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Thursday, February 22, 2007
Good Debt vs Bad Debt
There are two types of debt: good debt and bad debt. Most families, mine included, have a combination of good and bad debt. Our home, car, and sometimes useless stuff we buy everyday contributes to this.
Good debt is debt that helps you secure an asset. A prime example is property which you live in (capital appreciation) or rent out (capital appreciation plus rental income). Most of us won't be able to purchase such things in cash and hence, we will need to borrow this money.
Bad debt is debt that does not secure you anything (intrinsic joy unfortunately doesn't count). Examples are credit card debt, purchasing a car (yes, cars are not assets), and almost every retail purchase.
How do we reduce debt then? The principle is to reduce the effective interest rate you are paying. Look for opportunities from Debt Consolidation Services, which give you a better interest rate overall as well as advice on how to pay off your loans quickly.
Toys for baby don't have to cost anything. In fact I find Jack gets so bored with the educational toys that were given to him. Here are some toys he's enjoyed that are from our home itself.
1. Plastic bottles of different shapes, labels, sizes
a. Fill bottles with several different water levels. Let baby see how water swishes inside.
b. Buy 2 different sized (500ml and 1l) bottles with the same label. Let baby compare them.
c. Drink some water from a bottle. Let baby drink water from a bottle.
d. Let baby chew lid if he likes to.
How Jack played with this: Jack spent a lot of time chewing the lid (soothing for teething babies), patting the bottle and examining it, and comparing it to another when I offered him two. When I let him, he happily drank water from the bottle.
2. Cotton towels
a. Use them to cover your face and play peekaboo.
b. Use them to cover a toy while baby is watching and ask baby, "where's the toy?"
How Jack played with this: Jack has enjoyed playing a. since he was a month old and b. since he was 6 months.
3. Boxes of all shapes and sizes
a. Ensure boxes have no sharp edges and colour that can be removed when sucked on.
b. Put a variety of objects in the box and change them regularly. Small toys can include plastic balls, a cardboard phone, plastic rings, and small cloth dolls.
How Jack played with this: Jack was delighted with his Treasure Box and looked forward to opening it and examining the different toys inside.
Warning: Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch Linked to Deadly Blood Clots
Birth control. The thing that has empowered women since its invention. The condom, the Pill, IUDs, the patch. No longer will we be stuck home producing child after child, career dreams dashed to the ground. We can now work, travel, and plan our life the way we want it.
Some of these methods can go horribly wrong. Since hearing about the stroke risk linked to the Ortho Evra Patch, I did a quick Google search and found numerous lawsuits against its manufacturer.
Former Johnson & Johnson Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Joel Lippman was even quoted to say, “The clinical research had revealed that the estrogen dose released by the Evra patch as a means of birth control may increase the risk of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms.”
There have been over 1,000 claimants to date. Some women in their 20s using the product have died of blood clots. The US Food and Drug Administration has stated that "women who use Ortho Evra are exposed to about 60 percent more total estrogen in their blood than if they were taking a typical birth control pill containing 35 micrograms of estrogen" and is continuing to monitor safety reports on the Ortho Evra.
If you've been injured by Ortho Evra, contact Ortho Evra Attorneys & Lawyers who is currently representing individuals around the United States in Ortho Evra lawsuits.
This is a sponsored post. The author recommends that if you are planning to use any birth control products or any medical or health products, please read up on the risks. A simple Google search will usually give a brief answer to your query.
It's been 2 years since the kids joined Catster. I confess they haven't been very active there save for the occasional feline friend request which is always delightful to receive.
For those with feline companions on Catster, here are my critters' pages: Boy, Buffy, Tux, Sam, and my baby Kaku.
The kids have grown so fast. I can hardly believe Boy is 15 years old already. It seems like just yesterday he was a month old, a tiny thing mewling so loudly in the drain, so spirited and hungry to be alive. Hungry too actually. Even my Mom couldn't resist him. I wonder how his own Mom could leave him (or perhaps he was taken away from his mother who might have been a pedigree and mated with a stray cat - sheer speculation of course).
The other four had their Moms longer. Buffy and Tux were rescued when they were 3 months, scrounging food as babies from a school canteen. Their Mom was still around but the authorities were catching cats to be put down so they were rescued. Then wily Mom who eluded the authorities then had another litter and Sam and Kaku were born, along with Mystique (now Brownie), Wolvy, and Maggie. Sadly their Mom got caught by the authorities this time and is most likely dead now. :(
Nonetheless they are my family now and looking back, they've all brought and received unmeasurable joy to our home. I hope we have many more years together.
It's around that time of year again. Time to check my housing loan contract to see if it is time to refinance my loan. Over here, everything is done manually. You have to check with each bank to see what deals they have and what they can offer you.
There's also the issue of banks giving preferential rates to new customers and giving those who wish to refinance their loans in the same bank, a raw deal. That said, I have to give kudos to my current bank for giving us a good deal when I called them.
Mortgage rates are going up and in my experience, choosing the fixed rate over the floating is always a better choice. First of all, you know exactly how much you are paying that year. It's easier for you to budget for the next 2-3 years depending on your contract (aim for fixed rates over 3 years), and you're not subject to what the board rate is (which can vary depending on who you are - yes, it's been that issue in the newspapers).
