Clipmarks | willhelm's clips

Anyone DirectBuy?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:51:55 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: I went in once. I managed to avoid the pitch, but you would have thought I walked into the White House without security clearance.

Clip Source: answers.yahoo.com

Does anyone know what the membership cost for "Direct Buy" is and if it is worth it??

The memberbship is $4,995.00 and this is how it work. After you have been sent a visitors pass you go in on your assigned day and time. You sit in a waiting room with a lot of other unsuspecting fools. A sales person is assigned to each couple. The sales person takes you on a very breif tour which is 99% catalogues that you do NOT get to look at. The you are herded into a room at which time another sales person takes over. You get to listen to him talk and then you get to watch a viedo

You are then passed off to the original sales rep who now has a file titled new member. You will be told by the second sales rep that you must sign up today or you will not be invited back because their prices are so great they don't want you to use it against other companies. Here's the catch. You are NOT allowed to see any real prices. You have to fork over $5,000.00 on an impulse and there is no refund.

I'm not sure it gets much better than this

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:04:56 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Sprouting from an Acorn

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:32:05 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: Editorial writers from Little Rock to Buffalo condemned ACORN's action as an affront to both civility and freedom of speech. Editorialists also pointed out that the "spending cuts" the protesters railed against were imaginary - Gingrich proposed merely to slow the growth in some welfare programs and turn control back to the states.

Yet ACORN had only just begun. Two days later, 50 to 100 of the same protesters hit their main target - a House Banking subcommittee considering changes to the Community Reinvestment Act, a law that allows groups like ACORN to force banks into making high-risk loans to low-credit customers.

The CRA's ostensible purpose is to prevent banks from discriminating against minorities. But Rep. Marge Roukema (R-NJ), who chaired the subcommittee, was worried that charges of discrimination had become an excuse for lowering credit standards. She warned that new, Democrat-proposed CRA regulations could amount to an illegal quota system.

Clip Source: www.nypost.com

TO discover the roots of to day's economic crisis, consider a tale from 1995.

That March, House Speaker Newt Gingrich was scheduled to address a meeting of county commissioners at the Washington Hilton. But, first, some 500 protesters from the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) poured into the ballroom from both the kitchen and the main entrance.

Hotel staffers who tried to block them were quickly overwhelmed by demonstrators chanting, "Nuke Newt!" and "We want Newt!" Jamming the aisles, carrying bullhorns and taunting the assembled county commissioners, demonstrators swiftly took over the head table and commandeered the microphone, sending two members of Congress scurrying.

The demonstrators' target, Gingrich, hadn't yet arrived - and his speech was cancelled. When the cancellation was announced, ACORN's foot soldiers cheered.

Colorful Architecture

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:27:23 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: Friedensreich Hundertwasser

Clip Source: www.colourlovers.com

Friedensreich Hundertwasser was an Austrian painter, architect and sculptor. Born in Vienna, he became one of the best-known contemporary Austrian artists, although controversial, by the end of the 20th century.

Waldspirale Residential Complex

Hundertwasser Haus Vienna

Spittelau District Heating Plant Vienna, Austria

Kunst Haus Wein

Quixote Winery

Rogner Bad Blumua Hotel

The Green Citadel of Magdeburg

German Winery

NYSE - 10/10/08 - In Pictures

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:30:08 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.omgowned.com

Confusion in our time

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:33:11 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks:

Clip Source: str.typepad.com

Connecticut's Supreme Court ruled Friday that same-sex couples have the right to marry, making the state the third behind Massachusetts and California to legalize such unions.

The problem is that constitutions don't grant rights to any couples. Constitutions grant rights to individuals. Can anyone deny that an individual is being treated the same as every other individual if the same rules are applied to all? If every person is able to marry someone of the opposite sex, then the same "constitutional principles" are applied to all. If no person is allowed to marry his sibling, the same rules are applied to all. If no person is allowed to have more than one spouse, the same rules are applied to all. If the definition of marriage includes "not marrying one's sibling" and "not engaging in polygamy," and these are not unconstitutional limitations, then a definition of marriage that creates boundaries is not unconstitutional...as long as the same definition is applied to everyone.

Reuters Pics

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:09:12 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: .

Clip Source: docs.google.com

Shake Down

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:13:37 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: The unapproved loans were not based on race. They were based on the fact that they were were requested for areas with declining property values. Banks were being forced to supply these loans against their business judgement.

And who was doing the enforcing?

Plaintiff's Lawyers
Obama, Barack H. (Illinois)

Clip Source: clearinghouse.wustl.edu

Case Name

Buycks-Roberson v. Citibank Fed. Sav. Bank

Docket / Court

94 C 4094 ( N.D. Ill. )

State/Territory

Illinois

Case Summary

Plaintiffs filed their class action lawsuit on July 6, 1994, alleging that Citibank had engaged in redlining practices in the Chicago metropolitan area in violation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), 15 U.S.C. 1691; the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 3601-3619; the Thirteenth Amendment to the ... read more >

Plaintiffs alleged that the Defendant-bank rejected loan applications of minority applicants while approving loan applications filed by white applicants with similar financial characteristics and credit histories.

The parties voluntarily dismissed the case on May 12, 1998, pursuant to a settlement agreement.

