AP - President George W. Bush says history will judge him, but he is getting his own crack first. Bush is using his final 50 days in office to tout his legacy, hoping to leave a lasting impression of overshadowed progress. On Monday, World AIDS Day, Bush was heralded for his leadership in fighting the disease, a point that even his Democratic critics readily concede.

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I have copies of my credit report from all three agencies and I noticed that my student loan accounts are listed in both the negative and positive sections. I have consolidated my student loans and were in a repayment schedule so the dates listed for the adverse accounts are for 2001 and the dates listed for the good accounts are from 2002 to current. Both listings are from the same account holder, is there a way to have the negative information removed since I am in good standing and paying on schedule? Will this change when I have my loans consolidated to another agency? I also have a closed landline telephone account that was charged off as bad credit in 2004. It will not be removed until the year 2011. I am willing to own up to and pay off the debt in exchange for a deletion. What can I do about that? I also paid off a collection agency for a debt which they had agreed to have report to the credit agency. I see that this debt is still listed as collection account, but paid. I initiated all communication with this collection agency even though the debt originated in 1999, it was still on my credit report and I established an agreement with them. I finally paid them off but it is still listed as a negative collection account on my report. What can I do about removing this account from my report. My debt troubles started in 1999 when I got sick and could not work. I was not able to work again until 2001. I worked odd, dead end jobs, and the bills continued. I contacted the necessary agencies and told them about my hardships and I closed accounts that I did not need and could not afford but that was not enough. I live within my means and wasnt able to pay bills on time. I have a better income now and I have children so I want to buy a home. I dont know what else to do to improve my credit, I constantly get rejected for credit due to insufficent credit history, and I recieve high interest rates. How long will it take for me to see any improvements. I pay my bills on time and the only negative information on my credit are what I listed above. The student loan which is now being paid as agreed, the old telephone debt closed and charged off as bad credit, the collection account which I paid. I found debt solution advice on the web after I closed out old, positive credit accounts and found out that doing that was a mistake. I want to do the right thing but dont know what that is. Any advice please?
In reading some of the response I need to clarify some issues. I do not own any credit cards. I pay for everything in cash. I have a car loan of $10,000 which I make payments on and have never been late. I owe $10,000 to sallie mae in student loans and then another $10,000 loan from a private college which went to collection. The collection agency wanted full payment or a montly payment beyond what I could agree to pay so they told me that my only option would be to consolidate with my student loan from Sallie Mae. I know the downfall is that I will pay more but I have already consolidated. I have a 5yr old and I am currently expecting my second child so a second job is not feasible. Daycare expenses? I work full time already.

1. Contact the lender about the student loans that are showing negative. This could be an oversight or it might be that the negative payment will just have to age off.
2. The phone bill or any other single entry item are good candidates to offer pay for delete. Send the creditor a letter offering to $x to delete the account from your credit. Specifically indicate that this is not an acknowledgment of the debt but an attempt to expedite removal of the item. Depending on how old the debt is, they may even accept half. Ask that an authorized agent of the collection agency sign and return a copy of your letter to indicate acceptance of your offer. When you get the signed copy, send them a money order.
3. Paying off an old debt doesnt get it removed. If it shows paid, the collection agency updated as they promised. This item will age off your credit file 7-1/2 years from the date of first default. If you defaulted in 1999, this debt is beyond the reporting period. Send the credit bureaus a dispute that this item is beyond the reporting period.
You may want to get a secured credit card you pay $x and that is held as collateral against your credit line. Use the card every month and pay it in full.
You need at least 24 months of consistent, on time payment history to see your score improve.

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If you have maple bathroom vanities in the bathrooms of your home, you should know and understand how to remove mold from them. Mold is a type of fungi that often attack certain types of household materials when there are moist conditions.Maple bathroom vanities are beautiful pieces that can really add to the overall look and feel of the bathroom. However, if they are hosting mold, they can affect the health of individuals in the home.

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Today was my first day back at school. Since the college is over 30 miles away, and I have to there by 8:30, AND I'm traveling east during rush hour, I had to leave early. REALLY early.

I was out of the house shortly after 7, and arrived at campus with 15 minutes to spare. Traffic flowed pretty good once I got past the SR-51 interchange. Maybe I'll leave a tiny bit later tomorrow.

Anyway, my first class was Drawing and Rendering. I'd never had this instructor for any classes before, but "Clark" is the head of the department, and I met him last spring when I needed academic advisement.

He's an interesting character. He plays techno music during lab time.

My afternoon class was Space Planning. Since I was one of the last students to arrive, I got the second crappiest seat in the class. In order to see the screen during the PowerPoint lecture, I had to spin my chair around and take notes with a binder in my lap.

