gexer08

This can all be accomplished quickly if the right steps are taken. Below is how I believe we can get there.
HOME OWNERS AS A GROUP ARE NOT TO BLAME
The reality is that at the time most troubled loans were made, the borrowers really could afford it because everyone made $150k per year for the purposes of buying a home.

This greater housing and mortgage crisis is not a result of millions of borrowers going wild, buying beyond their means blinded by greed or some massive consumer driven multi-year mortgage fraud era where everyone lied to buy a home. This crisis was caused by fraud alright - but not by the consumer.
The greatest real estate bubble of all time was only able to occur because of the bank’s constant re-engineering of loan programs focusing on low monthly payments and the virtual elimination of income and assets as a variable. This  extraordinary leverage created through these exotic loan programs and easy credit never existed before and never will again.  The problem going forward is that most dont realize is that during the bubble years, everything was exotic - even 30-year fixed rates fully documented loans. 
PEOPLE VIEW THEIR HOME AS AN INVESTMENT - NOT A PLACE TO LIVE
What’s worse is that over the past five years there was a fundamental shift of how people viewed their home - from ‘a place to live’ to their single ‘largest investment’. How could they not when all loan programs from Subprime to Prime allowed 50% of gross income (greater when considering limited income doc loans) to be used towards debt. In the good ‘ol days when housing was viewed as a place to live, financing was sound with down payments required and no more than 28% of gross income going towards housing debt. When homes prices fell it was alright because home owners could still save money and do the things they wanted to in life. 50% debt-to-income ratios changed the game.
Make no mistake about it - MOST ALT-A, JUMBO PRIME AND PRIME BORROWERS ARE NOT WALKING BECAUSE THE CAN’T TECHNICALLY AFFORD THE PAYMENTS. They are walking because all of their after-tax income each month is going out in bills and the largest portion is going to a home worth half of what they owe. When they are spending such a large portion of their income on such a massively depreciating asset, it makes good financial sense to dump that asset. When you can’t sell, that means walk away.
That being said, there are many who can’t afford their payments because of an ARM adjustment. But at one time they were qualified by the bank and given the way the loan was structured they could in fact afford the home. Banks and real estate professionals in every city in the nation used high-leverage, exotic loans in order get people to qualify for ever increasing loan amounts. By 2005, interest-only was industry standard, so was stated income. You could not turn on the radio or television without being inundated with ads for $350k mortgage loans for 1% and $1000 monthly payments.

Lenders didn’t worry over what would happen to the loan after a few months because the loan was sold and they lose all liability after six months or so.  The 2/28 Subprime ARM was a perfect example of a loan program not designed to hold over the initial teaser period and one that the lender didn’t care about because most were sold and securitized.  Therefore, who cares about creating loans that will last - just make loans that will last at least six months.
Even the securities investors never planned on holding these long.  Exotic loans with teasers were sold as a ‘way to get into the home more cheaply’ or a ‘way to improve your credit then refi into something better a couple of years from now’.  The high churn rate out of these loans was what kept MBS money flowing into this sector. They were short-term, high yield investments. This philosophy was not isolated to Subprime 2/28’s either - Prime 5/1 interest only ARMs and Pay Option ARMs were also sold the same way.  ARMs were the majority of mortgages in the bubble states through the bubble years.
EVERYONE EARNED $150K PER YEAR
Due to the way the loans were structured, from 2003 through 2007 everyone made $150k a year for the purposes of buying a home.  Teaser rates, interest only, negative amortization, high allowable debt-to-income ratios, zero down, stated income etc made all homes affordable and borrowers rich. Home prices responded by surging higher to meet the new found nationally high affordability level. As home prices surged, new loan programs were rolled out what seemed like daily to keep affordability in check.
Everyone was suckered, as these loan programs became the norm. Folks who really earned $150k a year went out and bought over priced homes based upon flawed and temporary fundamentals not knowing they were being suckered.  Now they too are upside down in their home by 50% and have seen their life savings go up in smoke.  They overpaid because the hourly day-laborer was bidding against them using a stated income 100% interest only combo -   hey, the loan officer at the bank and the Realtor told the janitor that ‘based upon his income and credit you qualify for this loan’. Why should he argue with his bank? They know best. They are the experts.
REALITY
But now it is obvious that the past six years was an illusion and none of those easy credit, high-leverage programs exist any longer.  Prices are coming down to the real affordability levels using 15 and 30-year fixed rate loans and a down payment, which has rendered the nations financial institutions and millions of home owners instantly insolvent. The same household that earns $85k per year that two years ago could buy a $650k home with no money down can now buy a $275k - $300k home with 10% down.  It now takes at least $150k a year and a large down payment to buy a $650k home.
100% stated interest only and Pay option ARMs will not return.  Nor will 100% HELOCs. They were doomed to fail from their creation. The banks had modeling systems that they never stress tested.  You mean to tell me that it never occurred to the smartest guys in the room to plug into the model that home prices could actually fall? That was a fatal error that the world is paying for.
This is why this crisis was never and will never be ‘contained’ to Subprime. This is why those who put down 20% are walking away from their homes - it makes for a sound financial decision. Negative equity is now the leading cause of loan default among higher paper grades. As house prices fall further, more will walk.
Yes, there were people who took advantage of the system. But, that was a small percentage of everyone who bought a home on flawed and temporary market fundamentals induced by easy credit and exotic loan programs that never should have existed in the first place. This five year period of absolute recklessness and blind greed on the bank’s part was the real driver of home prices. Taking that away is ‘going straight’ is the leading driver for the destruction of the housing market and consumer.  Its simple - housing prices are just going to the levels determined by incomes, rents, interest rates and the macro-economy.
THE SOLUTION
The solution is not about the regulators forcing interest rates down to artificially low levels for a brief period of time to sucker people into buying homes - thats what got us here in the first place.  That being said, sustainable low rates are good for the housing market.
But low rates mean very little when millions will default and lose their homes over the next few years because all of that added supply cant be absorbed by the available buyers.  The fact is that there are much fewer buyers than ever before given home ownership was at 68% a couple of years back and now the largest sector of the purchase market, move-up buyers, are all but non-existent. Please see the stories below regarding this. It is my opinion that low mortgage rates do not mean what they used to.

