Life is short. Pamper yourself.

As a seasoned veteran in the sales arena, one of my favorite techniques to  manipulate customers was the “pamper yourself” technique. I don’t think I invented it, but I never – I repeat never – have ever seen another sales person use it effectively on a prospect. So what exactly IS this magical technique that I would apply ever so carefully? Well, first of all, buying and selling is a relationship activity. Anyone who is paid an actual commission, and no base salary understand how important it is to really connect with that prospect. Depending on what you are selling and who you are selling it to can make a huge difference. Sure anyone can “close” a sale, but can you maximize your new friend to spend twice as much? I can.

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So I think  my favorite place that I used this was working in the jewelry store. I wasn’t REALLY on commission but I had an aggressive sales goal that meant I could not rely on impulse purchases to get there. I sold over $200k in my first month. And that is a heck of a lot of diamonds. And we all know that a “No thanks, I’m just looking” really means, “Hey salesman, convince me to buy something I totally don’t need, but really want.” Don’t you just love a challenge? Yeah, me too. I think “Oh, it is ON.” First of all, no one just browses when they really want to buy. Oh sure we would all LOVE to have whatever and just buy it. Guess what? Some people have a shitload of money and a grand here or there doesn’t even budge the needle on the stress level scale. So ask your prospect a simple question that will get the wheels turning. “When was the last time you spoiled yourself or bought something nice?” Good one huh? For some reason it is a simple question that people don’t ask enough, of their prospects, new customers, loyal patrons, friends and family. I actually had a salesman who worked for me when I ran a Cingular store and he used to say “Treat yourself.” And he would sell more accessories than anyone. Nifty trick. Like a $130 bluetooth headset was an ice cream cone or something. Now obviously if you sell something like insurance, you probably won’t get the same results.

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My other closing sales line was “I usually buy what I want since my significant other is not a mind reader and if I hate doing returns/exchanges.” That usually got a good laugh. Or maybe the “Hi, I’m fucking awesome and no one gives me a holiday or special day.” Sometimes people just need someone to approve of their expensive purchase and say it is okay to actually spend money on yourself. I do it all the time. Every day is a celebration when you don’t have kids (to pay for things), a mortgage, a car payment or student loans right? With the current state of … the world, I guess you could say “Hey I am spending money on me because I was screwed out of every holiday/celebration/wedding/birthday because of COVID. Think of all the money you would have spent on gifts and airline tickets alone! There are literally millions of people who got a stimulus check that weren’t directly affected, but who wouldn’t take free money right? We all want to win the lottery. Some people act like this small check of $1400 is like a winning scratch ticket. Funny right? My dentist took mine and it wasn’t enough. There is such a big push on affordable healthcare but no one gives a shit about our teeth. Love my dentist but I feel like I am financing a car. I’m afraid to go in for a cleaning as it always ends up being more than just a cleaning. Sure, I need some new laser procedure for my gums. No, it is not free and not covered by insurance.

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And the trial for the murder of George Floyd is fucking ridiculous. He was murdered. End of story. Terminate his killer. Congressman Matt Gaetz is a disgusting pedophile (which hasn’t been stated anywhere in the media) and should be imprisoned. I guess since he isn’t the president and doesn’t need 60 votes to convict him, he is gonna get it. I’m sure Liz Cheny is laughing her ass off now. I told you they turn on each other. White republican … sorry white entitled republican. Karma is a bitch and in one of my future books, the karma angels are going to finally have their day in the spotlight.

Go buy something nice, cool or awesome for yourself. There are millions who saved for a rainy day and never got to spend it. I’ve been buying expensive face masks on Ipsy that tighten my skin and make me look even younger. I’ll be 48 in July but I still get carded at every casino and bar. My favorite mask is by Generation Clay, the pink clay one. And since you know I don’t take bribes, I am not sponsored by them or anyone. If you try it, get the one on Amazon, it is cheaper.

 

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The Trump Tax Cut?

