Thursday, April 29, 2010

Info about www eLoan com

About E-LOAN


E-LOAN is a nationwide financial services company that is dedicated to providing consumers with a simple, easy and open way to obtain high yield savings accounts and CDs. Our web site also provides access to several preferred, nationally recognized lending partners that may be able to assist you in obtaining a loan that meets your financial needs. Since its launch in 1997, E-LOAN has drawn upon its pro consumer values to deliver our customers the best online experience possible.


www eloan com

What is Homeowner Loans - A Quick Guide

What is a homeowner loan?
If you own your home, there is an additional loan option available to you. In addition to personal loans, there are also loans that are secured against your home. Because your home is used as security for repayment, these secured loans are also commonly referred to as homeowner loans.


What are the advantages of a homeowner loan?
By using your home as security against the loan you may be able to borrow more money than you could with a personal loan. Personal loans usually cater for loans of up to £25,000 while homeowner or secured loans are required for larger amounts.

Having the security of the value of your home also means that lenders can rely on something other than just personal credit history to determine whether you will repay your loan. This means that people who are self employed or have experienced a bad credit history in the past will often still be considered for homeowner loans.


Is my home at risk?
Yes. If you default on your re-payment you could lose your home. So, think very seriously before taking out a homeowner loan.


What should you consider?
Will I still be able to cover the repayments if I am going through a rough time financially?


Is the purpose of the loan worth risking the loss of my home for?
If the secured or homeowner loan is being used to consolidate existing debt, have you made the necessary plans to ensure that all avenues of the existing debt are controlled to prevent a similar situation from arising again?


Secure your best loan now
Now you know all about the pros and cons of borrowing money secured against your home or other assets, go to our secured loans calculator to compare the best secured loans against the best personal loans in the market.

Event Log Correlation

Event Correlation
Correlation is a term being used more and more frequently in the security world. Overwhelmed by the volume of data collected from computer systems, routers, and other network devices, administrators increasingly appreciate tools that can paint a larger picture of what happened across the network at a particular point in time. This sort of picture can become extremely useful when examining the forensics behind a security breach or a virus outbreak.



Same-platform correlation
Same-platform correlation is useful for organizations that primarily run one operating system throughout their network. For example, companies that run Microsoft network operating systems like Microsoft Windows 2000, may want to collect event log entries from all of their various servers, so they can do trend analysis across different systems. In this example, event log correlation could show the first computer that was infected with a network-propagating virus, and how the virus spread throughout the network.



Cross-platform correlation
In organizations with larger networks, many different operating systems and network hardware platforms may coexist alongside one another. For example, client desktops may run Windows 2000 Professional, yet use a Linux-based firewall and email gateway, which in turn utilizes a Cisco router to send and receive traffic from the Internet. In this case, a more effective event log correlation solution may be one that can consolidate and monitor log entries from several different systems, such as Microsoft Windows event logs and syslog messages forwarded from the Linux machines and Cisco routers. An example illustrating the power of a correlation product in this scenario could be an attempted security breach. For example, logon attempts from both the Linux- based firewall system and from Windows 2000 desktop clients could be forwarded to a central computer capable of processing incoming syslog packets and Windows event log entries. If a hacker breached the firewall and attempted to access a desktop machine, a logon audit trail would be available at the central system monitoring the different types of messages.



Recommendations
At a bare minimum, organizations should deploy an event log correlation system that matches the platform utilized by the majority of systems on the network. If budgets and resources permit, opting for a cross-platform capable log correlation system can paint a much richer picture of activity occurring on many different levels of the network.

Lemon Law in CA

California lemon law relief for all California residents. The California lemon law (Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, and the Tanner Consumer Protection Act / California Civil Code Section 1793.2, 1793.22) was enacted to protect California consumers from having to deal with repeated repair visits back to the dealership for factory warranty repairs.




Has your new or used vehicle been in the shop over and over again for dealer warranty repairs? You may have a California lemon law claim and case that will allow you to return the vehicle under the California state lemon law statute for a buyback and get a refund of all the monies and payments you have made, as well as a payoff of any loan or lease balance. California lemon law cases can also settle with the manufacturer replacing the offending new lemon vehicle with a new, current year model of your choice of the same MSRP price. In some cases we can negotiate with the manufacturer to allow you to keep your vehicle (if you desire to) and receive a payment in the thousands of dollars for the inconvenience you have encountered with all the past repair visits.



Any new or used vehicle that has remaining factory warranty coverage, or manufacturer “Certified Pre-Owned” used car warranty coverage may be a candidate for consumer protection under the California lemon law.



