Author : Ki GrayNow that America is deeply into the business of bailing out banks and big companies, it may be pointless to ponder the feasibility of it But as Associated Press reporters put it in a recent article, “What if the government got out of the bailout business?” All those outraged Americans who picket Wall Street and vilify AIG executives might be surprised by the answer

A good example of what happens when a large U S company fails is the story of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc When Lehman Brothers collapsed last September, it was “the biggest bankruptcy in U S history with a record $613 billion in debt ” Because of the interconnectedness of global financial markets, this loss was felt in thousands of companies around the world and stocks took a nose dive

“AIG is about five times bigger than Lehman Brothers, and we learned that Lehman Brothers should not have gone bankrupt,” said Mark Williams, professor of finance and economics at Boston University AIG, perhaps the most controversial of bailouts, has received over $170 billion in government funds so far

According to the AP, AIG has reported to the Treasury Department late last month that “its collapse could batter credit markets, bankrupt the U S insurance industry, depress the dollar, increase U S borrowing costs and shatter consumer and business confidence everywhere ”

While the viability of the AIG bailout is still in question, the $200 billion the government has spent on bailing out banks may be showing some returns Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase all say they were profitable for the first time in a long time in January and February of this year This news was the beginning of the Wall Street rally that has been seen recently

So how does all this impact the average American? Despite having a 36 percent ownership stake in Citigroup, taxpayers aren’t likely to be paid actual dividends However, troubled financial institutions don’t make loans Credit is a necessary component of the American economy, and everyone from farmers to college students has felt the pinch from the tightening credit crisis over the last year Bailing out the banks allows them to continue making loans on cars, homes and businesses

Speaking of car loans, what about the bailouts given to the big automakers? Together General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC have received bailout funds to the tune of $17 billion and they are asking for billions more That doesn’t include the money the financing components of these two companies have also received

The auto industry says that without the government funds millions of jobs would be lost and the result of that would “suck $400 billion out of the economy in three years ” Chances are those estimates are a bit high, but there is no doubt that the bailout is just helping the automakers, but also impacts a whole slew of related businesses

The bailouts certainly have critics, including former Federal Deposit Insurance Corp chairman Bill Seidman He is a proponent, among others, of nationalizing the big banks, cleaning up their balance sheets and then selling back into the private sector “It is surely tempting to say the hell with them all,” White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers said in a speech last month But, he added, “You can’t responsibly govern out of anger “Escapeso Realty caters to future buyers of Austin real estate. They maintain a map based search of Austin homes for sale. Their site provides statistics on Austin real estate along with a free mortgage widget.

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Author : Amy NuttWhen immigrating to a foreign country, one is faced with new customs and languages In Canada, new immigrants applying as a “skilled immigrant” are required to pass either an English or French language test French tests are mandatory for those immigrating to the province of Quebec Learning to speak and read English is essential and mandatory in Canada because businesses and services are provided using the English language This includes such areas as hospitals, retail businesses, emergency services, etc

Skilled workers are chosen as permanent residents of Canada on the basis of their education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, work experience, age, whether they have arranged employment in Canada, number of dependents, and other factors that prove that they have the ability to maintain economical stability The province of Quebec is responsible for selecting its own skilled workers

When immigrating to Canada, you are required to prove your English language skills by taking a language proficiency test that is approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) By taking the IELTS Test (International English Language Testing System) new immigrants will see how many points they will receive for the language section of the test If the score in the language test is between 7 0 and 9 0, then four immigration points are awarded for that part of the test Immigration points are awarded for each individual part and then totaled

If the score is within 5 0 to 6 9, two immigration points are awarded If the score is less than 5 0, no immigration points are awarded for that section The test is designed for people who intend to study or work where English is the communication language

The IELTS is used all over the world to measure the ability of a person to communicate in English IELTS measures the ability to communicate in English in the four language skills that includes listening, reading, writing, and speaking More than 6,000 education institutions, government agencies, faculties, and professional organizations recognize IELTS scores as an honest assessment of one’s ability to communicate in English As one of the fastest growing English language tests in the world, the IELTS is taken every year by millions of people across 120 countries

Canadian tests are placed in two categories that include:

Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Test-General: Assesses proficiency levels of general reading and writing skills Results are accepted by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for immigration points It is also appropriate for certain post-secondary and employment training programs where practical reading and writing skills are required

The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Test-Academic: Assesses proficiency of beginning college or university-level reading and writing The test is made up of four subtests that include: sentence structure, reading comprehension, English usage, and essay writing Results are used for university or college programs where a higher level of English communication and composition skills are required

The process of taking the English language tests involves the following steps:

- Make arrangements with an approved testing organization
- Pay for the cost of testing
- Include the results of your test with the immigration application
- The CIC will use the test results as proof of your language skills
- Language test results are valid for one year from the date that the test was taken

The rules for applying for immigration as a skilled worker to Canada can change, so before you apply, make sure you check the current application procedures and most recent selection standards Once you have all your papers in order, you can prepare for your new life in a warm and welcoming country Learn English with qualified teachers at home, office or any other place with our free English lessons and our free web 2.0 language translator software.

