I don't know what to think of this . Religious blogging? Hum...

P.S., yes I know this article is about a week old, so what.

Posted by chris65203 at March 14, 2005 02:32 AM

I'm not inviting "trolls" here but I was wondering where is the outrage from those in the republican or neoconservative ranks that usually frequent these threads. Are they really happy with this legislation? Are they doing anything to let their side of the aisle know about their displeasure (or pleasure) on this issue? Many here are trying to hold our lost and sellout party members feet to the fire, but what about the main culprits behind this bill....the Lock Step Republicans?

Posted by emal at March 14, 2005 04:59 AM

Like many people, I abhor this bill but have been so busy recently that I could hardly resurface to read about it. While making my slghtly-more than minimum payments...

I know that one of my senators, Schumer, voted against the bill, but can't find Hillary's vote. If she did vote against it (I know she voted FOR cloture, etc.) then I have little recourse but to send a message to Biden et al. from outside my state: FORGET ABOUT NATIONAL ASPIRATIONS.

Anything else you can suggest I do to express my disgust in an effective manner?

Posted by vigilant at March 14, 2005 05:54 AM

continuing the open threadiness, against my better judgment i listened to NPR this morning. They had a piece on the dems running a pro-life (or anti-choice, if you will) senate candidate in Rhode Island. WTF? If they want to "enlarge the tent" this way, shouldn't do it in red states? The people in RI aren't clamoring for a more socially conservative candidate - Chafee is pro-choice and among the dwindling band of moderate Rs. Are we being sabotaged?

Posted by benjoya at March 14, 2005 06:37 AM

that's "shouldn't they do it in red states?" (or we, i'm not sure which.)

Posted by benjoya at March 14, 2005 06:39 AM

vigilant, during the vote, Hillary was at the hospital as Bill was going through surgury.

As for what you can do? Well, you can still express your displeasure with those who voted for this bill. You can use this page to find the contact information for all those who voted for this bill.

Posted by Mary at March 14, 2005 06:48 AM

Bancruptcy reform has been needed for some time. There have always been a few people, mostly wealthy, who machinated flaws in the existing laws to legally hide assets from creditors. The most ridiculous part about this screwy legislation is that it does very little to address those flaws. Taking the legislation as a whole, it will hurt those who needed it's protections the most.

Mary, keep right on venting. Sometimes the squeaky wheel does get the grease. If nothing else, maybe the credit card industry will offer you a cool $250k to get onboard.

I'm not inviting "trolls" here

The trolls have credit problems like most in America, and there really is no way to justify the bill, so that's why the silence.

Posted by phidipides at March 14, 2005 07:00 AM

Thanks Mary for the site and information. I will be writing each and everyone of them today.

Any Democrat prolife senate candidate should be challenged strongly by our Party. I think many of you would agree that we are no longer in the mood to tolerant straying from the Party platform. The Bankruptcy Bill helped draw the line in the sand for me.

Posted by Judith at March 14, 2005 07:08 AM

Other than a home mortgage, I think folks should stay away from debt. Come down from Plastic Mountain! Pay off the cards, and cut up the plastic. And never use credit to buy a depreciating asset like a car!

I think using home equity to upgrade your home is okay, within reason. You don't want to get a home equity loan and take a vacation or that sort of thing. But if you're adding a pool for example, that's okay.

If you have credit debt, create a plan to eliminate it.

Posted by muckdog at March 14, 2005 09:00 AM

I have heard a rumor that former US Rep David Bonior may challenge Debbie Stabenow for the US Senate seat in Michigan.

Posted by roamer at March 14, 2005 09:03 AM

Nice to see Muck's at least spreading some common sense about plastic. One thing I always consel clients of my computer buisness is to never buy a computer with a credit card or revolving charge plan without a sound commitment of paying for it within 90-180 days. Nothing depreciates faster as it walks out the door of a store, short of diamonds and jewelry.

I'd question if putting a pool in on a second mortage/home equity loan is worth the the cost. You might as well go on a vacation with the money, IMO. They're bottomless holes in the ground for your money, they skyrocket your homeowner's insurance, and most people don't use them year-round. Even in Arizona, my uncle won't use his pool from November to March because it's too cold for him.

Posted by idiosynchronic at March 14, 2005 11:27 AM

I'd question if putting a pool in on a second mortage/home equity loan is worth the the cost.

Pools increase the value of the home by substantially less than the price of having the thing built; if you like to swim a lot, that's one thing; but don't think of it as an investment in the value of your home, because it isn't. Also, if you've ever been through a semester of Torts, you know that pools attract liability like magnets.

Posted by Matt Davis at March 14, 2005 12:33 PM

mmmm, sesame tarts.

Posted by homer at March 14, 2005 12:53 PM

Well, I cite a pool just as an upgrade to a home and lifestyle, not as a return on investment. It's a quality of life thing. So, if you put in a pool, spa, additional bedroom, remodel the kitchen, etc., you're at least using low-cost credit to increase your lifestyle.

While you'll never get 100% back on any home improvement, you'll get some enjoyment out of it as long as you're in the home. In addition, it could increase curb appeal when you go to sell your house.

That's a little different than taking home equity loans or cash-out refinancing to visit Norway. I'd recommend doing that, but please use cash and not credit.

Posted by muckdog at March 14, 2005 02:24 PM

Speaking of pools and money.

Anyone got a favorite in the NCAA besides Illinois?

Posted by muckcat at March 14, 2005 02:36 PM

It's shocking, muck: Our respective views on the appropriate uses of personal credit are incredibly similar.

As an aside, I disagree with people who categorically denounce purchasing computers on credit, solely because they depreciate fast. My $1500 computer purchase while I was a starving grad student paid for itself in a couple weeks' worth of freelance work, and allowed me to stop starving soon after that.

Anything that allows you to do work that you couldn't otherwise do has the potential to be a worthwhile use of credit.

Posted by Matt Davis at March 14, 2005 02:36 PM

Other than a home mortgage, I think folks should stay away from debt.

Good advice. But if people stayed away from debt the economy would crash.

So, what about buying a washer and dryer on credit so you don't have to go to the laundromat?

Besides, you make it sound like everyone is packed with cards (from MSN):

*23.8% of American households have no credit cards at all -- no bank cards, no retail cards, nothing.

*Another 31.2% of the households the Fed surveyed paid off their most recent credit card bills in full.

*So together, the households that owed nothing on credit cards equaled 55% of the total.

The big issue is the credit card companies and their predatory practices with credit. People who should not get cards are getting them in droves. Give a minimum wage employee their first $2000.00 limit card and they may just limit it getting cool shit they can't pay for.

Oh yeah, remodeling and updating kitchens and bathrooms within reason will pay you back more than the cost of the project. Often 2-3x payback. So will a fresh coat of interior/exterior paint. Lanscaping within reason will pay you back more than it costs. Don't forget to save the receipts for tax purposes!

Pools are okay if you use one. The best pool I ever swam in was a 24ft above ground pool liner a buddy of mine buried. He dug a pit and drug all the dirt to one side. Lined the pit with sand, and put up a 3ft high cedar wall that came level with the top of the dirt he had drug to one side (so he had 1/3 cedar wall, the rest a gently sloping grass covered berm). Fill with water and swim. Soft to walk on, no skin scrapes, 8ft deep in the middle sloping to 2-3 feet at the edges. The best!

Posted by phidipides at March 14, 2005 09:01 PM