Important lemon law rights notice to consumers with vehicles with recently expired factory warranties: If your vehicle is outside of the factory “bumper-to-bumper” or “powertrain” warranty, you may still be eligible for relief under the California lemon law. If you have had four (4) or more repair attempt visits at an authorized dealership for the same issue/problem/complaint before expiration of factory warranty coverage, and have repair order invoice documents that support this (or you get a warranty repair history printout from your dealer), you may be eligible for a substantial cash settlement under the lemon law. If you gave the automobile manufacturer written or verbal notice (telephoned in to Customer Assistance Center) of the continued warranty non-conformity issues during the warranty coverage period and continue to have the same issue/problem/complaint, you may potentially entitled to a repurchase (buyback) of your vehicle, even though it is out of factory warranty. We invite you to call us to discuss your out-of-warranty vehicle’s problems and warranty repairs history. The same applies to “Certified Pre-Owned Warranty” used vehicles, which enjoy the same lemon law protection as new vehicles.



The California Lemon Law also requires that the automobile manufacturer pay for the consumer's hourly attorney's fees on a case and claim that settles for a repurchase (buyback), new replacement vehicle, or a cash settlement payment. This makes the lemon law economically feasible for consumers who would not otherwise be in a position to hire a lemon law attorney.



We are a California-based statewide lemon law attorney firm, with offices throughout California. Our 20 years of experience with all of the automobile manufacturers, and over 10,000 successful cases makes our firm the easy choice for the consumer desiring lemon law relief with highly competent representation by trained lawyers. Many cases are settled in as little as 10 days.



Mr. McGee personally handles all lemon law case communications with the automobile manufacturers, as well as with each of his clients. He aggressively pursues each California lemon law case for the best possible outcome for each client. The personalized service each client receives from Mr. McGee - and all associates of the firm - is unique to our area of law practice. We offer a level of professionalism, patience, quality communication and understanding rarely seen - but greatly appreciated - in today's fast-paced legal field.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Sell Structured Insurance Settlements

There are countless cases of personal injury, accidents and carelessness, that are concluded by courts everyday. The plaintiffs in such cases, are the parties who have suffered some kind of loss, even though they were not at fault. The defendants, on the other hand, are the ones responsible for the loss. Another party that is often involved in such a case is the insurance company of the defendant.

Structured Settlement
It is first essential to know meaning of structured settlement, before we proceed to the query 'how to sell structured insurance settlements?. Legal systems of all nations have given their citizens rights to sue other parties for legitimate damages, that they have incurred when someone else is at fault. The damages might be injuries to health, loss of time, loss of revenue, damage to goodwill or reputation, etc. The plaintiffs can theoretically sue the party or parties responsible for almost any legitimate and genuine loss. The loss and damages are compensated by defendants, by the payment of a compensation that is prescribed by the court. In some cases, the plaintiffs and the defendants also have an out-of-the court settlement. The compensation that is to be payed, is either payed by the defendant himself or by his insurance company. The payment can be made in two different ways, which are, a lump sum payment or a structured settlement.

A structured settlement means that the amount of compensation is spread into several different installments, and is paid to the plaintiff over a specific number of years. Most of the times, the defendants prefer to pay the compensation with the help of a structured settlement as they can distribute the burden over a period of time, and one installment is a comparatively small sum.

Structured Insurance Settlement
A structured settlement that is provided by the insurance company of the defendant, is known as the structured insurance settlement. The best feature of the structured insurance settlement is that there is a 100% assurance of the payment of installments. There is also a very rare occurrence of a default of an installment. Due to this feature of a hundred percent payment assurance, structured insurance settlements can be easily sold at a very good price. The reason that many people are ready to buy the structured insurance settlement, is that it ensures a secured and timely inward cash flow.

How to Sell Structured Insurance Settlement?
Well there are several reasons for which one might need instant cash. The process of selling structured insurance settlements can be initiated with the help of a structured settlement broker. The structured settlement broker basically helps you to find a client who wants to buy a structured settlement. The broker will also help you to derive a price for the structured insurance settlement. A structured insurance settlement cost is usually derived by adding up all the installments, rate of interest, and small amount of profit. It must be noted that when you sell insurance settlements, the margin of profit is pretty low. In fact, the profit margin is received due to the assurance of installments. It must be also noted that some structured insurance settlements do not have a profit margin. Many structured settlements are sold at a lower amount than the actual cost of all the installments put together. The best way to sell a structured insurance settlement is to approach a broker who is a member of National Structured Settlement Trade Association or Society of Settlement Planners. The United States Department of Justice will also help you to get in touch with a broker if you want to sell your structured insurance settlement.

If you are planning to sell structured insurance settlements, you may also read more on:

    * How to Purchase Structured Settlements
    * Structured Settlement Broker

In case the amount of the settlement that you are planning upon selling is too high, then you might also need to hire an attorney to get the paperwork done. I hope that you find the article resourceful, when you sell a structured insurance settlement. I also hope that I have answered the query 'how to sell structured insurance settlement'.




