Read this if u a student in usa with loans upto ying yang!! Private lenders enjoy special status, so they lend huge amounts of money to students with limited prospects -- and then charge a fortune for the 'risk.' By Liz Pulliam Weston If you're not a recent graduate, the parent of a recent graduate or someone who pays really close attention, you may not be aware of how much the student-loan game has changed. You may know that college costs continue to rise and loans have pretty much replaced grants in financial-aid packages. But you may not realize how aggressively these loans are peddled to teenage and young adult borrowers; how tough it is to get rid of this debt once it's accrued; and how very, very profitable the whole game has become for many private companies. So profitable, in fact, that: Federal and state regulators are investigating allegations of kickbacks and conflicts of interest in college financial aid offices. Several schools have admitted that lenders showered their financial-aid officials with gifts, consulting fees and stock options in return for being added to the colleges' all-important "preferred lender" list, which determines where most students get their loans. Several lenders have agreed to new guidelines to curb the questionable practices. Consumer advocates complain that some lenders mislead students into opting for more-expensive private loans when the borrowers are eligible for lower-rate federal loans. A 2003 study (.pdf file) by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group found half of private-loan borrowers failed to exhaust federal loan sources before turning to private borrowers, and 24% received no federal loans at all. As the amount of student-loan debt soars, borrowers are learning to their chagrin that lenders have blocked off the exits. In 1998, Congress made federal student loans all but impossible to discharge in bankruptcy. In 2005, lenders persuaded lawmakers to make private loans just as difficult to shake -- even though there are no government guarantees or taxpayer subsidies involved and the lenders' rates are based on the risk involved in making the loans. There are three basic types of loan programs for undergraduate students: direct loans made by the federal government; federal loans made through private lenders but subsidized and guaranteed by the federal government; and private loans made by private lenders, with no federal guarantees or taxpayer subsidies. http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/SavingForCollege/HowDidStudentLoansGetSoSleazy.aspx

Now did u ever believed that Ethiopian tugs were in somali looking for peace or looking 4 loot!! lol what a shame!! tugs all the way... :mad: Some of the business people in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia are complaining about robbery acts by the security forces involving in the search operations in the city. According to business owners, the soldiers who entered the city’s main Bakara market, the biggest business hub in southern Somalia, began justifying storming shops for searching weapons but intend to take away any valuable things like gold and cash. “Two soldiers intruded my office and ordered me to go outside then broke my treasury taking away about $10,000. I asked them why but they threaten to kill me if I don’t stop murmuring, I took my breath back because of fear,” said Farah Abdalla who is among the business people in Bakara market. “Before they came into office they fired several shot which hit the front door of my store,” Abdalla asked the government to repay his money and urged it to do matters in justice way. “we expected that the government would bring sort of peace and security but I did not think that this will come, if the soldiers continue to harm the people, the government definitely will lose the public support and create hatred,” said Abdalla.

only nation in africa, that speaks one language.

i was under cover since laascaanod mafia has put a price on my head!! lool... but still i should be easily detectable, thats correct.

All businesses in Mogadishu main Bakara market were closed as heavily armed interim government soldiers were deployed in every alley of the market shortly after a bomb explosion targeting on the soldiers in the area. Soldiers in watchful condition are roaming inside the closed market. All the business owners kept indoors in their shops fearing to be shot by the vigilant troops wandering before their doors. Here in Bakara, it is becoming harder for the people to run their businesses because constant search operations. “My business was totally disturbed by the government soldiers who are claiming to do search operations but the real story is that they are going to loot one’s property and that is disgrace to the current government,” said Abdiaziz Ahmed, a shop seller in Bakara market. Adding angrily “What kind of weapon is the government searching, here is a business place,” Bakara market, the biggest hub in southern Somalia and its residential villages are now in day and night curfew. “I think the government extended the time of the curfew because it became more difficult to go out at day time,” said one local resident. Meanwhile, Mogadishu’s mayor Mohamed Omar Habeb ‘Mohamed Dhere’ who had recently escaped a bomb attack, said the search operations will continue till everybody is able to walk freely and fearless in the capital. The Ethiopian backed interim government is determined to restore law and order in the gun-infested city before the national reconciliation conference which is due to take place on July 15.

sign of the times! may be all we recognise these days is ethiopian names...

i go there in the afternoons my time and there are usually ppl there..! yesterday, i was chatting with cara, Cons, pucca and abc...but they didnt know it was me. i was logged in as R-man...! they didnt recgonize me!! lool :confused:

i recommend following for this chap! 1- a dentist 2- enroll as a freshman for fall asap. 3- after that a post office job. let us see if he can delivery mail first...! u can clearily see this homie was injected into the tfg quadmaire by Melees.

must be a slow news day there!! how many time u gotta show this??? ova and ova...Yo, get some new one. get on the phone and call uncle yeey!! lool.

