True tales from apartment managers include lost keys, deep-fried turkeys and vandalized apartments. Image: Flickr / MoneyBlogNewz / CC-BY

If you do not own the home, loft, room, space or RV that you live in, you probably need renter’s insurance. True tales from apartment managers show exactly how many ways things can go wrong. Living in close quarters with others means another person’s mistake can affect you.

True tales from apartment managers

Apartment managers are the first line of defense when things go wrong, and they have seen just about everything. One apartment manager in Chicago remembers when a resident tried to deep-fry a turkey inside the apartment — and set the whole complex on fire. One dormitory manager in Reno, Nevada, had a tough day when a resident tried to microwave a dry towel and set the room on fire. Floods, fires, snowstorms, vandalism, burglary and electrical surges all happen to rental units, too.

What happens after an apartment emergency

Say your apartment goes up in flames, the person in the next dorm spray-paints everything in your room or your Super Bowl party overtaxed the wiring and blew out the breakers. If you do not have renter’s insurance, you could find yourself in need of an emergency loan. In most states, you legally have almost no recourse. While a bad credit loan can get you money right away to pay for lost clothing, dishes, electronics and housewares, going this route can put a big strain on your budget.

How renter’s insurance helps

Renter’s insurance may sound like an expensive add-on. At a cost of $100 to $300 per year, however, it is relatively inexpensive. After hearing true tales from apartment managers, renter’s insurance sounds like an even better idea. It can help save your budget, and it means that you can use your no fax payday loan for something else and not to pay expenses when you have an apartment emergency.

Though millions of dollars are available for small businesses, the money is not being claimed. Image: Flickr / mhofstrand / CC-BY-SA

Getting businesses the money they need has been the focus of recovery efforts. Loans and stimulus money have been focused on creating jobs through small businesses. Many low-interest and no-interest loans, however, are sitting unused.

Using small businesses to create jobs

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, among other things, made a point of trying to create jobs. Small businesses account for a large number of the jobs created in the United States each year. The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 created loans and stimulus programs intended to encourage businesses to hire. The idea is that small businesses are the basis of the economy, and providing money and support would encourage growth.

Small business loan availability

A large portion of the small-business investment strategy from both the federal and local governments has centered on loans. These loans are offered with little or no interest to be paid. Everywhere from Delaware County, Ohio, to Louisiana, small businesses can get bad credit loans and emergency money for expansion, new jobs and the purchase of equipment. In some states, this money doesn’t have to be paid back if the businesses fulfill requirements such as staying in a downtown location or hiring low-income individuals. In other states, the interest is subsidized and stays low.

Unused emergency loans

Much of the emergency loans offered to small businesses is sitting unused. Many businesses are choosing traditional financing because loans through the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 come with too many requirements. Businesses have to fill out extra forms and ensure that they are hiring low to moderate income individuals. Just one Ohio county has more than $1 million of available money that hasn’t been lent, simply because businesses are returning to banks for financing. This presents a problem, because the government has said funding will be taken away if more than $100,000 sits unused.

Sources

Dispatch Politics
The Advocate

Image: MoneyBlogNews/Flickr.com/CC-BY

A Maryland Attorney General’s commission issued a report on campaign finance Tuesday. The recommendations include cutting out loopholes that allow for the equivalent of personal loans from big-time donors. Some of these campaign finance reforms must make their way through the legislature before they take effect.

Issues within Maryland campaign finance

The report issued Tuesday outlines several problems within the Maryland campaign finance system. First, the report recommends limiting the role of Limited Liability Companies. During the last governor’s race, Gov. Bob Ehrlich received $4,000 donations from four LLCs registered at the same address on the same day, suggesting that they were not separate businesses. Political slates, an action of political committees, are also a loophole that allows circumnavigation of the $4,000 per candidate per election per donor individual limit.

Limiting of short-term financing

The last time campaign finance was reformed in Maryland was 1987. Most political campaigns within the state last for less than two years and put out millions of dollars. In order to raise that much money, candidates turn to thousands of individual donors. The majority of the money is intended to come from individual donors. In reality, however, the money mostly comes from LLCs, businesses, and large donors. Millions of dollars come from political committee slate actions, and more millions from LLC donors. Balancing equal political access and the millions of dollars needed for a campaign is, at best, difficult.