Also read books on:
Structured settlements: a 'win-win' deal? (Self Insurance Review): An article from: National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management

Structured Settlements 4Real

How to Refinance with Bad Credit

Most people know that it is imaginable to refinance their domiciles but did you be intimate It is also that you can think of to refinance your auto Indeed for many domiciliate who have high interest sub prime car loanwords, refinancing their auto loans may be a judicious decision. How do you recognize when refinancing your Bad Credit Auto Loan

Most people know that it is conceivable to refinance their homes but did you acknowledge it is also imaginable to refinance your auto Without a doubt for many people who have far above the ground interest sub prime car loans, refinancing their auto loans may be an intelligent decision. How do you be on well- acknowledged terms with when refinancing your bad credit auto loan might be a good quality idea and once you have strong-willed to refinance, how should you go about liability it so that you actually get better your loan situation. 


Just as when you refinance your home mortgage, when you refinance your auto loan the old loan is compensated off in full and it is supervened upon by a new loan. If when you bought your car your credit grievance was below 620, the involvement rate on your auto loan may be importantly above the interest rate you can qualify for today. By financing your Bad Credit Auto Loan the every month defrayment may go down considerably. Also, over the life of the loan you may save respective thousand dollars in interest payments.


 You may be a candidate for an auto loan refinance if:
• Your car lend has turn "seasoned";
that is, if you have had it for at least a year.
• You have made your defrayments in a timely manner.
• Your car's value is further than the amount you owe on it.
• If all of the supra statements are true, then it may be time to look into refinancing your car. 





First, make sure you are in full aware of the state of your in progress credit report and current credit rating. Both of these are without problems available online. You are entitled to one free credit report each year. Your in progress credit score (FICO score) should also be to be had for a so-called fee. Second, find out your car's value. Having your car measured is not a prerequisite for refinancing your auto loan but you should know its value. Most auto loan refinance companionships necessitate that your loan be at least $7,500 so your car value must be at to the lowest degree that amount. At your local bookstore and online there are many resourcefulness for estimating your car's worth. Two of the most all the rage generators are the Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds Buyer Guides. Be sure and have a realistic eye when surveilling your car's condition, you can be sure your lender will.

Third, research the useable lenders. It may be that your current loaner will be open to refinancing your car. However, you should shop more or less for the institution that will give you the humblest interest rate and refinance as small an amount as possible. When these two conditions are met you will then also get the humblest monthly payment available. Fourth, as with any loan, have all extends put in writing. Take the time to read the fine print and compare the propositions. 


Finding a lender to refinance your Bad Credit Auto Loan may take approximately time and effort. The deliverances to your pocketbook every month and over the life of the loan, however, can well make the time and effort worthwhile. The bulk of people refinance an auto loan to develop a lower interest rate or shorten the length of a loan. However, if you have bad credit, acquiring a low rate auto refinance may be gainsaying. For the most part, lenders only extend prime rates to prime applicants. In additional words, if your credit The majority of people refinance an auto loan to develop a lower interest rate or shorten the length of a loan. Notwithstanding, if you have bad credit, acquiring a low rate auto refinance may be gainsaying. For the most part, lenders only extend prime rates to prime applicants. In other articulates, if your credit rating is good, the likeliness of getting a beneficial refit loan is high. Yet, with a little searching and effort, you can batten a decent auto loan with poor credit


Purpose of Refinancing an Auto Loan
Those unfamiliar with the car purchasing process may accept a bad loan. A widespread problem necessitates an initial loan with a high interest rate. On average, a good credit applicant can anticipate an auto loan interest rate at more or less 6%, maybe less. If you recently filed failure, the interest rate may soar to 18%.At first, you may have few options. Nevertheless, as time passes, you may meet the requirements for a lower rate. While incurring prime rates with bad credit is unlikely, it is conceivable to acquire an interest rate 2 or 3 percentage points above the norm.


How to Refinance an Auto Loan with Poor Credit
Before commencement the refi process, you should evaluation your credit report. Your credit may have enhanced since you developed the initial car loan. If so, you may meet the requirements for comparable low rates. If your credit has not ameliorated, refinancing is all the same worth the effort. An additional lender may offer a lower rate, which could reduce your every month payments. If you are not in a hastiness, take some time and resolve credit issues. Little channelizes like settling past due accounts and reducing debts can make a immense difference.


Auto loans must be refinanced through a dissimilar lender. There are more than a few lenders to choose between. If probable, take improvement of the internet. The key to acquiring a good refi loan is equating different offers. Thus, it may be utilitarian to work with an online auto loan broker. Upon complementary an online application, the broker will email you with quotes from expected lenders. If the lender quotes are insufferable, consider re-applying with a co-borrower. This maneuver may help you obtain a good refinancing loan offer. Of course, the co- recipient must have good credit for you to measure up for a low rate.


Also:-

How to Find Affordable Car Insurance

If you own and drive a vehicle, in most states it's the law to have auto insurance. You can shop around and compare prices from various insurance companies, but you should also ask about available discounts that could save you money on your auto coverage. The following checklist provides discounts you can ask about when shopping for affordable car insurance, but the availability of discount auto insurance varies by state and company.

