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POPSVirgin Girls Raped Before Execution in Iran At first glance, one may think that it is the religion, Islam, that forbids the execution of virgins, but this is not so. Islam has no problem executing virgins no matter how young they are; after all if one can marry a 9 year old then certainly one should be able to execute a 9 year old. The actual problem is that virgins are promised a place in Paradise; and this is precisely what repulses the Imams in Iran. To prevent these young criminals, some as young as 9 years old, from entering Paradise, they passed a law forbidding the execution of virgins and to make sure they went to Hell, these Islamic old farts also mandated that virgins be raped married on the night before their execution to prevent their arrival in Paradise. As for the rape of female prisoners, Islam not only allows but encourages the rape of prisoners-of-war, slaves, enemies of the Islamic state as well as civil prisoners, male or female
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POPSIRS ID program - fraud costs billions in tax refunds We'd be better off being illegal immigrants in our own country, the benefits out weigh the negatives. Actually it is getting to where there is no down side to being an illegal here anymore. May as well dissolve the INS, Border Patrol, Customs, think of all that money liberals could waste on their 'worthwhile' programs.
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POPSHot Air: Welcome to the Obama Administration’s “New Transparency” I’m sure it is … for analysts and Fannie and Freddie workers, but I’m not sure taxpayers should share that optimism. The report states the U.S. Treasury will receive preferred stock paying 10% dividends and warrants to acquire nearly 80% of the common shares in Fannie and Freddie. However, the Treasury has already loaned $60 billion to Fannie and $51 billion to Freddie. At this point, it’s hard to believe more money is the answer. Maybe the New York Times was right: Democrats plan to talk about deficit reduction in 2010 but not do anything about it for now. Or as President Obama puts it: “Mr. Obama calls it “a false choice” to pit spending to spur the economy against reducing the deficit. His advisers say the president, and American voters, favor both " spending to create jobs in the short term, and commitment to spending discipline and deficit reduction over the long term.”
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POPS How Junk Debts affect Credit Reports and Scores Credit account holders have to wait for at least seven years before their bad debts will fall off from their credit reports. A credit account holder has to be patient enough to wait for their bad debts to fall off before they can take steps in increasing their FICO score and their general credit worthiness rating. The recent debts of the credit account holders have to qualify for the out of statute of their debt agreement.
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POPSGeithner Says Credit-Default Swaps Weren't the Problem, After All.
But if Mr. Geithner now says the AIG bailout wasn't driven by a need to rescue CDS counterparties, then what was the point? Why pay Goldman and even foreign banks like Societe Generale billions of tax dollars to make them whole? Regulators say that having taxpayers buy out the counterparties improved AIG's liquidity position, but why was it important to keep AIG liquid if not to protect some class of creditors? Yesterday, Mr. Geithner introduced a new explanation, which is that AIG might not have been able to pay claims to its insurance policy holders: "AIG was providing a range of insurance products to households across the country. Yet, if there is one thing that all observers seemed to agree on last year, it was that AIG's money to pay policyholders was segregated and safe inside the regulated insurance subsidiaries. If the real systemic danger was the condition of these highly regulated subsidiaries"where there was no CDS trading"then the Beltway narrative implodes.
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POPSRep. Issa: Fake job numbers vital to stimulus propaganda FTA: "From $1.2 million in stimulus funds that saved 935 jobs at a Georgia community council with only 508 employees, to a $1,047 lawnmower in Arkansas purchased with stimulus funds that resulted in 50 jobs, to the $26,174 grant for roof repairs in Texas that created 450 jobs," Obscene.
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POPSFraud Could Undermine Housing Tax Credit as Troubling Report Emerges The Government Accountability Office reports that $10 billion had been spent on 1.4 million credits as of late August. As the economy hit trouble in 2008, Congress passed a $7,500 tax credit for first-time homebuyers as a no-interest, long-term loan to stimulate the housing market. The credit was expanded under the economic recovery act passed in February to $8,000, not as a loan, but a fully refundable credit. Economists worry that the tax break is going to those who would have purchased homes anyway, and filling homes by vacating others " as renters become buyers " without benefit to the economy as a whole. Estimates are that more than three-quarters of the expected 1.5 million taxpayers who will have tapped the program would have bought homes even without the tax credit, putting the price to the government at about $43,000 per homebuyer who would not have bought a house without the credit. The Government Accountability Office reports that 59 percent of those claiming . .
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POPSU.K. Economic Contraction Is Longest on Record The British economy has now contracted for six successive quarters, making this the longest downturn since the agency started its data series in 1955. And it is starting to further lag behind the 16-member euro area, where France and Germany are contributing to broad improvements in manufacturing, services and consumer demand. Jean-Michel Six, chief European economist at Standard & Poor’s, said the divergence appeared to stem from the higher level of consumer indebtedness in Britain. “U.K. consumers are coming out of a period of very significant leveraging, and the process of unwinding that is long and painful,” he said. “You would expect savings rates to grow and credit demand to fall, weighing on the economy.” Meanwhile, German business confidence in October rose to its highest level in 13 months, according to the Ifo economic research institute in Munich.
