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POPS"Flipping Rings" Use Illegals As Straw Mortgage Purchasers Of course, all these people have to live somewhere making such fraudulent mortgages quite attractive. It isn’t impossible for a foreigner to get a mortgage in the U.S., of course. There is a way but it requires a lot of proof and paperwork. “Known as ITIN mortgages because applicants must have an individual taxpayer identification number, the fixed-rate loans are designed for immigrants who can prove they are creditworthy and pay taxes even though they don’t have legal permanent residency in the U.S…. The mortgages represent a fraction of the $2.8 trillion mortgage market. ” “Calling the Old Media: Five Million Illegals Have Illegal Mortgages in U.S.A.!” What illegal struggling to survive is going to pass up a free house that he can move into without having to present any identification, proof of employment, financial history or even a down payment?
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POPSFinancial crisis the result of Reaganomics A brief history of economic policies since the New Deal, and why we've had crises like this ever since Reagan. "Obama is correct that the best opportunity for making the economy work for all Americas is to fire those who made up the current rules of the game."
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POPSJust Thinking Talking Points Memo, as its name implies, brings up a tremendous talking point.
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POPSGoogle Maps don't know how I would have been able to survive the first few days in China without google maps. wanted to explore my surroundings by foot and would have gotten terribly lost without it.
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POPSSecret Spying Court Stays Secret ACLU: "The Bush administration says that the new law is necessary to protect the country against terrorism, but there's nothing in the law that prevents the government from monitoring the communications of innocent Americans," Jaffer said in a written statement. "The intelligence court should not be deciding important constitutional issues in secret judicial opinions issued after secret hearings at which only the government is permitted to appear."
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POPSCharges dropped against woman who registered her dog to vote Balogh said she was saddened by her difficulties with the court and her failure to get any elected officials to respond to her letters and phone calls complaining that current state laws make it too easy for an undocumented worker or a nonexistent person to be added to the voting rolls.
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POPSWil S**t Hapen? This smacks of petty paranoia. Comments at the source offered some creative solutions: "waterguns full of bleach or urine, just like releasing poisonous snakes, just like the balloons filled with hydrochloric acid... this is just police fantasy. There is a big difference between being prepared for a situation and preparing for a fictional tactic that you came up with yourself" "Carry empty buckets and fill them on-site. Ex-Lax helps. " I can see it now: "Is that a bucket of feces?" "No, officer. It's a firkin of feces." "Oh. Okay, then."
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POPSWill Government Ever Learn From The Past? I doubt it. Today's Delancey's Place Tidbit, gives a brief encounter of what happened when the US Government "forced" a whole nation to go dry. What followed was a horrific scene of "forced" drunkenness, "forced" crime and "forced" misery... Today's Government "forced" War on Drugs has produced similar anguish especially for those who seek marijuana to relieve pain and suffering. Not to mention, if this so-called Governmental War on Drugs would lax some of its absurdities, the revenue collected from such sales would help the sinking economy. But it is not about a failing policy, it's all about politics and getting elected. Common sense, must take a back seat once again. Stupidity continues to rule, as time marches on! thinkingblue
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POPSDr. Zack Overlooked as Anthrax Suspect This article is worth reading in its entirety. While dated 2002, it may have well been written yesterday, substituting the "suicided" suspect for what back then was Hatfill. The facts are relevant and suggestive. Dr. Zack seems to fit the profile of motive, means, and opportunity (access) , upon reading, then the now deceased. He is also a dual Israeli citizen with an obvious prejudice and gripe against Arabs, even if American citizens with whom he worked. Do not miss the anonymous letter to the FBI that called his Arab co-worker a "bioterrorist", which the FBI considered a hoax after investigation, and how close that sounds to the Anthrax hoax letters that said "Allah is great".
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POPSsalmonella very interesting observation about some strains being resistant.
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POPSUnhappy America - The Economist print edition Well-said: "The faster China and India grow, the more American goods they buy. And they are booming largely because they have adopted America’s ideas. America should regard their success as a tribute, not a threat, and celebrate in it."
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POPSThe Great Train Wreck of 1918 I have always considered myself a history buff... especially when it comes to the darker side of history: i.e. disasters, wars, atrocities, crimes, etc. I was very surprised when I saw this article posted on refdesk.com, one of my favorite all-in-one reference link sites.. Reading this story gave me a chill in my bones and the article is worth much more than my paltry efforts to clip the highlights. What was NOT clipped: The procedures of the railroad and safety guidelines and how it failed here. The lax attitude of No 4's personnel and their failures to protect the passengers. The tower person and his attempt to avert the disaster but his own part in not following procedure. The Interstate Commerce Commission's findings of fault and blame for the wreck.. I encourage all to look up this story and see what happened 90 years ago today. Thank You.