Thursday, February 25, 2010

Generation Zero: Last Chance For A Wakeup Call?

If you want to know who stuck it up the behind of the middle class while the Mainstream Media obfuscated the real story until NO ONE can figure it out, check out Generation Zero.

FINALLY...Wake up SHEEPLE...Your CONgressman is not your friend, he/she is a paid off shill for sociopaths who don't give a rat's ass about God, Country and Liberty.


Monday, February 22, 2010

New Credit Card Laws 2010

New credit card laws go into effect today. here's a good article by James Brown which describes the details:

Do New Credit Card Laws in February Mean a Solution to Credit Card Debt?

Though the new credit card rules were put forth in 2009, many of the biggest consumer protections won't go into effect until February 22nd. So, what are these big consumer protections? Here are some of the highlights:

- Any credit card holder now reserves the right to say no to any account changes. His or her account will be closed based on the old terms and he or she will be given 5 years, if they choose to opt out.

- People under 21 cannot get a credit card unless they have an adult co-signer or they can show proof of enough income. The new laws have also included some extra protection for students, going as far as to specify the amount of yards a credit card company must be away from the campus in order to make any sort of offer.

- Companies will now give card holders at least 21 days to make any monthly payments. This should stop credit card companies from arbitrarily moving up or changing due dates in order to collect late fees. - Card companies are now required to disclose to the card holder the consequences of making a minimum payment every month. Companies will finally tell their card holders how much time it will truly take to pay off, how much interest they are looking at, and more.

- In the event that a card holder has multiple accounts, payments that exceed the minimum payment will be applied to accounts with higher interest balances first.

If you are thinking that these new laws are the answer to your prayers for finding a solution to credit card debt, you may not be thinking about the big picture. It sounds wonderful that they are giving you the option to close your account if the terms of service are changed but, how likely are you to go without a credit card? Credit card debt statistics show that the dependency Americans have on credit cards has only grown—and a change in interest rate just might not be enough to make you break things off with your MasterCard.

These new rules will undoubtedly cut into the profits of the big card companies, also. So, if they can't collect late fees or extend the terms of payment for card holders, will they just take it as a loss? Doubt it. Credit card companies will want to protect their profits. They will find another way to make money—and one way that they will probably do it is to get more serious with their collection efforts. The need for a St. Louis Missouri or Fairview Heights Illinois bankruptcy attorney to provide credit card debt help may not be over.

If you need help with your credit card debt help now, these laws are probably a little late. Contact the best bankruptcy attorney in your area to find out if Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Missouri and Illinois could be the solution to credit card debt for which you've been looking.


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Missouri Bankruptcy attorney James Brown has been working to relieve the debt of hard-working American families for over 15 years. He has dedicated his career to educating consumers about options for debt relief and has released 5 publications, including, "Get Out of Debt: Secrets Your Creditors Don't Want You to Know." You can request a free copy at http://www.castlelaw.net

Friday, February 12, 2010

Work Hard, Go to College, Get a Good Job

Copyright (c) 2010 Willie Horton

This is the conventional "wisdom" that has been foisted on so many children during their formative years - when we all formed our view of the world, how it works and our place in it. It suggests that hard work will be rewarded and that you have to work hard to be a success. It suggests that higher level education will make you a better person and will secure your future. And, of course, it suggests that a good job will provide the necessities of life on an ongoing basis and, indeed, security into old age.

All of these myths have been busted over the last couple of years. Not only are they the myths of an economic and social system that is in disarray, they are myths that squeeze the very spark of creativity, ingenuity, adventure, enterprise and excitement out of us. And, unfortunately, as psychology tells us, these myths become our beliefs at a very early age - probably, eleven or twelve. And it is for the very reason that these myths are held as subconscious beliefs that so many people are now lost - wondering what has gone wrong, hurting because they see no other way, fearful that if they haven't lost their "good job" already, there is certainly no such thing, any more, as job security.

The personal world view encapsulated in the "work hard, go to college, get a good job" attitude diminishes the believer right from the word go. It say that you must conform, it says that this is the path of least resistance, the path that sets out your whole life ahead of you. It closes down your options - not because those options are not there, but because you don't believe that you have them. Above all, it subliminally suggests that you are a flawed person, in need of betterment through an education system that, in its very nature, demands conformity. In short, it squeezes the life out of the vast majority of people - and perpetuates a system whereby very few people rise above the crowd to achieve uncommon success - and system where very few of us find or live our true passion.

And, what's the point of getting up in the morning without passion? Over 70% of Americans don't like their job - they're the lucky ones, of course, that have one. How can you do your best, in your daily life, if you don't like what you're doing? The answer, of course, is that you cannot. Research tells us that to say that normal people only half-heartedly do what they're doing would be to vastly overstate the reality of the situation. Normal people only pay about 1% attention to what they're doing - the rest of their attention or mental energy is lost in the void of those early-created beliefs that have led them to this sorry state.

You need to have excitement in your life - the normal life is boring, in comparison to what life can be, because normal people follow mundane patterns which amount to little more than going through the motions of living. You need to find and to follow your passion - otherwise you are missing out on the true joy of living. Excitement and passion have nothing to do with what is going on around you - they have nothing to do with economic trends or, indeed, what other people think about you. Excitement and passion are all to do with what's going on within. As a result, you don't have to go looking for excitement and passion - let them find you.

