In the News! Gas Prices

I beleive that gas prices are going to fall down because now we are getting oil from different countries. When Bush was president we depended on oil from countries that didn't like us, so getting oil was harder. But now with a new president whose trying to settly peace, countries are being more nicer. I beleive that gas was five dollars a couple of months ago because of the government dirty scheme. In my opinion this country government is so corrupted because of them we pay the prices. If i was the president i'll try not to depend on other countries for oil but depend on our own soil. Like Brazil has their own way of getting oil, and using fossil fuels we should follow their lead and become more independent.

In The News By Luis Sotomayor =)

http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/13/real_estate/foreclosures_october/index.htm?postversion=2008111303

85,000 homes lost to foreclosure in October

As government and industry scramble to reverse the tide of foreclosures, filings jumped 25% in October.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- As government and industry scrambled to stem the housing crisis, another 84,868 homes were lost to foreclosure in October, according to a report released Thursday.
Last month 279,561 struggling borrowers received foreclosure filings, including default notices, notices of auction sales and bank repossessions, according to RealtyTrac, an online marketplace for foreclosures. That's a 5% increase from September, and up 25% from October 2007.
"October marks the 34th consecutive month where U.S. foreclosure activity has increased compared to the prior year," said James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac, in a statement.
A total of 936,439 homes have been lost to foreclosure since the housing crisis hit in August, 2007.
Foreclosures hit a record high in August when 304,000 homes were in default and 91,000 families lost their houses. Since then, a number of states have adopted legislation to freeze foreclosures and give homeowners a chance to modify their mortgages. These laws have helped slowed the rate of foreclosures.
"The really sobering reality for us is that despite these various state programs that are artificially keeping the numbers down, we are still up 25% from a year ago," said Rick Sharga, senior vice president of RealtyTrac.
Making matters worse is the rapidly deteriorating economy, says Global Insight economist Pat Newport.
"It seems almost every day you hear about another company planning further layoffs," he said. When people lose their jobs, they can't make mortgage payments.
And while some homeowners are defaulting because they've fallen on hard times, Newport says that others have simply stopped paying their mortgages. "Falling home prices are providing an incentive for them to walk away from their homes simply because it just isn't worth it," he said.
Home prices have been on a steep decline, with 20 major markets plunging a record 16.6% year-over-year in August according to the most recent data fromCase-Shiller. That index has recorded declines for 25 consecutive months.
State legislation: A new law in California, one of the hardest-hit states in the housing crisis, requires banks to contact struggling homeowners 30 days before delivering a notice of default in order to give them time to restructure their plans.
Thanks to that legislation, foreclosures in the state fell 18% from September. But California still had the highest number of foreclosures in the country for October, logging 56,954 filings. That total was down from a peak of more than 100,000 filings in August, but up 13% from October 2007.
Clearly the housing crisis is not relenting. "While the intention behind this legislation - to prevent more foreclosures - is admirable," said Saccacio, "without a more integrated approach that includes significant loan modifications, the net effect may be merely delaying inevitable foreclosures."
The delays may also be masking the problem, he said. "The apparent slowing of foreclosure activity understates the severity of the foreclosure problem in these states," Saccacio said.
Nevada had the highest rate of foreclosures of any state for the 22nd consecutive month in October, with one in every 74 housing homes receiving a foreclosure filing. Arizona had the second highest rate in October, with one in every 149 housing units in default. Florida was third, with one in every 157 homes there in default.
Banks, government step up: Both government agencies and a handful of major lenders have recently introduced new foreclosure prevention programs, but it will take a while before they have an impact.
"It took us the first half of the decade to get into this problem," said Sharga, "so it is probably going to take a couple of years to get out."
On Tuesday the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae (FNM, Fortune 500) and Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500), unveiled a new program to help eligible borrowers stay in their homes by lowering their monthly payments to 38% of gross household income.
And on Monday Citgroup (C, Fortune 500) announced the Citi Homeownership Assistance Program, which it says will modify $20 billion worth of loans for 130,000 borrowers. Similar housing rescue initiatives were unveiled recently by FDIC-controlled IndyMac Bank, which says it will help as many as 40,000 homeowners, as well as Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500), which estimates it can rescue 630,000 homes and JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500), which expects to help another 400,000 families.
The moves are promising. "This is finally a step in the right direction," said Sharga. "Those are the kind of programs we need to see executed to see the number of foreclosures slow down."
Hurdles remain, including home loans that will be much harder to modify because they've been packaged and securitized into investments.
And Sharga notes that fixing existing loans is only part of the equation; banks must resume lending to new borrowers. "Just freeing up some funds for qualified home buyers would make a huge difference in getting the housing market back on its feet," he said.
Mike Larson, a real estate analyst with Weiss Research, added that falling home prices and the slowing economy will also create strong headwinds for any government relief program.
"You can certainly fix some of these mortgages, you can certainly try to slow the foreclosures," said Larson, "but until home prices stabilize and the economy gets back on its feet, it is going to be a tough slog."
First Published: November 13, 2008: 3:32 AM ET




