first this has nothing to do with the election. this has been a thought bouncing around in my head for awhile now.
okay, is racism as rampant as everyone thinks it is or is it really better called something like culturalism? of course there are racists. like the kkk, the aryan nation, the skinheads of america...whatever else they are called. btw, i made up the skin heads of america as i don't follow these groups so i don't really know their names. anyways, there is no doubt racism is alive and well...but is it as widespread as allot of americans think?
well i am of the belief that it isn't racism, but rather more based on culture. people as a general rule tend to surround themselves with like minded people. meaning a yuppie tends to like other yuppies around them. i have noticed in the last 15-20 years or so that race isn't so much a factor. it's more of what the indivdual likes, how they think, and what they participate in. i see lots of yuppie/preppie looking golfers with black, spanish, asians in the group. when observing the whole group they tend to dress alike somewhat. they tend to get each other's humor. other social things seem to fall in line. it seems to me that race isn't the barrier to being part of their group, it's more based on who one is and likes, and how they think and dress, etc. that was one example. i also see this trend quite a bit in business, social events, theme parks, you name it. like minded people seem to get along with each other. race seems to not be an issue. culture does.
so i wonder if someone who tries to enter a group that is not like minded with them and a minority(meaning the one different race in the group, whether the white person in a black group or the black person in a white group, etc.) would consider the shunning as a racist action...rather than a cultural outcasting. my bet is it would be percieved as a racism..not they there were outcasted because they dressed different, talked different, and liked different things.
of course there are exceptions to every rule. sometimes i do see a minority outsider who dresses differently, and the like comapred with the group. i think this type of exception is more of that the outsider is so unique and confident that the differences get overlooked or ignored. meaning like a great sense of humor or a fun attitude on life and event, type of personality, or some other trait(s) that overpower the stick to your own kind human nature drive. everyone likes to be around those who always have a good time and are just fun to be around, even if the event sucks.
i know me writing about this is a touchy subject and i have to walk a fine line. i'm doing my best to speak freely and openly without having my words come across as an excuse for something horrible like racism...which as i stated we know does exist. this is only on how rampant is it really versus people shunning others based on culture.
well i have thought about me, myself. i tend to surround myself with some like minded but also some that are very different from not only me but the others i know. i like lots of outside views as i feel it helps give you a better overall picture of topic and issues. i've always been that way. my only demand is that someone is honest and decent. those traits themselves are the hardest and rarest to find. so i myself might be a "racist" when it comes to character traits? well race has never been an issue to me. i tend to hate people for who they are, not what they are. i learned long ago, to judge each person individually. not an easy task as i find myself lumping people into preconceived groups quite often. i really believe that racism and culturism is something that has to be worked on constantly. the human brain is setup for survival. survival would force us to identify like objects as dangerous if they were. for example a multi colored snake. back when man was in the jungle...i imagine when a snake bit and killed a member of the tribe and you saw it, you would record in your mind, subconciously, that all snakes are bad. i think it also applies back to when tribes would battle one another and commit horrible things to each other. the characteristics of the opposite tribe i would bet would be locked in your mind as "bad."
i know this is somewhat true as i work with a bosnian who was in the war in the 1990's. he was a christian...but he was captured in his own city while in a traditionaly muslim occupied area and put in prison. i asked him why? he said because the muslims and christians have been around so long they can't tell each other apart from looks...really only by names. he didn't have proper i.d., so they considered him a muslim. he convinced a guard that he was a christian and so that guard let him go. so he fled to america. so even in modern times we still think very animalish. both sides of that war suffered. i wont go into who did what worst...cause it's not the point of my article..but i will say to this day he is very racist/culturalist against those who have a bosnian muslim name. ironically he likes one guy who is a muslim bosnian that works at another location . he met and they had allot in common, later he learned this guys name and relaized he was a muslim bosnian. well long story short they get along becuase of the cultural similarities...but that battle betwene the two groups has long and deep bitter roots and so they don't hangout, but are friendly to each other. point here is.....similarities beat racial perceptions.
i am convinced for the bulk of america what seperates us is cultural differences. less about race itself.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
absentee ballots....not such a great idea...
the absentee ballot issues is already popping up in floriduh again. so far it's south florida as usual when these issues rear their ugly head.
i'm against absentee ballots. for many reasons. the biggest reason is they allow voter fraud to occur easily. they pretty much are the easiest way to commit voter fraud. here's how. first anyone can get online and sign up for an absentee ballot. i would tell you how, but i do not want to help or encourage anyone to trying to commit voter fraud. trust me with absentee ballots it easy and almost impossible for the supervisor of elections to track back who did it unless the person doing it is stupid. also it invalidates legal ballots as well such as what is going on in south florida right now this election. people make mistakes and/or don't follow the directions. they forget to sign the envelope, or vote for more than one candidate things that if in person they did the poll workers would be able to flag immediately and send them back to get a new ballot and do it properly.
i have thought long and hard about this. military. i don't see why the military as much as the states fund them can't do early voting or election day voting on the bases or camps. for those who live and work overseas...let them vote at the u.s. consulate office. the reason i like in person voting is for many reasons but the biggest is it helps stop voter fraud. it's much harder to make a fake id and vote in person as someone else than it is to forge a piece of paper and mail it in form an anonymous mailbox. plus it helps catch those who commit voter fraud by having them there in person to arrest and send straight to prison. it also stops dead people from voting. it's a win/win.
for those who think overseas americans and military would be too complicated...well i disagree. make it federal elections only. after all if you don't actually live in the state and work why should your input count. some people live overseas there entire lives, and are registered at a parents home. i hardly think a full time absent citizen should have input on local issues..when they aren't even there. at the minimum....let them vote state as well. setup a way to fill out a form at the base or consulate to get the proper ballot send from their poll area ahead of time. even better do it electronically. they can check ids at the door and then let them enter their info so they can vote for their district and cover everything a full time living in america american does.
if people care so much about voting, they will take time off to make sure they are home and in line for either in person early voting or election day voting. businesses wouldn't be sending people across the country on election day. people would learn to not take vacations election day. it would work and help stop allot of fraud. fraud needs to be stopped, and those who commit it need to be punished and stripped of their own rights to vote in local, state or federal election. besides long jail time and fines. let's up the stakes and put a stop to the corrupting of our democratic voting process.