Discounts for Safe Drivers

If you are a safe driver, and you have avoided having an automobile accident or any moving violations for three years, you may be eligible for a safe-driver discount.
  • Accident free for three years
  • No moving violations in three years

Discounts for Safe Cars

Many insurance companies offer discounts to policyholders whose cars came equipped with certain safety features. These features reduce the risk of injury and theft; therefore, reducing the cost of auto coverage.
  • Air bags
  • Anti-lock brakes
  • Daytime running lights
  • Anti-theft device

Discounts for Students, Adult Seniors, and Others

Car insurance for young drivers is often problematic, but full-time students who meet age and GPA requirements can sometimes get lower auto insurance rates. These qualifications vary by company and state. For example, Allstate requires full-time students to be 25 years old or younger and unmarried to receive the discount, but in some states, the age limit is 21. College students who are at least 100 miles away from home are often eligible for auto insurance discounts. If you're a driver between 50 and 55 years of age, retired or a senior adult, you may be eligible for discount auto insurance. And, taking a driver training or defensive driving course is another way you may qualify for a lower insurance cost.
  • Student drivers with good grades
  • College students away from home
  • Drivers 50 to 55 years of age
  • Adult seniors
  • Driver training course
  • Defensive driving course

More discounts

Other things that qualify for auto insurance discounts include paying higher deductibles, having low annual mileage, buying auto and home insurance with one company and staying with one company long-term. If you are a low-mileage motorist, your insurer may offer a low-mileage discount. These discounts usually apply to drivers who carpool. Many insurance companies will give you a discount if you buy two or more types of insurance from them, such as homeowners or business auto insurance. If you have more than one vehicle insured with the same company, you may receive a multi-policy discount. Insurers sometimes reduce premiums for long-time policyholders.
  • $500 deductible
  • $1,000 deductible
  • Low annual mileage
  • Auto and homeowners coverage with the same company
  • More than one car insured with the same company
  • Long-time customer
You might be surprised that so many insurance companies provide all kinds of ways for you to receive discounted auto coverage. Remember, though, the key to savings is ultimately the final price, not the discounts.

Also see:

 How To Get an Online Car Insurance QuoteWhat You Don't Know About Buying Car Insurance Can Hurt YouCar Insurance SecretsHow to Insure Your Car: A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying the Coverage You Need at Prices You Can Afford First Edition (How to Insure...Series)Even Cheaper Car Insurance

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Asbestos Stomach Cancer


Asbestos stomach cancer is one of the very common forms of cancer which accounts for most of the deaths which occur due to cancer. This disease is seen mainly at the upper end of   the stomach where the esophagus drains in the exit to the intestine.

This disease can happen at any time but is seen very often in the later or middle of ones life.The males are affected more than the female in asbestos stomach cancer.


Some Of The Main Symptoms
The asbestos stomach cancer lasts for as long as two to three years in the human body after which it is finally detected which is very sad and unfortunate. There is pain felt on the abdomen area followed by loss of weight, absence of appetite, especially for meat.

Along with this there are also other symptoms such as dyspepsia, discomfort after eating, a feeling of stomach being full to the brim, gastric sensation. Such indications also suggest that he is suffering from peptic ulcer.

The patient who is suffering from asbestos stomach cancer may suffer from such symptoms for months as well as years but at some point time there is also weakness felt by the patient along with loss of weight until one day he is diagnosed finally with asbestos stomach cancer.

Sometimes there are certain symptoms of obstruction which indicate the location of the cancer. When the pain is felt through the outer wall of the abdomen it is too late for any cure which may provide relief to the patient.

The Various Complications .
There are various complications observed in a case relating to asbestos stomach cancer such as internal bleeding due to damage of the blood vessels, obstruction in the intestine   and asbestos stomach cancer spreading to other organs which are located very closely and at the end leading to death.

Prevention Of The Disease.
Asbestos stomach cancer is one of the very common forms of cancer which accounts for most of the deaths which occur due to cancer. This disease is seen mainly at the upper end of   the stomach where the esophagus drains in the exit to the intestine. This disease can happen at any time but is seen very often in the later or middle of ones life. The males are affected more than the female in asbestos stomach cancer

The Main Symptoms.
The asbestos stomach cancer lasts for as long as two to three years in the human body after which it is finally detected which is very sad and unfortunate. There is pain felt on the abdomen area followed by loss of weight, absence of appetite, especially for meat.

Along with this there are also other symptoms such as dyspepsia, discomfort after eating, a feeling of stomach being full to the brim, gastric sensation. Such indications also suggest that he is suffering from peptic ulcer.

The patient who is suffering from asbestos stomach cancer may suffer from such symptoms for months as well as years but at some point time there is also weakness felt by the patient along with loss of weight until one day he is diagnosed finally with asbestos stomach cancer.

Sometimes there are certain symptoms of obstruction which indicate the location of the cancer. When the pain is felt through the outer wall of the abdomen it is too late for any cure which may provide relief to the patient.

