Credit: The American Way of Life?

Ok folks, I am going to plead a great deal of ignorance here but am speaking from the heart. I have no problem being corrected on the following information and the subject matter is nothing more than my opinion. How do we, as consumers, get to the point in a "capitalistic" society where our entire existence and ability to buy things is determined by a "score" that is set by nothing more than a formula determined by three companies that have no knowledge of who we are? It seems that we cannot buy a house, car, and in some cases, get a job, because of what these three companies decide what value we have in society. Of course I am talking about our credit scores. The more I see their impact and how much of what we need in life is determined by what they think we are able to pay, the more I am seeing signs of a situation where a "higher" authority is determining our worth as human beings. For all I know, most of us work hard for the money we have. In many cases we spend a lot on such things as a college degree in order to get these positions of employment. As a result, we start our futures already in debt. Lets throw in the fact that we need a place to live, transportation, health care and an assortment of other "life sustaining" essentials. Is it any wonder that most of us start out our futures in debt? Now lets add to that the fact that we have three companies out there determining what we are worth and capable of paying for other needs with absolutely no knowledge of our personal situations, what we do for a living, our other responsibilities, etc. Yet, these same companies are the ones who determine whether we can purchase a house, a car, furniture or even open up a checking account. Is this fair? In my opinion, it reeks of a system in which only those with a certain degree of wealth have any position in this country. How many of you out there have pristine credit scores but are living paycheck to paycheck? I will not deny that there are those who do exist but I would also venture an opinion that the number is in the extreme minority. As such, it seems that those in control of these "scores" are those that can afford the luxury of establishing wealth and the resulting scores that accompany their situations. To us, the more common citizens of this country, we have no choice but to bow down to the rules set forth by these companies and do everything they say in order for us to have any chance of living the "American dream" of home ownership, a car, a decent job, etc. In my ever to be humble opinion, we need to stop this situation and let people have the ability to show their worthiness and financial responsibility without the need to conform to set formulas and bowing to the wishes of the few that feel the need to control our society.

In my next opinion, I will go even further and discuss how capitalism has sunk America further into moral decay by allowing unethical business practices to flourish all for the sake of the almighty dollar. Stay tuned!

Thank you Michael Moore

While there were times I disagreed with Mr. Moore on his politics, I found myself agreeing more and more (no pun intended) on his views as his documentaries presented themselves. His latest "Capitalism, A Love Story" was one on which I had divergent opinions. On the one hand, capitalism is good and supports what we, as Americans, have come to see as the freedom of opportunity to succeed with a strong work ethic and dedication to living up to our highest potential. However, the rise of capitalism, by its very nature, breed greed and such a lust for profit that has become so distorted from its original intent as to border on the criminal. I actually feel as if there is so little conscience left in American business that stepping all over people to get what you want is something that is, or should be, taught in every business class. The thirst for profit at any cost has relegated human life to nothing more than a statistic. Those in any position of power seem to think they have the ability to control every aspect of our lives and dictate what we can and should accept as important to our existence. Of course, this can only happen because we act as sheep and blindly follow what we are told to follow through advertising, television shows, music, etc. We have become a nation of followers and more significantly, worshipers of the "gods" we see on television. The athletes, reality stars, real housewives, etc have become those we wish to be and the more we accept them, the more we become true Americans. God forbid we want to become scientists, teachers or humanitarians. Worse, even our elected officials do nothing more than try to become lifelong politicians with no accountability. We need some sanity and some review of our priorities and it needs to happen soon. If not, we will end up in a situation where the only people with valid opinions will be those that have money and can control a media designed to control our behavior. Sadly, it has already begun but so many of us are too busy buying into their propaganda to realize it.

Aidan loved his Easter

Aidan had a great time learning about the Easter bunny and what he means to all of us on this holiday. He loved that the Easter Bunny left eggs for him to find while also providing him with ample opportunities to engage in eating chocolate. While I d not promote the regular influx of candy and other sugar-related foods, Meredith convinced me that it is merely the one day where he should enjoy all that Easter Bunny provides.

Great Easter Quake Follow-up

I think we must have had at least 50 quakes since the "big one." Every
so often everything begins to shake. Fortunately, it does not last long but you never know if its going to be another huge one. I think the worst part of this is the fact that everything is closed. Gas stations have lines that extend out into the streets and stores are shut down because of damage, etc. I am on Spring break and cannot do simple things like go to Home Depot to get things for the house, etc. I am sure its only for a few days now. Its not like we live in Haiti and
have to live in tents (although this town comes awfully close). I was thinking this morning--I wonder how Best Buy looks? Can you imagine how everything is off the shelves and crushed? I have yet to go to my office to see the damage there. I have shelves and file cabinets full of music and so many things hanging on the walls, I dread having to go there and see what I have to clean. I will let you all know if it is bad. I will even send pictures for your enjoyment. Roads are closed because of sink holes and even part of I-8 is one lane because of damage. It really is not as bad as it seems but the fact that it happened is intriguing enough. Meredith is feeling afraid because of Aidan and the fact that earthquakes really scare her. I empathize with her but I feel a bit cooped up in that she wishes I forgo my trips to the gym alone so I can burn off the flab that accumulates from sitting on my ass all day. When we do have to go out, she insists that we all go together. It's kind of sweet in a way but can be a bit overbearing. Seriously, its not that dire and regardless of what the news says (if they say anything since I have yet to watch it), its very mild and over exaggerated. Its more of a novelty than anything. Meredith asked Aidan if he liked the earthquake and of course he responded with a resounding "yes." I would agree because it was like a roller coaster without the loops. Things are getting back to normal and the aftershocks are becoming so regular that its almost expected. As soon as the DirecTV guy comes out on Thursday, I will feel whole again (I think our dish got a bit out of alignment). I ramble and carry on because of the uniqueness of the situation. It almost feels like Beaumont after that hurricane that closed so many things (I forget which one it was). I know that no one is really concerned and fears for our safety but since I like these kind of phenomenon, I thought I would share the story.

The Great Easter Earthquake of 2010

For those who may not have heard, we have had a pretty large earthquake here in Southern California. In El Centro we felt the brunt of the quake at 7.2. For Meredith and Aidan, it was pretty scary and as a result, we have resorted to sleeping downstairs in case it happens again. No serious damage was noticed although many things did fall off shelves, desks, etc. It was even hard to stand and walk through the halls and down the stairs while it was going on. Since it was Easter we did have an Easter dinner (we ate prior to the quake) and my Green Bean casserole fell from the counter and shattered on the floor, causing me a great deal of distress. We were without power for about 4 hours but nothing more severe has happened. I suppose the biggest problem is the constant after-shocks that never seem to end. Even as I type this, we are feeling them. While they are relatively minor in comparison, you never know if it will be another big one or not. I, personally, find this very interesting and am intrigued by the whole process but Meredith, understandably, is more worried than anything; afraid that the "big one" is going to hit and we are all doomed.

Hello Everybody!

After many suggestions, I have decided to join the multitude of those that feel their lives are so important that they must telegraph their daily activities to the world. Am I a hypocrite or one who loves the idea that my thoughts and opinions are valuable to all of you interested in hearing them? You decide. In the meantime, enjoy, disagree, agree, or whatever suits your fancy, I welcome you and hope that I can at least provide you with a bit of entertainment at the very least.