Update Season X - "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Vol. I."

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

HD, this is Bushie we're talking about!  Bushie is Mr. Christmas!

Do you also celebrate AFTER it's over?  As it is, it seems that a full 25-30% of your calendar year is dedicated to this one day!  Post-Xmas festivities could up that number even more.  When does the tree come down? 

[King]

I thought you swore off bothering to try to give Bushie useful advice.

It reels me back in.

Bushie getting scammed out of an $800 cruise makes less sense than most of this.  Usually with a scam, it's offering you a deal too good to be true then running away with the money.  Legitimate Carnival/Royal Caribbean cruise packages are $450-600 per person.   He got conned paying for something overpriced.

[WalterMitty]

whatever happened to the disneyland honeymoon trip he paid for on his credit card.  did he get a refund?

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I thought he was going to go to Disney world anyway? Come to think of it, he never went. More wasted money.

[© tweed]

I thought you swore off bothering to try to give Bushie useful advice.

It reels me back in.

Bushie getting scammed out of an $800 cruise makes less sense than most of this.  Usually with a scam, it's offering you a deal too good to be true then running away with the money.  Legitimate Carnival/Royal Caribbean cruise packages are $450-600 per person.   He got conned paying for something overpriced.

perhaps it included transit since he does live far from oceans.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Is this all real?

His debts are less than the norm in America...

stop it

The average American owes $47,000, so apparently opebo is technically correct.

I meant 'stop it' in the sense of 'I really don't want to hear this' rather than 'I don't believe you'.

[Paul Kemp]

Did Bushie post his anti-abortion rant from facebook on here or nah?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

If it was recent, no.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I liked reading it, especially where he made the absolute statement that life began at conception, completely ignoring the lack of scientific evidence supporting his claim.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I didn't post my anti-abortion rant on here.  No reason, really, just that I didn't feel like it.

I'm not going to address Duke's post.  I don't feel like getting into a debate about it.

HD, surprisingly I usually take my tree down somewhere between December 26 and 30.  Usually, the first convenient time between Christmas and New Year's.  There was one year, I think either 2005 or 2007 that I took my tree down on Christmas Night.  I put my tree up so early that by the time December 26 gets here I already shift to Easter and my birthday.  I would make a great retail store manager because my mind thinks about 2 holidays ahead, sometimes 3.  Stores here in Oklahoma City are already starting to get their Christmas stuff out.  Hobby Lobby has had theirs out since June and the Lowe's here in Midwest City just put their stuff out this past week.  I went into the Target in Midwest City this morning, and they were clearing shelves out, presumably for Christmas Stuff.  It was right next to the Halloween merchandise.  The Wal-Mart's around here will start clearing shelves out around October 1 and get their stuff out before October 15.  At the same time, around December 15 it becomes harder to find Christmas decorations and you start seeing more pink and red showing up for Valentine's Day.  Lowe's starts getting their spring stuff out around mid-December like grills, lawn mowers, fertilizer, gardening stuff.

[Brittain33]

I thought you swore off bothering to try to give Bushie useful advice.

It reels me back in.

Bushie getting scammed out of an $800 cruise makes less sense than most of this.  Usually with a scam, it's offering you a deal too good to be true then running away with the money.  Legitimate Carnival/Royal Caribbean cruise packages are $450-600 per person.   He got conned paying for something overpriced.

$800 is pretty cheap for a cruise when you factor in port charges and such and are doing more than 4 days to the Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale. It's not absurd.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

bushie file for bankruptcy instead of deciding how much of papa bushie's pay check you are going to take every month to service your debts.

your credit is in the toilet anyway.

That's what he needs to do, but he won't, because he'll say that it'll ruin his credit.  But it really is what he needs to do; his credit score is artificially probably 200-some points higher than it should be because his parents are paying off his debt.  He shouldn't be able to get a credit card with that high of a limit (or even at all at this point), but while his parents are paying off his debt, he has no incentive to learn.  As long as he has no incentive to get out of debt, he'll keep spending more than he can afford.

bushie file for bankruptcy instead of deciding how much of papa bushie's pay check you are going to take every month to service your debts.

your credit is in the toilet anyway.