The Various Complications
There are various complications observed in a case relating to asbestos stomach cancer such as internal bleeding due to damage of the blood vessels, obstruction in the intestine   and asbestos stomach cancer spreading to other organs which are located very closely and at the end leading to death.

Prevention Of The Disease. 
There are no preventive steps which can be taken for asbestos stomach cancer, a remote hope lies in its early detection and prompt treatment.

If a patient is suffering from the related symptoms of asbestos stomach cancer for a very long time then he should contact an oncologist immediately to get relief.

In case asbestos stomach cancer is diagnosed then surgery should be performed immediately. For early recovery prompt action is required to cure asbestos stomach cancer.

asbestos stomach cancer, a remote hope lies in its early detection and prompt treatment. If a patient is suffering from the related symptoms of asbestos stomach cancer for a very long time then he should contact an oncologist immediately to get relief.

In case asbestos stomach cancer is diagnosed then surgery should be performed immediately. For early recovery prompt action is required to cure asbestos stomach cancer.



Stomach cancer in the rubber industry: A case-control study
Asbestos and gastro-intestinal cancer: Cell culture studies (Environmental health effects research series)

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Noam Chomsky Has ‘Never Seen Anything Like This’

by Chris Hedges


Noam Chomsky is America’s greatest intellectual. His massive body of work, which includes nearly 100 books, has for decades deflated and exposed the lies of the power elite and the myths they perpetrate. Chomsky has done this despite being blacklisted by the commercial media, turned into a pariah by the academy and, by his own admission, being a pedantic and at times slightly boring speaker. He combines moral autonomy with rigorous scholarship, a remarkable grasp of detail and a searing intellect. He curtly dismisses our two-party system as a mirage orchestrated by the corporate state, excoriates the liberal intelligentsia for being fops and courtiers and describes the drivel of the commercial media as a form of “brainwashing.” And as our nation’s most prescient critic of unregulated capitalism, globalization and the poison of empire, he enters his 81st year warning us that we have little time left to save our anemic democracy.

“It is very similar to late Weimar Germany,” Chomsky told me when I called him at his office in Cambridge, Mass. “The parallels are striking. There was also tremendous disillusionment with the parliamentary system. The most striking fact about Weimar was not that the Nazis managed to destroy the Social Democrats and the Communists but that the traditional parties, the Conservative and Liberal parties, were hated and disappeared. It left a vacuum which the Nazis very cleverly and intelligently managed to take over.”

“The United States is extremely lucky that no honest, charismatic figure has arisen,” Chomsky went on. “Every charismatic figure is such an obvious crook that he destroys himself, like McCarthy or Nixon or the evangelist preachers. If somebody comes along who is charismatic and honest this country is in real trouble because of the frustration, disillusionment, the justified anger and the absence of any coherent response. What are people supposed to think if someone says ‘I have got an answer, we have an enemy’? There it was the Jews. Here it will be the illegal immigrants and the blacks. We will be told that white males are a persecuted minority. We will be told we have to defend ourselves and the honor of the nation. Military force will be exalted. People will be beaten up. This could become an overwhelming force. And if it happens it will be more dangerous than Germany. The United States is the world power. Germany was powerful but had more powerful antagonists. I don’t think all this is very far away. If the polls are accurate it is not the Republicans but the right-wing Republicans, the crazed Republicans, who will sweep the next election.”

“I have never seen anything like this in my lifetime,” Chomsky added. “I am old enough to remember the 1930s. My whole family was unemployed. There were far more desperate conditions than today. But it was hopeful. People had hope. The CIO was organizing. No one wants to say it anymore but the Communist Party was the spearhead for labor and civil rights organizing. Even things like giving my unemployed seamstress aunt a week in the country. It was a life. There is nothing like that now. The mood of the country is frightening. The level of anger, frustration and hatred of institutions is not organized in a constructive way. It is going off into self-destructive fantasies.”

“I listen to talk radio,” Chomsky said. “I don’t want to hear Rush Limbaugh. I want to hear the people calling in. They are like [suicide pilot] Joe Stack. What is happening to me? I have done all the right things. I am a God-fearing Christian. I work hard for my family. I have a gun. I believe in the values of the country and my life is collapsing.”

Chomsky has, more than any other American intellectual, charted the downward spiral of the American political and economic system, in works such as “On Power and Ideology: The Managua Lectures,” “Rethinking Camelot: JFK, the Vietnam War, and US Political Culture,” “A New Generation Draws the Line: Kosovo, East Timor and the Standards of the West,” “Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky,” “Manufacturing Consent” and “Letters From Lexington: Reflections on Propaganda.” He reminds us that genuine intellectual inquiry is always subversive. It challenges cultural and political assumptions. It critiques structures. It is relentlessly self-critical. It implodes the self-indulgent myths and stereotypes we use to elevate ourselves and ignore our complicity in acts of violence and oppression. And it makes the powerful, as well as their liberal apologists, deeply uncomfortable.

