Before we left the village, we invited the Phnong people if they had any questions for us. "Do you have forests in England?" was their enquiry.

All night I have been pondering this question – we even had a little competition to see how many forests we could name in England! Many are now protected national parks.

Forests are the lungs of our planet and for the indigenous communities in Mondulkiri their very lifeblood too.

DPA’s work involves encouraging the village committees to meet their own needs – be it clean water, health and HIV education, improved agriculture, local trade and literacy classes.

There has been much progress in the Phnong communities – the tree resin trade with the Vietnamese is improving, and the communities have a stronger voice in lobbying the local government.

DPA has also been working with the Phnong to obtain communal land titles to protect their land.

The struggle has been long and, some argue, deliberately complicated. But their very survival depends on the support and solidarity of DPA.

While in Cambodia, we have resisted visiting the museum that was formerly the Tuol Sleng prison where so many people were tortured and killed under the Khmer Rouge.

From the stories shared with us, I think I have begun to understand the sheer deprivation of humanity during Pol Pot’s murderous regime.

History is always with us – it courses through our veins and marks our hearts - so Cambodia does not need museums to be reminded of its history.

But despite the experiences of pain and loss, there is valour and courage. And hope. In a very Cambodian way it is a quiet hope, a respectful challenge and a peaceful hunger for change.

Posted by Jacinta

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Ingo war Teil der Reportage zum Kältebus der Berliner Stadtmission, erschienen in “bick Nr. 1″, Februar 2008. Der Artikel ist online, im bick Blog, unter http://bickmagazin.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/bick-ausgabe-1-ingos-geschichte/

Ingo war Teil der Reportage zum Kältebus der Berliner Stadtmission, erschienen in "bick Nr. 1", Februar 2008. Der Artikel ist online, hier im Blog.

About: The main release this week was a new quest, where the objective is to board a train and try to catch a thief on that train. You then travel through a series of trains, meeting groups of people with interactive "rumors" to share that change every time. You will also meet the occasional on-foot enemy, and when you finally reach the end of the train you see the mysterious culprit taking a rock-like substance from the engine. You are then instructed to go out on the roof, where the enemy went, and get to put on a nifty little suit for the journey. Thus begins the new and never-before-seen minigame, Chase on the Zephyrus, which I won't go into detail about here. Once you beat J6 multiple times and reach the first train car again, you duel him one final time, when he is impossible to defeat. After beating the quest, you unlock ZEUS arm weapons, with the chance to do a combo attack, the first of its kind. You also unlock the ability to buy the ZEUS suit used in the quest for Nova Gems only. The interface tweaks of the past week or so were as follows: Ability to travel using the "Maps" button on the Info Screen, ability to change hometown back to Soluna City from the starship, ability to go back to the dropship, ability to add inventory slots for Nova Gems, and tweaks and changes to the new DPA head attack and ZEUS weapons.

My Opinion: Overall, this was actually a deceptively strong release. The extreme shortness of the release and seemingly lack of depth overall makes the update seem much weaker on the outside, but when you explore the various aspects of the release, you will find that it is actually very, very, very, very, very strong, starting with the quest itself. The quest really adds a whole new level to interactivity and exploration, as you have to travel through multiple train karts, sometimes even fighting some on-foot battles, to beat the quest. You can also talk to the people sitting at the stalls and find a laugh or two from those as well. The real meat of the quest, however, comes from the second half, when you go on the roof and literally shoot down your opponent, J6. The minigame, where you literally click to try and shoot J6 right in the chest, is a very fun and addicting challenge that creates the perfect balance between being too easy and too hard. This minigame was something MechQuest had never ever seen before, and AE did a fantastic job with it. Unfortunately, the final mini-game is unbeatable (as planned), and it was great to see a cutscene at the end, something that was mysteriously absent from the past many releases. The rewards really break new grounds with the combo attack, and while I haven't gotten the opportunity to try it out first-hand, judging on the cold hard facts, I think it is an excellent strategical weapon, especially considering the mass amount of new mechs we were getting and the relative lack of normal standalone weapons. The uniform is a nice touch but is not even close to being worth 100 Nova Gems, and I'm not exactly sure why it was even put in there if only to make it seem like there is actually more in this release than there actually is. I also would have liked to see some more dialogue from the mayor, Roy Silver. We barely get to know anything about him, and I wanted to see some more interactivity there. Of course, the one huge downfall of this entire release was the smallness of it: You play through one semi-long but nothing huge quest and unlock some new arm weapons and a uniform. And that's it. Sure, the quest was outstanding and the rewards were fantastic, but it's still a very small update, one that I hope to see continued in next week's release. The interface changes were all nice additions, especially the ability to return to the dropship and set Soluna City as our hometown.

