Digital Switch Postponed

First we were told that if we had a “newer” television, we wouldn’t need a converter box in order to receive the new digital signals. The word “newer” was deceptive, because what they really meant was new. Brand spanking 2007 or 2008 models, anything older would require a box. Okay, then they tell us – hey, don’t panic, the Government is going to supply everyone who needs one a coupon for $40 off the converter box – cost ya $20 bucks at the most and you’ll be good to go. There were a few groans and grumbles – but $20 bucks isn’t gonna kill us – so okay, fair enough. But then…

We are informed that the Government grossly miscalculated the number of people needing boxes, and gee they’re sorry – but the coupon program is broke. Louder groans and grumbles – but it’s just $60 bucks, we can send in the car payment late and get one. But then…

They tell us, oops, ya know – we just never really took into consideration how many of you have rabbit ears and bed springs for antennas and well, it looks like you’re going to be needing a new antenna too.

“A whut? I thought that’s what this here $60 box done.”

Well it does, it does. But it can’t receive the signal itself, you need an antenna to receive the signal and send it to the box. Then the box sends it to your television. In other words, it’s gonna cost you at least $70 more bucks to get that “free” TV signal. Grrrrrr….

So, one $60 box and one $70 antenna later, I think we’re finally ready – so I fire up the TV expecting the other thing we were promised. Remember… more channels? We have exactly what we had before, plus one channel with a 24/7 color test pattern displayed, one Spanish speaking channel, and one never ending – elevator music playing – advertisement rolling – community calendar – local access – something or other. *Oh yes, this was so worth my money! (*snark – in case it wasn‘t obvious.)

The only good thing I have to say about all of this is that, apparently, the digital switch deadline has been postponed until June.

 

Justice and colorblindness for all…

Before I begin this post, let me first say – in no way do I think the African American community non-deserving of their jubilation or celebrations concerning the inauguration of President Barack Obama. In all honesty – it’s about time. But with this said, I do have a few problems as a white female citizen of America, and even more so as a writer.

In all of my 40-some years, I’ve never personally noticed the color of skin more than I did on January 21, 2009 — and I was raised in the South, where to this day we still have some segregated towns and communities. I heard the words, “together”, “unity”, and “American people” said many times by many people during the inauguration services, especially President Obama. However, I also heard an over abundance of color reference being made. If the words “African American” and “black” were used once, they were used a thousand times. The celebration was less about the man – and more so about his color. Now let me say AGAIN – there isn’t anything inherently wrong with this, he is a black African American man, he made history by becoming the 44th President of the United States – and hoopla was to be expected.

However….

For one moment, please reflect back on all of the 43 elections proceeding this one. Think back on all of the inauguration services you’ve either witnessed or read about in your history books. Was there ever – I mean EVER such a celebration over the electorate being white? Now… think hard!

Have you ever saw the American public celebrate the election of a man using the word “white“ in the exaltation?

Now ask yourself why?

The simple answer is it would have been a very discriminatory thing to say, and in very poor taste. The white community have been taught over the years to become sensitive to these connotations, to avoid them, and never cross the imaginary “color line”. Of course it happens, of course there is still prejudice and discrimination – I’m just saying, the white community has came a very long way in curbing the activity.

So, my question to you the reader is – what’s the deal here? The African American community gets a “freebie”, they get this one time shot at drawing the color line and it’s okay?

They can celebrate a man’s color openly and publicly and it’s not discriminatory against people of a different color?

Wait! I’m not trying to incite a riot. I’m actually simply trying to figure out what the rules are now. Is it now okay for me to say that ex-President Bush holds the title of the most disliked white President in history? Is it okay for me to say Kennedy was one of the most liked white Presidents? Can I draw the color line now too? Or am I still supposed to be color blind? Can I celebrate that Hillary Clinton is a white woman? Would it be socially acceptable for me to feel pride in those two things alone, and express that pride publicly? Or would I be considered racist for doing so? Or even worse – a feminist racist?

In my personal opinion it’s high time to lay all of these imaginary lines down – on all sides. We all bleed the same color, no matter the nationality or ethnicity. In 2009, I personally – plan to pay no heed to race, color, gender, religion, or any other category used to create separation. Not that I have in the past, but I am guilty of asking such questions. Most recently I asked if a certain cabinet member elect was Hispanic. This shouldn’t matter, therefore I shouldn’t have even ask. I’ll be spending more time in 2009 correcting my own behavior.

How about you?

 

Unemployed Mothers

In the past when the economy declined and families were having a hard time making ends meet, women were ask to enter into the workforce and provide a second income for the household. With the recession the US in currently experiencing, the trend may well be for some women to return to the home front in order to save money.

The cost of day care, insurance and payments on a second automobile, fuel costs, and the general increased costs of a two parent working family may well be more than some can justify. Obviously if your husband is making a 6 figure income and you’re
not far behind him – or exceeding him – the economy isn’t effecting you as drastically as it may be some lower income families.

However, for argument’s sake, lets say the woman works in a deli for $6.70 an hour, and averages around 35 hours a week, her gross would be $234.50. Of course taxes would have to be held from this, so lets just do a straight across the board 15% for taxes, making her take home pay around $199.32 a week. It she has 2 children, an average day care will run in the neighborhood of $75 per week. Even if her car has only liability insurance coverage, it can run close to an additional $10 per month on the policy. If there’s a car payment added to this, or full coverage insurance – it becomes pretty apparent that she’s working for next to nothing.

