Tuesday: yeah thats what my wife says too  lol

I wonder... if Stephen Hawkings ran for president  he would probably lose  to Brad Pitt

How about judging President Obama on what he does or the results of the current events when he is president(which he may or may not be responsible for). American politics seem to be like American Idol or Dancing with the Stars, gee does he or she look good? do they talk well? do they dress nice? Well then they must be the best!!!  Funny, here in Philadelphia where I live , The manager of the baseball team ,Charlie Manuel has been constantly derided for both his accent and his speech impediments.The media ,both print and radio insinuated he must be a dope, especially after every loss.. But he shore enuff got sum smartyer after the World Series... Yay Phillies btw

Jim Dandy:

Artful Dodger: Obama speaks best when he uses a "sing song" cadance,stuttering is often treated by using an amped down version of that delivery.I find his conversational style weak

Artful Dodger: I'll admit,she was very weak,but not stupid

Artful Dodger: Palin is being interviewed tonite on a CBC program called "The Hour"

I can't wait to watch oil meet water,the guy who does the show keeps his guests on their toes

http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/index.html

(V):

Czuch: Saddam was so bad that certain countries gave him WMD materials to use against Iran.... .... .... Mmmmmmm

As for sanctions and resolutions... The USA has always vetoed such action.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/UN/usvetoes.html

Read it Czuch. Israel has been living as though international law did not apply to it for decades.

(V): r u kidding???

You still dont understand the concept that Saddam and Iraq were a very uniquely different situation than any other faced around the globe in these times?

I dont see years of UN sanctions or constant monitoring or 90% of the people needing me to feed them, they havent threatened us in the recent past, they are not a threat to give nukes to people who want to use them against us... the list goes on and on.... for you to even compare Saddam to what is going on now with Israel only adds to the depth of ignorance about both what is going on now and what Iraq was all about!

Charles Martel: And the recent use of cluster bombs in Lebanon isn't exactly kosher. Leaving behind a country riddled with unexploded munitions that will more probably kill innocent civilians then para military forces....

If that had been done by Saddam, there would be uproar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David_Hotel_bombing  Given up???? thats Hilarious

 What shall we call menachim begin and the irgun? terrorist? The American Indian?  savages??? the   Jews of the Holocaust? sub humans? calling people fighting in their own land  to reclaim it terrorist is just a tactic to dehumanize them as to make them more comfortable to kill,  like the examples listed above

Artful Dodger: Has it? Has it given back all the land they nicked in the name of setting up more settlements.. I heard they were giving that land back, but not sure how it's progressed.

I think you'll find most ordinary Palestinians would just like to have a normal life, so would most of Israel citizens, but you get like you did in Northern Ireland where both sides squabble and kill each other in a tit for tat war.

And yes, I think the Palestinians would love a country of their own if it was secure, recognised and protected by the same international laws that apply to every other country. If that was done, don't you think the hatred by the extremists that they spread would have less ears listening?

And you are right.. There is plenty of land there, but thanks to all this fighting some serious getting down and talking about a secure safe region where all can live in their own country is not happening.

No-one is winning. No-one will win until some serious pressure from the rest of the world gets to happen. But the USA will probably block that.

.... Shame.

Charles Martel: I think the USA's right to veto on anything to do with the Israel/Palestine situation should be revoked.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/UN/usvetoes.html

Maybe then, people can actually get involved and slap both sides heads and with reasonable force tell them enough is enough, the rest of the world is getting sick and tired of your childish games of who owns the playground.

(V): Also the building continues, of new and expanded settlements, which was to be stopped so long ago. the game continues and the missiles fly and probably always will

Artful Dodger: One of the comments from your link....

"United Earth
Afghanistan 31/12/2008

Plan B

The problem is is that both sides refuse to budge on their desires. To the PALs guy here, you cannot have Israel back. What is done is done and the clock cannot be rolled back. You must go to Plan B and demand a Palestinion state. Israel MUST give up land for peace. Have UN peacekeepers from China if necessary. Stop calling for the destruction of Israel and Israel must stop refusing to sacrifice land. Plan B is the only solution. Anything else is armagedden."

Artful Dodger: The Palestinians will turn on Abbas,at Hamas's urging,I totally agree with your other points

Artful Dodger: Hamas couldn't be happier,and it's a "no win" situation for Israel.

Artful Dodger: It's just a game of tit for tat to both sides it appears.

One thing that gets me... wouldn't the installation of anti missile mini gun systems (such as they use on ships) cut down on the incoming ordinance?

... Or is the joy of eye for eye on both sides taken over.

Czuch: spare room is clean and ready for occupation <:)

Bernice: Sounds great, I hope you have a spare room for me, I will be there for a christmas spa!

Czuch: the house was in great condition, it had been transported from another suburb and had been renovated to a very high standard, newly painted, new carpets etc. I have this year had a new kitchen installed as the old one was a bit dated and also I have added another room on. In 1996 I had the house fully insulated and cladded and also had all the concrete driveways put down. The inside has been painted because after 13 years it needed it. Everything was paid for with cash money and as you know MONEY TALKS, so I was able to get some good deals. Also the floors were varnished as the carpets were getting worn. I have also installed a spa, which is great in the summer, it can also be used in the winter but I havent used it. The spa was 2nd hand but in fabulous condition so I got a great deal on it :).

