Growing Old Together

Growing Old Together

My, the years are flying by
I cannot slow them down;
What really makes them pleasant
Is the fact that you're around.
You're the bridge to happiness,
The only one I know;
Your love is all I live for,
I could never let you go.
Growing old is not so bad
When it comes to push or shove,
As long as you're beside me
We will always be in love.
The years have been so kind to you
And so well you've done your part;
The proof is in the 'pudding'
By the love that's in your heart.
Years have come and years have gone
And still you make me sigh;
It's true that we'll grow older
But our love will never die.

Author: Fay Shaw Kinsey

former radio talk show host was sentenced to seven years in prison

A former San Francisco radio talk show host and former Roman Catholic priest was sentenced to more than seven years in prison Thursday for distributing child pornography.

Bernie Ward, 57, pleaded guilty in May to one count of distributing child pornography. Prosecutors said investigators found dozens of pornographic images of children as young as 3 on Ward's home computer, including masochistic images of children bound and gagged.

"He traded in the currency of children's suffering," federal prosecutor Steve Grocki said.

Ward, a father of four known for his staunchly liberal views, hosted a nightly radio show until the station fired him when the child pornography indictment was made public in December.

A Stanislaus County woman who exchanged sexually explicit Internet messages with him called police after Ward sent her a photograph of two children engaged in a sex act.

She also provided police with transcripts of a conversation where Ward said he was aroused when his daughter walked in the bathroom while he showered, according to court documents.

"I find it extremely troubling that a parent would say the things he wrote in those messages," U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker said before sentencing him to seven years and three months.

Ward's attorney, Doron Weinberg, had argued for five years, the mandatory minimum prison sentence. He cited numerous letters of support Ward received after pleading guilty and Ward's volunteer work.

Weinberg has said Ward downloaded the child porn for journalistic research.

"It's clear that it ended in a dark place," Weinberg said. "Bernie Ward is a good man."

FBI looks into Denver reports of threat on Obama

Aurora Police Department Detective, Marcus Dudley, speaks to the media during a press conference at the Aurora Police Department in Aurora, Colo. on Monday Aug. 25, 2008. Federal authorities are looking into reports that a man arrested after officers found rifles, ammunition and drugs in his truck may have made threats against Barack Obama, officials said Monday.





Federal authorities are looking into reports that a man arrested with rifles, ammunition and drugs in his truck may have made threats against Barack Obama, officials said Monday.

Two other men were arrested in the case.

"It's premature to say that it was a valid threat or that these folks have the ability to carry it out," said a U.S. government official familiar with the investigation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

Obama will be in Denver later this week to accept the Democratic nomination for president.

FBI spokeswoman Kathy Wright confirmed the FBI was investigating the reports but declined to elaborate. The Joint Information Center — a command set up by Denver, state and federal authorities to field media inquiries during the Democratic convention — said it had no immediate comment.

Tharin Gartrell, 28, was arrested during a traffic stop early Sunday by police in the eastern Denver suburb of Aurora. In his truck, officers found two rifles, including one with a scope; a bulletproof vest; boxes of ammunition; walkie-talkies; and suspected narcotics, said Aurora police Detective Marcus Dudley.

Police alerted federal authorities, who soon arrested Nathan Johnson, 32, at a hotel in Denver, Dudley said. A third man, Shawn Robert Adolf, 33, was arrested at a suburban Glendale hotel, Dudley said.

Adolf allegedly tried to escape officers by jumping from a sixth-floor window. He was hospitalized and was being held on $1 million bond for several outstanding warrants involving drug charges. Johnson also was being held on drug charges and his bond was unknown, Dudley said.

It wasn't known if the three men had attorneys, Dudley said.

Dudley didn't say what tied the men together but that more arrests were possible. One of the rifles was stolen, and authorities had traced it to Kansas, Dudley said. He declined to say to whom it belonged.

Aurora police alerted federal officials because of heightened security surrounding the Democratic convention, Dudley said.

"Clearly we found there are federal implications — otherwise we would not have notified them," he said. "The weapons clearly would cause great concern."

U.S. Attorney Troy Eid said the case was under investigation. "We're absolutely confident there is no credible threat to the candidate, the Democratic National Convention, or the people of Colorado," Eid said in a statement.

Officials with the FBI, Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Aurora police set a news conference for Tuesday afternoon.

Law enforcers in Denver are trying to find out whether the reported threats to Obama were valid. "It could also turn out that these were nothing but a bunch of knuckleheads, meth-heads," the U.S. government official said.