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Every program I know has been inching toward a digital dashboard.  or one-stop how am I doing shop.  Until the new reporting tool ships, the makers of QuickBooks have given us the company snapshot.  It can be found as the second choice under the company tab and provides a wealth of information at your finger tips.  It graphs income and expenses by a customizable time period that you choose.  It will also give account balances, accounts receivable and payable detail.
My favorite section is the reminder section.  We often overlook the reminders tab.  Well QuickBooks has brought it up front and center.  The beautiful thing is that it will serve as a reminder AND give you the balances that you need (checks to print, overdue invoices).  This page is interactive so that you can navigate to problem areas in one or two clicks.
Thank you Intuit!  Intuit is shipping this snapshot in the Pro, Premier and Enterprise versions.  Im glad that Intuit realizes that the Pro and Premier customer base is just as important as the Enterprise customer base and deserves top-level software too!  However, I dont know if it is available in the online version.  It was not mentioned on the website.  Maybe someone out there can confirm if the company snapshot is available in the online version.  Online QuickBooks is run by a different company so some features are not included (and some included later) in the online version.
So give the snapshot a chance, you will be glad that you did.

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One interesting field in the world of web hosting is the existence of reseller hosting. Reseller hosting simply means that you can purchase a hosting and have it sold to other people. It will have a certain amount of bandwidth and disk space for the buyer to build his website. Reseller hosting will purchase a huge amount of server capacity and then have it break into smaller portion to be sold as hosting packages to customers. This is a good way for newcomers to try out and earn money in the web hosting business.

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Thomas Friedman: Did the automobile industry miss out on the mobility business?
Under the Better Place model, consumers can either buy or lease an electric car from the French automaker Renault or Japanese companies like Nissan (General Motors snubbed Agassi) and then buy miles on their electric car batteries from Better Place the way you now buy an Apple cellphone and the minutes from ATT. That way Better Place, or any car company that partners with it, benefits from each mile you drive. G.M. sells cars. Better Place is selling mobility miles.

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Happy Thanksgiving!
Steve, Deanna, Becky, Teresa Mary at TripInsuranceStore.com wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Heres a joke that Steve thinks is pretty funny! You decide:
The Parrot
A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the birds mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the birds attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to clean up the birds vocabulary.
Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.
Fearing that hed hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto Johns outstretched arms and said I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. Im sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior. John was stunned at the change in the birds attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, May I ask what the turkey did?
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE.

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Meet Dave Movie Review: Oh, Eddie Murphy. Dont worry: I wont spend time complaining about how you have one of the worst agents in Hollywood who repeatedly gets you into these bad-from-inception films. All Ill say is that after Meet Dave, I want nothing to do with him.
Meet Dave is one of those self-inflicted punishments; I put it on my Netflix list, received it and stuck it in my DVD player knowing all too well that the movie was going to suck. Why watch it then? Morbid curiosity. And this obsession to see way too many movies just so you, my beloved reader, dont have to suffer the same fate. In that way, Im like Jesus: I sacrifice myself for you. Yes, Im just like Jesus. A very profane, inappropriate, atheist Jesus.
Where were we? Meet Dave is about a spaceship that looks an awful lot like Eddie Murphy dressed in one of his outfits from his career days, that walks around town searching for a powerful device that could save their planet and destroy Earth. Along the way, the spaceship, controlled by a captain who looks a lot like a tiny Eddie Murphy, meets up with Elizabeth Banks, who is apparently so naive that she doesnt realize her scattered, idiotic friend is in face an alien. Lots of fish-out-of-water jokes ensue.
Unfortunately, most of those jokes are lame. Or outdated. Or unoriginal. Either way, they arent very funny. Eddie Murphy does a great job with the physical comedy (a spaceship doesnt naturally move like a human being, after all), but the screenplay is just disastrous. As unfunny as the first half of the movie is, the second half becomes downright obnoxious. All of the little aliens working inside of the human-sized Eddie Murphy act like their human counterparts worst stereotypes; Gabrielle Union gets the token black girl role; another cast member acts like the dumb black; and the hunky mechanic turns out to be gay. It just doesnt make any sense, and is rather insulting.
Meet Dave has its few, rare moments, but the movie is, to most degrees, a complete disaster. Banks has been in a lot of great comedies this year, but this one must have been agreed to after a lost bet. As for Murphy, he should never do a sci-fi comedy again.

