Carmine

Desperate times call for desperate measures. And although I rarely suggest this, it just might be the 'Silver Bullet' that the homeowner needs to save their home.

The No Fee Home Loan or No Fee Mortgage or No Closing Cost Loan . It can be called many things, but they are all the same thing. And don't let anyone tell you that it is a 'special in-house program only'. These have been around forever. Let me tell you how it works. But first, some facts: Fees are real. People have to get paid on a home loan. No one 'waives' fees. They simply charge those fees a different way. Ken Cook wrote a nice piece about The Truth About "No Closing Cost" Loans. A good reference for more info on this subject. Ever see those commercials on TV that say 'NO CLOSING COSTS'?!?!?! Well, there may very well be no closing costs on the settlement statement, but the borrower will pay those costs over and over again through higher interest payments. Somebody lied.

When a loan officer originates a mortgage, they can offer their clients any rate they wish, really. By that, I mean that they can offer a competitive interest rate based on their costs of that rate. Or, that loan officer can mark up the rate and earn a commission from the investor for the extra interest that will be earned on the loan. This bonus is called Yield Spread Premium(YSP). So, if a borrower qualifies for 6.5% rate, the loan officer can charge 6.75% and earn an additional 1% of the loan amount in commissions(pricing varies and commissions earned varies for each .25% increment). Well, not all loan officers work for just that 1% origination fee, so this is very normal. Brokers do it. Banks do it. Don't let anyone tell you that they offer the best rate..... they do not.

But, how can we look at this in a positive way. Let me put an interest rate of say 7.25% on the loan. I now have earned almost 3.5% of the loan amount in extra commissions. That extra commission can be used to pay the customers fees in the event that they cannot come up with the money. 3.5% of $200,000 = $7K. MORE than enough to cover all of the borrower's closing costs.

Problem solved? Not yet..... it is NOW TIME to make sure the client gets into a fixed rate. No need to try and do this over and over.

While this little 'Silver Bullet' works for a lot of folks..... there will be borrowers still too far upside down on their home. The property must appraise for the loan amount!!!

This is an example of a positive way to use YSP to the benefit of the borrower. And just might help save someone's home.

Tom Burris
DallasLoanGuy.com
A Home Loan For Every Texan

Texas Home Loans
Texas Cash Out

(Special from The Dallas Examiner; Member NNPA) Man on a mission: Side-stepping the legislature, Governor Rick Perry recently mandated that all Texas schoolgirls entering the sixth grade receive vaccination for the Human Papillomavirus. That mandate is causing quite a stir, but Perry asserts that the mandate is necessary. Requiring young girls to get vaccinated before they come in contact with HPV is responsible health and fiscal policy that has the potential to significantly reduce the cases of cervical cancer and mitigate future medical costs, said Governor Perry.

Governor Perry also directed state health authorities to make the vaccine available free to girls 9 to 18 who are uninsured, enrolled in Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Program or whose insurance does not cover vaccines. In addition, he ordered that Medicaid offer Gardasil to women ages 19 to 21 and Dallas County Health and Human Services has been prompt to respond to the Governors orders. DCJJS currently offers the Human Papillomavirus vaccine through its adult immunization clinic.

DCHHS wants to provide the vaccine as a weapon against the deadly form of cancer, said Zachary Thompson, DCHHS Director. According to the Texas Cancer Registry, there were approximately 1,169 new cases and 391 deaths from cervical cancer in Texas in 2006. DCHHS is awaiting shipment of the HPV vaccine for children through the Texas Vaccine for Children program and will make a formal announcement when it becomes available.

HPV is harmless in most cases: Many know that the vaccine has been tested for safeness and effectiveness against HPV. But what many do not know is that, according to the Center for Disease Control, HPV infection, in most cases, is harmless. In fact, 90 percent of infections are fought off by the bodies own immune system, rendering the infection inactive or causing it to dissolve on its own. But, there are other strains of HPV that are deemed as high-risk because the virus may, in rare cases, develop into persistent infecti9on that can progress to cervical cancer if left untreated (There are more than 100 known strains of HPV, 30 of these are sexually transmitted and are defined as genital HPV). It is estimated that fewer than 4000 Americans die from HPV related cervical cancer yearly. So why the need for an executive order which is used in times of crisis and emergency?

