Scratches to Sketches
Wednesday, 10 September 2014
Bubble-Era Home Equity Loans Are Set to Bite Borrowers - Businessweek
"Some 2.5 million homeowners may soon face a shock: The home equity loans they took out a decade ago, in the credit-flush run-up to the housing crash, are coming due.
Home equity loans extend a line of credit to homeowners based on (and secured by) the value of their houses. Borrowers pay only the monthly interest on the loans for a set period of time, typically 10 years. After that, they must start paying down the principal. The balance on outstanding home equity loans nearly tripled from the start of 2003 through the peak in the first quarter of 2009, according to data from the New York Fed. All these loans will come due in the next five years."
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-09-09/bubble-era-home-equity-loans-set-to-bite-borrowersEven from Paul Krugman, A Surprising Argument
Elizabeth Warren and Paul Krugman on the Middle Class (Video) | Ring of Fire
The event began with the two discussing what the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been able to accomplish in the three years since its creation, and went on to cover topics including student loan debt, bankruptcy protection, the minimum wage, and women's healthcare."
http://ringoffireradio.com/2014/09/elizabeth-warren-and-paul-krugman-on-the-middle-class-video/BBC News - Scottish independence: Cameron, Clegg and Miliband make Scotland 'No' vote plea
"The leaders of the main UK parties have travelled to Scotland to urge voters to reject independence in the referendum.
Prime Minister David Cameron said he would be "heartbroken" in the event of a "Yes" vote, while Labour leader Ed Miliband said the case for the Union came from the "head, heart and soul".
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said the leaders could not be trusted.
Meanwhile, a new opinion poll has suggested 47.6% of voters back "No", 42.4% "Yes", with 10% undecided."
The Weak Sisters of Europe | The Moderate Voice
Russian warplane makes ‘provocative’ pass over Canadian frigate | Ottawa Citizen
HMCS Toronto has been serving in the Mediterranean in recent months as part of the Standing NATO Maritime Forces. Last week, though, the frigate sailed into the Black Sea to take part in the U.S.-led Operation Sea Breeze, which will see ships from several other alliance members engaged in three days of exercises off the southern coast of Ukraine."
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/russian-warplane-makes-provocative-pass-over-canadian-frigate
Russia: 'ethnic cleansing' of Crimean Tatars
IS women take up jihad cause on social media and in the streets
Some work to communicate the militants' message to the world using platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Kik. Others have joined one of several female brigades, reports New York Magazine."
http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/is-women-take-up-jihad-cause-on-social-media-and-in-the-streets/story-fnh81ifq-1227053757287Adriana Cohen: Where is outrage vs. Sharia Law? | Boston Herald
Yet American feminists and liberal women's groups have remained shockingly silent on this barbarism. Instead of focusing on this very real war on women, Democratic women reserve their vicious attacks for Republicans and the Tea Party."
Where is outrage at what is happening to Canadian native women?
http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/adriana_cohen/2014/09/adriana_cohen_where_is_outrage_vs_sharia_lawStatoil's Norway Well Prompts a Complaint from Greenpeace - September 10, 2014 - Zacks.com
Judge says Chesapeake Energy must face racketeering trial | Petro Global News
The racketeering charge carries a fine of up to $100,000. The 20 counts of using false pretenses carry fines of up to $10,000 per count or triple the value of the money or property involved, whichever is greater."
So are these people Americans or Russians?
http://petroglobalnews.com/2014/09/judge-says-chesapeake-energy-must-face-racketeering-trial/Rosneft sells $1 billion stake in Vankor fields to CNPC | Petro Global News
The sanctions would further restrict Rosneft's access to foreign loans, prohibiting the company from receiving any loans with more than 30 days maturity.
Rosneft's finances have been strained by the EU and U.S. sanctions spurred by Russia's involvement in the Ukraine."
http://petroglobalnews.com/2014/09/rosneft-sells-1-billion-stake-in-vankor-fields-to-cnpc/Sanctions start to hurt Rosneft | Europe | BDlive
Few doubt that Rosneft will be able to withstand the pressure in the medium term — its earnings amount to $30bn a year and billions more are still available via Chinese credit lines and Russian state coffers in case of emergency. However, the world's biggest listed oil producer — which produces more oil than Opec members Iraq or Iran — faces unprecedented challenges to its long-term expansion and modernisation plans."
