Archive for January, 2009

Earth: Local Headlines For Global Green Community

Friday, January 30th, 2009

Norristown, PA — Local community groups are taking a global position on the environment. Meetings and events for Spring Clean-up are underway.

Full Article: Norristown, PA Community Clean-up Meeting
Full Article: Norristown, PA Spring Clean-up

Ambler, PA — The Main Street Green Committee released minutes from their last meeting. The initiatives include developing a model environmental policy for local businesses and orginizations.

Full Article: Ambler, PA Going Green Notes

Treasury,Fed Save Universities

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

$60 B from Treasury. $200 B from Fed. Universities rejoice.

And the same guys who gave toxic MBS wonderful ratings have now blessed the new Treasury plan.

“Fitch Ratings gave debt to be issued by the unit, formally known as Straight-A Funding Student Loan Short-Term Notes, a preliminary rating of F1+, the highest grade.”

What could possibly go wrong ?

Read the whole thing at
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aTirMHvhiujY&refer=home#

Entertainment Headlines: American Idol, Elvis and Ali

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

by RomBox.com

CKX, Inc. owners of American Idol, Elvis Presley, Graceland, Muhammad Ali, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Woody Allen, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry and Carrie Underwood announced their director had resigned.

CKX, Inc. (Nasdaq: CKXE) and 19 Entertainment Limited announced today that last night’s Wednesday premiere of American Idol drew approximately 30.3 million viewers, retaining 100% of the Tuesday night audience for the first time in five years, and for the first time ever, surpassing the Tuesday night season premiere in the key 18-34 adult demographic. In addition, this is the first time in five years that American Idol’s Wednesday premiere has increased over its Tuesday debut in Adults 18-49. The Wednesday show was the highest rated telecast of the season on any net among Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34.

Get the full article.

No More Naked Hiking

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

Apparently some in Switzerland are not amused.
From href=http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,604273,00.html>
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,604273,00.html
“”We have do something to prevent this objectionable behavior before the weather gets warm again,”

Putin:”We are not invalids”

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

“We don’t need help. We are not invalids. We don’t have limited mental capacity.”
Loosely translated:
“Stop patronizing us, capitalist-imperialist pig man. Go away or I shall taunt you again.”

From:

http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/28/news/companies/dell.davos.fortune/index.htm

Security Update: White House’s Microsoft Outlook Email Outage

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

by The Membrane Domain
Full Article

Headline: The President gets to keep his Blackberry, but the White House can’t keep their Microsoft server running for email.

Federal Reserve’s Position on the Housing Crisis

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

by AllRealEstate.com

The Federal Reserve continues to offer plans for owners of distressed real estate.

“The goal of the policy is to avoid preventable foreclosures on residential mortgage assets that are held, owned or controlled by a Federal Reserve Bank,” Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke wrote in a letter Tuesday to Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.

Under the program, homeowners would be offered lowering the amount owed on the mortgage, reducing the interest rate or lengthening the term of the loan.

Interest Rates: Federal Reserve Auction Yields .25% Rate

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

by Widgette.com

On January 26, 2009, the Federal Reserve conducted an auction of $150 billion in 84-day credit through its Term Auction Facility. Following are the results of the auction:

Stop-out rate: 0.250 percent

Total propositions submitted: $136.051 billion
Total propositions accepted: $136.051 billion
Bid/cover ratio: 0.91

Number of bidders: 102

The awarded loans will settle on January 29, 2009, and will mature on April 23, 2009. The stop-out rate shown above will apply to all awarded loans.

Institutions that submitted winning bids will be contacted by their respective Reserve Banks by 11:30 a.m. EST on January 27, 2009. Participants have until 12:30 p.m. EST on January 27, 2009, to inform their local Reserve Bank of any error.

How low can interest rates go?

Real Estate: Toll Brothers Builders Offers 3.99% 30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

by AllRealEstate.com

The Philadelphia area builder Toll Brothers announced an in-house financing plan on the purchase of their new construction houses. The APR is 4.05% 30-year fixed for loan amounts up to $417,000. The rate can be locked in 270 days prior to your closing.

An Old Killer Strikes Anew

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

The malaria parasite finds new tricks. Artemisin is the best drug against malaria, extracted from the annual wormwood plant (Artemisia annua) known to the Chinese herbalist for a millennium or two. From the New York Times, we find that the malaria parasite is evolving resistance to artemisin. A resistant strain of the parasite has been found along the Thai-Cambodian border.

The full article may be found at

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/health/27malaria.html