CREDIT CARDS: THE COMPLICATED CONTRACTS

ARE CREDIT CARD CONTRACTS TOO COMPLICATED?

Have you read the contract to your credit card lately? Was it too wordy and long? Or was it just plain complicated? Well, like most Americans reading a credit card contract is impossible. Trying to find the interest rate is next to trying to find a needle in a haystack. If the credit card company is raising your interest rate, would you know it?

“According to Siegel, the current contracts are full of gobbledygook. He insists that it’s a total disregard and disrespectful to the relationship with the consumer. He believes that card companies can make their agreements crystal clear.”

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/19/credit.card.contracts/index.html

Hold up! Wait a minute, here! If that is true, then why don’t all credit card companies simplify the contracts for the consumer? My presumption is this: Credit Card companies do not want simplification. They want confusion. Why? Because once the consumer is confused, then credit card companies can increase their interest rates without any consumer’s prior knowledge.

How clever is that! I am talking about someone pulling the wool over someone else’s eyes. In this case, the more the consumer remains ignorant, the more credit card companies keep their money. It is not enough to watch what you spend. No, it is not even enough to pay all your bills on time. Slowly, but surely rates will go up even after the bill has been paid on time.

However, credit card companies disagree with Siegel. They say that it’s not their fault for the convoluted contracts. In fact, one credit card company said that its part of the government’s fault. So, who is to blame?

In response to this, one credit card company stated,

“Part of it is the nature of contract law. Some of it is required state and federal disclosures, and some of it is the result of court cases that have insisted that certain information, certain words be in the contract,” said Nessa Feddis, senior vice president of the bank group.

Okay, that is fine and dandy. However, it should not take no more than five minutes to read a credit card contract. If ya looking for the interest rates, it should be listed in the first five sentences. This is so ridiculous! No one wants to spend an hour or two reading a contract just for the interest rates.

This is to all Americans who own or have owned a credit card: READ THE CONTRACT! If you find any kind of information that is unclear, call the credit card center. Have them explain it to you. If they cannot, then there is a flaw in the contract that needs to be clarified.

OPRAH ENDS TALK SHOW

OPRAH WINFREY SAYS GOODBYE TO TALK SHOW

When was or is your defining moment? According to most people, Oprah Winfrey was and is their defining moment. Everyday billions of viewers tuned in to watch their favorite talk show. That favorite talk show is The Oprah Winfrey Show.

The Oprah Winfrey Show has remained strong in ratings ever since it aired on television in 1986. For 25 years, Oprah has dominated talk shows all over the world. Everyone watched her show. She transcended all races, gender and ethnic groups. Oprah Winfrey is the Michael Jackson of talk shows.

If you weren’t on The Oprah Winfrey Show, then you were nowhere. Even  celebrities such as Will Smith to Tom Cruise dropped by to chat. Oprah has that kind of magnetic force that draws you in and catches your attention. It is hard not to watch or listen when Oprah is on television.

This is to all the fans out there. Mark your calendars. The last taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show is scheduled for September 2011. The day has not been released yet. So through all the laughs and tears there is still time left to enjoy the show.

I guess most people are wondering, Why end the show? As with the saying, If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it? Well, that sounds right in this matter. I can only speculate the reason why Oprah has decided to end her show. It could be that Oprah’s reason to end the show is much deeper than this.

I assume Oprah has her own personal reasons. There are rumors about Oprah starting her very own network. With that in mind, ending The Oprah Winfrey Show is not ending at all. It is just time to move on. It’s time to move on and start something new. As with Oprah, starting something new that is fresh and innovating for years to come.

I will close with something spoken from the Queen of talk shows. The media calls Oprah, the media mogul. That name fits.

http://www.oprah.com/article/pressroom/pressrelease/20091119-orig-oprah-winfrey-plans-end-tv-talk-show/2

“Here is the real reason: I love this show. This show has been my life. And I love it enough to know when it’s time to say good-bye. 
Twenty-five years feels right in my bones and it feels right in my spirit. It’s the perfect number—the exact right time. So I hope that you will take this 18-month ride with me right through to the final show.”

