Greatness

*Greatness is not measured in money, it is measured in what we do for others.

*A man stole some gas from my Boston Whaler, all he had to do was ask!

*I always leave a person happier than I find them.



-- Edited by SOMERS on Sunday 17th of April 2011 07:18:05 AM



-- Edited by SOMERS on Monday 18th of April 2011 09:22:22 PM


-- Edited by SOMERS on Monday 18th of April 2011 10:09:13 PM

Donald, if he had asked, I am sure you would have helped.* I think that I fell short of greatness the other day.* As I was fueling my car, I saw a man whose face looked like he had just gone 15 rounds with Jersey Joe Wolcot.* He was digging for cigarette butts.* I could not get that face out of my mind.* I had a business appointment 100 miles away with less than 2 hours to get there.* I let that rule my actions.

Then this weekend saw this article.

Police Blotter: Man With Facial Wounds Hands Off Money To Females
posted April 15, 2011

Police said a man with numerous wounds on his face has been going regularly to a downtown bank, withdrawing money and then handing it over to two females waiting outside the bank.

The man came in every day this week, it was reported.

A teller finally asked him "if people were hurting him to make him give them money." She said he responded "yes" and began to cry.

He said, "No one will help me" and then went outside and left with the two black females.

Police checked the area near the bank and could not find the man.

Of course, I phoned the police department and told them my information.* Now, I'm kicking my butt for not saying something and helping that man.* You never know what another person is dealing with.* I fell short of greatness there.* I only pray that he will get help.


-- Edited by Moonstruck on Sunday 17th of April 2011 09:18:36 AM

*Don.

*Recently you very kindly *invited Mavis *and I to come *to visit with you.

Who are Donald & Mavis you may ask ,that was indeed a leap of faith on your part,*because you offered us your kind hospitality we were touched.

Reluctantly *we had to decline because *of fear of riding twisting mountain roads on a motorcycle at our ages.

So greatness applies to you *Moon Beam.*

*Thank you.

*A life lived in fear is a life half lived.


-- Edited by SOMERS on Monday 18th of April 2011 09:25:17 PM

Thanks, Donald and Carl.* I didn't mean to hijack Donald's thread.* I know that he, you, I or many others would give a few gallons of gas to someone we knew really needed it.* I realize that there was no way that I could have known the real situation.* However, after seeing the guy with the cut up face, I did think that someone should have looked into it.* I was the one there.* We all rush around in our everyday lives like what we are doing is the most important thing.* If I had just walked over and said something, he may have told his story.* Just let a business appointment take precedence.* I am not beating myself up, but I will be more aware next time.

Old Stone wrote:
Don - One last thought. That is acknowledging the real possibiity of interfering with the activities of certain street people. Can be dangerous sometimes. Maybe your common sense was actually prevailing. Maybe I've been in New York too long, but unless someone was in grave bodily harm, I think I would notify professionals (the law), and stay out of anything else. Cell phone and 911 -

-- Edited by Old Stone on Monday 18th of April 2011 01:08:28 PM

Click to expand...

*Carl, you are right.* I live in an urban setting, so being aware of my surroundings comes sort of naturally.* This guy jut seemed different.* If he had told me, I would have called the police, and put him in touch with a shelter.

Here is a link to our location.* It is near the waterfront, allot of activities, parks, aquarium, and museums.* It attracts many panhandlers, but is a great place to live.* My townhouse is in a project we are developing.* Here is a link to one of our websites*showing the area.

http://walnuthilltownhomes.com/location.html

*

Greatness occurs in many ways. It can be one significant gesture, or it can be a lifetime of small, yet excellent choices in how we deal with life, people, our planet, or whatever. If we all just strive toward making excellent choices with regularity, we will all benefit from our chosen path. Don't be too quick to choose, as each choice usually offers a right and wrong option and it's not always easy to decide. I guess my point is that we should always look carefully at everyone and everything we encounter on our journey. If, at the end of the day, and ultimately the end of our lives *we have brought more good than bad to the table, we have achieved some level of greatness. My goal has been and always will be to make those I contact smile. Let's all work on that.


-- Edited by Carey on Monday 18th of April 2011 01:50:23 PM

Truth is, I generally get pissed at the guys/gals who walk up wanting something in the parking lot; it happens a lot in Baton Rouge. I was filling the tank at Walmart a couple weeks ago and a guy walks up and asks if I could pump him a couple gallons into his gas can as he was out of gas and needed to get to Gonzales to pick up his check from the guy he did a job for before 5:00; it was 4:00 and he had a good hour drive to where he needed to go. I did just that, and then awhile later saw him putting the gas in his beat up old pickup. This guy needed a hand, and I was glad I was able. I have no problem with that sort of thing; big problem when they come up with the same old story about being lost and trying to find their way to the interstate and just need a few bucks for whatever.
Don, man, you're ok. You never know wtf's on the other end of a helping hand. I've helped out folks in the past and some have wanted to find out how they could pay me back. My answer is always that they now owe a favor to someone else needing help, pay it back that way.
Mike
Baton Rouge

I for one don't believe in giving hand outs to the supposed homeless.