Overall Grade of Update: 9.0/10. It's unfortunate such a quality quest and quality reward could be overshadowed by pure lack of length and other minor interferences, but that's what ultimately forced me to lower the grade by a point. Still, when the next part of this area comes out it should be interesting to watch.

Enjoy!

Driving from Siem Reap to Mondulkiri takes us ten hours; first along the Tonle Sap and then the Mekong.

Peering out of the car window, it feels incomprehensible that only 30 years ago, the Khmer Rouge was in total control - and reduced the country to one giant concentration camp.

Cambodia has now been fairly stable for almost a decade, and relatively democratic compared to what existed before.

The hot topic of the day is land grabs - public land has been sold to private developers but the people have seen little of the money.

Many farmers who have been on their land for generations don’t have titles, or they’re not powerful enough to resist the businessmen and friends of the powerful who grab the land for expensive developments.

Our driver tells us he predicts that the president will be re-elected next month, because "he has money".

At Mondulkiri (also known as "The Wild East" thanks to its waterfalls, animal life and lush forests) we prepare to visit Gati village.

Mr Tan, team leader for CAFOD’s local partner DPA (Development Partnership in Action), briefs us on the community we will be visiting.

The Phnong people, he explains, are Animists, saying: "They believe that God is in the forest and that he wants to help people."

As we bump along the rough track towards the village, the undergrowth is dense and branches grow at haphazard angles. Fallen trees lean against each other, their trunks engulfed by ivy.

It is chaotic and beautiful. I imagine that God has been the only influence here since the very beginning of time, twisting in and out among the trees.

At Gati, the talk soon turns to mining. The villagers describe how, without warning, a delegation from a Chinese mining company visited their village to collect soil samples.

They prevented the visitors from entering, but the company just returned later with a letter of permission from the government.

The community are worried that a gold mine will be set up just 4km from where they live, and that the beautiful forest - the centre of the community’s spirituality - is under threat.

"I do not say no to the mine," says one man. "But impact must be minimised. What will happen to our children when all our natural resources are gone? If the forest is destroyed, the people will die."

DPA is supporting the community to do an "impact assessment" of the mine, and the plan is to "stand together" to make sure their voices are heard by the mining company.

Most people we meet in Gati have a good quality of life with the help of DPA - but they are in a precarious position.

If they do not win the fight to protect their land and culture, there may be little other than trauma and poverty in their future.

Posted by Marleen & Eileen

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About: We were promised by Warlic himself that the war would reveal a LOT about the plot of Westion and how it relates back to the ShadowScythe. Well, it sure as heck did. The ship we were able to recover had information revealing that there was a great Dragon vs. ShadowScythe war a long time ago. The Dragons won, but the war was very costly for them and they haven't been seen since, for over 10000 years. The ship discovered had been drifting through space and was being lighted by dragon's fire, which then crashed into Westion. How does this relate to EvilCorp? Well, the captain of the ancient starship was actually Lord Valoth, and we caught his attention by discovering it. The bossfight area is almost identical to the underground area seen in the Khaeldron Research Labs quest and the Star Captain-only war quest. However, at the end of the cave is a locked door, and to unlock it you have to once again get out of your mecha and go in on foot to eventually find the Hack a Crack minigame, where you have to click on the glyphs in the right order to light all five of them up. Once you do that, you can progress through the doors and meet Dragyron, the protector of the ancient starship. Once defeated, Lisa Mayes will attempt to hack into the file system, but ultimately fail at 99%. She'll try another scanning technique, but that sets off the alarms, which alert Lord Valoth of what is happening. He comes on and says he will send in help (this could lead to future confrontations), which then fulfills the ancient prophecy. It turns out that we were the visitors, and that we awakened Lord Valoth, or the destroyer known as Val'Athoth. The Crystallized Dragons Breath allowed the rewards to be the highly anticipated Drakel Power Armor, coming in a variety of versions with a variety of special effects. There was also Starship items available for purchase.