Oil prices spike as Hurricane Gustav nears Gulf

Oil prices swung rapidly higher Tuesday as Hurricane Gustav threatened major oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
After falling close to $112 per barrel in overnight trading, light, sweet crude for October delivery spiked $2.33 to $117.44 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, a $5 swing.
Already adding support to oil prices was Russia's recognition of independence for two breakaway provinces in Georgia, which is likely to enflame tensions with the west.
In London, October Brent crude rose 1 cent to $114.51 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.
Oil prices switched directions several times during Tuesday's session, with the dollar swings seen as mostly responsible for the fluctuations.
"The Dollar Index ... has shown that it can at time override the oil fundamentals ... and will probably dominate until Gustav defines a more definitive path," said Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix in Switzerland.
Oil prices typically rise when the dollar falls, as investors buy commodities as a hedge against inflation and weakness in the U.S. currency.
Although the dollar was still stronger Tuesday than Monday, by the afternoon in Europe it gave back some of its gains from earlier in the session against the euro. The euro had fallen below $1.46, a six-month low, but later climbed back to $1.4635.
At the same time, the dollar also lost some ground within the session against the Japanese yen, to 109.55 yen compared with 109.78 earlier, but still up from 109.35 on Monday.
Tropical storm Gustav became a hurricane Tuesday as it approached Haiti's southern coast, and is also on track to hit Cuba.
Forecasters said the hurricane's maximum sustained winds were near 90 mph Tuesday morning, with higher gusts. They said it could become a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 96 mph or higher before hitting Haiti.
"It's hard to predict where Gustav will strike," said Victor Shum, an energy analyst with Purvin & Gertz in Singapore. "But the market is reacting to it and edging up."
Haitians were told to prepare for evacuations as the storm formed Monday in the Caribbean. Haiti upgraded storm warnings to hurricane warnings along much of its coast as Gustav closed in from the south.
Forecasters said storm preparations in Haiti should be rushed to completion and that floods and landslides were possible across its southern peninsula. The forecasts suggested Gustav's eye could pass near the capital of Port-au-Prince, home to nearly 3 million people.
Traders worried that the hurricane could head into the Gulf, where there are many oil drilling platforms. The storm was centered about 130 miles south-southeast of Port-au-Prince and was moving toward the northwest near 12 mph (19 kph).
Analysts and traders also feared that mounting tensions with the West over the breakaway Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia may increase the risk of an interruption of oil and natural gas flows to Europe, greatly dependent on Russian energy supplies.
In other Nymex trading, heating oil futures rose 3.8 cents to $3.1894 a gallon, while gasoline prices gained 3.86 cents to $2.9209 a gallon. Natural gas futures increased 39.2 cents to $8.217 per 1,000 cubic feet.

DRINK, STEAL, SWEAR & LIE

I met this guy while I was in Albuquerque who has
a motto he lives by everyday. He said listen carefully and
live by these 4 rules : Drink, Steal, Swear, & Lie.

I was shaking my head 'no', but he then told me to listen
while he explained his four rules. So here they are:

1. "Drink" from the "everlasting cup" every day.

2. "Steal" a moment to help someone that is in
worse shape than you are.
3. "Swear" that you will be a better person
today than yesterday.
4. And last, but not least, when you "lie" down at night
thank God you live in America and have freedom.

I am not as good as I should be, I am not as good
as I could be . but THANK GOD
I am better than I used to be!

The Sex of a fly

A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter.

'What are you doing?' She asked.

'Hunting Flies' He responded.

'Oh. Killing any?' She asked.

'Yep, 3 males, 2 Females,' he replied.
























Intrigued, she asked. 'How can you tell?' He responded, '3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the phone.'

how to make a woman happy...

It's not difficult to make a woman happy. A man only needs to be:

1. a friend

2. a companion

3. a lover

4. a brother

5. a father

6. a master

7. a chef

8. an electrician

9. a carpenter

10. a plumber

11. a mechanic

12. a decorator

13. a stylist

14. a sexologist

15. a gynecologist

16. a psychologist

17. a pest exterminator

18. a psychiatrist

19. a healer

20. a good listener

21. an organizer

22. a good father

23. very clean

24. sympathetic

25. athletic

26. warm

27. attentive

28. gallant

29. intelligent

30. funny

31. creative

32. tender

33. strong

34. understanding

35. tolerant

36. prudent

37. ambitious

38. capable

39. courageous

40. determined

41. true

42. dependable

43. passionate

44. compassionate

WITHOUT FORGETTING TO:

45. give her compliments regularly

46. love shopping

47. be honest

48. be very rich

49. not stress her out

50. not look at other girls

AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MUST ALSO:

51. give her lots of attention, but expect little yourself

52. give her lots of time, especially time for herself

53. give her lots of space, never worrying about where she goes

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT:

54. Never to forget:* birthdays* anniversaries* arrangements she makes

HOW TO MAKE A MAN HAPPY

1. Show up naked

2. Bring Alcohol

CARJACKING, watch out for the note on winshield

WARNING: CARJACKING It could happen in your neighborhood. BEWARE………. Just last weekend on Friday night we parked in a public parking area. As we drove away I noticed a sticker on the rear window of the car. When I took it off after I got home, it was a receipt for gas. Luckily my friend had told me not to stop as it could be someone waiting for me to get out of the car. Then we received this email yesterday: '**WARNING FROM POLICE*** **BEWARE OF PAPER ON THE BACK WINDOW OF YOUR VEHICLE-- NEW WAY TO** **DO CARJACKINGS (NOT A JOKE)'*** Heads up everyone! You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. You start the engine and shift intoReverse. When you look into the rear view mirror to back out of your parking space, you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. So, you shift into Park, unlock your doors, and jump out of your car to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view. When you reach the back of your car, that is when the carjackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off. They practically mow you down as they speedoff in your car. And guess what, ladies? I bet your purse is still in the car. So now the carjacker has your car, your home address, your money, and your keys.Your home and your whole identity are now compromised! **BEWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING USED.*** If you see a piece of paper stuck to your back window, just drive away. Remove the paper later. And be thankful that you read this e-mail. I hope you will tell all your friends and family, especially to women.

Detective James J. Magovern Arson / Auto Theft Unit Toms River Police Department Criminal Investgations Bureau 255 Oak Avenue Toms River, N.J. 08754-0876

Main #: 732-349-0150 Ext: 7244 Fax #: 732-349-1352

What if...

What if we could wave a magic wand an change one day in history and if we did we would have to live with the results and accept what ever happened. Could we understand that by making one change in history would create an avalanche of perpetual changes that would alter life as we know it?

What if I fixed it so that Martin Luther King Jr. had never been assassinated. Would we be satisfied with what we created? Most important if we altered time would we still recognize a national holiday called Martin Luther King, Jr. Day that was established in1986. Would his I have a dream speech that impacted the world still have the same effect?

Would James Earl Ray ever be locked up? Or would we divert history for a day week or month before the inevitable finally happened. Or would because we change history we change the faith of mankind as we know it?

What if Loyd Jowers who had received $100,000 to arrange King's assassination never committed the act, that means the jury of six whites and six blacks who found Jowers guilty would no longer have been in court that day.

What if Martin was not awarded posthumously The Marcus Garvey Prize for Human Rights by the Jamaican Government in 1968.[8]

What if In 1971, King was not awarded posthumously the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Recording for his Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam.[184]

What if in 1977, the Presidential Medal of Freedom was not awarded posthumously to King by Jimmy Carter.[185]

What if King and his wife were not awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004.[186]

What if King was not assassinated would he still be the second most admired person in the 20th century, according to a Gallup poll.[187]

What if In 2000, King was not voted sixth in the Person of the Century poll by TIME.[188]

What if we changed history and King was not elected the third Greatest American of all time by the American public in a contest conducted by the Discovery Channel and AOL.[189]

What if Martin was still alive and the 730 cities in the United States still that named streets after King did not do it.[190]

What if King County, Washington did not rededicated its name in his honor in 1986,[191] and changed its logo to an image of his face in 2007.[192]

What if the city government center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, decided not to name its city hall in honor of King.[193]

What if we altered history and King was not awarded at least fifty honorary degrees from various colleges and universities in the United States and several foreign countries.[177][8]

What if we did all this to save man kind from loosing a great human being and the course of history was forever changed! Would it really be worth it if he was still alive but all the great honors that he received because of his death no longer existed? Would it really matter?

Then again what if I never wrote, what if?

Christmas Story

There was a man who worked for the Post Office whose job it was to process all the mail that had illegible addresses. One day, a letter came addressed in a shaky handwriting to God with no actual address. He thought he should open it to see what it was about.The letter read:Dear God,I am an 83 year old widow, living on a very small pension. Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had $100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension check. Next Sunday is Christmas, and I had invited two of my friends over for dinner. Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with. I have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope. Can you please help me?Sincerely,EdnaThe postal worker was touched. He showed the letter to all the other workers. Each one dug into his or her wallet and came up with a few dollars. By the time he made the rounds, he had collected $96, which they put into an envelope and sent to the woman.The rest of the day, all the workers felt a warm glow thinking of Edna and the dinner she would be able to share with her friends.Christmas came and went. A few days later, another letter came from the same old lady to God. All the workers gathered around while the letter was opened. It read,Dear God,How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me? Because of your gift of love, I was able to fix a glorious dinner for my friends. We had a very nice day and I told my friends of your wonderful gift.By the way, there was $4 missing. I think it must have been those bastards at the Post Office.Sincerely yours,Edna

write it down, and it shall be come true!