It is too easy to be homeless. You don't have to get up for work. Wash your clothes brush your teeth or comb your hair. The screffier you look the more money people give you.

I offer many of the pan handlers a job I have yet to have a taker.

We all have our own problems. Some greater than others.* *Life is not fair.

All I can say is that I do all I can to make it so.

Especially to those through no falt of there own. are less fortunate than others i.e. the handicapped.

I hire the developementley disabled all the time. And you know what?* They really appreciate it.

SD

I was on the Board of Directors for the Atlantic City Rescue Mission for about 20 years. I volunteered there. Taught Bible hour for several years, then became their one and only information technology guy. I ran a server and serviced 25 of their employee workstations. I was there every week for at least one or two days.

In the 20 or so years I worked at the Mission, I learned a lot about homelessness and homeless people.

There are lots of reasons people become homeless. Some people want to be homeless. Most dont.

All I know is how I got involved. It was winter time and I was in our nice warm church one Sunday and the thought hit me about everywhere I go I have nice warmth to protect me from the cold: but the homeless do not.

Imagine the details of living on the street. Its horrible. And its worse if you are a woman, and even worse if you are a family or a woman with kids.

The biggest lesson I learned from my time at the Mission was NOT "greatness", but HUMILITY. The people I saw overcome their homelessness AND their addictions was a humble experience. And listening to the Overcomers Graduation (in which these homeless graduates complete a special 1 year program) tell their story of how GRATEFUL they were to the folks who work at and run the Mission...well, its emotional.

Its a part of my life that I will never forget.


R.

*RALPH, * YOU ARE A GOOD MAN !.

**Faith, *love, hope and charity , and the greatest of these is ?

*WHO IS TO BLAME FOR THE *HOMELESS ?

*Many years ago I was a mortgage officer in a large Bank and *i know what could happen to a family who loose their home throught no fault *of their own.

*I also know that Banks do not want to own houses which makes them a Land Lord and there by responsible for up keep of the building, grounds and insurance, that is if they want to protect their investment, the debt remains, as the home owner hits the sidewalk.*

*Ralph,what you had to say *about the homeless hits hard, during the last recession some 30 years ago, never once did i instruct a lawyer to forclose the on a properterty under the powers contained in the Mortgage.

*I was able to get those people a low interest loan to pay off the arrears there by saving the home. Banks do not have to make high interest payments all the time , but some do.

We also used to forgo *principal reductions, there by matching the payment to family income.*

That is to say the economy goes down the *home *owner interest rates should go down also.

*Did i put a family on the street.................... *NO I DID NOT !

*What has happened during this last recession to home owners who did not get the bail out in my personal opinion is DISGUSTING and HEARTLESS.

**Banks *, Know this, "Half a cake is better than no cake at all"

*



-- Edited by SOMERS on Friday 6th of May 2011 03:57:59 PM


-- Edited by SOMERS on Saturday 7th of May 2011 05:29:35 AM

Donald,* Helping people to avoid foreclosure is a noble cause, however before the housing bubble in the US burst people were "buying" homes they could not afford.

When the bottom dropped out, and the bailouts started the tax payers were left holding the bag.

If people bought homes that were more suited to their income, and had to put down maybe 20% we would not be in this mess.

Anytime something is bought with leverage there are winners and losers.

No matter how hard you tried I don't think you could help keep a person in a house with negative equity and not enough income to support the expenses.

You would not be creating a homeless person, you are just making them live somewhere they can afford.

JohnP

John,
More and more i do blame the banks. Initially i did not, now i am becoming angry and i dont think i am alone.

Banks did not do their due diligence, they encouraged people to buy houses well above what those properties should be worth.
We all know now that it was a bubble, and that trees dont grow into heaven but alas when all this came down there were many greedy banks (and individuals) who raked in money by creating a false sense of a safe and secure real estate investment.

The government is now targeting some of the banks, slowly but surely I think we will see more and more individuals with ties to the banking industry facing criminal charges.

I used to think there were bankers who had "greatness", perhaps I had seen "its a wonderful life" too many times.

Per,* The Banks took any mortgage they could write because, they sold them right away. Then they got sold time and time again. I was a disaster!

The Savings and Loan in the Wonderful Life, knew the borrower and serviced the loan for its life. A far better system. But less people can get rich on it ---so it became obsolete.

When I bought any house, sure I liked the one for another 300k but I knew I could not handle it.. Nobody could talk me into it. I can't blame anyone but myself for loans I signed for.

JohnP

*

*

Gotta remember that the reason the banks made those risky loans is that they were forced to by the dumbocrats in power. No wonder they sold them off as fast as they could!

*Gentlemen.

**May be it would be better that we move this discussion to "Off the deep end"

*because I think that the dirt is going to hit the fan here .

There are allot of angry people out there who lost everything boat; house; car; and lawn mower, to name a few.

*As far as boats are concerned some gave their boats away because they could not make their *marina and insurance payments.

*Was this an attack on the American Dream.

They know what they do.