PRESIDENT OBAMA ON RESTORING AMERICA

DID PRESIDENT OBAMA RESTORED AMERICA?

“I think that we’ve restored America’s standing in the world, and that’s confirmed by polls,” he told CNN’s Ed Henry in a wide-ranging interview this week during his trip to China.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/18/obama.henry/index.html

Today is November 18, 2009. It has been one year since President – elect Obama has taken office. Many questions remain on the minds of Americans. Did President Obama restored America?

On television stations such as CNN, FOX NEWS and ABC seem to be documenting President Obama’s every last sentence. During each interview, President Obama reinstate his administrations goals. There is the talk about the 9/11 terrorists, war in Afghanistan, jobs, economy and unemployment.

However, there is one debate that has dominated the headlines. No, it is not the war in Afghanistan. It is the war on healthcare.

Even President Obama has called the war on healthcare, “There are just a lot of procedural hurdles that explain why health care hasn’t been dealt with in 40, 50, 70 years,” Obama said.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/18/obama.henry/index.html

With that in mind, no wonder so many Americans are upset with their healthcare. So many people don’t have it, so many people can’t afford it, and so many people are afraid they will lose it.

There is also no surprise that many voters are disappointed with the President’s overall performance. Yet, who are we to judge? Did not the voters choose to elect Obama as President? The President is not to blame for a failing economy or job loss. These issues were already present before Obama took office. 

Let’s get the record straight here.

1.  Job increase can only happen when job creation is born. Once job creation is born, then there are more jobs.

2. Unemployment shrinks only when the demand of jobs is more than the unemployed.

3. The Proposal for clean energy will produce new jobs. Once passed, new jobs, unemployment shrinks, cased closed.

I do understand why so many Americans may feel disgruntled. Some people have lost their jobs of 20 years or more. Others have lost their homes. So, to have a President rally, Change We Need sounds like the answer to a distant prayer.

Yet, the Change We Need may not be seen until the next few years. Changes in economy do not change overnight. Job creation must be formed first. As seen with the healthcare debate, this is not an easy process.

The question still remains. Did President Obama restore America? Well, that depends on your current situation. Many people will say “yes” while many others will definitely say “no.”

I can only speak for myself. I will say this: It is much too early to accept any temporary fixes that may need long-term goals. In closing, President Obama states his claim, 

“But I remain confident that we are going to get this done, and we’re going to have a bill that reduces our deficit, bends the cost curve, covers millions of people who don’t have health insurance right now and, for people who do have health insurance, makes their insurance more secure.”

PALIN: FRIEND OR FOE?

SARAH PALIN AND THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

“By necessity, she’s found a way for the Republicans to adopt social media. She has more followers on Facebook than any politician except President Obama. When I checked on Friday, she had close to 15,000 people following her on Twitter.”

http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/11/16/continetti.palin.facebook/index.html

It is Monday, November 16, 2009. At five o’clock media mogul Oprah interviews the one and only Sarah Palin. Did you watch it? If ya missed it, there are some real and raw highlights of who is Sarah Palin.

 http://www.oprah.com/media/20091111-tows-palin-family-decision

This woman introduced to us back in 2008 as the next possible runner for president. It didn’t seem realistic or even plausible. However, she would only become president if something happened to Senator John McCain. Maybe croak of old age?

The sixty-minute interview touched basis on such issues as Saturday Night Lives Tina Fey impersonation of Palin. Talk about funny! That is one woman I swore was the actual Sarah Palin herself. The looks and speech were nailed to perfection.

http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-clips-tina-fey-stops-by-snl-to-play-sarah-palin/

However, none of this was the reason why Palin was on television. Her new book titled, Going Rogue has been set for release tomorrow. Who better than Oprah to let the whole world know about her book?

Even still, the media has not got enough of Palin. After all of this, I still do not know who she is. Okay, so she is from Alaska. Got that. Okay, so she is the former governor of Alaska. Got that. Yet, who is she?

