Payday Lenders, Part Two

While researching the previous article I called a friend who makes a living as a banker. During our conversation I described the type of transaction I used as an example in the other article. You remember my 15% loan to my friend Charlie. My banker friend immediately saw it as a 390% loan. (Actually Barnie, it's 391.07%. I guess engineers are more precise than bankers.)

Bankers are funny critters. I suppose I'll never fully understand how Annual Percentage Rate is calculated. No, that's not quite right. I do understand how Annual Percentage Rate is calculated; I just don't understand why it is always used to describe a short-term loan that, by law, must be re-paid in 30 days or less. But apparently they teach you to think only in annual terms at that big banker school in Carolina.

Now, if Charlie came to me next Friday and explained that his cash flow was still weak and that he would have to pay me the 15% interest and hold off for a while on the rest, that would be getting closer to my banker friend's 390% interest rate, but it's not there yet. Charlie would have to repeat that performance every two weeks for a year before he hit that magical APR number. (While I may enjoy that $7.50 a week in extra income, at some point I'm going get sentimental about that original Franklin portrait and want to see it again.)

As I said, that can't happen legally. What Charlie can do, and some folks resort to I suppose, is pay me the full $115 and immediately ask for another loan at the same terms. Charlie and I both know this is a dumb move, but Charlie is desperate, and I'm a sucker for a quick and easy $15 bucks, so we strike a deal. I can't say that rollovers of that sort do not occur frequently across the Commonwealth, but the folks I've spoken to in this area who work at payday lenders tell me that none of the lenders in Henry County will continue to approve such loans. Further, most of the payday lenders in Henry County use a private statewide (or maybe it's national, I didn't ask) database that will inform them if a potential customer has outstanding payday loans at other lenders, this helps prevent Charlie from getting a loan from Joe to repay me.

I suppose that Annual Percentage Rate is used so as to always be comparing apples to apples when discussing the merits and disadvantages of various lending practices. So be it. It may also be used merely as a way of making payday loans look much worse than they really are. Either way, let's compare apples to apples.

What were Charlie's options last week when his electric service was about to be cut off? He could have written a bad check to APCO, hoping that either it would not clear until his next payday, or more likely, it would be after his next payday before APCO made him aware of the bounced check. By then though, he would have the cash to go to APCO and pick up the check, even though it would cost him at least a $25 returned check fee, plus the fee from his bank, at least another $25. So now Charlie is paying $50 in "interest" on this "backdoor loan", at an Annual Percentage Rate of 1,304%. But wait, Charlie's APCO bill was already late, that's why he got the disconnect notice, remember? So APCO put a $35 "late fee" onto his $100 bill, an APR of 426% (since the APCO bill is payable monthly I calculated the $35 at a 30 day term, resulting in a proportionally lower APR).

Charlie's other option was to simply live in the dark for a week. That would leave him with the original $100 bill, plus the $35 late fee, plus a $25 reconnect fee, at an APR of 730%. That doesn't include the cost of replacing all of the food in his freezer, or the cost of many dinners and flowers to get his wife to speak to him again.

That $15 bucks Charlie paid me is beginning to look like a real bargain, no?

People have always gotten into trouble with debt. People will continue to get into trouble with debt, even if the payday lenders are closed. The fact is, for the vast majority of their customers, payday lenders provide a valuable service. As long as they are used in the manner they were intended, they are a valuable resource to a community. Used as a long term solution to poor financial planning, they are a catastrophe, but still better than most of the alternatives.

The final question is, is it the proper role of government to protect us from our own stupidity? Or even worse, the stupidity of others? I don't think so.

NOTE: In fairness to my banker friend, he and I essentially agree on this subject.

Next: Why short-term, low dollar loans are not available at your friendly local bank anymore.

