Financial Freedom

I am about to enter a time of my life that up to now I've never experienced. I'm about a month or two away from owning our minivan. What is the big deal? Well in the past I would keep a car and then sell it before I could pay it off, usually financing the difference and thus sinking further into debt. Yeah I was young, and really stupid. I filed for bankruptcy in 2006. Again because I was rather stupid and I simply could not afford to keep up with two mortgages. Lord knows I tried for almost a year, but I had to call it quits eventually. I think there was a bit of a stigma that I put on myself because nobody wants to default on their mortgage. But because it would not sell, and I bought the home not really understanding that whole process (paid too much). Well I defaulted.

So out for under that rock I will finally emerge plus the car payment, suddenly I'm loaded. Well not really. I have credit cards to pay down, things to buy for my 5 and 8 year old cars (tires, brakes, alignments, and more no doubt), and my current mortgage to worry about. But I really couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel until now. A five year tunnel, and it was a long slog. When you think "Oh when we get this paid off and that paid off... it will be easy street then." but somewhere in my head I always had a voice saying "it will never happen." Well, it looks like it is going to happen and while no... the money will not be pouring in, it will be about $700 more a month. I can't think of anyone who would turn that down.

Yet Another... WTF...Over?

Me and the kids just finished watching Mulan. Apparently Jackie Chan can sing? Who knew? Certainly not me...

Good Does Not Equal Cheap... Or Does It?

I know there is a lot of people up in arms over the Taco Bell thing. Why? I have no idea. How else could you get the tacos so cheap? People just don't think sometimes. I know that tacos from Taco Bell are nasty, but I like them anyway. Have you seen Burger King's BK STUFFED STEAKHOUSE? If anyone claims that is anything better that Taco Bell's taco... they must be smoking crack.

I can't believe BK is trying to sell this... at least they do put their ingredients up for you to see. But anyway I'm torn by this subject. I want the best... but when you pay for the cheapest, you can't really complain when you find out you get anything but the cheapest. I mean if it were 100% ground round, taco's would cost a dollar or two more than they do now. And I'm not sure they would taste any better.

Classic Film Friday: War of the Gargantuas

I really never reviewed any 60 ft monster movies... I think. So that ends today. It seems that almost every 60 ft monster movie takes place in Japan, and this one stays true to that effect. Basically we have a good vs evil thing going on here. But I'd say we see the evil, or green gargantua for at least 75% of the film.

You know right from the start that watching a guy in a dinosaur suit takes some stretching of the imagination. But if you can get past that, then the movie is ok. It is not like watching Cary Grant or Humphrey Bogart, but it does have its place in classic movie-dom. Especially when you consider they didn't have any of the cgi or really any special effects that they have today.

Anyway we are instructed that the green monster is a part of the more peaceful gentler brown gargantua. what is that you say? He is the father of the green monster? No not really, A part of the brown's flesh was torn away from him, and the green monster was the part that was torn... with some added nuclear radiation and whatnot. Hey, remember we are stretching our imaginations right? The green one has a taste for humans, and has an aversion to light... well at fist anyway.

New Politics: New Politics

This group from Denmark and their self titled debut album came out back in June. The teenager told me of this band... of the bands she recommends to me, I find this one to be one of the few I agree that there is potential. See what you think.

Flying Lesson #1

Done With the Cold

So I know it is January, and it is supposed to be cold, and it seems like every year I want it to be cold when it is hot and hot when it is cold. Once Christmas comes and goes... I'm pretty much done with it being cold. By the New Year, forget about it. I'm just sayin... this bit of cold weather is a lot more than I want living in the "little toe" of South Carolina. It has has been in the 30's for a month? maybe two? Crazy talk.

I've lived up North and out West... you know, places where it snows regularly. And we don't have it like they do. 1 we don't really have the heating systems. A heat pump might be economical, but walking around the house wrapped up in a blanket really does not evoke pictures or warmth. It doesn't snow here, so all of the fun sledding, skiing, snowmen, snowball fights... all that stuff, it just doesn't happen. All we really get is cold, damp, and miserable. At least we don't have to worry about car accidents and whatnot from ice storms.

About the only thing I can say is... with all this cold, below freezing weather we've had... going outside on the one or two days it has been above 60, makes it nice because the cold weather killed the mosquito population. Still I need to remember this in July when it is hotter than the devil's ass crack outside. But I'm ready for it to be warmer.