*See you on the other side.

charles wroteThe banks were REQUIRED to make these loans, I repeat REQUIRED, the Fed threatened them with sanctions if they did not make low income loans. The whole mess was set to fail and you have CONGRESS to thank.

Click to expand...

******* With all the finger pointing that has gone on about the mortgage crisis, foreclosures,

******* Freddie & Fannie, etc, anyone who paid attention over the years knows what set this

******* up. It was done by "Congress to gain votes" and now no one wants to admit it.

******* Charles is absolutely correct!


-- Edited by SeaHorse II on Saturday 7th of May 2011 09:55:58 AM

I occasionally audited "non-supervised" FHA-insured-mortgage-loan originators up to about the year 2000.* Loan-qualification standards were low then, but it got much worse after that.* The loan originators made lots of money but had no risk since the loans were sold so any default was no loss to them unless default was immediately after origination or the very loose requirements were grossly violated.

markpierce wrote:
I occasionally audited "non-supervised" FHA-insured-mortgage-loan originators up to about the year 2000.* Loan-qualification standards were low then, but it got much worse after that.* The loan originators made lots of money but had no risk since the loans were sold so any default was no loss to them unless default was immediately after origination or the very loose requirements were grossly violated.

Click to expand...

*Mark as you know, warehousing loans to play the auction game of plussing the return by selling at a premium is a highly risky game.* It caught allot of "smart' originators" several years back.* For at least awhile they had recourse and non-recourse lenders.* Non-recouse lenders could operate non-supervised.** Of course none of them had the assets at risk that would cover all their bad loans.* Just let Congress get involved in something to screw it up.* Buying votes with other people's money is alive and well in this administration.* As a matter of fact, it is raised to a new art form.* Not to mention political favors for political contributions.

i am not so sure the low income loans made that big of a dent it the grand picture but honestly i dont know?

Don, bravo - political favors for political contributions (campaign $$). you hit it right on the nail.
As long as this is allowed, we will have a failed democratic system.

OK perhaps now this should be moved to the deep end..

SeaHorse II wrote:charles wroteThe banks were REQUIRED to make these loans, I repeat REQUIRED, the Fed threatened them with sanctions if they did not make low income loans. The whole mess was set to fail and you have CONGRESS to thank.

Click to expand...

******* With all the finger pointing that has gone on about the mortgage crisis, foreclosures,

******* Freddie & Fannie, etc, anyone who paid attention over the years knows what set this

******* up. It was done by "Congress to gain votes" and now no one wants to admit it.

******* Charles is absolutely correct!



-- Edited by SeaHorse II on Saturday 7th of May 2011 09:55:58 AM

*Not only would it be illegal to denie a loan to a person that met the "more liberal guidelines".* The banks were operating under the CRA or Community Reinvestment Act that required them to invest a certain percentage of assets in economicaly distressed areas.* They were given "credit" under the CRA for making bad loans.* I hope the whole country feels better now for all this do good stuff.* A bad loan is a bad loan whether it meets guidelines or not.* It is hiprocrasy for Congress to make the guidelines then criticize banks for being forced to use them.

Most people have greatness I them weather they realize it or not?* Most people have given/donated to relieve funds, cloths/books/house hold items, churches/organizations, help family/friends and strangers.* I make a point of usually having dollar bills to give help people on the street.* I do not help people that I know by choice are homeless in needed.**
*
We do give/help support local shelters in the area.* A lot of it is a judgment call or a tucking on the heart, and there have been time I turn around/circle the block.***My wife has gone out in the winter with a church group looking for people to give them warm cloths/hats/cloves/blankets and information about shelter and assistance in the area.*****
*
Many people do it in their normal daily live in careing and being open to people.*
*
*

Do a GOOGLE search on NO DOCUMENTATION LOANS and you will get an eye full !

2004: House committee hearings on regulation of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The statements Karl Rove made in the video above are shown as fact in this video.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are US GOVERNMENT backed institutions. They are quasi-government corporations.
*
Franklin Raines received almost $100 million in bonus money as CEO of Fannie Mae. He received bonus for the NUMBER OF MORTAGAGES underwritten, not whether or not the mortgages were solvent or would be repayed. There is an FBI investigation into the manipulation of the bonus money.
*
Fannie Mae made political contributions to politicians. Sen Chris Dodd received the most from Fannie Mae. #2 was Senator Barak Hussein Obama.
Yes, this is the same Sen Chris Dodd that fillbustered the bill that Karl Rove described in the video above.
Maxine Waters: Franklin Raines "outstanding leadership"
- Actually, it has led to the government takeover of Fannie Mae.
*
*
Oct 28, 2008- And here we have Sen Chris Dodd on the radio talking about his OWN mortgage, that he received from CountryWide Mortgage Co, who issued him a SPECIAL mortgage. Dodd kept the terms SECRET. The CEO of CountryWide personally handled Dodd's mortgage package.
Tom Scott, radio hosts, accuses Dodd of mortgage FRAUD on the radio !!
*
The Community Reinvestment Act. GOOGLE IT !!!
This video helps explain it.
*