Justification: According to the Supreme Court: It is basic that no showing merely of a rational relationship to some colorable state interest would suffice (in reference to use of executive powers); in this highly sensitive constitutional area, only the gravest abuses, endangering paramount interests, give occasion for permissible limitation, Thomas v. Collins, 323 U.S. 516,530. Furthermore, Sherbert v. Verner (1963) posits that before executive powers can be used it must meet a three question litmus test which looks at the following questions: 1. government infringement with respect to its proposed action, 2. if the government has a compelling state interest which justifies government intervention and finally, 3. if compelling interests do not exist are there alternative means by which the government can achieve its goal and thus not burden the citizenry. The question is has the government determined this infection cannot be avoided by behavioral change and has chosen to shift the focus toward vaccination? And, if so, is mandatory vaccination against a disease that is largely sexually transmissible really the answer or is there a larger problem?

Clinical Trials: In initial clinical trials, Merk tested over 20,000 females, giving half of them placeboes and the other half Gardasil. The subjects were followed for approximately four years. More noteworthy, a little more than 1000 subjects, ages ranging from 9 to 16 years of age were a part of the trials and they were followed for only 18 months. Both in the placebo and in the vaccine groups, there are reports of adverse reactions. Gardasils own package insert sites as some of the adverse reactions reports of arthritis, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and pain at the injection site. Page 12 of the Merck package insert also cites 102 incidents of serious, adverse reactions such as headaches, dizziness, juvenile arthritis, gastroenteritis, appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease and includes 17 deaths out of 21,464 subjects. Merck concluded these deaths have nothing to do with their product. The test group was followed for a period of four years, raising doubts that as to whether Gardasil prevents anything, especially since the incubation period for the infection is about 20 years and usually presents in women in their late 30s and 40s. The only thing known with certainty is the short-term effects of this vaccine. Additionally, the study did not address carcinogens (any potentially cancer causing agent) or genotoxicity (a chemical or agent that causes damage to cellular DNA which can result in mutations or cancer).

Merck's troubled past: Gardasil is made by Merk, a giant pharmaceutical manufacturer. Merck received licensing for Gardasil from the Food and Drug Administration in June of 2006, while the vaccine was still in clinical trials. In Gardasils own packing insert, it asserts that HPV types 16 and 18 are the cause for 70 percent of cervical cancer and Gardasil is reported to be affective against these implications for types 11 and 6. Mercks package insert goes on to explain that women will continue to need regular cervical cancer screenings and that the vaccine may not protect everyone, raising questions as to whether this vaccine really is 100 percent effective. Merck is the same manufacturer of the drugs Fosomax and Vioxx, pharmaceutical nightmares for Merck and company that have left the company reeling from lawsuit settlements. It is estimated between 88,000 to 139,000 have suffered heart-attacks or strokes as a result of taking the drug Vioxx and more than 55,000 have died. Merck continued to defend Vioxx even after it had been pulled from shelves, better than four years from when they knew there were problems.

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Dr. David Graham, the scientist and 20 year FDA veteran, that blew the whistle on Merck & Co., said at a Senate hearing in 2004 that policies by the FDA had left the American public virtually defenseless against the kind of safety problems that led to Vioxx abrupt withdrawal in September 2004. Fox News.com reported that in his testimony, Graham said, the FDAs Office of New Drugs unrealistically maintains a drug is safe unless reviewers establish with 95 percent certainty that it is not. That rule does not protect consumers, Graham told the Senate committee. What it does is it protects the drug, he said. Additionally Graham told the Senate Finance Committee, I would argue the FDA, as currently configured, is incapable of protecting America against another Vioxx. According to Reuters, in the same hearing, Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican also raised concerns regarding the reliability of the FDA, saying he feared the FDA had become too intimately involved with drug companies and thought an independent office of drug safety might be need.

In an interview with CBS News Correspondent, Sharyl Attkinson, Dr. Graham characterized the FDA fostering as a work environment where supervisors intimidate employees when they bring attention to products that have questions with regard to safety. In the interview, he discussed problems not only with Vioxx and Fosomax, but also Bextra, Meridia, Crestor, Accutane, and Serevent. Were Gardasil to prove to be another Merck disaster, Governor Perrys mandate requiring Gardasil to be offered under the vaccine for childrens law which will create total immunity from lawsuits from lawsuits from those who take Gardasil and experience adverse or even life threatening reactions. This is because the Federal Vaccine Liability program shields pharmaceuticals that develop vaccines.

