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The news is full of Fannie Mae this and Fannie Mae that. Who is Fannie and why should I care?
Fannie Mae (stock symbol FNM) stands for Federal National Mortgage Association. She has a brother named Freddie, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Known as Freddie Mac.

Between the two of them they own about 6 Trillion (yes, that’s a T) dollars of mortgages in the U.S., almost half of all mortgages outstanding. They are corporations with stock owned by folks just like you and me as well as some very large shareholders such as pension and profit sharing institutions.

Any institution or pension fund with a long term hold methodology is definitely getting its fannie paddled. That could be you.

Back in 2000 the stock was selling over $75/share. If those same shareholders believe in the egregious method of Buy and Hold they still own it around $9. An 87% loss. If they did not have a trailing stop loss order or some kind of exit strategy they definitely are having major financial problems.

Brother Freddie isn’t doing any better having dropped from over $55 to about $8 today. What is even worse is the possibility that both may go out of business leaving the shareholders with nothing, zero, zip. Does your pension plan own any of those shares? Ask them and then ask them again why they didn’t sell. They won’t have an intelligent answer.

Why should anyone other than shareholders care? What about all those mortgages? Who is going to be responsible for them. Guess who! YOU! The taxpayers, us, get to bail out big sister and big brother.

Over the years Fannie and brother Freddie have been mismanaged making loans they knew were fraudulent. No questions asked about employment verification or incomes being checked.

It will require lots of money to bail out these companies. How much? At this time no one knows for sure, but it could be well over a Trillion. Another one of those Ts. And where will that money come from?

In all likelihood the Federal Reserve will speed up the printing presses. Do you care since it is not your mortgage? Yes, you do. When the Fed prints money out of thin air it dilutes the value of the dollars you have in your pocket. It adds to inflation making your money worth less in purchasing power.

Can we stop this nonsense in Washington? It is highly unlikely. The Fed is going to “rescue” home owners who should not be rescued because of fraudulent applications while in reality stealing money from honest taxpayers. It’s politics as usual.

We are the ones getting paddled.

By Al Thomas

Al Thomas’ best selling book, “If It Doesn’t Go Up, Don’t Buy It!” has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter and receive his market letter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he’s the man that Wall Street does not want you to know. Copyright 2007 All rights reserved

A training program being taught in a large meeting room in a hotel in a suburb of Seattle. Twelve successful Realtors were attending a Real Estate Sales Mastery workshop.

One of the participants had borrowed a sample front door and door frame from a builder. It was in the front of the meeting room and it was braced to stand on its own. The “outside” of the door was to the right, and to the left of the “inside” of the door, a kitchen table and some chairs were set up. Those were the props needed to begin the first exercise.

One of the workshop participants was instructed to role-play a visit to a homeowner who wanted to sell his house. The Instructor played the part of the home owner.

The first Realtor walked up to the outside of the door and knocked. The Instructor opened the door and said “Hello.”

The Realtor flashed a big smile, held out her hand and said, “Mr. Smith,” it is so good to meet you. I am Pam Jackson with XYZ Real Estate.”

The instructor invited her in and offered her a chair in the “kitchen.”

“Your home is so lovely. I really like what you did with the kitchen,” said Pam with delight, while looking all around.

The Instructor stopped the role-play at that point, thanked Pam, and asked her to switch roles. She would play the homeowner and the next participant would play the Realtor. He was even more effusive than Pam. Each succeeding Realtor tried to out-do those that went before them in their attempts to impress the “prospect” with their enthusiasm, charm and likeability.

No one that we know of taught those Realtors that kind of behavior. Back then, it was the most common way to approach prospects in the Real Estate industry - and it still is.

Lastly, the Instructor played the part of the Realtor, with Pam now as the homeowner. The instructor knocked on the door, and the Pam opened it. “Yes?’ she said.

“I am Joe Instructor with Good Realty. Are you Pam Jackson?

“Yes, I am,” she said, offering her hand, which got shaken. “Please come in. I suppose you want to look over the house.”

“Before I do that, we need to get to know each other and determine whether we have a mutually acceptable basis for doing business.”

Homeowner: “Okay, we can sit in the kitchen, here.”

Realtor: “When we spoke on the phone we agreed this meeting would take about ninety minutes of uninterrupted time. Have you arranged for that?”

Homeowner: “Yes, I turned off my phone and put the dog out in the back yard.”

Realtor: “We agreed that the purpose of our meeting is to determine whether we have a mutually acceptable basis for selling your home. Is that your intention?”

Homeowner: “Yes.”

Realtor: “And, we agreed that if we can meet your conditions of satisfaction for the sale of your home, you will make a decision about that today. Is that still your intention?”

Homeowner: “Yes, it is.”

