Jane's Place

Anyone know why Rosanna was moved to daytime?    I have never seen such a winning team as Rosanna & Ernie before!   They complimented each other so well.  The little digs at each other were so cute, and funny too.     That's what made them like being part of our family.....and so different from the stuffed suits on other news channels.        I think Dari is very pretty and talented, but she and Ernie will never have that unique on-screen rapport that Ernie and Rosanna took years to develop.    Ernie should have went to daytime with Rosanna.    Just curious of what could have prompted Fox to decide to lose a good thing.

Jane

Tic Tac Toe can be a very tricky game!

   This is really hard to do. Click on the TicTacToe (below) to play.    
See if you can beat the computer.



TicTacToe                    

Is anything real anymore?  Since they use mouse genes to alter soy crops for mass production, I have only bought organic soy products for years.    I thought it would stop there, but I was wrong. As long as we are too busy to protest; food makers, partnered up with the FDA, will continue to push us to new limits!     After all, profits are more important to them than human guinea pigs!  

Please read this article from WebMD:

No Labels for Genetically Engineered Food FDA Says

Labels Won't Be Needed for Products Made From Genetically Altered Animals By Todd Zwillich
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Sept. 18, 2008 -- New rules proposed by federal regulators don't require consumer labeling of many genetically altered animals that are expected to soon reach grocery story shelves as meat, poultry, or seafood.

The proposed regulations govern a wide range of genetically altered animals, including some already under development and some that are expected to come to market in the next few years.

Biotech companies and livestock producers are keenly interested in DNA engineering as a way to breed larger or healthier animals for food, and also as a potential source of pharmaceuticals produced in milk or animal's blood.

FDA officials say they will require public hearings before companies can sell genetically modified animals as food to the public. They say the process would bring transparency to a form of food production that could make some consumers uneasy.

"We'll need to do a full evaluation of food and feed safety," says Randall Lutter, PhD, FDA's deputy commissioner for policy.

But the agency also says producers would not be required to label most genetically engineered meat, poultry, or seafood. The rules treat altered DNA inserted into livestock as drugs.   Companies are not required to alert consumers when antibiotics, hormones, or other drugs are used in raising the animals.

"There is no special labeling requirement simply because the animal itself was engineered," Lutter says.

Changes in Composition of Food

One exception is if genetic engineering alters the makeup of food. For example, companies are developing DNA that causes pigs to produce more omega-3 fatty acids in their muscles. Officials say the proposed rules would require a label indicating the product as high in the fatty acids, but not that it is genetically modified.

"The labeling will be based on the changes in the composition of the product," Lutter told reporters during a conference call.

The decision does not affect cloned animals or their offspring, which earlier this year were declared safe as a food source by the FDA.

Michael Hansen, PhD, senior scientist at Consumers Union, praised the requirement of public hearings before genetically altered animals are sold as food.

"It is positive that unlike with [genetically engineered] plants, they are going to require a safety assessment," he tells WebMD.

But Hansen criticizes the agency for taking what he says was a lax approach toward consumer labeling of such products.

"It's outrageous that they would not require these things to be labeled. Come on, they require orange juice to be labeled if it's from a concentrate vs. fresh-squeezed. Milk is labeled homogenized vs. not. That's enough to label, but an engineered animal isn't?" he says.

The Biotechnology Industry Organization, an industry group, says it supports the proposed rule.

"Animals that are genetically engineered can have improved food production capabilities, enabling them to help meet the global demand for more efficient, more nutritious, higher quality and lower-cost sources of food," says Barbara Glenn, PhD, the group's managing director for animal biotechnology.

Dozens of genetically altered animals are under development. For example, researchers at the University of Illinois are experimenting with cow DNA that increases hormone production in the milk of pig sows. The hormone can cause piglets to grow faster and reach a higher body weight.

Researchers are also developing genes for pigs so their waste contains less phosphorus, an environmental pollutant. Genes from spiders can even get goats to produce spider silk in their milk for use in bullet-proof vests.

SOURCES:

FDA: "The Regulation of Genetically Engineered Animals Containing Heritable rDNA Constructs."

Randall Lutter, PhD, deputy commissioner, FDA.

Michael Hansen, PhD, senior scientist, Consumers Union.

Barbara Glenn, PhD, managing director for animal biotechnology, Biotechnology Industry Organization.