We were first introduced to the Gardasil vaccine through what is commonly known as direct-to-consumer marketing. says a mother with her young child in the background, in a Merck commercial. O-N-E-L-E-S-S! I want to be one less, one lessis chanted by children while skipping rope and playing. Who wouldnt want to vaccinate their children against cervical cancer? It is a manufacturers way of first, raising awareness about its newest product and secondly, encouraging consumers, when visiting the doctors office, to ask for their product and to ask for it by name. If this were a game of poker, one might say it was the only hand that Merck had left to play if it were going to stay afloat financially. In a 2005 interview with Jim Lehrer of NPR, a representative from Merck Pharmaceuticals reported that because of financial hardships (largely attributed to trade mark expiration of Zocor, a cholesterol medication, and lawsuits from Fosomax and Vioxx), Merck, by 2008, would be closing seven manufacturing sites and laying off approximately 11 percent of its workforce. Ironically, 2008 is when the Governors mandate is to take affect. There is no word yet on whether sell of the Gardasil vaccine will off-set the financial disparities experienced by Merck & Co.

A costly venture: Gardasil is given in a series of three shots at $140.00 per shot ($420 in total). Some private doctors are already offering the vaccine, others are not stocking for reasons such as: too expensive to store and refrigerate or they have to charge a surcharge in case the insurance company does not pay. Gardasil is currently covered by some insurance companies, but others are waiting until there is more information about the drug (USA Today). But if the vaccine is indeed mandated under the Childhood Vaccination Program, this will guarantee profits for Merck both immediately and in the future as there is sure to be a need for a booster. After all it is a vaccine, said Dr. Edwards of the Texas Association of Ob-Gyns. This is a fact that has had little to no discussion in the public arena. Deputy Press Secretary for Governor Perry, Krista Moody, declined to respond to questions about the vaccine mandated by the Governor, stating, I believe your attached questions should be directed to the CDC, FDA or Merck, as they relate to specifics for drug research and testing. Both Christopher Loder, Media Relations Officer for Merck & Co. and Heidi Robello, FDR Media Relations agreed to answer questions presented to them in writing, but to date neither has responded.

In summary: The public is being told that the Gardasil vaccine should be hailed as a cure for cervical cancer, but this vaccination is not a cure for cancer. It is a vaccination purported to protect against two of over 100 different strains of HPV, with implications for two more. Furthermore, sexually active men and women, boys and girls can still continue to transmit.

Marian Hubbard Jefferson is the Chair of Lift Every Voice Family and Community Development Project, a nonprofit charity formed to empower, equip and encourage adult survivors of child sexual assault. Marian holds a Masters Degree in Counseling from Prairie View A&M University in Texas.

To learn more about Lift, its passion, mission and purpose; please log onto http://www.marianjefferson.org

Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma is neoplasm arising from the serosal lining of the peritoneal and pericardial cavities. Primary tumors arising from the peritoneal mesothelioma are extremely rare. The accurate diagnosis of the diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma is important because it almost invariably has a fatal outcome. In many cases, malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is not diagnosed until after surgery or autopsy. The distinction of the malignant peritoneal mesothelioma from tumors metastatic to the serosal membranes can often be made based on the results of histochemical studies.

The most common symptoms of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma are difficulty in breathing, chest pain, or both. Other symptoms include weight loss, fever, night sweats, cough, and a general feeling of not being well, although these symptoms are not as common.

The standard treatment for the malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is not curative. Aggressive treatment will enable some patients to experience long-term survival, but it is still unclear whether overall survival rates would be significantly changed by different treatments or combinations of treatments. There are different treatments available for the malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, depending upon the state of its diagnosis. For stage one, that is localized malignant peritoneal Mesothelioma, standard treatments are malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, intracavitary mesothelioma, intracavitary chemotherapy following resection.

For stages 2 to 4, that is advanced malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, treatments available are symptomatic treatment to include drainage of effusions, chest tube pleurodesis, or thoracoscopic pleurodesis, palliative surgical resection in selected patients, palliative radiation therapy, single-agent chemotherapy, and multimodality clinical trials.