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If you intend to save a bundle, go for a third party only plan.
4. This suggestion is feasible solely in areas that allow such at least as the minimum. Protect your car from theft and lower the premium at the same time. As the name connotes, any damage to your vehicle won't attract any reimbursement. Check on car theft hotspots and prevent your car being stolen. It merely takes care of the other person's vehicle.
Caution! An insurance company can deny you cover if you didn't answer questions properly, gave wrong information when you bought or renewed the policy or your circumstances changed between renewals and you didn't let them know. You'll be expected to take care of your own vehicle on your own.
Finally compare car insurance quotes on Used Car Market Value and Agreed Value, Market Value, the car's value decreases as the value or condition of the car decreases. This has to be your best option if yours is an old car. The value is determined by the insurer at the time of a claim.
One shortcoming of choosing collision coverage for an old vehicle is that the value of the vehicle at the time of the accident is what would be used to determine what you get.
An Agreed Value policy allows you and the insurer to agree on a value of the car that's fixed until the next renewal. Except your vehicle is a classic, what you will get is not going to justify the premiums you had paid - More so when you add the fact that you also are required to pay your deductible.
Auto policies are usually comprised of three parts: Collision coverage covers the cost of repairs to your car after an accident. That's, unless. Choose an amount of collision coverage that reflects the value of your car. If an insurance package won't be profitable on the long run, it surely isn't worth the sacrifice. If your car is old or has little value, you may even want to drop the collision part of your policy.
3) REDUCE YOUR MILEAGE.
Comprehensive coverage covers damage to your car from random acts like fire, theft, hail and vandalism.. This part of the policy is usually the cheapest and should be based on the value of the car.. Remember that insurance companies will not pay more than the car is worth.

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U.S. News World Report, DC
By Luke Mullins

A look at where rates on home loans are headed in the New Year

It wasn't too long ago that mortgage rates were expected to move sharply higher in the coming months thanks to rattled investors and mounting inflation. But while falling home prices and jittery financial markets have done little to assuage investor fears, a number of recent developments have combined to create a decidedly optimistic mortgage-rate outlook for 2009. "The preponderance of forces that would typically operate on mortgage ratesthe economic backdrop, the inflation backdrop, and, in this case, government policyare all pointing towards lower interest rates," says Mike Larson, a real estate analyst at Weiss Research.

Rates have already become increasingly attractive. The average national rate for 30-year fixed mortgages fell to 5.57 percent in the week of December 5, from 6.61 percent just seven weeks earlier, according to HSH Associates. Here's a look at where mortgage rates are headed in the New Year, the forces that will be influencing them, and how consumers can take advantage of the trends.

1. 2009 Rate Outlook : Thirty-year fixed mortgage rates should begin 2009 at around 5 percent, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates. From there, they will "wax and wane" in the 5-to-6 percent range, before closing out the year somewhere between 6 and 6 percent. "That's still very attractive," he says. "There is no reason to think that rates are going to go up so substantially so as to erode the marketplace." (However, should the economic outlook improve more quickly than expected, mortgage rates could trend higher, Gumbinger says. In addition, new government programs unveiled next year could alter the projection.)

There are thee main factors behind the outlook:
2. Inflationary Easing : With the global economy headed for what many expect to be a nasty recession, the inflationary pressures that looked so menacing in the summer have quickly dissipated. The government reported in November that the core consumer price indexa measure of inflation that excludes volatile food and energy pricesdecreased by 0.1 percent in October from the previous month, a sharp decline from the 0.3 percent monthly increase posted in July. At the same time, crude oil has plummeted from more than $140 a barrel in the summer to less than $50 a barrel in December. When inflation eases, yields on government bondslike the 10-year treasury notetend to drift lower. And because 30-year fixed mortgage rates typically track the yields on 10-year treasuries, the diminished inflationary outlook has helped pull rates downward. "The sudden collapse in prices has changed things dramatically," says Gumbinger. "That was really one of the linchpins as to why rates finally did fall."

