Silly/Odd News Stories from around the World

[ChainLegacy]

Originally Posted by andyjay729

Bear saves man from mountain lion.

Are you sure bears always make things worse? Perhaps we owe them some apology.

Mountain lions seem scarier to me anyway. They hunt like cats after all; sneaking up silently and pouncing from behind.

Thing about bears is, they tend to have a wide range of different personalities, like dogs. This might have been a good-hearted mom, she was trying to protect her kids, realized this guy was doing nothing wrong, and decided to help.

[andyjay729]

Adam Sandler makes history...at the Razzies.

First movie in the ceremony's history to sweep all categories.

[ganbaru]

Sarah Palin on 'Today' show will square off against Katie Couric on 'Good Morning America'
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...icle-1.1054220
What was she saying about the ''lamestream media'' again ...

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Sarah Palin on 'Today' show will square off against Katie Couric on 'Good Morning America'
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...icle-1.1054220
What was she saying about the ''lamestream media'' again ...

I'm not a fan of Katie (part of the "infotainment" squad or more-tabloid-than-news) but she ran circles around Sarah. Maybe Sarah has read enough Highlights to think she's ready this time :P

[MrTerrorist]

Today’s unfortunate sexbot breakthrough = a poster you can make out with

Watch Arthur C. Clarke predict the internet and the iPads decades before they were invented

[Paranoid Android]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

Watch Arthur C. Clarke predict the internet and the iPads decades before they were invented

I don't remember that in the film at all Why does it feel like so long since I last watched it.

Was hoping he predicted iOS maxipads. That would be the future! To see someone playing like angry birds with their hands in their crotch...

[SaintessHeart]

5 unnecessary insurance policies

Risk management is the basis of insurance. Fear of the uncertain future creates the need for financial protection against a catastrophe. However, I recently stumbled on an article that provides reasons why some types of insurance are unnecessary. Here are the five unnecessary insurance policies mentioned:

1. Mortgage insurance

Instead of focusing on just paying off the mortgage, holistic coverage should be considered. In addition, most companies provide large sum discounts. There are term plans that mirror the mortgage insurance coverage, providing reducing coverage without needing you to submit mortgage documents and revising everything when you change residence.

2. Comprehensive motor insurance

Most drivers opt for low excess and a comprehensive plan instead of third party plan with higher excess. With the rising cost of motor insurance premiums, it is to your benefit to do some calculation if it is worth paying both an arm and a leg for the maximum coverage. When considering excess, consider the amount you are comfortable to fork out, keeping in mind that once a claim is submitted, your premiums will sky rocket the following year. For example, if you chose $500 excess and a claim for $1,000 is submitted, your next premium may be $1,500 more and may lose your No Claim Discount (NCD), so does it make sense to claim or pay yourself? In that case, why not adjust your excess higher and pay less premium?

3. Child insurance

Insurance is mainly designed as a safety net for your dependents. As children do not have dependents to worry about and are, technically speaking, a "liability", the main concern is saving for their future living expenses. Most important of course is to have an adequate hospitalisation expense plan in place and to review the parents' coverage with the addition of this new dependent first.

4. Credit card insurance

Purchasing coverage to pay the bill in the event you cannot, is purely an additional expense that could have gone to paying down the bill in the first place. You will save on the premiums as well as the debt interest. You should not even have the debt — paying off your bills on time will be the most prudent approach.

5. Critical Illness Insurance

Instead of trying to cover all the possible illnesses in the world and possibly new illnesses not even known yet, a comprehensive hospitalisation plan for treatment cost and disability income insurance as income replacement should be emphasised first.

When choosing insurance, there are so many policies to chose from, and they all cost money. There is no point wasting good money on less critical additions when the fundamental basics are not adequately addressed. Are you aware of all the available policies or are you relying on your insurance salesman to recommend only those high commission products?

I'll just quote a commentator so as not to waste my energy commenting on something like this :

Originally Posted by Comments By Luke

Let me sum up what I think.

1) Mortgage insurance
With the high prices of property, must buy. At least if you die, family still got a place to stay without paying a single cent.

2) Comprehensive motor insurance
Cars so ex now, must buy. Langa tree, total lost, how to claim with 3rd party?? In the end, take bus everyday, but every month still must pay installment.

3) Child insurance
University fees now so ex, scholarships go to FT. This is a forced savings for the child's education in the future.

4) Credit card insurance
No comments

5) Critical Illness Insurance
Heard before that you can die but cannot fall sick in Singapore?? Try ICU for 1 month, even you don't die from the illness, you will have heart attack when u see the bill. Not everyone is like KBW, pay $1 settle everything liao.