When you believe what you think, you can become what you want. First you have to write it down. Then visualize what you want and need. Remember your wish is truly his command!

Trump to bail McMahon out of his forclosure

Real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump announced his plan to keep famous talk show sidekick Ed McMahon from losing his multimillion-dollar home to foreclosure.
“There are discussions, but it is not a done deal yet. We are optimistic,” a representative for McMahon told Reuters of Trump’s intention to purchase the Beverly Hills property and lease it back to the former “Tonight Show” announcer.
According to the Los Angeles Times, McMahon recently dropped the asking price of his home, which had been on the market for approximately two years, to $4.6 million, $200,000 less than the amount lent by Countrywide Financial Corp. and more than $2.5 million less than its original asking price.

I am very impressed with Trump willing to step up and step in to help McMahon to keep him from going into foreclosure. I just can not help to think that their are literally millions of people who have lost their homes. To bad their was not more people like Trump who were willing to help the American public.

The world is changing

The existence of violence predetermines the flow of life as we know it. We have witness terrorist uni-bombers, snipers, gun men and lunatics on a mission of destruction. Their only intent is to hurt everyone in eye site, then turn the gun on themselves. The luxury of growing old is not a guarantee any more... Everyday you leave your home you have to look both ways before you get in your car. I begin the day with a prayer and ask the lord to let no evil come against me. Sometimes I think that I am a accomplished fool, for I am that person who believes that the world as we know it is not self destructing just changing!

Lady Liberty

When people saw the statue of liberty they knew that they had made it to the promise land. Now we are living in a place where people from other countrys have more rights than we do as Americans. Now when I see lady liberty, I only see a legacy of the past!

16 year old ordered to pay child support

It's a situation fraught with so many twists and turns that if you saw it on a movie screen you might not believe it.
It began when a 19-year-old girl from the town of Lancaster, Ohio was accused of molesting a 15-year-old boy. Jane Crane was allowed to stay at the child's Columbus-area home when allegations surfaced that her stepfather was being abusive.
But something apparently clicked between the girl and the underage son of those providing her temporary refuge. She's since been charged with unlawful sexual conduct, after allegedly having physical relations at least twice with the underage boy.
So far, the story is somewhat sad, but not that unusual.
But here's where it takes an odd turn. The teen became pregnant as a result of the encounter and paternity tests prove the boy is the father of the little girl, who was born in late April.
Now a court has ordered the youngster to pay $50 a month child support, despite the fact the act that resulted in the child's birth was apparently illegal.
Crane, meanwhile, could face up to 18 months in jail if she's convicted, and that's now prompted the boy's family to try and gain custody of the newborn. The baby is currently living with Crane and her family not far away.
The parents of the now 16-year-old say that because of the allegations against the stepfather, they don't think their granddaughter is safe and they want to take her home with them. They're also outraged that a teenager said to be the victim of a crime has to pay child support.
The unidentified boy's parents claim their son is having nightmares and problems sleeping and that his life has been changed forever because of his naivete. His folks are hoping for a plea bargain to resolve the issue, even as the young mother awaits her own day in court this week.

So what is next a teacher molest a student 15 and she is 21; she gets pregnant and they expect the 15 year old to pay support, is that really right? I guess as a man he should have rapped it up?

The Penny

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about. Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house. The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very w wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely. As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up? Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it t no longer. She causally mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value. A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this? "Look at it." He said. "Read what it says." She read the words "United States of America." "No, not that; read further." "One cent?" "No, keep reading." "In God we Trust?" "Yes!" "And?" "And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful! When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message. It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient... Have a blessed day!!

