Clipmarks | Credit Clips

Always Wonder

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:26:05 GMT

clipped by: klippety
clipper's remarks: Just awe and wonder, our home in the galaxy

Astronomy and Space Exploration in America's National Parks

Glacier National Park, Montana

Glaciers and the Cosmos

Granite Park Chalet and the Milky Way
The very presence of the Milky Way high overhead prevents the skies above Glacier from being the darkest I have yet seen. The late hour of sunset and the proximity of bears keeps many people indoors and unable to appreciate the beauty of the night skies. I take the bear threat seriously; in all my wandering through Glacier at night, I have taken care never to be more than 15 yards from my car (or the front door of a nice warm chalet). Credit: Tyler Nordgren

Paths to human diversity

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:57:38 GMT

clipped by: jamescai

Clip Source: www.sciencemag.org

Paths to human diversity.
CREDIT: PRESTON HUEY/SCIENCE

Newly detected air pollutants

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:50:17 GMT

clipped by: hitchhiker08
clipper's remarks: More bad news for non-smokers?!

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

Newly detected air pollutant mimics damaging effects of cigarette smoke

Persistent free radicals, a newly discovered air pollutant, could have effects similar to cigarette smoke, Louisiana researchers say. Credit: H. Barry Dellinger, Louisiana State University

A previously unrecognized group of air pollutants could have effects remarkably similar to harmful substances found in tobacco smoke, Louisiana scientists are reporting in a study scheduled for presentation today at the 236th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. Inhaling those pollutants exposes the average person up to 300 times more free radicals daily than from smoking one cigarette, they added.

since tobacco smoke also contains these molecules. In the five minutes it takes a typical smoker to finish a cigarette, he or she will breathe in an equal number of PFRs from the air and the smoke itself, likely compounding the damaging effects.

Tags: anti-pollutants, free radicals, oxygen, lungs, smoke, environment

Small UK Town Creates Own Currency to Beat the Credit Crunch

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:56:25 GMT

clipped by: digitalfever

Clip Source: www.money.co.uk

Residents of East Sussex town, Lewes, are taking the credit crunch head on and ploughing ahead with plans to launch their own local currency.

Tags: blues, credit, currency, uk

WorldWide Telescope

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:04:37 GMT

clipped by: darkduskx
clipper's remarks: Sweet!

Clip Source: technology.sympatico.msn.ca

The WorldWide Telescope launches

2008-05-22

Earlier this week, a new web application known as the WorldWide Telescope launched, giving users unprecedented access to imagery from space.

WorldWide Telescope
Launched earlier this month, the WorldWide Telescope is a rich visualization environment that functions as a virtual telescope, bringing together imagery from the best ground- and space-based telescopes to enable seamless exploration of the universe. Users can choose from a growing number of guided tours of the sky by astronomers and educators from some of the most famous observatories and planetariums in the country. WorldWide Telescope (credit: The WorldWide Telescope)

Sunnis, armed by US, disarmed by Iraq govt

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:28:40 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Awakening Councils, who fought al-Qaida, not trusted by Shi'ite govt.

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

BAGHDAD — The Shiite-led government is cracking down on U.S.-backed Sunni Arab fighters in one of Iraq's most turbulent regions, arresting some leaders, disarming dozens of men and banning them from manning checkpoints except alongside official security forces.

The moves in Diyala province reflect mixed views on a movement that began in 2007 among Sunni tribes in western Iraq who revolted against al-Qaida in Iraq and joined the Americans in the fight against the terrorist network.

U.S. officials credit the rise of such groups, known variously as Awakening Councils, Sons of Iraq and Popular Committees, with helping rout al-Qaida.

But Iraq's government is suspicious of such groups, fearing their decision to break with the insurgency was a short-term tactic to gain U.S. money and support. The government fears they will eventually turn their guns against Iraq's majority Shiites.

America has spent

$200 million on salaries, equipment and training for the fighters, which now number nearly 100,000

Tags: iraq

Subprime and Alt-A: The End of One Crisis and the Beginning of Another

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:08:53 GMT

clipped by: Forbes Markets
clipper's remarks: The beat just goes on....

Clip Source: calculatedrisk.blogspot.com

we may have now seen the beginning of the end of the subprime meltdown, but we are only at the end of the beginning of the Alt-A wave that is following it.

According to Clayton, subprime delinquencies appear to have peaked in December of 2007, and subprime foreclosure starts may have peaked in January of 2008. The volume of foreclosures in process will remain elevated for a long time as these things work their way through lengthy foreclosure timelines, but the peak in FC starts is good news.

Unfortunately, Alt-A seems nowhere near its peak yet. Clayton's report, based on May data, indicates that both new delinquencies and foreclosure starts in Alt-A pools are still rising. Fannie Mae's recent conference call suggesting that Alt-A deteriorated even more sharply in July is yet more evidence that the Alt-A mess is still ramping up.

Tags: credit crisis, subprime mortgages, alt-a loans

Leaving school to pursue a Guitar Hero career

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:51:54 GMT

clipped by: enbar
clipper's remarks: I don't think this is a good idea, personally, but maybe that's just me -- I'm an uptight, Old Media kind of guy, I guess.

