Confessions of a “Normal Woman”

I admit that I’m not the most objective person to determine whether or not I truly am “normal.” In fact, I’m not sure that “normal” really exists out there anymore. Regardless, I’ve decided to share some of my closet hang-ups and let you decide. Will the feedback convey an accurate assessment? Probably not. I’m sure that my writings don’t necessarily attract “normal” individuals either.

Confession #1- I’m a judgmental driver. Everyone who passes me is an “idiot” and everyone who goes too slow is a “moron.” I caught myself mumbling these exact two accusations within 30 minutes of each other on my way home the other day. No wonder the confidence of mankind has dwindled lately. They’ve got unrealistic expectations thrust upon them by drivers like me.

Confession #2- I think people are attractive until I see them chomping gum Seriously. I watched an absolutely beautiful woman in line at the grocery store the other day transform herself from a Perfect 10 to a Negative 2 because she was chomping her gum like a cow munching on his cud. I don’t care how beautiful you are. Even if I was a dentist I would have no desire to see what you’re chewing in there!

I also loathe the snapping sound that folks make with their gum…especially when I can hear it all the way across the store- or worse, church. I’ve turned people away from a job interview simply because of the gum chewing (and I confess that I strongly encouraged an assistant to quit once I discovered that they constantly chewed with their mouth open. Do I really want to lose a business relationship that affects my entire staff all because someone can’t keep their lips together while enjoying a business lunch with one of my clients? You really don’t want to turn someone’s stomach when you’re attempting to wheel and deal, right?

Confession #3- I firmly believe that the civility of our society has plunged dramatically because of the common courtesies/decencies that many parents have failed to teach their children. And our entire nation is suffering as a result. People spend more money when you’re being nice to them. People pass on smiles when they get them. Instead we spend our Saturday errands going from place to place attempting to get over the last painful business encounter we just had at the last place.

Did this training get left up to Dear Abby somewhere?

A couple of Christmas’s ago a much younger sibling of mine was having a really hard time financially. Being plagued with a boundless Christmas Spirit I decided to play Santa that year. Even though I was raised by strict parents who firmly required us to be polite, be mindful of others around us, and to exert impeccable table manners at the risk of death, this particular sibling must have worn them down by the time she came along. Because after all of the gifts were handed out, there was not a single “thank you” from the sibling or any of her 5 children, and in fact, my husband and I were greeted with an annoying wail that that’s all there was!

Oh, and if you really want me at your bridal shower or your wedding, you’ll give me more than 48 hours notice. And when I do give you a gift, you’ll darn well send a thank you note! (I bet getting in the business of selling thank you cards is about as profitable as Lehman is right about now.)

Ok. I’m done with my rantings and ravings. I’ve finally let down my professional demeanor and expose to all of you the inner seethings. Either you’ll admit you share some similar feelings, or you may inform me that your confession is that you loathe reading confessions.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

You Can’t Fix Stupid

Yup. You may not be able to fix stupid, but in this case, I think it’s perfectly legal to kill it.

Wow! I thought the majority of discrimination had been eliminated nowadays. Clearly I’m wrong and somewhat naïve though. Can you believe it? American Express is now openly admitting that they are lowering their credit exposure to individuals based on whether or not they have a loan with a mortgage lender that ALSO lends to sub-prime candidates and if the client has the audacity to shop at stores where low income individuals also shop. And apparently they aren’t the only ones to enact such insulting practices in the credit card industry.

Wells Fargo used to be one of the most aggressive sub-prime lenders in the nation. They are soon to be poised as one of the largest banks with their takeover of Wachovia, even if only receiving a portion of the assets of that bank. And yet someone who qualifies for an “A Paper, Roll Out the Red Carpet loan” from Wells Fargo could be targeted with less favorable terms because of Wells Fargo’s subprime division.

Countrywide was very aggressive in the subprime market as well. And as you know, Countrywide has bit the dust. Regardless of the fact that A paper, reputable, and financially strong banks have purchased Countrywide’s mortgage assets, you could still be financially penalized because you have a loan with them. Ironic isn’t it? You can pay perfectly on your loan with absolutely no hiccups, but because the company you make your check out to every month has made questionable decisions in their lending practice, your access to credit is compromised?



