Housing Loans

The economic situation is a result of banks giving housing loans to people who definitely could not afford to pay them back. As the interest increase and the loans were not paid off, the people not only lost their owns but the banks didn't get their money back.

According to the Federal Debt Relief System Web site, "The country is drowning in debt, both at the government level and at the personal level. The economy needs an enormous amount of constant consumption of its goods and services to keep rolling along. "

Recession and talks of another depression intrance the radio waves of NPR this week supplying questions of why the problem failed to be curbed earlier and searching for answers as to what to do next continue. While John McCain fails to realize there is no point to his involvement, NPR seems to glad points out the politic ploy of his offer for assistance. McCain knows he has nothing to bring to the table. He knows that the only asset to his commentary is to sway voters. He's hoping voters will think something along the lines of, "McCain, single-handedly fixes the economy and saves the nation from systematic failure."

He talked about postponing campaigning to lend a hand and after three days of talking nonsense he did indeed show up.

To learn more go to http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13970.html

John Taylor

You know how important people die and you have no idea who they are? Well this guy seems pretty important.



A specialist in military history who worked for 63 years for the National Archives died at 87.

"For decades, historians and journalists who visited the archives in search of obscure military or intelligence records were invariably referred to Mr. Taylor, who could often direct them to just the documents they needed," states the New York Times Obituary. "Few Americans have been thanked in the acknowledgments of so many books."

It just goes to show how little I know. It's depressing and motivating at the same time.

The Wall Street Journal and the proposed plight of Social Security

I remember John McCain being a lot more interested eight years ago, back in the day when he didn't put his foot in his mouth or go back on everything he seemed to stand for.

Luckily, The Wall Street Journal seems to have a handle on the issue of the viability of his stances. The latest installment: Social Security.

Try and make sense of this: Put all your Social Security in the stock market and let it ride. Same difference: put it on a hound named Grease Lightning and let it ride. The only garaunteed promise to privatization would be that of complete lack of security, marking the whole deal as an ironic moniker.

Without government aid, we're all screwed. Without comprehensive and fair taxation, we're all screwed.

The whole Baby Boomer business is the source of the problem. That's why contraception is so important. Stop having babies. It's a nice thought that money is good during economic boom, but a little forethought would be nice. A little, "five years from now, might not be so swell and dandy," might prove as less of a crisis for government aid.

So, dear America, please stop having so many babies. It's not a competition.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122204378523361477.html

Pell Grant less stressful

Growing concerns for the cost of high education may be lessen if Congress decides to approve a plan to make financial aid easier on low income families.

A proposed change to the selection process for the Pell Grant may help more students from low income families by focusing on family size, adjusted gross income and Internal Revenue Services providing the financial information instead of the rigorous FAFSA form.

The maximum dispersement of the Pell Grant will be gauged by the Consumer Price Index that will most likely develop a fair standard of coverage for financial aid based on inflation-free dollars. As the price of education changes so will the Pell Grant.

The most promising aspect of the discussion is the idea of a college savings accounts to be opened long before a child reaches the age for college, collecting interest as the funds matures. Along with a change to the payment plan for Stafford Loans to encourage low income families to stray away from private loans.

This is great! This will allow more people the chance to go to college and alleviate some of the financial burden involved.

For more information:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/education/19college.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Sept. 11

It's strange how distant I feel from Sept. 11. I remember the day it happened, how I felt and how it affected my family afterward, but I was very much an adolescent who wanted to be an adult. Everything I knew, understood or believed was cultivated by outside sources, be that reading books to pass the time or the limit influence I had at the time. I didn't know how to feel or what it meant that Tuesday morning when I was in World History with Mr. Delaney my junior sophomore of high school. 

