.
IDIOTS IN THE NEWS...
Buffalo Channel 4 News on October 20th,1999 informed its captivated audience that when selling their computer, the best way to erase the files on your computers hard drive is by drilling a hole in the drive its self! By drilling a hole in the drive its self, you make it impossible for the new owner to get your files. No kidding, idiot!
IDIOT SIGHTINGS...
Sighting #1: I was at the airport, checking in at the gate, when the airport employee asked, Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge? I said, If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?”He smiled and nodded knowingly, That's why we ask.
Sighting #2: The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it is safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged co-worker of mine, when she asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals to blind people when the light is red. She responded, appalled, What on earth are blind people doing driving?
Sighting #3: At a good-bye lunch for an old and dear co-worker who is leaving the company due to downsizing, our manager spoke up and said, This is fun. We should have lunch like this more often. Not another word was spoken. We just looked at each other like deer staring into the headlights of an approaching truck.
Sighting #4: I worked with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself and for the life of her could not understand why her system would not turn on.
Sighting #5: When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told that the keys had been accidentally locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver's side door. As I watched from the passenger's side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered it was open. Hey, I announced to the technician, its open! I know, answered the young man. - I already got that side.
Sighting #6: I work in a hospital and one day the doctor and I were asking a pregnant lady some questions upon admission to the maternity ward. When we asked her who we should call in case of an emergency, she stated 911.
Sighting #7: My daughter was going over to the neighbour’s house to visit but didn't want to miss a call from her boyfriend so she took the cordless phone with her. While at the neighbours she wanted to check back at home to see if her younger brother was okay. My daughter then picked up the neighbours phone and dialled our number. While waiting for someone to answer the phone at home, the phone she brought over with her began to ring. She immediately hung up the neighbour’s phone and answered our phone. There was no one there. She wanted to know who it was who called so she used our phone to call our house. The line was busy. Getting very frustrated she left the neighbours to go home and see who was on the phone. No one was on the phone. My daughter could not figure out what was going on until someone explained it to her.
Sighting #8: As systems manager of an answering service a few years back I had the pleasure of working with an especially ignorant doctor. Our system was trying to fax her messages to her place of business when a message came back informing us her fax was out of paper. When I called her office and told her about this she replied, Oh, I'm all out of bond paper. Could you fax me some? I'm right on it, Babe.
Sighting #9: I was in McDonalds one time when the lady in front of me ordered a cheeseburger and requested no cheese. Now I don't know about you but that sounds like a hamburger to me.
Sighting #10: Many years ago I worked in a delicatessen. The assistant manager had burnt something in the oven and smoke was pouring from th
moreResolved Question: POLL: Which gender has contributed more to civilization?
Where are the female Einsteins, Hawkings, Platos, and Rembrandts of the world?
Don't give me the tired old cry baby excuse that women were oppressed. How long are you babies going to milk that excuse? 10 more years? 50 more? 100 more? There's no conspiracy against women, you babies. It's just that men, being men, stepped up to the plate and built civilization from the ground up and maintained it (and continue to maintain it), which is one of the reasons why and how men assumed political dominance over women. Afterward, some women started complaining that they didn't have the same degree of power as men (e.g., no woman suffrage) that men possessed (why would women be equal politically when men were the ones creating and defending civilization?). But men being the fairer sex decided to grant women equal power anyway.
Who maintains the infrastructure (i.e., paves the roads, the bridges, etc.)? Who designs and builds the buildings? Who defends the country? Who defends the streets? Who puts out the fires? Who carries out the hardest and dirtiest jobs? For the most part, the answer to all of these questions is: men.
Another thing to ponder is why were women in susceptible to being oppressed in the first place? If you're going to play the oppression-excuse game, then let's follow it to its logical conclusion. If women were oppressed by men, then that means women were weaker than men after all. A group can't possibly dominate and oppress a similarly sized group of people for hundreds if not thousands of years if they're as a whole equal or inferior. Correct?
But I have to give credit where credit is due. Women are much better at playing the victim card than men, as well as manipulating eunuchs (castrated men) and other women into creating sexist laws against men, in addition to creating and propagating misandrist (male hating) media. Good job, girls. And how's that Affirmative Action working for ya? Yeah, Affirmative Action isn't sexist, eh? Or how about the fact that breast cancer research receives twice as much federal funding as prostate cancer research even though they affect and kill roughly the same amount of people. It's OK because eventually people will wake up to your BS, and I can't wait.
As for Marilyn vos Savant (lots of manginas and womyn like to use her as a counter example), it is untrue that she possesses the highest IQ ever recorded, and it's also untrue that she has the highest IQ out of people living today. Furthermore, Savant hasn't done much with her high IQ. She's not a scientist, a mathematician, a philosopher, an artist, or a composer. She's best known as being a... columnist. Here's an excerpt from Savant's Wikipedia article:
"Marilyn does not seem to have the highest IQ recorded. The test that resulted in this score was taken when she was only ten. On a modern scale, she would not be considered to have an IQ of 228 as that was determined by a mental status ratio used for children. Adult IQs would be measured by standard deviation which would make her IQ about 185, which is certainly not the highest."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_vos_Savant
Finally, sometimes I read and hear women say that without them men wouldn't even exist, because women bear the children. Yes, but it takes two to naturally procreate, and it's usually the man who brings home the majority of the money and provides security for his woman and children.
Side note: let me just nip this in the bud. Listen up you manginas and womyn (intentional spelling) who post lists of female inventors, scientists, or what have you, in an effort to debunk my message. Don't you understand that none of those women or inventions remotely compare to the likes of Newton, Mozart, the Internet, and the Computer? It's sad when you have manginas and womyn who are so afraid of the reality of the short-comings of women that they need to keep a list of female accomplishments nearby just in case somebody like me comes along to tell it like it is. What's even sadder is that these relatively small lists roughly cover 95% of all female contributions to civilization. Just imagine how large a list of male inventors, writers, scientists, etc., would be.
moreResolved Question: POLL: Who has contributed more to civilization men or women?
Where are the female Einsteins, Hawkings, Platos, and Rembrandts of the world?
Don't give me the tired old cry baby excuse that women were oppressed. How long are you babies going to milk that excuse? 10 more years? 50 more? 100 more? There's no conspiracy against women, you babies. It's just that men, being men, stepped up to the plate and built civilization from the ground up and maintained it (and continue to maintain it), which is one of the reasons why and how men assumed political dominance over women. Afterward, some women started complaining that they didn't have the same degree of power as men (e.g., no woman suffrage) that men possessed (why would women be equal politically when men were the ones creating and defending civilization?). But men being the fairer sex decided to grant women equal power anyway.
Who maintains the infrastructure (i.e., paves the roads, the bridges, etc.)? Who designs and builds the buildings? Who defends the country? Who defends the streets? Who puts out the fires? Who carries out the hardest and dirtiest jobs? For the most part, the answer to all of these questions is: men.
Another thing to ponder is why were women in susceptible to being oppressed in the first place? If you're going to play the oppression-excuse game, then let's follow it to its logical conclusion. If women were oppressed by men, then that means women were weaker than men after all. A group can't possibly dominate and oppress a similarly sized group of people for hundreds if not thousands of years if they're as a whole equal or inferior. Correct?
But I have to give credit where credit is due. Women are much better at playing the victim card than men, as well as manipulating eunuchs (castrated men) and other women into creating sexist laws against men, in addition to creating and propagating misandrist (male hating) media. Good job, girls. And how's that Affirmative Action working for ya? Yeah, Affirmative Action isn't sexist, eh? Or how about the fact that breast cancer research receives twice as much federal funding as prostate cancer research even though they affect and kill roughly the same amount of people. It's OK because eventually people will wake up to your BS, and I can't wait.