My Opinion: This was definitely a very above-average end-of-war release, complete with bigger than most plot revelations, a longer than most boss fight, and a more intriguing than most reward. The plot revelations did just what I was hoping they would do: Relate the whole Westion storyline back to the ShadowScythe, and I think AE did it very well and in a creative and entertaining way no one could have predicted. The sheer amount of dialogue from various characters was a great read for me and was written extremely well. I was very happy to see the bossfight come as part of a quest, instead of just a standalone fight. I liked the exploration in it, how there some side paths that, while not necessary to beat the quest, were nice for an extra fight or two. The mini-game just added to the depth of the quest and the boss fight, while nothing special, made the fight slightly difficult due to its 100 immobility resist and reflect damage capability. The DPA rewards were definitely controversial due to the very strategical build and a very un-powerish setup, and while I agree it was definitely slightly underpowered at its initial launch, the head addition makes it perfectly balanced and a must-have in your mecha arsenal. The variety of interesting special abilities to continue to add on to the outburst of strategy being implemented into the game, and that's truly a really great thing to see. The Starship items only add to the depth of the release, and while I was once again disappointed to see everything even remotely good Nova Gem-only, they were all nice additions.

Overall Grade of Update: 9.5/10. It didn't have the "oomph" element needed to get a 10, but it had everything else, and everything I'd ever want from an end of war release. Great job AE! :)

Enjoy!

Let’s look at an example:

Buy A Home before September 30, 2008                                    
House Price $200,000                                                                
Down Payment Required $6,000                                                 
Your Down Payment Cost $0 (Use assistance program)              

Buy A Home after September 30, 2008
House Price $200,000
Down Payment Required $7,000
Your Down Payment Cost $7,000

Waiting can cost you $7,000!!!!

The bill was signed into law by the President July 30, 2008.  With the stroke of the President’s pen, downpayment assistance was shut down in the United States effective October 1, 2008.

Other Downpayment Assistance Programs (DPA) are still open, including employer assisted downpayment. Only DPA programs where the Seller had a vested interest in the sale were closed.

During its existence The Nehemiah Corporation of America, a national non-profit organization, has helped over 300,000 families who would have otherwise been locked out of homeownership due to lack of downpayment funds.

SOURCE: National Association of REALTORS

On July 30, 2008, President Bush signed into law H.R. 3221, the "Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008," a sweeping $300 Billion rescue plan to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure, and to boost confidence in the sluggish housing market. H.R. 3221, the "Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008."

This legislation contains a number of victories for REALTORS® and American homeowners including GSE reform, FHA reform, permanent loan limit increases, and a $7500 homeowner tax credit. This bill will help homeowners facing foreclosure find ways to refinance, and will help strengthen mortgage markets.

H.R. 3221, the “Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008,” passed the House on July 23, 2008, by a vote of 272-152. On Saturday, July 26, 2008, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 72-13. The President signed the bill on July 30, 2008. The bill includes the following provisions:

• GSE Reform – including a strong independent regulator, and permanent conforming loan limits up to the greater of $417,000 or 115% local area median home price, capped at $625,500. The effective date for reforms is immediate upon enactment, but the loan limits will not go into effect until the expiration of the Economic Stimulus limits (December 31, 2008).
  

• FHA Reform – including permanent FHA loan limits at the greater of $271,050 or 115% of local area median home price, capped at $625,500; streamlined processing for FHA condos; reforms to the HECM program, and reforms to the FHA manufactured housing program. The downpayment requirement on FHA loans will go up to 3.5% (from 3%). The effective date for reforms is immediate upon enactment, but the loan limits will not go into effect until the expiration of the Economic Stimulus limits (December 31, 2008).
  

• Homebuyer Tax Credit - a $7500 tax credit that would be available for any qualified purchase between April 8, 2008 and June 30, 2009. The credit is repayable over 15 years (making it, in effect, an interest free loan).
  

• FHA foreclosure rescue – development of a refinance program for homebuyers with problematic subprime loans. Lenders would write down qualified mortgages to 85% of the current appraised value and qualified borrowers would get a new FHA 30-year fixed mortgage at 90% of appraised value. Borrowers would have to share 50% of all future appreciation with FHA. The loan limit for this program is $550,440 nationwide. Program is effective on October 1, 2008.
  