Easy Butter

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 03:22:04 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.kayotic.nl

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream
salt
pepper

Directions:

Pour 2 cups of heavy cream in your food processor. The fresher the cream, the better the butter will turn out.

Pop the lid on, blitz, sit back and watch the show. It’s quite entertaining, really, but then again, I’m easily amused

The cream will go through different stages.

Then all of a sudden it happens. You hear a ‘slosh‘ (can you tell I’m all excited? I just have no life:) and the grainy, yellow butter has separated itself from, what is now, nothing but buttermilk. This is what we wanted! Eureka!

All that’s left to do is drain the buttermilk and there you have it. Butter. If you are going to use it all up, you’re good to go now. If you want to keep the butter longer, you’ll have to rinse the butter curds with cold water.

Press it down with a spoon and stir it to get the excess liquid out. Told you it was easy!

He wouldn't sign the letter

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:47:59 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.humanevents.com

Sen. John McCain's 2006 demand for regulatory action on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could have prevented current financial crisis, as HUMAN EVENTS learned from the letter shown in full text below.

McCain's letter -- signed by nineteen other senators -- said that it was "...vitally important that Congress take the necessary steps to ensure that [Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac]...operate in a safe and sound manner.[and]..More importantly, Congress must ensure that the American taxpayer is protected in the event that either...should fail."

Sen. Obama did not sign the letter, nor did any other Democrat.

Best foods for your heart

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:20:46 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: Spinach can help keep your ticker in top shape thanks to its stores of lutein, folate, potassium, and fiber.

Full of fiber and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, a little sprinkling of flaxseed can go a long way for your heart. Top a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal with a smidgen of ground flaxseed for the ultimate heart-healthy breakfast.

Soy
Soy may lower cholesterol, and since it is low in saturated fat, it's still a great source of lean protein in a heart-healthy diet.

Clip Source: slideshows.health.com

Oatmeal

Opt for coarse or steel-cut oats over instant varieties—which contain more fiber—and top your bowl off with a banana for another 4 grams of fiber.

Clip Source: slideshows.health.com

Salmon

Super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay. Aim for two servings per week, which may reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by up to one-third.

Clip Source: slideshows.health.com

Avocado

Packed with monounsaturated fat, avocados can help lower LDL levels while raising the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body.

Clip Source: slideshows.health.com

Olive oil

Full of monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease.

Clip Source: slideshows.health.com

Nuts

Almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts are all full of omega-3 fatty acids and mono- and polyunsaturated fats.

Clip Source: slideshows.health.com

Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries—whatever berry you like best—are full of anti-inflammatories, which reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

Clip Source: slideshows.health.com

Legumes

Gecko-like glue - "stickiest yet"

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:13:25 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.reuters.com

A new type of dry glue designed to mimic gecko feet is 10 times stickier than the gravity-defying lizards, and three times stickier than other gecko-inspired glues, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

A 1-inch (2.5-cm) square of the adhesive can support the weight of a 220-pound (100-kg) man climbing up a vertical surface, but it can be easily lifted and reapplied, an ideal material for, say, a Spider-Man suit.

Aside from helping people walk up walls, the glue could be used in electrical components without the need for soldering, Wang and Dai said in a telephone interview.

And because it is dry, it could be used at very low temperatures as in space, where more conventional glues lose their grip.

Tags: innovatio

October 11, 1986

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:17:50 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: On the ride home and an administration official predicted, " you just won the cold war."

The soviets pleaded for new talks and agreed to Reagan's position. The cold war was won.

Clip Source: www.history.com

Just when it appeared that agreement might be reached, the talks fell apart amid accusations and recriminations, and U.S.-Soviet relations took a giant step backwards.

The sticking point arose when Gorbachev requested that the talks concerning the missiles be expanded to include limitations on America's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Referred to as the "Star Wars" initiative by opponents, SDI was one of Reagan's pet projects. A multi-billion-dollar program, SDI was supposed to use space technology to provide a "shield" from nuclear attacks.

Reagan refused to consider Gorbachev's suggestion, and the talks ended the next day, October 12, with no agreement in hand.

Second case of virgin birth found in sharks

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:11:48 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

Scientists have confirmed the second case of a "virgin birth" in a shark.

In a study reported Friday in the Journal of Fish Biology, scientists said DNA testing proved that a pup carried by a female blacktip shark in a Virginia aquarium contained no genetic material from a male.

The first documented case of asexual reproduction, or parthenogenesis, among sharks involved a pup born to a hammerhead at an Omaha, Neb., zoo.

World Bank Under Cyber Siege - "unprecedented crisis"

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:06:22 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

The World Bank Group's computer network — one of the largest repositories of sensitive data about the economies of every nation — has been raided repeatedly by outsiders for more than a year, FOX News has learned.

It is still not known how much information was stolen. But sources inside the bank confirm that servers in the institution's highly-restricted treasury unit were deeply penetrated with spy software last April. Invaders also had full access to the rest of the bank's network for nearly a month in June and July.

In total, at least six major intrusions — two of them using the same group of IP addresses originating from China — have been detected at the World Bank since the summer of 2007, with the most recent breach occurring just last month.

In a frantic midnight e-mail to colleagues, the bank's senior technology manager referred to the situation as an "unprecedented crisis."