I am sorry but this is the truth. Sarah Palin would not have been found if the Republicans were not trailing in the 2008 run for president. It is just that plain and simple. President Obama, smart and savvy wooed his voters. He was a shoe in before Palin even hit the scene.

The 2008 run for presidency is over. President Obama won fair and square. His brilliant use of emails, internet, facebook and i-tunes had young American voters tuned in.

So, who is the real Sarah Palin? I don’t know. Go read her book. Maybe in there displays her true identity and not Tina Fey.

BANKS GETTING RICH ON OVERDRAFT FEES

FEDERAL GOV’T TELLS BANKS “NO MORE” OVERDRAFT FEES

It’s a friday and you just got paid. You’re in the mood to treat yourself to something good, maybe something special. All week-long you’ve been working your tail off, and finally! IT IS FRIDAY!

Most people get paid on a friday and want to have some fun. As soon as five o’clock hits, you are running out the door. So, what will it be? That nice juicy burger with bacon or something cool and soothing. The decision is made and off to Starbucks. One nice cup of cappuccino and a biscotti. That will be $7.95 says the clerk. Okay, you pay with your debit card. No problem.

Then comes Saturday and then into Sunday. Now it is Monday again. On Tuesday in the mail comes a statement from your bank about “overdraft fees.” The amount of $35.00 was charged to your bank account for purchasing $7.95 of cappuccino and a biscotti.

This doesn’t make any sense at all.

Senator Christopher J. Dodd proposed a bill to end the ceaseless hike of overdraft fees administered by banks. Dodd explained that,

“We still need to stop the excessive fees, repeated charges, lax notification and processing manipulation that have become standard in these so-called overdraft protection programs.”

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Fed-banks-need-customer

The fact is clear. Banks do not care about us, that is the customers. To make it vividly transparent, banks do not care about its customers (consumers). It all boils down to the dotted line. How much money does a bank total in overdraft fees?

According to an economic research firm, “The financial services industry is on track to make $38.5 billion this year on overdraft and non-sufficient fund fees, up 38% from $27.9 billion five years ago.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/12/news/economy/overdraft_fees/index.htm

Talks about gas prices back on the rise, who needs to pay the bank any more money? It is good to know that someone is sticking their neck out for the consumers. Without the consumers, how can businesses even function?

Just like evil credit card companies raising skyrocketing rates, banks add in their own set of fees. Well, speaking for the American consumer, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

A person who uses their debit card to purchase coffee should not be penalized due to insufficient funds. Instead of the transaction being processed, it should be declined. That way the consumer will know that there isn’t enough money to make the purchase.

GOP FEARS BLACK PEOPLE

DO “WHITE” REPUBLICANS FEAR BLACK PEOPLE?

Michael Steele is the Republican National Committee Chairman of the Republican Party. He is also the first african-american ever to hold that position. So, what is the deal with the GOP? They have their first black national chairman ever in decades. Yet, the GOP struggles in comparison with Democrats to relate to the african-american community.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29341.html

Now, let me get this straight here. Michael Steele went on live television with Roland Martin discussing his influence with the Republican party. He stated in the interview that, “I’ve been in the room and they’ve been scared of me,” said Steele, the first African-American RNC chairman. “I’m like, ‘I’m on your side.”

Hmmmm……I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound right. I mean, really, does the GOP understand black people? It doesn’t make any sense to have the first african-american chairman of the GOP and be scared of him. This is an insult to all african-americans and only a guilty conscience on the minds of “white” republicans.

If ya don’t want any black people representing the Republican party, then don’t put a black chairman in that position.

This is truly a mastermind disguise the GOP has been playing for years. It’s called the race card. In order to get more blacks to vote for Republican, then the face of the GOP must change. Did they really change?

Michael Steele is no more the RNC than President Obama is a Democratic President. There is only one truth in that sentence above. President Obama is the first elect african-american president. However, Steele doesn’t seem to come even close to that position.