Chomsky reserves his fiercest venom for the liberal elite in the press, the universities and the political system who serve as a smoke screen for the cruelty of unchecked capitalism and imperial war. He exposes their moral and intellectual posturing as a fraud. And this is why Chomsky is hated, and perhaps feared, more among liberal elites than among the right wing he also excoriates. When Christopher Hitchens decided to become a windup doll for the Bush administration after the attacks of 9/11, one of the first things he did was write a vicious article attacking Chomsky. Hitchens, unlike most of those he served, knew which intellectual in America mattered. [Editor’s note: To see some of the articles in the 2001 exchanges between Hitchens and Chomsky, click here, here, here and here.]

“I don’t bother writing about Fox News,” Chomsky said. “It is too easy. What I talk about are the liberal intellectuals, the ones who portray themselves and perceive themselves as challenging power, as courageous, as standing up for truth and justice. They are basically the guardians of the faith. They set the limits. They tell us how far we can go. They say, ‘Look how courageous I am.’ But do not go one millimeter beyond that. At least for the educated sectors, they are the most dangerous in supporting power.”

Chomsky, because he steps outside of every group and eschews all ideologies, has been crucial to American discourse for decades, from his work on the Vietnam War to his criticisms of the Obama administration. He stubbornly maintains his position as an iconoclast, one who distrusts power in any form.

“Most intellectuals have a self-understanding of themselves as the conscience of humanity,” said the Middle East scholar Norman Finkelstein. “They revel in and admire someone like Vaclav Havel. Chomsky is contemptuous of Havel. Chomsky embraces the Julien Benda view of the world. There are two sets of principles. They are the principles of power and privilege and the principles of truth and justice. If you pursue truth and justice it will always mean a diminution of power and privilege. If you pursue power and privilege it will always be at the expense of truth and justice. Benda says that the credo of any true intellectual has to be, as Christ said, ‘my kingdom is not of this world.’ Chomsky exposes the pretenses of those who claim to be the bearers of truth and justice. He shows that in fact these intellectuals are the bearers of power and privilege and all the evil that attends it.”

“Some of Chomsky’s books will consist of things like analyzing the misrepresentations of the Arias plan in Central America, and he will devote 200 pages to it,” Finkelstein said. “And two years later, who will have heard of Oscar Arias? It causes you to wonder would Chomsky have been wiser to write things on a grander scale, things with a more enduring quality so that you read them forty or sixty years later. This is what Russell did in books like ‘Marriage and Morals.’ Can you even read any longer what Chomsky wrote on Vietnam and Central America? The answer has to often be no. This tells you something about him. He is not writing for ego. If he were writing for ego he would have written in a grand style that would have buttressed his legacy. He is writing because he wants to effect political change. He cares about the lives of people and there the details count. He is trying to refute the daily lies spewed out by the establishment media. He could have devoted his time to writing philosophical treatises that would have endured like Kant or Russell. But he invested in the tiny details which make a difference to win a political battle.”

“I try to encourage people to think for themselves, to question standard assumptions,” Chomsky said when asked about his goals. “Don’t take assumptions for granted. Begin by taking a skeptical attitude toward anything that is conventional wisdom. Make it justify itself. It usually can’t. Be willing to ask questions about what is taken for granted. Try to think things through for yourself. There is plenty of information. You have got to learn how to judge, evaluate and compare it with other things. You have to take some things on trust or you can’t survive. But if there is something significant and important don’t take it on trust. As soon as you read anything that is anonymous you should immediately distrust it. If you read in the newspapers that Iran is defying the international community, ask who is the international community? India is opposed to sanctions. China is opposed to sanctions. Brazil is opposed to sanctions. The Non-Aligned Movement is vigorously opposed to sanctions and has been for years. Who is the international community? It is Washington and anyone who happens to agree with it. You can figure that out, but you have to do work. It is the same on issue after issue.”

Chomsky’s courage to speak on behalf of those, such as the Palestinians, whose suffering is often minimized or ignored in mass culture, holds up the possibility of the moral life. And, perhaps even more than his scholarship, his example of intellectual and moral independence sustains all who defy the cant of the crowd to speak the truth.

“I cannot tell you how many people, myself included, and this is not hyperbole, whose lives were changed by him,” said Finkelstein, who has been driven out of several university posts for his intellectual courage and independence. “Were it not for Chomsky I would have long ago succumbed. I was beaten and battered in my professional life. It was only the knowledge that one of the greatest minds in human history has faith in me that compensates for this constant, relentless and vicious battering. There are many people who are considered nonentities, the so-called little people of this world, who suddenly get an e-mail from Noam Chomsky. It breathes new life into you. Chomsky has stirred many, many people to realize a level of their potential that would forever been lost.”

Copyright © 2010 Truthdig, L.L.C.