40 percent of Ind. mortgage brokers lose licenses

Nearly 40 percent of Indiana's mortgage brokerages lost their licenses Wednesday because they haven't complied with a new law aimed at raising the standards of the industry in a state with one of the nation's highest foreclosure rates.
As of noon Wednesday, 361 of Indiana's 950 brokerages had failed to meet a Tuesday deadline for complying with a 2007 industry-backed law that requires each brokerage to name a principal broker with at least three years experience who has passed a state exam and will oversee his company's business affairs.
Another 143 brokerages have voluntarily surrendered their licenses, Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita said in a teleconference with reporters.
That means only about half of the 950 mortgage brokers licensed by the state on July 1 remain in business five weeks later.
The new law also requires background checks on brokers and raised their annual fees to $400 from $100, Rokita said.
"Some businesses said, `I don't even want to invest another $300 in this enterprise,'" he said.
The numbers of license forfeitures and revocations could change somewhat in the coming days because paperwork might still be in the mail, said Jim Gavin, a spokesman for Rokita.
Brokers act as third parties that match a borrower to a lender. They originate about two-thirds of the home and commercial loans in Indiana, Rokita said.
Investigators from the state Securities Division will investigate to see if unlicensed loan brokers still were operating in the state. Rokita called on mortgage lenders to tip off investigators if they suspected an unlicensed loan broker was still in business. Unlicensed brokers could face criminal charges or civil penalties.
The Indiana Association of Mortgage Brokers worked with Rokita's office and lawmakers in drafting the new law, said the group's president, Mike Monaco of Merrillville.
"Make no mistake about it, we had one of the easiest entrance barriers in the country," Monaco said. He said many of the brokers who have lost their licenses likely already had left the business because of the housing industry downturn.
The low standards likely were among the factors leading to Indiana consistently having one of the 10 highest foreclosure rates in the nation, Monaco said.
Rokita, however, downplayed the brokers' standards role in Indiana's high foreclosure rate.
"I don't think that was a very big piece of that," Rokita said, explaining that talks on the new law began before the subprime mortgage crisis began.
Karl Berron, chief executive of the Indiana Association of Realtors, said the license revocations could cause loan problems for a few prospective buyers, but he expected only minimal impact from Wednesday's action.
"The loans are still there for folks that want them," Berron said.
Consumers can see a list of unlicensed loan brokers on the Secretary of State's Web page -- http://www.in.gov/sos -- which was to be updated daily. The site also features a database where consumers can look up a specific company by name and confirm if it is licensed.
The 950 mortgage brokers licensed as of July 1 did not include 360 who are exempt from the new law until next Jan. 1. Those include companies that provide Veterans Administration loans and loans through other federal programs.

Magnificent Mortgage Deals

After a week of depressing news about house price falls and the property market, finally, there is some good news for homeowners.
Over the last couple of days, several mortgage lenders come out with some new market-leading deals aimed particularly at existing borrowers.
First off, there’s an attractive new kid on the block when it comes to fee-free deals. Yorkshire Bank has announced it is waiving its arrangement fees for new customers who are looking to remortgage in August. It has a range of deals available as part of the offer, including a two-year fixed rate at 6.49% for those with equity of 25% or more, rising to 6.89% for those with less than 25%.
Not the best rates on the market but with the fee-free offering these deals can work out cheaper over a two-year period. (Read Free Yourself From Mortgage Fees for tips on how to accurately compare fee-free deals with other deals.)
If you want a lower rate, but don’t want to pay a huge upfront fee, there is further good news. Nationwide has cut its rates by up to 0.2% this week. Remortgagors can now get a two-year fixed rate with a fee of just £599 – those with 25% equity pay 5.98%, 10% pay 6.38% and 5% pay 6.68%. This deal is available direct or through our award-winning Motley Fool Mortgage Service.
But are there better deals around for remortgagors? As is always the case with financial products, it depends on your circumstances and your preferences.
Below is a list of some of my favourite remortgage deals. You will be able to find lower rates elsewhere – I have gone for a combination of the best rate, loan to value and fees. If you do know of any better deals, please don’t keep them to yourself – post them in the comments box below, or on our mortgages discussion board.
How much of your home do you own?
Woolwich has a great lifetime tracker for those with 40% equity in their property. The rate is 5.69% and the deal comes with a £995 arrangement fee.
Britannia Building Society, meanwhile, has a couple of attractive fixed rate deals for those with a 25% deposit. Its two year fix at 5.94% comes with an arrangement fee of £999, or if you want to fix your rate for longer, its five year fix at 5.89% has the same fee.
Another good option is Market Harborough Building Society’s two year fix, which has a slightly high rate of 5.99% with a lower fee of £749. To qualify, you need at least 20% equity in your property.
If you only have a deposit of 15%, Barnsley Building Society offers a two year discount at 5.99% with a reasonable £750 fee.
Deals for borrowers with small deposits
Of course, you may not have a large amount of equity in your property. Unfortunately, this means you will have to pay a higher rate – but there are still some good deals to be found.
HSBC steals a march on its competitors in this sector with some market-leading rates up to 90% loan to value (so you only need a 10% deposit).
Its two year discount of 5.49% comes with a £999 arrangement fee and its lifetime tracker at 5.79% has a reasonable fee of £599 – or you can take the lifetime rate at 5.99% with no arrangement fees.
Fixed rate deals at this loan to value are less competitive but Skipton Building Society offers a two year fixed rate at 6.19% with an arrangement fee of £1,098.
High fee (good for large loans)
If you have a particularly large mortgage your payrate is all important and it can make sense to swallow a high fee to secure a low rate. Broker John Charcol has an exclusive mortgage designed for such borrowers. It’s a two year tracker at just 4.99% but comes with an eye-watering 2.75% fee. It is also only available up to 65% loan to value.
If you fancy a fixed rate mortgage deal, Halifax is offering a 4.99% fixed rate on mortgages between £500,000 and £7.5m… but it comes with a steep 2.5% fee. Ouch!
Low fee (good for smaller loans)
If you have a small loan the fee can sometimes make a significant different to the overall cost, particularly on two year deals. So it can make sense to sacrifice a lower rate for a small fee.
For those with 25% equity, Nationwide has a two year tracker at 5.98% with a fee of just £599. It has the same deal on a three year tracker at 5.74%.
Market Harborough’s lifetime discount at 5.95% is available up to 80% loan to value and comes with a tiny fee of £195.
Finally if you want to fix and benefit from a low rate check out First Direct’s three year fixed rate at 5.95%. Available up to 80% loan to value it comes with an arrangement fee of £598.
Which deal is right for you?
The right deal for you will always depend on your individual needs and circumstances, so don’t jump into a decision.
Read up on mortgages here at The Fool, chat to other Fools on our mortgage discussion board and check out our best buy mortgage tables. You can also speak to one of our fee-free mortgage brokers for whole-of-market mortgage advice.