The Republican Party has had its many shares in “covering up” the race game when it comes to politics. Slamming down Democrats and criticizing their overly expenditures prevents their own flaws from being displayed.

A perfect example of this is Rush Limbaugh. He always blasted Democrats on his radio show. His most controversial debate has been about our President Obama. Limbaugh made statements such as “I hope President Obama fails.”

African-americans have been through enough of this race game. For white Republicans to be afraid of Michael Steele shows ignorance and failure by the GOP. Michael Steele as the Republican Chairman breeds and smells of a facade.

Do black people tend to vote Democratic than Republican? That depends on who’s running for office. In this case, the GOP’s upfront black chairman reeks of artificial hope. No one is buying this especially black people. Not even white Republicans.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: ABOUT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

HEALTHCARE DEBATE PART 3: OBAMA TO GET IT DONE   

President Barack Obama is about to make it happen.

“This is their moment, this is our moment, to live up to the trust that the American people have placed in us,” Obama told reporters in the White House rose garden. “Even when it’s hard, especially when it’s hard, this is our moment to deliver.”

http://us.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/07/health.care/index.html

I wish to say that all the fussing and fighting has ended in the White House. No, it is far from that. I wish I could say that all the bickering and the bitter feud between Democrats and Republicans has ceased to exist. As usual, this is what generally people call wishful thinking.

In order for any two different type of people to get along, some wishful thinking does apply here. A skeptic may say indeed that I am delusional or perhaps uses wishful thinking when it comes to the healthcare debate.

To that skeptic I say this: It is wishful thinking to not believe that President Obama cannot get it done. In either case, the White House has been shaken and stirred. Everyone has received their fill – either by outlandish media or from the orangutans opposition.

Yet, there is a dilemma. The Democrats are in an identity crisis. There is the conflict between whether or not abortion should be amended in the healthcare bill. Conservative Democrats want federal funding to stop paying for abortions. However, Moderate and Liberal Democrats believe ceasing federal funding for abortions hurt low – income families.

As I’ve said before: There is no real easy solution to these type of problems.

My suggestion for the solution to the problem is to support the healthcare bill. Let’s get it done, America! Reform is needed now and not later. This is another opportunity we as Americans cannot afford to waste. Support our President of the United States. Together we as a people (America) will transform history into the next century.

“Absolutely confident that when I sign this in the rose garden, each and every one of you will be able to look back and say, “This was my finest moment in politics,” the aide quoted Obama as saying.

CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN: OBAMA’S PROMISES

PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THE CHANGE WE BELIEVE IN

Is it too early to judge President Obama on his promises? The promise about closing Guantanamo bay prison, providing jobs and healthcare for all? It has been only ten months since President Obama has taken position in the White House. Is it still to early for real change to transpire? Yes, indeed it is.

“The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term,” Barack Obama told the crowd in Grant Park. http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/04/obama.promises/index.html

Look at the quote spoken from our President. He had made his statement clear and concise as possible. Yet, people are still complaining and wining about all those promises made by Barack Obama.

This time, it is not always the Democrats or Republicans bickering. No, they have done their damage with the help of media. Real change cannot take place in the nick of time. Real change takes time, maybe even years depending on the circumstances.

From the Webster’s dictionary, transpire means: “to become known or apparent: develop; to be revealed: come to light; to come to pass: occur.”

With that in mind, why do so many people think that all President Obama has to do is wave his magic wand? WAKE UP, EVERYBODY! We are still in a recession, yes! However, don’t expect any fast changes anytime soon.

It took the Bush-era eight years to freak up the country so it will take time for real change to transpire. Everyone needs to chill, relax and unwind. This is a storm that will eventually pass. In real life, there are no quick fixes to real problems. These problems such as the rising unemployment rate and the economy do not go away by clicking those red slippers three times.

 The real deal is this: It may take President Obama’s whole term or the next until we see any real change.

There is a bright side to this scripted circus. So, grab a seat and lean real close and open your eyes. To all of those crying and wining people: GET OUT AND DO SOMETHING!