Clip Source: thestory.org

Homeschool of Rock

Blake Peebles, credit: Corey Lowenstein - larger >>

When teenager Blake Peebles first asked to leave regular high school to pursue a professional gaming career, his parents dismissed the idea. Then Blake established himself as one of the nation’s top Guitar Hero players in local and online tournaments, and his parents Mike and Hunter reconsidered.

After a year of homeschool, Blake has not only made straight A’s and aced his EOGs; he also has qualified to compete in the regionals of the World Cyber Games, the largest gaming festival in the world. Blake, Mike, and Hunter join guest host Aaron Henkin to explain their decision to let Blake pursue his dream to go pro as a gamer.

Read a Raleigh News & Observer article about Blake

Tags: random_sh!t, news, parenting, funny, games, children

Pub Goers Trade Home Grown Produce for Beer to Beat Credit Crunch

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:30:31 GMT

clipped by: digitalfever

Clip Source: www.money.co.uk

The sign outside the pub reads: 'If you grow, breed, shoot or steal anything that may look at home on our menu, then bring it in and let's do a deal.' True to their word they'll negotiate on anything, agreeing a barter price based on the size, quantity and quality of the produce presented.

Tags: produce, bar, drink, beer, food, meat, credit

Surge of bond deals lifts credit risk premiums

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:27:30 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.ft.com

Multi-billion dollar debt sales from AIG and Citigroup led a sudden wave of US bond deals last week that lifted corporate credit risk premiums across the market – in contrast to an improving picture in Europe.

However, these market moves mask a rapidly worsening picture for European economies and credit markets versus the US, which some analysts see as a bigger trend that will gather pace.

Stephen Dulake, European credit strategist at JPMorgan Chase, calls this change “macro risk reversal”.

“Europe is becoming increasingly more risky than the US,” he said.

“Negative economic surprises in our in-house index are at a four-year high in Europe and we’re seeing accelerating profit warnings across industrial sectors.”

the worse outlook for Europe does not mean an entirely positive outlook for the US. “Many risks still hang over the credit markets, including a slow but deliberate deterioration in fundamentals,” say analysts at Lehman Brothers.

Tags: economy, financial markets, i-losses, i-risks, i-increase

Intelligent Finance Closes Doors to New Customers & Cuts 400 Jobs

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:59:24 GMT

clipped by: digitalfever

Clip Source: www.money.co.uk

According to the financial firm, the changes will come as part of a general restructuring exercise - and will result in Intelligent Finance only offering offset mortgages. Current credit card, loan and account holders will not be immediately affected by the move.

Tags: money, banks, uk, business, financial

Credit Woodlands

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:36:07 GMT

clipped by: seilerfred

Clip Source: mississauga.yourclassifieds.ca

Credit Card Debt: This Popping Bubble Is Really Going to Hurt

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:26:13 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

While many eyes are focusing on the housing meltdown and its hugely negative effect on an economy clearly moving into recession, few are paying attention to the next bubble expected to burst: credit cards.

Combined with the subprime losses, such a credit card nightmare has the potential, experts say, of bringing down the entire financial system and global economy.

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

Also, let us not forget that our credit card companies have been colonizing markets throughout the world. As the New York Times explained in a series on debt, "As the American blessing of credit cards became widespread, so did the American curse of debt."

Tags: economy, consumers, financial markets, i-debt, i-crisis, i-forecast

The Age of Anxiety

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:57:20 GMT

clipped by: abailart
clipper's remarks: Good economic units must be anxious all the time

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Anxiety is a bigger problem than this navel-gazing might suggest. Across a spectrum that includes panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress, phobias and the catch-all, generalised anxiety disorder - anxiety disorder has become the most prevalent mental health problem in the world, according to a World Mental Health Survey of 18 countries.

And it's about to get worse. We are entering a new age of anxiety.

Could it be caused by consumerism, which we grow into more slowly?

It could, says Tom Hodgkinson, editor of The Idler and author of the inspirational How to Be Free. He believes that our economic system functions precisely by keeping us anxious. We're encouraged to believe, at all times, that we're just one purchase away from happiness: 'Anxious people make good consumers and good workers. Anxiety will drive us back into our comfort blankets of credit-card shopping and bad food

deliberately produces anxiety while simultaneously promising to take it away.

Tags: anxiety, economics

some one wins in fighting foreclosures

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 03:43:41 GMT

clipped by: markatent
clipper's remarks: good for them!

Clip Source: www.consumeraffairs.com

Fighting Foreclosure: One Family's Story

How fighting back enabled a family to keep its home

Although Smith and her husband were "viable citizens with good credit," they were quickly steered into an expensive subprime loan with ballooning payments and hidden fees that they couldn't keep up with. Their home's builder was indicted and the mortgage broker was quickly revealed to be collaborating with the builder to, as Smith put it, "unload crappy homes for pretty quick money."

The bundling and reselling of mortgage loans as securitized investments on Wall Street was one of the principal factors in the housing crisis, which bled over into a full-scale economic meltdown.

Tags: stop foreclosure, fighting foreclosure