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Greetings, Quotaholics:
I have managed to live within my means all my life. I have purposely carried
a credit card balance once, when my youngest was a baby and we wanted
to take two months to pay for a 35 mm camera.
We always pay off our credit card bills each month. We have managed to
create a life style where we don’t need to run up a bunch of extra bills
– we just don’t buy what we can’t afford. This has led us to a very high
credit score, something we actually treasure. Who would have thought that
could happen?
Because of this, we get loads and loads of credit card offers. We have
more than enough credit cards, so we rip these offers to shreds and ignore
them. However, the banks, sneaky little buggers that they are, have come
up with a new scheme.
The Wall
Street Journal reported on a new way for banks to get more of your
money, putting you back in the losing seat.
This is applicable to the US, but it should outrage readers around the
globe – and make you run to see if your banking institutions are also
trying this bit of skullduggery.
In the US, in 2009 a law was passed making banks accountable for their
billing practices. It is called the Credit Card Accountability and Responsibility
and Disclosure Act or the Card Act.
The law bans banks or others issuing credit cards from a number of nefarious
acts, such has wantonly raising interest rates, shortening billing cycles,
and adding inactivity fees. Because of these protective measures, banks
lost a whole lot of money.
Banks don’t particularly like to lose a whole lot of money so they did
something different. The law applies only to consumer credit cards. It
does not cover “professional cards” or small business credit cards.
So, the banks have been mailing out invitations to the regular person
on the street, inviting them to snap up a new professional credit card.
In fact, in the first quarter of 2010, banks mailed out 47 million of
these professional offers, a 256% increase when compared to the first
quarter of 2009.
"By pushing professional cards to consumers who otherwise wouldn’t
want them, card issuers can get around some of the provisions of the Card
Act," says Josh Frank, a senior researcher at the Center for Responsible
Lending, a consumer group.
Banks are saying, of course, that it is just a bit of a mix up. They aren’t
intending to send out these professional card applications to non-business
owners. A spokesperson from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. says their issuance
of these cards has not spiked.
The Card Act says banks can’t raise your interest rate without giving
you a 60 day notice. The professional cards from Chase can raise your
interest rates immediately to 29.99% if you are even one day late making
a payment. Other banks also have fine print spelling out how quickly they
can raise the interest rates, as well. Each bank is slightly different.
The January applications for Chase had a spot to list the name of your
business if you were asking for a professional card, today’s application
just has a check box stating "Yes, I am a business owner" or
"Yes, I am a business professional with business expenses."
This is, according the Chase representative, simply a means to simplifying
the application process.
If you have gotten a new credit card in the last few months, you might
want to really look at the fine print that came with it. I’m fairly confident
that banks everywhere are figuring out ways to get more fees paid into
their coffers. As always, it is buyer beware.
Do you get credit card offers in the mail? Have they increased in number?
Did you even know there were these sneaky ways for the banks to increase
your interest rates and add fees?
Does it surprise you to find banks looking for a way to work around legislation?
Or does that seem par for the course? Do you have any confidence in banks
or other money markets?
Scroogely,
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“However, without considering this connection, there is no doubt but
that more good than evil, more delight than sorrow, arises from compassion
itself; there being so many things which balance the sorrow of it.”
- Joseph Butler
“Have you learned the lessons only of those who admired you, and were
tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great
lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed passage
with you?” - Walt Whitman
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Yearly Physical
[Thanks dEE]
When I went to the
doctor for my yearly physical, my blood pressure was high, my cholesterol
was high, I’d gained some weight and I didn’t feel so hot.
My doctor said that eating right doesn’t have to be complicated and
it would solve my physical problems.
He said, “Just think in colors. Fill your plate with bright colors
of greens, yellows, reds, etc.”
So, I went right home and emptied an entire bag of M&Ms onto a plate,
ate them and sure enough, I felt better!
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“Individuals can resist injustice, but only a community can do justice.”
“Only those who have patience to do simple things perfectly ever acquire
the skill to do difficult things easily.”
“Let authors write for glory and reward. The truth is well paid when
she is sung and heard.” - All by American heavyweight boxer James J.
Corbett born on this day in 1866
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I
Don’t Think So…
[Thanks Tesser]
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Speak right up!
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Survivors
As a very young child, I had a tumor. As I was growing, my mother
took me to shoe stores as I needed new shoes. Fluoroscopes had
become popular for customers to see their feet inside the shoes so they
could tell they had a good fit. Fluoroscopes are nothing but a
constant x-ray emitting device. I was a statistic from their use.
The tumor, although not yet cancerous, was caused by too much radiation.