Stop being a pest and embarrassing yourself by the media about what or what not the President is doing. What are you doing to make a difference besides blowing out hot air?

The change we believe in motto is quite simple. It is based on the motto written in the constitution: We the People. The solution to these problems are not easy. It involves a long and well thorough process for long-term goals. If you are looking for a quick fix, then follow the yellow brick road.

A word of caution: Don’t forget your red slippers.

HIV INFECTED IMMIGRANTS ALLOWED IN U.S.

SHOULD HIV INFECTED IMMIGRANTS BE ALLOWED IN THE U.S.?

“We talk about reducing the stigma of this disease, yet we’ve treated a visitor living with it as a threat,” he said at the White House. “If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it.”

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/30/obama.hiv.aids/index.html

Now, this is a serious situation. If anyone reading this one, I want your undivided attention. First, read the title above. Okay, great! Now read it again. What do you think? Do not just skim through this blog like it’s the comics. It is not the comics in the daily newspaper nor is this topic anything but funny.

I admire our President Barack Obama. However, I believe this is way too radical. Sure, I have some beliefs that others may find is way too radical as well. Yet, this ban should have been left alone.

In the news, it is the H1N1 scare. Then, it was the shortage of the H1N1 virus shots. Next, it is the cost of healthcare. After that, there are too many under – insured or un-insured Americans. The healthcare reform crisis is a big enough health risk in the United States.

I do not see how “lifting the ban” makes the U.S., “the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS.” 

Doesn’t the United States have enough to worry about?

Besides Al Qaeda, now it is the immigrant who is a terrorist and also has HIV. That is way too much to be stressed about. Going to work, having a job, getting a job or looking for a job is enough.

I am not disappointed about the ban being lifted. That emotion is well underrated at this moment. However, I am more surprised than ever. I did not expect this to happen nor did I see it coming.

What can we expect from our President in the near future?

Hopefully not authorized terrorists allowed because a ban has been eliminated.

REID SUPPORTS PUBLIC OPTION

PUBLIC OPTION SUPPORTED BY HARRY REID

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced on Monday his decision to support the healthcare public option. This is good news coming from the White House. Reid is the most influential Democrat speaking out about the healthcare debate. He stated that, “While the public option is not a silver bullet, I believe it’s an important way to ensure competition and to level the playing field for patients with the insurance industry,” Reid said on Capitol Hill.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/26/health.care/index.html#cnnSTCText

Robert Gibbs, White House press secretary stated that President Obama was pleased. So far, this is the right step toward bipartisanship. At least this is what Senator Olympia Snowe thought. She was disappointed with Reid’s decision for the public option. Senator Snowe replied, “It’s unfortunate the Senate majority leader decided to take a different path, because he did say it was a pretty good doggone idea with respect to the trigger in September, so I don’t [know] what has happened to change his mind.”

Did the Obama Administration changed Harry Reid’s mind? Or was it plain charisma by President Obama? It is hard to decipher what did indeed changed Harry Reid’s mind. Still, it has altered the race in the White House for the healthcare bill to get passed. America is talking. If not by blogs, emails or twitter, We the people are speaking out.

 Never in history has any President been able to reform healthcare.

Can President Obama achieve this? Do not answer this question without  some deep mental and innermost thought processes. Of course, the first answer would be no based on Republican rhetoric. Then, a little voice from within tells you yes it is possible. Which one do you believe in? Better yet, which one do you trust? I will assure you it is definitely not the scare tactics.

 In closing, to be for or against the public option is crippling healthcare reform. Democrats and Republicans are fighting over the right versus might and not healthcare. I am ready to stick a fork in that turkey and say it’s cooked. The media has ate it up, passed the gravy and licked its plate squeaky clean. However, the healthcare bill is still on the table untouched.

A lot of talking going on about another $894 billion healthcare bill released by Democrats. Once this news hit the fan, the rivals named Republicans dismissed it. The Republicans believe this is too costly and will raise higher taxes.

Harry Reid said it best. “I believe we … will have the support of my caucus.“