3. Recession: The National Bureau of Economic Research recently announced that the United States did indeed enter a recession in December 2007. While predictions as to the duration and depth of the recession vary, economists at Goldman Sachs last month revised their original forecast in the face of deteriorating economic news. "This deepens and extends the expected recession, bringing the drop in GDP close to the decline seen in 1982 (2.3 percent in our forecast versus 2.7 percent then)," the economists said in the report.

The recession is likely to put additional downward pressure on mortgage rates in two key ways. First, the economic contraction will work to stifle inflation. And second, it will support the ongoing "flight to quality," whereby investors move cash from more risky investmentslike stocksto ultrasafe government securities. Such forces are already bringing yields on government bonds sharply lower. Ten-year treasury yields fell to 2.66 percent during the week of December 5, from 4.02 percent just seven weeks earlier. "You are seeing nominal treasury yields at new multidecade and, in some cases, all-time lows," Larson says. "[This] should add downward pressure on mortgage rates as well."

4. Government Action: The outlook for mortgage rates has also been influenced by recently announced government initiatives. In late November, the Federal Reserve announced plans to buy up hundreds of billions of dollars in debt and mortgage-backed securities from government-controlled mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The plan is designed to reduce Fannie's and Freddie's financing costs, thereby enabling them to pass savings on to individuals in the form of lower mortgage rates. The Fed has since suggested it may begin buying long-term treasury bonds, which could bring 10-year treasury yields even lower. These announcements triggered an immediate drop in mortgage rates and could continue to keep rates low in the coming months. And while the massive bailout initiatives that governments around the world are now undertaking will undoubtedly lead to renewed inflationary pressures, this impact is unlikely to materialize until 2010, Gumbinger says.

5. Housing Market Turmoil: The decline in home pricescoupled with rising mortgage delinquencies and foreclosureshas prompted investors to demand higher returns on their investments in securities backed by home loans. As a result, the spreador the differencebetween the yields on 10-year treasuries and 30-year fixed mortgage rates has widened significantly. This spread expanded to nearly 3 percentage points in the week of December 5, from 1.5 percentage points in the first week of June 2007before the credit crisis struck. And with home prices expected to continue falling throughout at least the first half of 2009and mortgage delinquencies acceleratingthis "risk premium" should remain elevated. "We're not going to get back to the same tight relationship between the 10-year [treasury] bond and fixed mortgage rates anytime soon," says Tom Vanderwell, a mortgage lender from Michigan. But despite this upward pressure, Vanderwell expects mortgage rates to finish 2009 somewhere between 6 and 6 percent.

6. Lending Standards: Although mortgage rates are likely to remain attractive next year, not everyone will be able to take advantage of them. Many homeowners with adjustable-rate mortgages that would like to refinance into more-affordable, fixed-rate home loans have negative equity, meaning they owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth. As a result, they will not be eligible for refinancing. Meanwhile, those looking to purchase a home will face a credit environment that is significantly tighter than in the housing boom days. In order to access today's most attractive rates, borrowers will have to be able to document their income, make a down payment, and have good credit. Mark Hanson, a managing director who handles real estate and finance research at the Field Check Group, says there aren't a great deal of potential home buyers in the market today "who have jobs, two years of tax returns, [who] are qualified, and have saved a large enough down payment."

7. No Rush: But even though rates may be low today, Larson says qualified borrowers shouldn't feel pressured to see their lender immediately. "This is a lot less of a situation where you've got a temporary spike lower that if you don't get out the door in 48 hours, these rates are going to be gone," Larson says. "This is more of a longer lasting trend wheresure, you will see some fluctuationsbut that the trend in rates is probably lower for a number of months.

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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission took its first, halting steps last week to reign in abuse by credit rating companies. But it left the most controversial and fundamental changes on the table, drawing criticism from many observers that the commission still doesn’t understand the depth of the nation’s economic crisis.
The new rules are “baby steps” that fail to address “the underlying problem,” Janet Tavakoli, a finance consultant in Chicago, told the Wall Street Journal after the policy changes were announced.
The three major firms that dominate the $5-billion credit-rating industry – Standard Poor’s, Moody’s Investment Service and Fitch Ratings – have been criticized for over-valuing many securities that they did not fully understand, such as highly-leveraged debt based on subprime mortgages, according to The New York Times. Their optimism led them to minimize risks, which lowered the cost of credit and enabling billions of dollars’ worth of complicated deals, fueling a bubble in the financial services industry.
Now that the bubble has burst, costing shareholders billions of dollars’ worth of value, the call is on for new regulations to avoid such problems in the future. The S.E.C.’s new rules attempt to limit conflicts of interest by barring firms from rating debt that they were paid to help structure; prohibits analysts from negotiating in setting their own fees; and bans analysts from receiving any gifts worth over $25 (so all those “conferences” in the Bahamas are out). The firms also will have to disclose more information about how they arrive at their ratings.
This is all well and good, but what about proposals that would require firms to tell investors when they are rating complex securities? (Even heavy hitters like Thomas Friedman, recent winner of the Nobel Prize for economics, and former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan admit they have no idea how such investments operate.)
Well, the S.E.C. isn’t going to do anything about that, at least for now. Nor will the firms be required to disclose exactly how they came up with their ratings in the first place.
Why any of this should matter to you
Most Americans have some money tied up on Wall Street, even if it’s a just a small retirement account. And most of those accounts have taken a nosedive in recent months, largely because the investment bubble enabled by these rating firms has finally burst, leading, predictably, to a panic.
What to do
- Read up. The credit rating industry is one of those things that the entire economy depends upon, but nobody understands. It may sound like homework. But learning about power is never boring.
- Write a letter. On paper. With ink. Members of Congress don’t pay much attention to last-minute e-mail chains passed along by advocacy groups, as will definitely happen on this issue next spring. But if your letter is well-reasoned and written by an actual person, it carries a lot more power. Demand tighter regulations and better oversight for credit rating agencies.