Like my rendering teacher, I met the Space Planning instructor last semester. She was teaching the lighting class that used the classroom before the materials class I was taking at the time. I would come in early to get some work done, and "Laura" was nice enough to let me use the computer if she was done lecturing.

I got home before shortly before the boys. I was impressed to find that all the doors had been locked and lights turned off. The only thing I found wrong was the breakfast dishes were still on the dining room table, but I can live with that.

Oh, and Jango was angry at me for being gone all day. She made her feelings known by screaming at me for a solid half-hour.

Tomorrow: History of Decorative Arts and AutoCAD.

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I've been waiting all week for my bead order to arrive. Every day I creep downstairs, clutching my bloated incised tummy, grimacing with every step, to see if there is a box on my porch.

Every day, no box.

I knew today HAD to be the day. I knew it.

No box.

I've had it. I go to my email to get my order number and I'm calling these people to see what the problem is.

The first problem is that there is no email. No order. No order confirmation.

Huh?

I check the site on my laptop... my cart is still full.

I groan as I waddle back upstairs to check Hal... my cart is still full.

I check the printer. I always print my orders. I find nothing.

I check my checkbook. Ah Ha! An entry on Sunday. I wrote it in, it must be real.

I call the place, ask what's going on.

They got nothing. They suggest I check my computer. I've already done that. It's still there. What does this mean??

I. Never. Sent. The. Order.

Immediately I begin apologizing, sputtering is more like it. I'm sorrys and I've had a hard week and now that I think of it, at that time, I was only 48 hours out of the hospital. I was downing narcotics like they were MM's. Completely out of my mind! I'm having this revelation OUT LOUD while I'm on the phone with a very tickled representative.

She laughed at me. She LAUGHED!

I hung up and reviewed my order. About half of it is something I need. Most of it is the wrong size. Really, very little of it is accurate at all. THANK COD I didn't send that order.


Bob got home a few minutes ago and I explained what happened. Then I told him in a very cross tone, "Don't let me shop online when I'm whacked out on narcotics! Don't do it!"

And he smiles and sweetly says back to me, "But it made you feel better at the time.

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One of the more recently popular technologies in flooring is a floor heating system. But the idea goes back thousands of years. The Romans are well-known for having a system to warm floors under marble. Modern systems have the same goal, but perform differently.
Floor heating systems today generally come in one of two types: electric and radiant or tube.
Electric floor heating systems use a layer of material embedded with wire mesh or other conducting material. Electricity passes through the mesh and that heat is slowly conducted up to the surface where it keeps your feet and, to a degree, the room warm.
At first blush it doesnt sound very safe, especially in areas like the bathroom or kitchen where liquid on the floor is a common occurrence. In fact, electric floor heating systems are as safe, or safer, than an electric blanket. The mesh is well insulated and the floor material itself - whether wood, ceramic, vinyl or other - adds an even larger safety factor.
Electric floor heating systems cost a few hundred dollars to install in the average bathroom, but they typically operate on a few cents per day worth of electricity. Depending on the size and model, they can add considerable heating ability to the bathroom. Kitchens tend to be more open and theyll do well on the floor and provide some area heating.
Radiant floor heating systems have the same goal - to warm the floor and room. But they operate very differently. Whether they circulate air or water (both are technically fluids), they radiate warmth through a series of tubes. Those tubes can be installed either above floor or below floor.
Above floor systems are not literally above the floor. You dont walk on the heating system. Rather, they are installed above the sub-floor such as the plywood over a concrete floor but below the actual walking surface.
Below floor systems reside below or, more usually, in the sub-floor. Embedded in a series of panels or grooves, the tubes snake throughout the entire area a few inches apart. Sometimes the tubes are laid at the same time as the wet concrete. Reflective material is usually installed underneath the tubes, to direct the heat upwards.
In all systems, the effect is to take advantage of two things: (1) heat rises, (2) cold through the feet tends to make the whole body feel colder.
Heat from the mesh or tubes heats the surrounding material. Also, as warm air rises, it has to start at the floor. So, the floor is kept warm, which is a universally pleasant feeling on the feet. Nobody likes stepping out onto a cold bathroom or kitchen floor. It continues upward where, depending on the system, it warms the room from a few degrees to any temperature desired. Many radiant heating systems will keep an entire large area very comfortable without any supplemental heating from another home heating system.
Among the advantages of both are the absence of any air flow from the outdoors that has to be heated, as is the case with many forced air systems. Theyre also unseen. There are no heat registers or vents. That gives the room a very clean look and makes possible heating in the kitchen where it can be difficult to locate vents.
Which is best depends on local factors of cost, quality of installation and so forth. Radiant heating can be quieter, since electric systems can sometimes generate a low hum. But fluid moving through a radiant system can be heard, too, if the system isnt of good quality.
Shop around and youll quickly find a dealer that can offer just the floor heating system you want.

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