R.I.P American Dream

*Today I really urge you to ponder the photo above and what this all really means.

Yesterday was a game changer for our nation. Congress and the Senate showed just how willing they are to flub it up when we need them most. And while it's nice that they are busy bailing out (or rather, not bailing out) Corporate America, still nothing is being done to help you and me directly. What about at least giving deferments for the millions who are behind on mortgage payments? Or maybe adding more duty-free days to the calendar like they do for back-to-school shopping? It would boost the economy, and lighten the load on families nationwide. Or how about a complete moratorium on all taxes for 2009, state, federal, and sales?

I'm not saying that the things I just suggested would work, but at least I hear myself making suggestions. I hear nothing from our elected leaders on how to fix OUR collective messes. Nada. Instead we always get "help" in ways we DON'T need. We don't need another "stimulus package" for us all to blow on DVDs and The Cheesecake Factory, but then that just brings to light the real problem, doesn't it?

Government never told us what to spend the stimulus checks on... but then they already KNEW what we would blow/waste/spend them on. Not on our student loan(s), not on the utility bill(s) that we get cutoff notices for each month because it's already 2 months behind. Nope, instead this summer we spent it on IPhones and The Dark Knight, which is now the 3rd highest grossing movie of ALL-TIME. And which also debuted in theatres the same week that we saw gas prices peak with a national average of $4.09/gallon! The movie has grossed nearly $600 million of your hard earned dollars. And sales for the IPhone have been about half of that or $300 million.

Don't get me wrong, you will never hear @W tell you not to enjoy the fruits of your labor... but many of us are enjoying the fruits of things we haven't even labored for yet! We're selling out our futures for STUFF! Living check-to-check and further entrenching ourselves in the rat-race we claim to hate so much.

Sure, I want you to enjoy the things this life has to offer... just not with a bill collector on your back, and while the credit company earns 20% interest off of you!

So let's have a moment of silence for the Great American Dream. The ride was fun while it lasted, but that doesn't mean that YOUR dreams have to be over because of it. If we learn our lesson this time and dump this mentality of debt, this could actually be the birth of what makes our nation great again.

@W

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The @Risk Bailout Plan...

Dow: Down 778 points in one day...

Congress: On crack...

The current bank that holds my account: Changes by the minute....

Financial outlook: Bleakest we've EVER seen...

Personal Opinion on this whole mess:

THIS IS WHY I NEED TO BE DEBT FREE!!! (And why you do too!)

What are we waiting for? What's it gonna take? Why are you surprised?

And most importantly, what are you going to do about it?

Oh and lets end this on a high note.... this just in: Oil is now $95/barrell!

(See, it aint ALL bad news!)

This too shall pass,

@W







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An Open Letter to my DEBT...

I need this relationship to be over.

I've said it a million times in my head, and I've said it to others about you, but never directly to you . Forgive me if I sound rude or ruthless, but I need this to feel as painful for you as having you in my life was for me.

I'm leaving you behind because you bring nothing but pain and remorse. You are what stands between me and my dreams. You've been the cause of so much strife and confusion in my life. I've thought about YOU more than probabbly anything else in my life, and that's just not right.
You were always good for showing me a good time... And then leaving me stuck with the bill. I cant count the times you told me to freely use you, to rely on you. Only to find out later YOU were using ME!

And when I had exhausted my resources you never lent a hand. Instead you sent merciless goons after me. But time after time I came back to for more because I thought you were the only way. The way to everything I thought I wanted.

I've finally got up the nerve to head out on my own without you. I know you wont miss me cause I never was your 'only'. I'm finally at a point in my life where I can SEE living life without you!
Oh yeah, I'm so through with you! But I want you to know I'm not angry with you. In fact I'm grateful because of what you've allowed me to learn about myself. I'm different from the dude you met in college. Thank you sooo much for putting me up on the game. Now that I know you inside out, you'll never be able to get me back.

So I urge you to enjoy what time you have left with me. I've made a vow to get rid of as much of you as I can each and every day till there's nothing left of you in my life.

Yes it's a slow painful process like climbing a mountain using only your fingers... Or scraping peanut butter out of a jar using a toothpick... But once you're gone I wont ever have to do it again.

I pray my children never meet you. In fact I forbid you from ever coming around them. Going forward you are to keep your hands off of my family... PERIOD!

Again, I'm not mad at you. You were only doing what you were designed to do. Just know that you cant do it to US anymore. I just thought it would only be fair of me to be straight up with you and tell you why I'm leaving you.

I cant wait to be free of you...

@W




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