Later in my childhood, my parents and I were returning on vacation to
see my dad’s family in Ohio. We lived in North Carolina at the
time. We came across the most dominant bridge that spanned the
Ohio River. It was in Point Pleasant, W. Virginia. Why we
came that particular way, I have no clue. All I know is, when
we arrived at my grandmother’s house, there was a newscast on the radio
that the bridge across the Ohio River in Point Pleasant had just collapsed
and many were killed.
Although these are more extreme examples, people surviving chaotic and
dangerous circumstances are reported quite often. Those reported
are usually quite a bit more dire or drastic than my own experiences.
For example, there was on man who cut his own arm off since he was trapped
by the arm in some rocks and would surely have perished had he remained
as he was.
But, survival comes in many forms. The protective coloring and
immobile posture will keep an animal from becoming dinner for some predator.
The swift reaction of an animal will secure it the sustenance it needs
to stay alive. These are the basics for just making it to another
day.
The entire world is in dire economic straits. Survival right now
is difficult for many. Add in the climatic conditions in some
areas of the world, and the challenges mount. Had the economies
of the world not been strained as they are at the moment, it would still
have been extremely difficult for some. It is even more so now.
Here’s your quiz:
What have you had to overcome to simply survive?
Have you had a life threatening situation arise?
What tale of survival affected you most?
Survivors - Those Left After The Carnage Ceases
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn’t rate a fancy ’signature pic’)
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Email
Kirsten
Kirsten
couldn’t write today. Here’s an article from last year.
"As far as I’m concerned, being any gender is a drag."
~ Patti Smith ~
I’ve been thinking of gender reassignment surgery. I’m not planning
to get it myself, of course. Cripes, I can just picture the phonecall.
"Mom? This is your child formerly known as Kirsten. Yes, I know
my voice is sounding husky and no, I don’t have a cold. I decided
to try being a man for a while, so I just nipped out and had a sex
change over the weekend. If I don’t like it I’m sure I can get it
reversed. For now, I’m going by the name Kristopherson." The
poor woman would faint. It would be worse than the time I told her
I’d watched a porn movie at the age of seven.
Besides, I’m completely comfortable with my identity as a woman. I
don’t think men have it better than I do. While I understand that
there are some lingering gender equality issues that need to be resolved,
I’m not walking around in a haze of paranoia, thinking that all men
want to do is restrict my potential, stop me from voting, and steal
my ice cream.
No, I’ve been thinking of other people who go in for the whole sex
change shebang. I don’t know how the whole thing works, but I know
it involves a lot of hormones and rearrangement of equipment. I don’t
know what the risks are, or whether there are indeed people who have
gender reassignment surgery, only to regret their choice later on.
Based on what I hear and read in the media, though, I do know that
a change of this kind can wreak absolute havoc with a person’s relationships.
I think a lot of us have heard stories about people who are in a traditional
(i.e. heterosexual) marriage and have sex changes. Both people in
the marriage wind up having to deal with utter destruction of their
personal lives. This is understandable. If my husband were to have
a sex change (a preposterous thought - that would be about as likely
as the Loch Ness Monster learning how to fly), I would suddenly be
married to a woman. In order to stay married to him (her?), I would
have to change my sexual orientation. My kids would suddenly not have
a Daddy, but an additional Mommy. It would all be very weird.
I was reading a column in the Toronto Metro newspaper last week about
how homosexual relationships can also be placed under great strain
by one of the partners having gender reassignment surgery. From the
patient’s point of view, it might seem perfect. Let’s say the couple
are a pair of men (although the example works equally well for women).
Let’s call the men Adam and Steve. Adam spends years and years wanting
to have relationships with men, and he’s the more "feminine"
of the couple. So he has a sex change and comes home from hospital
thinking, "Great! Now I can have a normal relationship with a
man without people staring, and I can finally be the woman I’ve always
wanted to be." Trouble is, Steve has also spent years and years
wanting to have relationships with men. And now, all of a sudden,
Adam has turned into Madam. Steve doesn’t want to be partnered with
a woman. He’s gay. In order to stay with ex-Adam, he too would have
to change his sexual preference.
Romantic relationships are not the only ones that can be completely
changed as a result of this kind of thing. I cannot begin to imagine
how a parent would feel if their child decided to change his or her
gender. Parents always try to support their kids’ choices, but there
are some things that are just harder to get on board with. I remember
the trauma my parents went through when my brother first came out
of the closet; Lord knows how much harder it would be to accept a
child’s new gender identity.
And what about regular friendships? My best friend has been my best
friend since we were both ten years old. I’m trying to picture what
our friendship would be like if she decided to switch genders. She
would be the same person underneath, I know, and I wouldn’t want to
give up the friendship over something as trivial as gender. But for
most women, the whole point of having a best friend is to have another
woman to talk to about absolutely anything. If I lost that in my best
friend, I would really miss it.