As for Marilyn vos Savant (lots of manginas and womyn like to use her as a counter example), it is untrue that she possesses the highest IQ ever recorded, and it's also untrue that she has the highest IQ out of people living today. Furthermore, Savant hasn't done much with her high IQ. She's not a scientist, a mathematician, a philosopher, an artist, or a composer. She's best known as being a... columnist. Here's an excerpt from Savant's Wikipedia article:
"Marilyn does not seem to have the highest IQ recorded. The test that resulted in this score was taken when she was only ten. On a modern scale, she would not be considered to have an IQ of 228 as that was determined by a mental status ratio used for children. Adult IQs would be measured by standard deviation which would make her IQ about 185, which is certainly not the highest."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_vos_Savant
Finally, sometimes I read and hear women say that without them men wouldn't even exist, because women bear the children. Yes, but it takes two to naturally procreate, and it's usually the man who brings home the majority of the money and provides security for his woman and children.
Side note: let me just nip this in the bud. Listen up you manginas and womyn (intentional spelling) who post lists of female inventors, scientists, or what have you, in an effort to debunk my message. Don't you understand that none of those women or inventions remotely compare to the likes of Newton, Mozart, the Internet, and the Computer? It's sad when you have manginas and womyn who are so afraid of the reality of the short-comings of women that they need to keep a list of female accomplishments nearby just in case somebody like me comes along to tell it like it is. What's even sadder is that these relatively small lists roughly cover 95% of all female contributions to civilization. Just imagine how large a list of male inventors, writers, scientists, etc., would be.
moreResolved Question: Why are women inferior to men?
Where are the female Einsteins, Hawkings, Platos, and Rembrandts of the world?
And don’t give me the tired old cry baby excuse that women were oppressed. How long are you cry babies going to milk that excuse? 10 more years? 20 more? 100 more? There’s no conspiracy against women. It’s just that men, being men, stepped up to the plate and built civilization from the ground up and keep it running, which is one of the reasons why and how men assumed political dominance over women. Afterward, some women started whining about not having the same degree of power (the so-called Whiner’s Movement, I mean Women’s Movement) that men possessed (why would they when men were the ones creating and defending everything?), and so men being the fairer sex decided to grant women equal power.
Another thing to ponder is why were women in this situation in the first place? If you’re going to play the “oppression excuse” game, then let’s follow it to its logical conclusion. If women were oppressed by men, then that means women were weaker than men after all. A group can’t possibly dominate and oppress a similarly sized group of people for hundreds if not thousands of years if they’re equal or inferior. Correct?
But I have to give credit where credit is due. Women are much better at playing the victim card, as well as manipulating eunuchs (castrated men) and real women into creating sexist laws against men, in addition to creating and propagating misandrist (male hating) media. Good job, girls. How’s that Affirmative Action working for ya? Yeah, Affirmative Action isn’t sexist, eh? Or how about the fact that breast cancer research receives twice as much federal funding as prostate cancer research even though they affect and kill roughly the same amount of people. ROFL. It’s OK because eventually people will wake up to your BS. I can’t wait.
Side note: let me just nip this in the bud. Listen up you manginas and womyn (intentional spelling) who post lists of female inventors, scientists, or what have you in an effort to debunk my message. Don’t you understand that none of those women or inventions remotely compare to the likes of Newton, Mozart, the Internet, and the Computer? It’s sad when you have manginas and womyn who are so afraid of the reality of the short-comings of women that they need to keep a list of female accomplishments nearby just in case somebody like me comes along to tell it like it is. What’s even sadder is that these relatively small lists roughly cover 95% of all female contributions to civilization. Just imagine how large a list of male inventors, writers, scientists, etc., would be.
As for Marilyn vos Savant, it is untrue that she possesses the highest IQ ever recorded, and it’s also untrue that she has the highest IQ out of the people living today. Furthermore, Savant hasn’t done much with her high IQ. She’s not a scientist, a mathematician, a philosopher, an artist, or a composer. She’s best known as being a… columnist. ROFL. Here’s an excerpt from Savant’s Wikipedia article:
“Marilyn does not seem to have the highest IQ recorded. The test that resulted in this score was taken when she was only ten. On a modern scale, she would not be considered to have an IQ of 228 as that was determined by a mental status ratio used for children. Adult IQs would be measured by standard deviation which would make her IQ about 185, which is certainly not the highest.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_vos_Savant
Sometimes I read and hear women say that without them men wouldn’t even exist, because women bear the children. Yes, but it takes two to naturally procreate, and it’s usually the man who brings home the majority of the money and provides security for his woman and children.
moreResolved Question: Why are women inferior?
Where are the female Einsteins, Hawkings, Platos, and Rembrandts of the world?
And don't give me that cry baby excuse that women were oppressed. How long are you cry babies going to milk that excuse? 10 more years? 20 more? 100 more? There's no conspiracy against women. It's just that men, being men, stepped up to the plate and built civilization from the ground up and keep it running, which is one of the reasons how men assumed dominance over women. Afterwards, some women started whining about not having the same degree of power that men did (why would they when men were the ones creating and defending everything?), and so men being the fairer sex decided to grant women equal power.
Another thing to ponder is why were women in this situation in the first place? If you're going to play the "oppression excuse" game, then let's follow it to its logical conclusion. If women were oppressed by men, then that means women were weaker than men after all. A group can't possibly dominate and oppress a similarly sized group of people for hundreds if not thousands of years if they're inferior or equal. Correct?
But I have to give credit where credit is due. Women are much better at playing the victim card as well as manipulating eunuchs (castrated men) and real women into creating sexist laws against men, in addition to creating and propagating misandrist (male hating) media. Good job, girls. How's that Affirmative Action working for ya? Yeah, Affirmative Action isn't sexist, eh? ROFL. It's OK because eventually people will wake up to your BS. I can't wait.
Side note: let me just nip this in the bud. You manginas and womyn (intentional spelling) who post lists of female inventors in an effort to debunk my message. Don't you understand that none of those women or inventions remotely compare to the likes of Newton, Mozart, the Internet, and the Computer? It's sad when you have manginas and womyn who are so afraid of the reality of the short-comings of women that they need to keep a list of female inventors nearby just in case somebody like me comes along to tell it like it is. What's even sadder is that these relatively small lists roughly cover 95% of all female accomplishments. Just imagine how large a list of male inventors, writers, scientists, etc., would be. Such a list wouldn't fit in the Yahoo Answers answer box, that's for sure.
As for Marilyn vos Savant, it is untrue that she possesses the highest IQ ever recorded, and it's untrue that she has the highest IQ of all living humans. Secondly, she hasn't done much with her high IQ. She's not a scientist, a mathematician, a philosopher, or an artist. She's best known as being a... columnist. ROFL. Here's an excerpt from Savant's Wikipedia article:
"Marilyn does not seem to have the highest IQ recorded. The test that resulted in this score was taken when she was only ten. On a modern scale, she would not be considered to have an IQ of 228 as that was determined by a mental status ratio used for children. Adult IQs would be measured by standard deviation which would make her IQ about 185, which is certainly not the highest."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_vos_Savant
Women can't even procreate without men!!! LOL!!!
moreResolved Question: What are women good for?
Where are the female Einsteins, Hawkings, Platos, and Rembrandts of the world?
And don't give me that cry baby excuse that women were oppressed. How long are you cry babies going to milk that excuse? 10 more years? 20 more? 100 more? There's no conspiracy against women. It's just that men, being men, stepped up to the plate and built civilization from the ground up and keep it running, which is one of the reasons how men assumed dominance over women. Afterwards, some women started whining about not having the same degree of power that men did (why would they when men were the ones creating and defending everything?), and so men being the fairer sex decided to grant women equal power.