Modernizing campaign finance in Maryland

If the campaign finance reforms suggested by the report are implemented in Maryland, there would be more changes than just who can donate. Currently, financial contributions can only be made by check or credit card — not online. Some of the suggestions of the commission report can be implemented without changing Maryland law. The biggest changes to how candidates receive emergency money and standard financing for their campaigns, however, will have to be passed through the legislature.

Sources

Baltimore Sun
WBAL

Nucor steel is taking advantage of new-business incentives and loans from Louisiana. Image: Flickr / chasbot / CC-BY-SA

In Louisiana, 2010 has been an up-and-down economic year. Economic development in the state suffered several major setbacks. By using a combination of tax incentives and short-term loans, though, the state is likely to see slow growth in 2011.

Effect of closures on Louisiana

The biggest hit to Louisiana’s economic development this year was the BP oil spill. When the federal government shut down offshore oil drilling in the Gulf, many workers in Louisiana found themselves unemployed. Employees and businesses have been reliant on emergency loans or remuneration from BP and the federal government to stay afloat. Beyond just the oil spill, NASA, Northrop Grumman Corp. and General Motors have announced shutdowns that will cut 7,500 jobs from the state.

New businesses opening in Louisiana

In some mid-size Louisiana cities such as St. James Parish, Michoud and Alexandria, Louisiana, the economic outlook is not entirely negative. By using a combination of tax incentives and short term loans, the state has attracted some big new businesses. A Nucor Corp. steel plant is expected to open in St. James Parish and employ 1,250 people and spend $3.4 billion in the state. A high-tech wind turbine company is also using Louisiana’s offer of short term loans to help open a wind turbine plant that will employ 600.

New proposed taxes on drilling

The federal government is currently considering $36 billion in proposed taxes on the oil drilling industry. The government has also ordered the industry to spend $4 billion on cleaning up abandoned oil rigs. The relationship of oil companies to the state of Louisiana is a tumultuous one. The industry has spent billions of dollars in the state. At the same time, oil drilling is moving to other countries and not quickly paying up on promises of emergency loans to residents.

Source

Bloomberg

Payday advance loan and homeowners insurance work hand-in-hand

Many of the things that could happen to your home might be covered by homeowners insurance. There are two minor setbacks, though, the obvious one being that your homeowners insurance doesn’t cover everything that may go wrong. The less obvious is that although homeowners insurance is there to help, you have to fix your problem now! You can’t wait for an assessor to come out and estimate the damages and then wait for the money to get to you. If your home is flooding from a pipe breakage, the repair needs to be immediate. The solution to this problem can be simple – take out a payday advance loan.

Payday advance loans and their benefits

There are many benefits to taking out a payday advance loan. A few of which are as follows:

1. The approval is quick and easy.
2. There is no long wait and the money can be in your bank account the same day.
3. There is typically no credit check.
4. Bad credit or no credit can still get approved.
5. You don’t have to mail or fax in paperwork.
6. You don’t have to wait for a loan provider to make an appointment.
7. You can pay the loan back over time.
8. There is no stress because everything is confidential.

The typical requirements are that you hold a steady job, are 18 or older, a U.S. citizen and have a bank account. Getting approval on these loans are really that simple.

What are you waiting for?

Don’t wait for when an emergency comes up to fix the problem; don’t cause yourself any undue stress. If you are in need of some fast cash, apply for a payday advance loan and put your worries to rest.

Apply for a payday advance loan today | Start HERE

Something like short term loans lending has gone on since before the Parthenon was built. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Despite objections from critics, short term loans have been part of human society for a long time. Short term loan lenders have always existed. They aren’t likely to be going anywhere, either. There have been many calls made for usury caps, just like in the good old days. The thing is that the good old days are an idea of a time and place that never really existed. People will always need a loan until payday, and they will always be able to get one.

Advance cash in the ancient world

The history of short term loan lending is longer than some think. Short term loans were lent against a future payday of sorts, often a harvest or lot of manufactured goods for sale. For instance, a barley farmer would borrow money for seed and repay the lender either with a portion of the harvest, or part of the proceeds of the sale of that season’s crop plus interest. The Code of Hammurabi, among the earliest law codes, had provisions concerning the lending of emergency money, debt payment and collection practices. So did the Twelve Tables of Rome.

The heady days of usury caps

In the early days of the United States, each state had a usury cap. Usually it was set below 10 percent. However, similar services to payday loan lenders existed then. In the 19th century, small, short term credit against future earnings was borrowed from underground private lenders or small loan companies, beginning in large urban and industrial cities. The borrowers were usually the lower middle class and would pay the loans until payday back over a few months. As these loans could not be made under the usury caps of most states, they were unregulated and illegal.