This is the most touching story I ever read.    ( Someone emailed this to me. )

>            I  was walking around in a Target
>            store, when I saw a Cashier hand this little boy some money
>            back.
>
>            The boy couldn't have been more than 5
>            or 6 years old.
>
>            The Cashier said, 'I'm sorry, but you
>            don't have enough money to buy this doll.'
>
>            Then the little boy turned to the old
>            woman next to him: ''Granny,
>            are you sure I don't have enough
>            money?''
>
>            The old lady replied: ''You know that
>            you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.''
>
>            Then she asked him to stay there for
>            just 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left
>            quickly.
>
>            The little boy was still holding the
>            doll in his hand.
>
>
>            Finally, I walked toward him and I
>            asked him who he wished to give this doll to.
>
>            'It's the doll that my sister loved
>            most and wanted so much for Christmas.
>
>            She was sure that Santa Claus would
>            bring it to her.'
>
>            I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus
>            would bring it to her after all, and not to worry.
>
>            But he replied to me sadly. 'No, Santa
>            Claus can't bring it to her where she is now. I have to give
>            the doll
>            to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she
>            goes there.'
>
>            His eyes were so sad while saying this.
>            'My Sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is
>            going to
>            see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the
>            doll with
>            her to give it to my sister.''
>
>
>            My heart nearly stopped.
>
>            The little boy looked up at me and
>            said: 'I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her
>            to wait
>            until I come back from the mall.'
>
>
>            Then he showed me a very nice photo of
>            himself. He was laughing. He then told me 'I want mommy to
>            take my
>            picture with her so she won't forget me.'
>
>            'I love my mommy and I wish she didn't
>            have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be
>            with my
>            little sister.'
>
>            Then he looked again at the doll with
>            sad eyes, very quietly.
>
>            I quickly reached for my wallet and
>            said to the boy. 'Suppose we check again, just in case you
>            do have
>            enough money for the doll!''
>
>            'OK' he said, 'I hope I do have
>            enough.' I added some of my money to his without him seeing
>            and we
>            started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even
>            some spare money.
>
>            The little boy said: 'Thank you God for
>            giving me enough money!'
>
>            Then he looked at me and added, 'I
>            asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure
>            I had
>            enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could give it
>            to my sister. He heard me!''
>
>            'I also wanted to have enough money to
>            buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God
>            for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white
>            rose.''
>
>            'My mommy loves white roses.'
>
>            A few minutes later, the old lady
>            returned and I left with my basket.
>
>            I finished my shopping in a totally
>            different state of mind from when I started.
>
>            I couldn't get the little boy out of my
>            mind.
>
>            Then I remembered a local news paper
>            article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a
>            truck, who hit
>            a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl.
>
>            The little girl died right away, and
>            the mother was left in a critical
>            state. The family had to decide whether
>            to pull the plug on the
>            life-sustaining machine, because the
>            young woman would not be able to recover from the coma.
>
>            Was this the family of the little boy?
>
>            Two days after this encounter with the
>            little boy, I read in the news paper that the young woman
>            had passed
>            away.
>
>            I couldn't stop myself as I bought a
>            bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where
>            the body of
>            the young woman was for people to see and make last wishes
>            before her
>            burial.
>
>            She was there, in her coffin, holding a
>            beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the
>            little boy and
>            the doll placed over her chest.
>
>            I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling
>            that my life had been changed for ever.. The love that the
>            little boy
>            had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day,
>            hard to imagine.
>
>            And in a fraction of a second, a drunk
>            driver had taken all this away from him.

 

Looking at my son’s school books and homework; it looks exactly like my mother’s did 60 years ago!  

No disrespect intended, but; does today’s school board think the 1940’s school board knew better of what kids should be learning today?   

For all of the years I have studied in school, I can’t think of even one instance of how ancient history helped me in life.    If you are not planning on being a game show contestant, what will you ever do with all of this dead, worthless information stored in your brain?  

My mother’s answer to that was, “Well you don’t want to look stupid if these topics come up at a party,” “But I have been to hundreds of parties Mom, and have yet to see a party where the topic of ancient history came up in conversation!”    We live in a different world now.   If you go to a party and talk about Abraham Lincoln, you are a propeller head!

Who really gives a rat’s tail about George Washington at any age?    Why do we spend more time on the past than the present and the future?   Our kids don’t need to be quizzed on his wooden teeth; where he lived; where he slept, etc.    A simple briefing on all prominent people in history would suffice now, leaving more time to learn about things that will be useful to them in their upcoming adulthood.   

If I had the power to change what my son learns in school, I would streamline the curriculum to be conducive to his future.   Yes, it will cost lots of money to make these revisions, but I don’t want my son to be insecure in life because instead of teaching reality, our schools are frozen in time.     The 1940’s were simpler times.    We live in a much more complex world now, and we need to stop preparing our children to live in a 1940’s scenario.       