i'm against absentee ballots. for many reasons. the biggest reason is they allow voter fraud to occur easily. they pretty much are the easiest way to commit voter fraud. here's how. first anyone can get online and sign up for an absentee ballot. i would tell you how, but i do not want to help or encourage anyone to trying to commit voter fraud. trust me with absentee ballots it easy and almost impossible for the supervisor of elections to track back who did it unless the person doing it is stupid. also it invalidates legal ballots as well such as what is going on in south florida right now this election. people make mistakes and/or don't follow the directions. they forget to sign the envelope, or vote for more than one candidate things that if in person they did the poll workers would be able to flag immediately and send them back to get a new ballot and do it properly.
i have thought long and hard about this. military. i don't see why the military as much as the states fund them can't do early voting or election day voting on the bases or camps. for those who live and work overseas...let them vote at the u.s. consulate office. the reason i like in person voting is for many reasons but the biggest is it helps stop voter fraud. it's much harder to make a fake id and vote in person as someone else than it is to forge a piece of paper and mail it in form an anonymous mailbox. plus it helps catch those who commit voter fraud by having them there in person to arrest and send straight to prison. it also stops dead people from voting. it's a win/win.
for those who think overseas americans and military would be too complicated...well i disagree. make it federal elections only. after all if you don't actually live in the state and work why should your input count. some people live overseas there entire lives, and are registered at a parents home. i hardly think a full time absent citizen should have input on local issues..when they aren't even there. at the minimum....let them vote state as well. setup a way to fill out a form at the base or consulate to get the proper ballot send from their poll area ahead of time. even better do it electronically. they can check ids at the door and then let them enter their info so they can vote for their district and cover everything a full time living in america american does.
if people care so much about voting, they will take time off to make sure they are home and in line for either in person early voting or election day voting. businesses wouldn't be sending people across the country on election day. people would learn to not take vacations election day. it would work and help stop allot of fraud. fraud needs to be stopped, and those who commit it need to be punished and stripped of their own rights to vote in local, state or federal election. besides long jail time and fines. let's up the stakes and put a stop to the corrupting of our democratic voting process.
oh the election....change is coming..or is it??
well, it's getting to be wrap up time for this long and extremely nasty election. btw, both sides ahve been very nasty and both parties...let' s not be party loyalists nimrods and pretend one was better than the other when it came to name calling and lying. okay?
okay so both sides promised change...but can they actually deliver it?
well call me a skeptic, but i don't believe it. this post is not a one will one won't typical routine. if you into that than i suggest hitting all the major media political outlets and blogs for bullshit explanations of how who will do what for you.
no i know ultimately the constitution is set in stone and while candidates can pick supreme court judge to interpret it, so far they have been unable to rewrite it completely. sure they can set laws in motion, but most affect business and the top upper crust. few affect the little people. meaning you and i.
the only real change would come from the effect of "pma." something the band bad brains talked allot about in their early days and when they were playing and influencing the american hardcore scene in the early days. pma is the positive mental attitude. allot of change in america is because of this and less is because of who is in charge. thing this phenomena isn't real. well let's do some observations of what is going on. who here can say that bush actually made them lose their job? made their 401k go down? made them lose their home? as much as i dislike the guy let's not give him more credit than he deserves. truth is the president doesn't write laws and can't create bills. he can influence them and sign them into law or veto them, but that is it. it all depends on congress. congress contrary to the perception hasn't been controlled by any one party (meaning filibuster proof) for a long time. the last 8 years have not been one party controlled. this is a exaggeration at best, a flat out lie at worst. without majority bills don't get passed on to be signed into law. if a party opposes it they can filibuster it, and they sometimes do. so to say one party is the cause of all this mess is once again an exaggeration at best, a flat out lie at worst.
let's go back to the president. today a president is more of a figurehead than anything. he/she tends to get the credit when things go well and also gets the full brunt of the blame when things go wrong. the truth is...this is oversimplifying at it's finest. the truth also is this is party tactics to brainwash voters into thinking one man or woman can fix or ruin everything. it makes it easier to pick a figurehead to blame or acclaim when things go wrong or right. which ultimately leads to votes for said party. lately the newest tactics is to blame or acclaim former president for current messes or good times. well there is some truth to giving credit whether good or bad to past administrations and/or congresses...but truth be told it's very hard to definitely pin a win or loss on a particular year. to simplify it and be accurate...let's take the sub prime mess and analyze it. it is true that congress under the clinton administration did allow fannie and freddie to buy up bad sub prime mortgages to open up housing to the lower and lowest tier of citizens. it wasn't done to create this mess...it was done as an idea. it worked a little bit...but things like this take decades to show the results. as the govt backed fannie and freddie started to see money making potential from these...they loosened their own rules up a bit and let the money keep rolling in. as time went on private banks saw they had to compete with these govt backed entities...so allot of them stepped into it. as the economy driven by consumer perception kept growing insanely, all involved kept running with it. when cracks started to show...barney frank refused to do anything about it. as it started to collapse everyone started pointing the fingers...no one wanted to step up and admit guilt. very typical in govt.
anyways, my point is...the administration and congress who started it...in the beginning can exempt themselves from full blame as hindsight is 20/20. it was a failed idea...that worked for a little while. they should admit though that they started it and just explain to the american people why and how they didn't see it coming. who couldn't understand that? anyways bush and the current congress can't completely exempt themselves from being involved either since they were at the helm and had plenty of opportunities to put a stop to it, and they did not. for various reasons. some legit, some not so legit. so ultimately to hear one party or another deny being involved i have a big problem with this. both parties held many offices and seats from the start to the finish and it's insulting and just wrong to the american people to lie about it.
so when the new president gets elected will things get better instantly. the short answer is "no." depending on who gets in and the attitude of congress we may see initial bills pass that can help long term, but short term it takes the pma. positive mental attitude. this is up to us. if we see brighter days than yes some change will occur quicker than legislation can do. if we see doom and gloom, well you know what will happen then.
so if you really want change...have make sure you have the right attitude and help others to as well. i already early voted...but i also have thought long and hard about this and i decided like i do under whoever wins...i am going to support the winner whether it's my pick or not. no more party loyalist pouting and acting like a baby. when i look back on the 2000 and 2004 elections...it is shameful the nastiness of the voters who didn't' like what happened. not to say they can't be angry..but they need to move on and accept the results and ultimately. you can always criticize presidents it's part of being an american. at the end of the day though you need to support the man/woman running our country, regardless. this is what america is about. if we want real change...then we will change after the election is over and support whoever wins...if we want to continue the politics of divisiveness as one of the current candidates says...then we are doomed to continue down the path we have been on......
