Listen While You Work

OK this a Bizaro-World post that fits into the "Random Acts of Silliness." As I was paying bills and getting ready to blog, I turned on iTunes as I do when I write, and I began to wonder if I am normal, well as normal as normal gets. I wondered, "What do others listen to when paying Bills or Blogging."

Now, I thought, that could be a fun Poll!

For me, I have always been tied to music as a student of music or Professional Musician (another oxymoron!) or like now am tied to music even in marketing, so I tend to have music playing all day as it helps me concentrate.

I also have the CD collection of a schizophrenic monkey...I know everyone says that, but I do. I have David Cassidy and then Danzig is the next artist!

So I looked at my Top 10 Songs played this month (artist then track):

1. Enuff Z'Nuff - New Thing
2. Beatles - Mean Mr Mustard
3. Beatles -I Me Mine
4. Blondie - Dreaming
5. B.W. Stevenson -My Maria (this is the Original version!)
6. Racer X -Heart of a Lion (Huge Paul Gilbert/Anime Fan! - Hence the nom de plume)
7. Weird Al - Canadian Idiot
8. Jerry Reed - She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)
9. Missing Persons - Words
10. Beach Boys - California Girls

So how about you? Listen to anything doing bills? Something happy to feel better, or blues to wallow in the sorrow or Alarming ARMS?

Budget by Beatles? Money Manage by Monkees? Saving by Santana?

Fill out the Poll and if you use other comment here to share!

Mortgage Crisis vs Integrity

There was a great story about the Mortgage Crisis on 60 Minutes. While we have all heard the various issues explained about how much inventory is out there, how many people have been pushed out of their homes due to the ARMs resetting. But something struck me hard while watching the videos.

I have always felt bad for the people who lose their home. We nearly went through it as a kid and it was a horrible experience. There was real shame in being in a nice middle-class neighborhood and really not being able to afford it anymore. However, in the videos a couple were basically saying..."Whatever!"

In the "walking away" video, the couple admits that: they overpaid, they got a ARM knowing it would reset, and that they can pay the new payment after the increase...but they are going to let the house go and be repossessed. When asked by Steve Kroft, "Why?" They basically say that they aren't going to pay that kind of payment for that kind of house. Basically if the investment was working they would continue to pay, but now that is not...Oh well! They will go rent for a few years, get their FICO back up and give 'er a try again!

Maybe we are weird, or it is just the way we believe that you should act, but we would just never do that. If we lost, or gave up our house it would only be after every measure was taken. When we were going through trying to pay all of our medical bills and old debts, a bunch of people (including one of the ladies at the hospital) suggested to really consider bankruptcy, but we believed that we weren't disputing any of the charges, so we had the obligation to repay them.

Maybe some feel it is OK to some because 50% of this (or more) falls on the backs of the lenders giving loans to those with very little hope of paying them back. But for us integrity is blind. I am not saying that if you decide you must go bankrupt you are doing wrong, just that it should be a last, ditch effort. For us it is worth the effort and harm to our budget to try and pay our debts. No matter to whom.

So how about it? Are we just Luddites, and hopelessly out of step with the way the world works?

Personal Finance QuickTake: Countrywide

Yahoo via the AP is reporting the Countrywide's Stock is getting hammered on rumors that it will declare bancrupcy. This is a stunning reversal for a once booming company that was growing by leaps and bounds only 18-months ago. While companies make their own bed, I do feel for the remaining employees at the company if it happens.

My mortgage isn't at Countrywide, and even if they go under someone will buy the owned Mortgages from them, but it shows how deep this mess is...and I hate to say it, but I was part of the problem.

I bought too big of a house since we really loved it. We were given a big Jumbo ARM loan that was no problem since the property rate were shooting up here in Southern Oregon (not like California, but quick). This is really before we as a family had our heads on right regarding Finance. Wouldn't do it now.

That being said, we are lucky. We can pay our payments and could even if the ARM jumped. We will refinance next year before the ARM is up (hense my FICO goal for the year). But we will not realize the debt reduction we could have if we had stayed more within our means. It really isn't the time to sell given the depressed market, as we could take a bath to get out from it so we will stay and enjoy it, but we will be wiser for it.

So if someone tells you you can live well beyond your means due to 100 years of credit management practices being thrown out of the window, think twice...