To date, there are no treatment approaches that have been shown to improve survival or control symptoms for a prolonged period of time. But with the advancement in the field of technology and medicine, there is hope that some day, doctors will be able to defeat the tumor and come out with some life-saving treatment against this dreadful tumor.

Mesotherapy provides detailed information about mesotherapy, cost of mesotherapy, mesotherapy before and after, mesotherapy injections and more. Mesotherapy is the sister site of Mesothelioma Doctors Info.

Yes, there are ancient PowerPoint secrets...secrets your grandmother knows and is probably willing to pass down to you.

But what's this you say? Your grandmother has never even heard of Microsoft PowerPoint?

No matter. If your grandma was like mine, she knew something about the power of an effective presentation.

Ancient PowerPoint Secret #1: A little treat. My grandmother was the master of what you might call a coffee klatsch...getting people together to talk and tell stories under the guise of having some sort of treat. In my grandmothers day, the treat would usually involve meeting over coffee or tea, and some sort of wonderful, home-baked sweet. And with these coffee klatsches, Grandma would inform and entertain while developing or maintaining treasured relationships.

If youre in sales, you can learn a lot about PowerPoint presentations from your grandma. Chances are, her coffee klatsch objectives probably arent that much different than your PowerPoint presentation objectives. Like Grandma, you want to inform and entertain your audienceand youll want to develop and maintain valuable long-term relationships, as well.

Ive given lots of PowerPoint presentations in my day. And Ive probably closed more sales over a box of doughnuts than with any single presentation! How can it be any wonder that many coffee shops today offer free, open wireless connections? Coffee shop owners know that during the day, business people often close deals over coffee and treats. The free wireless access that coffee shops offer is an inexpensive, effective lure to attract business people. In the same way, offering your prospects a tasty treat is a friendly, low-cost way to begin a sales relationship.

Ancient PowerPoint Secret #2: A little conversation. In the past six weeks, I closed three deals in coffee shops. I bought coffee and offered treats to my prospects, popped open my notebook computer, and had a conversation (not a presentation!) about my prospects needs. Yes, I developed PowerPoint slides for all three meetings. But I didnt use PowerPoint to present: I used PowerPoint to guide a conversation.

Now, you know that conversations are two-way, interactive forms of personal communication. But what did your grandmother know? She knew that conversations can be downright entertaining! And thats yet another ancient PowerPoint secret: a series of conversations are much more effective than any single presentation when it comes to building relationships. So instead of building a massive PowerPoint presentation, why not build a PowerPoint conversation?

Heres how: start by listening to your prospect. Conversations are all about give-and-take, which involves listening, not just talking. Avoid storming into your first client meeting with an All About Us PowerPoint presentation. Your grandma wouldnt blab her life story to someone she just met: and neither should you!

Instead, ask questions. Find out about your potential clients business and what challenges they might be facing. Have a conversation, not a presentation.

Ancient PowerPoint Secret #3: A little more conversation. If you think your or your company can help your new prospect, ask them if theyd like to meet you in a few daysfor coffee and treats, of course! Tell your prospect youve generated some good ideas for their business based on your conversation, but youd like a little time to give a little more thought to what theyve said.

At this point, many sales people give a yelp of protest at this advice. They want to dive right into their product and services, and fire up their All About Us presentations right away!

But if you want to develop a long-term relationship, slow down! Give it some thought! By telling a new prospect that youve listened to what they said and that you want to think about it, youre showing them that you respect their ideas. Thats flattering stuff. And by asking for a second meeting, youve also assumed the close. In this case, the close is simply a second meeting.

And of course, your prospects will definitely want to talk to you again! Everyone loves a good listener. Plus, your new prospects will want to hear the big payoff from investing in their first meeting with you. And guess what? By slowing things down, youve favorably predisposed your prospects into liking what you have to say. Why? Because if theyre busy, theyre thinking subconsciously, Now, why am I meeting with this person again? I know, the pastries are good, but thats not the real reason, although I sure would like another one sometime soon. Oh, I know why -- its probably because I like this person. Im sure Ill like her products, too. Otherwise, I wouldnt have agreed to meet with her again!

So ask for a second meeting and go home. Go back to your office. Armed with the information youve gleaned from careful questioning and listening to your prospects concerns, you can custom-build a PowerPoint conversation thats All About Them. This is way more effective than the typical All About Us presentation.

