A poem by Bruce Epstein
martial arts
martial law
Marshall Islands
Marshall Plan
Marshall Faulk
Uncle Marshall
US Marshalls
Marshall Tito
posted on Tue, 29 Mar 2005 at 13:11 | path: /poems | perma link
A poem by Bruce Epstein
martial arts
martial law
Marshall Islands
Marshall Plan
Marshall Faulk
Uncle Marshall
US Marshalls
Marshall Tito
posted on Tue, 29 Mar 2005 at 13:11 | path: /poems | perma link
If you have kids, you're probably going to encounter head lice at one time or another. For more information, see these resources:
HeadLice.org
Some Advice from some Harvard dudes
Instead of using a potentially harmful pesiticide on your kids' hair, try using a nit comb for several weeks. The LiceMeister comb claims to be the best, but I'm sure drugstores have cheaper, adequate nit combs.
posted on Tue, 29 Mar 2005 at 13:04 | path: /kids | perma link
Pediculosis is the fancy name for an infestation of head lice. A pediculicide is something that kills lice. See LiceMeister for more information.
posted on Tue, 29 Mar 2005 at 13:00 | path: /words | perma link
Things You Didn't Know About Credit Cards
If you're like me, you have a lot of credit cards and use them to varying degrees. Here are some things you probably didn't know about credit cards (okay, so maybe you know some, but I'll bet you didn't know them all).
1. You probably know that due to mergers and acquisitions, many credit cards issued in different names all belong to the same bank. For example, the AT&T Universal credit cards are issued by Citibank. This means several important things to you:
a. If you register accounts on two different web sites using the same username/password, their systems can get confused. For example, if you log in with username "abc" and password "xyz" on the AT&T site, the system may try to locate your Citibank account and be unable to do so. Therefore, use a different username/password for each credit card site (a good practice anyway, to prevent or limit identity theft). Write down the passwords in a safe place (not your wallet).
b. You can't use a credit card to pay off another card from the same bank. Therefore, you can't use your AT&T Universal card to pay off a Citibank card.
c. You can consolidate two or more cards from multiple sources if they are issued by the same bank. For example, I consolidated the credit lines of my AT&T card with my Citibank card. Ask the card issuer which of the two cards offers a better interest rate, etc., to decide which to eliminate and which to keep.
2. If you want to increase your available credit, ask for credit limit increases periodically (every 6 to 12 months). Do this while you are actively using the card. If you haven't used a card in 6 months or more, the company is less likely to grant an increase. Why get an increase if you don't "need" it? Because your credit score will improve if you have more unused but available credit. IOW, lenders like to see some breathing room (i.e., that you aren't using more than 25%-50% of your available credit).
3. Is it a good idea to cancel unused/unneeded cards? That depends. Certainly, it is good fiscal discipline to reduce your use of credit, and cancelling cards is a good way to avoid temptation. Similarly, it is nice to get rid of unneeded plastic in your wallet and reduce the number of statements coming in. But lenders like to see a long history of credit, so if you cancel a card you've had for a long time, it may shorten your average duration of cardmembership. Likewise, cancelling credit cards may increase your debt-to-available-credit ratio, which may adversely impact your credit score. A better choice might be to consolidate multiple cards with the same issuer.
4. Did you know you can request that a vendor reduce your credit limit? Why reduce your credit limit rather than simply cancel the card? Well, you might want to reduce temptation, or you might want to limit the spending of an authorized user, such as your teenage college student. You can also transfer a portion of a credit limit to another card issued by the same vendor.
5. You probably know that if you are late on a payment, you can be charged late fees. And if that late fee puts you over your credit limit, you can be charged over-the-limit fees. But did you know that credit card issuers can also increase your interest rate dramatically if you are late? So that 5.99% credit card might bump up to 24.99%! Furthermore, if you are late paying a *different* card issuer, other lenders can bump your interest rate! It might be terribly unfair, but it is currently legal. So use credit wisely, and pay your bills on time. Consider using a billpay service to make payments in case you forget to, and don't get too close to your credit limit.