Today we optimize our computers, but leave our children’s learning un-optimized, as if the brain of our computer is more important!

I believe the school system fears change because of the uproar it may cause in different communities and cultures.     But, what if there were “optional” classes for parents who want their kids to have an education that will let them enter today’s adult world with more confidence?     This class could teach things that will make them more “street smart,” “technology inclined,” “business savvy,”  and develop better problem solving skills,  by teaching valuable tips and tricks and alerting them of common pitfalls and scams in today’s world that people fall victim to; and ways to avoid them.     

By learning about mistakes others have made in “this decade,” our kids can avoid repeating the same “trials and errors” and avoid all the bumps, bruises and set-backs that could lead them to a path they did not plan.

It would be great if kids looked forward to learning because it pertains to them, instead of feeling like some classes are punishments because we owe ancient people glory and respect?     

With this hypothetical class of the future, our kids would actually look forward to being there, because it will shed light on, and optimize their thoughts as they develop plans to create their individual path through life, avoiding obstacles that lead them astray.   

 

Jane

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I always questioned why people that smile and open doors for you in person, are also the same people that cut you off on the road and start a road rage----as if you can't see their face through the car windows.   Why do good people lose their sense of kindness when they get behind the wheel?   Take their car away and they transform into caring people again!

Now compare that to "blog-rage" that has been a hot topic lately-----take their computer away, and I believe the same thing happens here.  

Another example is putting an unsuspecting person in front of a casino slot machine, and watch them transform to someone you don't recognize.

Some people "become the machine!"    As our world slowly evolves into one big high-tech machine, how do we hold on to our grace and humanity?

Jane

Did you ever get detered driving behind a confused driver trying to find an address?   I know I have, and it is very annoying!     It not only makes me late, but all of the traffic behind me as well.    Some lost drivers even cause accidents trying to look for house numbers.    Not everyone has a "reliable" GPS.

If you own a home in the Cayman Islands and do not clearly display your house number you will get a $500. fine.      Sounds harsh at first, but if you think about how a life could be saved by emergency vehicles being able to locate the home faster, it is a very good law to have.   

In my area, you can easily view an address while driving, on about 1 in 20 to 30 homes and buildings.   That's not good; how about your area?    

Do you want drivers on your block looking for house numbers instead of watching the road while your children are out playing?     If you live on a busy street, you would also appreciate hearing less beeping at confused drivers.

It's as easy as going to Home Depot and buying stick-on numbers!    So why not help your community that way?

Jane

'Fake Vaccination' Pediatrician Fined $10,000 Did It For Parents Concerned About Shots-Autism Link

Way to Go Doctor!!!      Finally a doctor willing to put it on the line to save a child!!!    

My family doctor told me that she will not take babies as patients because she refuses to give the vaccinations as well.

When my son was born in 1991, we were told the odds of having an autistic child was 1 in 10,000.     Over the last 16 years that ratio gradually progressed into an epidemic!  

One out of every 150 babies will be Autistic, and 1 out of every 94 male babies will be Autistic, because it is more common in males.

New research has proven the link between these vaccinations and the onset of Autism.    My son was normal, until he had his shots at age 17 months old,  just the same as all the other cases.     After the shots, he lost the 30 words in his vocabulary and became silent for a few years.   In addition, he had most of the classic symptoms, and he suffered his entire childhood.

Through therapy, special education and persistence, he made a huge emergence from Autism, and he appears to be about 95% recovered, but he  still struggles, trying to fit in to a world he doesn't completely understand.

The symptoms of Autism are a perfect match to the effects of mercury poisoning.   Mercury is in these vaccinations.      It is believed that babies whose immune systems are not fully developed yet at the time of receiving these shots, are the ones that get Autism from the mercury poisoning.   

Here is a link to an article of recent information linking the two:    

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_anthony_
_
080422_tipping_point_in_aut.htm 

If I were to have a baby knowing what I know now, I would NEVER allow my baby to have the vaccinations.    I would home-school the child instead, to save the child's soul before it is stolen from him.

 

Jane

Freedom isn't free........someone has to pay!    For that reason, remember it is important to look past the horse & pony show the political candidates are putting on for us, and get very serious about our country's future!     Don't let any candidate blind you with cheap tricks to divert your attention!

"This is not a popularity contest!     It is Our Own Children's Blood at Stake!!!"

Jane

 

Elliot...

Really?   You thought a politician could have a private deceitful life?   If so then you are not smart enough to be a polititian in the first place!