Another thing to ponder is why were women in this situation in the first place? If you're going to play the "oppression excuse" game, then let's follow it to its logical conclusion. If women were oppressed by men, then that means women were weaker than men after all. A group can't possibly dominate and oppress a similarly sized group of people for hundreds if not thousands of years if they're inferior or equal. Correct?
But I have to give credit where credit is due. Women are much better at playing the victim card as well as manipulating eunuchs (castrated men) and real women into creating sexist laws against men, in addition to creating and propagating misandrist (male hating) media. Good job, girls. How's that Affirmative Action working for ya? Yeah, Affirmative Action isn't sexist, eh? ROFL. It's OK because eventually people will wake up to your BS. I can't wait.
Side note: let me just nip this in the bud. You manginas and womyn (intentional spelling) who post lists of female inventors in an effort to debunk my message. Don't you understand that none of those women or inventions remotely compare to the likes of Newton, Mozart, the Internet, and the Computer? It's sad when you have manginas and womyn who are so afraid of the reality of the short-comings of women that they need to keep a list of female inventors nearby just in case somebody like me comes along to tell it like it is. What's even sadder is that these relatively small lists roughly cover 95% of all female accomplishments. Just imagine how large a list of male inventors, writers, scientists, etc., would be. Such a list wouldn't fit in the Yahoo Answers answer box, that's for sure.
As for Marilyn vos Savant, it is untrue that she possesses the highest IQ ever recorded, and it's untrue that she has the highest IQ of all living humans. Secondly, she hasn't done much with her high IQ. She's not a scientist, a mathematician, a philosopher, or an artist. She's best known as being a... columnist. ROFL. Here's an excerpt from Savant's Wikipedia article:
"Marilyn does not seem to have the highest IQ recorded. The test that resulted in this score was taken when she was only ten. On a modern scale, she would not be considered to have an IQ of 228 as that was determined by a mental status ratio used for children. Adult IQs would be measured by standard deviation which would make her IQ about 185, which is certainly not the highest."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_vos_Savant
moreResolved Question: Should Congress Be More Careful About Getting SOMETHING for the Money it Spends?
Since Nancy Pelosi became Speaker $5 Trillion has been added to the national Debt. The interest alone on this money will mean that taxpayers in USA for the next 20 generations will be heavily burdened if the debt is not Repudiated. If the debt is repudiated, the US government would cease to exist as a solvent going concern. With no ability to borrow from anybody (even China) and with a FICO score of 200, Uncle Sam would be sleeping at a shelter, and eating at the church kitchen.
But that's not the problem!
If the US government had gotten $5 Trillion worth of goods, services, or benefits to show for the money it has spent, the country would be a pretty decent shape.
Instead the government appears to have gotten Zero dollars worth of ANYTHING for the $5 Trillion it has spent. Nada, Zilch, Nothing to show for that money.
Karzai at least has got his bags of cash from Iran. He may be playing both sides, like a total crook, but like Bonnie and Clyde at least he's got bags of money to show for it.
Pelosi has nothing to show for the $5 Trillion.
Here's why.
When agencies go to the Congress for funding, there is about 30 seconds worth of discussion about what they plan to do with the money, how they will spend it, what benefits will be obtained and by whom. The Official from the Agency then says "We are going to work on that".
Congress says "Oh, OK fine."
Then the Congress people start making speeches for the record about how great they are.
This goes on for 3 or 4 days.
Then the stupid agency gets their money.
That's not how venture capital firms work. If they did work that way, they would be out of business real fast.
Venture capitalists have actually had jobs. They have met payrolls. They have sold products. They have made deals.
They want to know everything about how the money will be used and most particularly they want to know what outcomes will be attained.
If a prospective borrower said "I plan to work on that, let me get back to you on that" he would be shown the door in a New York minute.
No actual plans to obtain any actual benefit it required for Congress to appropriet money.
Why?
Because nobody in USA is authorized to tell Congress how to do its work.
Congress can be as crazy as it wants to be.
It can spend $5 Trillion, get nothing and say "Crazy as I wanna be hahahahaha"
The public is always misled.
The problem is not the spending level. It's the total and complete lack of getting anything in exchange for that spending. It's the gettting level, which is zero, that's a big problem. The country isn't getting anything except a Chinese Fire drill in Iraq, and another one in Afghanistan, and a VA medical care system that does not work, and the Obamacare Chinese Fire Drill that will cost everybody a bundle and deliver not one single thing to anybody ever.
Making America Succeed is a matter of good venture capitalist skills. If there can be a GAO, why can't there be a GMO (General Management Office) to make sure Congress gets somehting for the money it spends. We need to go beyond "Accounting" and all the way to Fair Market Value Purchases, what used to be called Contracting Oversight.
Congress has no Contracting Oversight so it spends the People's money very foolishly, and spends its time taking bribes, arranging future bribes, making tedious speeches about how great the members are, praising each other, reading phony material into the record, and passing earmarks for its buddies and campaign contributors (and we can't tell because they are secret thanks to Citizen United (Scalia the thug at work)).
Teapot Dome was a squared away and morally straight organization compared to today's Congress, which is like a house of easy women on old Bourbon street.
And it's all on your credit card. Is that right? Do you approve of that?
moreResolved Question: What was so appealing about mortgage derivatives in particular?
They do CDOs and Credit default swaps for any type of debt, student loans, car notes, credit cards, whatever. I'm also absolutely sure that these types of derivatives were built to fail, especially when you're creating a bubble in the market (anyone with any economics/finance schooling knows why, I won't go into the details we all know.) Anyway, I'm sure all the finance people knew that so why were mortgage derivatives, in particular, so popular over the past 10-12 years (compared to side bets you could make on other things?) Was there some kind of pre-existing mortgage bubble or did the bubble get created by the popularity of mortgage derivatives?
moreResolved Question: What do you think of this part of my story?
This party hadn't been too great. For one thing Savannah was out dancing with a creep and another thing was that he still wasn't over her. He was just getting along with his new friend Nicole Lyon who he thought was good looking. But he realized her beauty would never measure up to Savannah's. Savannah's beauty was just too pure and unique to be compared to someone else.
"Has anyone seen her?" Elisha asked with uttermost concern. "I saw her dancing with Will and then she was gone!"
"I'll ask him." Andy said authoritatively. "Come on."
Step by foot they inched closer to Will who was now chugging down a bottle of beer. Carter didn't trust him one bit. If he did something to Savannah he would make sure to have Will regret he was ever born.
"Have you seen Vanny?" Holly asked him quietly.
Carter and Andy groaned. Elisha was being too modest. If they wanted an answer out of Will, they had to use a chainsaw to peel the onion.
"Yeah," he said tonelessly, not looking at her face. "But then she left and went somewhere I have no clue where."
Carter stared him down. There was something in his tone that didn't sound right. A part of him didn't believe Will.
Not giving up, Andy abruptly turned on his heel and turned the other direction. The rest of them followed him to the hallway. The corridor was dark and ominous looking. Carter wondered if Courtney ever turned on the lights in her house. Up ahead was a door that led to the guest bedroom. Figuring she was in there resting, they approached the door and knocked on it.
"Vanny?" Holly asked in an almost maternal voice. "Are you in there?"
There was no answer. She tried to open the door but it was lock. Carter was relieved because that meant no one could have gotten in there to hurt her.
Without a word, Andy dug into his pocket and took out his credit card. He slid it through the door crack and picked at the lock. With a snap, it opened. Inside the bedroom was Savannah Ripley sprawled out on the bed.