Payday Lenders Under Fire By Roscoe Reynolds

Let's suppose my friend Charlie Bishop comes to me and wants to borrow 100 bucks for a couple of weeks. Now I like Charlie, he's been a friend for years, and he and I both agree that I should charge him some amount of interest on that $100 loan. So we settle on 15%, in other words, he will pay me $115 dollars Friday after next. We're both happy. Charlie can prevent APCO from cutting off his power. Charlie doesn't risk bouncing a check and the exhorbitant fees that go along with that. Charlie doesn't have to get a cash advance on his credit card, which would cost him much more than $15. And best of all, I can gain 15 bucks wihout much work.

Some people, specifically Roscoe Reynolds for the sake of this article, would call me a predator for helping my pal Charlie keep his family out of the dark. If I was so bold as to open a storefront and make a business of transactions of this sort, Senator Reynolds would have me shut the doors, never to help anyone again.

Today I spent some time in the offices of a couple of those "nasty Payday lenders". There I met three delightful ladies, each of them eager to teach me how their industry works. I learned that they fulfill a real need in our community, a need realised by people from all cross sections of our society. Whether you are a local factory worker or an executive in one of those factories, a teacher in our local school system or a student away at college, a retiree living on a pension or a worker now living on disability, chances are you could benefit from the services offered at your local "payday lender". These three ladies related stories from each scenario. Stories of real local people they have helped get across a personal hump in their daily life.

I also learned there are currently over 20 of these businesses in Martinsville and Henry County. Businesses that employ from 1 to 5 people per office. At least 60 local families depend, at least in part, on this industry for their household income. That's 60 more local individuals that Senator Reynolds wishes to put out of work. That's also 20 more empty, unleased buildings in Henry County. Yes, Senator Reynolds wants to close these local offices. His Senate Bill No.25 would outlaw the services provided by the three ladies I spoke with today, and any other similar service throughout the Commonwealth. Ironically, I don't think it would outlaw the personal contract I spoke of earlier between me and Charlie.


I'll have more on this subject later, check back often.

Benazir Bhutto Assassination

Fellow ODBA member D.J. knows the middle east. His take on today's assassination of former PM Bhutto is an excellent commentary, read it please.

A Christmas Roundup By Kat

It's almost midnight, Christmas Eve, and I'm heading off to bed so Santa can do whatever magic he may desire here on Sunset Rd.

Before I go though, I want to direct you to the Carnival of Christmas at my dear friend's blog, Cathouse Chat. She's done a wonderful job of putting together a bunch of Christmas themed articles from around the world, go by and check it out.

Wee Fish, Ewe, A Mare....

It's been over two years since I began this journey into entertainment and enlightenment. I've enjoyed every minute. To show my appreciation to you, my readers, I've created a little video that I hope will bring a smile to you this Christmas season.


That was fun, but there is much more to the story of Christmas, very much more. As told in the Gospel of Luke;

Luke 2

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

It's A Bookcase, Fer Cryin' Out Loud!

If there is anything I've learned in my 50 some-odd years, it's that most people can find SOMETHING to be offended by, if they only look hard enough. Some people even look so hard for something to be offended by they confuse a bookcase with religious symbolism.

It seems some have their undies in a wad over Mike Huckabee's Christmas ad.

Let's get this straight, right from the beginning. I'm a Christian, Conservative Republican. I don't like it very much when politicians "overuse" their faith or religious beliefs in a public setting. But my goodness, (to quote a local TV host), Huckabee is offering a political version of a Christmas card to the viewers. What would they have him say, "Happy fill-in-the-blank"?

He and his family celebrate Christmas, as do most of us. To those who celebrate it, Christmas IS the celebration of Christ's birth. Simply saying "merry Christmas" and explaining just what it is he's celebrating is not a slur upon those who do not believe that Jesus was (and is) the Messiah, any more than the softly uttered "praise be unto him" after the mention of Mohammed's name is a slur upon Christians and Jews*.

Get over it people. Huckabee may or may not be my choice when I close the curtain in November, but this is hardly a reason to slam the man.



OK, so the bookcase is shaped like a cross. So are many things we encounter every day. I suppose Catholic League president Bill Donahue should refrain from looking at telephone poles or coat trees and just be happy there is no "T" in his name.