My credit will resurface in a couple years.  It's not completely in the toilet.  Bankruptcy is a stain on your credit the rest of your life.

Called it!

With as busy as I am in the evenings, with church, occasional baby sitting starting to come into play, completely revamping the church's website, I only have about 2 days during the week to do nothing.

I do plan on getting a really good job that pays at a bare minimum high 30's.  That's not a superfluous wish, either.  There is much precedent of draft students in the past several years.

Let's assume $40,000.  After taxes, you can't be taking home more than $27,000 a year (probably less than that).  With how much you eat out; car insurance, maintenance, and gas; cell phone; money to your sponsor children; giving to church; etc., you have to be spending over $1,000 a month.  So that's a very liberal $16,000 estimate of how much you'll actually be keeping.  How are you going to pay off all your debt?

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You're 31; that's pretty terrible for someone your age.

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So what's stopping you from getting one right now?  We know it's not time - you spend hours watching TV on the weekends.

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You're not paying anything.  You wouldn't be supporting any school fees.  Your parents are.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Oh no, we're paying off my cards and regular loan so when I do get on my own next summer, I can more easily focus on paying off the rest of my bills myself including the big card and my student loan.  I should have everything paid off in 2015.

Your lack of humility is disgusting.  There is no "we" in the payment of your credit cards.  You have no income.  Zero.  Zilch.  Nada.  Your parents are paying your cards.  The fact that you keep using "we" shows that you aren't learning from your mistakes.

Why don't you get a job?  There is no good reason why you shouldn't have a part time job at a local Wal-Mart restocking shelves or something like that.

The next day I plan on missing is October 9 when my grandmother goes in for surgery.

Is this a new development?

This is the greatest thing you have ever done, BRTD.  I may have to sig that.

You non-Southerners just don't get it.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with spending an entire Saturday watching college football.  That's what I'm doing today.

But there is when you are unemployed and having your parents pay off your credit card debt.  It's not the football that we're criticizing.  When I have a weekend off, I enjoy watching football as well (or going out after work with some friends).

how much is your student debt Bushie?

With the addition of CADD, it is about $9,500 give or take a couple hundred.  I pay $100 on that every month.  It acquires no interest any more so at $9,500 it would take 95 months to pay off if I don't pay extra on it.  I won't be in position to start paying extra on it until next summer after I get my regular loan paid off.  By then, I will be down to the low $8,000s.

Wrong again.  You used a significantly incorrect pronoun in the second sentence.  YOU have no income.  Someone else is paying $100 every month.

Bushie was scammed into taking a cruise? How does that work?

What's worse is I never even went on the cruise, just paid for it.  I never had time.  I had 18 months to take it from November 2009 to May 2011, but never found the time.  So, that $800 was a pure waste of money.  It wasn't exactly a bright moment in my financial past.

So how was it a scam?  When you said that, it sounded like you got scammed into paying for a cruise that didn't exist.  Is it just that you were too lazy to actually go on the cruise?

[Mr. Morden]

Bushie, again, approx. how many hours a week do you spend on CAD, either inside or outside the classroom?

[Joe Biden 2020]

bushie file for bankruptcy instead of deciding how much of papa bushie's pay check you are going to take every month to service your debts.

your credit is in the toilet anyway.

That's what he needs to do, but he won't, because he'll say that it'll ruin his credit.  But it really is what he needs to do; his credit score is artificially probably 200-some points higher than it should be because his parents are paying off his debt.  He shouldn't be able to get a credit card with that high of a limit (or even at all at this point), but while his parents are paying off his debt, he has no incentive to learn.  As long as he has no incentive to get out of debt, he'll keep spending more than he can afford.

My fear is that bankruptcy precludes someone from getting a nice apartment outside the ghettos and prevents a new car purchase with a low interest rate and comfortable payments, which is something I need to save up for after I get my debt paid off as mine is getting up there in age.  Plus, it takes 7 years for it to go away.