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"Product DescriptionThis luxury nordic poles package is designed for demanding
and comfort-seeking pole walking enthusiasts. It includes two finest nordic
poles, a carrying bag and replaceable accessories you need from time to time.
The 3-sections telescopic poles designed to be used anywhere anytime. They offer the convenience of one size fits all and are ideal for traveling due to their
portable nature. The pole grips are cork-coated which make them very
comfortable. With the silky, adjustable straps with a perfect fit that help
ensure effortless, natural and easy arm, you will walk longer than you actually
planned. The anti-shock mechanism reduces up to 25% of body weight from knees
(joints), feet and lower back, allows for a longer more enjoyable walking
experience. Made of expedition-grade aluminum, this strong lightweight
telescopic pole features an ergonomic grip and a quick adjust system for fast
accurate sizing. The poles go from sidewalk to trail with ease. They have a
carbide tip for trail use, covered with a rubber ferrule for use on pavement.
You can easily pop off the rubber ferrule as you go from street to trail, and
put it back on afterwards. For extra stability, for relief of strain on your
hips, knees, and ankles, and for extra calorie burn, these poles are a good
fitness tool. Package includes: Pair of Nordic Poles, one extra pair of round
rubber tips, one pair of wider(paws) rubber tips and carrying bag.

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Right now the crew is installing vinyl siding during the winter. As I continue to document the progress of the construction of an Energy Star certified home I wanted to discuss some basic pointers about installing vinyl siding during the winter.

The crew started installing vinyl siding on this ranch style home last week and the average temperature is about 30 degrees F. In a perfect world we'd always install vinyl siding when the temperature is about 50 degrees F. This is true because 50 degrees F is about the median temperature around there. I'll explain why this is important once I explain the effects of temperature on vinyl and other building products.

Temperature Effects on Building Products
All building materials expand and contract with changes in temperature. As the temperature of a building material goes up the material will expand in length, conversely as the temperature drops the material will begin to contract in length. This property is fairly universal among all building products however vinyl tends to have a higher rate of expansion due to temperature compared to materials like wood. A typical 12' long piece of vinyl siding will expand over 5/8" from winter to summer.

How To Deal With Temperature When Installing Vinyl Siding
Now that you know vinyl siding will get longer and shorter with changes in temperature you can deal with this issue appropriately as you install it. Ideally you'll install vinyl siding when the temperature is around 50 degrees F. This minimizes the total amount of growth and shrinkage.

However, let's say you install the siding at a temperature of 30 degrees F. This means that when the temperature warms up to let's say 100 degrees F it will expand almost 40% more than if you had installed it at 50 degrees. This means you need to cut the siding at lengths that will allow the material to expand more than usual. This is extremely important around window and door casings. If the siding is too close to these areas it will expand until it hits the casing and then begin to buckle. In this example I'd probably leave an extra 1/4" space for the additional expansion.

Properly Nailing Vinyl Siding
Another really important installation issue is nailing vinyl siding properly. As a general rule of thumb the nail should never be set tight to the nailing fin. The head of the nail should have a 1/16" space between the nail head and nailing fin. In addition to that, once a vinyl siding panel is nailed in place you should be able to freely move the panel from side to side. If the panel is difficult to move then changes are good that it will buckle during the summer.

Conclusion
Obviously what I wanted to stress here is how sensitive vinyl siding is to temperature. However, if you take your time and think about this issue vinyl siding can look great. Vinyl siding is a project that most intermediate DIY'ers can accomplish with great results.

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First, a letter which made me laugh.
Second, a letter which almost made me cry.
Eolake


What will happen to Domai when you are, erm, no longer around? Have you ever thought of this?

It will be a real shame if the website simply stops being updated. Or closes altogether.