Most families with two working parents are forced on occasion to spend a little more on pure convenience as well. For example, maybe one nigh a week is take out food, maybe we buy a morning coffee. There’s a million little ways within a week that we spend a few dollars extra simply for convenience. All of these extra costs add up in the course of a month, and in some cases you may be literally shocked at what it’s costing you – as a Mom – to work. If you were home “running the fort”, most, if not all, of these small costs could be completely eliminated.

The second car could be used for the occasional trip to town. If it’s a financed second car, perhaps you could sell it and purchase one outright for small jaunts about town and get rid of that payment and full coverage insurance.

It’s something to think long and hard on if you’re in the US and feeling
the effects of the current financial pinch that the country is in. In
some cases a stay at home Mom can save more money – simply by being home than she can earn outside the home.

 

Stop Selling Your Gold!

Please, take a moment of your time, and just read this article.

The Federal reserve – The Greatest Scam In History

Then sit back and ask yourself this question.

Who’s buying all of this gold and precious metals – and why are they willing to buy it right now when the metals are at their highest value in history?

The only logical explanation is that the gold is slowly making it’s way back into the Federal Reserve – because the Feds are well aware in the near future that our currency will have little to no value. These metals will be the only thing left of monetary value. Now do you really want to sell all of your gold and precious metals in exchange for what may well become worthless paper?

The marketing behind this scam also amazes me, have you watched an infomercial or heard about “Gold Parties”? Pay close attention to the wording being used. “Sell your old, broken, or unwanted gold jewelry.” Old, broken, unwanted – why not just say the word they’re eluding to? Worthless. These campaigns are carefully designed to make us look at our precious metals and think – it’s just junk, I should cash this in while I still can.

So who’s selling their gold? You won’t like these generalizations, but it’s the cold truth. Upper middle class women and near poverty level men and women. In the 80s gold jewelry was simply a requirement for the well dressed woman, the 90s brought no change to the trend. By the third decade of gold jewelry purchasing – these gals had collected quite a stash. Some they purchased themselves, and some was given to them as gifts. With the darkening economic times we’re experiencing right now – what upper middle class gal wouldn’t like to have a quick and painless cash injection of say… $1,000? That’s a dress, and maybe those shoes too! Not to mention, costume jewelry is the “thing” now days anyway, only those rapper people wear a lot of gold, right? Seriously! This is the mentality being used right now! The second group of people falling victim to this scam are the very poor. Almost everyone no matter how poor – has at least one piece of gold jewelry. Maybe a promise ring from high school, a class ring, an engagement ring from the relationship that went South, Dads watch, or Grandma’s broach. As times get tight, these trinkets loose some of the sentimental value when weighed against a tank of gas to get to work, health care, or even the next meal.

I know what you’re thinking – yeah, maybe you’re right, but what if gold prices hit rock bottom tomorrow? What if you get hit by a bus tomorrow and you never live long enough to get your check?! What if my fanny! Gold and precious metal is always going to have a value, it may fluctuate up and down – but so does currency. Why trade a hard asset for a very unstable paper one, at an extremely low rate of exchange?

Low rate of exchange she said – when gold is at it’s highest value in history – huh! Yes, lowest rate of exchange, I said it. All the gold and precious metal buyers are paying is gold weight. Wikipedia that if you don’t know what it means. Scrap gold weight. Look it up. That promise ring cost Johnny $120 bucks back in 1984 when he thought you were his soul mate. All you’ll get for it from a gold buyer is maybe $12 bucks. Why? Because it weighs less than a pigeon poop – and the tiny diamond is just a bonus you give them for free. You will never get from a gold buyer what you paid for a piece of jewelry – you’d be lucky to even get half.

Even Rachel Ray – whom I adore – has fallen victim to this scam. Ladies from Red Swan told her about their “Gold Parties” – and apparently, it sounded pretty cool, so she had a rep on her show to tell everyone about it. The wording was as careful and clever as ever I have heard it presented, and soon the audience was oohooing and aaahhhing at the money being offered for that “old, broken, and unwanted” jewelry. At one point, Ray herself said – “In my family we call this “found money” and found money should always be spent on completely frivolous and fun things!”

Wake up chica! That ain’t “found money” – you or someone who bought it for you, paid a pretty penny for all that “old, broken, or unwanted” jewelry! If I offered you $100 bucks for your $50,000 car would you be that excited about your “found money” then?? I think not.

 

Freecycle Network

The Freecycle Network is a great grass roots organization who’s primary goal is to keep useable waste from our landfills. What is useable waste? Well, have you ever heard the saying – “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure?” By creating groups on the local level, Freecycle has been able to bring people together where they can offer their unwanted or unused items to other members free of charge or obligation. Most of these groups on set up on Yahoo! Groups, and finding one in your local area is as easy as visiting the Freecycle Network homepage and typing in your location.

These groups are ran by volunteers, and some have implemented an enrollment process in order to cut down on spam and undesirable traffic to the group boards. This is a very simple process in which you’re asked to read all of the terms and conditions of the group and verify your location. Once accepted, you will receive access to the group board and email notifications of new postings if you choose. The boards are moderated, and all attempts are made to keep them local and in accordance to the Freecycle Network rules and guidelines.

If you have something that is no longer of use to you, but still a usable item – it’s the perfect thing to offer on a group board! If you’re in need of a particular item, you might be surprised at what you can find as well. When you give the gift of a useable item to another person, you’re not only helping someone else – you’re helping the whole planet by keeping these items from landfills. Almost all of us have something laying around that’s no longer of use to us. Instead of tossing these items into our landfills, why not give them to another person? By both the act of giving and receiving – we can all work toward a cleaner planet, one item at a time.