Regulation made satisfying demand illegal

In order to meet demand, people had to borrow from illegal lenders. In order to make meeting demand safe and legal, states began passing laws raising the cap for small loans. Demand is what drives payday lending. People will always need it, and will always get it You can read more in the payday lending facts and statistics report on Personal Money Market.

Learn to economize like the Economides, "America's Cheapest Family." (Photo Credit: CC BY-SA/Tiffany Muehli/Self-Reliant Yuppies)

The Economides family of Scottsdale, Ariz., understands what it takes to make it during a recession. While most people struggle to make ends meet and scratch for emergency money, “America’s Cheapest Family” (the Economides’ trademarked title) lives well by the simple principles of making a budget and frugal living. According to MSNBC.com, the Economides are the model of what a modern American recession family should be.

‘America’s Cheapest Family’ avoids credit whenever possible

Credit cards, auto loans and squeezing as much equity as possible out of a home are not on the agenda for America’s Cheapest Family. Despite having an expensive home in the golf resort community of Scottsdale, the Economides are able to live on $44,000 per year. And theirs is a family of seven that eats healthy food and wears designer clothing. Their life may seem impossible, but the Economides tell anyone who will listen that bargain hunting and avoiding impulse buying are their key economic strategies. Their current book, “Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half – With America’s Cheapest Family,” is promoted as a game-changer for people who want to embrace frugal living without sacrificing quality.

Having a plan

Planning spending is vital for any family, and that includes planning meals. The Economides economize by planning meals well ahead of time. Forethought saves them from having to make the kind of spontaneous food choices that cost many people more than they should be spending. And the proof is in the numbers for America’s Cheapest Family. Where other families of similar size might spend as much as $2,000 per week on groceries, the Economides spend $350. It can be done. Reasonable portion sizes play a significant part.

Fashionable, but not trendy

The Economides don’t wear ratty, hand-me-down clothing; they wear fashionable brand names. However, as they recently told Matt Lauer on “Today,” they avoid the hook of pricey new trends. Designer jeans may go for $200 in a mall boutique, but if a quality pair of jeans – even one with a designer name – can be had for $10 in a thrift store, it makes sense to buy for less. Saving money carries the day. That’s the philosophy that put the “economy” in Economides.

Sources:

MSNBC.com

Shop like an Economides

Overdraft using debit? Expect to owe some instant cash in bank fees. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Bank fees are never fun to deal with, but it is ingrained in banking as it is a huge source of instant cash for banks and credit unions. In fact, the pay day that banks get from fees is one of the largest sources of revenue the banking industry has. As the rules for fees on credit cards and other things get more complicated, the fees are going up. There are a few things a person should always watch out for.

Bank fees going up

As new federal regulations come out which limit the amount and the way in which customers can be charged for account services. The major banks are all raising fees, according to CNN. The new laws governing banking and credit cards in the CARD Act place limits on things like overdraft fees. So banks are creating new fees or raising rates on others to get a little more of a pay day where they can. For instance, Bank of America is raising the minimum account balance. If a customer dips below the minimum balance, the bank assesses a monthly fee for doing so.

How overdraft works

Banks previously did not have to inform a customer of being enrolled in overdraft protection. Protection programs can be very costly. For instance, some banks allow account linking and transfers as overdraft protection. A person can transfer emergency money to savings to cover checking. Each transfer will cost you $10 if you bank with Wells Fargo. Then again, that is pretty cheap for a cash advance. Citibank will charge some customers up to $30 a month just for having a checking account with them. A person could wind up needing a payday loan for not spending any money.

Nature of the beast

Banks assess fees for certain things, like going into overdraft. Sticking to the straight and narrow will pay off. The further a person stays from these fees, the less will be paid to the bank.

Sources

CNN

Need emergency money now? Waste no more time and apply today! (Photo: Thinkstock)

Are you saying, “I need emergency money now?” You can get that money you need, no matter what your emergency is, from moving expenses to car repairs of up to $1,500. If you need money today, not tomorrow, apply today, right here.