• Seller-funded downpayment assistance programs – codifies existing FHA proposal to prohibit the use of downpayment assistance programs funded by those who have a financial interest in the sale; does not prohibit other assistance programs provided by nonprofits funded by other sources, churches, employers, or family members. This prohibition does not go into effect until October 1, 2008.
  

• VA loan limits – temporarily increases the VA home loan guarantee loan limits to the same level as the Economic Stimulus limits through December 31, 2008.

• Risk-based pricing – puts a moratorium on FHA using risk-based pricing for one year. This provision is effective from October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009.

• GSE Stabilization – includes language proposed by the Treasury Department to authorize Treasury to make loans to and buy stock from the GSEs to make sure that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae could not fail.

• Mortgage Revenue Bond Authority – authorizes $10 billion in mortgage revenue bonds for refinancing subprime mortgages.

• National Affordable Housing Trust Fund – Develops a Trust Fund funded by a percentage of profits from the GSEs. In its first years, the Trust Fund would cover costs of any defaulted loans in FHA foreclosure program. In out years, the Trust Fund would be used for the development of affordable housing.

• CDBG Funding – Provides $4 billion in neighborhood revitalization funds for communities to purchase foreclosed homes.
  

• LIHTC – Modernizes the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program to make it more efficient.

• Loan Originator Requirements – Strengthens the existing state-run nationwide mortgage originator licensing and registration system (and requires a parallel HUD system for states that fail to participate). Federal bank regulators will establish a parallel registration system for FDIC-insured banks. The purpose is to prevent fraud and require minimum licensing and education requirements. The bill exempts those who only perform real estate brokerage activities and are licensed or registered by a state, unless they are compensated by a lender, mortgage broker, or other loan originator.

SOURCE: National Association of REALTORS®

The latest scientific investigations continue to validate the important roles of EPA and DHA in human health. Also, they've shown there's a whole family of omega 3 fatty acids... a total of eight members in all.

The production of the family of omega 3 fatty acids in our bodies starts with ALA (alpha linolenic acid).
It then takes six important steps for DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) to be formed.

Each of the six steps is now known to produce its own unique member of the omega 3 family. And each member is active in its own right, as well as having a synergistic role with the other family members.

In spite of the recommendations of the United States Department of Agriculture to eat 2 or 3 servings of fish each week, many adults eat very little fish on a regular basis.
And if mom and dad aren't eating fish, neither are their children.

Even if you do manage to eat fish three times a week, there are concerns about possible contamination. For example, with heavy metals such as mercury.
That's why expectant mothers are advised to limit their fish consumption to one serving a week. Ironic, as they have the highest dietary need for omega 3 fatty acids.

In South Africa, GNLD has two omega 3 supplements to solve the problem of inadequate omega 3 fatty acid intake...

The well-known Omega 3 Salmon Oil....

3 capsules deliver a guaranteed 165 mg EPA and 135 mg DHA.

And the new Omega 3 Salmon Oil Plus...

Every 3-capsule serving of Omega 3 Salmon Oil Plus is guaranteed to deliver 460 mg EPA, 480 mg DHA, 50 mg DPA, and 80 mg mixed omega 3 fatty acids.

Omega 3 Salmon Oil Plus is a truly unique product. It's the first and only supplement of its kind to provide a standardised amount of all eight members of the omega 3 family involved in human nutrition. The pure, natural, cold-processed salmon oil provides all the benefits of one of nature’s richest sources of omega 3 fatty acids.

And it also includes UHPO3 –Ultra High Potency Omega 3 fatty acids— an exclusive GNLD technology that boosts, stabilises, and standardises specific, health-promoting omega 3 fatty acid levels, while maintaining the whole-food goodness of natural salmon oil.

UHPO3 is derived by 'molecular differentiation', a leading-edge technology invented by GNLD, that selects specific nutrient molecules from tuna, sardines, and anchovies. Others are eliminated or reduced, delivering unsurpassed potency, purity, and consistency.

And it’s absolutely safe, with no risk of accumulated toxins.
Only the finest, top quality, health-screened, disease-free fish selected for human consumption are used.
And they're screened for more than 160 potential contaminants... the allowable limit being ZERO.
There's no hidden vitamin A or vitamin D, either.

