| Understanding Your Rights When Debt Collectors Call
For 2005, collection agencies ranked No. 6 on the BBB's list -- with more complaints than banks, phone companies, credit card issuers and auto repair businesses. The matter has become so bad that on Oct. 10, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to end private collection of U.S. tax debts, citing the abusive tactics collectors sometimes use and the fact that government employees will be both cheaper and easier to rein in. According to the National Consumer Law Center, 97 percent to 98 percent of consumers pay bills on time. But those among the 2 percent to 3 percent who fall behind -- or people wrongly accused of owing payments -- can suffer from constant calls from debt collectors. Since 1977, the United States has enforced the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to protect consumers from shady debt collection tactics.
'Untraceable' is a tangled web
Such apparent hypocrisy wouldn't be so bad if the film worked as either a suspense thriller or an airtight whodunit. But Untraceable, about a killer who tortures his victims on the Internet while inviting the rest of the world to watch, abandons any pretense of mystery by revealing the degenerate's identity about a third of the way through.
Diane Lane, far-too-often better than the movies she's stuck in, plays Jennifer Marsh, an Internet specialist with the FBI. Her job is to track down the Web's bad guys, most of whom steal people's credit card numbers and go on big-time buying sprees. One thing the movie does do well is force us to ponder the wisdom of inviting computers into our homes so wholeheartedly, considering how much evil can be accomplished through them.
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Orlando World Center Marriott
Experience a President's Day to remember at the Orlando World Center. About Orlando World Center Marriott Resort and Convention Center Encounter true enchantment at this magnificent Orlando resort hotel nestled on over 200 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Convention Center. Enjoy a luxurious Florida golf and spa resort that includes 18 challenging holes of championship golf, a million gallons of refreshing fun in six swimming pools, award winning restaurants, and an exquisite spa experience. As the largest Marriott in the world, this impressive resort in Orlando, Florida features the utmost in comfort, convenience, and thoughtful amenities in each of the 2,000 hotel rooms and suites. Located less than two miles from Walt Disney World and minutes from SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Studios, and Discovery Cove, this Orlando luxury resort is where adventure and excitement become a part of an exhilarating vacation.
NAB, Telstra in mobile services
WITH Australian banks under pressure to bring mobile banking to market, National Australia Bank has teamed up with Telstra to develop an SMS-based platform, which may be accessible only to customers of both companies. The pair started working on the project more than 12 months ago, and it is understood NAB customers who want to use the service may have to be on the Telstra network. A spokeswoman for NAB did not rule out that the service would only be available for the bank's customers using Telstra mobiles. But "if NAB was to develop a solution, it's unlikely to be only on one carrier's network", she said. The banks are expected to launch some sort of mobile banking services this year, as consumer appetite for the technology grows, and the pressure has been on the big four banks since ANZ revealed plans to roll out a platform later this year.
Palo Alto protests 'unachievable' housing goals
A housing goal assigned to Palo Alto is "unachievable" and would burden the school district and city services, according to a lengthy letter opposing the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) housing allotment for Palo Alto. (Read the letter) ABAG has told city officials that Palo Alto should plan to add 2,860 housing units by 2014. The council approved sending the letter by a 7-2 vote, with council members John Barton and Dena Mossar opposed, despite recognizing that ABAG is a messenger assigning a statewide housing target to local communities. The council had approved a shorter letter in mid-October, but the Planning and Transportation Commission on Nov. 28 almost doubled its length. The current four-page draft says construction of 2,860 units is "unachievable" and would place a costly burden on the Palo Alto Unified School District in addition to straining city services and facilities.
Prabhudas Lilladhar posts 'buy' on Bank of India
MUMBAI: Prabhudas Lilladhar has maintained ‘buy' on Bank of India for a fifteen-month target price of Rs 520. At the current market price of Rs 355, the stock is quoting at 6.5 times FY10E EPS and 1.5 times FY10E BV.
