How is it to have a bad credit reputation?

If you don’t sill believe that money is power, or that politics and economics in macro terms are not related, I will show you how.

At age 25, I am already on debt. I all blame it to myself, but of course to credit cards agents who lured me to owning several credit cards. When you have several, you have an illusion of being so rich because owning credit cards give you financial liberation. You can d things in advance, or buy things you liked without your salary for the 15^th and 30^th f month even reaching your hands. Until unknowingly, you have been into spending spree that put you on debts. At first, you won’t be afraid because you think that credit cards have pro-customers policy. But as I will have to realize later, all these commercial plastic companies have the only goal of profiting from our spending. The thought of buying in advance is really uplifting, but he interest is what will have to surprise. Of course, I have read the policies of the first credit card company about the interest schemes. Standard Chartered is my first credit card. And having them are indeed good. I have no words against the credit card because owning the Standard Chartered is like a status of independence to me. With this first credit card, I got to learn the discipline in money management. Well, not really because I have been managing my own finances since I was 19 years old. The next credit card agent lured me to apply for a Citibank visa card. Oh, I felt so elated having two credit cards! Oh I felt very rich! The next agent lured me to an HSBC red Master Card. All these two cards have validity until 2008. I was unaware that having them handy in my wallet would make me a spender. In January 2005, my first misuse of credit card happened. I was strolling in the SM malls when people from the AOWA stand invited me to join their promo. They have me chose an umbrella from their storage and they said thee umbrellas have commensurate prizes….

To be continued….

Life has been sometimes in disarray

Yes, life has been put sometimes in disarray so that we can give order in it. I have been asking myself many times why frustrating, shaking, and perspective-changing instances happen in our world. It is only today that I begin to accept that everything happens for a reason. After so many years of not accepting what tremendous change happened to our family life, it is only today that I was able to see the breaking of the new day. All I think now is how can I move on from the messy life I have. Well, financially speaking. I have been down for the past few years, and my financial situation is what caused my life a mess. It is my silent realization that what happened to me in the recent past has not to be blamed on other people. It is my own decision to be what had been, and it is my decision also now what I will become tomorrow. Well, people help me realize the good things. There was a point when I think of having suicide. Yes I did! I did! But I know it is not a good thing. Why waste your life on a thing that has no logic. Taking your own life is like a manifestation of your fear. For me, I know If I kill myself, many people will be surprised, some maybe regretful, and some may find the act strange or some will definitely feel I was a loss. That time I was thinking how many people will attend my funeral! That time, I never was afraid to die! Because death is like a saving grace! But I was reminded that taking your own life is a sin. It never is good.

Sometimes, cowardice is inevitable. We usually fear because it is a realization of our limitations as persons, but if only we have faith, even if that faith sometimes dwindles, it is still what will eventually bear factor on our meaningful and best decisions. Faith is the belief in the things unseen, and so even if I do not see God, I believe He is watching my every decision and step. My sister once gave me a meaningful testimonial. She said we must not do things because they are what we think were the right thing to us, but because it is the right thing in the eyes of God. Yes, she is right. I never thought of it that time maybe because I used to believe that while I had done good things to other people, He did not give me the best. I felt a failure and felt unblessed. On second look, the case was not. Looking back, I know there are also good things that happened to me, which made me happy today. Our life is better now, of course our life, although not mine, because I still have my backlogs. But at least I contributed to our family life’s betterment. It is enough for me.

Why Starbucks coffee shops have cooled off By JAMES BERNSTEIN

AP

MELVILLE, N.Y. — Starbucks’ a

nnouncement that it is shuttering 600 stores marks an end to what seemed to be the company’s continual upward climb and invincibility in the retail coffee shop industry.

Two market-research experts spoke recently about the world-famous company.

What happened to Starbucks?

Several things. For years, Starbucks has been exceptionally profitable and was a darling of Wall Street. But it expanded too rapidly: "You can expand so much," said Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Manhattan-based market-research firm Brand Keys.

Did the excitement wear off?

Pretty much, said Harry Balzer, a vice president of Port Washington, N.Y.-based The NDP Group. "They [Starbucks] certainly had a nice run," Balzer said. "I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and I don’t think I’ve seen anybody do it better. But there’s nothing like success to bring on competition. Nobody says you can have the whole market forever."

What else went wrong?

Passikoff said Starbucks tried to migrate its coffee brand into a lifestyle brand. "They came out with the movies and the books in the stores. There’s nothing wrong with that aspiration. But as part of this, they essentially took a step away from the core quality of the brand, which was the coffeehouse experience, which they imported from Europe and turned into an American experience. For a while, no one was grinding beans. The place didn’t sound like the coffeehouse and didn’t smell like the coffeehouse anymore," Passikoff said.

Bad marketing decisions?

Yes. The experts said their stores were getting too crowded with furniture, Passikoff said. The couches went. "What essentially they did overall was re-engineer the experience right out of the stores. So customers were standing on line, and there was no experience anymore. They were too much like everyone else."

How much of Starbucks’ decline is related to the economy?

Passikoff argues not that much, that Starbucks’ market share began to decline a year ago. "In our tests last year, they came out No. 2 to Dunkin’ Donuts. This year, Dunkin’ is No. 1, McDonald’s is No. 2 and Starbucks No. 3 in our market surveys." But Balzer said the entire restaurant industry has been harmed by the bad economy.

Should Starbucks have stuck with its original strategy of being just a coffeehouse?

Yes, Passikoff said. "You don’t walk away from a successful brand strategy, not when you’re making money."

Can Starbucks go back to what it was?

Passikoff said he doubts it. "Customer values have shifted so dramatically. They are what they are." Balzer said Starbucks still has a lot of marketing power left, however. "They have got to do new things," he said.

Source:
http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/742107.html

Dirty Politics

The US government more than any institution in the world especially its electoral process is characterized for dirty politics. JUst this early, with the incoming elections for the presidency, much has been done already by the Republicans to bring down Obama and Hillary's camp. Definitely, the US right now is a republican country considering that Bush is such. While the rest of the world has focused attention on Iraq War as devil advance of the United States, in the US homeland, different things are happening. The United States people more than any time in history has their prides high at present, maybe a result of the September 11 bombing which made them aware of what they had been through before becoming a World power in the post-WWII period. They came to power because of industrial military complexes located in the orange county in Florida. Many analysts say US makes war to make money. The mortgage problem of the United States result to recessionary movements in the capital market, and made life harder for Americans presently. I know someone from The Philippines who went to US to work there last year but news said the service industry is not affected by the recession at all- good for her. Meanwhile, while middle class Americans are busy thinking about their losses from the mortgage industry, with lands are not being paid, other sectors of society meanwhile are flourishing for their lifetime accomplishments. Many blacks or niggers as what they were called by Confederates in the Civil war, are advancing well in their careers and enriching their lives more because of hard work. The music industry is a testament to this with Beyonce, Rihanna, Chris Brown and the likes occupied the top seat over others. Blacks throughout history had made their life better even surpassing some whites. Well, it's not a question of race, but I think America is facing the most difficult problem one country can have- PRIDE. In the patriot movie of Mel Gibson, Benjamin Martin blurted out these words: "Pride is a weakness." Aren't Republicans the owners of land properties. They are the ones losing now in the economy because they are landed, while in Politics, a Black is gaining prestige because of being self-made. The relationship of money with politics is what made the politics in US dirty, like in ay other country of the world. Power is about money. You are powerful when you have it.We should expect more to come with the Obama campaign. Politics can make the angels demons, and vice-versa.

Spoof Video Obama and Clinton

Definitely an anti-obama campaign. :D