For any situation, get emergency money now

This is a tough economy. Most of us never imagined we’d be in the place we are financially right now. Maybe you, like me, are employed, but making half as much as you used to make. Or maybe your spouse is unemployed. You are barely hanging on financially, and then an emergency happens. There are so many emergencies that can come your way, such as:

• Your washing machine stopped working.
• The car won’t start.
• You have to move and need money for a moving truck or first and last month’s rent and deposit.
• Your child needs a cast for the broken arm.
• Your dog is sick.
• Your roof is leaking.
• Someone slashed your tires or broke your windshield.
• Your basement flooded and now there’s a mold problem.
• Your electric bill is two months late and if you don’t pay it, you will have disconnect, reconnect and late fees.
• Your checking account is going to be overdrawn, and if you don’t get money in it today you will have to pay overdraft fees.
• Your rent is past due and you have to have a place to live.
• Your father is sick and you have to fly to see him.
• You need an emergency appendectomy.
• Your refrigerator or freezer went out.
• You’ve had a fire.
• You have to fly to a job interview.
• You need a new suit for your new job.
• You have a traffic ticket that has to be paid today.
• And the list goes on and on.

Emergency help is available

You can’t just wait it out. Most emergencies just get worse with waiting. Luckily, if you need emergency money now, even if you have bad credit or bankruptcy, there is help, right here, sometimes in as little as two hours. Luckier still, these loans are easy to get today. There are typically no credit checks and everything is done online — saving you time and the embarrassment of waiting in line at a loan shop. Your money is deposited directly into your bank account quickly. Don’t wait another minute. Apply for your emergency money now!

If you are saying, “I need Emergency Money Now,” apply HERE!

Kyrgyzstan could use old national heroes like Manas now. Then again, he probably doesn't have $1.1 billion in instant cash to give for recovery. (Photo Credit: neiljs/Flickr/CC BY)

Open violence in the Central Asian nation Kyrgyzstan has cost hundreds of lives, created at least 400,000 refugees and all but destroyed the national budget. The nation’s move toward parliamentary democracy – which has emboldened supporters of overthrown former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and militants from Uzbekistan – has been at the center of clashes between armed troops and civilian protesters. As the fighting subsides, the focus in Kyrgyzstan moves toward an economically daunting recovery. And as current reports from Reuters and other international media sources indicate, emergency money is on the way.

International donors will give Kyrgyzstan $1.1 billion

Donors attending a conference in Kyrgyzstan’s capital city of Bishkek will grant an initial $600 million instant cash payment in 2010, with the rest to come in 2011. Acting President Roza Otunbayeva encouraged donors and representatives from the World Bank and United Nations with a promise that the nation will find the necessary resources to rebuild. Considering that the political turmoil of the past few months has caused the national economy to shrink by at least 5 percent (5.5 percent growth had been forecast before the violence began), the financial windfall comes at just the right time. Kyrgyzstan was in need of extra cash, and the donors have pledged to deliver.

More than $1 billion needed to repair buildings and infrastructure

Kyrgyzstan’s budget deficit plunged to an estimated 13.5 percent of its gross domestic product, according to Reuters. Once Bakiyev was overthrown, the total deficit jumped from $269 million to $619 million, per acting Kyrgyzstan Finance Minister Chorobek Imashev. Acting President Otunbayeva has announced that more than $350 million is necessary to rebuild settlements in Osh and Jalalabad, while $100 million more is needed to restart the local economy. In addition, energy rebuilding costs are expected to total $180 million, and agriculture will require $50 million. In total, while no amount of money can replace lost or displaced lives, $1.1 billion in emergency money for Kyrgyzstan will go a long way toward stabilizing a nation in chaos.

Sources:

Reuters

Chaos in Kyrgyzstan (WARNING: Some violent images may be disturbing)

The side of the Hawaiian Islands – the homeless side – that the tourism industry doesn't want you to see. (Photo Credit: chrstphre/Flickr/CC BY)

Aside from the economic importance of military jobs in the Hawaiian Islands, tourism is a vital system. NPR reports that tourists spend an average of $200 per day for hotel, meal and entertainment. But the homeless population of the Hawaiian Islands has room and board, full health coverage and more for only $3 per day in emergency money. Public food lines help feed locals experiencing dire straits, but the vast majority of people waiting for meals aren’t even from the Hawaiian Islands.

Homelessness on the Hawaiian Islands is up

If shelter populations are any indication, the 10 percent increase in population over the past 12 months is telling. Not only that, writes NPR, but 1,300 of those homeless in Hawaii each year come from out of state. Part of the draw for out-of-state immigrants is Hawaii’s 5 cent redemption fee for plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Gary Phillips, who was homeless in San Diego for a long period of time, came to Hawaii and makes as much as $40 per day this way. Phillips and many others like him sleep at the $3 shelter and receive three meals, $200 per month in food stamps and free state-funded health care. With state support, they typically don’t even need more money now.