Is it just me, or is this absolutely ridiculous? (Warning: Sarcastic tirade up ahead) Let’s compound the suffering of the American people by penalizing them for the actions of others yet one more way. And when they try to react to the economic crisis by shopping at Target or Wal-Mart to make their dollars stretch that much more, let’s assume that they should be treated as a trailer trash drug addict and credit derelicts and minimize their accessibility to credit. After all, drug addicts have to shop somewhere, right? And if you’re dumb enough to shop where the financially struggling do, then your access to credit should be minimized, if not taken away all together! And while were at it, we should also be take preemptive measures and round up and put to death anyone who has the name of Charles or Manson or Oswald- just to be safe, you know.

Yup. The dumb keep getting dumber folks. This outlandish decision has three Code Red ailments.

1. It holds the potential to increase the gap of distance between the wealthy and the other classes. Such a gap can foster a surge in pride and snobbery.
   
2. If affects the spending ability of the wealthy. And I'm telling you… the wealthy do not like to be told what to do with their money. The wealthy now have reason to literally FEAR shopping at Target or Wal-Mart. Even if they pronounce either store with a French accent, they could lose their access to credit as a result. Just in case you didn’t know, the wealthy have experienced an inflation ratio of 12% over the last few years which is as much as double or triple what the other classes have been subjected to for the goods and services they buy. Thus the wealthy are now bound to experience an even bigger inflation ratio as they will now be required to buy their everyday goods from more upscale stores, or risk the fate of lowered credit access. With this asinine decision, the wealthy are less likely to change their inflation rate any time soon.


3. And folks, like it or not, the wealthy provide jobs. That’s the 3rd ailment. So not only does this Nazi-styled discrimination practice harm the middle class in their ability to grow their businesses, it has the ability to affect the lower class as well, in their dependence on the wealthy for employment.
   
   My vote? I choose to stop rewarding stupidity right now by eliminating all of my credit card access. Will it be challenging at first? You betcha! It’s ingrained in me to perform my business transactions this way. But I’ll be darned if I let the Plastic Prince tell where I can or can’t shop. I look at it this way. Benjamin Franklin was one of the wealthiest and most successful business people in history. He did so without the Melamine Methodology, and dog gone it, so will I.
   
   Credit Cards. May they melt in peace.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Do the Math

Do the Math:

A very popular e-mail is making the circuit in the last several days espousing a new theory for what to do regarding the bail outs. The e-mail is as follows—however, there are some very grave errors in the proposed theory.


I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG. Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend. To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bona fide adults in the U.S.

Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up.

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.

My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend.

Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%.

Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam. But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket. A husband and wife has $595,000.00. What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?

• Pay off your mortgage – housing crisis solved


• Repay college loans – what a great boost to new grads
  
• Put away money for college – it'll be there


• Save in a bank – create money to loan to entrepreneurs.


• Buy a new car – create jobs
  
• Invest in the market – capital drives growth


• Pay for your parent's medical insurance – health care improve
  
• Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean – or else
  
  Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.
  
  If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( 'vote buy' ) economic incentive.
  
  If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!
  
  As for AIG –
  Liquidate it. Sell off its parts.
  Let American General go back to being American General.
  Sell off the real estate.
  Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
  
  Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.
  
  Sure it's a crazy idea that can 'never work.'
  
  But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!
  
  How do you spell Economic Boom?
  
  I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC.
  
  And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.
  
  Ok. So here’s the problem. Many are forwarding this e-mail on to others (including me…*she says sheepishly* without doing the MATH. The math is not $425,000. It’s $425 dollars. And after taxes that won’t even pay for mortgage payment in most homes in this nation. The sorry thing is, and this includes me, is that so many times we as Americans do not demand the appropriate checks and balances necessary to truly be free. We are constantly subjected to numbers and so-called solutions which are not properly vetted, or disclosed to the American people. The lawmakers are constantly hiding this financial provision here and there. Frankly I firmly believe that if we had cause to pass a piece of legislation that laid out a woman’s right to life in the U.S. even after she was subjected to a rape, that some moronic lawmaker would refuse to pass it without sneaking some financial boon to himself or his cronies.
  
  I fully realize that not bailing out AIG, for example would create an enormous loss of wealth to many individuals who invested in AIG. Seeing that all over the news would pain be almost as much as witnessing the remains of a terrorist attack. The fact is, this mismanagement of funds is a terrorist attack on our nation’s backbone, but it’s perpetrated by big-wheeling deal makers who do not have appropriate accountability and oversight. While the retirement funds would be obliterated, you must understand that we’re already in an “Emporer’s New Clothes” scenario, folks. The retirements of the middle class have already dwindled down to virtually nil thanks to the devaluation of the dollar, inflation--which is orchestrated, and criminal mismanagement of funds. With us bailing out AIG we are in essence saying, yes, Mr/Ms. American citizen, you made a poor choice in your investment but the rest of the American people are going to atone for that error and pay for the mistake for you—even those who can’t even fathom ever owning a home, let alone an investment account of hundreds of thousands—AND we’re going to let the real perpetrators of the debacle walk or even salvage their big profits in doing so.
  