okay so both sides promised change...but can they actually deliver it?
well call me a skeptic, but i don't believe it. this post is not a one will one won't typical routine. if you into that than i suggest hitting all the major media political outlets and blogs for bullshit explanations of how who will do what for you.
no i know ultimately the constitution is set in stone and while candidates can pick supreme court judge to interpret it, so far they have been unable to rewrite it completely. sure they can set laws in motion, but most affect business and the top upper crust. few affect the little people. meaning you and i.
the only real change would come from the effect of "pma." something the band bad brains talked allot about in their early days and when they were playing and influencing the american hardcore scene in the early days. pma is the positive mental attitude. allot of change in america is because of this and less is because of who is in charge. thing this phenomena isn't real. well let's do some observations of what is going on. who here can say that bush actually made them lose their job? made their 401k go down? made them lose their home? as much as i dislike the guy let's not give him more credit than he deserves. truth is the president doesn't write laws and can't create bills. he can influence them and sign them into law or veto them, but that is it. it all depends on congress. congress contrary to the perception hasn't been controlled by any one party (meaning filibuster proof) for a long time. the last 8 years have not been one party controlled. this is a exaggeration at best, a flat out lie at worst. without majority bills don't get passed on to be signed into law. if a party opposes it they can filibuster it, and they sometimes do. so to say one party is the cause of all this mess is once again an exaggeration at best, a flat out lie at worst.
let's go back to the president. today a president is more of a figurehead than anything. he/she tends to get the credit when things go well and also gets the full brunt of the blame when things go wrong. the truth is...this is oversimplifying at it's finest. the truth also is this is party tactics to brainwash voters into thinking one man or woman can fix or ruin everything. it makes it easier to pick a figurehead to blame or acclaim when things go wrong or right. which ultimately leads to votes for said party. lately the newest tactics is to blame or acclaim former president for current messes or good times. well there is some truth to giving credit whether good or bad to past administrations and/or congresses...but truth be told it's very hard to definitely pin a win or loss on a particular year. to simplify it and be accurate...let's take the sub prime mess and analyze it. it is true that congress under the clinton administration did allow fannie and freddie to buy up bad sub prime mortgages to open up housing to the lower and lowest tier of citizens. it wasn't done to create this mess...it was done as an idea. it worked a little bit...but things like this take decades to show the results. as the govt backed fannie and freddie started to see money making potential from these...they loosened their own rules up a bit and let the money keep rolling in. as time went on private banks saw they had to compete with these govt backed entities...so allot of them stepped into it. as the economy driven by consumer perception kept growing insanely, all involved kept running with it. when cracks started to show...barney frank refused to do anything about it. as it started to collapse everyone started pointing the fingers...no one wanted to step up and admit guilt. very typical in govt.
anyways, my point is...the administration and congress who started it...in the beginning can exempt themselves from full blame as hindsight is 20/20. it was a failed idea...that worked for a little while. they should admit though that they started it and just explain to the american people why and how they didn't see it coming. who couldn't understand that? anyways bush and the current congress can't completely exempt themselves from being involved either since they were at the helm and had plenty of opportunities to put a stop to it, and they did not. for various reasons. some legit, some not so legit. so ultimately to hear one party or another deny being involved i have a big problem with this. both parties held many offices and seats from the start to the finish and it's insulting and just wrong to the american people to lie about it.
so when the new president gets elected will things get better instantly. the short answer is "no." depending on who gets in and the attitude of congress we may see initial bills pass that can help long term, but short term it takes the pma. positive mental attitude. this is up to us. if we see brighter days than yes some change will occur quicker than legislation can do. if we see doom and gloom, well you know what will happen then.
so if you really want change...have make sure you have the right attitude and help others to as well. i already early voted...but i also have thought long and hard about this and i decided like i do under whoever wins...i am going to support the winner whether it's my pick or not. no more party loyalist pouting and acting like a baby. when i look back on the 2000 and 2004 elections...it is shameful the nastiness of the voters who didn't' like what happened. not to say they can't be angry..but they need to move on and accept the results and ultimately. you can always criticize presidents it's part of being an american. at the end of the day though you need to support the man/woman running our country, regardless. this is what america is about. if we want real change...then we will change after the election is over and support whoever wins...if we want to continue the politics of divisiveness as one of the current candidates says...then we are doomed to continue down the path we have been on......
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
buying voters.....
well this has been going on for years in politics..likely from the start in different forms, but all coming back to "buying voters."
one form i see in this election is promising voters big tax breaks. here's the rub...most people get money back. how can you give a big income tax break to those who don't earn enough to actually pay any real income taxes? well it's likely all campaign promises...but if they did figure out a way to give people money back who aren't paying in....you can apply that to at least 50% of america......and your going to send them checks...well that to me falls under buying voters.
another form is sending vans to round up homeless people and taking them to vote while providing coffee and doughnuts, sometimes even cash.....well this is buying voters. yeah allot of these homeless people voices should be heard...but voting is not hard and costs nothing. it's is not unconstitutional to not allow free rides, coffee, doughnuts or cash to get voters to the polling station. think about it. if someone hands you money whether its in food or cash...and tells you to vote for "so and so" what is that person going to do? make their own decision...i think not. they don't watch tv, listen to the radio, or read newspapers. they don't follow politics. if they did they would be voting and not needing rides and free stuff. sorry but i consider engaging in this type of "voter rallying" as unconstitutional. this is nothing new by the way it's a common element in modern campaigns.
well i'm going to share another country and tell me you don't see similarities going on. lets' take a wonderful free country like venezuela. chavez has taken over the media. taken over the oil. taken over personal property. taken over other private businesses. controlling the schools...well this isn't unique is it? why you ask? well let's see. if you control the media than you control the information the voters hear and see. if you control the oil, the huge money that comes from it allows you to subsidize fuel to around $0.12 a gallon, and create "social programs" that benefit the majority in that country of the voters. the poor uneducated people. if you take over private housing and distribute it to the majority of voters...once again you win over large voting blocks. if you control businesses you can set the selling rates and make the people (voters) happy when you need to. if you control the education system, you can make sure people do not learn how to think for themselves. all designed to influence and control the people (voters), and get them to do what you want.