I hope you have good plans for the long-term future of Domai! Would you be willing to pass it on to someone else?

Chris H



Dear Eolake,

Well, finally, I have decided to write to you. You get today a two-in-one mail from me. One part is my story, as a Domai reader, the other is my first submission to Domai as a blossoming photographer. I hope you enjoy both.

My gratitude goes to you for having created this site which has made me more self-confident and inspired as a woman and as a photographer (not professional, but autodidact and passionate photographer). It made me more aware of my own beauty and of the beauty I can capture through the lens.



So here is my story, the story of how I discovered your site three years ago and how much good it did me. I think it is a great thing to share happiness and beauty and the job you are doing is great. You are channeling positive energies through the web.

It was winter-time, November, and the shiny young man I was interested in was not interested in me. We were having very nice discussions, but that was it. I was feeling invisible as a woman as, I had to admit, I always did when attracted to somebody. I kind of started to look at pictures on the web thinking I should learn to be more sexy. Some were funny, some were nasty, but basically not giving much inspiration. Then I bumped into a page explaining the concept of simple nudes with a bunch of links. I followed some links and discovered Domai. I immediately liked the site’s name because it reminded me of an Indonesian word (I'm actually writing a book about Indonesia) and it wasn't until half a year later I found out the actual meaning. I found there so much beauty. So much fun and sunshine in wintertime. Young ladies all naked, climbing on trees, swimming in rivers, flying with umbrellas, so happy and free I had to smile back at them.

I have been taking pictures and drawing since I was 14 so I could really appreciate the aesthetics of the pictures. I could feel there had been a nice communication between the photographer and the model. Actually a lot of pictures were the kind of pictures I liked to take myself. I mean... I had never taken any naked pictures but I especially liked to take portraits. I liked to make people feel really comfortable so that, through the image, a glimpse of their inner beauty might be revealed. I loved to make somehow “true” pictures that people would accept and treasure. So I was feeling very much at home with most of the Domai pictures. I had been making portraits of peoples' faces. These pictures were portraits of the whole body, of the totality of the women.

Looking at Domai, nudity was becoming more and more natural to my eyes. I remember one day I saw women with lingerie on a newspaper advertisement and I felt those pictures so deeply artificial... At that moment, I realized I had become seriously Domai-addicted and that it had changed the way I was looking at nudity.

Somehow a magic started. Looking at those girls on Domai being happy, free and beautiful made me myself feel more and more happy, free and beautiful. It was as if their energy, their glow was coming through the pictures. Somehow, while looking at them, I was them, and they were me and it was also me who was climbing on the tree and swimming in the river. I don’t know how this magic operates but day by day I was going on the site and feeling vitality, flying away from fears and cold. The girls were all shaped different, thin or large, some bigger here or smaller there, with their bodies as personal, unique and beautiful as their faces. By looking at their pictures, nudity was becoming more and more natural, and... maybe it sounds weird, but I was feeling my body more and more belonging to me.

It was part of my personal growth and healing. Actually I am one of those girls who got somehow abused when they were young. I was much luckier than many, I was not raped, nor was I seriously aggressed, but my mum’s second husband kind of tried to be close to me in an explicitly not father-like way. I talked to my mum about the problem once when I was 13. She did not seem to take it seriously, so I did not talk about it any more. Actually, many years later, I got to know that she had taken it seriously and had she known anything had happened again, she would have divorced on the spot. But I did not tell her. Fear brings distrust. So I made myself as small, diplomatic and invisible as I could. I spent a lot of time out of house, and two years later left home.

There is the saying that “What does not kill you makes you stronger.” I think it could be obscene to state it as a general rule. Two girls I know of, one raped by her priest when she was 12, the other by a neighbor when she was 4, never got over it. Maybe the saying does not apply to them because a part of them was actually killed. People having limbs taken by accidents or wars would probably also not like to hear that saying... Actually it is the kind of wisdom that everybody can feel free to apply on one’s situation or not. For me it worked. This story made me more mature, made me start working for money earlier, enjoy more being at school and, later, when my mother divorced, really enjoy being at home. Life gave me a real problem to deal with, and through it I gained the self-confidence to deal with real problems. I met wonderful people on my way but with attractive boys I remained invisible. It was as if I had an integrated alarm system that would switch me off and make me invisible when close to a boy I felt attracted to. The clothes I would wear were for hiding, still afraid of generating attraction.

I would say that Domai was one of my gurus and finally helped me through this, more than ten years after the happenings. The beauty of the girls in the pictures made my body feel more free and shiny. The letters posted on the site were so sweet, conveying a whole philosophy of respect and love for female beauty that I started to feel differently about myself. I started to see myself and other women around me through Domai perspective. It was quite transcendental. I could feel more and more that I was young and beautiful with nothing to hide.