Chris Hedges writes a regular column for Truthdig.com. Hedges graduated from Harvard Divinity School and was for nearly two decades a foreign correspondent for The New York Times. He is the author of many books, including: War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning, What Every Person Should Know About War, and American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America.  His most recent book is Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle. 



The Essential Chomsky (New Press Essential) Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy (American Empire Project)Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass MediaHopes and Prospects

Monday, April 19, 2010

Remortgage with Bad Credit

Remortgage With Bad Credit, Home Loan Refinance 
Times are tough all over. The recession has caused many to lose their jobs. Prices for staples like food and gas are rising. For many people, monthly expenses have outpaced monthly income. This causes mortgage payments and credit card payments to be late and fall behind. Each missed payment is a credit rating black mark and credit scores take a tumble.

If this sounds like you, there could be hope if you are a homeowner. Have you looked into a home remortgage with bad credit? A remortgage replaces your current mortgage with one that has more favorable terms so it is easier to meet your monthly obligations. It is fairly easy to get a remortgage if you have good credit and reliable income.

If your credit is damaged, you may still be able to get a remortgage in the form of a bad credit remortgage. These are offered by certain lenders who give consideration to how the loan will impact your financial situation. The last thing you want is to take out a loan you won’t be able to pay back.

A lot of people in financial distress just assume the only option is to borrow from credit cards. As the recession lingers, this has turned out to be a bad plan. Borrowing from credit cards is not a good idea in the best of times and can quickly lead to ruin when done in times of financial turmoil.


Interest rates on credit card balances are sky high. Your monthly payments mount month after month yet most of the payment goes towards interest so your balance hardly budges. When you make late payments or go over your limit, you will get hit with hefty fees. Before you know it, you will be unable to meet your monthly minimum payment and your financial situation will take a turn for the worse.

A bad credit remortgage can avoid those problems. To apply for one of these loans, work with a mortgage broker that has contacts with a variety of lenders. He will have the experience needed to guide you through the loan process so you get the loan best suited to your situation. You need one with a low enough interest rate that your payments will be lowered, plus you want to be able to access your equity. With a favorable loan, you can get back on your financial feet and rebuild your credit.

These non-conforming loans usually have a one to two percent higher interest rate than loans offered to borrowers with good credit. You will need to shop around for the best terms so you get a loan that will be the most help. Once you have recovered financially, you can get another remortgage and get even lower interest rates with your new good credit.

Remember that lenders need some reassurance that you will be able to repay your loan so be prepared to prove you have the desire and the ability to keep up with the payments. You also want to search for a reputable lender that looks out for your best interests rather than one that tries to talk you into a loan that will be difficult to repay.

This website has several resources and a lot of information that you can use to help you make the right decision about your bad credit mortgage loan. Take your time to compare lenders and their terms so you end up with the best mortgage for your particular situation. When you complete your remortgage with bad credit you will be on the road to solvency and peace of mind.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Equity Loan

An equity loan is a mortgage placed on real estate in exchange for cash to the borrower. For example, if a person owns a home worth $100,000, but does not currently have a lien on it, they may take an equity loan at 80% loan to value (LTV) or $80,000 in cash in exchange for a lien on title placed by the lender of the equity loan.

Many lending institutions require the borrower to repay only an interest component of the loan each month (calculated daily, and compounded to the loan once each month). The borrower can apply any surplus funds to the outstanding loan principal at any time, reducing the amount of interest calculated from that day onwards. Some loan products also allow the possibility to redraw cash up to the original LTV, potentially perpetuating the life of the loan beyond the original loan term.

The rate of interest applied to equity loans is much lower than that applied to unsecured loans, such as credit card debt. The reasoning behind this is that equity loans involve collateral, and credit card debt does not.

For more information:
Understanding Mortgages & Home Equity Loans (No-Nonsense Real Estate Guide)



Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Mesothelioma Victims

One of Youngest Mesothelioma Victims Dies in UK

 

A young woman who has died from the asbestos related cancer mesothelioma in the UK has become one of the youngest victims of this disease. Leigh Carlisle was just twenty eight years old when she lost her fight against the deadly cancer just a couple of weeks ago, leaving many confused as to how and when she was exposed to asbestos.

Mesothelioma develops as a result of exposure to asbestos dust and fibers at high levels of over long periods, and the disease usually taken twenty to forty years to develop from the time of exposure. Many are now questioning the safety of the schools and building in which Leigh was taught as a child, as this seems the most likely place that she was exposed.

Before her death Leigh said: “I used to take a short cut across a yard in Failsworth on my way to primary school. I know that men working there cut asbestos sheets and handled asbestos materials in the yard, but I had no idea that by walking through the yard I could have inadvertently got cancer.”

Her boyfriend stated: “Leigh had so much courage and strength - she was an inspiration to me and to others. Instead of flowers at her funeral, she said she wanted donations to the Oldham Cancer Support centre in Failsworth. Leigh would have liked to think that she helped the cancer centre to support other people.”