And remember, Grandma didnt have any use for bullet points! Bullets are for shooting people, and pointing is bad manners! So when you develop your PowerPoint conversation, remember what Grandma really loved: relevant, entertaining, illustrative stories. Make sure you tell a few good stories to your client in every conversation. Bullets can injure and kill: but a good story can really help you sell!

Put it all together... A little coffee, a little treat, a little conversation: thats the essence of beginning and developing an ongoing customer connection. A series of conversations over delightful treats can set a beautiful stage for building a long-term business or personal relationship. This approach is much better than plunking down a notebook computer filled with fancy graphics, animations, and sound effects. You may kid yourself that PowerPoints technical eye candy can take the place of Grandmas penchant for telling entertaining stories over coffee and cake but it isnt. You only get to build strong relationships over time, so put away your hard-sell PowerPoint presentation slides...and grab a cookie!

Laura Bergells is a writer and internet marketing consultant from Grand Rapids, Michigan. You can read her blog and hear her podcasts at A PowerPoint Blog by Maniactive. You can also download free PowerPoint templates at http://www.maniactive.com.

I realize that many fishing boats can be convenient, but is there one that's more convenient than the others? I think that there is, and you may find my answer to this question a bit strange. To me, the most convenient fishing boat is and inflatable fishing boat. Not the kind of inflatable boat that children play with in the pool, but rather, quality inflatable fishing boats. Quality manufacturers make quality inflatable fishing boats; it's as simple as that. And for your information, quality manufacturers offer things like free trial periods and free shipping and handling, because the stand behind what they produce. This is the type of quality fishing boat that I'm referring to.

The quality inflatable fishing boats that I'm referring to, come in a variety of styles as well, from kayaks to pontoon boats. Imagine being able to float your favorite trout river in the comfort of your own personal pontoon boat? How many more areas of your favorite river or lake do you think you would be able to explore, as opposed to just walking and wading? And what about the fact that when you're done fishing, your boat can simply be deflated and put in the trunk of your car if need be? This is what I mean by convenience.

Quality inflatable fishing boats provide a ton of convenience as well. The ability to inflate your boat wherever you would like is a huge advantage. Whether you are a lake or river angler, an inflatable fishing boat could be just what the doctor ordered. I personally float my personal pontoon boat down my favorite trout river all the time. The areas of the river that my quality inflatable opened up to me were amazing. I'll tell you, fishing for trout that receive much less fishing pressure is a very good thing, and my personal pontoon boat affords me this opportunity.

The bottom line is that for the investment and convenience, quality inflatable fishing boats are hard to beat. Costing a fraction of traditional boats doesn't hurt anything either. For my money, the most convenient fishing boat available today is a quality inflatable fishing boat.

Trevor Kugler is Co-founder of http://www.JRWfishing.com
Trevor has more than 20 years of fishing experience as well as 15 years of business experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country....Montana.

Quality Inflatable Boats - http://www.jrwfishing.com/boats.html

If you would like to make your carpeting last forever you need to take a proactive role in its maintenance. This does not mean that you need to obsess over your carpet but there are some simple things you can do to make it last. Read this article for a few quick tips to help you care for your carpets.

One tip is to remove your shoes when you walk on your carpet. This might seem hard to do but you will get used to it and it will become second nature. The effort is well worth it because it will prevent soil from getting on the carpet and will cut down on the wear as well. Another good tip is to use area rugs. Area rugs placed strategically throughout your home can save a lot of wear on your carpets. Put them in high traffic areas such as walkways and in front of couches in living areas. My third tip for you is to vacuum often. Vacuuming removes abrasive soil which will gradually destroy your carpeting. Vacuum once or twice a week at a minimum. My fourth tip is for you to treat spots as they happen. Do not let them build up or you will become overwhelmed. Keep a bottle of spotter and a rag handy for emergencies. My last tip is to rearrange your furniture on a regular basis. This will change the wear patterns in your home and will make your carpet last much longer. Rearrange the furniture every six months if possible.

I hope this article will help you increase the life of your carpet. These are simple and easy things that anyone can do. Also remember to have your carpet cleaned on a regular basis by a local carpet cleaning professional.

Learn about your local Grand Rapids carpet cleaning company and carpet cleaners at the authors website.