Avatar, Precious, Glory Holes, Lucifer: totally random thoughts, yo!

1. There are two movies out now that have generated a lot of buzz from critics and audiences alike: Avatar and Precious. I have no interest in either film. Avatar appears to be all gimmick, all visual and no story. I don't feel like investing that much time in a movie that isn't going to bother telling me a good story. I am not so easily dazzled by your supposedly stunning visuals. Also, I'm irritated by all the awards it is receiving. Really, guys? Best Picture nomination to a movie that is basically Pocahontas with giant Smurfs?

Precious looks to me to be just another story about a beat-down fat girl, all wrapped up in a stereotypical view of life in the inner city. It seems to be the kind of movie white people go see to feel better about themselves, terribly manipulative and overly miserable. I'm glad that there's a movie out there with a protagonist that we've never seen before, but Precious looks to be too over the top for my taste. Isn't this the kind of thing I could see on Lifetime, if Lifetime bothered to make movies that had black people in them?

2. Duncan Donuts has a contest to create a new donut. I propose the Glory Hole Donut, white frosting with red and blue sprinkles, and a picture of Sarah Palin on each one. Haha, political humor is funny. :|

3. I've been thinking a lot about Lucifer lately. His name means light-bearer, and he was known as the Morning Star. He apparently loved God so much that he refused to bow down before God's creation, Man. For this he was cast into the pit. How arrogant is Man to look at Lucifer as evil, when he loved God above all else? Should Man not do the same as Lucifer? Weird, weird thoughts...

IT'S TAX SEASON RAGE TIME.

RAGE MOTHERFUCKERS.

I am confuse. How does someone without gainful employment (not working, not getting unemployment, not getting SSI or food stamps - NADA) and currently living at the local Econo Lodge (no shit) get a refund anticipation loan check of over $3600? This is something that has always bothered me about working for this place, among countless other things: how does this happen? WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS?

I want to call some of these places and ask them just how a customer can get that much money. Because I am pissed. Because I am JEALOUS.

Rock Band Obsession

It's getting serious. I gotta talk about it all the time. I'm still playing at the 'Easy' level, but I'm so addicted to playing the drums, I do it every night. I got a band started on there called Bitchsnatch, but it's just me and an ever-revolving lineup of singers and guitarists. So far, Bitchsnatch has conquered Chicago (our hometown) and New York, and now we're working on Boston.

I need more local friends who can play guitar to join my band, or to start a new band. As much as I love pounding away on those drums, it's more fun to show off those MAD DRUMMING SKILLZ with other people around.

Anyhow, a typical set list goes as such: a little Elvis Costello, either Paramore or Panic At The Disco, something challenging like that Chop Suey song, and always close it with "Livin' On A Prayer." ALWAYS. It's good times.

Froooo-eee...POP*

Man. I've lost some weight lately. I won't list sizes because people will say "are you complaining? I'd love to lose weight like that/be that size again," when I'm not even complaining, I'm just saying. ANYWAY. I dropped two (or three, I don't know how it goes) sizes in around a year, maybe less. I don't bother weighing myself so I don't know when it started to happen. The point is, part of me kind of worries about it, because while I don't think I changed my diet much, there must be something different going on. I think it's because I'm cutting back on boredom eating. If I'm sitting down and watching TV or a movie, I feel like I should have something to eat. I could have had a huge meal beforehand, but it's that theater reflex kicking in, saying, "you want some popcorn," or "wouldn't ice cream sound great?"

TANGENT: I've also recently developed something of a lactose intolerance, which fucking sucks, because I love ice cream and milk. I suppose it's time to get those lactaid pills or whatever. In fact, discovering this makes me crave ice cream even more, which is totally fucking annoying. END TANGENT.

So I cut out the boredom eating. But still I wonder, is that all there is? Someone made a joke about a tapeworm and I think back to the time I ate that raw beef** and wonder some more. But still. I'm not complaining, especially because I'm back into pants that I was wearing in college. I feel healthy, and I like that I shed the pounds I never wanted to begin with, but still...how did it happen?

* title has no relevance to post, it's just a phrase that's been stuck in my head all damn day.

** That didn't happen. But still...tapeworm?

Wisdom from alt.slack

"I like friends who have enough respect for me to keep their goddamned distance."

That comes from Rev. Susie The Floozie's ex-husband.

I like that. A lot.

Good news bad news

The good news: the bite splint I have to get to prevent me from grinding my teeth down to nothing at night while I sleep is only going to cost me $134 instead of the $400 I originally thought.

The bad news: my car needed $800 more worth of repairs, this time to replace the struts entirely, as well as the rear brakes and some other minor tweaking. This on top of $700 from fixing the HVAC system and the power steering just over a month ago. I don't think the car is worth $1500, but I can't afford a new car payment at the time. Too bad it doesn't qualify for that government trade-in program, or I'd be all over that like flies on rice.

