I just received this from one of my Australian connections on Linked In.  I had NO idea the bushfires were so extensive in Australia.  Here it is in her words:

Dear Traci,

I am taking a minute to email all of my LinkedIn connections in relation to the horrific Bushfire situation in Victoria, Australia

I live in the rebuilt township of Cockatoo, Victoria; the worst hit town, obliterated in the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires in which 75 people died and 2,545 homes were lost, total land area burnt was approximately 2,100 km².

On the weekend I evacuated my young family ahead of the warnings that the fire conditions on Saturday 7th January 2009 would be worse than those on Ash Wednesday, and they were.

 Thankfully our area was spared this time around, however many areas weren’t.

The current situation is that there are 25 fires still burning out of control and a total 152 fires burning in Victoria yet to be declared safe, 173 people are confirmed dead and over 750 homes lost, 3,218 km² of land burnt, and still more to come.

I personally have dear friends still missing in Kinglake and Narbethong, including two children aged 6 and 3, and several other friends are thankfully safe, but without homes.

It cost $1.3 billion (in today’s adjusted terms) to rebuild after Ash Wednesday. Victorian citizens, Corporate and Government have already raised $28 Million, however it will take much more to rebuild after this devastating event.

I am making a heartfelt appeal to anyone who can spare a few dollars to please make a donation to the Australian Red Cross, Victorian Bushfire Appeal 2009 on this link, every single dollar counts.

Please could you also share this email with your professional networks, or on blogs, etc.

Thank you for your consideration and for sparing a thought for all who have lost beloved ones, animals, homes and memories.

Kind regards,

Katherine

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You really must read this article . . .

Mistresses of the Universe

Nicholas D. Kristof, writing in the New York Times tells us that

"At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, some of the most interesting discussions revolved around whether we would be in the same mess today if Lehman Brothers had been Lehman Sisters. The consensus (and this is among the dead white men who parade annually at Davos) is that the optimal bank would have been Lehman Brothers and Sisters."

"Wall Street is one of the most male-dominated bastions in the business world; senior staff meetings resemble a urologist’s waiting room. Aside from issues of fairness, there’s evidence that the result is second-rate decision-making."

And, the same conclusions are being reached around the world: The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences -- Endogenous steroids and financial risk taking on a London trading floor; Stanford University, and The Journal of Economic Theory.

 So that's the job I'm applying for . . . Mistress of the Universe.

Read his full article here . . . The New York Times.

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Experian has fired Fair Issac, and Fair Issac will not sell Experian credit scores to consumers after February 14.  Well, Happy Valentines to you, too.

Experian will sell FICO scores to lenders, but with Experian not selling to consumers, you're now flying blind about that score if you've been working to keep up with your credit record and keep track of your scores.  You will, after the 14th, only have access to TransUnion and Equifax.

Ironically, lenders are making credit standards higher and tougher, and qualifying for all kinds of credit is getting harder.  The benchmark score of 680, which was the score necessary for any mortgage loan in recent years, has been replaced with a "good" score of 720, and interest rates on mortgages are driven specifically by credit score. 

So, knowing your score is important unless you have scads of cash in your personal safe and don't want to ever borrow again (Not a bad idea, but my own safe is lately out of the stacks of cash . . . )

Tom Quinn, vice president for scoring at Fair Isaac said, “We are surprised that Experian made such a decision, particularly given what’s going on in the national economy and with consumers being concerned about their credit standing.  Their decision means that consumers will no longer be able to see or manage their scores based on the Experian data.”

Experian computes another score and they will provide it to consumers . . . but since it isn't the one that goes to lenders, who really wants or needs it?  I suppose people who don't know it isn't used in credit decisions will continue to buy it, and that may be the reason for Experian offering it . . . it is all about money, isn't it?

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We've recently partnered with a successful NYC trading company headed by bank industry professionals. They buy performing and non-performing pools of notes of $3mm and up.

Commercial and residential mortgages, auto, aircraft, marine, credit card and write off pools.

If you are a Banking or Credit Union Executive, Portfolio Manager, Lender, Hedge or Pension Fund, Buyer/Seller or direct Agent I'd be interested in talking to you. For more information, please contact me at 404-578-6145, or email: mailto:traci@tracigregory.com

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After struggling for the last two years as a Mortgage Banker, I experienced a true epiphany reading ESPN.