well talk to any of the people who fled to this country from venezuela and see how great things were there, if you're a skeptic. i work with one who's apartment was stolen by the govt. and his families land was taken.. he has a different view than danny glover, sean penn, and the other hollywood nimrods who think chavez is a great guy and is for the people.
so you are wondering what the similarities with america are. well what goes on here isn't so in your face...but the parties do promises "money" in the forms of "tax breaks" and " stimulus packages." our govt controls the public school and university systems. they do take private land away from owners in the guise of benefiting the community as a whole with some highway or park or whatever. now they are pumping made up money into the financial and banking systems and getting some ownership..in some cases deciding control. let's take freddie and fannie. if you were a stock holder guess what when the govt came in your stock was wiped out. you lost everything. nothing comes your way from the govt to compensate you. sounding like venezuela a bit isn't it...just done more stealthy. the media is a problem for govt as the pesky thing they'd like to get rid of called the constitution. don't think for a minute that powerful political muscle hasn't been flexed at one time or another to stop media stories. it happens.
well i wont; go as far as saying we like venezuela. if we were than those poor citizens who fled would not have come here. what i am saying is little by little we seem to be headed in that direction...but rather than a dictator who have lots of them called senators who live in office for life. i am also saying chavez buys votes. it is happening here as well. votes are being bought everyday from uneducated and uninformed eligible voters.
call me an idealist, but i have a problem with this. all voter buying in any form should be not only against the law, but regardless of who in a campaign does it the candidate should face the same punishment as the "workers" who always seem to end up the fall guys/gals. the punishment should be being permanently banned from all electable or appointed positions, federal, state, or local. as well as political party positions. if the two parties cared so much about fair voting...you'd see them agree to something like this. the truth is all they really care about is control and power....and all the money that comes along with it.
one form i see in this election is promising voters big tax breaks. here's the rub...most people get money back. how can you give a big income tax break to those who don't earn enough to actually pay any real income taxes? well it's likely all campaign promises...but if they did figure out a way to give people money back who aren't paying in....you can apply that to at least 50% of america......and your going to send them checks...well that to me falls under buying voters.
another form is sending vans to round up homeless people and taking them to vote while providing coffee and doughnuts, sometimes even cash.....well this is buying voters. yeah allot of these homeless people voices should be heard...but voting is not hard and costs nothing. it's is not unconstitutional to not allow free rides, coffee, doughnuts or cash to get voters to the polling station. think about it. if someone hands you money whether its in food or cash...and tells you to vote for "so and so" what is that person going to do? make their own decision...i think not. they don't watch tv, listen to the radio, or read newspapers. they don't follow politics. if they did they would be voting and not needing rides and free stuff. sorry but i consider engaging in this type of "voter rallying" as unconstitutional. this is nothing new by the way it's a common element in modern campaigns.
well i'm going to share another country and tell me you don't see similarities going on. lets' take a wonderful free country like venezuela. chavez has taken over the media. taken over the oil. taken over personal property. taken over other private businesses. controlling the schools...well this isn't unique is it? why you ask? well let's see. if you control the media than you control the information the voters hear and see. if you control the oil, the huge money that comes from it allows you to subsidize fuel to around $0.12 a gallon, and create "social programs" that benefit the majority in that country of the voters. the poor uneducated people. if you take over private housing and distribute it to the majority of voters...once again you win over large voting blocks. if you control businesses you can set the selling rates and make the people (voters) happy when you need to. if you control the education system, you can make sure people do not learn how to think for themselves. all designed to influence and control the people (voters), and get them to do what you want.
well talk to any of the people who fled to this country from venezuela and see how great things were there, if you're a skeptic. i work with one who's apartment was stolen by the govt. and his families land was taken.. he has a different view than danny glover, sean penn, and the other hollywood nimrods who think chavez is a great guy and is for the people.
so you are wondering what the similarities with america are. well what goes on here isn't so in your face...but the parties do promises "money" in the forms of "tax breaks" and " stimulus packages." our govt controls the public school and university systems. they do take private land away from owners in the guise of benefiting the community as a whole with some highway or park or whatever. now they are pumping made up money into the financial and banking systems and getting some ownership..in some cases deciding control. let's take freddie and fannie. if you were a stock holder guess what when the govt came in your stock was wiped out. you lost everything. nothing comes your way from the govt to compensate you. sounding like venezuela a bit isn't it...just done more stealthy. the media is a problem for govt as the pesky thing they'd like to get rid of called the constitution. don't think for a minute that powerful political muscle hasn't been flexed at one time or another to stop media stories. it happens.
well i wont; go as far as saying we like venezuela. if we were than those poor citizens who fled would not have come here. what i am saying is little by little we seem to be headed in that direction...but rather than a dictator who have lots of them called senators who live in office for life. i am also saying chavez buys votes. it is happening here as well. votes are being bought everyday from uneducated and uninformed eligible voters.
call me an idealist, but i have a problem with this. all voter buying in any form should be not only against the law, but regardless of who in a campaign does it the candidate should face the same punishment as the "workers" who always seem to end up the fall guys/gals. the punishment should be being permanently banned from all electable or appointed positions, federal, state, or local. as well as political party positions. if the two parties cared so much about fair voting...you'd see them agree to something like this. the truth is all they really care about is control and power....and all the money that comes along with it.
the govt wants to modify homes loans....whoaa..hold on a minute....
news has popped a non detailed story on how our govt wants to modify home loans to keep people in foreclosure from losing their homes. now i'll be the first to say the details aren't out there yet as i am writing this or i haven't found them...but i have some major problems with this idea. the only thing being said right now is that mortgage rates will be modified (lowered) for a 5 year term.
my first problem is what about those who are on time paying? why should they not enjoy the same treatment of a lowered rate for the same 5 years? is this what our country has come to...punishing those who follow the rules and made wise decisions? yet doing whatever to help bail out those who didn't?
my next issue is besides it being applied unfairly but punishing those who pay their bills, and find a way to make needs meet, is how are they going to make sure this isn't abused. i mean people with large families who own multiple homes and get rental income off the books? or second homes or even people who even after the 5 years still aren't going to be able to meet up to their promises? not to mention who;'s going to say how much. right now everyone has different rates they pay based on credit scores. are they going to allow bankruptcy judges to make that call under some "guidelines," so those who are connected do better than those who aren't?