So if you were blithely unaware, a few years ago Trump gave billion dollar corporation tax cuts, with the hope and fantasy that the trickle down effect would impact everyone. Well, I am a shareholder for Best Buy, who also got a big tax cut. Did employees get any of that money? Did the shareholders get a dividend that I wasn’t aware of? That’s right, the answer is no. The fucking greedy bastards kept it all for themselves. Oh sure, some tenured Walmart employees got a bone thrown at them, like hey, good work, we just saved billions, here’s a penny for your thoughts, which don’t count. Because history repeats itself and as long as anyone can remember the rich people are favored and the poor people are treated like second class citizens. Well it looks like the corporate rate of 21% is increasing to 28%, and when you are a big company like apple, Google, Walmart, AT&T or Best Buy, that percentage comes to millions. So yes, the federal government will be able to finance some of those stimulus checks, but as a negative repercussion, those retailers and companies will increase prices. I just got a message that my Disney+ was going up by a couple of bucks. I guess those premier releases (Mulan, Onward) haven’t been as profitable and with limited attendance at their parks, they need some cash.
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It really is sad that republicans in Georgia are also being sabotaged by their own party. As I said the other day, the republicans have woken a sleeping giant, and now they are going to have a really hard time putting it back to sleep. If you didn’t know, Georgia passed a law making it illegal to give someone water while standing in line to vote. WTF. Right? Where the hell was MY water when I was standing in line to vote? hahahaha. Just kidding. I vote by mail, just like the millions of others in Colorado. And while OUR voting rights are not being attacked, our virus here is, and starting this week EVERYONE will be eligible to get a vaccination shot. Wow. And I didn’t inquire with anyone, but I am pretty sure they are not going to require a drivers license or proof of citizenship to get the shot. Yeah, we aren’t assholes here. I had to say it. And if you didn’t know it, baseball opens this week here in Denver with the Colorado Rockies allowing 21,000 people to attend in person. If you are over 18 you can get the 1 shot Johnson & Johnson. Yay us for us old people.

 

Disney+ released a new series. All I see are these stupid Captain America memes. Yep, waiting til episode 6 launches then I’ll watch the falcon. I’m currently into Titans, a DC spin off of Batman, focused on the sidekick, Nightwing, who is not a nice guy. So far, I really like it. Superman & Lois airs tonight, and while I thought I would really like it, I’m just not that into it. They are focused on the supertwins who have no real powers, alternate timelines, … way too many variables to actually focus on a real plot. So far it is just a “meh” from me.

 

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Stop The Hurt

I know a lot of my readers are just as confused as I am. What am I talking about you may ask? Well, if you didn’t know, yesterday an Asian killing happened in Atlanta and this was clearly a hate crime, despite the murderer (in custody) saying it wasn’t. So my YouTube news was flooded with videos and news commentary about the situation, and OMG this is seriously getting out of hand. First of all, they are attacking geriatric fossils who can’t defend themselves. Like, hey, let’s go pick on some fifth graders so we can feel like a big bully.

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If I was witness to that happening to ANY elder person, regardless of race, background religion or whatever, it would be the WRATH OF AARON and I gotta say, it would not be pretty. 35 years of virtual training on a gaming console has left me with some very valuable skills. Yes, that’s right, I have a 9mm handgun. If EVERY person was armed, I think there would be a heck of a lot less attacks. How many first person shooter games have YOU played? How many hundreds of hours looking down a scope for the enemy? I think every Asian needs to be armed with at least a stun gun tazer, so when they see it happening to someone being attacked they can attack back. Shit I’d hit him with a fucking flare gun right at the head. Yes, seriously. Okay, I don’t carry a flare gun, but I carry my keys and I would have no problem paralyzing someone from the neck down. One swift hit in the back of the neck and it would be vegetable city forever. I took a few classes here and there. One thing to remember if you are ever held at gun point, give them your wallet, throw it on the ground and run like hell.

 

I do not promote violence, but when it comes to fight or flight, I will do both. And Dexter taught me how to bleed someone out very easily.