  Additionally, even if the numbers were real on this, it would only compound the problem of watering down the value of our currency which the Federal Reserve has already mastered quite well. Inflation IS a tax manipulated by those in power. And it’s a hefty one at that.
  
  Our currency is mismanaged, our taxes are mismanaged, and now when we discover just how badly our so-called backbone of the economy—Wall Street—has mismanaged their jobs, we’re compounding the problem.
  
  Mark my words. This debacle enslaves all middle and lower class tax payers even more harshly than if the true consequences were allowed to play out. At least then, those responsible would be forced to suffer the results of their actions. As a nation I believe we can suffer through the natural fall-out while being given the opportunity of a wake-up call. You can’t “repent” of your actions by forcing someone else to “atone” for you. (I believe there’s only one person who’s authorized to do that.) And yet that’s exactly what is being forced upon the American people.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Why SHOULD Wall Street tumble today?

Wall Street SHOULD tumble despite the AIG bailout

Anything other than a “Wall Street tumble” would be a deception on the public. Why? Because there is no financial benefit for the investors of our nation when the “Fed” bails out another business gone amuck. It’s a generic band-aid, initiated to continue the perpetration of a century long façade. Let me say this again loud and clear… the Federal Reserve is NOT a government entity. Our government leaders have no say in how it operates, and no jurisdiction over it. So how does it have any authority over the use of YOUR tax dollars?? And yet it was the tax dollars of U.S. citizens pledged for use of the Federal Reserve for this AIG bailout and the so-called $70 billion cash infusion that occurred yesterday.

I’m having a hard time understanding how so little financial intellect can be present in the minds of our media reporters? They can get heavily involved in what celebrity was caught kissing whom, what crime rate is on the rise, whether or not a woman or a mother is fit to run a big business or serve in a major government position, but they can’t see the asinine proposal of our tax dollars being given to a foreign entity to bail out another big business gone amuck?

Since when did business failure deserve a reward? Let the consequences happen as they may to these big businesses. Give the American investors pause for more prudence in their investment decision making.

Why is it that our nation’s leaders are allocating our tax dollars to a non-governmental entity to bailout a company most of us could care less about? Since when does failure to operate a business properly merit the pity and hard-earned dollars of American citizens? I know of hundreds of business owners who have made mistakes in running their business; and not only does no one come to their aid one iota, but because they are self-employed business owners, even in a crisis they are unable to get access to simple financial benefits such as food stamps or Medicaid (that even illegal immigrants can get) when necessary! The irony is that small and medium sized businesses contribute the largest portion of tax dollars to these programs than even large corporations- yes more than Merrill Lynch and AIG put together! Do we simply discount or forget that these struggling businesses may have had a wonderful 5 year run previously in which they contributed to the economy by providing honest jobs to dozens of employees, tax dollars, vendor service dollars, etc?

Stop the insanity. Get educated about what’s really going on and then voice your opinion in these matters to the government leaders just as fervently as you would cry for help to save your family, your home, and your freedom.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Legal Slavery in Our Borders

Opinions abound concerning the conspiracies that may have been present during the run-up to the Great Depression. Regardless of your beliefs concerning these conspiracy theories, you must acknowledge that several privately-held companies benefited greatly from the results of the Great Depression upon the people of the United States, in general.

How often does history repeat itself?

Current headlines read:
“Fed’s Regulatory Powers May Expand After Crisis”
“Fed Expands Lender of Last Resort Role Even As It Draws Line on Bailouts”
“WaMu’s Decline Values Lender Close to JPMorgan’s Takeover Offer in March”

If you are aware you will see these headlines as ominous indications of the future.

How much more power can be consolidated in the overgrown giant we know as the “Fed” before it owns us lock, stock, and barrel? Or, is it already too late to even consider that?

As the Fed grabs for more control at each and every turn (notice that, in the long-run, the results do not generally help the public but specific, private shareholders of entities shrouded in mystery), and as super-giants such as JPMorgan and others grow in leaps and bounds by buying smaller entities for a steal at the expense of the public, the question must be asked: Was our current situation engineered from the beginning?