* It seems like every day things in the economy are just getting worse by the day. Nothing seems to go right, and this month a 25% increase in forclosure in the USA happen. Last month over 279, 561 people were notified that there house was in possesion of the bank, and notices of auction sales. Thats an 20% increase prior to the 5% in September. Close to a million houses have been forclose since the housing crisis hit the economy on August of 2007. A number of states have helped the people pay their mortgages by adopting legislation to forclosure. These laws have helped slowed the rate of forclosure but its still happening. The reason people cant be paying their mortgages cause by the day passes it seems like every company is going out of business, and a company holds workers which with their salary they pay it off, but what happen when the worker doesnt have a job any more?. A state legislation in California has been set to give the owner 30 days prior to give them a notice for their forclosure home. Nevada holds first place on forclosure while Florida is the Third highest state that has been affected by it the hardest.
What do you think the government should do to help the people not loose their home?
Do you think there is any way in getting out of this mess?
What do you think the state should do to help those in need?
Do you think the banks are doing enough to help their clients?

In the News "Democrats In The White House"

For the very first time We have seen history in the making happen. We went from the typical White Protestant President, to a Black Diverse President. This brings mixed emotions to everyone. Some are hatred, some of happiness. I feel like everyone should just accept the fact that our president is finally different, and different might be a good thing. People all over the world are seeing the changes, and it can inspire them also to change how they see things. Never again America can be seen as the stereotypical country that we have put ourselves too, and maybe we can get our respect back. In my opinion i think that the Democrat can bring that change that they been saying about if they work hard and smart. Nothing is easy now in days because Bush has left the country so unstable, that all the pressure would go to OBama, in my opinion i think he would try as hard as he can to make things better, but where the US stands now it's going to take a while to get back to normal. The economy is a whole different issue. We are already as screwed up as it is, its going to take years even decades for it to be back to normal, what i do think the new president would do is to be in top of things more because of the fact of that people are expecting him, so it gives him more pressure. he wants everyone to at least be equal in some ways and to work together, in a way this worries the rich people who make 200,000 and more because its affecting them big way, but why does a middle class person need to pay as much as a rich person in taxes. I think thats just unfair.
Also The fact the Obama is suposely Inexperience shouldn't be a matter. Obviously those who had Experience quote on quote didnt do so much of a good job. I think Obama has learn and will learn along the way. We really have to stop being stubborn and give the man a chance.

Journal #9 Images!

Image # 5

1) When you eat fast food {Burger King} you are likely to live less, and die faster.

2)You are likely to die faster by eating fast food because of the quality of the food, and because of low proteins, carbs, and has too many calories.

3)Eating too much fast food can affect your health which can lead to death later on if you keep on eating too much of it.

Image #7

1)Drinking and driving can cause death.

2) You are more likely to get into a fatal car accident by drinking and driving because of your low inpair judgement, and reactions.