The enormous benefits of supplementing with the whole family of Omega 3 fatty acids was recently proven.
Here's how it was done...

A recent study with 31 healthy adult volunteers - 16 women and 15 men, whose ages ranged from 35 to 65 - was presented at Experimental Biology 2008. The study looked at the effects of supplementation with 3 capsules a day of GNLD's Omega 3 Salmon Oil Plus, over a period of 8 weeks.

It was conducted with the guidance of Dr Arianna Carugghi, who is a Stanford Fellow and member of GNLD's Scientific Advisory Board. However, all samples at the start, after 4 weeks, and after 8 weeks were collected, analysed and reviewed by independent experts.

Here's a brief description of the health benefits they found...

lowered triglycerides...

The level of triglycerides - a type of fat in the blood - gives a good idea of the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. In general, the lower the amount of triglycerides, the lower the risk of developing heart disease.

Even those people in the study, who started with triglycerides in the 'normally-considered safe' range, experienced an average reduction of 17%. One person's blood triglycerides, which were high at the start (436 mg/dL), dropped to 210 mg/dL in just 8 weeks... a whopping 52% improvement!
You can bet that person's going to continue taking Omega 3 Salmon Oil Plus, to further reduce their risk of heart disease.

improved omega 3 to omega 6 ratios...

The amount of omega 3 fatty acids compared with the amount of omega 6 fatty acids in tissues, is a further indicator of the risk to cardiovascular health.
Supplementation with Omega 3 Salmon Oil Plus produced a 43% improvement in the omega 3-to-omega 6 ratio. That's a really big heart health benefit!

raised cardio-protective omega 3 index...

Three recent population studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed a direct relationship between the omega 3 index and cardiac arrest. The higher the index, the lower the risk of your heart stopping.

Omega 3 Salmon Oil Plus supplementation resulted in a rapid rise of 38% in this important omega 3 index. And of course, the significant rise means a corresponding fall in the risk of sudden death from heart failure.

proven anti-inflammatory benefits...

The effects of low-level inflammation over a long period of time are well known. And they've been directly implicated in the epidemic of chronic disease that is seen around the world.
For those of us wishing to look younger for as long as possible, it's worth noting that inflammation is also one of the recognised driving forces of the ageing process.

Whether you're plagued with inflammation or not, depends on the balance between omega 3 fatty acids and another substance, called arachidonic acid. Both are found in the membranes of our cells. If there's much more arachidonic acid than omega 3, there's a tendency to inflammation, with a resultant increase in disease risk.
...And an accelerated ageing process!

Omega 3 Salmon Oil was able to displace arachidonic acid from cell membranes by 9.6% in just 8 weeks. Tipping the scales like this in favour of reduced inflammation means a healthier life, with fewer wrinkles!

lowered inflammatory index...

Inflammatory Index is becoming an increasingly important tool in the assessment of the risk of developing chronic diseases. It's determined from a series of medical tests, analyses, and calculations. The higher the number, the greater the risk of disease.

All the subjects in this study were considered healthy, with an average inflammatory index of 2.5
However, after only 4 weeks of supplementation with Omega 3 Salmon Oil Plus, the average value dropped by 60% to 1.0
And then it dropped even further to 0.8 at the 8-week point.
This represents a phenomenal 68% reduction in the inflammatory index, meaning a huge reduction in the chance of developing chronic diseases.

scale of protection...

From years of investigating the relationship between fatty acid levels and cardiovascular disease, experts have established a scale of protection based on the omega 3 index.
The scale has values between 0% and 10%.

Results from 7 large studies of cardiovascular disease have shown two important aspects...
The zone of greatest benefit is in the range 6.5% to 9.5%
And the inflammatory index doesn't have to change much to have enormous protection benefits. A small increase in the omega 3 index, producing an increase from 6.5% to 8.5% in the scale of protection, equated to a whopping 70% reduction in the risk of fatal heart attack.

Data from the Omega 3 Salmon Oil Plus study showed that after only 8 weeks of supplementation, the scale of protection rose from 6.24% to 8.5%.
That's a rise that means a huge increase in protection. And not only that... it's in the zone of greatest benefit, too.

in a nutshell...

This recent study of GNLD's unique Omega 3 Salmon Oil Plus supplement confirmed...

