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To: Les H who wrote (164376)	11/14/2008 4:23:26 PM
From: Les H	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

Paulson, who met Monday with two members of Obama's economic transition team, said in an interview Wednesday that he would not propose anything new before the next administration takes office unless he feels it is absolutely necessary for the economy. "We're not going to go to big lengths to do things that could be done later," he said. Paulson also said he still expects that $700 billion will be enough. But with Treasury's commitment earlier this week to buy $40 billion in stock of ailing insurance giant AIG, $290 billion of the $350 billion first installment is already spoken for. Either the Bush administration or the Obama administration will have to survive a congressional vote on the second $350 billion funding installment. Such a request will likely set up a fight, with lawmakers trying to steer the use of the money. "It's conceivable use of the remaining funds could come with more congressional strings attached," Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients. insurancenewsnet.com

To: Les H who wrote (164376)	11/14/2008 4:24:33 PM
From: Tommaso	Read Replies (13) \| Respond to of 306849

OT: I must consider myself rich. I recently stopped buying the CVS 1000-sheet rolls of toilet paper and began buying something from Walgreen that I think may be their version of Charmin. I think the change was worth it. Among other things, a terrible anal itch disappeared. I think really cheap toilet paper may be acidic. This is a possible fact very much worth knowing, along with the seldom-mentioned fact that antihistamines can cause (reversible)prostate swelling and impotence and that that naproxen has a long half-life and can accumulate to the point of causing chest pains, and that lots of cold remedies raise blood pressure.

To: Les H who wrote (164376)	11/18/2008 4:46:06 PM
From: Les H	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 306849

Unintended consequences of loan mods Second, the picture grows even bleaker – at least for the many investors still owning bonds backed by subprime mortgages – due to the increased calls from Washington for widespread easing of terms on mortgages for people who are having trouble paying them. There are two types of subprime loans. First, those that are actually owned by investors, often banks. Persuading people to contact their lenders when they run into problems repaying the loans is hard enough. Numerous tricks have been used, including sending modification offers in fancy-looking envelopes which are more likely to be opened. But changing terms is possible and could prevent foreclosure, the worst outcome for lenders, borrowers and the plunging house market. Then, there are those mortgages that have been securitised. These are not owned by individuals, or banks, but by special “trusts”. In other words, the relationship between the borrower and the lender is between a person and a contract, a piece of paper. Decisions are not governed by someone’s will, but by legal requirements. And these are, not surprisingly, very inflexible. The threat of litigation hangs over anyone’s head if they lose the trust money, such as allowing people to modify mortgages, only to have them foreclose a few months later. In a world ruled by contracts, litigation rules. But as loan modifications become more acceptable, there will be less of a concern about being sued. At the moment, it looks like being 90 days overdue could qualify a person for more lenient terms. Chris Flanagan, securitisation expert at JP Morgan, worries about this. “It may only be a matter of time before larger and larger numbers of honest citicens come around to the idea that paying their mortgage debt may not be very smart.” One head of a mortgage servicer told me problem loans could rise to over 70 per cent from 35 per cent once people realise they can easily get more favourable terms on their mortgages. This spells huge losses for mortgage-backed securities. ft.com

To: Les H who wrote (164376)	1/27/2009 11:23:21 AM
From: Les H	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

There may be demand for bathroom poets Japan group launches 'toilet poems' to save paper 27 Jan 2009 07:49:41 GMT Source: Reuters TOKYO, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Poetry in the loo can cut down on paper use too, says a Japanese group campaigning to save toilet paper as part of the country's battle against global warming. Simply pasting a "toilet poem" at the eye level of a person seated in the cubicle can help cut toilet paper use by up to 20 percent, a study by the research centre Japan Toilet Labo showed. "That paper will meet you only for a moment," reads one poem. "Fold the paper over and over and over again," says another. Or just: "Love the toilet." Now the group is looking to have its posters displayed in 1,000 public toilets. "We asked ourselves what we could do for the environment in the toilet?" said Ryusuke Nagahara of the Japan Toilet Labo. "The answer is to save toilet paper and save water." Toilet paper use in Japan has been increasing in recent years, according to an industry body, possibly because of a rise in the number of public toilets, where people tend to use more paper. "It's because it's free," said an official at the Kikaisuki Washi Rengokai. "At home, people are more inclined to scrimp." (Reporting by Isabel Reynolds; Editing by Hugh Lawson) alertnet.org