Bank of India raised tier-I capital of Rs 13.6 billion through qualified institutional placement, which was subscribed 1.8 times in the current weak market scenario. The capital raised will help the bank meet Basel II requirements and maintain the current business growth momentum.
The capital raised will also support its life insurance venture with Dai-Ichi Mutual Life Insurance and Union Bank of India, mutual fund business, and credit card ventures.
Bank of India's total income for quarter ended Dec 31, 2007 rose 43.66 per cent year on year to Rs 3,705.21 crore.
For what it's worth
Just like the stock market, house values can be an up-and-down affair. But the market value of homes in Altoona is not as volatile as in bigger cities such as Pittsburgh, Baltimore and New York City, according to area home appraisers and real estate agents. “Most people in this area know that there's basically a gradual, 5 percent increase per year," said Richard Johnston, owner/broker at Howard Hanna Johnston Realty, Altoona. “In the bigger markets, home values are going up 15 (percent) to 20 percent every year. But like the stock market, it has to correct itself eventually." Bigger populations and more jobs account for the dramatic increases in bigger cities, Johnston said. Home appraisals are a key component of the home buying and selling process, Johnston said. A residential appraisal is a security tool used by lenders to establish the market value of a home's property.
A Do-It-Yourself Facelift for the Car
Even the tiniest scratch on a car can lead to rust, and the loss of hundreds of dollars in the value of your ride. But it can be inconvenient and costly to leave a car at the body shop: Recent research by IBIS World found that auto repair shops in the U.S. do about $35.6 billion of business a year, and about 26% of that is paint repair. To see if we could avoid taking our car into the shop, we tested five car scratch-repair kits, all available online and in some specialty stores. One kit -- Dr. ColorChip -- included paint to match our car. Another retailer, Paintscratch.com, sold matching paint separately. Two others required us to buy paint independently, and one, Simoniz Fix It!, didn't require its product to be used with paint at all. All the products were designed to tackle scratches, not dents and dings.
Author: My best-selling Holocaust book is a hoax
I'm not an expert on relations between humans and wolves but I am a specialist of the persecution of Jews and they (Defonseca's family) can't be found in the archives," Belgian historian Maxime Steinberg told RTL television. "The De Wael family is not Jewish nor were they registered as Jewish." Defonseca had been asked to write the book by U.S. publisher Jane Daniel in the 1990s, after Daniel heard the writer tell the story in a Massachusetts synagogue. Daniel and Defonseca fell out over profits received from the best-selling book, which led to a lawsuit. In 2005, a Boston court ordered Daniel to pay Defonseca and her ghost writer Vera Lee $22.5 million. Lee, of Newton, Massachusetts, said she was shocked to hear Defonseca made up the story. "She always maintained that this was truth as she recalled it, and I trusted that that was the case," Lee said.
Disney Hotel Guests Targeted By Scam Artist
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Police are searching for a scam artist who has conned Disney hotel guests out of hundreds of dollars in recent weeks, Local 6 has learned. Sheriff's deputies said they believe a con man is hanging out in a hotel lobby on Disney property, listening in on conversations and then making a phone call to the victim's room to scam them. At least nine guests have been targeted, officials said. .
Bavaria Gulf launches Sandoval Apartments at Jumeirah Village
Spread over seven G+4 buildings, Sandoval Apartments will include 57 studio apartments, 81 one bedroom apartments, 17 two bedroom apartments and 10 special duplex apartments. Additionally, the apartments ranging from 680 square feet - 2700 square feet will be sold at a highly value driven price bracket . The sale of apartments will be held at Al Murooj Rotana from December 14th to December 16th, 2007. Commenting on the launch of Sandoval Apartments Mr. Raymond Lefevre, Managing Director, Bavaria Gulf said: >'Our previous launch of Sandoval Townhouses was a complete eye-opener for us. Though we had launched this project after studying the Dubai market and customer requirements for over two years we never expected such an overwhelming response. Sandoval Apartments once again follows our customer focused approach of providing high quality and functional yet luxurious and value driven realty concepts.
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