Paradise for vacationers and homeless alike

There’s a tremendous budget deficit in the Hawaiian Islands – $1.2 billion – and the state is currently attempting to bridge the gap with deferred tax refunds and deferred Medicaid. Considering that homeless shelters in the Hawaiian Islands typically take millions of taxpayer dollars to operate, the influx of mainlanders comes at a most inopportune time. Connie Mitchell, executive director of one of the largest homeless shelters on the Hawaiian Islands, told NPR that nearly a third of her shelter’s budget is spent on this type of new arrival. Mitchell and others are concerned that some people may even be taking up the homeless lifestyle simply to enjoy the tropical breezes and free care.

Portrait of the Honolulu homeless

The University of Hawaii’s Center on the Family reports that while 21 percent of the city’s homeless population was Caucasian in 2005, more than 43 percent are Caucasian in 2010. They’re mostly single and middle-aged. Many scrape together plane fare and live on the Hawaiian taxpayer’s dime while working odd jobs for a time. As the Hawaiian authorities start to catch on to the resource dilemma, the Hawaiian Islands homeless people will largely move on. Determining whether someone is living off public funds because of laziness or real misfortune – and dealing with each group appropriately – is a problem Hawaii’s government needs to solve. People who truly need cash today should be the focus of aid programs, rather than possible freeloaders exploiting the welfare system.

UPDATE: Apparently Hawaii is trying to fly some of its homeless back to the mainland. And New York has gotten in the act and is flying them BACK to Hawaii.

Sources:

NPR

The price of paradise – and this was in 2008. It’s worse now.

Many small businesses are struggling and relying on SBA loans to make ends meet. Image from Flickr.

The Small Business Administration has been charged with helping businesses weather the recession, and money is running out. The 7(a) lending program provides loans, personal and large, to small businesses around the country. The program, which was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is currently in a holding pattern, waiting for more money.

How the SBA provides low cost loans

The Small Business Administration itself does not give instant money to business owners. Instead, the government agency backs up loans made by banks. With the SBA “insurance policy” against default in place, banks are much more willing to act as money lenders to often cash-strapped small businesses. The stimulus package authorized the SBA to waive fees and guarantee up to 90 percent of a loan’s value.

The effect of SBA loans

Small businesses are often forced to rely on credit and loan lenders to keep their businesses going. Over just a three-month period of April, May and June, the SBA lent out $3 billion over 12,123 loans. Compared to the same quarter of 2009, that is 21 percent more emergency money for cash-strapped businesses. The program, however, is still waiting for re-authorization, which is leaving millions of dollars of loans in limbo.

The SBA loan queue

Since the official authorization for SBA loans expired in May, the agency has been forced to queue requests for loans. There are currently 419 borrowers waiting for more than $123 million in SBA-guaranteed funding. Because these SBA loans are often one of the very few types of credit available to these businesses, the agency is scrambling to help them find financing. Given the length of the recession thus far and the fact that the economy is not yet growing at a steady pace, it is almost for certain that programs such as the SBA 7(a) program will need to continue providing support for small business.

Roxanne, you don't have turn on the red ATM light or I'll be back… (Photo: Sloshspot)

California is in the middle of a titanic budget crisis, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken it upon himself to pummel any source of wasted funds into submission – including strip club ATMs. The Los Angeles Times reports that more than $12,000 designated for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which is intended for welfare purposes, was withdrawn at various strip clubs across the state from 2007 to 2009. Among the strip clubs noted by name in this ongoing investigation are Sam’s Hofbrau, Seventh Veil and Star Strip, according to the California Department of Social Services.

Strip club welfare ATMs: When you need adult entertainment

The prospect of strip club ATMs being used in a less-than-responsible way by patrons with families to feed and clothe has prompted Schwarzenegger to terminate strip club locations from the list of approved locations where welfare recipients can withdraw emergency money. According to the Times, more than half of casinos and state-licensed poker rooms in California permit welfare recipients to access their quick TANF payday. Department of Social Services spokeswoman Lizelda Lopez said that “common sense” will be used to re-evaluate where emergency welfare cash advance funds should or should not be withdrawn.

