| Carers' cash cuts utterly callous: Abbott
The Federal Opposition has accused the Federal Government of making carers bear the brunt of its mission to cut spending. Carers can receive a utilities allowance from the Federal Government of $500 a year but the former bonus scheme of $1,600 looks likely to be abandoned as Kevin Rudd's 'razor gang' goes to work to curb public spending. Opposition community services spokesman Tony Abbott says carers will be out of pocket and should feel betrayed. "It is utterly callous to be making the most vulnerable people in our community bear the brunt of the fight against inflation," he said. Joan Hughes from Carers Australia says more than 400,000 carers would be affected. "Carers are already doing it really tough," she said. "This is a complete shock to Carers Australia." Ms Hughes says she is pushing for wider changes to boost support for carers.
A triptych of diaspora, despair, and a little hope
Four weeks into a recent cross-country book tour, it dawned on me. Except to point my car in the direction I wanted to go, I hadn't done a single thing for myself for a month. Everywhere I'd been, other people had grown, raised, prepared, and served my food. Other people had cleaned my motel rooms and serviced my rental car. Without exception, my benefactors were helpful, kind, and intelligent. Collectively, they were not only keeping me going, they were keeping America going. Yet shockingly, night after night as I surfed the TV channels in my motels, I heard these same people subjected to the most vituperative attacks imaginable. Their offense? Many of them were "foreigners" who had come to this country, with the full blessing of our government and service industries, "illegally." Why "aliens," particularly racial minorities, should be singled out for such scapegoating is the central dramatic question of Caryl Phillips's heartbreaking new book.
Daily Blabber Celebrity Gossip Blog from iVillage Entertainment
Larry will join a plethora of Britney insiders that Kevin is hoping to use to bury his ex. UPDATE: In new court documents that have been released, it is revealed that Kevin's lawyers intend to serve Britney's "sober companion" (insert joke here) and a former nanny. The papers also disclosed Brit's income: $737,868 A MONTH, with Kevin receiving $20,000 a month in spousal support. The Fedster "has no net income after business expenses," the papers say. Good thing Britney has all that cash because, according to my calculations, she's going to need to spend about that much in legal fees. .
Let bankruptcy judges step in
They can't pay what they agreed but can pay more than their lenders could net from foreclosure. Owners in this category can afford their homes but not their mortgages. Most want to stay and are willing to pay what their home is worth. It is in their lender's economic interest to let them. Foreclosure is expensive, and lenders end up bearing most of the costs. Foreclosed houses tend to sell for less than the market price, thus driving housing prices down further — and generating more foreclosures. Most plans for solving the mortgage crisis seek to promote communication between lenders and borrowers so they will make this mutually beneficial deal. Often, however, the mortgages have been sold and securitized. Each investor owns only a small fraction of each mortgage, making direct negotiations impractical.
Consistency helps Aces third line
In the three games, all wins, since the third line stabilized, that line has generated four goals and only been on the ice for one goal against. "There's no concern as a coach when you put that line out there,'' said Aces coach Keith McCambridge. "They can play against any team's top line and get chances offensively, and still be accountable defensively.'' "All three can score, and all three can play defense. There's not a chink in any of their armor defensively.'' The transformation of Alaska's third line will be tested tonight, when the Aces open a three-game home series against National Conference-leading Las Vegas, which sports the third-most points in the 25-team ECHL. McCambridge's aim in constructing a reliable third line was to add offensive punch that makes that unit threatening and broadens the team's scoring depth.
The 31st Team
CC, D/F 2005 (12th round). Signed by: Lane Decker. The Padres drafted Breit in the 46th round out of high school in 2004 and in the 12th round out of Garden City (Kan.) CC in 2005, before finally signing him as a draft-and-follow for $150,000 prior to the 2006 draft. Breit finished eighth in the short-season Northwest League with a 3.08 ERA in his pro debut, but found the going much more difficult in low Class A last year and lost confidence as poor outings piled up. His monthly ERA never dipped below 6.29 until August, when he spent some time in the bullpen before going 0-1, 2.37 in his final four starts. Breit flashes three good pitches, but his inability to locate them effectively in the strike zone hurts him. He throws a 91-93 mph fastball on a good downward plane, and he has a curveball with the potential to be a plus pitch.
On the blog now:
In the first flush of her California victory, it seemed Clinton had a clear path to the nomination. But the picture looks different on closer examination a day later. While she was winning the dwellings of America's elite, Obama was sweeping everyplace else - Utah, Idaho, Minnesota, Illinois, North Dakota, Kansas and Colorado, many of them states with virtually no black population. And his success in Missouri, Alabama and Georgia show that he continues to dominate Southern states with their large minority populations. Why is Clinton doing so poorly in the heartland? There, away from the liberal media and establishment bias and from the coastal immigrant and Latino concentrations, she seems at a loss. Aside from her core white-women constituency, these voters are really supporting the memory of Bill's presidency more than the prospect of a Hillary administration.
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