How much imagination must one have to believe that the Fed and its “coordinators” intentionally made credit far too easy to obtain in our society in an effort to run-up prices (which empties the pockets of the public) and then intentionally began a series of credit-tightening (which inevitably results in defaults) in a concerted effort to relieve the American public of its hard-earned wealth (while leaving the public holding with a rather enslaving bag of debt)?

History may well tell the true story (albeit re-written to please its authors), but today one can only guess at the intentions of those in true power. Today’s best advice could be stated “Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing”, in an effort to put all individuals on notice that the actions of the Fed and its consorts may not be in your best interests.

But how can you possibly avoid this uninvited impact in your life? GET OUT OF DEBT, even if it represents a small interest rate on your home, eliminate it. As long as you are paying on debts you are playing in their game. You can’t get out of the game until you get out of the debt. Debt requires you to pay interest on air. This is in addition to the heavy interest you pay on the “air” of our governments spending in the form of taxes and the so-called social security income (which is also a tax, folks, not an entitlement). You might as well be paying a fee for every time you exhale rather than be in debt. At least that provides you with a necessary freedom.

This may sound trite, but my emphasis here is to get you to realize just how enslaving this national debt and reliance on the Fed is. And I do mean SLAVERY. You are required to work through May just to pay your portion of taxes to the government. While it may not be the same as the 20 year requirement for indentured servants in the South, it’s still is a heavy toll. I hope that my sharing with you these alternative views may help you realize that you may be participating in game that you never wanted to play.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Would I Pay This Person?

“Would I pay this person’s paycheck before my own mortgage?”

As an employer, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to make awful hiring mistakes. I can’t really blame the individuals and their weaknesses, because I feel like it’s my responsibility to properly vet those issues during the interview process. But I’ve recently had an epiphany that I actually chose to act on and it’s made all of the difference in the world. This recommendation applies to both the employer AND the employee.

To Employers, if you are not in love with them, don’t hire them. This is your business, your livelihood we’re talking about here. As a small or even a medium sized business you’re susceptible to financial volatility. Clearly things do not always go rosy and there may be a time when you get paid last, or even not at all while you keep your staff on so that you can get to the next paycheck. So there are two issues that you need to consider here. One of them you need to consider before you hire them and the other you need to consider after you hire them.

1) Before you hire them, you’ve got to look at their attributes and literally ask yourself the question, “Would I pay this person’s salary before my own mortgage?” Why? Because frankly such a decision may need to be made at some point in the future. Even if you never have to make such a decision (and let’s hope that you never do) you still should only reward your unique risks and responsibilities as a business owner with quality individuals who enhance your work path, not detract from it. And if you aren’t able to see how they would be an attribute to the financial strength of your business and the tasks that you need accomplished, then don’t hire them.

Don’t run your business like a popularity contest. You are the president/CEO/Owner of a business, not the President of Please Like Me, Inc. You owe it to the rest of your team members to ensure that you do not bring on anyone who compromises the strength of your company’s financial standing, because if your company isn’t profitable everybody suffers. If you aren’t in love with them when they are supposed to be putting on their best behavior and only have to “fake it” for a few interviews, then for crying out loud, what makes you think it’s going to get better when they are in the midst of the daily business stresses and handling critical responsibilities?

Remember, the enemy of best is good. Don’t go with the “good” prospective employee just because you need to fill a position. That will cost you a lot of money and headaches in the long run. Be patient. Wait for the “best” person to manifest your wish list requirements to you. In today’s economy, being able to offer someone a job is an asset that should be appreciated by any prospective clients.

2) After you’ve hired them, you have every right to expect them to proactively contribute to your bottom line. In other words, each employee you have on board should be a revenue generator in some way or another for your business. If not, you cannot afford to have them.

So how does this apply to employees? Well for starters it gives you great insight into the thought process of successful business owners. And after all, isn’t that the kind of company you want to work for? Keep in mind that you’re obligated to work and then get paid. Your employment should only be contingent on your value to the company for which you work. This does not mean you have to be perfect. Plenty of businesses aren’t and they still manage quite well. But you do need to realize that for every task you slough off or perform incorrectly you are costing your employer money. And if they didn’t have to pay for your errors or inefficiencies, they just may be able to pass some of the wealth on to your salary. The question is does your work ethic and capabilities merit you being paid prior to your owner’s own mortgage? The answer is only a “yes” if they can’t afford to do without you.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

American Taxation

A Double Whammy!