Then, the Instructor asked each of the other participants to step forward and replay both roles, alternately.

At the end of that exercise, they all vowed never again to compete by charming, smiling and dancing. Then, they moved on to selling on a basis mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual commitments.

Jacques Werth is President of High Probability Selling, Inc - a sales consulting and training company founded in 1989 - headquartered in Media, PA with offices in Munich, Germany and Tokyo, Japan. The company specializes in sales process improvement. They have also trained salespeople, sales managers, consultants, and business owners, in over 70 industries.

Werth has a BS, Marketing , NYU and MBA Financial Management, Drexel U. He went out on sales calls with hundreds of the top salespeople in 23 industries to determine what they do that most moderately successful salespeople do not do. That research became the basis for the High Probability Selling process.

He is coauthor of the perennial best selling book “High Probability Selling,” which is also available on CD and MP3. http://www.highprobsell.com

With the proliferation of young women choosing to get bust-enhancing implants these days, pregnancy and breast feeding is an ever popular topic between patients and their plastic surgeons. In addition, many mothers are interested in learning if these implants can help the sagging that has occurred after childbirth and breast feeding. Because your breasts play such an integral part in your pregnancy, it is important to understand the issues when it comes to surgery and your future or past pregnancies.

Implants and Future Pregnancy Issues

If you are interested in getting implants before having children, it really is an okay thing to do. However, most plastic surgeons advise that you wait at least six months after their insertion before becoming pregnant. Pregnancy changes your entire body, due to hormonal fluctuations, and it is always best to wait for your body to completely heal from the plastic surgery before subjecting them to even more changes. Also, this healing time gives you the best chance for a full recovery of sensitivity and function after surgery.

It is always important to note that not all women are able to feed naturally. Many who have had augmentation operations may be more likely to decide that surgery is the cause. However, that fact has not been scientifically proven. It is a proven fact that some women simply are not able to feed naturally. Augmentation procedures should not be automatically blamed for that. It is also important to note that milk which comes from breasts with implants is not harmful to your baby; there is no evidence to indicate that this is an issue.

Implants and Past Pregnancy Issues

If you have already had children and are considering enlargement of any kind, it is advised that you wait at least six months after giving birth to your child, or until six months after you have stopped the natural feeding of your baby; whichever occurs the latest.

It is important to note that all women who have had children and breast fed them will have permanent changes to the appearance of their breasts. While many women who consider themselves small have enjoyed larger, fuller busts during this time in their lives, once the milk supply is gone, many discover that they now experience sagging and have a deflated appearance. This is completely normal and is not corrected simply through the use of enhancement surgery alone.

For women who have are typically very small, the simple addition of the implant can create a bit of a rising effect and you appear to have less sag. However, with any bulk to the breast before the procedure, the augmented busts will still appear to be sagging. This is completely normal and natural. However, if the breast has too much sag, another procedure known as a lift may be needed.

As you can see, breast implants are safe for pre and post pregnancy. However, to discuss your options, it is always best to consult a board certified plastic surgeon in your area.

These days, many women opt for enlargement surgery both before and after pregnancy. You’ll need to discuss Boston breast implants, breast feeding and sagging with your plastic surgeon at least six months prior to or after pregnancy. Massachusetts surgeons can help - http://www.drmossthebeautyboss.com

Ronaldinho could be the Thing as the way he has allowed his career to nosedive; he must really have bricks for brains.

Lionel Messi would be the human torch as when he is on form he really is on fire while Thierry Henry would be the Invisible woman as most Barcelona fans have failed to see the form he showed at Arsenal and he now plays like a girl.

Juventus fans would tell you that they have their Superman in Gianluigi Buffon because he does make some superhuman saves and out of his jersey he does look like a mild mannered geek but most opponents thankfully have not found kryptonite to get the better of him on a regular basis.

Arsenal fans would tell you that William Gallas is the incredible hulk and it is not good to make him angry and as Gael Clichy found out, he is not likable when he is angry. To be fair Jens Lehmann could be the incredible hulk as well but neither player seems to have a Bruce Banner within them.

Real Madrid fans would tell you that they have their own Spiderman in Iker Casillas because he is not very tall but he gets to places that he really should not and seems to have cobwebs where his hands should be. They would also tell you that they have their own version of the Invisible man as though they signed Christopher Metzelder but no one has seen him yet.

Manchester United fans would claim to have their own version of Batman and Robin with Cristiano Ronaldo being the caped crusaders as he carries the fight almost single-handedly to the opposition with various people like Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney playing the part of Robin depending if Batman needs help or not.

Wes Brown, who is about to sign a ¤60,000 a week contract is no doubt the Joker.