*Even if we are the spawn of rats and pigs and deserve to die horrible gruesome deaths.

Obama's New Campaign Logo

I've been told that Obama has had to recently revise his campaign logo. That happens sometimes during a campaign. You just have to keep up with the flow of your campaign, I guess. Well, recently Hilliary has forced Barack Obama to make a small change.

The old logo;

Has now been changed to reflect the new direction Hillary has forced upon K'rack Obama;

Kilo's Got His Christmas Decorations Up

Go on by and have a cup of cider with him...

I'm Not Emeril News Post

A couple of items, quickly, before I move on to some more substantial stuff.

1. Blogroll. My blogroll has not been updated in a very long time. I'll be working on that today. If you have a relatively new Virginia blog, and are not currently represented on my blogroll, please let me know. I'll consider all submissions.
   
   
2. Some time back I posted an open question, "Unleash Your Progessive Thoughts", which was never adequately answered. It now appears on my sidebar, never to scroll away. Come on liberals, let's hear your ideas on how to end gun violence. The comment and trackback sections are open.
   
   
3. An article will be coming today about Governor Timmy! and his completely unworkable plan to raise teacher salaries to the national average. Begin working now on a response that will explain to me and my readers just how you could make it work without taking even more (if not ALL) local control away from your school board.

Have a great Friday!

A Book Review, By Barnie Day

I am posting this book review on the behalf of Barnie Day. -- Alton Foley

So now comes to the literature of Virginia politics a self-published good look back, Wading in the Muddy Pool: A Virginia Political Memoir, 1972-1982 ($15.00, Old Favorites Bookshop, PO Box 8347, Richmond, 23226) by Richmond book dealer Gary S. O’Neal.

O’Neal, who began a 10-year sojourn through Virginia’s political corridors in 1972, when he signed on as an aide to Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates John Warren Cooke, has served up a rare inside look that reads like an oral history, despite wording here and there that seems…well…a touch quaint.

I’ll translate one for you: “recently passed from the earthly scene” means somebody died.

Still, this is a good, snappy read, as much for its candid observations as anything. (The two-page memory of the House Clerk’s Office is worth the purchase price.)

Virginia politics now is a bland vanilla team sport. It used to be a game of individuals. Many of the personalities here have “passed from the earthly scene,” and won’t be recognized by anyone, even inside players, under the age of 60, or so.

A few will stir the dust of memory:

“Robert B. Ball, Sr., a Democrat from Henrico County, was a self educated man and one time butcher who became a success in the hotel-motel business and real estate. He amassed a fortune in the 1950’s by putting pay TV sets in his motels and used to brag that he took a wheel barrow of quarters a week to the bank.”

“William Dudley, Democrat, “Bullet Bill,” a former NFL great and football star at UVA. Nice man, but fairly dense, more adept at attending local sports banquets than debating the issues of the day.”

“George Mason Green, Republican, one of the last Arlington County Republicans before the Democrats became the dominant party in that area. One of the new breed of right wing ideologues.”

“Frank Mann, Democrat, Alexndria politician and former mayor of that city. Went back on his word to Delegate Lane (Ed Lane, of Richmond) on a committee vote at the 1973 session, a disagreeable man with little character.”

“Thomas W. Moss, Democrat, Norfolk politician, liked the ladies and the bottle.”

“Stanley Owens, Democrat, Prince William County, at that point growing somewhat senile, later known throughout the Assembly for crashing into a water fountain with his car at an Interstate 95 rest stop and then trying to bill the House of Delegates for the damage to his auto.”

“As Speaker, Philpot (Albert Lee, of Henry County) was more politically assertive than Cooke. He saw the role of the Speaker as that of an active participant in the political process, rather than a nonpartisan referee like Speaker Cooke. I don’t mean that Cooke had no party loyalty, but he exercised it gently while A. L. used a whip.”

“Dorothy McDiarmid, Democrat from Fairfax, whose husband Hugh constantly trailed her around the Capitol.”

O’Neal has given Virginia’s political junkies a tasty appetizer (91 pages). I wish it had been an entrée.