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Author : Ki GrayYes, it is a buyers market these days, but a recession can make finding a home and getting a loan a little trickier Home inventories are down, but so are prices and mortgage rates Navigating the perks and pitfalls of buying a home in these financially uncertain times can take a little finesse

While nationwide the median home price is down 16 percent over the last year, that is certainly not the case in Austin Prices are down a few percentage points from where they were a year ago and houses do sit a little longer on the market Historically low mortgage rates and other incentives, like the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers, make this an optimal time to buy a home

A good place to start is to get your financial house in order, so to speak How much house can you afford? To be more direct: How much of a monthly mortgage payment can you reasonably afford on your current household income? Determining the price range of a house needs to include how much money you have available for a down payment An applicant with good credit and cash available for a down payment can get an excellent mortgage rate It is important to shop around for mortgage rates and lenders Getting pre-approval for a home loan means a prospective buyer can start the house hunt with knowledge of their limits and confidence about getting a mortgage

Now it’s time to make a list of requirements for a new home Two stories or one? How many bedrooms? Is a new kitchen important or is a certain school area a must? It’s important to have list of basic requirements for a new home Knowing the price range and having a general area of interest helps to narrow the focus when searching for a new home

A good place to start the house hunt is looking on the computer Using the Yahoo! real estate section can help you figure out what’s on the market in your price range, and it can also be a preliminary step in finding a realtor Computer research is a terrific tool for house hunting, but keep in mind seeing a house in person might be a different experience

The next step is finding a real estate agent Asking friends and family for recommendations is a good place to start Doing research on the computer and looking at newspaper real estate ads are also good sources to begin with Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t feel pressured to settle on the first agent you meet It is important that you feel comfortable with your real estate agent and feel that he or she is really going to listen to you

A recession means there are fewer homes on the market, but it also means that sellers are serious about making a sale Choosing an experienced real estate agent will help you make the most out of your search Be prepared to spend some time and don’t get discouraged if the house of your dreams doesn’t materialize on your first day of looking Keep a notebook handy to jot down notes, keep your list of requirements in mind and be willing to be flexible But most of all, be assured that you are buying a house at a great time Ki maintains a website, which works as a clearinghouse of information on Austin Texas real estate. There, future homeowners can search available Austin homes. Ki also writes a blog about Austin real estate.

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Author : Samantha GilmartinWith the incredible rise of the internet, traditional news bulletins on TV, radio and in newspapers have had to dramatically alter the way they engage with their audiences With a new emphasis on comment, celebrity stories and shock tactics, we look at how traditional news organisations are fighting the broadband revolution

Last Sunday, reality TV star Jade Goody, 27, died of cervical cancer As tragic as the loss of the young mother undoubtedly is, many people commented on the level of coverage that the BBC devoted to the story The broadcaster received 69 official complaints regarding the ‘excessive’ nature of coverage, many of the remarks focusing on the fact that her death was used as the lead story on the current affairs programme The Andrew Marr Show

Peter Horrocks, the head of the BBC’s newsroom, insisted that the level of exposure that the story was given reflected the public interest in the piece However, many commentators have remarked on how this demonstrates the trend for traditional broadcasters to resort to sensationalist or celebrity-driven stories to bolster audience figures

Of course, the level of publicity the BBC gave to Goody’s death pales in comparison to the immense amount of coverage Jade’s life was given in the tabloid newspapers and celebrity magazines Following her career as a reality TV star, her fall from grace due to the allegedly racist remarks she made on Celebrity Big Brother, the discovery of her illness and her marriage to Jack Tweed, Jade’s life was exposed on an almost daily basis Though Jade certainly courted the publicity, many arms of the traditional media used her life, and tragic death, to sell their product

It is not just celebrity-driven stories that the news is accused of using to accrue audience figures Perhaps most damagingly, many have observed that news broadcasts often revert to simplification and shock-tactics to hype up their bulletins

A criticism levelled at America’s Fox News Network for many years, the trend to sensationalise news stories has started to affect Sky News and ITV amongst others Sky’s latest advert for its news station is daubed with images of Madeline McCann superimposed into the reflection seen in a teardrop

Elsewhere, ITV have been criticised for their coverage of the current financial downturn In simplifying the global situation by hoisting one or two less-scruplous bankers as scapegoats, they have created a mob mentality that has resulted in the recent vandalism of ex-RBS boss Fred Goodwin’s house and property

The prominence that news broadcasters in both Britain and the States have placed on the misdemeanours carried out by former bankers is seen by many as the driving force behind vicious threats made to former AIG workers in America

Other tactics that traditional news media broadcasters have been criticised for employing is the tendency to emphasis bad news stories over good The old adage in US press rooms of “If it bleeds, it leads”, is certainly more true today than ever before TV commentator Charlie Brooker recently highlighted in his BBC4 programme Newswipe how newsrooms recently publicised the story of Tim Kretschmer’s shooting spree in Germany over the many thousand of peace protesters that marched in Northern Ireland to denounce the recent upsurge in violence in the region

Comprised of both Unionists and Republicans, the silent protests in Belfast, Londonderry, Lisburn, Newry and Downpatrick, marked a distinctive turning point in the history of Northern Ireland However, because this was ‘good’ news, both the BBC and ITV ran the story as a subsidiary to the bloody shootings in Germany What’s more, the newscasters lavished attention on the Kretschmer shootings despite advice from psychoanalysts which condemned over-exposure of such cases as a direct cause for further attacks

Whatever the justification in feeding public interest, traditional news broadcasters have to admit their preoccupation with chasing audience figures In the increasingly fragmented avenues of the media however, perhaps colouring news stories in ever-more vivid and provocative colours is the only way to keep interest in television, radio and print news reports The only question is how far the public is willing to accept this as an erosion of integrity

It certainly isn’t pretty; but it’s the news Samantha is an expert Research and family breaks consultant. She is currently writing for Play and Stay and is very excited about the upcoming British summer

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