Like they say, once a warlord always a warlord... Plz PPl of the world help the somali ppl kick these blood thristy suckers out this country. Plz people do not support these blood thirsty killers, plz support a domocratic somali country where everybody is gurrantee freedom no what matter what clan one is from!! Meantime: read these! you skin will crawl outta of your body.. Heavily armed government soldiers stormed the center of Shabelle Media Network, a local radio based in Mogadishu for the second time today alone arresting one of the Radio’s security staff. The soldiers have entered the radio station claiming that they are going to search weapons. They seemed to occupy the station, ordering all the staff and the administration of the Shabelle radio to go out. Some of the soldiers intruded the live studio of the radio as the 4:00pm news program was on air. “when I got out of the live studio and wanted to enter the recording studio, I faced two soldiers pointing at me their guns, one of them shouted ‘raise your hands’ as I was criminal, I really got shocked and was not expecting that soldiers may simply enter a live studio,” said Jamal Ahmed Osman, the afternoon program producer. When the soldiers went into the studio, they threatened news caster Abdinor Mohamed Kadiye who was at that time in live broadcasting. “I was near to die when one of them tried to kill me when I told them that I had no weapons and in live broadcasting. But fortunately one of the soldiers held the gun with the one who wanted to kill me,” said Kediye. Also Abdirashid Ahmed Rashka, among the Shabelle journalists was threatened to be arrested. “I got very shocked and covered all my body with sweat when red eyes, unkind soldier chewing khat on his right cheek intimidated me that I will be arrested if a single pistol is found in the station,” said Ahmed who was very frightened. Fartun Ahmed Hassan, the radio’s cashier was also very terrified when the soldiers entered her office ordering her to leave there. “They came and ordered me to give them the key of the treasure, and they also dispersed some of the radio’s costomers waiting for service. I really became very dazed when one of them pointed his gun at me saying he will kill me if a gun is found in the office,” said Fartun. Shabelle management condemned the move by the government soldiers in which they stormed the radio station as irresponsible and beyond the law.

Somalia: Mogadishu violence escalates Two heavy explosions have happened late Thursday in the main Bakara market, south of the Somalia capital Mogadishu where the allied forces of Ethiopia and Somalia are conducting joint operations searching for weapons and remnants of the ousted Islamic Courts Union. It is not yet clear what exactly were the blasts which occurred around 3:45pm local time but local residents told Somalinet that the explosions were caused by hand grenades thrown to the forces. There are no immediate casualties on the soldiers as all the main roads of the capital are blocked with troops deployed every ally in the southern parts of the capital. An exchange of gunfire which lasted for 15 minutes followed the explosions. All businesses in southern parts of the capital were closed and cars were barred to move inside the city. The house to house search came hours after Mogadishu’s mayor Mohamed Omar Habeb ‘Mohamed Dhere’ has narrowly escaped a roadside bomb attack in Shibis neighborhood, north of the Somali capital in early Thursday morning. Witnessed told Somalinet that the bomb exploded when the convoy carrying the mayor was close to the site where the bomb was planted. The bodyguardsof Mr. Dheere fired gunshots at every direction in the area. Reports say that it was an attempt of Mohamed Dhere’s life.

wc sue! according to most studies done so far, gas and oil are there. where ever u see americans fighting, u can bet your last dime, oil is involved.