You could do worse than buying this book.
BKD

Hmmm, Interesting. Oh, And It Involves Ben

Heh...

Three hypocrisies in less than a week? Sweet....

Check this out.

It seems that Ben is approaching the level of Waldo.

I Have A Theory

Follow me for a moment.

In an electrical circuit, the speed of electrons is about 4 x 10⁵ meters per second. In a word, fast.

Yes, electrons are speedy little buggers. But an electrical circuit can be no faster than the response time of it's slowest component. In most circuits that would be a mechanical relay.

In nature this concept is carried over into herding animals. An example would be a herd of antelope, which can move no faster than it's slowest members. In nature this works to the advantage of the herd, as the slower and weaker members are regularly culled by predators or hunters.

The human brain is both electrical and organic, thus it operates on this same principle. It can be no faster than it's slowest brain cells. Brain cells, however, have no natural predators. But we do have alcohol. Excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells, but in obeyance of natural selection laws, only the slowest and weakest are the first to go. Consequently, the regular consumption of alcohol eliminates the weaker cells, thus continually making the brain a swifter and more efficient organism.

The result of my thesis is verified by the link between frat parties and engineering student performance. It also could be used to explain why, after leaving school, getting married, and "settling down" most engineers can not keep up with the latest graduates. Only those of us that maintain a strict regimen of a short glass (or two) per day are able to maintain the intellectual level of our more recently graduated peers.

Anyway, that's my theory, and I'm sticking to it.

Let's lift a short glass to my "weedin' out the weak ones" theorem.

The Roanoke Times On Concealed Carry

I've been thinking. I mean REALLY thinking, and I can't come up with any reasonable answer.

A little background first. Some time back a Times editorial staffer, Christian Trejbal, decided it would be great fun to publish the entire concealed carry permit holder database, just because he could, and because it would really piss off those "gun nuts" out there in Timesland.

Well, not only "gun nuts" thought Mister Trejbal was being way too irresponsible, so did Attorney General Bob McDonnell, who advised the state police to shut off public access to its database. At about that same time, House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith said, "I think the real concern here was that there were a lot of people on that list who were victims of crime, who had been stalked or who had been in abusive situations." The last thing anyone being protected by a restraining order wants is to have their current home address published in a local newspaper.

Another thing that Mister Trejbal and the Times did not consider was the criminal mind. Most concealed carry permit holders do not own just one weapon, instead being much more likely to have many left at home not being carried. Publishing those names and addresses was simply advertising to burglars and other assorted creeps where they could go, in the daytime hours, and likely find all the weapons they may want. In that single action the Times and Trejbal did more to undermine background checks than all the "gunshow loopholes" they constantly whine about.

Now, back to what I've been thinking about. There is draft legislation set to come up in this GA session that will make the Attorney General's recommendation law. And the Move-on Times does not like it. After their initial blunder causing the entire episode, and after agreeing that publishing the database was a mistake, they now want to weaken the proposed law in order to make it easier to get this data.

People need access -- not to satisfy idle curiosity about who of their acquaintances might be carrying, though public records can be used that way. Rather, public access acts as an important check on government.[link]

My question is, unless I am (choose one);

1. a liberal writer looking to sensationalize an editorial, or
2. a burglar looking for likely addresses, or
3. an abusive ex, looking for a current address, or
   
4. just plain nosy
   

What reasonable purpose would send me looking into the concealed carry database?

Chutzpah Revisited

Now we have the king of chutzpah, the Virginia Blogger who is the antithesis of ethics, Ben Tribbett, lecturing a Washington Post reporter on journalism.

Did Tim Craig not attend journalism school? Does he not have a ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY to site [sic] the published sources???? What a bunch of crap.

Now, just what is it that has Ben's panties in a bunch?

It seems Ben's hero, Lowell Feld posted a story about someone who has the temerity to run against a Democrat, (you know, like what's his name did in Connecticut a while back), exposing a prior legal problem. There was one glaring inconsistency, though. The names did not match, even though all other details seemed to fit.