Mesothelioma Survivors

This is a story and enquiry from one of mesothelioma survivor..read more here

Hi,

I held my mums hand and watched her die last Sunday (20/09/2007). She had mesothelioma cancer 5 years ago which came back secondary into her liver and eventually her spleen. She was 64 years old.

I am having a difficult time accepting her death, although at the time of prognosis were told they could not cure it but try and shrink and manage it. This resulted in her having 18 months of chemo in 6 months. In the end it did nothing. I am angry that her last 6 months were full of pain and suffering and had terrible side effects from the chemo. She had no quality of life.

I was with her, holding her hand when she died and although I feel privileged to share such a special part of the human life cycle, it was the most horrific thing I have ever experienced.

Being there and watching her gasp for breath, watching the physical changes to her body, listening to the sounds her body made as she came closer to death all have impacted on me significantly and I am struggling to process everything I heard, smelt, felt and saw.


When my mum took her last breath she squeezed my hand and my dad's very hard. I am confused as to wether this was her way of saying goodbye or if it was just her muscles reflexing as she passed away. My husband thinks I should make of it what I feel and believe in that.

I cannot believe she is gone and keep hearing her voice and seeing snippets of her when we were together. I am so sad to know she will never get to met my children, nor have the chance to be a grandmother.

Just before she passed away I saw shadows move across the hospital room. I do not know what to make of this. Was I witnessing something or was it the fact I had no sleep for the last 48 hours?

I have been raised a catholic and have a very open mind to all things spiritual but find myself questioning what is there after death?

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Finland Unveils RaceAbout All-Electric Supercar


Competition is heating up for the Progressive X-Prize, and the latest super-efficient green vehicle to be rolled out is Finland’s Electric RaceAbout (ERA) EV. Recently unveiled by the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, the RaceAbout features a range of 200km, a chassis that weighs half as much as other cars its size, and a lithium-ion battery pack that can be express charged in 10 minutes flat. Now that the electric sportscar has proven itself in initial tests, the ERA travels to Michigan where it will compete for the X-Prize and $10 million dollars.


The RaceAbout was conceived and developed largely by students from the Metropolia, but many other Finnish companies aided with technology, research and development. Designed with a range of 200 km (125 miles), the four-wheel drive electric car has a direct-drive electric motor for each wheel, eliminating heavy gearboxes, while the transmission was replaced with a vehicle control system developed during the project. The chassis weighs half as much as a normal chassis, which is achieved by incorporating lightweight materials and technologies. Meanwhile the lithium-ion battery pack can be express charged in 10 minutes.
Project Director Sami Ruotsalainen says, “We are paving the way for creating an electric car industry in Finland. Now the industry will gain more expertise and develop rapidly in our country. Apart from the batteries and their charging system, all other essential technology used in the car, such as electrical technology related to power generation, is the product of Finnish expertise.”


This April at the Michigan International Speedway, the RaceAbout team will compete in the initial “shakedown stage” of the X-Prize against 43 other teams selected to participate out of 97 teams that entered the competition. After the first stage in Michigan, final stages for the competition will take place in July and August. The final prize will be awarded in September for the best production-capable electric vehicle that exceed 100 MPG energy equivalent (MPGe).







Links:-
Supercars, Driving the DreamSupercars: Driving the Dream (Performance 150)Ferrari

First Ever Multicellular Animals Found In Oxygen-Free Environment


Unnamed Loriciferan


In the 236 years since oxygen was identified as a life-giving necessity, no scientist anywhere has discovered a multicellular animal capable of living without the stuff. Until now. Researchers from the Polytechnic University of Marche in Ancona, Italy*, have discovered three new species that live their entire life in an anoxic pit beneath the Mediterranean Sea. This discovery drastically revises science's understand of where animals can thrive.


Prior to this discovery, the only organisms capable of life in oxygen-free environments were viruses and bacteria.

Unlike plants, all previously discovered animals, and fungi, the newly discovered animal species don't use mitochondria, the cellular organelle that converts sugar and oxygen into water, CO2 and, energy, to power their cells. Instead, these weird creatures have an organelle that resembles a hydrogenosome, a cellular component used by some microbes to produce energy with complex enzymatic reactions.


The organisms themselves, none of which have been named yet, all belong to the phylum Loricifera, measure less than 0.04 inches long, and were found almost 10,000 feet down in sediment previous assumed to contain only viruses and bacteria. This is not the first time that scientists have discovered animals living in an anoxic environment, but all the previously discovered species needed to surface periodically for some O2. That makes these creatures the first animals ever discovered that spend their whole lives without oxygen.

How these animals evolved, and what else might be down in this forbidding environment remains to be seen. University of Marche scientists still have a great deal of analysis to do on these animals, but one thing is for sure: our understanding of animal life will never be the same.

* This post originally identified the researchers as working for Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California.






Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Creatures of the DeepChased By Sea MonstersThe Twilight Saga: New Moon (Two-Disc Special Edition)Avatar (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) [Blu-ray]