Another family evicted

A COUPLE who lost their home of 13 years after failing to keep up mortgage payments, are living in a shed on an allotment because, they say, only substandard accommodation is on offer from their local council.
Their six children are farmed out to relatives.
“The allotment is cleaner than half the houses they have sent us to. It’s disgusting... six kids are all separated and it’s not fair on them.”
The council say, “Given that she has been classified as intentionally homeless, social housing is not a realistic option. The only other option is to try to secure accommodation for the family in the private rented sector.”
That’s what another council says about a family of four, with another baby on the way, who are living in a car after repossession. The father is a postman and their downfall began when their mortgage payments almost doubled.
Both councils ignore the fact that good private landlords won’t want people with a bad financial record so only dumps are left.
With more than 100 homes being repossessed each day, the highest level for 12 years, are they all going to be classed as authors of their own misfortune? And can children ever be said to have rendered themselves “intentionally homeless”?
A total of 18,900 homes were repossessed in the first half of 2008 – a 48% increase since the same time last year. The number of people who are falling behind with their mortgage payments is also increasing.
Shelter’s chief says: “We know that behind these figures are thousands of families facing sleepless nights worrying about how to make their next mortgage payment, and many thousands more will be waking up to the frightening reality of repossession.”
The Legal Services Commission has announced that emergency legal schemes are to be set up so anyone in danger of eviction can get free legal advice. I’m glad to hear it because, frankly, there aren’t enough sheds to go round.
A step too far for the ladies of the WI?OH deary, deary me. What have the WI been up to? When they announced their intention to look into prostitution and try to improve things I applauded them. I still applaud the intention, but their sortie into the media, the WI Guide to Brothels, gave me some uncomfortable viewing. Two members, lovely ladies, visited Amsterdam, Nevada and New Zealand to see for themselves.
Seeing them in fluffy dressing gowns, lined up on display with the Nevada Buddy Ranch’s available talent, was too much, as was their stint in an Amsterdam window brothel.
The trouble was that perfectly nice and honest women had fallen for the blandishments of a television reporter.
Fortunately, the decency of the WI shone through and at times the programme was genuinely informative. So, top marks for bravery, ladies, but nul points for being streetwise. Keep up the crusade, though. It’s worthwhile.
You’ve made your bed, now lie in itTracey Emin rose to artistic fame by exhibiting her bed, complete with stained sheets, used condoms, fag ash, empty bottles and dirty panties.
Now she complains, “There is no place for my love to go,” and bewails the fact she doesn’t have a husband and children.
Doesn’t the silly mare realise that no man in his right senses would want to sleep with a woman who had a bed like that.

