Financial Ruin & Back Again: The Credit Farce

Sunday, February 21, 2010 8:30 PM EST

Wake up America! Don't use credit cards, period. It's better not to play the dangerous game of buy now/pay later, no matter what the "rewards." Dependency on credit cards is the first sign that you are spending beyond your means. And in doing so, you're putting a strain on your personal happiness, not to mention the financial hole you're digging for yourself. You're in trouble--there's no easy way to put it. And it's only a matter of time before the debt comes back to bite you. Big time.

What you are really doing is trading your future earnings for immediate gratification. Read: future earnings, as in your personal fortune. Many people have a hard time seeing it this way. So let me put it in simpler terms:

Credit == Debt

Get the picture? Don't touch it, ever. Unless you enjoy being a slave.

If you don't have the money for what you need, SAVE UP FOR IT! That's why our ancestors were so much better at managing their finances. There wasn't the temptation of credit cards. If they needed money, they had to apply for a loan and put something up as collateral. But these loans depreciated over time. They weren't the revolving balance madness that we see in the modern age.

So is it smarter to cling onto a credit card for "emergency" purposes or to actually SAVE THE MONEY INTO A SAVINGS ACCOUNT and have that liquidity available when you need it? Yes, thinking of life without credit cards requires a paradigm shift, but it is well worth it.

Let me get back to something that I touched upon earlier--your personal fortune. Each of us has a personal fortune that he or she will accrue over the course of their career. Many will discard their potential fortune via credit cards, frequently buying new cars, going out to eat every night, buying all of the latest video games, movies, etc. In short, by spending beyond their means.

But what if you chose a different approach? (Yes, you get to choose.) Instead of burning every dollar that came your way, what if you decided to save it off and grow it into a large fortune over time? And what if you accrued so many assets that you could live comfortably off the interest and will them to your offspring when your time was up?

Well, you can't get there by using credit cards. It's that simple. Cut them up now. Burn them. Destroy them. And choose which you would rather have--a fabulous credit score or being debt free.

You can either be a slave to your credit cards or financially independent. The choice is up to you!

Word Count: 450

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A Novel Idea - One Sentence at a Time

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 10:00 PM EST

Ok, this is going to sound totally insane, but bear with me. I'm going to try out a new approach to writing a novel. Consider it an experiment, a curiosity. Rather than make excuses, I'm going to write a manuscript--one sentence at a time. Progress is measured by the number of sentences I can add each day. The minimum is one and everything afterward is a bonus.

Sure, it sounds hokey. I mean really--how will I ever finish a novel by writing that slow? For starters, this doesn't give me an excuse to procrastinate. Writing one sentence per day is obtainable for everyone, even the busiest of people. Better yet, there's a possibility that I might start taking bus trips into D.C. and this would be an effective use of my time.

In short, this is the answer to a potential problem I have (but a nice problem). And besides, why not? I have nothing to lose. Why not profit from the experience? Besides, I'm sure I'll have plenty to share as a result.

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Word Count: 176

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What I Learned About Writing 2010: Taking Breaks

Saturday, February 6, 2010 3:00 PM EST

When it comes to taking breaks, I am the absolute worst. I continue grinding away until I can no longer look at the screen. I turn off the computer. I hide all my books. And I don't even think about writing for another day or two.

So how do you balance this? That is the age-old question. I can only say that I am getting better at this, but only marginally so. I believe the answer lies in setting clear and obtainable goals. Your mind needs a beginning and an end, just like a book. From what I've found, if my mind doesn't see an end in sight, my productivity wanes. I work longer hours and get less done. And somewhere along the line, there's a total brain freeze.

Another factor is progress. If you perceive that you are making headway and can see the end, you'll want to work longer and harder. Again, this ties into setting realistic goals. Can you really complete this task in a day or two? If not, break it up, and then give yourself one as well.

There are several different types of breaks and each has its own advantages. Short breaks typically last between 5-10 minutes and are certainly no longer than 30. We primarily think of these as bathroom and snack breaks, but they could also be used effectively during long writing sessions. Try writing for an hour, and then lay down for ten minutes. Completely relax your body and mind. Once those 10 minutes are up, write for another hour. This is basically a power nap, but it can work wonders for your energy level (just don't accidentally fall asleep and wake up the next morning). If you feel sleep is a bad idea, try taking a light jog.