Strip club managers ‘shocked,’ were unaware of ATM usage

Strip club managers who were willing to submit to interviews claim that they had no way of knowing that the strip club ATMs were welfare approved. The third-party machines were provided via a California state contract with the Quest ATM network, although as Star Strip manager Joey Mancini put it, no Quest sticker indicating welfare emergency money status was affixed to his strip club’s ATM. Nevertheless, Mancini insists that California officials “must be wrong” about the $1,265 in TANF emergency cash advance funds taken from his machine.

Smile when you say that, Mr. Mancini. Gov. Schwarzenegger is watching.

Sources:

Los Angeles Times

To save or not to save, that is the question…

Get it fast with no faxing payday loans online

When you apply for no faxing payday loans here at Personal Money Market, you can have your funds directly deposited into your bank account in as little as two hours. There is no waiting line or a “first come first serve” system at play. Our payday loan lenders work fast and efficiently to get you the money you need, without having to put you through the typical hassles of borrowing money.

Loans available, even for people with bad credit

Bad or poor credit? No problem. You can get installment loans for bad credit today. Once you complete and submit your loan application, you will be paired with lender that fits you best, based on the information you provide us. And all of this can happen in just a few short moments.

Many of our lenders require no credit checks, so it matters little whether you have good, bad or no credit at all. You will not be turned away or treated any differently because of a tarnished credit. You get the help you need, when you need it, right here with no faxing payday loans online.

Benefits of no faxing payday loans

There are many benefits to applying for no faxing payday loans, especially when life’s unforeseen financial trials call for immediate attention. For one, you save valuable time. On top of saving time, you save money, as well. Besides being able to prevent overdraft fees and other late penalty charges, you can avoid more damage to your credit score. And anyone on the journey to credit repair knows very well to stay clear from more late payments on their credit scores.

So stay a step ahead with your finances and get the cash you need today!

Start your quick payday loan application HERE!

Pacaya, one of the most active Guatemala volcanoes, began violently erupting on Thursday. Image from Flickr.

Late Thursday evening, violent eruptions of the Guatemala volcano Pacaya prompted President Colom to declare a “state of calamity.” About 25 miles south of Guatemala City, this volcano in Guatemala is known for near-continuous activity. A combination of earthquakes and tropical storms, however, have worsened the Guatemala volcano eruptions to a dangerous level.

Guatamala volcano prompts state of calamity

On Thursday afternoon, President Alvaro Colom declared a “state of calamity” in areas surrounding Guatemala City. A “state of calamity” in Guatemala is much like a “state of emergency” in other nations – it authorizes government assistance with disaster efforts. About 1,600 people from El Rodeo, El Patrocinio, Villa San Miguel Canales, Amatitalan and other small villages have been evacuated to shelters. The government will be providing emergency money to these residents, the shelters and others affected by the Guatemala volcano. The government is also encouraging residents in affected areas to remain inside if at all possible.

One reporter dead from Guatemala volcano eruption

While attempting to report on the Guatemala volcano, cameraman Anibal Arcila was hit on the head and killed by falling debris from Pacaya. Three children, ages seven to 12, have been reported missing. There have also been reports of 20 or more injuries as a result of the falling ash and debris. The Guatemala City international airport has been shut down because of the several inches of volcanic ash spewing into the air and settling on the ground.

Earthquakes, tropical storms increase Guatemala volcano danger

Pacaya is part of a Guatemala volcano chain that has been relatively active. A popular tourist destination, Pacaya has numerous lava rivers. A small earthquake accompanied the initial eruption of Pacaya, which sent ash, volcanic rock, and debris 1,500 meters into the sky. Two additional small earthquakes have shaken the area around the Guatemala volcano, and a tropical storm in the area is mixing rainwater with the ash. The sticky muck created by this combination is coating everything within 50 miles or more of the Pacaya volcano.

See the Guatemala volcano Pacaya erupt

Sources:

The Associated Press
Global Voices Online
Prensalibre.com at http://www.prensalibre.com.gt/noticias/Pobladores-aledanas-Pacaya-resisten-evacuados_0_269373323.html

The Redstone Arsenal is used for munitions research. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

This morning in northern Alabama,  a Redstone Arsenal explosion rocked the area. Just outside of Huntsville, Alabama, the Redstone Arsenal explosion seriously injured two people. The Redstone Arsenal explosion will be investigated, as no immediate cause has been found. The Army will be sending emergency money to the Redstone Arsenal for help in the cleanup and investigation.