Issac Hayes died at 65

Isaac Hayes a trailblazer, innovator and creative genius and says he will be sorely missed. Hayes, the first African-American to win an Oscar for a music score died at his Memphis, Tennessee home yesterday at the age of 65. Hayes' wife found him dead on the floor near the treadmill, according to an MTV article. Coincidentally, Hayes was scheduled to appear in an upcoming production with the late Bernie Mac, reports the Memphis TV station.
According to Hayes' official Web site, the music icon was set to play himself in a musical comedy starring comedian Bernie Mac, who died Saturday. (WMC-TV)I grew up in New Orleans, but I was born in Memphis, Tenn. My parents moved back to New Orleans when I was a baby, but while in Memphis they owned a house and lived next door to a teacher who taught Hayes. I always felt a tiny personal connection to Hayes because of my birth town.However, I was also a fan of his music. Hayes not only won an Oscar for Shaft, but also won Grammy awards for the score and another classic.
In 1972, he won another Grammy for his album "Black Moses" and earned a nickname he reluctantly embraced. Hayes composed film scores for "Tough Guys" and "Truck Turner" besides "Shaft." He also did the song "Two Cool Guys" on the "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America" movie soundtrack in 1996. (CBS News)The Shaft theme is a classic, synonymous with cool bad ass, and about two years ago I made a point of replacing my vinyl copy with a CD. I used to have a clip of "Do Your Thing," another song from the Shaft score posted with a poem at AuthorsDen. And yes, I'm old enough to recall his music played frequently on the radio. Read more about Hayes' career at CBS. The man was a musical genius, but he also showed up in movies and television shows from time to time. As the MTV story points out, he experienced an unexpected return to the spotlight doing the voice of Chef on Southpark. However, Hayes quit the show when it took a poke at his spiritual beliefs. He was a Scientologist.

Bernie Brillstein, 77, died of heart disease

LOS ANGELES — Bernie Brillstein, a Hollywood manager and producer who helped mold television with his contributions to series such as "Saturday Night Live" and "The Muppet Show," died Thursday night in Los Angeles. He was 77. The cause was chronic pulmonary disease, said Nicole Caruso, a publicist for Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
In a 52-year career, Mr. Brillstein represented entertainers who ranged from stand-up comedian Norm Crosby and singer Frankie Laine to a later generation of comic rebels that included John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Lorne Michaels, Martin Short and others.
Mr. Brillstein launched his career in the mail room of the William Morris Agency in New York in 1956 and rose through the ranks to become a talent agent.
After founding the Brillstein Company in 1969 — the first of three management and production companies to bear his name — he helped launch "Hee Haw," the long-running country music-comedy show.
He also helped launch "The Muppet Show" and was instrumental in bringing "Saturday Night Live" to NBC in 1975.
As a manager, Mr. Brillstein represented the long-running comedy show's creator-executive producer, Michaels, as well as Belushi, Radner and Aykroyd.
"He was unwavering in his belief in me," Michaels said Friday, adding that he couldn't have done "Saturday Night Live" without him.
Mr. Brillstein helped produce the films "The Blues Brothers," "Ghostbusters," "Dragnet," "Happy Gilmore" and "The Cable Guy."
For television, he helped produce the series "ALF," "Buffalo Bill," "It's Garry Shandling's Show," "The Dana Carvey Show" and "The Martin Short Show."

Sperm Donor obligated to pay child support

According to the opinion for the court by Judge Michael E. Vigil, the mother came to know the donor through her same-sex partner, and the three became friends. Mother and her partner wanted to have children together, and tried for some years to persuade their friend to donate sperm for them, with the understanding that he would be a male role model for the child but would not have any legal or financial obligation. After resisting for several years, the donor finally agreed and donated sperm, leading to the birth of a child. The insemination was accomplished at home without the participation of a physician. Shortly after the birth of the child, the donor, mother and her partner executed a written agreement embodying their understanding. The donor established a relationship with the child.Mother and her partner separated, but mother wanted to have another child, and the donor agreed to donate sperm for a new insemination under the same terms, although there was no written agreement governing the second child. Again, insemination was accomplished at home without a doctor’s participation. The second child was born, and again the donor sustained a relationship, now with both children, as a male parental figure. Three years after the birth of the younger child, mother demanded that donor provide child support and, when he balked, filed a paternity action in court seeking a support order. Donor agreed to a stipulated amount, which was approved by the court, and the donor has faithfully made the payments. But then three years later, mother demanded an increase. (In the meantime, donor had married and had three children with his wife). Donor again balked and this time the case went to a hearing, which focused on the donor’s income and led to an order substantially increasing his monthly payments. He appealed. ...The first ruling is clearly the more significant, addressing a question of first impression on the enforceability of the agreement under which the donor had agreed to contribute his semen to the project of mother’s pregnancies. The court found that under the agreement could have been enforceable under New Mexico ’s adoption of the Uniform Parentage Act, but the failure of the parties to involve a doctor in the insemination process when there was a "known donor" took these conceptions outside the jurisdiction of the Act’s provision on donor insemination. What remained in the absence of the Act was the clear public policy of New Mexico that a biological father of a child has a legal obligation of support if he has held himself out as the child’s father, and any purported agreement to the contrary is unenforceable as a matter of public policy.