Lowell is a blogger. A Democrat blogger. And as such is under no obligation, (in the minds of Ben and Lowell, anyway) to follow up and substantiate his story. Lowell was more interested in smacking down this idiot who dared to challenge Warner (like what's his name did earlier in Connecticut) than he was in verifying the story, so he ran with it.

At about the same time, Tim Craig of the Washington Post finds the same story. Only Tim Craig is an ethical journalist. The renegade Democrat running against Mark Warner now has a different name than the one he was using at the time of his legal problems. That required some verification by Craig in order to ensure that the two names did, in fact, belong to the same person. In Tim Craig's words;

I did not get it from Raising Kaine. I got a clip of the Roanoke Times article emailed to me this afternoon from a Democratic source. I then had our Washington Post researchers independently verify the article through a search of court records After that, I called the gentleman in question to speak to him. I did scan Raising Kaine at one point this afternoon and never saw a headline about this matter.

As for you assertion, it is laughable for you to lecture me or any member of the Richmond press corps on journalistic ethics.

Posted by: Timcraig | December 04, 2007 at 04:38 PM

The ironic part of all of this is that if Lowell or Ben had followed standard journalistic ethics and followed up with a simple phone call before launching their attacks this, yet another Ben Tribbett scandal, would never have occurred.

First complaining about the consequences that his own actions posed to a candidate he supported. Now lecturing a respected writer for the Washington Post on the subject of ethics.

Sheesh...

Chutzpah

Chutzpah has been described as "...that quality enshrined in a man who, having killed his mother and father, throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan."

Today I got a report from a reliable source that Ben Tribbett has exhibited that same quality. Ben (get your own links to his site) complained this weekend, at a Republican event, about the Poindexter campaign's use of the ODBA/NAMBLA scandal in mail pieces.

Ben, who is in this scandal just as deeply as his friend Joey Stanley, actually complained to a noted Republican about a mailer that tied Eric Ferguson to Joey Stanley, the co-perpetrator of the NAMBLA scandal, about their use of the issue. I say that Joey is a co-perpetrator because the scandal would never have occurred if Ben had not sent another Virginia blogger a link to a website he knew to have been fraudulently created by Stanley which linked the Old Dominion Blog Alliance to NAMBLA, a group that openly endorses the sexual exploitation of underage boys.

To add even more comedy to this scenario, Ben then asked this Republican to get him into the annual premier Republican meeting, the Advance. He even asked if he could just shadow along behind as a part of this Republican's "entourage", as if my rural Republican friend has ever had an "entourage."

Ben and Joey, face it. You two screwed up badly on this one. Franklin County people who know nothing of blogs were talking about this issue. Talking a lot. I'm convinced it had a lot to do with Ferguson's defeat, especially when it was juxtaposed alongside Ferguson's record of dirty, negative campaigning against Allen Dudley two years ago.

Ben, when we first met last year I took a liking to you. I admire your ability to analyze political campaigns, I was amazed when I discovered that you do it all in a notebook without the help of a spreadsheet application. This issue, however, has caused me to completely re-examine my opinion of you. Collaborating with Joey Stanley in perpetrating this travesty was bad enough, but then complaining when it turned around on your chosen candidate and then attempting to use the one who called Joey on it to gain access to an event you had no right to attend is the ultimate in chutzpah.

Perhaps Dictionary dot com should amend their definition.

Circumcisions In Decline And Monkeys Moving Out?