then i think about who owns these mortgages. it's not all robber barons. it also includes union pensions, state run pensions, small foreign cities, many different groups that when broken down aren't all rich guys with fat cigars in their mouths. these buyers who signed a legal document and agreed to the terms, and not keeping up their end of the bargain. these pension holders who rely on this income at a certain rate are going to get less. that is hardly fair or just. it will also affect mortgage buying in the future. groups knowing that at any time the govt could change the legal terms at their will...well it means a bad investment. this will have huge ramifications.
then there is talk and i'll clarify just talk at this point about altering the principal amounts. joe biden said it, in his debate with sarah palin. the ramifications of this would shake and shatter what is left of the financial world. you cannot just change the contract because you want to and someone who didn't plan ahead for hard times decides they don't want to deal with the consequences of their actions.
no i have to say i think this is a stupid plan. on paper it seems like a good idea..but the long and even short term results/ramifications are not so good.
once again..i am starting to believe in this country is you do the right thing, play by the rules, and follow through on your obligations...you get punished.
my first problem is what about those who are on time paying? why should they not enjoy the same treatment of a lowered rate for the same 5 years? is this what our country has come to...punishing those who follow the rules and made wise decisions? yet doing whatever to help bail out those who didn't?
my next issue is besides it being applied unfairly but punishing those who pay their bills, and find a way to make needs meet, is how are they going to make sure this isn't abused. i mean people with large families who own multiple homes and get rental income off the books? or second homes or even people who even after the 5 years still aren't going to be able to meet up to their promises? not to mention who;'s going to say how much. right now everyone has different rates they pay based on credit scores. are they going to allow bankruptcy judges to make that call under some "guidelines," so those who are connected do better than those who aren't?
then i think about who owns these mortgages. it's not all robber barons. it also includes union pensions, state run pensions, small foreign cities, many different groups that when broken down aren't all rich guys with fat cigars in their mouths. these buyers who signed a legal document and agreed to the terms, and not keeping up their end of the bargain. these pension holders who rely on this income at a certain rate are going to get less. that is hardly fair or just. it will also affect mortgage buying in the future. groups knowing that at any time the govt could change the legal terms at their will...well it means a bad investment. this will have huge ramifications.
then there is talk and i'll clarify just talk at this point about altering the principal amounts. joe biden said it, in his debate with sarah palin. the ramifications of this would shake and shatter what is left of the financial world. you cannot just change the contract because you want to and someone who didn't plan ahead for hard times decides they don't want to deal with the consequences of their actions.
no i have to say i think this is a stupid plan. on paper it seems like a good idea..but the long and even short term results/ramifications are not so good.
once again..i am starting to believe in this country is you do the right thing, play by the rules, and follow through on your obligations...you get punished.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
living within ones means..and what it really means...
well i read story after story of heartbreaking loss of home and livelihood. one constant that appears in each case is what i want to address today, in my first entry. how to live within ones' means.
of course, every situation is a unique one, but i'll stick to the basics.
what does it mean to live within one's means? most people think they know the answer, but it's become rather obvious allot of people do not. it means to set up your life so that your priorities are set in stone. it means finding shelter that you can not only afford on one income, but even if you had to take a pay cut. it means not keeping up with the jones. it means learning to resist the temptation to spend on things you do not need. it means saving for disasters that may or may not pop up. it's all about setting up a budget and living with in it.
i stated some of the basics...but i'll add some more as i go. your first priority is your job. forget about if you hate it or feel you deserve better, etc. without a job, living is impossible. in this market work can be the first problem. i won't go in to how to find a job...there is plenty of info on that out on the web. i'll stick to how to keep your job. first thing no matter how bad you've been at your job if you still have one it is salvageable. in this market to stay employed in a business that isn't folding, but is cutting back..you need to be the best there is. which means, the first to show up in the morning. the last to leave at night. the go to person who knows how to get stuff done. you need to work on understanding your place in the workplace and how what you do interacts and effects others. you have to understand how other people around interact with your job. never call in sick or take hooky days off. if they send you home for being sick, so be it, but make sure it's known you are a company person and you put the company before yourself. even if that isn't true...do your best to make it look that way. always be honest to everyone. never participate in the blame game. rather be the first to jump in and work towards the solution instead of pointing the fingers at every other department. in meetings don't bring just problems to the table, bring solutions with it. (thanks to robert b. for that tip.) limit your vacation time to work best for your employer. you need to work on cross training yourself, so that if someone is sick and stuff needs to be done in another department...you are going to be the person who can get it done.
the other thing is the dreadful office politics. this is a touchy subject and you have to play your hand very carefully. it's best to be liked and appreciated by all your supervisors and their supervisors and up. as well as your co-workers and those under you. never burn any bridges. you never know when someone you are over and hate might become your boss. stay out of political discussions. stay neutral when you need to. take sides when you have to. play the game. in other words if all things are equal when it comes to layoff time. you are going to be the person who not only can do what everyone can or better, but they like you better. there is no guarantees when it comes to layoffs, but the more you stack in favor for yourself the better your odds are at retaining that job. it also can't hurt when promotion time comes. now keep in mind this is a continued effort. it's not something that pays off in a week or month or even 6 months. it takes years without slack. not an easy task...but remember without a job you cannot survive.
now i put work as your number one priority and in reality it should be your family, but without work your family isn't fed, sheltered, or taken care of, so if need be make them a tie for number one with a lean towards work.
number two priority is a workable budget. i know everyone hates budgets, even me. they are hard to setup and harder to maintain. think of it this way. once you set it up, you will have to make adjustments. no one does it perfectly the first time. so set up one and run with it and change it as you need, to include bills you forgot about, etc. in budgets the first priority is your housing. never ever go above one income. i know this sucks. you might not be able to live in the hot spot of town or in as big a house or with as big a yard or in an apartment with as many rooms and a pool, etc as you want. the key here is survival. playing smart pays off during not only boom economies but busts like the one we are in, as well. my strategy has always been to pay off a mortgage as soon as possible. fixed rates, no adjustable. the lowest years you can afford under one income. now use common sense here. if your wife/husband makes 150k a year and you make 25k a year and they lose their job...well your income isn't going to support the big home you purchased. so go with the lower income or use a formula to figure half of each. whatever works to give you the most bucks, but also can be maintained under hard times. do not forget to include property taxes, insurance, hoa fees and/or any other bills.