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My credit will resurface in a couple years.  It's not completely in the toilet.  Bankruptcy is a stain on your credit the rest of your life.
[/quote]

Called it!
[/quote]

Because it is

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Let's assume $40,000.  After taxes, you can't be taking home more than $27,000 a year (probably less than that).  With how much you eat out; car insurance, maintenance, and gas; cell phone; money to your sponsor children; giving to church; etc., you have to be spending over $1,000 a month.  So that's a very liberal $16,000 estimate of how much you'll actually be keeping.  How are you going to pay off all your debt?
[/quote]

Taxes and benefits in Oklahoma are between 25-30% total.  I should still get $28,000-$30,000.  By the time I get an apartment, I will only have two bills left to pay off, my student loan and one credit card.  Let's assume I bring home $27,000.  That is still $2250 a month.  My rent shouldn't be any higher than $700 for a one bedroom apartment.  Utilities and cable should take that up to $1000.  Gas for the car should be $125 and food maybe $125.  I won't eat out all the time when I have my own apartment.  That is $1250 so far.  That still gives me room to put down $750 a month on my bills and still have $200-$250 left over each month.  I'll find a way.  It may be 2016 when I get it paid off, but it will be paid off.

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You're 31; that's pretty terrible for someone your age.
[/quote]

Fair Point

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So what's stopping you from getting one right now?  We know it's not time - you spend hours watching TV on the weekends.
[/quote]

Starting in October, and especially November, I will start serving in a few ministries at the church.  I don't know which ones, yet, but I will serve in a couple or three ministries, plus revamping the church website.  I want time to serve in those, plus I don't want to go straight from school to work then straight to bed and back to school.  Plus, I must go to church on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night, not to mention Bible Study on Friday night, unless I am sick or out of town or have family in town.  Believe it or not, I do get tired.  I've already said this, but I got made fun of as usual, but if I work myself too hard for too long, I have a track record of passing out and fainting.  That's why I will even have to be careful which ministries I sign up for.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, can interfere with school.  That is the top priority.

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You're not paying anything.  You wouldn't be supporting any school fees.  Your parents are.
[/quote]

I know, but do you have to keep beating this dead horse?  You seem to like to gloat that I can't pay my own bills.  Plus, you act like I will NEVER get on my own and become self sufficient.  I am not totally worthless, unlike what you seem to think.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Inks, please stop beating the dead horse that I don't pay my bills.  It is getting extremely old and annoying.

Because of health reasons, It would be unwise to go to school and work and church at the same time.

I don't discuss most of my family's health issues.  That is a private matter.

Again, Harry is right, there is NOTHING WRONG with watching football all day on a Saturday, absolutely NOTHING.

Poor dead horse.

I already answered how it was a scam.  You didn't pay attention.  I said it was a scam masquerading around as a legitimate cruise offer.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Morden, I spend about 35-40 hours a week on CADD, inside and outside the classroom.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

With Social Security, Federal, and State taxes, I don't see how you could be taking home more than $27,000.  So if you actually are bringing home $2,250, you won't be having $200-250 at the end of the month.  Your apartment and utilities and cable costs look about right, but the rest of your numbers are low.  You'll be spending more than $125 on food.  That's a little over $4 a day; when you eat out, you're spending way more than that, and when you eat at home, I don't see you preparing huge meals that are good for multiple days.  You like quick meals.  I'd estimate your food costs per month closer to $400, maybe $300 if you really make some changes.  As for the gas, that's probably about right, but I don't know how much you drive; that would be an average of about 25 miles a day (using a 20 mpg assumption).  I'm not sure what bills you have, but you've got car insurance ($100/month?), cell phone ($50?), and tithing ($225).  That puts you at $350 ($450 if you assume the low cost for food) and leaves little room for emergencies.  You have stuff like oil changes, birthday gifts, car maintenance, your sponsor kids.  I think your estimations of what life actually costs are WAY off.

As for not getting a job, if you really are going to be busy with church, that's one thing.  But if you're still watching 40-some hours of TV on a weekend, then what you're telling us right now is a lie.

EDIT: Actually, $400 a month for food would still only be a little over $13/day.  You eat 3 meals and go through a lot of pop - $13 a day is probably still too low.  Maybe closer to $600 a month?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Inks, please stop beating the dead horse that I don't pay my bills.  It is getting extremely old and annoying.