During those four months, November to February, I was checking Domai every day, and it really changed me. By February the guy was still not interested. One day I got fed up with the situation and decided to let it go, not to have hopes any more, it could still be a very nice friendship. That very evening there was a party and I danced feeling young, happy, beautiful and free. That was the moment when he became attracted to me.

Domai changed my way of seeing the body in general. I see more glow and beauty in it than before. I think this site is spreading love, health and peace of mind. May it be blessed.

Forces of intolerance, domination, control and fear alienate us from ourselves. For me, it was one specific threat I experienced, for others it may be other kinds of oppression. I feel that Domai allows people to be more connected with that which they are. Discovering how beautiful and natural the body actually is makes us more aware of human beauty in general, that means getting closer to what we really are. It is a great source of joy, peace and freedom.

As the world is sometimes going mad, inner peace and mental health are most valuable. By the way, in Indonesian, the language of the country I am writing about, “damai” means peace.

**

So that was my personal love-letter to Domai ! And I mean it truthfully...

And, as a blossoming photographer, I would really love to have my pictures on it!

Actually that dream grew in me when I became Domai-addicted. Domai really inspired me. Without it I don’t know if I would have ever had the self-confidence to ask somebody to pose naked for me. Domai gave me a definite goal, a project, a framework. I was looking for my model in a very shy way for many months until I finally found her. She is a dancer who had been posing for painters and really liked domai when I presented it to her.

At first I was feeling quite weird about being a woman taking pictures of a naked woman. Maybe still the old “hiding-reflex”, feeling that a naked body has to be hidden, even when it is somebody else’s body. But as my model was relaxed and very friendly I too relaxed and could be the photographer, helping her beauty to unfold. I am very happy with the pictures we made! Really. When I looked at them, I was overwhelmed. I was feeling these were the pictures I always wanted to make. It made me more complete as a photographer and as a human being. Through my friend’s beauty caught in those pictures, it was magically also my own beauty that was shining back at me. The beauty of a woman no longer afraid of her own beauty.

I feel that these pictures are my last steps on my path of personal healing, and my first steps on a long road of photography where I would not have ventured without Domai.

Thank you so much, Eolake.

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The Career Doctor responds:
Al, I think there are a couple of different issues here, so I will try and sort through them.
First, weve all had bosses that were unsupportive at best and conniving at worst. Im sorry you are in this situation and you really need a plan to move on to a better situation something it sounds as though youve been trying to do. I dont know why you would keep using this person as a reference if s/he does not give you a good recommendation. Second, there must be plenty of other people you can use as a reference other managers and colleagues at your level who know your accomplishments or a supervisor from another division. You might also use a subordinate that you worked closely with. Or, try and find someone you worked closely with who is no longer at the company. If asked why you havent included your current supervisor, simply respond that s/he does not know you are currently looking for new employment and that you would like to keep it that way. Third, and this one is the hard one have you been totally truthful about your accomplishments? Have you really accomplished all the things you say you did on your resume? Remember that a resume is a statement of facts. While you can put a spin on your accomplishments, the bottom line is that they all must be truthful statements. Fourth, if you really want to know what your supervisor is saying about you and youre willing to pay for that information you could consider using one of the reference-checking services listed at Quintessential Careers: Job References Portfolio Services. Best of luck in finding new employment.

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KYLIE MINOGUE Boombox: The Remix Album 2000 - 2008 (2009 UK 16-track CD album - Kylie's 'Boombox' collection of remixes features some of Kylie's most popular tracks, and some lesser known gems remixed to perfection by some of the best dance produ cers around including Chemical Brothers, Fischerspooner, Mylo and Sebastien Leger; and includes the classic Kylie / New Order mash-up 'Can't Get Blue Monday Out Of My Head'.

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LONDON (AP)—U.S. national team defender Oguchi Onyewu scored off a corner kick to help Standard Liege defeat Sampdoria on Wednesday and advance from its group in the UEFA Cup. Onyewu scored just after striker Igor De Camargo headed home a cross from Milan Jovanovic, helping the Belgian club to a 3-0 victory in the Group C match. Sevilla moved a step closer to joining Standard Liege by beating Partizan Belgrade by the same score.