hard times will come. it's not a matter of if it's only when. cars break, roofs need replacing, people get sick, parents need help....stuff happens. so plan ahead.
the next priority is your food and gas budget. food pricing are rising fast. it doesn't mean you have to eat romon noodles though. plan out meals to fit your set budget. forget about frozen and other convenience foods. whole bags of rice and good cheap cuts of meat are far cheaper and feed more and are healthier. each person eats different stuff, so buy what you and your family will eat, but make a shopping list and stick with wholesome foods that can feed allot for less than frozen stuff and other quickie items. do not variate from your list. resist all temptations to grab that snack item not on your list. a couple bucks may not seem like allot at the time, but money has a way of adding up quickly. don't be afraid of generic brands. breaking the brand name grip can be very liberating and truth be told allot of the generics come out of the same factories the brands come from. there will be things you can't compromise on like for me sodas. i like coke. and rc. i can;'t find rc anymore, and i hate pepsi and the generics so i won't compromise on that, but when it comes to canned foods and meats...you can bet i pass over doles and tysons for generics. on fuel whether diesel/gas/bio diesel/electric/ng, whatever you vehicle runs on. set a budget based on need distances. which include work, kids soccer trip, whatever. stick to your budget on fuel. do not give in to added trips that you want, but don't need. if you drive your kids to school now consider the bus. you pay for it in property taxes. if it saves you fuel you could use to take the kids to put put golf or whatever it's worth it. i rode the bus my whole life and it's good for kids. it teaches them independence and timeliness and not mention a sense of pride and accomplishment. forget about stranger danger. the odds are a family member friendly neighbor or close family friend would be the one to kidnap molest your kid(s). not some stranger. the odds are very, very low. stop watching cable news and letting them scare you to death. the world is much safer than we realize.
next priority is putting some aside for disasters. this is a hard one to budget for. no one knows when disaster will strike or how much it will cost, but trust me having a pile of money no matter how big or small will make that disaster less stressful than it needs to be on the financial side. my advice is to stock away as much as possible. you can always allocate it to other areas down the road such as a new car down payment or whatever. so it's not wasted, it's smart.
on that note car payments. i always keep a portion of my income towards covering car payments. even after the car is payed for. my reasoning is cars break down. cars need to be replaced at some point. by keeping it in my budget i am able to not take that dreaded cars busted what am i going to do now routine i see so many go through. i can use it to fix the cars i own or use it for a down payment to lower my car payment when i replace them. another way car payment or repairs never really go away. so it's smart to keep it in your budget. once again, you can always allocate it to another area if need be. so it's never wasted.
bills...well i go through them quarterly and decide what i need and don't need. for example on personal note. last quarter i reviewed my bills and singled out my land line phone and my netflixs. i like both, but i realized i didn't use my land line and didn't need it. so i cut it adding another $65 bucks to my budget. my netflixs...i love movies, but i realized i only really watch a handful every few months and i do have movie channels on cable...so i decided to cut it adding another $15 bucks to my budget. i now have $75 bucks to apply to whatever i need/want. i decided to sue it on entertainment since it kind of came from that area anyways. so now i go o0ut to eat with these funds and i don't have to put those charges on a credit card to make minimal payments on. so do the same review your checkbook quarterly or monthly and look for stuff you can cut. lawn service is always a good one. pool service is another good one. there is sometimes more than you realize, so it's smart to review what you are paying monthly for and need or don't need.
savings. this is the hard one. i like the idea of 6 months of survival money. meaning all luxuries like cable tv cut off and phone, just eating, electric, water, etc. not an easy amount to reach...but remember you don't have to hit that mark tomorrow. if you're lucky you'll never need it...if you are not you'll be glad you have it. once again it can be combined into the disaster funds or run separate, and if you want to cut it back you can allocate it to other areas. it's never wasted. to clarify i am not talking about 401k saving at work. this would be above and beyond that like a roth ira or an ira or whatever investments for retirement. also used as layed off looking for work but still be able to make mortgage payments and feed the family.
now let's variate and talk about credit cards. this is maybe the worst form of financing there is. you need to understand financing and how to find the right form for the task at hand. credit cards are great to use on purchases like fuel and food and pay off in full at the end of the cycle or monthly. they are terrible to use as financing on buying things you can't afford like a plasma tv, car down payment, kitchen remodel, etc. there are much better loans for these activities. ones that first have an end date and second a fixed interest amount that is manageable. never ever use credit cards as a rescue line or way to float yourself through a bad time. the interest is calculated monthly on these cards and is quite high. you can get a fixed credit line at a bank with a much lower interest rate and an end date to pay it off in full. there is allot confusion on credit cards and how they work. first and foremost forget about the minimal payment amount. to simplify it so you get it.... that dollar amount pays just the interest on the loan on the card, not the principal. the interest is money you pay on the loan. for example a $1000 tv on a credit card. each card is different so i'll make up number to give you an idea of how it works...by no means is it exact. first month the minimal payment is $15 bucks. so you think okay 15 bucks a month. i can afford that. i can buy more. stop right there. no you can't. you would just be mostly paying the interest on that loan on the card...not applying almost anything towards the $1000 you borrowed. the rule of thumb on using credit cards is this simple. if you don't have the cash in your pocket, you cannot afford it. if that seems a little too harsh for you then use this rule...if you can't pay it off in three months time then think again. credit is misleading. just because you are approved for 5k in credit...you need to stop and think can i afford to pay back 5k and interest?
okay so i've bantered on about budgeting and ideas that i actually use...back to the original statement. living within your means. it means this if you are living paycheck to paycheck you are setting yourself up for stress and disaster. it will affect your marriage, relationships, health, you name it. this is not within your means.