Fine!  Then stop telling us that YOU pay your own bills.  It is getting extremely old and annoying when you cannot acknowledge that it is not you or "we" paying them.

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How does that mesh with, "I am definitely healthy enough to hold down a steady job"?  I'm not telling you to work 40 hours a week; I'm talking about 20ish.  If you can't do that and church and CAD, how do you think you're going to be able to hold down a steady job?

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I never said there was.

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Right - you said, "It was the second masqueraded as the first.  If that makes any sense."  But what does that mean?  What about it was a scam?

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

I didn't post my anti-abortion rant on here.  No reason, really, just that I didn't feel like it.

I'm not going to address Duke's post.  I don't feel like getting into a debate about it.

HD, surprisingly I usually take my tree down somewhere between December 26 and 30.  Usually, the first convenient time between Christmas and New Year's.  There was one year, I think either 2005 or 2007 that I took my tree down on Christmas Night.  I put my tree up so early that by the time December 26 gets here I already shift to Easter and my birthday.  I would make a great retail store manager because my mind thinks about 2 holidays ahead, sometimes 3.  Stores here in Oklahoma City are already starting to get their Christmas stuff out.  Hobby Lobby has had theirs out since June and the Lowe's here in Midwest City just put their stuff out this past week.  I went into the Target in Midwest City this morning, and they were clearing shelves out, presumably for Christmas Stuff.  It was right next to the Halloween merchandise.  The Wal-Mart's around here will start clearing shelves out around October 1 and get their stuff out before October 15.  At the same time, around December 15 it becomes harder to find Christmas decorations and you start seeing more pink and red showing up for Valentine's Day.  Lowe's starts getting their spring stuff out around mid-December like grills, lawn mowers, fertilizer, gardening stuff.

Interesting.  My mom sometimes leaves her Christmas stuff out into February and I kinda pegged you to be in the same boat.  Sometimes even the Xmas music would continue into late winter.  

I personally don't think we should be "skipping over" Halloween and Thanksgiving by bringing the Xmas stuff out so early, but this is coming from a person who considers Halloween and Thanksgiving to be of infinite more importance than Xmas, which is obviously not a common thing.  I suppose it just brings out all those nice feelings for people to see the jolly Santa fellow and all the pretty lights.  

How do you feel about New Year's?  To me... that's REALLY what I'm looking forward to.  Xmas is just a hassle.  I have to be here, I have to drive there, I have to endure the same "Austin!  If you don't celebrate Christmas, are you gonna give those presents back?!  Hardy-har-har-har!" every year.  New Year's?  The world is my playground, everyone is down for anything, and all types of normally-frowned-upon debauchery becomes not only commonplace but expected!  Plus, we completed another lap around that star of ours.  Truly the best holiday IMHO.  

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Morden, I spend about 35-40 hours a week on CADD, inside and outside the classroom.

How much do you work on it at home in an average week?

[Joe Biden 2020]

With Social Security, Federal, and State taxes, I don't see how you could be taking home more than $27,000.  So if you actually are bringing home $2,250, you won't be having $200-250 at the end of the month.  Your apartment and utilities and cable costs look about right, but the rest of your numbers are low.  You'll be spending more than $125 on food.  That's a little over $4 a day; when you eat out, you're spending way more than that, and when you eat at home, I don't see you preparing huge meals that are good for multiple days.  You like quick meals.  I'd estimate your food costs per month closer to $400, maybe $300 if you really make some changes.  As for the gas, that's probably about right, but I don't know how much you drive; that would be an average of about 25 miles a day (using a 20 mpg assumption).  I'm not sure what bills you have, but you've got car insurance ($100/month?), cell phone ($50?), and tithing ($225).  That puts you at $350 ($450 if you assume the low cost for food) and leaves little room for emergencies.  You have stuff like oil changes, birthday gifts, car maintenance, your sponsor kids.  I think your estimations of what life actually costs are WAY off.

As for not getting a job, if you really are going to be busy with church, that's one thing.  But if you're still watching 40-some hours of TV on a weekend, then what you're telling us right now is a lie.