Carter immediately ran to his side and put a hand on her unconscious face. She was still breathing, but she felt warm. He tenderly caressed until she woke up with a groan. Holly knelt down beside him and put a hand on Savannah's back.
"Vanny, are you alright?" she asked quietly. "Do you wanna go home?"
Savannah moaned. They watched as she slowly lifted up her head. Her hair was disheveled and her face looked worn out. But even so she still looked achingly beautiful.
"What happened?" she asked no one in particular. "How did I get here?"
"I think you had a little too much to drink and someone brought you here." Carter whispered, stroking her cheek.
"I don't drink though," she groused.
"They spike a lot of drinks." Andy said almost apologetically. "You must have drank one of the spiked sodas."
"Oh," croaked Savannah.
She looked pitiful. There were dry tears on her face. Carter immediately pulled her and caressed her gently. He put his hand on her dark-brown hair and pressed down on it. Her head was on his chest and she seemed to have fallen asleep immediately.
"Why were you dancing with Will if you don't mind me asking?" Andy asked gently, rubbing Savannah's back.
"Huh?" she squeaked. "I didn't dance with him."
They all exchanged confused glances. But no wanting to break it to her that she had danced with the asshole, they went along with her.
Tamara Weiss drove her home, and Carter was glad to see that she was going to be alright. When he got back home he fetched a glass from the cabinet and poured himself a glass of water. Images of Savannah strewn all that bed invaded his thoughts. Her disposition was nauseated and almost unaware of what was going on. Will had danced with his ex-girlfriend and that drove him crazy. He was over her in a way, but he still wasn't sure what he thought when he saw her. It was mixed feelings of him wanting to choose her over Nicole.
Scott Raymond slid on the bench next to him during study hall. Carter was just finishing up his homework when he and Nicole came over.
"Hey," she greeted flirtatiously, playing with her dark hair.
"How are you?" he asked politely, letting Nicole sit on the other side of him.
"I'm doing just fine." she piped, looking eager than ever. "Guess what? I have extra tickets to see 'The Unborn' and I want to invite you to come see it with me this weekend!"
Carter thought about the offer for a moment. Seeing a movie with Nicole could get his mind off of Savannah. Speaking of which, Savannah seemed to have been more depressed since the party last Friday. He wondered if she was still worried about Palma. Earlier that day he asked if she was alright and she just sighed and
moreResolved Question: Help on story I'm writing, opinions?
Andy came back with a couple of beers in his hand and handed one to Carter. The party had just started to become rampant. Alice was cursing at girl with an aquamarine wrap-dress because the girl had somehow said the wrong thing. A mixture of confusion and worrying was how Carter felt when he realized Savannah was nowhere in sight. The last time he saw her she was with Will Tomlin. How Will managed to dance with him was beyond his thoughts. Even though he broke up with her, it still didn't mean he didn't have feelings for her. It was hard to get over someone you loved and cared about. He was certain he loved her. She was that special.
Suddenly Andy's dark-brown eyes darted around the room. His head whipped around and a vacant expression appeared on his face. "Where's, Vanny?"
Carter was glad he didn't have to ask the question. Because he wanted to know where she was too. She wasn't with Will because he was over there by the wet-bar talking to his friends.
How did he even get into Courtney's house? He wondered. She doesn't even like him.
"Let's go find her." Carter suggested, leading Andy around the room.
Holly and Elisha approached them with the same expressions as Andy's. No doubt they were looking for her as well. The noise around them increased as more people started to get drunk. Carter could see several girls running to the bathrooms holding their mouths. He heard Courtney groaned as she tried to beg the party-goers to throw up outside.
This party hadn't been too great. For one thing Savannah was out dancing with a creep and another thing was that he still wasn't over her. He was just getting along with his new friend Nicole Lyon who he thought was good looking. But he realized her beauty would never measure up to Savannah's. Savannah's beauty was just too pure and unique to be compared to someone else.
"Has anyone seen her?" Elisha asked with uttermost concern. "I saw her dancing with Will and then she was gone!"
"I'll ask him." Andy said authoritatively. "Come on."
Step by foot they inched closer to Will who was now chugging down a bottle of beer. Carter didn't trust him one bit. If he did something to Savannah he would make sure to have Will regret he was ever born.
"Have you seen Vanny?" Holly asked him quietly.
Carter and Andy groaned. Elisha was being too modest. If they wanted an answer out of Will, they had to use a chainsaw to peel the onion.
"Yeah," he said tonelessly, not looking at her face. "But then she left and went somewhere I have no clue where."
Carter stared him down. There was something in his tone that didn't sound right. A part of him didn't believe Will.
Not giving up, Andy abruptly turned on his heel and turn the other direction. The rest of them followed him to the hallway. The corridor was dark and ominous looking. Carter wondered if Courtney ever turned on the lights in her house. Up ahead was a door that led to the guest bedroom. Figuring she was in there resting, they approached the door and knocked on it.
"Vanny?" Holly asked in an almost maternal voice. "Are you in there?"
There was no answer. She tried to open the door but it was lock. Carter was relieved because that meant no one could have gotten in there to hurt her.
Without a word, Andy dug into his pocket and took out his credit card. He slid it through the door crack and picked at the lock. With a snap, it opened. Inside the bedroom was Savannah Ripley sprawled out on the bed.
Carter immediately ran to his side and put a hand on her unconscious face. She was still breathing, but she felt warm. He tenderly carressed until she woke up with a groan. Holly knelt down beside him and put a hand on Savannah's back.
"Vanny, are you alright?" she asked quietly. "Do you wanna go home?"
Savannah moaned. They watched as she slowly lifted up her head. Her hair was disheveled and her face looked worn out. But even so she still looked achingly beautiful.
"What happened?" she asked no one in particular. "How did I get here?"
"I think you had a little much to drink and someone brought you hear." Carter whispered, stroking her cheek.
"I don't drink though." she groused.
"They spike a lot of drinks." Andy said almost apologetically. "You must have drank one of the spiked sodas."
"Oh," croaked Savannah.
She looked pitiful. There were dry tears on her face. Carter immediately pulled her and caressed her gently. He put his hand on her dark-brown hair and pressed down on it. Her head was on his chest and she seemed to have fallen asleep immediately.
"Why were you dancing with Will if you don't mind me asking?" Andy asked gently, rubbing Savannah's back.
"Huh?" she squeaked. "I didn't dance with him."
They all exchanged confused glances. But no wanting to break it to her that she had danced with the asshole, they went along with her.
moreResolved Question: Do you get your money's worth with the All Day Dining Passes at Sea World parks?
We're going to be traveling to Florida for our kids' spring break and I was wondering how economical the dining passes are. The Sea World & Busch Gardens Tampa Bay all-day dining passes (with 6 & 7 participating food vendors respectively) are $105 per day for my family of four and the Aquatica all-day dining pass would be $72 per day for their "Banana Beach Cook-out". We get free breakfast with our hotel accommodations, but I can see us easily staying at the parks late enough for dinner. For those of you who have purchased (or not purchased) these dining plans - do you consider the value and variety worth the money or would you recommend eating a la carte?
It seems easier to me to get the wristband and get unlimited entrees, sides, deserts, and non-alcoholic beverages all day rather than pass around or have to carry cash or credit cards in the park, especially if we split up into pairs occasionally.
I know that three of us have easily spent $60 on one meal at Six Flags before, so by comparison to that I feel like this would be a great deal. I haven't been to any of the parks we're visiting, however, so I don't know how the total price compares to the individual costs of food.
moreResolved Question: Is taking out a pay day loan my only option?
I need a very fast $1500 and I don't know the best solution.