Provide Endangered Species Protection to Monarch Butterflies | French Tribune
The petitioners have blamed Monsanto Co.'s Roundup herbicide and Roundup Ready crops for the decline. Due to the increased planting of genetically engineered crops in the Midwest, where a majority of monarchs are born, a decline has been seen in the butterfly's population."
http://www.frenchtribune.com/teneur/1423548-provide-endangered-species-protection-monarch-butterfliesSuzuki recalls nearly 19,000 Kizashi sedans due to spider infestation problems | French Tribune
The recall affects Kizashi mid-sized sedans from model years 2010 through 2013. The Kizashi was one of Suzuki's best-seller vehicles in the US for nearly three decades, before the automaker pulled the vehicle from the US market last year.
About the problem prompting the recall of Kizashis by Suzuki, the NHTSA said that, in the affected Kizashi models, a hose to vent gasoline vapors from the vehicles can potentially be blocked because of webs weaved by spiders."
http://www.frenchtribune.com/teneur/1423475-suzuki-recalls-nearly-19000-kizashi-sedans-due-spider-infestation-problemsTornado Spotted above Iceland’s Bardarbunga Volcano | Austrian Tribune
The footage was taken last week by an aircraft-fitted infrared camera designed to monitor and allow pilots to see potentially dangerous ash clouds.
Scientists are still unsure what caused the tornado-like phenomenon, but have suggested it may be due to the difference between hot and colder air rising above Bardarbunga (located under Vatnajökull, Iceland's most extensive glacier) has caused something similar to a 'dust devil'.
Dust devils are small, rotating columns of air, which can be seen because of the dust and debris they pick up from the ground. They form because hot air close to the ground rises, punching through the layer of cooler, denser air above."
http://austriantribune.com/informationen/144594-tornado-spotted-above-iceland-s-bardarbunga-volcanoVolcano tornadoes in Iceland are what your worst nightmares are made of : SCIENCE : Tech Times
Cambridge Econometrics Do the Math on Energy Efficiency
Cambridge Econometrics (CE) was commissioned by WWF-UK to assess the impacts of climate change mitigation measures on UK households, businesses and the macro-economy. MDM-E3, CE's econometric model of the UK economy, energy system and environment, was used to model the impacts of taking measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the power sector, buildings, transport, industry and agriculture. The analysis shows that investing in energy efficiency measures and low-carbon technologies in order to meet the fourth carbon budget will lead to the creation of 190,000 jobs and a small increase in GDP (1.1%), relative to a scenario in which no further action is taken to decarbonise the UK economy.
Want to grow the UK economy? Invest in green energy - environment - 10 September 2014 - New Scientist
The finding should encourage action to reduce CO2 levels, which reached a new high in 2013, according to a report by the World Meteorological Organization. The growth from 2012 was the biggest jump since 1984, and may be partly down to plants and other organisms taking in less CO2."
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26179-want-to-grow-the-uk-economy-invest-in-green-energy.html#.VBC8QWK9KSMTornado of hot gas caught emerging from fiery volcano - environment - 05 September 2014 - New Scientist
This Is A Swirling Thermal Tornado Rising From Iceland's Volcano | Gizmodo Australia
While the images were captured to help understand how heat and ash were rising from the volcano, it's less clear exactly how the tornado formed. "The generation mechanism is probably the same as that for dust devils, but in this case the tornado funnel is most likely filled with sulphur dioxide, gas and volcanic ash," explained Fred Prata, who developed the camera used to capture the image. [New Scientist]"
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/09/this-is-a-swirling-thermal-tornado-rising-from-icelands-volcano/Karima Bennoune | Speaker | TED.com
Yes! Yes!
"Why you should listen
Karina Bennoune is a professor of international law at the University of California–Davis School of Law. She grew up in Algeria and the United States and now lives in northern California.
She has published widely in many leading academic journals, as well as in the Guardian, The New York Times, Comment is Free, the website of Al Jazeera English, The Nation. The topic of her most recent publication 'Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here' is a very personal one for her. Her father Mahfoud Bennoune was an outspoken professor at the University of Algiers, and faced death threats during the 1990s, but continued speaking out against fundamentalism and terrorism. In writing this book, Karima set out to meet people who are today doing what her father did back then, to try to garner for them greater international support than Algerian democrats received during the 1990s."