EDIT: Actually, $400 a month for food would still only be a little over $13/day.  You eat 3 meals and go through a lot of pop - $13 a day is probably still too low.  Maybe closer to $600 a month?

I'll have to figure that out once I get into the job.  I'm really not sure right now and it could be that I'm underestimating.  We'll see.

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Fine!  Then stop telling us that YOU pay your own bills.  It is getting extremely old and annoying when you cannot acknowledge that it is not you or "we" paying them.

[/quote]
[/quote]

Alright, you have a deal.

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How does that mesh with, "I am definitely healthy enough to hold down a steady job"?  I'm not telling you to work 40 hours a week; I'm talking about 20ish.  If you can't do that and church and CAD, how do you think you're going to be able to hold down a steady job?
[/quote]

Because, when I do get a job, I won't have school.  So, I will essentially be trading in school for work.

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I never said there was.
[/quote]

Fair enough

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Right - you said, "It was the second masqueraded as the first.  If that makes any sense."  But what does that mean?  What about it was a scam?
[/quote]

It looked like a great deal.  The agent I was talking to made it sound like it was very easy to go down there and take the cruise and that it would be very enjoyable.  However, when I got to reading the fine print (after the $800 was charged) and when I looked it up online, I found a completely different story like I had been duped.  Needless to say, I wasn't too happy.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I just explained how you were underestimating.  Are you telling me you can eat a whole dinner's worth on a little more than $4 a day?  Your trips to Subway are probably at least $7 (and that's assuming a $5 footlong and a pop); that's just one meal.

As for the cruise, what was this "completely different story"?

[Joe Biden 2020]

I didn't post my anti-abortion rant on here.  No reason, really, just that I didn't feel like it.

I'm not going to address Duke's post.  I don't feel like getting into a debate about it.

HD, surprisingly I usually take my tree down somewhere between December 26 and 30.  Usually, the first convenient time between Christmas and New Year's.  There was one year, I think either 2005 or 2007 that I took my tree down on Christmas Night.  I put my tree up so early that by the time December 26 gets here I already shift to Easter and my birthday.  I would make a great retail store manager because my mind thinks about 2 holidays ahead, sometimes 3.  Stores here in Oklahoma City are already starting to get their Christmas stuff out.  Hobby Lobby has had theirs out since June and the Lowe's here in Midwest City just put their stuff out this past week.  I went into the Target in Midwest City this morning, and they were clearing shelves out, presumably for Christmas Stuff.  It was right next to the Halloween merchandise.  The Wal-Mart's around here will start clearing shelves out around October 1 and get their stuff out before October 15.  At the same time, around December 15 it becomes harder to find Christmas decorations and you start seeing more pink and red showing up for Valentine's Day.  Lowe's starts getting their spring stuff out around mid-December like grills, lawn mowers, fertilizer, gardening stuff.

Interesting.  My mom sometimes leaves her Christmas stuff out into February and I kinda pegged you to be in the same boat.  Sometimes even the Xmas music would continue into late winter. 

I personally don't think we should be "skipping over" Halloween and Thanksgiving by bringing the Xmas stuff out so early, but this is coming from a person who considers Halloween and Thanksgiving to be of infinite more importance than Xmas, which is obviously not a common thing.  I suppose it just brings out all those nice feelings for people to see the jolly Santa fellow and all the pretty lights. 

How do you feel about New Year's?  To me... that's REALLY what I'm looking forward to.  Xmas is just a hassle.  I have to be here, I have to drive there, I have to endure the same "Austin!  If you don't celebrate Christmas, are you gonna give those presents back?!  Hardy-har-har-har!" every year.  New Year's?  The world is my playground, everyone is down for anything, and all types of normally-frowned-upon debauchery becomes not only commonplace but expected!  Plus, we completed another lap around that star of ours.  Truly the best holiday IMHO.   

I lump New Year's in with Christmas most of the time.  The Holiday Season for me includes Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's.  I run it from Columbus Day (the second Monday in October) through the College Football FBS National Championship in early January

[Joe Biden 2020]

Morden, I spend about 35-40 hours a week on CADD, inside and outside the classroom.

How much do you work on it at home in an average week?

I spend on 30 hours a week on it at school and between 5-10 hours at home.