I live in Los Angeles and work a full time job and have another part time job on the side. However, even with that, money is still very tight. Under normal circumstances, I am able to make ends meet every month, but I rarely have much of anything left over.
However, the last few months have been filled with a string of family financial problems.
My parents are close to foreclosing on their house and the my dad was laid off. Consequently, I have had to help my parents pay their mortgage and bills. It is deeply saddening to see them in that state and has been horribly embarrassing for my parents to have to ask me for money.
All in all, I make about 2100/month, including tips. I pay about 950 in rent and utilities and 75 for students loans. Then there's insurance, food, and some expensive prescriptions thrown in.
However, because I have had to give my parents a substantial chunk of money each of the last few months (and pay my brothers rent when he couldn't, last month), i have been left with just barely enough for rent this month.
I don't have any credit cards or a car. After college I had a hard time paying students loans and they went into default. However, they gave me a one time opportunity to pay my way out of default and clear my record. I did that and am back in good standing. However, this is still on my credit history (something that I have filed a claim about).
Due to my own stupidity, I am facing a very big need for $1500 ASAP. This morning when I went to the DMV to apply for my CA license (from Nevada), I found out that I have an outstanding ticket from more than a year ago. I want to kick myself.
Basically, I need to have a license that is valid (and warrant free) because my full time job requires me to run errands on a daily basis...and because I would like to avoid jail time! I called the courthouse and if I pay the ticket amounting to around $1500. it will be done with and I can get my California license and be legal and move on.
However, I just don't have it. I don't have anything even close to it. Nor do my friends or family members. If I owned anything that was of any value, I would sell it.
I can't come up with a fast solution. I have read lot's of horror stories about payday loans and 90 day installment loans and the last thing that I want to do is get back in over my head and spiral back in default. It was a terrible feeling.
Is there any other reasonable solution? And if taking a payday loan is the only answer, how do I avoid shady practices?
Lastly, in order to compare payday loan's, it appears that I have to fill out the forms with my info on their websites. Is this something that the credit bureau's see? I don't want to negatively impact my credit score by simply "applying" online to see quotes.
Thank you for taking the time to read this long post!
Best,
K
moreResolved Question: My friend broke my leg and cost me $13,000. What should I do?
A few weeks ago, 5 close friends and I went on a fishing trip in Canada. We are all in our late 20's and due to our hectic schedules and different locations, we don't get to see each other all that often. So this is our trip to sort of break away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life back home in the States.
So we finally got to our remote camp in the middle of the Canadian wilderness and of course, tipped back on some booze and beer around the campfire. We were all kind of horsing around and just having a good time, when all of the sudden my best friend (we'll say his name is John) decides to tackle me from behind as a joke. By doing so, I fell to the ground and his body fell on my leg and broke it. It was horrible. I screamed bloody murder as they eventually carried me into the cabin and laid me down on a cot. The next morning I woke up in intense pain as John was looking at my leg. He said we needed to get to a hospital asap.
So he drove me to the nearest hospital, which was 2 hours away. The took xrays and confirmed that my fibula was in fact split above my ankle and that I had severe sprains to the other side of the ankle. They told me that I should get back to the states as soon as I could to see a specialist. So they rigged me up with a temporary splint and some pain pills to hold me over for a few days. I didn't want to cancel the trip for the rest of the crew though, so I toughed it out at camp with the guys for the remaining 7 days of the vacation.. The cost for that brief hospital visit here was $560.00. John put it on his credit card because I didn't have any money on me at the moment. It was one of those do or die situations anyway. A few days later, he told me that he would give me 10 months to pay him back for that $560.00 bill. I didn't think anything of it at the time because the whole situation was sort of a blur and an accident.. So I agreed. As the week went on though, I realized that the trip would soon be over and reality would sink back in for everyone when all got back home. The way it always does.. Except for me, my reality was dealing with my leg when I got back home. Everyone else would go back to their normal every day life.
The 15 hour ride back to states was incredibly painful though as I was stuck in an awkward position in the back seat. The nearest place I could get medical attention was in Wisconsin, which is where my mother lives. The 5 guys dropped me off there and all went back down to Chicago, where they live. I actually live in Tennessee. So I decided it would best to stay with her Wisconsin so she could drive me to and from the hospital, as it was my right leg that was broken and I was unable to drive. So we got to the hospital the next day and the Orthopedic doctor examined my leg and immediately scheduled me for an open reduction surgery. There was no question about it. It was much worse than we thought with severe ligament damage as well.
Here's the real kicker. I am a single aspiring photographer and at the moment, I don't have health insurance. So as soon as I heard that I needed surgery, I told John that he had to pay for that $560.00 bill in Canada. Jokingly over email I said "You are paying for that, I don't care what you say hahaha".. He got a little upset with me for being so direct, but he agreed to pay for that bill. Oh yeah, John is married with a newborn and makes $70k/year.
Over the course of the week, I sent him a few emails that stated how much misery I was in and how screwed I am because of all this.. That I have to move back to Wisconsin for 3 months, go through surgery, find out how to pay for it, etc..etc..I think at one point I even compared it to a car accident. That drunk or sober, he was still responsible for it.. Which is in fact true if you think about it.. Simple cause and effect. Cause he was drunk and tackled me, my leg broke and I am in this horrible situation.. Much of it was somewhat joking, but he is a close friend and I thought he would understand my misery.. Instead, John got really frustrated with me and told me to stop making him feel so guilty for this..
Anyway, I went through with the surgery two weeks ago. It was the worst experience ever. My leg was cut wide open to insert a metal plate and 7 screws into my fibula.. I am unable to walk until August (2-3 months). Here is the worst part of all.. My medical bills arrived and have totaled $13,000.00.. All of which I do NOT have. Hell I don't even have $100 in my checking account after the vacation. My work market (photography) is down in Nashville and I am stuck in Wisconsin, where there are no musicians to take photos of! So I am unable to work for the entire summer, unable to walk for the entire summer and I am stiffed with $13,000 in medical bills.
John has completely avoided contacting me after he heard how much the medical bills were. He is solely responsible for this, but there is no way I am going to sue my best friend. I would think he would havIn response to "Wickedd". Yes I agree, I should have had insurance. But due to the tight economy (I know, I hate to use that as an excuse), but I have had no luck landing a full time gig with benefits. I'm super talented with a stacked resume, but no one seems to be biting at the moment. I had an agent/headhunter that I was working with and we were getting near to closing in on a deal before I left.. But I had to tell them the bad news when I got back that I could not do anything full time until August. It was just incredibly bad timing for this to happen to me.. It's not like it was by laziness or choice that I didn't have insurance.
moreResolved Question: Would it be better to refinance every U.S. Citizen's Primary mortgage than give >$1tril to financial giants?
The current ~$700Billion plan looks a lot like Government is bailing out its buddies in BIG BUSINESS, and nothing will ever trickle down to the common U.S. Citizen. To turn that around use the leftover ~$300Billion Bush Administration bail-out plus President Elect Obama's $825Billion to pay the Mortgage industry (the cost of processing the loan) to alter an process every U.S. Citizens primary residence mortgage decreasing it by ~20% and refinance that amount at the current Fed bank-to-bank trading rate. Banks are writing down all these mortgages/loans anyway because of decreasing values. Yes, these institution have some medicine to take, but there are hard times ahead, and the majority (U.S. Citizens) need to feel support.
The majority of U.S. Citizens upside-down in their mortgages are more likely to see value in making payments rather than just giving their house keys to the bank and vacating, which will wash-out home values, equity, and personal wealth in our Nation with catastrophic effect. This will allow every U.S. Citizen, in our Nations consumer economy, a long-term (30-year mortgage term!) solution to add breathing room in the upcoming years of this global economic downturn. The beneficiaries are the U.S. Citizen that then trickles up to U.S. Retailers, U.S. Banks, and Wall-Street.
