1. thought it would be funny and cute-but it is sad
the monkey doesn't look like this is fun for him at all-forced to do it from training

Posted at 12:11PM on Oct 7th 2008 by sal

2. Another reason I dont want a democrat in office ~
In a move that could help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders.

The action, which will begin as a pilot program involving 24 banks in 15 markets -- including the New York metropolitan region -- will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans. Fannie Mae officials say they hope to make it a nationwide program by next spring.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.

In addition, banks, thrift institutions and mortgage companies have been pressing Fannie Mae to help them make more loans to so-called subprime borrowers. These borrowers whose incomes, credit ratings and savings are not good enough to qualify for conventional loans, can only get loans from finance companies that charge much higher interest rates -- anywhere from three to four percentage points higher than conventional loans.

''Fannie Mae has expanded home ownership for millions of families in the 1990's by reducing down payment requirements,'' said Franklin D. Raines, Fannie Mae's chairman and chief executive officer. ''Yet there remain too many borrowers whose credit is just a notch below what our underwriting has required who have been relegated to paying significantly higher mortgage rates in the so-called subprime market.''

Demographic information on these borrowers is sketchy. But at least one study indicates that 18 percent of the loans in the subprime market went to black borrowers, compared to 5 per cent of loans in the conventional loan market.

In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980's.

''From the perspective of many people, including me, this is another thrift industry growing up around us,'' said Peter Wallison a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. ''If they fail, the government will have to step up and bail them out the way it stepped up and bailed out the thrift industry.''

Under Fannie Mae's pilot program, consumers who qualify can secure a mortgage with an interest rate one percentage point above that of a conventional, 30-year fixed rate mortgage of less than $240,000 -- a rate that currently averages about 7.76 per cent. If the borrower makes his or her monthly payments on time for two years, the one percentage point premium is dropped.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, does not lend money directly to consumers. Instead, it purchases loans that banks make on what is called the secondary market. By expanding the type of loans that it will buy, Fannie Mae is hoping to spur banks to make more loans to people with less-than-stellar credit ratings.

Fannie Mae officials stress that the new mortgages will be extended to all potential borrowers who can qualify for a mortgage. But they add that the move is intended in part to increase the number of minority and low income home owners who tend to have worse credit ratings than non-Hispanic whites.

Home ownership has, in fact, exploded among minorities during the economic boom of the 1990's. The number of mortgages extended to Hispanic applicants jumped by 87.2 per cent from 1993 to 1998, according to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. During that same period the number of African Americans who got mortgages to buy a home increased by 71.9 per cent and the number of Asian Americans by 46.3 per cent.

In contrast, the number of non-Hispanic whites who received loans for homes increased by 31.2 per cent.

Despite these gains, home ownership rates for minorities continue to lag behind non-Hispanic whites, in part because blacks and Hispanics in particular tend to have on average worse credit ratings.

In July, the Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed that by the year 2001, 50 percent of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's portfolio be made up of loans to low and moderate-income borrowers. Last year, 44 percent of the loans Fannie Mae purchased were from these groups.

The change in policy also comes at the same time that HUD is investigating allegations of racial discrimination in the automated underwriting systems used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to determine the credit-worthiness of credit applicants.

Posted at 12:24PM on Oct 7th 2008 by OMG

3. that is so sad, that poor monkey looks like he hate it. i feel so sorry for him, animal rightes activist should do something about that!!

Posted at 12:31PM on Oct 7th 2008 by nichole

4. YESS!! Monkeys doing stuff is always funny. And for people who say this is wrong.....its a frikken monkey, not a human. its not being abused, hit or anything, you can tell the owner clearly loves his monkey. The owner even gave him gloves so he wouldnt hurt his hands....TMZ i wanna see more monkey videos. this monkey has more talent the kim k, heidi, spencer, and paris combined.

Posted at 12:56PM on Oct 7th 2008 by tj

5. Come on TMZ. Stop perpetuating this sort of nonsense. The celebrity stuff (as lame as it sometimes is) is one thing, but this monkey is surely not having a grand time. Do you honestly think that he was sitting around thinking that he wanted to learn martial arts? Probably more like, hed rather be grooming his pal and lounging in the sun. Whats next, a monkey with his hands tied to a steering wheel, driving a big rig? Maybe you can tape his fingers down so he can flip you the bird...

Posted at 1:03PM on Oct 7th 2008 by firefightergrrrl

6. Please take this video down. Don't give this idiot any more publicity.

As other posters have stated, this is animal abuse. You should know better, TMZ.

Posted at 1:35PM on Oct 7th 2008 by spayneuterlady

7. I'm actually gobsmacked by TMZ's insensitive ability to have an advert banner on the right for the WWF and this video play on the left, are you brain dead or just incredibly hypocritical and anyone who thinks that a "wild" animal would willingly put on gloves, clothes and behave in this manner, needs to get a dose of reality, check out the work of http://www.monkeyworld.org/ or the bornfree.org if you really want to know why this animal is performing, although the stick might be a little clue, agree with the other postings on here, take it down, also contacting WWF and telling them maybe they might want to think twice about advertising on your site, very disappointed...

Posted at 2:53PM on Oct 7th 2008 by Caroline Jonson

8. WHAT THE F*@&? Why are they making that poor monkey dress up in a uniform and wear gloves and a protective helmet? They probably beat the monkey if it doesn't preform to their liking. Okay, I thought it was kind of funny but it's not right.

Posted at 3:06PM on Oct 7th 2008 by Acehole

9. after reading some of the blogs...couldn't bring myself to watch the video...FORCE-TRAINING defenseless animals shows the under-belly of our humanity...should not be condoned...

Posted at 3:27PM on Oct 7th 2008 by northern gypsy

10. I agree with everyone else on here.. that definitely was not cute or funny. That a$$hole trainer is pushing the poor monkey around and making him do things he obviously does NOT want to do. The poor thing does a flip and bashes his head into the wall.. I'm sorry but this should be removed.

Posted at 4:15PM on Oct 7th 2008 by Not Funny

11. I HATE it when people say "It's just an animal". No, it's not just an animal, it's a sentient being with feelings who feels pain. And no, I won't get over it. Take this horrific video off now.

Posted at 5:47PM on Oct 7th 2008 by Cristina

12. I can't bring myself to watch it, nor do I want to. From other's comments I can tell this is abuse. This is terrible. Take it down.

Posted at 6:10PM on Oct 7th 2008 by Mitch\\\'s girl

13. This wrong on so many levels. I can not believe that this kind of thing still goes on. It's animal abuse and the people responsible for this should not only be fined but they should do jail time.

Posted at 10:20PM on Oct 7th 2008 by xs

14. This video is horrible, and the fact that it is being presented as entertainment is even worse. I have lost respect for this website as animal abuse is never fun to watch. Now I am so depressed and angry. Please remove the video immediately as it is NOT APPROPRIATE.

Posted at 12:22PM on Oct 8th 2008 by sparky

15. Great to see so many other people object to this, I contacted the US office of WWF yesterday and they have emailed me (in the UK) today saying they will investigate the matter and take it up with TMZ (hurragggh!).

I have also forwarded this video link to Monkey World (charity here in the UK that rescues performing primates, there is probably no chance of finding out where this poor defenceless WILD animal is, unless TMZ want to get in touch with MonekyWorld or WWF and tell them where they got this video from.

Seriously TMZ you should take it down and get a handle on what constitutes funny, next you'll be telling us child abuse is ok too?!

Posted at 3:07PM on Oct 8th 2008 by Caroline Johnson