I’d still be friends with her, there is no doubt about that. But we
have a deal, my best friend and I. We have promised each other that
when we are old, we will sit on a porch in rocking chairs doing our
knitting together. And say what you like about about gay rights (which
I am all for, by the way), an elderly man sitting around doing knitting
would just look gay.
Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten
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http://www.arcamax.com/newsheadlines/s-768558-366970-print
Although I was raised Catholic, I don’t adhere to any particular religion.
With me, it isn’t a function of attitudes or belief in G-d. It is more
a question of not knowing enough to feel I, or any other human being
has the complete answer. I’m always studying the subject. I just haven’t
reached any conclusions.
My own beliefs aren’t relevant to this article, except that I like to
know where an author is coming from when he or she questions someone
else’s actions. The link above has to do with a Christian denomination
in Florida who were denied a burning permit for a September 11 ceremony
protesting the World Trade Center deaths. If they were planning to ignite
an effigy of Osama bin Laden, I would understand. I don’t like him either.
What this church’s members are not allowed to burn in effigy or otherwise,
are copies of the Koran. It is against the city’s ordinances to have
a bon fire within its precincts. I guess the city fathers don’t want
the stink and pollution of a paper confligration. Owners of nearby homes
and businesses are probably enthusiastic supporters of that bit of civic
wisdom
Of course, Christians or anyone else have the right to burn their own
copies of the Koran if they want. If they own an American flag, Bible
or anything else I would submit it belongs to them, and as long as it
can’t feel pain, they should be able to do whatever they want with it.
They have the additional right to publicize what they are doing, and
to get whatever idiots — I mean people they can to support them. It’s
a free country, and we each have the right to bait and vex each other
to our heart’s content as long as we don’t get physical about it.
Since I don’t live in Gainsville, and wouldn’t be able to smell the
smoke from here unless the fire got really out of control, I am free
to be annoyed on a philosophical level. So here goes.
According to Christians, there was a guy who lived a long time ago who
founded their beliefs. He said things like "love thy neighbor as
thyself", and "do unto others as you would have them do unto
you". These would be Koran burners are proclaiming a belief in
this guy’s teachings. Their church is called Dove World Outreach Center,
which appears to be a name calculated to invoke feelings of love and
warmth.
There are those who have used tenants of the Moslem faith to justify
acts of terror. Osama was one of them. There are Christians who look
to the tenants of their faith to justify denying medical care to their
children, and who view guns as a path to peace. There are Jews who believe
that Israel has a right to exist no matter who dies from believing otherwise.
However, there are also Christians who believe that Jesus (that guy
in the above paragraph), came to this earth to assure us of G-d’s love,
and most Jews and Moslems agree that religion should be a spiritual
thing, not a justification for earthly mayhem, and political activism.
It isn’t possible to sit idly by and watch others damage or destroy
your friends, families or institutions. We were all hurt by the events
of September 11, 2001, and the fear and grief it spawned is still with
us these 9 years later. However, blaming all Moslems for 9/11 makes
about as much sense as blaming all teens for the killings engaged in
by big city youth gangs, or, killing an abortion clinic doctor to promote
"Right To Life."
What is the point? What is the message? I love you as long as no one
in your group does something hurtful or of which I don’t approve? If
that is what we should take away from all of this, than all white women
of German Irish heritage better be on their best behavior, because I
don’t want anyone to blame me if they screw up.
Comment
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Misc. Tips
[Thanks Bob of the North]
If you anticipate possibly freezing to death with other people, cuddle
up instead. Also, stuff your clothing with anything dry and available,
such as newspaper or dried vegetation, and don’t neglect your head
covering. Do this as soon as you can, but don’t ever sweat.
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That’s better! Thanks everyone. Give this line
a try it has lots of rhymes.
Next opening line…
There’s a notable family named Stein…
Hints:
Here’s a great new rhyming/composition tool. http://www.writerhymes.com/
There’s also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules. http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm
Submit
Opening Line
Submit
Limerick
There
was a young man of high station
Who planned on leading his nation
But all came to naught
One night when he was caught
With two girls, a goat, and libation. - Bonnie |
There
was a young man of high station…..
Whose ego was due a deflation…..
The smart alec young snot…..
Thought he was so hot…..
‘Til a young lady shunned his flirtation. - Skeeter |
There was
a young man of high station…..
Who had a bent for oration…..
He jumped on his soap box…..
To impress a young "fox"…..