This provides relief to ALL U.S. Citizens, even Us that made conservative decisions knowing what we could afford, while also restructuring recent mortgages of those duped by the greedy practices of this decade. The majority of mortgages will still get paid, banks can maintain cash flow, homeowner mortgage vs. home value evens, right-sides up, or equity is built. If the U.S. Citizen losses their house it's a good bet they will walk away from Credit Card debt and any other outstanding loans. Then what will happen to the Financial industry and all the $400billion in tax-payer money that's already been handed to them to do with as they please?
This isn't about the American public seeing immediate benefit (i.e. one-time stimulus check), but as a longer term (~30 year mortgage term!) solution to stimulating our consumer (~62%!) economy. It also shows that Government is supporting real people, not just big business. I think if You do the math You will find that the cost of writing these loans, which is consumed by the leftover ~$300Billion Bush Administration bail-out plus President Elect Obama's $825B stimulus package, doesn't compare to the cost to Financial institutions, and the U.S. Tax-payer swallowing ~10% (or greater) National home foreclosures. What will Financial institutions do with all these assumed homes and property that are now worth 30-50% less than their original cost to them? Will Government, I mean the U.S. Tax-Payer, buy them? Restoring consumer confidence is what the focus is here. How does getting 9 financial institutions to start loaning money to ultra qualified people that don't need a loan, compare to ~130,000,000 homeowners across 50 states having a few hundred extra dollars a month, for the next 30 years, to do with how they see fit?Excellent response Jeff T, but if the U.S. is trying to support homeonwnership, which is a massive staple of our 62% consumer economy, when the next avalanche of foreclosures hit what will happen to personal wealth in all classes in the U.S. Remember the original question dealt with if the Government couldn't do nothing, would it have been better to give the money back to the people in the form of refinanced 20% decreased mortgages very low interest rates so 10's of millions of families would opt to keep paying their mortgages (and other debta) rather than just walk away to let the remaining tax paying nation to bail them out. And then what about after the next wave, then the next? As foreclosed homes flood the market and the nations wealth is swept away, and more an more credit is lost, and more and more banks board their doors, who will be left to bail them out? How can this chain of events be stopped? We must bring more minds to the table to discuss this!
moreResolved Question: My 2008-2009 NFL projections with a short review?
AFC East
Jets 11-5
If Brett Favre keeps playing like he has the past two games, they'll win the division for sure.
Dolphins 10-6
The Dolphins had played well on both sides of the ball.
Patriots 9-7
Matt Cassel is stepping it up, but we haven't seen as much of the running game, so i don't think they will go 10-6.
Bills 8-8
They went 4-1 the first five games, and 1-4 the next five games. They've taken a slide because Trent Edwards has had turnover problems.
AFC North
Steelers 12-4
This team is a super bowl caliber team.
Ravens 10-6
If the Ravens don't play like they did against the Giants, they'll get a wild card spot.
Browns 7-9
Brady Quinn has played very well, but the defense has not.
Bengals 2-13-1
Ryan Fitzpatrick has begun to get better, but this team does not have much of anywhere to go from here.
AFC South
Titans 16-0
I may sound crazy, but there really is no one to stop them. Except for the super bowl, which I believe will be against the Giants.
Colts 9-7
This Colts team is a little dissappointing compared to last year. They almost lost to the Texans twice.
Jaguars 6-10
This team hasn't been dominating like last year.
Texans 5-11
The only games that sound winnable from here on out are the Oakland game and maybe the Cleveland game.
AFC West
Broncos 9-7
Since the beginning of the season, this defense has been choking, but the offense has pulled through.
Chargers 8-8
I hope this team can pull it together and win a number of games, but the chance of that happening is a little rare. Them being unsuccessful this year is probably because of L.T. not being as good.
Raiders 3-13
The only team they might be able to beat is Kansas City, but that might not happen either.
Chiefs 2-14
If they can beat the Raiders or Bengals, they will obtain this record.
NFC East
Giants 15-1
My favorite team. These guys are on a role. Their schedule is not very tough, but this running game is. Also, notice this: The Giants have scored 30 or more points in each of the past three games.
Redskins 10-6
This team has the balanced attack of accurate Jason Campbell and Clinton Portis, who is having a pro bowl year.
Eagles 9-6-1
Guys, give Donovan McNabb a rest. I don't like this team very much, but I really do not appreciate its fans dogging McNabb over last week's tie.
Cowboys 9-7
This team's midseason losses have costed it the playoffs.
NFC North
Packers 10-6
The Packers have an easy schedule, and Aaron Rodgers is a great quarterback.
Bears 9-7
Kyle Orton's absence costed this team, but I don't exactly think it will cost them the playoffs. This team is pretty good.
Vikings 8-8
These guys just might be able to do better than I say if Adrian Peterson keeps it up, but mistakes earlier in the season have left a mark on this team.
Lions 0-16
They have a tough schedule ahead, but besides that, did anybody see my predictions from earlier where I said they'd go 3-13?
1. I gave them WAY too much credit.
2. One guy praised them and said I'd eat my words by the end of the season and they'd go 11-5. Yeah, sure they will. I bet he's crying (sorry), they're 0-10.
NFC South
Panthers 12-4
This is their year. I expect them to win a playoff game or two.
Buccaneers 11-5
This whole division is better than last year. I am not sure about this team with Earnest Graham, but they are doing great.
Falcons 10-6
Matt Ryan is contending for rookie of the year, and he just may get this team into the playoffs. Also, don't forget about Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood.
Saints 8-8
The Saints have an ultimate offense and a horrible defense.
NFC West
Cardinals 11-5
The Cardinals have a powerful offense with Kurt Warner, but the running game might not be as good without Edgerrin James.
49ers 4-12
The 49ers should probably just get ready for next year. The GM needs to pick up some good defensive players so that Mike Singletary can mold them into great players.
Seahawks 3-13
Matt Hasselbeck is not doing well, and Mike Holmgren needs to stop being a lame duck coach (sorry).
Rams 2-14
I see nothing in this defense or this offense.
Please comment on my reviews, tell me which team is your favorite, and suggest records for any teams that you disagree with me on. Or, simply agree with what I said.
moreResolved Question: I need help understand this short article,can u please help?
(Can you please let me know what are the main point of this article, I'm kinda confused. Thanks)
My Overall Summary:
This article is discusses mainly about the security of a national ID card. Because, the fear of terrorism that is why they come up with this type of identification card. The author is against this idea because he think by doing this the people have to give up some of their personal privacy which will be vulnerable to these people.
----> Can someone tell me how can this type of national ID card help America prevent from terrorism?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Threat of National ID
By: WILLIAM SAFIRE
Published: December 24, 2001
A device is now available to help pet owners find lost animals. It's a little chip implanted under the skin in the back of the neck; any animal shelter can quickly scan lost dogs or cats and pick up the address of the worried owner.
That's a good side of identification technology. There's a bad side: fear of terrorism has placed Americans in danger of trading our ''right to be let alone'' for the false sense of security of a national identification card.
All of us are willing to give up some of our personal privacy in return for greater safety. That's why we gladly suffer the pat-downs and ''wanding'' at airports, and show a local photo ID before boarding. Such precautions contribute to our peace of mind.
However, the fear of terror attack is being exploited by law enforcement sweeping for suspects as well as by commercial marketers seeking prospects. It has emboldened the zealots of intrusion to press for the holy grail of snoopery -- a mandatory national ID.