When taking a medium-sized break of one to two hours, be careful not to stop writing altogether. It's easy to get caught up in the day and throw your manuscript by the wayside.

But you can avoid this.

Give yourself an ultimatum. Tell yourself that you can only be away for a certain period of time--let's say a maximum of three hours. Then it's back to work! Georges Simenon, one of the most prolific authors in history, imposed an internal deadline of 48 hours. If he was away from his work any longer, he discarded everything he had written. At times he'd throw away the better part of a novel. Certainly I'm not advocating this approach.

It is also helpful to alternate activities. Schedule a two-hour block of time to write, followed by an hour of research, 30 minutes of organization, and then write again for another two hours. At the end of your day, reward yourself with a movie. Or chocolate ;)

We take long breaks when we sleep and even longer ones when we fall into a coma. Such can be the effect on your writing too. It's hard to muster the same enthusiasm when the idea is no longer fresh. That's why it's better to keep producing for a designated period of time so that your work can harnesses all of the initial excitement. Leave long breaks for work, sleep and family, but nothing else. When you're in the middle of a project, honor your commitment. See it through and then reward yourself with a little vacation afterward.

I know what you're about to say--this is only a generalized view of how to manage one's time. But let's keep things simple, really simple. Everything discussed above can be boiled down to this--take a break when you need to, not when you can. Get in the mindset of starting and finishing tasks and reward yourself afterward.

Certainly things come up. Life happens. Do you have a strategy when it does? Conversely, you cannot be expected to write 16 hours every single day. You'll go insane. Find the proper balance and you will unleash your true potential.

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Word Count: 659

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Random Thoughts: Penny Dreadfuls Sweeney Todd

Saturday, February 6, 2010 12:00 PM EST

Just got done playing Penny Dreadfuls Sweeney Todd last night and overall I am impressed. At first I didn't think I'd like it--I wasn't a big fan of the film and found the name and subject matter odd. Surprisingly it's a quality title and not tied to the movie in any way (though I did have to turn down the volume).

Many will find the game too short, but I thought it was perfect. My wife and I completed it in just under 4 hours, spreading it over two evenings. That's about all the time I'm willing to invest in a game. More than likely, once you beat the game you won't feel the need to play it again. But compared to other forms of media, specifically movies, the $6.99 price of admission is a bargain. Even better, when my nephews visit, they will have something to play (I just won't tell them what's in the meat pies).

FYI, Big Fish Games also provides a monthly punch card to its game club members. Buy any six games (including the $2.99 specials) and get one free. Check them out.

Word Count: 189

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Chaos Feed - Chapter 8: Ignition

Thursday, February 4, 2010 11:00 AM EST

We're about a hundred yards from the blast when reinforcements arrive. There are a dozen soldiers in all but they're not Hangman's men. You'll never find that many in one place. They are Las Manos Rojas, the bloodied hands. Here, in the blender with us.
No doubt they haven't spotted their fallen comrades or there would be many more. Ten-fold. They mull over the pieces, trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. And it doesn't take long until they discover the Americans are here.
Mucho gusto.
I hand Regina the binoculars. I only have one bomb left and hell if I'm using it on these assholes. Besides, I might need it for Hangman.
Inevitably he will respond, that much is certain. Hangman never lets a sin go unpunished. He is a methodical planner, always thinking several steps ahead. Every action has a countermeasure and there is always a surprise. It's his calling card, his religion. And if we duck out of here too quickly, we'll stumble across it.
"Let's get out of here," I whisper.
As we back out of the underbrush, something shot high above the canopy. A silver shell. Twisting. Turning. Igniting.
"Run," I scream.
The soldiers spot us, guns blazing. Dancing through a hail of bullets, we move too quickly. Make too many mistakes. And dive behind a large rock as an umbrella of light unfolds overhead. I hold her close as the jungle disintegrates around us.
And all is quiet.

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Word Count: 247

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Total Word Count: 1721
Total Words Written: 30346

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