He really was a sensation. - Skeeter |
There was
a young man of high station
he can cope under any situation
his forefathers were born on a plantation
so money
was planted under the big oak tree
he dug it up and has a mansion in the country
from the interest and the equity - dEE |
There was
a young man of high station
Who was found by a pious relation
Making love in a ditch
To a — I won’t say a bitch —
But a lady of no reputation. - Author Unknown |
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Re: Congenital
Adrenal Hyperplasia
I actually know two people
who were born with this syndrom. (what are the odds eh?) The first
friend was surgically altered soon after birth. It was decided to
make her female. She is a lovely woman, who truly enjoys being a woman,
has NO desire to be male, and is also most definatly gay.
The second person I know had more progressive parents and doctors.
They decided to wait it out for a period of time, and determine which
sex the child was, and then performed the surgery (at 3 yrs old) to
finalize his genetalia. He grew up to be a strapping young man, and
ended up a father of 4 - 2 sets of twins - both paternal. (in both
cases male & female). Gotta love irony - or was it?
My point is not that there is anything wrong with friend #1, or her
sexual orientation. The point is there is an alternative to the dangers
of infant surgury or pre-natal treatment. Of course, I have dozens
of gay friends (incl my brother) and none of them have this condition.
So it is certainly not the only cause.
As an extra point, my brother (who is 5 yrs my senior) was an old
lady when he was 10 years old, absolutely no one was surprised when
he came out. They were not all happy, but none were surprised. He
was, without a doubt, BORN gay. - Faithy
It really may seem
to go back to genetics, doesn’t it? Mike was born a genetic male,
at least as best I know it. Carol T was born a genetic female. (And
I do know that.) With respect to the homosexual community, perhaps
genetically, /ideologically they are an abnormality. If homosexuality
was "normal" how would any species promulgate itself, and
is that not what this life is all about? And I am not speaking to
physical structural abnormalities.
On
the other hand, individuals have free will. Seeing one’s own physical
conformation, and denying it by one’s desires,may bring up the point.
- Carol T
I think most gay peopple
would want the baby to have whatever is in its best interest. I’ve
had a similar debate with other blind people. If I knew my child could
avoid blindness, there would be no question that I would move heaven
and earth to help them do it. Even if it meant that would have x-ray
capabilities as a result. - Lucille
Re: Extreme Weather
The most extreme
weather I have ever encountered has been in Upstate New York in the
winter. Living the the area off the Great Lakes known for severe Lake
Effect storms, most of my life. Winter and snow storms for myself
and my family were been fierce. (Probably why so many New Yorkers
go to Florida?) Twelve foot snow drifts, needing to shovel snow off
the roof, unable to travel on the road, needing to live after power
outages with fireplaces and supplies for days without power. - Carol
T
Most severe weather condition
I’ve endured has to be the ice storm of January 2007 - our town looked
like a battlefield - power lines down, trees felled by the ice, no
electricity in below-freezing weather for eight days. We were the
lucky ones. My 80- and 90-year-old parents were without power in a
nearby city for two weeks and my son was without electricity for a
month. No phone service anywhere for a week. We brought my parents
to our house as we had a generator and kerosene heaters. We were able
to blanket off the bedrooms and kitchen and stayed fairly warm. The
local college, Southwest Baptist University, sent students and staff
around to cut away fallen trees, so the huge limb blocking our driveway
was gone within the first two days.
Walking on ice was treacherous, but luckily again, we had no injuries
except a bit of wounded pride and a broken camera lens when Bill fell
in the driveway. His hunting mode kicked in and he would go out everyday
to see what was open and available.
We tried to prepare early on when we heard the storm was coming -
I bought food and supplies, but found out quickly (after the electricity
went out) that what I bought wouldn’t do any good and had to make
another trip to buy food that didn’t have to be cooked. And though
the electricity was off - we didn’t lose food because it was so cold
and what needed to stay frozen we just put in a box on the back porch
where it was as cold or colder than the freezer. The only heat in
the bedrooms were a kerosene lamp and a candle in the bathrooms. One
cool thing was to lay in bed and hear the branches break off the trees
in the middle of the night. Sounded very much like the night scenes
in Blair Witch Project. We did get a new convertible top for Bill’s
Mustang out of the storm.
The downside (outside of the normal discomfort of the whole thing)
was the stealing of generators, price gouging of gas and kerosene
and price gouging at motels for those who had no where else to go.
- Noella
Most severe weather
endured: 1978 Blizzard
Weather pattern unusual to this area: 1963 - Mississippi Mud landed
all over everything in Cleveland area. No kidding. Woke up one morning
to find cars, homes, lawns coated in mud from the tail end of a hurricane
that had blown north right up the river and eastward to our area.
- Nancy L in Ohio
Re: Quotes
Re Mary’s quote: "Every
political good carried to the extreme must be productive of evil."
Why
would it only be a political good? Is an extreme in anything to be
considered "good"? - Carol T
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Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be
accurately attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly
attributed, or even outright false quotes won’t get in here from time
to time. I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect
quotes, and will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors.
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