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Nuggets From The Aircraft Guru!
Welcome Gang!
This is the Beech KingAir 200 / B200 Series Guru hoping to provide you a little insight into changes in the marketplace for Beech KingAir 200 / B200 Series aircraft. The following companies have demonstrated a marketing expertise of listing multiple aircraft in this model group: 1) JA Aero, 2) JetLease, 3) Jettime, 4) Global Wings, LLC, 5) Jet America, 6) Front Range Aviation, LLC, 7) Business Aircraft Group, Inc., 8) J.D. Aircraft Sales, 9) Carlsbad Aircraft Brokerage Sales, 10) General Aviation Services, 11) Nolan Aviation, LLC., 12) Business Aircraft Group Inc., 13) Sacramento Aviation Management, 14) Aviation Marketing Group, Inc., 15) Flight Source Int`l, Inc., 16) Flinn Zachary Aviation Group, 17) Kand-Air, Inc., 18) Ruston Aviation, 19) Bobby Watson, 20) Unlimited Aircraft, Inc., 21) J. Michael Lea Assoc., 22) C J Sales, 23) East Coast Jet Center, 24) Elliott Aviation, 25) Kansas Aircraft Corporation, 26) Jet Quest, 27) Beechcraft Vertrieb und Srvc, 28) World Jet, Inc., 29) Jim Riner Patrick Searle, 30) Elliott Aviation, 31) High Flite International, 32) Flight Solutions, 33) Jet Quest, 34) Tucson Aeroservice Center, 35) OK Consultants, Inc., 36) C J Sales, 37) John Bell Aircraft, Inc., 38) Stone Aviation, Inc, 39) Boutsen Aviation, 40) AirSouth, Inc., 41) T.A.S. Top-A-Services Ltd., 42) Gantt Aviation, 43) Fisher Aircraft Sales, 44) Aradian Aviation, 45) Global Wings, LLC, 46) Cutter Aviation, Inc., 47) Atlanta Jet Incorporated, 48) Central Virginia Aviation, 49) Allied Jet International, 50) Boyar Associates, 51) High Flite International, 52) T.A.S. Top-A-Services Ltd (UK AUT), 53) General Aviation Services, 54) Amjet Aviation Company, 55) Atlanta Jet Inc., 56) BF Aviation LLC, 57) Lane Aviation, 58) Aviation Services Sales, 59) JRW Aviation, 60) Aradian Aviation Ltd, 61) AeroSolutions Group, Inc., 62) Flight Solutions, Inc., 63) Express Jets, 64) Beechcraft Vertrieb und Service GmbH, 65) Spitfire Aviation, 66) Nebrig Associates, Inc., 67) Park Avenue Group, 68) American Aviation, 69) Pollard Aircraft Sales, Inc., 70) Bell Aviation, Inc., 71) Jettime.biz, 72) Gantt Aviation, 73) Gantt Aviation, Inc., 74) C J Aviation, 75) Barta-Iso Aviation, 76) Banyan Aircraft Sales, 77) Beechcraft Pre-Owned Aircraft, 78) AeroSolutions, 79) xxx, 80) Pollard Aircraft Sales, Inc., 81) Northeast Sales Office, 82) Landmark Aviation, 83) International Aviation Ltd., 84) Murphy Acquisitions, 85) Bell Aviation, Inc.
During the most recent 12 month period from 2007/12/04 to 2008/11/28 there were 576 Beech KingAir 200 / B200 Series added to the market. A year ago during that 12 month period from 2006/12/09 to 2007/12/04 there were 413 Beech KingAir 200 / B200 Series added to the market. This 39 percent increase is a significant change in the market.
Sincerely yours in aviation,
Max Cruise
.

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Eleanor Rices daughter, she is called her little Eleanor fell down the steps Friday and hit her head.  They thought no damage was done but her husband and children went to Church yesterday morning and found her dead at the table when they got home.   Eleanor Rice was the wife of Carew Rice that died several years ago in a plane crash.  She is now Mrs Kenneth Burn and their address is 1213 Barnwell Bluff in Beaufort S.C. I do not have the Daughters last name but do know that she will be buried at Edisto sometime on Monday next to Carew.

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Tomorrow is the last day of my two week long vacation. Some people would probably be sad to go back to work (especially when work is just a paycheck and not a passion) but not me. I have missed the people and the place - missed walking in the door and setting down my things at my desk. Missed chatting about what happened at church with Stephanie or Russ. Missed watching Lisaâs belly grow larger as we near the final weeks of her pregnancy.

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Berlins prolific and sanity-defying Nomad will be curating a group show at Found this December. However, Nomad is not curating a show of his colleagues; instead, he is wrangling his fractured personalities and giving them each a piece of art to create.

The German-born artist has paid his dues in California a decade ago and has served time for his antics and suffered through homelessness on and off for a while before returning to Germany, where the scale and complexity of his work grew.

The Art of Losing It Part III finds Nomad working primarily on paper, leaning towards a dirty combination of mixed media, in lieu of the classical street art styles of clean lines and graphic shapes. This new body of work is inspired by Los Angeles trash, both literal waste and low cult fare like tabloids and other readily-disposable weeklies, billboards, etc.

Please join us for the opening on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 6-9pm with music by Side Pipe.

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I wake up pre-sun, before the birds and before the noise. The day is yawning and so am I. My hands run over my face and then my quiet eyes and then I'm staring at my unforgivingly bright monitor. I skim the news, visit Perez and watch a few hip-hop videos from the '90s. Then, resentfully, I type the necessary characters to go to my bank's Web site to check my credit card debt.

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