• it's readily absorbed by the body
• it's utilised by the body
• it reduces significantly the risk factors of cardiovascular disease
• it lowers the amount of inflammation by restoring the fatty acid balance (and therefore has a role in slowing the aging process)
• it reduces the risk of developing inflammatory conditions, like heart disease and joint degeneration

some further benefits of omega 3 supplements...

Our old friend Google lists 2.7 million entries if you type in: benefits of omega 3. Phew! That's a lot of information! In brief, here are some of the well-known benefits of omega 3 fatty acids, and conditions in which omega 3's have a proven beneficial effect...

• development of the brain, nerves, and eyes in the foetus and young child
• alleviating dry eyes in older adults
• improvement of children's IQ
• improvement of short term memory
• slowing of brain ageing
• decreased development of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
• improvement of mood (reduces post-partum depression; helps with menopausal mood swings. And even reduces aggressive behaviour in male prison inmates)
• lessened menstrual cramps
• reduced colitis
• breast cancer prevention
• osteoprosis prevention
• reduced frequency and severity of migraine headaches
• reduced stickiness of platelets, thereby lessening risk of blood clots
• normalisation of blood cholesterol levels
• reduction of inflammatory conditions, like arthritis, asthma, and eczema
• improvement of skin, nail, and hair quality

There's no doubt at all that omega 3 supplements taken regularly every day will improve almost every part of you.

So, if you'd like to experience for yourself the wide-ranging benefits of the omega 3 family - all 8 members - get in touch with us. We'll be happy to help you get your Omega 3 Salmon Oil Plus from GNLD.

The consequences will be devastating! By FHA's own estimates, DPA comprises nearly 40% of FHA's volume. This means more than 300,000 working class families will be locked out of homeownership in the next year alone. Communities across America will take the brunt of the $50 billion in lost real estate sales, not to mention the indirect impact on the real estate, mortgage and building sectors that will be forced to shed tens of thousands of jobs due to this dangerous legislation.

What this means for you and me is that with more properties on the market we will all take a lost in our home value.

I just mentioned a few things that can possibly effect us. Do you feel with this change  could help us or hurt us in the long run??

• Conforming loan and VA loan limits will stay the same at $417,000 in Minnesota, but the increase in the FHA loans will become permanent. ($362,500 in the 7 county metro)
• Home buyers will receive a $7500 tax credit for qualified purchases between April 8, 2008 and June 30, 2009. The credit is repayable, which I don't understand, so if you are reading this please comment on this
• FHA forclosure resuce (available October 1, 2008)- Lenders can write down 85% of the current appraised value and qualified borrowers would get a new FHA 30-yr fixed mortgage at 90% of the appraised value. The borrower would then have to share 50% of all future appreciation with FHA.
• Down payment Assistance financed by the seller is prohibited. (See previous blog)
• FHA will start using risk based pricing for 1 year starting October 1,2008 through September 30 2009.
• The Treasury Department will have the authority to buy stock from the GSE's to make sure that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will not fail
• Mortgage Revenue Bond Authority - Authorizes $10 Billion in mortgage revenue bonds for refinancing sub-prime mortgages.
• CDBG Funding provides $3.9 Billion in neighborhood revitalization funds for communities to purchase foreclosed homes.
• Modernizes the low income housing tax credit program to make it more efficient

Please add if you are reading this and see something I missed.

In an effort to stimulate the recovery of the housing industry, Congress is currently working to pass a new housing reform bill.  Two proposed changes are:

1)  All government sponsored, zero-down-payment assistance programs would be eliminated as f October 1, 2008.  To be eligible for these programs, all home loans would need to be approved by September 30, 2008.

2)  The minimum down payment for FHA loans would increase from the current 3% to 3.5%

These changes are not yet final, but they are likely to happen.  These measures will have an immediate impact on the first-time homebuyer market, and those who want to hang onto more of their money.  As a stimulus for the housing industry, these change seem a bit counterproductive to me.  Having to come up with the down payment will cause many would-be homeowners to pass.  I've seen studies that claim the zero-move-in programs have little to do with the current number of defaults.  I've also studies that claim the opposite is true.  I guess it depends on who sponsored the study.

I also can see the flip-side of the argument.  Having to spend some time saving money for a downpayment is a good way to learn a little personal responsibility.  When my wife and I bought our first house we spent a few months with her parents, saved, and scratched together 3% for our FHA loan.  That scenario is not possible, or preferable, to most.  However, if something is important enough - buying a home should be - you will find a way to save the necessary funds.