i know what you are thinking...that's easy if you make big money, but i don't. how can i save for disasters and car payment s for cars i don't have, and the like? i have the answer but you are not going to like it. you are going to have to downscale your life. add a second job. if your wife is a stay at home mom, see if she can get a work at home job. whatever it takes. nothing done right is ever easy...but mark my words you won't be sorry. when your house is paid for and you can afford to live there on a burger king job and your neighbors are being foreclosed on and pulling their hair out..well you look back and think about all the trendy gadgets like the ipods you neighbors bragged in your face about and you won't regret missing any of that junk. look the key is you have to live life and have some fun, but it takes a balance. you can't eat your cake and have it too...but you can set up your life to enjoy financial security and have some of the finer things in life as well. ultimately...it's never a waste as if things are going great for you, you can always upgrade, just don't forget about the core principles of a budget and living within one's means and you won't find yourself being foreclosed on and wondering what do i do now.
i found some free budget forms to help setting up your own budget. normally this is the ahrdestpart trying to remember everything. i can't endorse this guy's products as i haven't researched him...but his free budget forms i reviewed and i think thye are great starting tools. worth a try....
this one is the basic budget form. the one i'd try first.
http://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/fpu_qbudget.pdf
this one is the monthly cash flow. a little more advanced, but just more columns really.
http://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/fpu_monthly_cash_flow_plan_forms.pdf
this one is for those work jobs with fluctuating income such as servers, bar tenders, sales people, and the like.
http://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/fpu_monthly_cash_flow_plan_forms.pdf
now the forms are not that advanced with is a good thing and you can alter to fit your own needs better, but for starting out these can't hurt. what i also like about this guy (who is selling stuff, so do your own research beofre you decide you want his products) is he does a nice intro to help you on your way to utilizing these forms. once again a warning i cannot endorse his products as i never have purcashed one or tried it, but i think these free forms are a useful tool to start with since it costs you nothing. always do your own complete research before purchasing anything.
of course, every situation is a unique one, but i'll stick to the basics.
what does it mean to live within one's means? most people think they know the answer, but it's become rather obvious allot of people do not. it means to set up your life so that your priorities are set in stone. it means finding shelter that you can not only afford on one income, but even if you had to take a pay cut. it means not keeping up with the jones. it means learning to resist the temptation to spend on things you do not need. it means saving for disasters that may or may not pop up. it's all about setting up a budget and living with in it.
i stated some of the basics...but i'll add some more as i go. your first priority is your job. forget about if you hate it or feel you deserve better, etc. without a job, living is impossible. in this market work can be the first problem. i won't go in to how to find a job...there is plenty of info on that out on the web. i'll stick to how to keep your job. first thing no matter how bad you've been at your job if you still have one it is salvageable. in this market to stay employed in a business that isn't folding, but is cutting back..you need to be the best there is. which means, the first to show up in the morning. the last to leave at night. the go to person who knows how to get stuff done. you need to work on understanding your place in the workplace and how what you do interacts and effects others. you have to understand how other people around interact with your job. never call in sick or take hooky days off. if they send you home for being sick, so be it, but make sure it's known you are a company person and you put the company before yourself. even if that isn't true...do your best to make it look that way. always be honest to everyone. never participate in the blame game. rather be the first to jump in and work towards the solution instead of pointing the fingers at every other department. in meetings don't bring just problems to the table, bring solutions with it. (thanks to robert b. for that tip.) limit your vacation time to work best for your employer. you need to work on cross training yourself, so that if someone is sick and stuff needs to be done in another department...you are going to be the person who can get it done.
the other thing is the dreadful office politics. this is a touchy subject and you have to play your hand very carefully. it's best to be liked and appreciated by all your supervisors and their supervisors and up. as well as your co-workers and those under you. never burn any bridges. you never know when someone you are over and hate might become your boss. stay out of political discussions. stay neutral when you need to. take sides when you have to. play the game. in other words if all things are equal when it comes to layoff time. you are going to be the person who not only can do what everyone can or better, but they like you better. there is no guarantees when it comes to layoffs, but the more you stack in favor for yourself the better your odds are at retaining that job. it also can't hurt when promotion time comes. now keep in mind this is a continued effort. it's not something that pays off in a week or month or even 6 months. it takes years without slack. not an easy task...but remember without a job you cannot survive.
now i put work as your number one priority and in reality it should be your family, but without work your family isn't fed, sheltered, or taken care of, so if need be make them a tie for number one with a lean towards work.
number two priority is a workable budget. i know everyone hates budgets, even me. they are hard to setup and harder to maintain. think of it this way. once you set it up, you will have to make adjustments. no one does it perfectly the first time. so set up one and run with it and change it as you need, to include bills you forgot about, etc. in budgets the first priority is your housing. never ever go above one income. i know this sucks. you might not be able to live in the hot spot of town or in as big a house or with as big a yard or in an apartment with as many rooms and a pool, etc as you want. the key here is survival. playing smart pays off during not only boom economies but busts like the one we are in, as well. my strategy has always been to pay off a mortgage as soon as possible. fixed rates, no adjustable. the lowest years you can afford under one income. now use common sense here. if your wife/husband makes 150k a year and you make 25k a year and they lose their job...well your income isn't going to support the big home you purchased. so go with the lower income or use a formula to figure half of each. whatever works to give you the most bucks, but also can be maintained under hard times. do not forget to include property taxes, insurance, hoa fees and/or any other bills.
hard times will come. it's not a matter of if it's only when. cars break, roofs need replacing, people get sick, parents need help....stuff happens. so plan ahead.
the next priority is your food and gas budget. food pricing are rising fast. it doesn't mean you have to eat romon noodles though. plan out meals to fit your set budget. forget about frozen and other convenience foods. whole bags of rice and good cheap cuts of meat are far cheaper and feed more and are healthier. each person eats different stuff, so buy what you and your family will eat, but make a shopping list and stick with wholesome foods that can feed allot for less than frozen stuff and other quickie items. do not variate from your list. resist all temptations to grab that snack item not on your list. a couple bucks may not seem like allot at the time, but money has a way of adding up quickly. don't be afraid of generic brands. breaking the brand name grip can be very liberating and truth be told allot of the generics come out of the same factories the brands come from. there will be things you can't compromise on like for me sodas. i like coke. and rc. i can;'t find rc anymore, and i hate pepsi and the generics so i won't compromise on that, but when it comes to canned foods and meats...you can bet i pass over doles and tysons for generics. on fuel whether diesel/gas/bio diesel/electric/ng, whatever you vehicle runs on. set a budget based on need distances. which include work, kids soccer trip, whatever. stick to your budget on fuel. do not give in to added trips that you want, but don't need. if you drive your kids to school now consider the bus. you pay for it in property taxes. if it saves you fuel you could use to take the kids to put put golf or whatever it's worth it. i rode the bus my whole life and it's good for kids. it teaches them independence and timeliness and not mention a sense of pride and accomplishment. forget about stranger danger. the odds are a family member friendly neighbor or close family friend would be the one to kidnap molest your kid(s). not some stranger. the odds are very, very low. stop watching cable news and letting them scare you to death. the world is much safer than we realize.