3)By drinking and driving you put yourself more at risk of dying, than been hit by another car.

Persuasive Picture!

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p70/zafu/Skinny%20Models/skinny_models.jpg

* This picture caught my attention and i think in society it influeces a lot of woman out there. This picture is off a young model posing her stylish bikini, but what is so different about this picture is the fact that she's to skinny. When you really look at it, there is nothing wrong about it but when you get into it you can see the how it can actually affect people. Now in days in society people think that they should look a certain way, this can actually cause mental problems. This is how all eating disorders begin. Girls out there think they are too fat to look like this model so instead of trying to loose weight the right way, they do it all wrong. I think that the attention of this picture is not to try to persuade the person to loose weight but instead just buying the bikini, but now in days people don't see it like that. They feel what they are trying to say is that society should look like that, or else it won't look good in you.

Matthew Horn In The News Article!

1)This topic is a very bi versa subject because there is so much you can do, but so little to be done. I think that the economy is stuck in the middle, and it's really hard to say what to do now. I think that the government should start first off by ending the war. Obviously the war has been one of our most expensive payments, and honestly i think we are done there so that automatically will be one less expense. Second the United States needs to create more jobs for their citizens. Enough on shipping things from other countries, and having things made. We have a country of our own to worry about. I think if there would be less expenses the economy might go back to normal.

2)I don't think taxes should increase because theres millions of citizens out there who are struggling as it is, and with a tax that high it can affect their home. I don't think we should suffer, and pay someone else mistake. I do feel that as an american citizen we can all do something to help get through this phase.

3)Honestly, i cant really say what i would do because is such a controversy matter. In my opinion i would start off trying to put everything together or a plan and then try to do it. I actually feel a bit bad for the next president cause he has so much pressure going on for him. Hopefully the economy would get better!

"Politics and the English Language"

1)In this essay, Orwell suggests that the English language is on the decline because the people who use English are misusing the language. What sort of things does he mention as proof that the English language is in trouble?

A)What Orwell is trying to tell us is that people are not writing how they use to write. What takes over the American language are the use of slangs, people are very stale when they compare an imagery, and pretty much how the person is expressing themselves. Now in days people are writing the way they feel is write. It's really just turning all around, and becoming their own way.



2)Orwell wrote this essay almost 60 years ago. Do you think the English language is in a better or worse condition than when Orwell wrote his essay? Can you think of modern examples of how people misuse language?

A)In my opinion i think the English Language is at its worst. Now in days you hear of people creating their own words, slangs are at its peak, and specially the writing is messy. People are using slangs or the way they talk as proper English and it shouldn't be like that cause is going against the real meaning of english.

Ex- Lol!-awkard-the use of wrong words-Like etc. People use these words to communicate online that they are bringing it to their daily life.


2)What do you think of Orwell’s list of rules to improve your writing?
Orwell wrote the following in the provided excerpt:

Probably it is better to put off using words as long as possible and get one's meaning as clear as one can through pictures and sensations. Afterward one can choose -- not simply accept -- the phrases that will best cover the meaning, and then switch round and decide what impressions one's words are likely to make on another person.

A) What he means is that we should stop using certain words and to look more into it, to comprehend it better. After we have a sense of it we got to actually studied it and analyze it and thats when it would be better to use it. This means that we shouldn't use words that we don't even know what they mean because its only going to hurt us at the end. We should be aware of the word and once we know how to use it properly, that when we should use it.



3)What do you think he means when he suggests that one should focus on “pictures and sensations” before one sits down to put words on the page? Have you ever done this? Does it help you write better?

A)Pictures are in some way better because they help you understand it better. They help you have a common sense of it. Yes, i have done this especially while I'm reading. Whenever Im lost somewhere and there are pictures or sensations i tend to comprehend it because there is a better knowledge to it. By helping me write better, hmm i dont know because pictures are just pictures, do they help me describe more and express more, definately because now it's telling you details, and it makes it better to included it in your writings!