I sleep a lot

The last two evenings, I've come home from work and slept for two and three hours. That wouldn't be so bad if I were home at five in the evening, but I get home around seven. Sleeping until ten, just to go to bed an hour later, doesn't seem quite healthy to me. The last time I did this, that I can remember, is when I was a teenager. I would come home from school at about three, sleep until seven, eat dinner, then go back to bed about an hour later. But teenagers need more sleep, because they are growing and changing.

Anyhow...it's just weird. If I plan on napping, I think I better set an alarm.

Twitter

Lord save me, I started an account with Twitter. Username: pplsfrontjudea. I don't even know what I'll be doing with it, but there you are.

What is all the commotion?

Sometimes I think my upstairs neighbors like being loud just for the sake of being loud. It's not my thing. First of all, I live alone, so I don't have anyone to yell at/to. Second, I can take three steps without falling over or crashing into something. Okay, I don't know if that's exactly what they're doing up there, but it sure sounds like it. Third, when it's sexy time: a) it's just me so; b) it's not as bed-shakingly, floor squeakingly obnoxious.

I just don't get it. These aren't huge apartments. You can't tell me that it's impossible for the person/people you're living with to hear you in another room if you use a normal speaking voice. And if the other person is hard of hearing, then you can't tell me it's too hard to get up and go to that person to speak to them. Oh wait, I guess it is, since it seems you have a serious equilibrium problem.

And I'm not opposed to people having sex. But there are quiet hours here and they start around 10-10:30 pm. If you have the right to fuck like noisy animals, then I have the right to play 'Yakety Sax' at a similar volume level. Them's the rules.

The Memory Issue

Lately, I've been having noticable memory problems. For instance, today it seems that there was a specific reason I wanted to have this Saturday off, but for the life of me, I cannot remember why. I know it was something not two days ago I could remember. If you ask me what I wore on a certain day last week, I'd be unlikely to be able to tell you with any degree of accuracy. I wish I had more examples, but for the life of me, I can't even remember them. It's starting to weird me out.

Oh, I remember now...I have a dentist appointment Saturday morning at 8am. I wish I hadn't remembered that.

Ask the Loan Shark: Churning and Installment Loans

No more customers scheduled to arrive. Time for another discussion of payday loans...

Q: What is "churning"?

A: Churning is the practice of repeatedly paying off then borrowing back a loan. While it will more or less save you money opposed to refinancing two or three times, then paying off, then borrowing back, it still creates a cycle of debt that is hard to break once it gets started. Some payday loan companies force a 24- or 48-hour cool-down period before one can borrow again, but most do not. This means that if a loan is paid off, it can be taken back out immediately after. To break the habit of churning, and this can take a long time, wean yourself off the loan by borrowing less and less each time, even if you only go down by $10-25. Learn to budget your finances and make sacrifices where you can. You would be surprised to see what you can go without.

Q: What about installment loans? Are they a good idea?

A: Not at all; in fact, the interest rate on installment loans is typically much higher than on a standard payday or short-term (14 day) loan. The APY (annual percentage yield) is roughly 60-80% higher, meaning that if the APY on a payday loan is 460%, then the APY on an installment loan is likely to be 520% or more. While they sound like a good idea, because you can make six to ten even payments and be done with the loan, and you can typically borrow a higher amount than on a payday loan, they really are not. For example, on an installment loan broken down over ten payments, only a fraction of your payment actually goes to the principle. An installment loan for $1000 with ten payments of $239 means two things: one, only $100 of each payment actually goes to the principle; and two, if you pay off the loan strictly based on the scheduled payments and don't pay any extra or pay it off early, you're going to hand over a total of somewhere around $2390, more than twice what you borrowed. In other words, avoid installment loans whenever possible.

Such a slacker I am.

Hi. Remember me? It's been a terribly long time since I've posted anything here. I decided to change the name. The url is still the same, but I was: a) tired of Bitch Snatch (it's still amusing, don't get me wrong), and b) I remembered that a former college professor once called me a demented cheerleader and it cracked me up.

It's quite true, you know. I am a demented cheerleader. I say it with a smile, even when "it" is something terribly morbid or disturbing. I think it gives me a little something extra, no?

Anyhow, I'll be importing some posts from the other blogs I have here, just so I can eventually delete the multiple blogs. They're sitting dormant anyhow.

Now on blip.fm!

You can now find me on the Twitter-like music site blip.fm. My DJ profile is http://blip.fm/annadynamite.

In other news, I have a couple more reviews on Cult Reviews available to read. My page there is http://www.cultreviews.com/author/anna-mckibben/.

As usual, I am on alt.slack (http://groups.google.com/group/alt.slack/topics) as Rev. Anna Dynamite, and on IMDb as annamae3. I tend to stick to the Horror Boards there (http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000024/threads/).

Ask the Loan Shark: How Much To Borrow?

