Christmas Consumerism

I swear, the following link is the most disturbing I have seen on the Internet in a long time (and that's saying something): MyPayDayLoan.com.

Christmas Money

Christmas money is on everybody’s wish list this Christmas. Its not just the teenagers requesting Christmas money, it’s the parents who are the ones who are in serious need of extra Christmas money. Christmas money goes to a lot of different things during the holidays. Some reasons you would need Christmas money may be for the presents, of course. Other reasons to need more Christmas money may be to help pay for that Christmas party you’re going to throw.

Christmas Money in your stocking

Remember when you were little and you would receive a card with Christmas money in it? The feeling of getting Christmas money is one that you never forget. Another feeling that Christmas money instills in most people is the feeling of not having enough Christmas money. Not enough Christmas money for the nice gifts some family members expect. How about needing a little extra Christmas money to buy that special someone a nicer gift.

How do I get Christmas money?

Because we are Christmas money lenders, we understand the need for Christmas money, and that needing Christmas money is not a fun thing to have to go through. Because we understand that everybody needs Christmas money and wants Christmas money, we are offering you a free Christmas money loan! Remember the Christmas money in the card feeling? This is kind of the same Christmas money kind of feeling. It’s like somebody is giving you free Christmas money. Apply now and see if you qualify for free Christmas money."

They actually want poor people to get a payday loan so they can spend lots of $$$ for Christmas and pay obscenely high interest and service charges. And when the loan comes due and they can't afford to repay the loan, these payday loan companies will be happy to roll over the loan -- for a fee. It's a never-ending cycle. Look at the following I've taken from their FAQ.. it will make your hair stand on end!

How much does a payday loan cost?

The fee for advancing a payday loan is $25 per every $100 borrowed. For example, if you borrowed $300 the fees would total $75.

What is the period of time the short term, payday loan is designed for?

Payday loans are intended to be used for quick cash in the case of a financial emergency. The loan period is most often 14 days long, but may be shorter in some cases.

What is the minimum amount I can pay towards my loan on my due date?

The minimum amount is simply the fees associated with your current principal balance. For example, if you have borrowed $300, your amount due is $375. Assuming you submit a payment request on time, the minimum amount you would be required to pay on your due date would be $75.

How many times am I allowed to extend my payday loan advance?

You are allowed to extend your payday loan as many times as necessary, however, keep in mind these are short term loans and should be paid back quickly.

Wig Party at Ron and Melvin's - 2006-10-28

Here is the Tabblo I just made of the pics I took at Ron and Melvin's Wig Party. Click on the link below to see all of them. If you click on a particular photo, you should be able to download it, although it won't be full size. If there's a few pics you want and you are unable to get them yourself, I'm sure I could be convinced to email them to you.

God, Ron, I hope you find some way to use up your leftovers. :)

See my Tabblo>

Where did you get your licence, moron?!

May I offer you a quote from The Official Driver's Handbook for Ontario for everyone's edification:

Yielding the right-of-way

"There are times when you must yield the right-of-way. This means you must let another person go first. Here are some rules about when you must yield the right-of-way.

"At an intersection with stop signs at all corners, you must yield the right-of-way to the first vehicle to come to a complete stop. If two vehicles stop at the same time, the vehicle on the left must yield to the vehicle on the right."

Why this little lecture? Well, on my way home from work last night, I approached the intersection of Bay and Gloucester, two one-way streets. Refer to the picture: I was the red car and some @$$hole was the blue car. Well, we both approached the intersection at exactly the same time and both came to a stop. Armed with my knowledge of the Ontario Traffic Act, I then proceeded to enter the intersection. So did Mr. @. Since I was farther into the intersection than he was, I had to take some evasive manoeuvres to avoid a collision, while Mr. @. was honking at me like I was the idiot who didn't know how to drive. Good thing he didn't run into me or who knows what would have happened.

It sure is pretty windy in the Windy City

Greetings from Chicago. As Sarah's birthday is Saturday, I decided to pay her a visit. (Although it's not as though it's been ages since I saw her last... as she was in Europe with me a scant two weeks ago...)

My flight was very quiet. Quite pleasant, actually. The plane was very new, and each seat had its own personal TV with pre-loaded entertainment. Got to watch TV for most of the two-hour flight. Before you knew it, the plane was in Chicago.

Today we just spent our time in the Magnificent Mile area, and a dangerously long time (2 hours) at Borders. So many nice books... argh!

Sarah wanted to go see the movie Marie Antoinette tonight. It was interesting to see the Château Versailles being used as a set, because, as you probably know, we actually went there. Just looking at the trailer brought back memories of France. However, the film really was awful. The acting was really not very good, especially by the actor playing Louis XVI. The very flat American accent was so grating to listen to... Don't even get me started on the ending! At least the costumes and the sets were nice.

It's good to see Sarah taking an interest in French. She really loved Paris and I'm sure we'll be going back again some day in the future. She bought a French/English dictionary today. We'll see if she puts that to good use.

Well, I have more shopping to do today. I'll have to find some wig for Ron's wig party. See you...

Paris & Rome 2006

Hey boys, we're in Paris!!

... See my Tabblo>

Swinging London!

As you can see, the hotel room was small, yet comfortable. At £70/night, that's pretty good for London, especially for the area I was in. ... See my Tabblo>