[Xellos-_^]

1) Mortgage insurance
With the high prices of property, must buy. At least if you die, family still got a place to stay without paying a single cent.

if the commenter is worry about his family's well being if he dies. He should get Life Insurance not mortgage insurance. Unless it is different in Singapore, Mortgage Insurance pays the bank not the family. Yet the mortgage is pay off but your family now has to go borrow money to pay your funeral, final medical cost as well as their living expense, all without your income. Life Insurance pays the family which will give them options that are not available with Mortgage Insurance.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

if the commenter is worry about his family's well being if he dies. He should get Life Insurance not mortgage insurance. Unless it is different in Singapore, Mortgage Insurance pays the bank not the family. Yet the mortgage is pay off but your family now has to go borrow money to pay your funeral, final medical cost as well as their living expense, all without your income. Life Insurance pays the family which will give them options that are not available with Mortgage Insurance.

Life insurance is considered a basic insurance here, or rather, a must have. Mortgage insurance is the additional policy once the person buys the house. Besides, LI is not adjusted against the bank's interest rate for mortgage when they pay the lump sum, most MI here will pay the full loan sum + interest regardless of the rates.

Also, MI has a paid up period at the end, and the premiums are decreasing level. For a person who doesn't earn much to spend on a second policy but owns a house, MI is a more favourable option than HI.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Life insurance is considered a basic insurance here, or rather, a must have. Mortgage insurance is the additional policy once the person buys the house. Besides, LI is not adjusted against the bank's interest rate for mortgage when they pay the lump sum, most MI here will pay the full loan sum + interest regardless of the rates.

which is the face amount should be more then just the loan amount.

Also, MI has a paid up period at the end, and the premiums are decreasing level. For a person who doesn't earn much to spend on a second policy but owns a house, MI is a more favourable option than HI.

i haven't look at it closely but i think the majority of MI in the US is just plain term with the bank as the beneficiary. And Term isn't that expensive even if in large amount as long as you are under 50 and in reasonably good health.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

which is the face amount should be more then just the loan amount.

It could be that way, but the intention of LI is actually to pay a benefit to someone who died to maintain the lives of the surviving, not exactly to repay loans. And there is an issue of premiums, but you have already highlighted in the next part of your post :

i haven't look at it closely but i think the majority of MI in the US is just plain term with the bank as the beneficiary. And Term isn't that expensive even if in large amount as long as you are under 50 and in reasonably good health.

Over here, all MI are term and non-convertible/renewable, meaning which the premiums are cheaper and decreasing as the housing loan gets paid off. Of course, there are guaranteed insurability clauses, lien, etc which jacks up the price, but otherwise, they are still considered to be a cost-worthy protection.

[Vexx]

If you get a home loan (in the US), the lender REQUIRES you get mortgage insurance no matter what (so they get their money if you choke). Life insurance is irrelevant from the lender's perspective.

[Mr Hat and Clogs]

After 244 years Encyclopedia Britannica calls it quits on its printed editions.

[MUAHAHAHAHAHA]

Originally Posted by Mr Hat and Clogs

After 244 years Encyclopedia Brittanica calls it quits on its printed editions.

For real? I used to collect them because I love reading all those tiny,miny little facts.

[Mr Hat and Clogs]

Ya, it's for reals. I used to read them in the school library back in the day for much the same reason. I owe many-a-school assignment to Encyclopedia Britannica.

[ganbaru]

Vietnam craves rhino horn; costs more than cocaine
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...04-04-06-21-58

[MrTerrorist]

Okay, what?

Ancient Chinese Graveyard Ritual Goes Online

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Vexx

If you get a home loan (in the US), the lender REQUIRES you get mortgage insurance no matter what (so they get their money if you choke). Life insurance is irrelevant from the lender's perspective.

Vexx, Home insurance is require not Mortgage Insurance.

[MrTerrorist]

This is what a skinless elephant and a shark made out of blood vessels look like

Gunther von Hagens works are rather interesting in morbid kind of way.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

Vexx, Home insurance is require not Mortgage Insurance.

Being a home owner ... I can tell you I would not get a loan without agreeing to purchase mortgage insurance. If I let it expire, the loan company will "self-insure" a policy at great cost to me until I rectify it (yeah, that's happened). Mortgage insurance insures the mortgage.

*home* insurance is for *my* benefit. It insures the value of the contents of the home and my cost of repairing/replacing damage to the home from covered events.

Perhaps the terms are defined elsewhere differently than in Oregon or Texas? (the two states I've owned homes in)

http://www.uwsa.com/what-is-mortgage-insurance

http://homeinsurance.com/faqs/What-i...ners-Insurance