I received an e-mail this morning asking where I have been. Let me tell you it was very nice to realize someone noticed I have not been around much lately. Yes I have been very busy lately. Yes, it is business related. I was knee deep in work again this morning when the phone rang and on the other end was my son. "Mom I just had a car accident" First of all he is FINE!!!! I of course ran out of the office to make sure. He just got home from St. Louis on Monday for a few weeks. He is entering his senior year at Washington University in St. Louis. It never ceases to amaze me how when push comes to shove I was able to find time and leave the office.
Why am I writing this.......Let's just say it was a bit of an eye opener. Why should I wait till something like this to get out?? I am always touting myself as the glass half full person. Lately I must admit I have not been very good to myself. So...... from now on I will stop eating my lunch at my desk. I will take time to smell the roses. I will remember to get out of the office. Yes it took a little car accident to make me open my eyes again. I am so very grateful nobody was hurt. Now if the car repair fairy could just wave a magic wand and fix the car!!! Although my son is an adult he was instantlyl my baby when I heard his voice on the phone. You know what, he is only home for a few weeks. I am going to make sure I spend as much time with him as possible. For those of you with young children, believe me they grow fast. Enjoy the summer vacation time!!
I am grateful it is Friday and I have the entire week-end to start planning how we can spend as much time together as possible. Opps I wonder if he thinks this is such a great idea....hahahahahah
I got this as an e-mail and could not resist sharing it with my AR family!!!!!
Let me know what you think!!!!!
HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2009
Scenario 1: Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack. 1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack. 2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario 2: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school. 1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies. 2007 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it and Mark was just defending himself.
Scenario 3: Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students. 1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again. 2007 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario 4: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt. 1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman. 2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.
Scenario 5: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school. 1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock. 2007 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario 6: Pedro fails high school English. 1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college. 2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario 7: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed. 1957 - Ants die. 2007 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch li st and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario 8: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him. 1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing. 2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
This should hit every email inbox to show how stupid we have become !!
A tale of April Fool's at AM 1470 WWNN didn't go over well with morning drive hosts Steve Kane and Brian Craig of the "Steve Kane Show" in south Florida. From the radio waves to the telephone lines, an April Fool's prank played by fellow host Bill Lewis of the "Credit Restoration Consultants Hour" didn't sit well with Steve and Brian. In a joke that spanned almost a week, it was only on April 2nd that fellow hosts and listeners alike learned that Bill Lewis had not left the station and his long standing show on financial issues.
Although not a holiday in its own right, April Fool's Day or All Fools Day as it is called in several countries, is celebrated on April 1st. It is a day that is marked by the commission of hoxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on family, friends, co-workers, enemies and neighbors. The aim of April Fool's is to embarrass the weak and gullible. In light of the April 1st date itself, certain pranks require intense planning and cooperation of others to remain credible.
As the longtime host of the "Credit Restoration Consultants Hour" on AM 1470 WWNN in south Florida, Bill Lewis has provided self-help tips and advice regarding credit repair, finances, and related topics for over five years. On occasion, Bill has hosted politicians such as Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Charlie Crist, Alex Sink, and Bill McCollum in addition to local politicians seeking election or retention in office. Throughout the years, Bill's show has strayed from the original concept of providing financial awareness to his listeners.
In a scheme that involved station management, Bill Lewis sought to strengthen his listener base and to consolidate the topics hosted. If Bill's show was to evolve, the name had to be changed. Gone was the name "Credit Restoration Consultants Hour." Born was "The Credit Report" with Bill Lewis, a daily forum for business and financial news, politics, economic trends and cutting edge issues. In contemplation of said change, Bill Lewis announced to his listeners a week in advance that the "Credit Restoration Consultants Hour" was voluntarily coming off the air on Tuesday, March 31st and that an unknown host was replacing him. Lending credibility to the prank was a detailed on-air conversation with station manager Bob Morency on his "last day" in which Bill ridiculed Beasley Broadcasting and AM 1470 WWNN in general.
On April 1st, Bill Lewis was replaced by Liberal Barry and Nat Trayger of "Middle Ground" - a weekend show on AM 1470 WWNN that is considered polar opposite to the "Steve Kane Show." In fact, show hosts Barry Murray and Nat Trayger spend their entire existence dissecting the ramblings of Steve and Brian. What a way to pay tribute to the existing hosts of the Steve Kane Show! What a day for Steve and Brian thinking arch-rivals Liberal Barry and Nat Trayger had replaced Bill Lewis immediately following their show each and every morning. It would be a full 24 hours before the cat was out of the bag.