Redstone Arsenal explosion

The Redstone Arsenal explosion happened at approximately 8:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday, May 5. The Redstone Arsenal is a U.S. Army installation that specializes in Army Aviation and Missile Command. Emergency management officials have said that the Redstone Arsenal explosion occurred in Aviation Missile Research Development and Engineering Center test area 10, building 7352. The Redstone Arsenal explosion was in an area where there has been heavy demolition and testing for the last few days.

Redstone Arsenal explosion cause unknown

Currently, officials have not said there is a known cause for the Redstone Arsenal explosion. An e-mail sent out to Redstone Arsenal employees immediately after the explosion let employees know that “the situation was NOT an exercise.” The e-mail also said “ammonium nitrate and its combustion byproducts, while rarely lethal, can cause significant irritation of the respiratory tract.” Ammonium nitrate is usually used as an oxidizing agent in explosives, as well as a fertilizer.

Injuries from the Redstone Arsenal explosion

Though initial reports said that the Redstone Arsenal explosion killed one and injured one, a spokesperson for the Redstone Arsenal has said that is not correct. Emergency crews treated several individuals on the scene of the Redstone Arsenal explosion. One was flown by helicopter to the UAB Burn Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Another individual was flown by helicopter to the nearby Huntsville Hospital. A third individual was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, but that was an “unrelated general medical call.”

See initial reports on the Redstone Arsenal Explosion

Sources:

WHNT NEws
WALB News
MSNBC

Fast loans should be simple

When you need cash fast, the last thing you want to do is try to dig out years’ worth of financial documents, fax paperwork back and forth, and track down a public notary. When you apply for a fast loan with us, all the information you need is in your wallet. The application is entirely online and secured with 128-bit encryption. The best part is, your fast loan can be deposited directly into your bank account in as little as two hours. Now that is a truly fast loan.

Fast loans can get you out of financial rough spots

Even those who have the best financial management can find themselves in need of fast loans. An unexpected medical bill, vehicle repair and other financial emergencies can make a fast loan necessary. Our online application is entirely secure, and can be filled out in less time than it takes for a barista to make your coffee.

Paying back your fast loans

The best part about paying back the fast loans you get with us is how simple it can be. On a repayment date that you and your lender agree to, your loan amount and fees are debited directly from your account. No muss, no fuss, no faxed paperwork. These loans are simple to apply for, simple to get and simple to pay back. That is a fast loan as it should be – easy, no matter what situation you are in.

Fast Loans | Start your application HERE!

Personal Installment Loans are an even better lifesaver.

Personal installment loans or paydayloans are a huge benefit for anyone who has experienced financial problems. Anyone who knows what it’s like to be caught in the middle of the month without cash needs to know about installment loans. Most of us live from one payday to the next. What happens when we run out of cash during the month, then have an emergency and have no one to turn to until our next paycheck? Who hasn’t experienced unforeseen financial emergencies like school fees, an unexpected medical bill or car repair just when we can least afford it? When this happens, the financial stress of being without money can be so crushing we just don’t know which way to turn or who to ask for help. That’s when personal loans can become a real lifesaver!

How Personal Installment Loans Work

Installment loans are small, short-term loans provided by lenders who charge a flat, one-time lending fee. The loans are typically around $100 – $1,500. Unlike paydayloans, whose length is short – usually until your next payday, or around 30 days – these loans offer more flexibility and can be paid off in payments over a longer period of time.

If you are looking for a quick cash solution to your financial problems or emergency, then this type of short-term loan could be just the answer you’re looking for.

Personal Loans are instant cash in your bank account

The great benefit of Installment Loans is that they offer INSTANT cash, which means that whatever your financial crisis, you can have the money you need in your bank account typically within 24 hours of applying for the loan.

Another great benefit is that these short loans are quick and easy to obtain – and everything is done online. And the good news is you can qualify for these loans even if your credit rating is poor. These short term loans do not depend on your credit scores. In order to qualify, mostly all you need is employment and a bank account.

These loans are specifically designed for financial emergencies, and involve a simple, painless lending process. There’s no hassle of filling out dozens of forms or countless pages of paperwork. The whole loan application is done easily online – and takes just minutes!

How do you know whether you qualify for quick loans?

You would have an almost 100% chance of being approved for a personal loan if you meet the lending criteria below:

• You are employed by a reputable company and have a fixed monthly income
• You have been employed for at least the last 6 months
• You have an active checking account
• You are over 18

So the next time you’re in a cash crisis, remember there is a way out with Personal Loans.