6. If you have balances at different rates, the card issuer will apply payments to the lower of the two rates first! So if you have a cash advance at 5% and purchases at 10% on the same card, payments you send in will be applied to the 5% debt instead of the 10% debt (the exact opposite of what you'd do if you had a choice as the consumer). To avoid the problem, pay off a credit card at a higher rate and then re-borrow at the lowest rate available.
7. As rates rise, look for long-term rates with no expiration (i.e., avoid teaser rates). If you expect to carry a balance long term, do the math. Let's say a card has a 1.99% rate for 6 months and then bumps to 7.99%. In the first year, your average interest rate will be about 5%. You're better off opting for a fixed rate of, say, 3.99% if available. This assumes you'll keep the balance for at least a year. If you keep it longer, the higher interest rate could cost you even more. Include any fees (which can be as much as 3%!) when calculating the effective interest rate.
8. Use credit wisely. Don't be drawn in by advertising phrases such as "Relax. Write a check and start saving." You're not saving money by spending it, even if you are lowering your interest rate. It is still debt that needs to be paid back.
9. Offers can be rescinded without notice. For example, Chase bank reserves the right to decline a convenience check if they "reasonably believe that you will be unable or unwilling to repay the balance." And Citibank "reserves the right to conduct a credit review , including obtaining third-party credit reports, to determine your eligibility for an offer." And most offers have expiration dates. So make sure the convenience check posts to the account in time to get the promotional rate you're seeking. Better still, perform the balance transfer by phone to make sure it is processed in time. And leave sufficient time, as balance transfers can often take 7 to 10 business days (2 calendar weeks).
10. Cash advances or balance transfers don't have grace periods, and cash advances often carry a higher interest rate than balance transfers. (A deposit to a checking account is usually considered a cash advance, whereas paying off another creditor is considered a balance transfer.) Also beware of fees, which can range as high as a whopping 3% of the transaction (!) although they are often capped at $50 or $75 for larger transactions. Therefore, if performing a balance transfer, try to do one large transaction instead of multiple small ones, which are each subjected to a fee. Perhaps execute a cash advance to your checking account (if the rate is advantageous) and then write multiple checks from there. Beware that some promotional rates can be used only to pay off other credit cards, not used to make deposits directly to your saving or checking account. And remember, you can't use a balance transfer to pay off another card from the same card issuer.
11. Don't be shy. Contact your card issuer and ask them to offer a lower rate, waive fees, remove penalties, or make similar allowances should you be late on a payment (or even if you are not).
12. Many "promotions" don't even offer a low rate. Inspect the offer carefully to see if using that convenience check will cost you 18% instead of 5%. Often, the rates offered by phone aren't as good as ones you may have received in writing. So decide whether you are better off using promotional rate checks received in the mail that have yet to expire. When rates do expire, don't be afraid to ask the card issuer to extend the dates (so you get a lower rate for longer).
13. Some banks charge you a fee to pay your bill! For example, if you pay by "check-by-phone", Advanta charges a $12 fee. If you "pay-by-check" via their web site, there is no extra fee.
posted on Tue, 29 Mar 2005 at 12:58 | path: /finance | perma link
"Intelligent design" is the new name for what was previously called "Creationism" (and stands largely in opposition to Darwin's theory of evolution). My opinion is that Darwin should be taught in biology class and that teaching of creationism should be limited to church/temple/mosque or a comparative religions class.
For more, see "We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of the culture."
posted on Tue, 29 Mar 2005 at 12:47 | path: /words | perma link
Taiko is a style of Japanese percussion. A taiko ensemble often consists of multiple people playing drums of various sizes (some extremely large) and other percussion instruments. The drumming is more than just a musical performance. The percussionists often perform intricate choreography (a sort of stylized dance reminiscent of martial arts) while drumming. The arm, hand, and body movements add to the artistic asthetic, making it both a visual and auditory feast for the senses.
posted on Tue, 29 Mar 2005 at 01:58 | path: /words | perma link