In an April Fool's joke that had everyone wondering why Bill was leaving the air, "The Credit Report" with Bill Lewis was born on April 2nd. Gone was the company name that no longer represented the true nature and intent of the show. Gone were the personal viewpoints that adversely impacted Bill's credit restoration business. Although disclaimers touted that the "personal viewpoints of the host, guests, and callers were not those of the station management" it may never be known how many listeners were turned off by Bill Lewis and his rude, arrogant, annoying and obnoxious viewpoints.
Have you grown tired of the "Credit Restoration Consultants Hour?" You can now tune into "The Credit Report" with Bill Lewis weekdays at 9am and 9pm on AM 1470 WWNN in south Florida. As a daily forum for business and financial news, politics, economic trends, and cutting edge issues, your opinion matters. Talk lines are open at (888) 565-1470 and for those outside the local area, you can listen live at www.WWNNRadio.com.
The situation with all of our comments being censored today reminds me of a story my Mon told me. When she first started learning how to use a computer she was alarmed when she got an error message that said :
" You have performed an illegal action"
Having no idea what that meant she called my son, the computer guru, and told him she was being arrested. Imagine my sons shock at the thought of his grandmother being arrested. When he finally got her to calm down she explained what had happened. You can only imagine the laugh we have gotten from this one story.
I am embarrassed to say my Mother is now much more proficient on the computer that I am. She runs a E-Bay business from home. Knows how to download and print photos and keeps in touch with anyone she wants all over the world.
I know this has nothing to do with what is going on today,. I just get such a laugh out of the language used when describing our life on the computer. My wish for everyone is the freedom to comment on my blog. I love to read and make comments. I hope the AR gods have not changed that as well!!!
I promised my self I was not going to get caught up in the Valentine's Day hype. You see Valentine's Day in also my wedding anniversary. Wow I can't believe I am married 19 years. And this is my 2nd marriage. Boy do I feel old. It is very hard to go to the store and find a simple anniversary card. Everything is Valentine's Day!!! I wish I could find a card that tells my husband just how much I love him. When I got divorced in my past life, I thought I would die. Now I realize my first husband left so I could meet the love of my life, Larry. Why am I sharing this with all of you. I really don't know. I just know that I have been looking at cards and they have been making me think. I am the luckiest women in the world. Maybe I will forget about buying a card and just forward this to Larry. My public acknowledgment of my love for him.
My wish for all my Active Rain friends is to find a love as strong as mine is for Larry. I am blessed to know he feels the same way. I always wish people as much love as we share. Live for today. With all the talk of the economy, I refuse to be depressed. If I have love, I am happy. What does it take for you to be happy? Love does not have to come from another person, It can come from within. Love, what a concept!!!
Hi friends. I have been trying to figure out a good way to locate people for a networking group I participate in. What better way than Active Rain.The group is the BNI Millionaires and is part of BNI Broward. A networking group based on the "givers gain" methodolgy. It is an exclusive group in the sense we only allow one person from each profession to join. There is no competition for business that way. We give business to each other because we develop relationships. We are in need of a few more real estate professionals. We can use an inspector, a stagger and a commercial lender. If you or someone you know of is interested in being part of a very successful networking group, please contact me. I will give you all of the information. We are in Broward County, Florida. We meet in Pembroke Pines for those of you local and thinking about visiting. For more information on BNI, visit www.BNIBroward.com
Thanks for thinking of someone who wants to make $$$$$ It really works.
Just remember it is networking, not net sitting or net eating...but net working!!
Prior to going to work for Credit Restoration Consultants I worked with a great group of people at Royal Caribbean International. Last night they had a retirement party for one of the gang. It was great to get together with the group again. Especially post Holiday's. Everyone was relaxed and just happy to be together. One of my friends who I have kept in touch with told me she needed my advise for her sister. She told me her sister was in the appraisal business and was looking to change professions. Imagine my surprise when she told me she was thinking about going into Credit Repair. I asked her what she knew about the business and she told me honestly, "nothing". While I would love to help my friend, I can't help thinking here we go again. Yes, Credit Repair may seem like the "in" business to be in today, but, it takes years of education and experience to do it correctly!!! While I may not be with my company very long, the Company is going on it's 9th year of business. No company stays in business this long unless they are doing something right. Unfortunately people like my friends sister are making this a business that is constantly in question. This is bit like going to a Chiropractor who takes a week-end course and now calls themselves an Acupuncturist. Sorry, for me I want someone with years of experience and education. I guess my point is, Please, take time to check out any Company claiming to do Credit Repair. Do your due diligence and check them out. You owe it to yourself to be an educated consumer!! I understand every company is a start up at one time or another, but, a start up in the "in" business is scary!! While I told my friend I will be happy to speak with her sister, I will be telling her exactly how I feel. Today Credit Repair...what will she try tomorrow?????