Police unconcerned with the sanctity of an individual's home have already developed heat sensors to let them look inside people's houses. The federal ''Carnivore'' surveillance system feeds on your meatiest e-mail. Think you can encrypt your way to privacy? The Justice Department is proud of its new ''Magic Lantern'': all attempts by computer owners to encode their messages can now be overwhelmed by an electronic bug the F.B.I. can plant on your keyboard to read every stroke.
But in the dreams of Big Brother and his cousin, Big Marketing, nothing can compare to forcing every person in the United States -- under penalty of law -- to carry what the totalitarians used to call ''papers.''
The plastic card would not merely show a photograph, signature and address, as driver's licenses do. That's only the beginning. In time, and with exquisite refinements, the card would contain not only a fingerprint, description of DNA and the details of your eye's iris, but a host of other information about you.
Hospitals would say: How about a chip providing a complete medical history in case of emergencies? Merchants would add a chip for credit rating, bank accounts and product preferences, while divorced spouses would lobby for a rundown of net assets and yearly expenditures. Politicians would like to know voting records and political affiliation. Cops, of course, would insist on a record of arrests, speeding tickets, E-Z pass auto movements and links to suspicious Web sites and associates.
All this information and more is being collected already. With a national ID system, however, it can all be centered in a single dossier, even pressed on a single card -- with a copy of that card in a national databank, supposedly confidential but available to any imaginative hacker.
What about us libertarian misfits who take the trouble to try to ''opt out''? We will not be able to travel, or buy on credit, or participate in tomorrow's normal life. Soon enough, police as well as employers will consider those who resist full disclosure of their financial, academic, medical, religious, social and political affiliations to be suspect.
The universal use and likely abuse of the national ID -- a discredit card -- will trigger questions like: When did you begin subscribing to these publications and why were you visiting that spicy or seditious Web site? Why are you afraid to show us your papers on demand? Why are you paying cash? What do you have to hide?
Today's diatribe will be scorned as alarmist by the same security-mongers who shrugged off our attorney general's attempt to abolish habeas corpus (which libertarian protests and the Bush administration's sober second thoughts seem to be aborting). But the lust to take advantage of the public's fear of terrorist penetration by penetrating everyone's private lives -- this time including the lives of U.S. citizens protected by the Fourth Amendment -- is gaining popularity.
Beware: It is not just an efficient little card to speed you though lines faster or to buy you sure-fire protection from suicide bombers. A national ID card would be a ticket to the loss of much of your personal freedom. Its size could then be reduced for implantation under the skin in the back of(adding missing words from the last sentence in article:)
Its size could then be reduced for implantation under the skin in the back of your neck.
moreResolved Question: Would you agree to getting a bar code tattoo if the new money system demanded it?
If the the whole world decided to replace cash and credit cards with a a barcode tattoo would you get one?
Consider that the only way we could buy or sell anything was by these tats, and also that most bar codes (Universal Product Codes), contain the three marks that represent three 6's.
(If you don't believe me about the three 6's do some research on line or get some products out of your cupboard, find a barcode with a 6 on the right hand side then compare it's mark with the three marks that have no numbers underneath them.) Rikki V- don't have a religion and I've never seen a movie about this.Rac - I'm looking at one right now.Rhanjo - My two versions of the Bible say ON their hands or ON their heads.volpe.. di - Thanks. Wasn't aware of that one. spooky.
moreResolved Question: Should I say something to him?
The other night I stayed at the guy I have been dating's place. The next morning someone text him. He was laying on his side with his back to me and I was laying behind him in a spooning position. When he picked up the phone to see who it was I could see the screen and it was a text from a girl named Mandi saying "hi handsome". This has been bothering me a lot, but I don't want to look like I was snooping if I confront him. Read on about our recent history and let me know what you think!
I have been seeing him for about a month now. We see each other all the time and he calls me throughout the day. He is better to me than any guys has ever been and we actually go out and do things, as compared to other relationships I have been in where we never did much, but sit around at home. We had a big talk about a week ago about where things were going to go with us. Basically his ex wife did a number on him. She spent way too much money, for example maxing out the credit cards several times and getting money out of the 401 k that he now has to pay taxes on. They have been apart for 2 years, but she refused to sign the divorce papers so the judge finally did in February. He said that when he got them signed he made a promise to himself to not get seriously involved with anyone for at least a year. He said that he was already breaking his rule by dating me, but that was ok. I asked if he was going to go out with anyone else and he said he did not plan on it, but he was not going to be a hermit and not socialize with people. He also said that if he did end up deciding to see someone he would be honest with me about it and would expect the same from me since he cannot make me wait for him. He said he would be hurt if I were to go out with someone else though. After our talk I felt better about things. I didn't feel like I didn't know what was going on anymore.
moreResolved Question: Idiots Everywhere... Long joke but well worth reading.?
IDIOTS AT WORK...
I was signing the receipt for my credit card purchase when the clerk noticed that I had never signed my name on the back of the credit card. She informed me that she could not complete the transaction unless the card was signed. When I asked why, she explained that it was necessary to compare the signature on the credit card with the signature I just signed on the receipt. So I signed the credit card in front of her. She carefully compared that signature to the one I signed on the receipt. As luck would have it, they matched.
ADVICE FOR IDIOTS...
An actual tip from page 16 of the HP "Environmental, Health & Safety Handbook for Employees: "Blink your eyelids periodically to lubricate your eyes."
IDIOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD...
I live in a semi-rural area. We recently had a new neighbour call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road. The reason: Many deer were being hit by cars and he no longer wanted them to cross there.
IDIOTS IN FOOD SERVICE...
My daughter went to a local Taco Bell and ordered a taco. She asked the individual behind the counter for "minimal lettuce. "He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg.
IDIOTS IN THE NEWS...
Buffalo Channel 4 News on October 20th,1999 informed its captivated audience that when selling their computer, the best way to erase the files on your computers hard drive is by drilling a hole in the drive its self! "By drilling a hole in the drive its self, you make it impossible for the new owner to get your files." No kidding, idiot!
IDIOT SIGHTINGS...
Sighting #1: I was at the airport, checking in at the gate, when the airport employee asked, "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?" I said, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?”He smiled and nodded knowingly, "That's why we ask."
Sighting #2: The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it is safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged co-worker of mine, when she asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals to blind people when the light is red. She responded, appalled, "What on earth are blind people doing driving?"
Sighting #3: At a good-bye lunch for an old and dear co-worker who is leaving the company due to "downsizing," our manager spoke up and said, "This is fun. We should have lunch like this more often." Not another word was spoken. We just looked at each other like deer staring into the headlights of an approaching truck.
Sighting #4: I worked with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself and for the life of her could not understand why her system would not turn on.
Sighting #5: When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told that the keys had been accidentally locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver's side door. As I watched from the passenger's side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered it was open." Hey," I announced to the technician, "its open!" "I know," answered the young man. - "I already got that side."
Sighting #6: I work in a hospital and one day the doctor and I were asking a pregnant lady some questions upon admission to the maternity ward. When we asked her who we should call in case of an emergency, she stated "911".
Sighting #7: My daughter was going over to the neighbour’s house to visit but didn't want to miss a call from her boyfriend so she took the cordless phone with her. While at the neighbours she wanted to check back at home to see if her younger brother was okay. My daughter then picked up the neighbours phone and dialled our number. While waiting for someone to answer the phone at home, the phone she brought over with her began to ring. She immediately hung up the neighbour’s phone and answered our phone. There was no one there. She wanted to know who it was who called so she used our phone to call our house. The line was busy. Getting very frustrated she left the neighbours to go home and see who was on the phone. No one was on the phone. My daughter could not figure out what was going on until someone explained it to her.