Devastating and humiliating your wife and daughters, just for a cheap thrill, shows you are out of control of your life-----so how can you possibly govern New York, if you can't even govern your own life.

It seems like people in power are totally tripping these days!  Somehow the power leads to them to believe they are resillient from everything!    Whether it be politics or Hollywood------I don't get it.

All you politicians should either get your act together, or quit now, to avoid the embarrassment and destruction to your families.     Am I wrong?   It would make sense to me.    

Jane

 

Although I don’t usually believe in wasting too much time on pointing the blame finger, as it’s much smarter to take the same time and energy to try to fix the problem, I wanted to review some every-day scenarios which led us to the real estate bubble.

SCENARIO #1

A home valued at $350k sells for $380k.   But the realtor knows that no mortgage company would lend $380k on a $350-valued house---even with money down.   The realtor and mortgage rep both have a large commission riding on it, so they find an appraiser willing to get creative so the appraisal can be stretched to 380k.   With the 380k appraisal, the home can sell for 380k with no problem, and everyone is happy, including the entire neighborhood.   When this home sold 30k higher, it set a new precedence on public record for all homes within half a mile.  Now the comparable homes in the neighborhood, just went up 30k in market value.

In this scenario who caused the artificially inflated home prices?    The realtor, the mortgage rep, the appraiser, the seller, or the buyer?

SCENARIO #2

A month later, a similar home a block away sells for 390k-----and so the bubble grows.

The Smiths’ down the street are thrilled, as this is causing their home to go up in value very fast.   They decide to use their new-found equity to take 40k cash out of their home with a refinance.  They use the money to pay off their credit cards, go shopping, and take that dream vacation.    Home values continue to escalate because home flippers are buying and immediately selling higher like mad!   The Smiths’ need money again, and take another 40k cash out of their home.   After the money is spent, and their adjustable rate mortgage payment rises, and they are struggling each month to make the payment to keep their home.  Some months they just can’t make the payment.  Their credit scores drastically drop, and now they are 3-months late and must refinance just to get enough cash to bring the mortgage current and out of foreclosure.   Unless they win the lottery, they can only prolong the inevitable foreclosure for so long.    The Smiths’ become a homeless statistic, along with millions of others that also fell into the “My home works like an ATM” trap.

 

SCENARIO #3

Behind the scenes, the wholesale banks put pressure on their outside sales reps to go out and solicit every mortgage broker's office for loans.  “We need loans to convert on Wall Street to cash premiums!”  Go out there and bring us their ugliest train-wreck deals!  If they had a bankruptcy last week, no problem!   An unemployed borrower?  No Problem!”     The investors in Korea are anxious to invest their money in higher rate sub-prime U.S. mortgages.   $1000 bonus for the rep that brings in 10 new loans today------offer the brokers a higher premium------go get em’!”

So who caused artificially inflated home prices leading to the bursting of the proverbial bubble?   Was it the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, mortgage lenders, house flippers, real estate investors, appraisers, foreign mortgage investors, frivolous refinancers, buyers or sellers?    Or are all of the above contributors to the end result? 

After the correction is complete, will the cycle start all over again?   I think the answer is; only if there are lots of third-party investors investing billions into our mortgage notes again.   (There are hardly any foreign investors now due to the super-high number of foreclosure in 2006.)   If not, lenders will only lend to individuals with perfect credit and income, because it is their own money being invested, not some foreigner’s money.   

I am willing to accept my share of the blame for working in the industry, although it is like going with the flow on a highway where everyone is speeding.    But the imploding of the bubble was caused by a large spectrum of reasons, not just by the people working in the industry.   We are just the pawns in a big game of real estate chess.

 

 

Jane

 

You might think, "I am not in the real estate industry, so this won't affect me"---------WRONG!    The mortgage sector is the main strength of our country's economy, and we may be heading for a melt-down!

As an insider in both the real estate and mortgage industry, let me offer you this as a consumer advisory:

Back in March I posted a blog about how the subprime mortgage industry lost all of their investors due to the super-high forclosure rate in 2006.   Of course they created this mess themselves, by offering mortgages to anyone who can breathe, to make a quick 1 to 2% of the loan amount in a conduit Wall Street trade to the investor.   Sheer greed got in the way of banks even caring about the fraud involved to misrepresent the loan to the investor.   The most common types of fraud are stretched appraisals, phoney employment, phoney stated income; although there are many other types as well.

