One man’s money bungles and poor assumptions may have devastating effects.
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Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Boehner on job losses due to budget cuts: 'so be it'
This from someone who talked a lot about job creation during the campaign but has yet to introduce any bill to promote job creation. Bizarre rape and abortion issues have been the priority for Boehner and the repugicans. If they cut more jobs, who will be paying the taxes to maintain what is already being spent?
His response: "Over the last two years since President Obama has taken office the federal government has added 200,000 new federal jobs. And if some of those jobs are lost in this, so be it. We're broke. It's time for us to get serious on how we're spending the nation's money."
Democrats quickly seized on the remarks by Boehner, who during the 2010 midterm season constantly hurled this phrase at Obama and the Democrats: "Where are the jobs?"
When asked about Boehner's comments today, Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ) responded, "What I wonder is, so what if it's aircraft controllers that make the skies safe?...So what if it's USDA meat inspectors that make sure the food supply is safe?... I think there's a lot of concern about that and this blithe assumption that anyone who works for the federal government must be part of waste fraud and abuse, maybe that should extend to the Congress as well as the federal work force. I think that's a very flip attitude about a very serious problem."
Supercar has huge price tag
Italian automaker Pagani's new Huayra model has a 700-hp engine and a huge price tag.
Also: Madoff: Banks 'had to know'
From prison, Bernard Madoff talks of a “willful blindness” about his Ponzi scheme.
Also: Philadelphia homeowner forecloses on Wells Fargo
Patrick Rodgers, an independent music promoter in Philadelphia, has won a judgment against his mortgage lender, Wells Fargo, which Wells hasn't paid, and so he's foreclosed on them and arranged for a sheriff's sale of the contents of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, 1341 N. Delaware Ave to pay the legal bill. Rodgers made all his mortgage payments on time, but Wells decided out of the blue that he had to carry insurance for the full replacement value of his home -- $1 million -- and started to charge him an extra $500 a month in premiums. When Rodgers sent a formal letter to the lender questioning this, they did not answer in good time, so a court awarded him $1,000 in damages, which Wells wouldn't pay. So the court is allowing him to sell the contents of the lender's office to make good on the bill.
Boo-yah!
Boo-yah!
"It's a completely unreasonable demand," says Irv Ackelsberg, a mortgage expert at the Philadelphia law firm Langer, Grogan & Diver. "Their interest is in protecting their mortgage, not ensuring that the house is rebuilt." Rodgers' next step put him at some risk, he concedes now. He refused to renew the higher-cost policy. Instead, Wells Fargo bought him so-called forced-placement insurance - a policy that typically costs much more than ordinary coverage and only protects the mortgage-holder's interests.
But he fought back with his suit under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). Last month, Wells Fargo sent him more than $1,000, and Menke says it intended to fully satisfy the judgment. "We had considered this matter closed," he says.
What about Rodgers' four-page letter demanding answers about how much Wells is trying to charge him - charges that have added $500 a month to his statement?
Menke says Wells Fargo sent a written response "within the last month." As of Monday, Rodgers hadn't seen it.
Borders files for bankruptcy
The nation's second-biggest bookstore chain plans to close nearly a third of its stores.
Also: Save on home insurance
There are many lesser-known credits available that can shave premiums by up to 25 percent.
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Food Prices At 'Dangerous Levels'
Global food prices have hit "dangerous levels" that could contribute to political instability, push millions of people into poverty and raise the cost of groceries, according to a new report from the World Bank.
Ten Weird Exotic Fruits
Can you eat it? Yes, and no. Its thick, lemony rind and pith is often candied into a delicious citrus delicacy, infused with spirits or made into liqueurs. However, the small amount of inside flesh is quite sour and rarely used in food.
Movie Theater Snacks from Around the World
Buttered popcorn and Raisinettes are standard fare in U.S. movie theaters. In cities you can get nachos and pizza slices. But what do people in other countries munch on while watching previews of coming attractions? Several countries enjoy fish-based snacks. In India, potato dishes are common at the movies.For Bollywood fans, Indian fare like samosas (potato-stuffed pastries), chaat (fried dough with potato, bread or chickpeas and tangy spices with yogurt garnish) and vada (a spiced potato sandwich) are the movie snacks of choice. Psst: You can also get them at cinemas in the U.S., like Columbia Park Stadium 12 in North Bergen, New Jersey.
Alcohol Exposure Makes Fish Anti-Social
Small amounts of alcohol at an early age can have a long-lasting impact on fish and humans alike. Big surprise at dog show
A hound that loves to chase wild animals makes history and earns title of America's top dog.
Also: Baby gorilla takes his first steps
Keepers at London Zoo have captured the moment when a three month old baby gorilla took its first steps.
Nicknamed 'Tiny' the male Western Lowland gorilla left his mothers side last Thursday for the first time since birth as he took his first wobbly steps. Tiny was urged on by his 12-year-old mother 'Mjukuu' as he stumbled and crawled around the gorilla enclosure.
At one point the baby made his way back to his mum, only to be gently pushed away and encouraged to continue his new adventure.
Keepers are yet to decide on a permanent name for the youngster, who at just over one foot tall, is outgrowing his nickname. Tiny is the first gorilla to be born at London Zoo in more than 20 years.
Nicknamed 'Tiny' the male Western Lowland gorilla left his mothers side last Thursday for the first time since birth as he took his first wobbly steps. Tiny was urged on by his 12-year-old mother 'Mjukuu' as he stumbled and crawled around the gorilla enclosure.
At one point the baby made his way back to his mum, only to be gently pushed away and encouraged to continue his new adventure.
Keepers are yet to decide on a permanent name for the youngster, who at just over one foot tall, is outgrowing his nickname. Tiny is the first gorilla to be born at London Zoo in more than 20 years.
Goose Adopts Retired Man to Take on Morning Walks
Photo via YouTube
Birds of a feather may flock together, but when it comes finding company for a leisurely morning walk, sometimes even a human will do. Every morning at around 8 o'clock, Dominic Ehrler comes to Echo Park, in Los Angeles, to take a stroll around the grounds -- and for the last 9 months or so, he's been adopted as walking-companion by one of the park's most notable residents: a goose named Maria. And in that time, the unlikely pair has formed quite the bond. "I never thought I'd be 65 years old and in love with a goose," says Dominic.Article continues: Goose Adopts Retired Man to Take on Morning Walks
Leaping Capra Ibex, Close-Up Frogs, and More
Photo: Wild Wonders of Europe
From a leaping capra ibex to a close-up of a frog swimming, shot from below, it's hard to believe that the photos in the Wild Wonders of Europe amateur photo competition are not shot by professionals. Each month, the competition puts the spotlight on Europe's animals, from endangered Iberian lynxes -- of which fewer than 100 remain in the wild -- to common toads, and draws entries from all over the continent, giving adult and youth photographers the chance to contribute their own unique perspective of the flora and fauna with whom they share the land.
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