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POPSCharitable Organization Funds To Preserve Journalism? The report is asking “philanthropic organizations to support local reporting.” That’s where the tax comes in " or fees " to be gathered in some fashion from telecom or internet providers.” I might not object if a clear definition of “journalism,” and adherence to that definition, must be met to get the nonprofit status. Of course, it all depends on the definition of the trade " like defining what “is” is. Next will be White House ordered legislation assuring that FOX News is excluded from “nonprofit status.” I cannot credit this report by linking to it, because the “original source” says I cannot (but never mind, they want me to donate to keep their less-than-honest endeavors alive) but go to Breitbart.com type in some keywords and you’ll find it.
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POPSAyers Likely Ghost Wrote Obama's Memoir - Part III Ayers stated firmly, “I wrote it.” ... Was he, as she had asked, pulling our collective legs? Other sources report rumors that Ayers is very upset both about not getting any credit for helping Obama on ‘Dreams,’ and may also be put off by being summarily thrown under the bus along with Rev. Wright and everyone else who becomes an inconvenience to this President. (HT: Ace) Previously: Ayers Likely Ghost Wrote Obama's Memoir - Part II Ayers Likely Ghost Wrote Obama's Memoir
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POPSWe're Screwed Whatever methodology the regulators are using in their bank reviews, it is disastrously flawed. Credit: The Casey Report
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POPSFouad Ajami strikes again Ajami is one of the "truth-tellers," as he calls the authors of the UNDP Arab Human Development Reports. He pulls no punches. Must read if you're interested in US policy i the Arab world.
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POPSThe clock is ticking on tax cheat Charlie Rangel We've been told that it's "patriotic" to pay our taxes. I guess Rangel isn't very "patriotic". So much for those promised ethics reforms, transparency, oaths of office.... Throw the cheat out! Hello IRS and Mr. Holder.
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POPSFed chairman's identity stolen "Identity theft is a serious crime that affects millions of Americans each year," he said. "Our family was but one of 500 separate instances traced to one crime ring. I am grateful for the law enforcement officers who patiently and diligently work to solve and prevent these financial crimes."
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POPSUnder Bush, or Obama, the results will be the same 1. If you are unemployed, or lost a substantial part of your income, or being screwed on credit cards, you won't get a modification. 2. If your home has lost too much in value as compared to debt, you won't get a modification. 3. Even if you get it, your odds of defaulting are still better than 50% in most cases. 4. Calling it something else, while doing the exact same thing that has failed twice already, would only work in fairyland. Apparently, we are in fairy land
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POPSPresident Created Oregon Stimulus Jobs That Lasted Only A Week July 29th The White House requires states to report numbers in terms of full-time, yearlong jobs. That means a part-time mechanic counts as half a job. A full-time construction worker who has a three-month paving contract counts as one-fourth of a job. Using that method, the AP’s analysis of figures in Oregon shows the program so far has created the equivalent of 215 full-time jobs that will last three months. Oregon’s House speaker, Dave Hunt, called that measurement unfair, though nearly every other state that has passed a stimulus package already uses or plans to use it. “This stimulus plan was intentionally designed for short-term projects to pump needed jobs and income into families, businesses and communities struggling to get by,” Hunt said in a statement. “No one ever said these would be full-time jobs for months at a time.” Still, critics say counting jobs, without any consideration of their duration, isn’t good enough.
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POPSTime for Congress to Start Issuing Subpoenas Pulling the TARP over taxpayers' eyes By: Michael Barone Last fall, former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson told shocked Americans that the $700 billion TARP had to be passed immediately but not to worry because taxpayers would eventually make money on the investments as banks and other institutions getting bailout money paid it back. To the contrary, Barofsky said, not only are banks hoarding TARP funds, it is "very unlikely" that most of the TARP money will ever be repaid, let alone turn a profit. The hastily passed bill included minimal reporting requirements, so a third of all TARP recipients admit they used the money to repay loans, merge with other banks, and even purchase more mortgage-backed securities from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - the two institutions at the heart of the housing market collapse. Some companies are even using TARP to pay off other government loans in what auditors call "bailout arbitrage." And it's all perfectly legal.
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POPSCongressman Kucinich Asks ‘Is the Fed Paying Banks NOT to Loan Money?’ Domestic Policy Subcommittee Chair Announces New Probe of TARP If these reports are true, this raises significant questions about who the Fed is working for. There is record unemployment and businesses and consumers across American are starved for capital, if the Fed is paying higher interest rates on term deposits in order to induce banks to keep money at the Fed rather than lend, it would be an outrage,” Kucinich said. Kucinich recounted for Barofsky the policy path which TARP followed when it was first presented to Congress: “First Congress was told that TARP was for the purchase of toxic assets, to help keep people in their homes. Then the Bush Administration switched the program. “Next Congress was told that the TARP funds were instead needed to bail out the banks, in the form of a direct capital infusion, to keep credit markets alive. “If TARP isn’t about keeping people in their homes or providing credit to businesses, what is it for?
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POPSHow long before that debt falls off my credit report? More: Child support judgments: 7 years from date judgement is filed. Small claims and civil judgments: 7 years from date judgement is filed. Liens: 15 years for unpaid tax liens. 7 years for paid liens. Hard credit inquiries: 2 years. Paid positive accounts: 10 years. Positive open credit information: forever.
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POPStropical rainfall moving north hmmm- water water everywhere-but not a drop to drink- well they are saying there is no global water shortage-it is just going to where the people aren't.....
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POPSGerman credit crunch deepens It was only a month ago that the German business confidence index rose by a record amount. Makes one wonder about the other sources of optimism about green shoots. See clip: http://openintelligence.amplify.com/2009/05/19/german-investor-confidence-at-3-year-high/
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