Part Two in an informational series on payday/short-term loans

Q: I need to take out a short-term loan, and I qualified for $400. I really only need $300, but that extra $100 would be nice for some spending cash. What should I borrow?

A: The absolute bare minimum. If you don't really need that extra $100, why borrow it? In fact, before you even go to the loan business, sit down and figure out everything you need to borrow for. Make sure you're not adding in unnecessary items, services or expenses. Call the company ahead of time and ask what their interest rates are so you know what the payoff will be on your due date. Make sure you can afford to pay it back before you even take it out. That extra $100 could end up costing you anywhere between $17 and $20 more come your due date. Can you really afford that?

Also, ask questions. Sometimes the company you borrow from won't clearly explain the terms of the loan, leaving you high and dry when it comes time to pay off. Know if you have extension days, if you can renew or refinance the loan (and how many times if so), your full payoff amount, and your due date. Don't leave without knowing exactly what you're getting into, and if you have questions after the fact, call the company before you are due to pay off. Don't get stuck in a situation you can't get out of because you didn't get all the information ahead of time.

He's looking at me. Oh god, now's he's pointing at me.

Richard Simmons talks to you in his videos. I don't mean little pep talks, either. I mean, he will tell you that he is looking at you. Then if he's pointing, he will tell you that he is pointing at you.

Little coincidences

Strange. I just called to check the balance on a prepaid gift card I received, and I have $31.01 left on the card.

I just entered a debit card purchase into my checkbook register.

I have $31.01 in my checking account.

Strange to know that all the money I have right now is $62.02.

Ask the Loan Shark, part one

I work in the payday loan business, and I often am asked about the mechanics of payday and short-term loans. Here is part one in a series of informational entries on these types of loans:

Q: When I take out a payday loan, what can I expect to pay back?

A: Since these loans are designed to be strictly and specifically short-term loans, the interest rate is staggeringly high. Typically, a payday loan's interest rate is around 15-20%, meaning that for every one hundred dollars you borrow, you can expect to pay back anywhere from $15 to $20. For fourteen to thirty days, that may not seem like a lot, but when you look at the APY (annual percentage yield), that number can be anywhere from 400-500%. You read that right. Upwards of five hundred percent interest. As a point of comparison, most credit cards carry an APY of about 20%.

Some payday loan companies offer refinance options per loan. When you refinance, you pay down a small percentage of the amount you borrowed (the principal), plus your finance charge (the interest). For instance, in Missouri you are required to pay down 5% of the principal along with the finance charge, and this allows you to extend the loan to your next pay date. Many places allow you to refinance two or three times before you have to pay off the loan. While this doesn't sound like a bad option, it can end up costing you much more than when you simply pay off the loan in full on the maturity date.

For example, let's say you borrow $100 at 18% interest in Missouri, making your full payoff on the maturity date $118. Not bad, but let's say you don't have the full $118 on your due date. You opt to refinance at this time, paying $5 plus the $18 finance charge - $23 total. This reduces your principal to $95, but remember, there is still interest between now and your next maturity date. Add this interest, and your new payoff amount is $112.10 ($95 plus 18% interest, which would be $17.10). Let's say your next maturity date comes around, and you still don't have the full amount of $112.10, so you opt to use another refinance. This time, you pay $5 towards your principal plus $17.10 - $22.10 total. Your new payoff is now $106.20 ($90 plus 18% interest, which is $16.20). Now, your next maturity date comes around, and you're still strapped for that $106.20. You decide to use your last refinance, paying out another $5 plus $16.20, so $21.20 total. Your final payoff will be $100.30.

Now this may look like a lot of numbers and symbols, but let's break it down in the most simple terms possible. You borrow $100. You refinance that $100 three times. By doing so, you've paid back a total of $166.30! It's a far cry from that $118 you could have paid back in total on your first maturity date, isn't it? When you refinance, most payday loan companies only require that you pay down that tiny fraction of your principal balance.

The two simple solutions are this: One, pay off your loan in full on the first maturity date. Don't refinance at all. The other solution: If you must refinance, put as much extra on the principal as possible. Don't settle for the bare minimum. Even if you can add an extra five to ten dollars, it will make a difference. The same goes for any kind of high-interest loan, including credit cards. If you simply pay the minimum, you won't create any real dent in your debt. Always pay extra when you can't pay it off.

Guys, I have a lot of blogs. It's time to bring them all home.

I'm getting frustrated with blogs. In fact, the word itself makes me cringe a little. I think it's because everyone has one, and no one respects them. What's to respect? It's just faceless people on the Internet gibbering about shit that isn't important to anyone but them and maybe a handful of other people. It's like an inside joke--why talk about it in public when no one else is gonna understand it?

That said, here's another blog. I don't have a plan for it, unless "taking the world by storm" is a plan. That's more of a "thing that just happens." You can't account for three things: taste, weather and things that just happen. Wait. I guess I lied. My plan for this blog is to eliminate other blogs I've had in the past and incorporate them all into one place.

I knew there was a plan.