What a idiot, he agreed to be a part of the childs life and then he acts surprised that the mother is expecting child support... I am sorry my friend you should have got a kiss, cause you just got screwed!

LETTER FROM A FARM KID

LETTER FROM A FARM KID, (NOW AT San Diego MARINE CORPS RECRUIT TRAINING.) Dear Ma and Pa, I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled. I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. but I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing. Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you til noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much. We go on "route marches," which the platoon Sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. The country is nice but awful flat. The Sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and Colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none. This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting, I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes. Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this place except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake . I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and near 300 pounds dry. Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter, Lisa

Gas prices gradually falling while crude is falling fast

From a peak of $147 a barrel last month, crude oil has fallen by 19 percent -- but not gasoline.The local average gas price has fallen by less than 5 percent from its high of $4.346 a gallon on July 8 -- and 6 percent nationally. So, why do gas prices go up like a rocket as crude oil is rising, but parachute slowly downward when its basic raw material is plummeting. A brief explanation shows that while oil prices were making a steady incline, many owners were taking a beating at the pump because they were not passing the crude increase accross the board when they first started happening. Now that the prices are of crude as dropped, many owners are trying to recoup some of their losses. Although they will continue to gradually fall.

4 months ago when the gas prices were $3.27 a gallon I was mad. Now I will welcome these numbers with open arms...

Personality test... Really Cool

The Bathtub Test

During a visit to the mental asylum, I asked the Director how do You determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized? 'Well,' said the Director, 'we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a Teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to
Empty the bathtub.' 'Oh, I understand,' I said. 'A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup.' 'No' said the Director, 'A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?' ARE YOU GOING TO PASS THIS ON, OR DO YOU WANT THE BED NEXT TO MINE ?

Marital problems for Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband Matthew Broderick have allegedly been 'living separate lives for some time', according to US reports.Claims emerged last week in the US press that SJP's husband of 11 years had had an affair with an unknown youth worker, whilst the actress was filming Sex and The City: The Movie, last November.Although the sensationalised allegations seemed unfounded – since the couple are looked upon as one of the most solid pairings in showbiz – the story has snowballed and Broderick's 'no comment' stance from his representative, Simon Hall, just added fuel to the fire. According to a US magazine, there is an increasing strain on the couple's marriage and they have rarely been spotted out together over the past few months. One source spoke out saying: 'Sarah and Matthew have been struggling for years. Now that news of Matthew's cheating has broken, they have decided to make things work – especially for the sake of their son, James.'Despite reports that SJP is 'devastated' by the accusations that Broderick had a three-month affair with a 25-year-old, she apparently wants to remain married for the sake of their son. 'Sarah's in a lot of pain,' one neighbour told Star magazine.

Did you know?

I SURE DIDNT TILL NOW


Death is certain but the Bible speaks about untimely death!


Make a personal reflection about this.....


Very interesting, read until the end.....

It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7):



'Be not deceived; God is not mocked:

for whatsoever a man sow,

that shall he also reap.



Here are some men and women

who mocked God :


John Lennon (Singer):


Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said:


'Christianity will end, it will disappear.

I do not have to argue about

that. I am certain.


Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, today we are more famous than Him' (1966).


Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.



Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil ):

During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency.


Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.


Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet):

During A show in Canecio ( Rio de Janeiro ),


while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said:'God, that's for you.'


He died at the age of 32 of LUNG CANCER in a horrible manner.


The man who built the Titanic


After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be.


With an ironic tone he said:

'Not even God can sink it'


The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic



Marilyn Monroe (Actress)


She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show.

He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her.

After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said:

'I don't need your Jesus'.


A week later, she was found dead in her apartment


Bon Scott (Singer)

The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang:

'Don't stop me; I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell'.


On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.


Campinas (IN 2005)

In Campinas , Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend.....

The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter holding her hand, who was already seated in the car:


'My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect You.'

She responded: 'Only If He (God) Travels In The Trunk, Cause Inside Here.....It's Already Full '


Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died,

the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact.


The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken


Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer) said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written.


In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle.

Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus.


Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive.


'Jesus'