What do;

Agricultural land increase, Africa devastated, African aid threatened, Africa hit hardest, air pressure changes, Alaska reshaped, allergies increase, Alps melting, Amazon a desert, American dream end, amphibians breeding earlier (or not), ancient forests dramatically changed, animals head for the hills, Antarctic grass flourishes, anxiety, algal blooms, archaeological sites threatened, Arctic bogs melt, Arctic in bloom, Arctic lakes disappear, asthma, Atlantic less salty, Atlantic more salty, atmospheric defiance, atmospheric circulation modified, attack of the killer jellyfish, avalanches reduced, avalanches increased, bananas destroyed, bananas grow, beetle infestation, bet for $10,000, better beer, big melt faster, billion dollar research projects, billions of deaths, bird distributions change, bird visitors drop, birds return early, blackbirds stop singing, blizzards, blue mussels return, bluetongue, boredom, bridge collapse (Minneapolis), Britain Siberian, British gardens change, brothels struggle, bubonic plague, budget increases, Buddhist temple threatened, building collapse, building season extension, bushfires, business opportunities, business risks, butterflies move north, cancer deaths in England, cardiac arrest, caterpillar biomass shift, challenges and opportunities, childhood insomnia, Cholera, circumcision in decline, cirrus disappearance, civil unrest, cloud increase, cloud stripping, cockroach migration, cod go south, cold climate creatures survive, cold spells (Australia), computer models, conferences, coral bleaching, coral reefs dying, coral reefs grow, coral reefs shrink , cold spells, cost of trillions, cougar attacks, cremation to end, crime increase, crocodile sex, crumbling roads, buildings and sewage systems, cyclones (Australia), damages equivalent to $200 billion, Darfur, Dartford Warbler plague, death rate increase (US), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, dermatitis, desert advance, desert life threatened, desert retreat, destruction of the environment, diarrhoea, disappearance of coastal cities, diseases move north, Dolomites collapse, drought, drowning people, ducks and geese decline, dust bowl in the corn belt, early marriages, early spring, earlier pollen season, Earth biodiversity crisis, Earth dying, Earth even hotter, Earth light dimming, Earth lopsided, Earth melting, Earth morbid fever, Earth on fast track, Earth past point of no return, Earth slowing down, Earth spinning out of control, Earth spins faster, Earth to explode, earth upside down, Earth wobbling, earthquakes, El Niño intensification, erosion, emerging infections, encephalitis, equality threatened, Europe simultaneously baking and freezing, evolution accelerating, expansion of university climate groups, extinctions (human, civilisation, logic, Inuit, smallest butterfly, cod, ladybirds, bats, pandas, pikas, polar bears, pigmy possums, gorillas, koalas, walrus, whales, frogs, toads, turtles, orang-utan, elephants, tigers, plants, salmon, trout, wild flowers, woodlice, penguins, a million species, half of all animal and plant species, not polar bears, barrier reef, leaches), experts muzzled, extreme changes to California, fading fall foliage, famine, farmers go under, fashion disaster, fever,figurehead sacked, fir cone bonanza, fish catches drop, fish catches rise, fish stocks at risk, fish stocks decline, five million illnesses, flesh eating disease, flood patterns change, floods, floods of beaches and cities, Florida economic decline, food poisoning, food prices rise, food security threat (SA), footpath erosion, forest decline, forest expansion, frostbite, frosts, fungi fruitful, fungi invasion, games change, Garden of Eden wilts, genetic diversity decline, gene pools slashed, gingerbread houses collapse, glacial earthquakes, glacial retreat, glacial growth, glacier wrapped, global cooling, global dimming, glowing clouds, god melts, golf Masters wrecked, Gore omnipresence, grandstanding, grasslands wetter, Great Barrier Reef 95% dead, Great Lakes drop, greening of the North, Grey whales lose weight, Gulf Stream failure, habitat loss, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, harvest increase, harvest shrinkage, hay fever epidemic, hazardous waste sites breached, health of children harmed, heart disease, heart attacks and strokes (Australia), heat waves, hibernation ends too soon, hibernation ends too late, homeless 50 million, hornets, high court debates, human development faces unprecedented reversal, human fertility reduced, human health improvement, human health risk, hurricanes, hurricane