Sighting #8: As systems manager of an answering service a few years back I had the pleasure of working with an especially ignorant doctor. Our system was trying to fax her messages to her place of business when a message came back informing us her fax was out of paper. When I called her office and told her about this she replied, "Oh, I'm all out of bond paper. Could you fax me some?" I'm right on it, Babe.
Sighting #9: I was in McDonalds one time when the lady in front of me ordered a cheeseburger and requested no cheese. Now I don't know about you but that sounds like a hamburger to me.
Sighting #10: Many years ago I worked in a delicatessen. The assistant manager had burnt something in the oven and smoke was pouring from the kitchen area. When the store manager came by and asked why she hadn't opened the emergency fire exit door to allow the smoke to go outside she said, "I thought about it but I couldn't find the key!"
Sighting #11: I was sitting at my University bar with some friends the other day when we overheard a man talking on his mobile phone. He was saying that he wanted to "buy, buy, buy" some shares and "sell, sell, sell" some shares. Unfortunately for him, his mobile phone actually began to ring!!! The laughter in the bar was heard for miles!! Now that's what I call an IDIOT!
Sighting #12: A friend of mine and I were on a little road trip with his wife driving. Everything was pretty quiet when she turned to us and asked, "If you are driving 70mph, about how far would you go in an hour?" Oh yeah, she's a smart one.
Sighting #13: Calling the telecommunication company to inform them my phone didn't work and that when I picked up the receiver it’s completely dead, the technician said from the other end "Are you calling from the number of the phone that does not work?"
moreResolved Question: Don't idiots get everywhere these days?
IDIOTS AT WORK...
I was signing the receipt for my credit card purchase when the clerk noticed that I had never signed my name on the back of the credit card. She informed me that she could not complete the transaction unless the card was signed. When I asked why, she explained that it was necessary to compare the signature on the credit card with the signature I just signed on the receipt. So I signed the credit card in front of her. She carefully compared that signature to the one I signed on the receipt. As luck would have it, they matched.
ADVICE FOR IDIOTS...
An actual tip from page 16 of the HP "Environmental, Health & Safety Handbook for Employees: "Blink your eyelids periodically to lubricate your eyes."
IDIOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD...
I live in a semi-rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road. The reason: Many deer were being hit by cars and he no longer wanted them to cross there.
IDIOTS IN FOOD SERVICE...
My daughter went to a local Taco Bell and ordered a taco. She asked the individual behind the counter for "minimal lettuce. "He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg.
IDIOTS IN THE NEWS...
Buffalo Channel 4 News on October 20th,1999 informed its captivated audience that when selling their computer, the best way to erase the files on your computers hard drive is by drilling a hole in the drive its self! "By drilling a hole in the drive its self, you make it impossible for the new owner to get your files." No f*cking kidding, idiot!
IDIOT SIGHTINGS...
Sighting #1: I was at the airport, checking in at the gate, when the airport employee asked, "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?" I said, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I know? "He smiled and nodded knowingly, "That's why we ask."
Sighting #2: The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it is safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged co-worker of mine, when she asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals to blind people when the light is red. She responded, appalled, "What on earth are blind people doing driving?"
Sighting #3: At a good-bye lunch for an old and dear coworker who is leaving the company due to "downsizing," our manager spoke up and said, "this is fun. We should have lunch like this more often." Not another word was spoken. We just looked at each other like deer staring into the headlights of an approaching truck.
Sighting #4: I worked with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself and for the life of her could not understand why her system would not turn on.
Sighting #5: When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told that the keys had been accidentally locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver's side door. As I watched from the passenger's side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered it was open." Hey," I announced to the technician, "It's open!" "I know," answered the young man.- "I already got that side."
Sighting #6: I work in a hospital and one day the doctor and I were asking a pregnant lady some questions upon admission to the maternity ward. When we asked her who we should call in case of an emergency, she stated "911".
Sighting #7: My daughter was going over to the neighbors house to visit but didn't want to miss a call from her boyfriend so she took the cordless phone with her. While at the neighbors she wanted to check back at home to see if her younger brother was okay. My daughter then picked up the neighbors phone and dialed our number. While waiting for someone to answer the phone at home, the phone she brought over with her began to ring. She immediately hung up the neighbors phone and answered our phone. There was no one there. She wanted to know who it was who called so she used our phone to call our house. The line was busy. Getting very frustrated she left the neighbors to go home and see who was on the phone. No one was on the phone. My daughter could not figure out what was going on until someone explained it to her.
Sighting #8: As systems manager of an answering service a few years back I had the pleasure of working with an especially ignorant doctor. Our system was trying to fax her messages to her place of business when a message came back informing us her fax was out of paper. When I called her office and told her about this she replied, "Oh, I'm all out of bond paper. Could you fax me some?" I'm right f*ckin' on it, Babe.
Sighting #9: I was in McDonalds one time when the lady in front of me ordered a cheeseburger and requested no cheese. Now I don't know about you but that sounds like a f*cking hamburger to me.
Sighting #10: Many years ago I worked in a delicatessen. The assistant manager had burnt something in the oven and smoke was pouring from the kitchen area. When the store manager came by and asked why she hadn't opened the emergency fire exit door to allow the smoke to go outside she said, "I thought about it but I couldn't find the key!"
Sighting #11: I was sitting at my University bar with some friends the other day when we overheard a man talking on his mobile phone. He was saying that he wanted to "buy, buy, buy" some shares and "sell, sell, sell" some shares. Unfortunately for him, his mobile phone actually began to ring!!! The laughter in the bar was heard for miles!! Now that's what I call an IDIOT!
Sighting #12: A friend of mine and I were on a little road trip with his wife driving. Everything was pretty quiet when she turned to us and asked, "If you are driving 70mph, about how far would you go in an hour?" Oh yeah, she's a smart one.
Sighting #13: Calling the telecommunication company to inform them my phone didn't work and that when I picked up the receiver its completely dead, the technician said from the other end "Are you calling from the number of the phone that does not work?"
moreResolved Question: man have i dine the last on before with my one car?
IDIOTS IN SERVICE:
This week, all our office phones went dead and I had to contact the telephone repair people. They promised to be out between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. When I asked if they could give me a smaller time window, the pleasant gentleman asked, "Would you like us to call you before we come?" I replied that I didn't see how he would be able to do that, since our phones weren't working. He also requested that we report future outages by email (Does YOUR email work without a telephone line?).
IDIOTS AT WORK:
I was signing the receipt for my credit card purchase when the clerk Noticed I had never signed my name on the back of the credit card. She informed me that she could not complete the transaction unless the card was signed. When I asked why, she explained that it was necessary to compare the signature I had just signed on the receipt. So I signed the credit card in front of her. She carefully compared the signature to the one I had just signed on the receipt. As luck would have it, they matched.
IDIOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
I live in a semi-rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road. The reason: too many deer were being hit by Cars and he didn't want them to cross there anymore.
IDIOT SIGHTING #1:
I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?" To which I replied, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?" He smiled knowingly and nodded, "That's why we ask."
IDIOT SIGHTING #2:
At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker who is leaving the company due to 'downsizing," our manager commented cheerfully, "this is fun!. We should do this more often." Not a word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the-headlights stare.
IDIOT SIGHTING #3:
I work with an individual who plugged her powerstrip back into itself and for the life of her couldn't understand why her system would not turn on.
IDIOT SIGHTING #4:
When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver's side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. "Hey," I announced to the technician, "it's open!" To which he replied, "I know - I already got that side."
DON'T YOU FEEL BETTER NOW??!!!
moreResolved Question: Where can I apply for a credit card online?
Not Chase.com or citi.com, but a place where I can compare credit card offers side-by-side.
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