I’ve worked in Mortgage Banking for almost 21 years . . . the first few were part time, extra money from loans years and then I decided to make it my main focus. In just a few years I was making decent money. In the last five years, my income zoomed upwards and I felt that I’d finally reached the top of my profession in my location and looked forward to socking money away for the next five to seven years and retiring happily.

Banks began failing in 2007 and I got a little nervous . . . my programs were disappearing, my phone was not ringing, those applications weren’t showing up like magic in my in box . . . and like everyone else I hoped, blindly that it was a little dip in the market and we’d be back to normal soon.

Read the full article here . . . .              

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We can now secure from $20,000 to $500,000 in financing for most commercial equipment. 

Up to 100% financing on the cost of new or used machinery and equipment. Terms and rates structured to meet the schedule and needs of our customers.

We will finance: 

•   General business equipment
•   Machine tools & industrial equipment
•   Construction equipment
•   Food processing equipment
•   Material handling equipment
•   Medical equipment
•  Transportation & automotive handling equipment
•  Waste management equipment
•  Printing & graphic arts equipment
•  High-end commercial vehicles

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I can't tell you where this came from originally, but my son-in-law sent it to me and I'm passing it along to all of you:

Remember Lee  Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes?  He's now 82 years old and has a new book, 'Where Have All The Leaders Gone?'

Lee Iacocca Says:

Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder! We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car.
But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course.'

Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned 'Titanic'.

I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!'

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.

The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs.

While we're fiddling in  Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the 'America' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis!

(Iacocca elaborates on nine C's of leadership, with crisis being the first.)

Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a  strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A hell of a mess, so here's where we stand.

We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving.

We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.
We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.

Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy.

Our schools are in trouble.

Our borders are like sieves.

The middle class is being squeezed every which way.

These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throwing away our shampoo?

We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.

Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of?  - that some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here.  I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope - I believe in America. In my lifetime, I've had the privilege of living through some of  America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The 'Great Depression,' 'World Wars I and II,' the 'Korean War,' the 'Kennedy Assassination,'the 'Vietnam War,' the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.

If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a "Call to Action" for people who, like me, believe in America'. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'
 
 
Make your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know and care about. It's our country, folks, and it's our future. Our future is at stake!!

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Gavin MacDonald, Morgan Stanley M&A Head, Dies at 47 . . . http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2008/12/07/gavin-macdonald-morgan-stanley-ma-head-dies/  I thought being broke was bad, Gavin MacDonald was ten years younger than me . . .

~~~

According to the WSJ Marc Dreier was arrested late Sunday night, presumably upon his arrival back in New York, on charges stemming from a $100 million fraud against various hedge funds.

that is in addition to:

"The SEC Suit: The SEC also filed suit against Dreier on Monday, alleging that he has been marketing and selling fake promissory notes to investors. Click here for the SEC’s complaint.

"The Wachovia Suit: Wachovia Bank sued Dreier LLP and Marc Dreier (in addition to a handful of others) today, alleging that a credit revolver and term loan extended to the firm are in default, as of November 1, upon which the bank is owed some $12.7 million.."  .

(Read the whole sordid story here: http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2008/12/08/doj-files-criminal-complaint-against-marc-dreier-others-sue/)

AND  . . he,  Dreier, was arrested in Toronto on the 8th for ". . . allegedly impersonating another person to complete a business transaction. http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2008/12/08/in-wake-of-founders-arrest-dreier-llp-on-brink/

I'm guessing his horoscope is bad for the whole year . . .

~~~

Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois has been arrested on charges related to the selection of the replacement for the Senate seat being vacated by Barack Obama.

http://www.nytimes.com/?emc=na

~~~

And the good news?  Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain wants a $10 million bonus this year. According to the WSJ, The board of directors is leaning more towards “zero.”  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122870455251587405.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

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In an article today in Your Money, Ron Lieber discusses pros and cons of buying in todays market . . . And addresses lots of issues first time homebuyers are facing . . . Read the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/business/yourmoney/06money.html?8mon=&adxnnl=1&emc=yma1&adxnnlx=1228757933-sdVqx33cIpkL27PCyaXQTQ

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I have NO testerone . . . and yes, as a woman I should have it . . . and I have no progesterone . . . and I have WAY TOO much cortisol.  Hence the weight gain.

I also have a biodenticals prescription for my specific needs hormone wise (to add to them and to take some away) which is being compounded by a pharmacy that doesn't do "off the shelf"

So, the good doctor says I'll sleep better (hooray), feel better (Really?) and Lose Weight!!

We'll see how long this takes . . .

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