next priority is putting some aside for disasters. this is a hard one to budget for. no one knows when disaster will strike or how much it will cost, but trust me having a pile of money no matter how big or small will make that disaster less stressful than it needs to be on the financial side. my advice is to stock away as much as possible. you can always allocate it to other areas down the road such as a new car down payment or whatever. so it's not wasted, it's smart.
on that note car payments. i always keep a portion of my income towards covering car payments. even after the car is payed for. my reasoning is cars break down. cars need to be replaced at some point. by keeping it in my budget i am able to not take that dreaded cars busted what am i going to do now routine i see so many go through. i can use it to fix the cars i own or use it for a down payment to lower my car payment when i replace them. another way car payment or repairs never really go away. so it's smart to keep it in your budget. once again, you can always allocate it to another area if need be. so it's never wasted.
bills...well i go through them quarterly and decide what i need and don't need. for example on personal note. last quarter i reviewed my bills and singled out my land line phone and my netflixs. i like both, but i realized i didn't use my land line and didn't need it. so i cut it adding another $65 bucks to my budget. my netflixs...i love movies, but i realized i only really watch a handful every few months and i do have movie channels on cable...so i decided to cut it adding another $15 bucks to my budget. i now have $75 bucks to apply to whatever i need/want. i decided to sue it on entertainment since it kind of came from that area anyways. so now i go o0ut to eat with these funds and i don't have to put those charges on a credit card to make minimal payments on. so do the same review your checkbook quarterly or monthly and look for stuff you can cut. lawn service is always a good one. pool service is another good one. there is sometimes more than you realize, so it's smart to review what you are paying monthly for and need or don't need.
savings. this is the hard one. i like the idea of 6 months of survival money. meaning all luxuries like cable tv cut off and phone, just eating, electric, water, etc. not an easy amount to reach...but remember you don't have to hit that mark tomorrow. if you're lucky you'll never need it...if you are not you'll be glad you have it. once again it can be combined into the disaster funds or run separate, and if you want to cut it back you can allocate it to other areas. it's never wasted. to clarify i am not talking about 401k saving at work. this would be above and beyond that like a roth ira or an ira or whatever investments for retirement. also used as layed off looking for work but still be able to make mortgage payments and feed the family.
now let's variate and talk about credit cards. this is maybe the worst form of financing there is. you need to understand financing and how to find the right form for the task at hand. credit cards are great to use on purchases like fuel and food and pay off in full at the end of the cycle or monthly. they are terrible to use as financing on buying things you can't afford like a plasma tv, car down payment, kitchen remodel, etc. there are much better loans for these activities. ones that first have an end date and second a fixed interest amount that is manageable. never ever use credit cards as a rescue line or way to float yourself through a bad time. the interest is calculated monthly on these cards and is quite high. you can get a fixed credit line at a bank with a much lower interest rate and an end date to pay it off in full. there is allot confusion on credit cards and how they work. first and foremost forget about the minimal payment amount. to simplify it so you get it.... that dollar amount pays just the interest on the loan on the card, not the principal. the interest is money you pay on the loan. for example a $1000 tv on a credit card. each card is different so i'll make up number to give you an idea of how it works...by no means is it exact. first month the minimal payment is $15 bucks. so you think okay 15 bucks a month. i can afford that. i can buy more. stop right there. no you can't. you would just be mostly paying the interest on that loan on the card...not applying almost anything towards the $1000 you borrowed. the rule of thumb on using credit cards is this simple. if you don't have the cash in your pocket, you cannot afford it. if that seems a little too harsh for you then use this rule...if you can't pay it off in three months time then think again. credit is misleading. just because you are approved for 5k in credit...you need to stop and think can i afford to pay back 5k and interest?
okay so i've bantered on about budgeting and ideas that i actually use...back to the original statement. living within your means. it means this if you are living paycheck to paycheck you are setting yourself up for stress and disaster. it will affect your marriage, relationships, health, you name it. this is not within your means.
i know what you are thinking...that's easy if you make big money, but i don't. how can i save for disasters and car payment s for cars i don't have, and the like? i have the answer but you are not going to like it. you are going to have to downscale your life. add a second job. if your wife is a stay at home mom, see if she can get a work at home job. whatever it takes. nothing done right is ever easy...but mark my words you won't be sorry. when your house is paid for and you can afford to live there on a burger king job and your neighbors are being foreclosed on and pulling their hair out..well you look back and think about all the trendy gadgets like the ipods you neighbors bragged in your face about and you won't regret missing any of that junk. look the key is you have to live life and have some fun, but it takes a balance. you can't eat your cake and have it too...but you can set up your life to enjoy financial security and have some of the finer things in life as well. ultimately...it's never a waste as if things are going great for you, you can always upgrade, just don't forget about the core principles of a budget and living within one's means and you won't find yourself being foreclosed on and wondering what do i do now.
i found some free budget forms to help setting up your own budget. normally this is the ahrdestpart trying to remember everything. i can't endorse this guy's products as i haven't researched him...but his free budget forms i reviewed and i think thye are great starting tools. worth a try....
this one is the basic budget form. the one i'd try first.
http://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/fpu_qbudget.pdf
this one is the monthly cash flow. a little more advanced, but just more columns really.
http://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/fpu_monthly_cash_flow_plan_forms.pdf
this one is for those work jobs with fluctuating income such as servers, bar tenders, sales people, and the like.
http://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/fpu_monthly_cash_flow_plan_forms.pdf
now the forms are not that advanced with is a good thing and you can alter to fit your own needs better, but for starting out these can't hurt. what i also like about this guy (who is selling stuff, so do your own research beofre you decide you want his products) is he does a nice intro to help you on your way to utilizing these forms. once again a warning i cannot endorse his products as i never have purcashed one or tried it, but i think these free forms are a useful tool to start with since it costs you nothing. always do your own complete research before purchasing anything.
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