Somalia: Government Arrests Well-Respected People Sun. July 01, 2007 10:43 pm.- By Mohamed Abdi Farah. - Send this news article Somalia government security forces on Sunday have arrested around 20 people including well respected traditional elders and businessmen from Huriwa district, north of the Somalia capital Mogadishu. The people were detained as they were meeting in a house located in Huriwa district after they were surrounded by heavily armed government soldier with battle wagons. It is not yet clear why these local people were taken into custody but according to local sources found by Somalinet say that they were conducting anti government plans. The arrests came as Mogadishu saw a number of ambush attacks on the government positions and their allied forces. Meanwhile, the body of a man was found in front of the former Pasta factory in north of Mogadishu where stationed by Ethiopian forces. No one knows who was behind the killing but residents told Somalinet they suspect that the Ethiopian soldiers in the compound killed the man as they had heard the sounds of gun shots. The body appeared to be tortured.

Somalia: Government Arrests Well-Respected People Sun. July 01, 2007 10:43 pm.- By Mohamed Abdi Farah. - Send this news article Somalia government security forces on Sunday have arrested around 20 people including well respected traditional elders and businessmen from Huriwa district, north of the Somalia capital Mogadishu. The people were detained as they were meeting in a house located in Huriwa district after they were surrounded by heavily armed government soldier with battle wagons. It is not yet clear why these local people were taken into custody but according to local sources found by Somalinet say that they were conducting anti government plans. The arrests came as Mogadishu saw a number of ambush attacks on the government positions and their allied forces. Meanwhile, the body of a man was found in front of the former Pasta factory in north of Mogadishu where stationed by Ethiopian forces. No one knows who was behind the killing but residents told Somalinet they suspect that the Ethiopian soldiers in the compound killed the man as they had heard the sounds of gun shots. The body appeared to be tortured.

Somalia: Government Arrests Well-Respected People Sun. July 01, 2007 10:43 pm.- By Mohamed Abdi Farah. - Send this news article Somalia government security forces on Sunday have arrested around 20 people including well respected traditional elders and businessmen from Huriwa district, north of the Somalia capital Mogadishu. The people were detained as they were meeting in a house located in Huriwa district after they were surrounded by heavily armed government soldier with battle wagons. It is not yet clear why these local people were taken into custody but according to local sources found by Somalinet say that they were conducting anti government plans. The arrests came as Mogadishu saw a number of ambush attacks on the government positions and their allied forces. Meanwhile, the body of a man was found in front of the former Pasta factory in north of Mogadishu where stationed by Ethiopian forces. No one knows who was behind the killing but residents told Somalinet they suspect that the Ethiopian soldiers in the compound killed the man as they had heard the sounds of gun shots. The body appeared to be tortured.