Apply for no hassle Personal Installment Loans Today!

Michael Skakel's appeal of his conviction for Martha Moxley's murder was turned down by the state Supreme Court today. Image from Flickr.

Michael Skakel, the nephew of Robert Kennedy’s widow Ethel, was denied his fifth appeal today. Michael Skakel was convicted of the 1975 murder of Martha Moxley, his brother’s girlfriend. Michael Skakel has never confessed to Martha Moxley’s murder, and this latest appeal was based on the implication that two other men may have been responsible. Michael Skakel has spent a significant amount of emergency money on his defense and appeals, though none have been successful.

Michael Skakel’s alleged murder of Martha Moxley

Allegedly, Michael Skakel beat Martha Moxley to death with a golf club. Michael Skakel was not indicted in the murder until 2000, 15 years after the alleged crime. In 1998, a nonfiction book about the murder, Murder in Greenwich, named Michael Skakel as the probable killer. Michael Skakel claimed that during Martha Moxley’s murder, he was at his cousin’s house.

The trial of Michael Skakel

During Michael Skakel’s 2002 trial for Martha Moxley’s murder, the prosecution extensively used research that had been done for the Murder in Greenwich book. Taped book proposals were used with heavy editing that seemed to indicated Skakel had confessed to the murder. Michael Skakel had been quoted by several classmates as saying “I’m a Kennedy, I can get away with murder.” Michael Skakel had also admitted to being in the tree that Martha Moxley was found under the next morning. On June 7, 2002, Michael Skakel was convicted of Martha Moxley’s murder.

Michael Skakel’s appeals

Michael Skakel has filed multiple appeals in his conviction for Martha Moxley’s murder. Using private money lenders and money from supporters, Michael Skakel has appealed to the Connecticut Supreme Court and the Federal Supreme Court multiple times. The first appeal claimed that the statute of limitations had expired and that there had been prosecutorial misconduct. The United States Supreme Court declined to hear the case in 2006. In 2007, new evidence seemed to emerge, though the Superior court denied request for new trial. This decision was appealed to the Connecticut Supreme Court, who also denied the appeal.

Michael Skakel’s new evidence

In 2003, a videotaped interview with a private investigator came to light where Tony Bryant pointed the finger for Martha Moxley’s murder at two other men. Both Tony Bryant and the two men that he implicated have invoked the fifth amendment. Both the appeal for a new trial and the decision that the Connecticut Supreme Court handed down today were based on the fact that Tony Bryant’s testimony was hearsay. Michael Skakel’s last remaining chance to have this evidence re-heard is currently pending in federal court.

Sources:

Wall Street Journal at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303828304575179930235622468.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
CNN
Associated Press at http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2007/10/25/attorney_judge_denies_skakels_bid_for_a_new_trial/

Turn to Paydayloans

You’ve been there. You’re barely squeezing by every week, living meagerly from one payday to the next. You know that you need to pay your bills on time. Then one day, you see the big red “past due” stamp on the bill in the mail and realize, you forgot to pay the electric bill! Options for a hard-working person like you in this situation are paydayloans or personal installment loans.

A past due electric bill-would paydayloans help?

As you stare at the bill, afraid to open the envelope, wondering how much the late fee will be, or worse, will it be possible to pay now, and will you have to suffer disconnection, a disconnection fee and then a reconnect fee, just to keep your heat on, you consider your options. Payday is nearly two weeks away, and you can’t go that long without electricity. Paying with a card isn’t an option because you don’t own one. Your family and friends are in the same financial situation as you are so they can’t help. You have nothing of value, so a pawn shop is not the answer.

There has to be an answer!

Paydayloans range in amounts of $100 to $1,500; they are unsecured, short-term loans designed to give a temporary boost to your budget in such an emergency and can typically be paid back in payments. If you are employed and have an active checking account, you can apply.

My time is limited: paydayloans are fast

The application process for paydayloans is quick and easy. There are choices of how to apply–over the telephone, online or in person. You’ll have a yes or no answer very quickly, typically in just a few minutes, if you’ve been approved and how much money you’ve been approved for. No faxing necessary.

With direct deposit, you may have the paydayloan funds deposited into your checking account sometimes in two hours or less.

If you need money fast without a credit check, paydayloans can be an invaluable resource. Apply right here and if you are approved, your emergency money can be in your account quickly. Fix your car, pay that electric bill and keep your power on or deal with whatever emergency comes your way.

Start your quick paydayloans application HERE!