For those not aware, the banks may service your mortgages, but 98% of them were funded and owned by rich investors in mostly Korea.   These investors stopped investing in our mortgages because the high rate of forclosures, made them take a huge loss.   Now most banks can only fund loans out of their own resources, and the designated amount loaned to them by the federal reserve.    It seemed as if we would be okay with just the subprime lenders shutting down, but now seeing A-credit lenders shutting their doors, is very shocking!

American Home Loans, is / was a very large wholesale mortgage lender, that I have brokered many A-credit loans through myself.   I was surprised to learn that they closed their doors two days ago.  Their stock dropped 90% that day.

I was told at my real estate office that last week;  right at the closing tables in two separate incidences, Countrywide Bank recalled their loans, and left the homebuyers sitting at the closing table in shock and helpless!   They actually wired the mortgage money to the closing attorney, then requested it back!

I am receiving emails daily from large wholesale banks stating their new limitations and stricter guidelines, while defending how much money they have in reserve, so we don't give up on them.  

I am not sure why the public isn't being alerted to what is happening, and how it could ramify into a much weaker economy-----hopefully not a crash;  but I sold all my personal investments last week just in case.   I am in no way recommending to anyone to sell off their investments, that was just my personal choice.   I can always reinvest if a solution to this problem somehow comes about.   I just don't see one in sight.

Not to create a panic, but I am advising you to do your own research, and stay alert to what is happening in this industry, because it will affect you, no matter who you are.  

Jane

 

 

 

 

 

It's been a while since I went to school for medical billing, but I clearly remember being taught:  "It is the medical billers who know the ins-and-outs of defrauding insurance companies, that earn the largest salaries."    A medical biller that knows how to "up-code" can earn 90k a year, as opposed to the entry-level biller earning 25k. 

Every doctor visit is coded as a level 1, level 2, level 3, as well as procedural coded.  For example, a level 1 visit might mean the doctor didn't see you, only the nurse.  But the medical biller writes level 2 or 3 on the chart anyway, to get the doctor paid much more money from the insurance company.

Another example; a patient goes to a doctor because he wants to lose weight, but the doctor knows his insurance won't pay for that reason, so he writes "respiratory infection" on the chart, and treats him for weight loss.

In this course, the teacher emphasized:  "It is illegal to defraud medicare or medicaid, because they are governmental--------however it is not illegal to defraud all other private insurance companies; only unethical"   "Knowing how to upcode will make-or-break the doctor."

When I learned that medical billing is partially about fraud in my 10-week course, I decided not to go into that field, and went into mortgages and real estate instead.   Not that my industry is free from fraud, we all know thats not true, but at least I have some control, so it doesn't happen in branch office.  My mother didn't offer me a lot of advice growing up, but I do remember her saying:  "If you do everything honestly, you never have to worry about anything coming back to you."   I think that's the best advice you can give a child.

I  think a good way to keep healthcare costs down, would be to have the patient sign-off on the chart to verify what was done, and explain the level 1, 2 or 3 codes to the patients.   In my opinion, this is a big portion of the health insurance money leak, that can be fixed.

Jane

 

What a bright sunny day today in my town.....for most of us anyway. For some, it's like the dreaded "day after."

Driving through the flood zones, I see heaping piles of what was once treasured possessions, surrounded by sad faces wearing filter masks. It's very tragic, but on a good note; it brought the neighborhood together like brothers and sisters sharing war stories, and helping each other clean up.

Years ago, I used to live in that flood zone. It was an adorable and affordable family neighborhood with a park for the kids. I was lucky to live there for 2.5 years without ever seeing a flood. What struck me most about the community when I first moved there, was the neighbors being so friendly and caring. It was almost like living in The Twilight Zone. No neighborhood has neighbors that sincerely treat strangers like family when they first move in.

Strangely, I never understood why until today. After driving through my old neighborhood, I discovered what makes these people the wonderful, and humble people that they are. It is the togetherness brought on by sharing distress in times like these. There is a special neighborly bond that non-flood zones will never have. It makes me miss my old neighborhood.

Jane

As we already know;  New Jersey property taxes are the highest in the United States because of poor judgement in budgeting.   I'm not blaming John Corzine, because he became governor long after the fact. 

Just to be a real estate agent, New Jersey requires 75 classroom hours, and passing a difficult 3.5 hour New Jersey State exam.   But New Jersey State Governors never had to study to pass any state exam.   Why not?  Aren't they responsible for a much larger task in the state?   I believe they should be tested on budgeting skills before being allowed to run for office.  High test scores can take the place of millions spent in campaign advertising.   Let's be realistic; popularity alone does not guarantee a good governor.  I'd like to see something more substantial before voting.

Jane