WHATCYAH TALKING ABOUT SISTA!! WE BE TELLING YAH THAT FROM JUMP STREET. Ernest Mpinganjira Nairobi Chances are that the United States has run out of options in Somalia after the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Ms Jendayi Fraser conceded last week that Washington's support for the ouster of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) by Ethiopia might have been a miscalculation. In an interview with BBC, Fraser conceded that the use of force in Somalia had only aggravated an already atrocious situation. Asked to comment on the spiralling armed violence, Fraser said: "It is hard to say whether it (Somalia) is better or worse off because I think Ethiopia's action was an action in the context of other actors' actions. It is difficult to frankly say so. What is better is that the international community has converged on a set of recommendations for a way ahead." The statement is perhaps the boldest ever admission by the Bush administration that it had hit a dead-end in its fight against terrorism in East Africa, with Somalia regarded as the gateway for terrorist groups and organisations opposed to Washington's hegemonic presence in the region. Fraser spoke two days before UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reported on Thursday that more than 3,500 people had fled the capital Mogadishu this month following an escalation in violence in urban areas. The UNHCR report added that some 123,000 of an estimated 401,000 civilians who fled heavy fighting in Mogadishu between February and May had returned to the capital to find their shelters either shelled by insurgents or demolished by the government. Reconciliation talks failed The UNHCR update on the worsening humanitarian situation in Somalia, although familiar, came just two weeks after US-sponsored political reconciliation talks failed to kick off on Somali soil as the insurgents intensified their onslaught on the transitional government. Against this backdrop of utter gloom and despair, Fraser, who was in East Africa when the Ethiopia-backed transitional federal government forces drove ICU out of Mogadishu in February, conceded that the invasion had inadvertently subverted peace-building process in the war-weary Horn of Africa nation. The US top diplomat on African affairs' remarks were prompted by the collapse of all-inclusive reconciliation talks in Mogadishu after ****** clan militia leaders declined to take part in the conference. The ****** elders have refused to recognise President Abdullahi Yusuf, who hails from the ****** clan. The latest developments confirmed, not for the first time, that Washington has been a serial blunderer in the war against international terrorism. Having hit another dead-end in Somalia, any action by the West would leave East Africa in the eye of a storm that is gathering pace in Iraq and the wider Middle East. The imbroglio in the nation ravaged by 16 years ethnic-cum-political turmoil leaves East Africa on the precipice of a major humanitarian and political crisis as the nest for international terrorists expands along the Somali, Kenyan and Tanzanian coastlines, believed to be safe havens for international criminals. The Ethiopian invasion last December, necessary as it was at that time, looks to have outlived its importance. Observers noted that delayed deployment of international peacekeepers - blamed on the US and European Union's failure to honour their pledges to underwrite African Union force mission of 8,000 troops in Somalia - had worsened the situation. Only 1,700 Ugandan troops are in Mogadishu and are overwhelmed. Amid the chaos, the US said Mogadishu can still find peace based on UN and International Contact Group on Somalia recommendations. Fraser said the recommendations include "emphasis on political dialogue and national reconciliation, working together to try to end an insurgency and extremist terrorist attacks that are taking place in Mogadishu today and continued support of the people of Somalia through humanitarian assistance." Through the International Contact Group on Somalia, she said, "I think we have a constructive path forward, but a difficult one because there are those committed spoilers who are trying to undermine any form of new governance, that is, the transitional federal government from taking hold in Somalia." Fraser added, "Somalia has been in prolonged conflict and a stateless country for more than 16 years. There have been warlords and various factions in Mogadishu throughout this period. It is a mistake to equate Somalia with Iraq. Somalia has its own internal dynamics; its own history." In spite of growing evidence of recourse to suicide bombings, Washington remotely hopes Somalia will not slide into Iraqlike mayhem. Evidence on the ground shows, however, that Somalia is no different from Iraq. "It (Somalia) has the history of a failed state in Africa - the uniquely only failed state, quite frankly, in Africa. It is enough to say that there has been an escalation of violence and in particular terrorist-type violence. That comes from the support these remnants of ICU, particularly the al-Shabbah militia, are receiving and their training on explosive devices, which we haven't seen in Somalia before." Relevant Links East Africa Kenya Somalia United States, Canada and Africa Conflict, Peace and Security International Terrorism The latest exodus of displaced people was triggered by an escalation in suicide bombs by groups believed to be sympathisers of Islamic militants ousted from power early in the year. Transitional Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi survived a suicide bomb attack mid last month in which seven other people died. Fraser denied that the US had lost the bid to save Somalia. She said: "The US is committed to continuing to assist the Somali people to find political reconciliation and power-sharing a formula that might help them. The Nairobi process took quite a long time and it is the result of it that we have a charter that establishes a way forward for the people of Somalia." "We are committed to giving and helping them realise the vision for 2009, which is an elected government. It seems remote at this time but all we can do is work towards it," she said in defence of the accusations of procrastination in providing financial support for AU peacekeepers for Somalia. http://allafrica.com/stories/200707010007.html

wow! kol man. got luck homie.

this looks like a msg... the whole think could have been solved over a good cup of tea if thinking ppl were involved. dontchya think so...!

if u kill ppl, they will definitely do the same thing to yah.. some brits said this 20 yrs ago...check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlY-JlE5ZCo

hes Riyaales boy now!! lool... u can toast him.

so how come yeey is living in a xabaashi tank these days?? wazzup with that.

mass production aint my thing! u know 2 many eyes looking at each is never a good thing... specially in this place where hooking up is like going to fast food. my 2c this a special day! and needs to be treated that way. i did it... i had no help..i missed up in honest way...but i learned from it. these ppl aint gonna learn nothing from free weddings.

so where u gonna be tomorrow?

gaddafi... gimme a break. the same guy who was a terroist yesterday, today is wearing an african clothings talking this nonsense, since no arabs wanna deal with him. get a life gaddafi.

i can hear it!! huuno furankee xagee dhigtay!! when they wake up the next day.