While this time of year may be slow for many businesses, it is actually a great time to take advantage of Credit Repair.
Since the 3 Credit Reporting Agencies, Experian, Equifax and Trans Union, have people just like you and me working for them, they too like to take advantage of the Holiday's and take some time off. There are parties to go to and gifts to exchange. The quality of the work is not always up to par. While we can get away with this in many businesses, the people at the CRA"s must still abide by the Laws of Credit Reporting. That said, this is a great time to do disputes. Like I said, the people working there are only human and do not always keep up. They are also busy with the Holiday's. As I said this is a lesson in timing not a solicitation. Each and every business has cycles. This is just one in my business that most people are not aware of. If you have any questions regarding Credit Repair, Credit Reports or any Credit related issue including Identity Theft, feel free to call or e-mail me. I enjoy the education part of my job very much. As a consumer you have a right to know and understand what is on your credit report. More and more in these times our credit is being pulled for things that years ago did not matter. Who would have thought employers would be pulling credit reports before hiring anyone. It is happening more and more. Remember you have rights as a Consumer. Learn them and make sure they are not being violated.
As the Holiday's approach, take some time to reflect on the year. What do you want to do different next year. Do you know what your credit report looks like. Don't be afraid to look at it. Learn the laws that pertain to you as a consumer. Don't let yourself be fooled into thinking everything is great on your reports. Everyone and I mean everyone should check their reports two times a year. It does not matter if you think you have the best or worst credit. Scores are not everything, what is reporting is important as well. 2 out of 3 reports I pull for our clients have another social security number reporting on their reports. Is there a different one on your.
To educate yourself more go to www,annualcreditreport.com and order your tri-bureau report. Check all 3 bureaus. Do not let a friend in the business pull it for you. That is a hard it. Do it yourself so it does not impact your score!! You can get this once a year from this site free. If you have pulled one this year there are a number of other sites to go to. On these other sites, you will have to order a monitoring service, which you can cancel after you get your reports.
I hope this has given you the consumer a better light on what you need to do to protect yourself. it is you responsibility to make sure nothing is being reported incorrectly. Ignorance is no excuse!! Be an educated Consumer and learn how to protect yourself.
I am really enjoying the opportunity to blog, educate and learn here. I am looking forward to developing more friendships and relationships in 2009.
Happy Holiday's to all of my Friends and Family on Active Rain.
Hi to all my friends at Active Rain. I have to admit I have been very busy and have not been around as much as I had been. That said, I am working on catching up on all my associates blogs. I have to say I am feeling some withdrawal symptoms...I never thought I had the bug until I ran out of time to check in. I have been doing a few guest blogs for my friend Pamela Williamson in St. Louis. Thanks!!! Pam!!
I have come to depend on Active Rain for my news, not only in the Real Estate world but in the social arena as well. You would be surprised how much you can learn from checking in regularly. I hope with the Holiday's coming up I do not run out of hours in the day to keep in touch. I read a blog today on getting organized in 2009 and the need for scheduling time properly. I am going to definitely schedule AR time!! I am happy to have had a bit of time today to catch up. In the business of Credit Repair we are getting slammed with end of the year questions and concerns. If you or your clients have any questions feel free to call or e-mail me!! I give my word that I will be back in touch from now on. I realize that nobody missed me but I missed all of you. So if I give my word, it is for me to be accountable. Thanks for letting me blab!!!!
Each year before I break for Thanksgiving I contentiously try and make sure I have wished all the important people in my lives a very Happy Thanksgiving. This year my wishes would not be complete without taking time to wish all of my Active Rain friends a very Happy Thanksgiving. I wish each and every one of you the wish bone of life. Pretty Corny huh?? Well that's me a corney, glass half full positive person. So when you are at your Thanksgivings table this year, pray for those at your table you do not like or would rathernot be with. Remember everyone has their own "stuff" and deserves a chance.
So please eat whatever you want, enjoy the day as if this was your last Thanksgiving. Stuff yourself and promise to never do it again......
Happy Thanksgiving to you all from your friend in South Florida!!!
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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