Bernice: I agree, I dont think you should buy anything that you dont have the cash up front for, the exception probably a car, but I dont even know about that, and a house. But paying cash for a house, thats awesome, congrats on that one, except I am sure there has to be something about it that wasnt ideal, if you know what I mean?

Anyway, thats the down side, that you always need a house to live in, and when you sell your house for double the cost or whatever, you still have to buy a new one at the current rates, so it does us no good, really unless we only need less of a house or we move to a cheaper area, or like me, you have two and you can sell one when the value gets up there!

Czuch: I paid cash for my home in 1995.....it has increased in value 300%+ in the last 13 years but has stabilised at the moment.....now would be the time for me to sell BUT what can I get for the money....not very much, at least not as nice and comfortable and well equipped as the one I have.

***edit*** also the interest rates are still too high over here ....no one will buy when interest rates are about 7%, they might buy if it goes down to about 3%, but the safest way is the way I did it.....PAY CASH

Czuch: It's not something I'd take as a certainty until governments stop this boom and bust system.

(V): you might be surprised... a house bought for 200k last year might not be worth 400k in 9 years, but its likely to be worth 800k in 19 years, and is probably going to be worth at least 1.6 million in 29ears, and my guess is that the house you buy next year will be 5 times in 19 years!

Czuch: Possibly.. but not for the owners of today. In the end it is determined by how long this 'depression' goes on for and how long the recovery period is.

Plus prices are likely to fall more before rising. We are at the start not the end of this economic down turn.

Tuesday: Renting is a great option for many people, and the only option for many right now....


when I lived in Hawaii, we paid over 100k in rent over 7 years, we paid for some guys house who wasnt even in the state, and thats when i decided that guy should be me, but you are right, the flexibility renting givessomeone is worth it to many people!

Artful Dodger: Well, like vikes said, arms arent really disigned for people who are going to keep them for a long period of time, but people were stupid, and people who could not afford and should not have been buying were buying anyway because they got false hope from temporary low interest rates.

Also again, there were people like me, who can afford to purchase, but am self employed and had at the time a poor credit history,these sub primes were perfect choices, and I knew going in that i had 2 years to refinance or i would get pounded, and I did that... but with your regulations, no bank would have ever even considered giving me a loan, and now my credit is so good, they beg me to take out more!

(V): I think if you buy a house today, at the discounted prices, its very likely that your house will more than double in the next 10 years!

Czuch: It's dependent on certain %'s being true for the whole period. It's no guarantee... I don't think those with houses now think their houses are going to double in price.

Artful Dodger: I think it's a case of people getting loans with an ARM that haven't the credit rating or a good enough deal to get the 30 year at a good rate, they probable shouldn't have bought the house in the first place.
about the people defaulting, it's a combination of people that were flipping and got caught in the bubble, people that have lost their jobs or people that their value has dropped and it makes more sense to just let it default, their are more reasons but these are the big 3, usually people telling their personal story on a news/commentary show aren't telling the full story

Artful Dodger: first, i believe that points are a one time thing determined at closing, its only the interest that will change, and if there are people defaulting on arms right now, I would have to assume its nothing to do with interest rates, since those are way down, but the fact that these people have either lost their income or they really couldnt afford the loans no matter the rates?

(V): No, that is an average, no matter the conditions... yes sometimes it will not be true but other times it will be even higher! But it still is a good general rule of thumb!

BTW, this is a great time to purchase real estate, low prices and low interest rates, in 5 years from now you will be kicking yourself wondering why you didnt buy something right now!

Artful Dodger: Those are current rates for a new loan, but the people in default now are likely in loans 2 or 3 or more years old...

Czuch: Home prices do not double every ten years, that is only in an economy that has no recessions or depressions... And from what I learnt from economic classes and from watching the worlds economy over the last 20++ years no economy is without down periods.

Artful Dodger: oh that's right, you are an educator , seriously tho, and ARM is just a tool, as Czuch points out a long term buyer wants the stability of a fixed rate at a higher rate, it will be lower than an ARM in the long run while someone who will be in their house a short time or is flipping the house would be better suited with the ARM.
While banks should make this clear, it's not their fault that many people are not savvy about finances
Also remember that most lenders bundle and sell off loans and don't get hurt by people that default

Home values double about every 10 years, so you buy a 200k house now, in 30 years it worth 1.6 million, who cares if you have not payed even one penny towards the principle, and you still owe the full 200k after the 30 years, you still have done alright and your payments were a few hundred dollars less every month, that pays for your car or whatever!

Vikings: They recon house prices here will fall possibly by upto 30%

Artful Dodger: Like vikes said, some people arent in their house very long, and want as low a payment as they can get, an arm gives them that lower rate and they are out of their house before it adjusts up.

Opposite with interest only... you are planning on being in the house for 30 years, you want as small apyment as possible, and you dont care about creating equity except that what you will get from your value going up over 30 years

Artful Dodger: So when I see someone on tv today telling me they are losing their home because of their arm, they are just lying, because rates right now are at all time lows and anyone with an arm is actually paying less now than when they bought the loan in the first case!