Also look for prepayment penalties and when you can most likely refinance your loan again. Ideally it should be no more than 2-3 years.
What would be great is an independent mortgage broker who can suss out the best deals for you. Sure, they have that here too, people who get kickbacks from banks they represent, but I've yet to find one online which I can review before talking to them.
That's why a company like SecureLoanConsolidation.com is great. They instantly connect you with Credit Card Debt, Mortgage Refinance, and Home Equity Loan lenders, and give you good concise advice on their site. If you live in the United States and have some Home Mortgage loans to refinance, do stop by and have a look.
This post is sponsored by SecureLoanConsolidation.com. The author recommends you review the fine print of your home loan contract annually, as well as scout around for current home loans rates to see if you can get a better deal over the next few years.
It is often said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Scientists know better. Babies have been shown to prefer symmetrical faces and faces people in general consider beautiful. We are programmed to see beauty the same way.
Yet the definition of beauty to each individual can be subjective. This is what beautiful means to me.
Life is beautiful. Almost miraculous if you consider the astronomical odds we defied to even exist. Every moment of my brief time in the sun, however joyful, however tragic, however delightful, however uneventful, is beautiful.
My world is beautiful. The serenity of the night sky, the twinkling stars. Further out, the planets in our Solar System, each a unique marbled globe made of the stuff of life. The quiet before breaking out of our galaxy like entering a noisy party. The Andromeda galaxy, the Spiral Galaxy, the amazing scale of our whole Universe that makes me gasp every time I play it in my mind's eye.
And the things in life that I see before me when I open my eyes are beautiful. My family, my baby's smile, my beloved cat-children, words used to describe them, fluid prose, the synergy of a well-woven story, red roses, still images of captured moments, my hands, my blood, the fact I am alive.
Earth’s Best Organic 2 Apple Peach Barley Wholesome Breakfast Baby Food Recall
My heart stopped for a minute when I read this. Then I noted that I'd never bought that particular flavour and breathed out. Maybe it is time to prepare Jack's food myself.
Singapore importers and retailers are removing Earth’s Best Organic 2 Apple Peach Barley Wholesome Breakfast Baby Food from the market in response to an alert from the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the baby food may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism.
Botulism is a potentially fatal form of food poisoning and causes illness within 18-36 hours of exposure, with early symptoms of a decreased frequency or absence of stools, poor feeding, lethargy, weak cry and difficulty with swallowing with drooling from the mouth.
Due for release September 21st, 2007, Resident Evil: Extinction looks like it's going to be the next big bad. I'm booking Mom as a sitter for Jack on opening day! :D
1. Use the fan. If you do need to use the air conditioner, reduce usage of air conditioner to bedtime only. Turn on fan to max and increase temperature to 24 or 25 degrees Celsius. Experiment to see which is the most comfortable temperature for you.
2. Keep the air conditioner control with you so you can turn it off right away when you wake (and are still dozing).
3. When not using air conditioner, turn off the air conditioner main (saves 25% from bill).
4. Don't use an air pot (keeps hot water hot all day). Use a small electric kettle instead that boils your water within 1-2 minutes.
5. Turn off lights when not using (unless there is a fall risk - moms carrying babies, elderly, children).
7. Turn off the mains of everything that can be on stand by: TV, cable box, DVD player, hi-fi, computer monitor (saves 25% from bill).
8. Switch your cordless phone to a regular phone. They sound a lot clearer too and costs nothing to run.
This post is sponsored by Shoppremier. Shoppremier sells a great range of home fan and light fixtures and ships free for purchases over $100. Be energy-efficient from the get-go.
The effects of global warming are evident right now: increasing temperature, floods, tsunamis, and that's just in the region. Now that I am a Mom, I'm thinking far ahead for Jack's future, that he and his children will live long, happy, and healthy lives.
It buoys me to know that companies are starting to jump onto the bandwagon. Yesterday 90 companies released a statement to urge the world's government to exercise immediate action "to mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases is essential to preserving the environment and the global economy".
In the Bova future, companies will rule the roost. Right now, they rule the economy. Companies like Volvo, Air France, and General Electric are part of the Global Roundtable on Climate Change. They're keen to participate because they want uniform standards, says Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of Columbia University’s Earth Institute.
If different countries and different states have individual rules, they become harder for businesses to follow. One example Sachs cited was that some power companies have wanted to sequester carbon emitted from burning coal, but local laws stipulate that they have to provide the cheapest electricity possible, so they can’t implement new technologies that would raise prices.
Indeed the cost of reducing greenhouse gas emissions will be far less than the cost of the problems caused by the effects of climate change, agree many of the business reps. “The costs are smaller than people fear,” Sachs said. But once again, fear cripples and unfortunately now it is the politicians that make the rules.
One example Sachs cited was that some power companies have wanted to sequester carbon emitted from burning coal, but local laws stipulate that they have to provide the cheapest electricity possible, so they can’t implement new technologies that would raise prices.
What can we do? Companies can endorse the statement here and citizens of the world can sign here.
"To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness." -- Bertrand Russell
"Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages."
-- Thomas Edison (Harper's Magazine, 1890)
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