We didn't have a TV in class. A friend of Mr. Delaney's who worked in the school library called to tell him and his first response was, "is this a joke?" We filed out to the library to watch the scene blazing across every channel, news anchors in shock and unable to clarify other than the obvious. A plane crashed into the World Trade Center, I had no idea what that was. The Twin Towers were where the world trades things, was the best guess I had at the time. A second plane dive- crashed into the second building as we watched, confused. 

After school, everywhere in the small town conversation was consumed by the dust bowl of crumbling skyscrapers; ever channel, ever station, ever household locked down, eyes forward, ears pierced for what seemed like no explanation. A terrorist attack against the intangible idea of our country; 2,751 people killed: policemen, firefighters, the 8-5ers, gone into dust. Everything moved in slow motion for Tuesday Sept. 11, 2001. The next day everything moved in fast forward as the heads of state attempted to rationalize the irrational. The War on Terror began and continues. 

I've become accustomed to the  dissatisfaction for everything involved with that day for the last 7 years. I, being far away from ground zero physically and emotionally, have pulled far back from the high wave that fuels the tragedy and continuing sorrow of those most affected by the aftermath. I remain unscathed. I thought little about it on the seventh anniversary and very little about it influence my activities. Most in my direct periphery said and did nothing to commiserate. Remembering now on the day after feels like I've missed a step descending upon the memories. 

China is China

In the Orlando Weekly article "Detained in China," writer Billy Manes conducted a phone Q&A with Orlando filmmaker Brian Conley who was detained for five days under the charge of disturbing the peace in China for casually filming a protest by Students for a Free Tibet. 

On Aug. 19, asleep in the hotel room, Conley was woken by the sound of beating fists on the door and Chinese authorities. As he was escorted out, the authorities told him he was being taken for his safety, but that was not the case. 

"You know, as far as the Chinese are concerned, I was never arrested," Conley said. "They have what they call 'administrative detention,' which is not an arrest."

Interrogated for 22 hours, Conely learned that his act of filming the protest was a greater offense than the protest itself, as the film would bring an international audience to Chinese internal disputes, which would delude China's "amiable" totalitarian image. 

"I was even told by one guy that we were lucky we hadn't don this in the '70s because we would have been tortured and probably killed," Conely said, in his response to the suggestive nature of the opening ceremony promoting China's move toward human rights and freedom of speech. 

The Chinese government keeps watch like a George Orwell novel, Internet access, phone lines, behavior is all monitored closely. If a country can dictate what you do in every facet of you life from your job, education, to how many children you can have, it comes as no surprise that Americans would have a vastly different view of life.  But to assume an American can still act like an American in a country like China is an act waiting for trouble, ignorance is not a get-out-of-Chinese-prison-free-card. 

In China, the authorities can hold you for 24 hours for investigation. 

My friend and UCF alumnus Jason Groot is studying for his master's degree in China. He loves the history and traditional culture. Before graduation he took Mandarin Chinese classes. He's living in a dorm, enjoying the international student body, food, and conversation. In our emails and conversations with him, we are advised caution in our choice of words as the consequences are dire. He's there for the experience and he can't have that if he is detained. It's different 180 degrees different over there; the best thing to do is appreciate the experience and co-exist within. 

Sarah Palin and breaking the glass ceiling

The debate continues as to whether or not Sarah Palin's vice president nomination is based on merit or ploy. Based on experience, the nom is niether quality or quanity, unless you consider the possible outcome if woman across America fall for it.

Let's hope not. Let's hope these seemingly wayward women are voting because they believe in the platform and not the gender sharing.

"Hillary left 18 million cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling in America. But it turns out the women of America aren't finished yet, and we can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all," Palin said.

What does being a woman have to do with it? As the Daily Show joked, "Vote vagina!" I think not.

Palin has served as Governor of Alaska since late 2006. Less than two years of experience as governor, she made history because she is a woman.

The real question is not whether America is ready for a black president or a woman vice president it's whether or not America is capable of voting for a candidate based on the obvious stereotypes.

For more information:
http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/
http://community.feministing.com/
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/