What does all this mean for you?  If you want to buy a home with no money down, you better get busy, the clock is ticking.  If you plan to wait 3 - 6 months to buy, you better start saving.  Keep in mind, you don't need the 3 or 3.5% until you actually close on the home.  Buying a home that is ready for immediate move-in usually takes anywhere from 30 to 45 days to close.  That gives you a little time to save the last remaining dollars you need.  If you build a new home, you have 4 - 6 months to save the money needed for the downpayment.

Check back soon.  I'll have more as the bill comes to fruition, and the changes are set to take place.

Były prezydent Aleksander Magister Kwaśniewski poparł budowę Gazociągu Północnego. Kto i ile mu zapłacił?

Powiedział on dla agencji dpa, że sprzyja niemiecko-rosyjskiemu projektowi. I zaraz się wycofał: Dziennikarze przekręcili moje słowa. W wywiadzie, który ma ukazać się w czwartek w niemieckim portalu internetowym Der Westen, Aleksander Magister Kwaśniewski powiedział, że Gazociąg Północny daje Polsce szansę na bezpieczne i niezawodne zaopatrzenie w energię.

Jak miał powiedzieć Aleksander Magister Kwaśniewski, Polska powinna przyłączyć się do budowy Gazociągu Północnego. W ten sposób - jak twierdzi - oddalimy od siebie niebezpieczeństwo wstrzymania dostaw gazu z Rosji. Według dpa, Aleksander Magister Kwaśniewski żałuje, że Polska nie bierze udziału w negocjacjach tego z Rosją i Niemcami, bo przez to nie mamy żadnych informacji na temat początkowej fazy projektu gazociągu.

Były prezydent Aleksander Magister Kwaśniewski uważa także, iż ten sam błąd popełniają kraje skandynawskie i republiki bałtyckie, które również, tak jak Polska starają się powstrzymać budowę.

Teraz Aleksander Magister Kwaśniewski wypiera się swoich słów i tłumaczy się, że chodziło mu o przyłączenie się do gazociągu, ale w sytuacji, gdy nie uda się powstrzymać jego budowy.

Nie ma co zamykać oczu na fakty. Jeżeli nie uda się zablokować gazociągu ze względu na zagrożenie dla środowiska, Polska powinna się włączyć w projekt. Rurociąg może być częścią wspólnej europejskiej polityki energetycznej i w ten sposób możemy na tym projekcie skorzystać.

A ja się tak zastanawiam i stawiam sobie pytanie: Kto i ile zapłacił Aleksandrowi Kwaśniewskiemu? za mówienie takich bredni... A może on tak z indywidualnej głupoty takie bzdury wygaduje? Ale to by oznaczało, że mieliśmy przez dziesięć lat prezydenta, który był głupi jak but i w ogóle nie miał kontaktu z rzeczywistością. Więc chyba pozostaje to pierwsze. Kanclerz Gerhard Schröder w ostatnich tygodniach urzędowania podpisał z Rosją umowę o budowie Gazociągu Północnego. Wkrótce po opuszczeniu urzędu objął stanowisko w radzie nadzorczej kontrolowanego przez Rosjan Gazpromu. Ponoć jego pensja wynosi coś około miliona euro.

To pokazuje, jak zdeterminowani są Rosjanie i ile są gotowi płacić za swoje usługi. Chociaż osobiście uważam, że Aleksander Magister Kwaśniewski byłby sporo tańszy od Gerharda Schrödera.

Chelsea and East Boston DPA (Designated Port Area), originally uploaded by captjoe06.

]]> http://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2008/07/11/chelsea-and-east-boston-dpa-designated-port-area-3/ Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:47:52 +0000 Joey http://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2008/07/11/chelsea-and-east-boston-dpa-designated-port-area-3/

Chelsea and East Boston DPA (Designated Port Area), originally uploaded by captjoe06.

]]> http://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2008/07/11/chelsea-and-east-boston-dpa-designated-port-area/ Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:46:30 +0000 Joey http://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2008/07/11/chelsea-and-east-boston-dpa-designated-port-area/

Chelsea and East Boston DPA (Designated Port Area), originally uploaded by captjoe06.

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