Arsenal fans will testify that they have the teenage mutant ninja turtles with Cesc Fabregas as Leonardo as he is the leader of the pack; Robin Van Persie would be Raphael as he is the bad boy of the group; Nicklas Bendtner could play Michelangelo to provide comic relief with his style of play; Theo Walcott could play Donatello and Arsene Wenger would be Master Splinter.

For more Football news visit http://www.footballclubsblog.com

My name is Dennis and have written a number of articles on how to make it big online.

Learn more on how to become successful online by going here and clicking on ‘my web page’ NOW

Most home sellers and especially homebuyers have no clue as to how to interview their future real estate agent. You have the right to have someone represent you as a buyer client even though the seller pays the commission. This is called buyer agency. Most states require that you sign an agreement in writing that you want representation. This document can be terminated so you don’t have to feel that you have hired someone that is not worthy of your business.
Hiring the right agent is tricky because your motive is not always their motive. Your motive is to find the best house. Their motive is to make some money from your transaction. So, follow the steps below to hire the best real estate agent for you.

Questions to Ask and Ideas to Follow to Find the Best Agent:

1. Question: How many transactions have you done in the last 6 months? Answer: If the answer is less than 6, keep looking. Less than 6 transactions mean less than 1 transaction per month. This person is rusty at best.
2. Question: How many seller clients and how many buyer clients do you have presently? Answer: Should be at least 4.
3. Question: What is your game plan for finding me the best house OR the best buyer? Answer: Should be thought out and not winging it.
4. Question: What are your business hours? Answer: It should be real times of the day and there should be a cut-off point. Agents who over-service their clients are not working with enough clients to have experience where experience counts - transactions.
5. Question: If I don’t like your representation, what are my options? Answer: Should have precise step-by-step answer to exiting the written agreement.
6. Question: Do you have a partner, assistant or a team? Answer: You have to decide if this is important to you. Many buyers and sellers tell me that they were frustrated with their “one-man band” agent when they got sick, took vacation or had another client for the day when they wanted to see homes or when their offer came in.
7. Question: Do you have another job? Answer: Again, you have to decide. However, if you are needy or a typically demanding person, you will not like this person calling you after they get off work or you having to call them at “their other job”.
8. For Sellers: Question: How do you feel about the St. Joseph Statute? * FYI: The St. Joseph statute, myth or not, some people firmly believe is a contributing factor or the sole reason that their house sold. Answer: The point is that you do not want an agent who is stuck in the box. The agent should have the opinion that they will do whatever it takes to get the house sold and will consider all options.

So, take your job seriously when interviewing both a buyer’s agent and a listing agent. Don’t just think that you have to use your good friend that just got their real estate license last month because you have gone to church with her for the last hundred years. Be serious about the professional that is going to represent you and expect professional results.

If you are a seller of real estate, view more marketing tips on my website.

http://www.DuffyRealtyofAtlanta.com

If you are a buyer of real estate, I have a whole website that you must see about buying. This is a FREE website made for you.

http://www.TipsandFormsforBuyers.com

From Rhonda Duffy, Real Estate Broker and National Consumer Advocate - The Real Estate Powerhouse

Nike soccer balls have evolved through the years. Here are some of the latest evolution and innovation of Nike:

• Nike Geo Merlin Vapor - This ball according to Nike is rounder, faster and FIFA approved. It is the latest in Nike designs and innovation. It has been used as the official ball in several leagues, namely: Spanish League, Brazilian League and the English Premier League. Several teams also use this ball like the US National Team, Inter Milan, the Portuguese National Team, Korean National Team and the Brazilian National Team. The ball has been developed around the DART (Dynamic Acceleration Response and Touch) system of casing. It is considered as the top of the line among all other soccer balls.
• Nike Total 90 Aerow - This ball is designed for increased velocity, better accuracy and for the reduction of drag. Its cover is hand stitched with linear grooves for a sustained and consistent flight. It also has exclusive E foam for greater durability, stability and performance even in cold weather. Nike Total 90 Aerow is also FIFA approved. The standard version of this ball has red and black stripes.

Other new and high performance Nike soccer balls are available in the market such as:

• Nike First2 Accel - This is a full-on, fast-paced soccer ball. It distributes the pressure of the hit evenly across panels and around the ball. The Accel is powerful, accurate and consistent no matter where it is hit.
• Nike Mercurial Veloci - The cover of Veloci is also hand stitched, with six double-hex panels with micro grooves which promises the improvement of the aerodynamics of the ball itself and the players get to shape their passes and shots.
• Nike Total 90 Omni Premier League - This ball is designed to showcase the perfect distribution of pressure across the entire ball. Like all other Nike balls, it doesn’t really matter where you hit it; you are assured of a consistent, accurate and powerful strike. This ball has been used as the official ball of the English Premier League.

Watch Videos about Nike soccer balls.