reduction, hydropower problems, hyperthermia deaths, ice sheet growth, ice sheet shrinkage, illness and death, inclement weather, infrastructure failure (Canada), Inuit displacement, Inuit poisoned, Inuit suing, industry threatened, infectious diseases, inflation in China, insurance premium rises, invasion of cats, invasion of herons, invasion of midges, island disappears, islands sinking, itchier poison ivy, jellyfish explosion, Kew Gardens taxed, kitten boom, krill decline, lake and stream productivity decline, lake shrinking and growing, landslides, landslides of ice at 140 mph, lawsuits increase, lawsuit successful, lawyers' income increased (surprise surprise!), lightning related insurance claims, little response in the atmosphere, lush growth in rain forests, Lyme disease, Malaria, malnutrition, mammoth dung melt, Maple syrup shortage, marine diseases, marine food chain decimated, marine dead zone, Meaching (end of the world), megacryometeors, Melanoma, methane emissions from plants, methane burps, melting permafrost, Middle Kingdom convulses, migration, migration difficult (birds), microbes to decompose soil carbon more rapidly, monkeys on the move, Mont Blanc grows, monuments imperiled, more bad air days, more research needed, mountain (Everest) shrinking, mountains break up, mountains taller, mortality lower, mudslides, National security implications, new islands, next ice age, Nile delta damaged, no effect in India, Northwest Passage opened, nuclear plants bloom, oaks move north, ocean acidification, ocean waves speed up, opera house to be destroyed, outdoor hockey threatened, oyster diseases, ozone loss, ozone repair slowed, ozone rise, Pacific dead zone, personal carbon rationing, pest outbreaks, pests increase, phenology shifts, plankton blooms, plankton destabilised, plankton loss, plant viruses, plants march north, polar bears aggressive, polar bears cannibalistic, polar bears drowning, polar bears starve, polar tours scrapped, porpoise astray, profits collapse, psychosocial disturbances, puffin decline, railroad tracks deformed, rainfall increase, rainfall reduction, rape wave, refugees, reindeer larger, release of ancient frozen viruses, resorts disappear, rice threatened, rice yields crash, riches, rift on Capitol Hill, rioting and nuclear war, rivers dry up, river flow impacted, rivers raised, roads wear out, rockfalls, rocky peaks crack apart, roof of the world a desert, Ross river disease, ruins ruined, salinity reduction, salinity increase, Salmonella, salmon stronger, satellites accelerate, school closures, sea level rise, sea level rise faster, seals mating more, sewer bills rise, sex change, sharks booming, sharks moving north, sheep shrink, shop closures, shrinking ponds, shrinking shrine, ski resorts threatened, slow death, smaller brains, smog, snowfall increase, snowfall heavy, snowfall reduction, societal collapse, songbirds change eating habits, sour grapes, space problem, spiders invade Scotland, squid population explosion, squirrels reproduce earlier, spectacular orchids, stormwater drains stressed, street crime to increase, suicide, taxes, tectonic plate movement, teenage drinking, terrorism, threat to peace, ticks move northward (Sweden), tides rise, tourism increase, trade barriers, trade winds weakened, tree beetle attacks, tree foliage increase (UK), tree growth slowed, trees could return to Antarctic, trees in trouble, trees less colourful, trees more colourful, trees lush, tropics expansion, tropopause raised, tsunamis, turtles crash, turtles lay earlier, UK Katrina, Vampire moths, Venice flooded, volcanic eruptions, walrus displaced, walrus pups orphaned, war, wars over water, wars threaten billions, water bills double, water supply unreliability, water scarcity (20% of increase), water stress, weather out of its mind, weather patterns awry, weeds, Western aid cancelled out, West Nile fever, whales move north, wheat yields crushed in Australia, white Christmas dream ends, wildfires, wind shift, wind reduced, wine - harm to Australian industry, wine industry damage (California), wine industry disaster (US), wine - more English, wine -German boon, wine - no more French , winters in Britain colder, wolves eat more moose, wolves eat less, workers laid off, World bankruptcy, World in crisis, World in flames, Yellow fever.

have in common?

According to British Engineering Professor Dr. John Brignell, they are all links to news stories blaming each catastrophe on global warming. His site, number watch, is dedicated to debunking the often misleading statistics offed by Global Warming and other extreme religionists.