As an American, I feel that it is absolutely irresponsible to not understand how money really works in this nation. A full comprehension of this topic will actually instill a more prudent behavior in our own financial habits - at least that’s my belief. Such a behavior will lead to less anxiety, stress, and chaos in our lives.

For starters, those of you who would mistakenly pipe up that the Canadian dollar is now worth the same as a U.S. dollar as a result of our deficit; you are missing a large chunk of the rest of the story. The fact is our dollar is devalued because there is an abundance of U.S. currency in circulation. The value of the dollar is directly related to supply and demand. For instance, remember when cell phones were first sold in our nation, the prices were prohibitive for many. However, now that they are more abundant and commonplace, the prices have lowered to as little as “free” in many instances.

It used to be that the Federal Reserve published a report which contained an M3 number. This figure would convey to the public just how much money was actually in circulation. Mysteriously, the Federal Reserve has elected to no longer provide the public with that figure. Thus their printing presses can continue to roll out currency as they see fit, watering down the value of our dollar. Our foreign nations who trade heavily with us are not imbecilic economists. Clearly the only reason to NOT provide such a number is to hide the true value of our currency. And as such, international trading with us has been subdued.

This is Economics 101…(although not likely to be taught as such.) Suppose I was investing in fine art. Wouldn’t it be reasonable for me to know just how many pieces an artist created? Of course. As it would determine the value of any art I purchased by this artist. So why would anyone invest in a commodity who’s true value cannot be rightly determined?

Be aware that the Federal Reserve is a nation unto itself. It is NOT part of the U.S. Government. Sure the Federal Reserve Chairman is appointed by the U.S. president, but are you certain that whom he appoints is of his own choosing? You keep spouting how we need to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil; how about eliminating our dependence on the foreign nation that rules our currency? All of the U.S. Presidents who have attempted to stand up to and eliminate this cartel dependence have met with serious demise. (Kennedy, Reagan for example.)

If our nation’s currency can simply be printed up in accordance to the Feds whims, with no checks and balances, then the value of the dollar is questionable. Thus in my mind it behooves us to incur as little debt as possible so that we remove ourselves from this shell game as much as possible.

Why is our budget deficit $407 billion dollars? Because those that play with the money only see it as Monopoly money. They figure they can simply print more. “Let’s just call the Federal Reserve and ask them to loan us more money.” Where does this money come from? A check? Where is the money that backs up the check? It’s not money, it’s a printing press. Unfortunately, it’s REAL hours we work for every year through the month of May to pay for our nation’s REAL debt. That debt is paid for by the sweat of our brows. Our federal income taxes do not go for road improvements, social security, or Medicaid. It all goes to pay the INTEREST on the debt that our nation’s “leaders” have imposed upon us. I have no offense in paying for the services that I require. But unfortunately I’m not receiving the benefit of those services. I cannot count on Social Security when I need to retire, neither can 80+% of all retirement-aged Americans. I could go on and on here with the façade of services we’ve been led to believe our tax dollars pay for, but the bottom line is we’ve had very little say in what our tax dollars pay buy, or how they enslave us. Now that’s what I call “taxation without representation.” And not only are we being arduously taxed, but those dollars with which we pay our taxes are being destabilized dramatically. A Double Whammy!

So here’s my solution, as a patriotic American I say let’s be proud to be American and let’s take advantage of the freedoms that we still have in this country. This doesn’t mean we have to like what they do with our financial matters, but fortunately they don’t have ultimate control. This nation was built on the backs of visionary entrepreneurs and it’s future lies in the hands of those same visionary, determined hearts. I feel like so many of us get so tired keeping up with our business and keeping our heads above water that we forget that we are very powerful in determining our outcome. So learn what game you’re really playing in, and learn how to leverage your entrepreneurial inclinations to maximize your prosperity so you don’t need their credit.

If you would like to increase your prosperity, join the Money, Mind, Marketing consulting program today. This is the only complete consulting program which shows you how to leverage your knowledge to create unprecedented business results, and to live a life of true prosperity, not just one on paper. Sure marketing knowledge is important, but what good is it if it’s unaccompanied by a sound understanding of fiscal matters as well. By learning from a true expert and my innovative money strategies, you can expect to increase your business revenue at little as 20% to as much as 600% in the next 12 months! Simply go to http://www.moneymindmarketing.com/ to begin.

You may also desire to subscribe to the nation’s only non-politically or fiscally motivated publication, Monetary Intelligence Magazine. Go to http://www.monetaryintel.com/ to register for your marketing, money and mind mastery without the fluff.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.