Let's take a practical example near to so many people's heart. What if you're doing a job you hate? You have two choices. You can decide to stop hating it or you can do something else. "I hate my job" is a useless thought. In entertaining that useless thought, you diver your energy into the thought, devote less attention to what you're supposed to be doing, as a result of which the job becomes ever more difficult and you end up proving yourself right - it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Research from the University of Chicago shows that some of the most fulfilled people are doing some of the most boring, repetitive jobs - but they choose not to see the job as such. The second option is to take the plunge - do something different, perhaps completely different, something that truly turns you on. This requires what normal people would call courage, but if you're in the right state of mind, such leaps are not courageous, they're simply the obvious thing to do.

Either option requires the correct state of mind - one that is clear and present. A clear and present mind will not give any quarter to useless thought. A clear and present mind will know what to do if a "leap of faith" is called for. By clear and present I simply mean what the words themselves, in their simplicity, actually suggest: clear of thought and focused in the present - the two go hand in hand. You develop this clarity and presence by dismantling your mundane life - in simply, non-threatening ways for starters. More practical examples: eat your breakfast before your shower tomorrow instead of after it; dress yourself starting with the leg and arm that you do not habitually lead with; get up ten minutes earlier and meditate - the list is endless, you can make up your own.

At the end of the day, your passion, excitement, success and happiness is entirely up to you and your state of mind. The ball is in your court - you can stay on the normal set of rails that take you round and round the same little track, or you can jump aboard the express train of clarity and presence and see where it takes you.


Willie Horton, an Irish ex-accountant and ex-banker, has worked as a success coach to business leaders and sports people since 1996. He moved to the French Alps in 2002, from where his free weekly Self-Help video seminar is sent to thousands of people worldwide. His Online Personal Development Self Help Workshop is used all over the world, clients say it's life-changing. Info: http://www.gurdy.net

Sunday, February 7, 2010

How The Current Economy Has Changed Consumer Behaviors

How The Current Economy Has Changed Consumer Behaviors
Copyright (c) 2010 Gareth Schweitzer

Since the economy began its downward spiral into recession in early 2008, we have seen changes in consumer behaviors and habits. Studies have shown that mindsets have shifted and that the current consumer is a very different person than the consumer of several years ago. Many marketing research services have begun to create their own surveys and reports to gain insight into this new consumer that we are dealing with today.

What most marketing research services begin with is an analysis of consumer behaviors - what are the top drivers of purchase decision making? Are people considering their purchase decisions with more thought to the future consequences? What are people buying more of? Less of? These questions and more can produce an effective study with meaningful results.

So far, various market research services have discovered that durability is a key propeller of consumers' purchase decision making. This suggests that consumers are looking to the future and considering the long-term implications to their current purchasing actions. It means that consumers believe the economic recession is here to stay, at least for a while. Consumers expect spending levels to remain at these reduced levels indefinitely, and they are making their decisions accordingly. A study that questioned consumers regarding their top reasons for buying a product produced the following results: the top three reasons for buying a product are
1) it is durable and will last for a long time;
2) the product will make the consumer's life easier; and
3) it is something the consumer has always wanted to have.

In another study by a marketing research services company, questions deconstructed what purchases and experiences people miss the most since the economic downturn. The questions posed elicited four main responses:
1) 24% of respondents said they miss dining out in restaurants (including fast food restaurants);
2) 15% said they miss traveling and taking vacations;
3) 14% said they miss buying apparel (clothes and shoes) that they used to purchase; and
4) 10% said they miss the ability to buy something on a whim, and the freedom to buy whatever they want without having to worry about the future. Sentiments like these will likely lead to an increasing desire for these more luxury items and behaviors, and eventually will bring forth increased spending. It is uncertain when this increased spending will begin, but it is clear that it will happen eventually.

Market research services have pressed consumers for more information regarding their opinions of luxury goods. We've found that after consumers made attempts to forgo luxury items, they realized that it is not too difficult to go without these goods; many consumers say now that their current budgets reflect the fact that luxury items seem unnecessary to them now. Out of people who declared that they are on a permanently stricter budget with respect to luxury goods, 42% of them said the reason is because they no longer feel a need to have these luxury items.

In fact, the definition of luxury seems to have changed. In one market research services study, consumers declared that small splurges are now luxuries to them: they feel guilt over eating out (even if it's inexpensive) or buying an item at full price. In the past, luxury items were more extravagant: expensive cars, high-tech electronics, and fancy clothes. Consumers indicate that they, in fact, do not want to be associated with these big-ticket displays of wealth. The recession has brought about a fundamental shift in the way people view happiness. Consumers now say that the things they want most in life are not material, but emotional. People want to be happy and spend time with family and friends. One survey reveals that the top indicators of success (according to the consumers surveyed) are 1) being able to have dinner with family often; and 2) being able to exercise every day.

From these survey results and from the current state of the economy, it is clear that the current American consumer is very different now than he or she was several years ago. As the definition of luxury changes, producers must adapt their products and marketing strategies to fit the current spending conditions. In the next few months and years we will experience changes (some lasting, some temporary) in the market and economy. As these changes evolve, market research will be crucial to determining successful strategies for producers.


Gareth Schweitzer is President of The Omnibus Company. The Omnibus Company, a division of Kelton Research, provides fast and accurate Omnibus surveys, Omnibus studies, and strategic consumer insights to public relations and marketing professionals looking for newsworthy, actionable data. http://www.omnibus.com