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Choose Your Side Wisely

So I know a lot of my readers are not on Facebook, and that is totally cool. I personally know of dozens of friends in real life who don’t even have an account. But they still have email. So anyway, I saw this in my newsfeed and it really hit home. I personally do not understand why the republican party thinks that their constituents/voters have not been impacted by the virus, and that only rich people are republicans. Because CLEARLY all the uneducated red neck rioters at the capital were NOT the upper crust of society. 75 million people are republican. As I stated in my last post, everyone needs/wants money. We don’t all make 174k a year like a senator does. Most of them are all millionaires already. It’s like all the rich kids got together and decided to bully all the poor kids (us) and now they can kind of get away with it. Oh wait, some people, still do get away with it.

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I had a friend who is a republican and I asked her WHY she was her party. She said she didn’t want people who don’t deserve shit getting shit when she has to pay for it. Like free healthcare when you are an illegal. Wow. I realized at that point my “friend” was a shitty person and it was best to part ways. I did however, ask her if I could see her immigration health bill. Her what? You know, the bill that she was sent that specifically covered illegal healthcare. Oh, she didn’t have one. So I told her to grow the F up and be a better person. One day, she or someone she loves is going to need assistance from someone, and she better pray that is readily available. What if, say in 50 years the population somehow has become dominant non-white? Say only 1% of the doctors are white. Then what? There are so many people that “think” their perspective or outlook is the only one. You can be king of the world one day, and then banished the next.

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So if you live in a state where you voted for a republican congress-person or senator, it is clear that your representative does NOT have YOUR best interests at heart. They are selfish, greedy, corrupt politicians who are only looking out for themselves. It is horrible and evil that the republicans are doing things to cheat the American people. Suppressing the vote so it is harder for everyone to vote is not cool. They can’t win legitimately so they do things to put the odds in their favor. And I want to throw a huge shout out to Stacey Abrams of Georgia, who spearheaded the movement to get thousands of new voters registered, which resulted in the democrats winning control of the senate, and ultimately passed this COVID relief plan, which Biden says we will see checks this month. I think I can speak for millions when I say that any amount of assistance is greatly appreciated. As always, we give thanks that we made it yet, another day in the pandemic.

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Can you imagine the chaos if the bill was written that you only get a check if your Representative voted for it? Trump said if you posted on social media #notmypresident you wouldn’t get a stimulus check. And isn’t it ironic how millions didn’t get one in the second round? If a senator got thousands and thousands of calls, letters, emails, and texts saying I am a voter in your district and I am not voting for you, I think that might get some attention. Imagine for just a moment, if TEN more senate seats were won for the democrats. Yeah, the rich people would be in trouble. Go Senator Warren. I support you 100%! Bezo you are in trouble. And remember, folks, those tariffs on China haven’t been lifted, so your apple iPhones and Nintendo Switches all get hit, …. which means you get hit.

 

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Tax The Super Rich

The United States of America COULD be the best country in the world. We have the resources, the money, and the land to build a tiny house for every single legal citizen and every undocumented person who wants to live here. Millions of empty land all over this country and trillions of dollars in the government. Seriously, if the government really wanted to do it, they could very easily buy up land, and build massive communities of tiny homes. They could even do a universal basic income for everyone, and not even feel it. Other counties do it. A place to get mail, sleep safe and sound. A place to call home. It would also clean up so many dirty, nasty “tent” cities. If I was Jeff Bezo I could snap my fingers and make it happen. But I’m not, so I can just write about how great life could be, … if I was Jeff.

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Everyone wants free money. Almost everyone wants to win the lottery. Who wouldn’t want free money if the government gave it. Well there are certainly going to be some people that will finally benefit from the Biden Stimulus package. But lets be real. $1400 is not a lot of money. Oh sure to some people it means being able to eat 3 times a day instead of 2. For families that don’t get food stamps, that extra financial support for those kids is going to be a real big deal. I think we all know there are over 75 million republicans. It’s not just democrats that are needing money. The reality is that our economy can’t survive with just rich people. It can’t survive with just poor people There is a happy balance somewhere where we all can work and live together harmoniously.

 

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I think that when your company becomes SO super rich, that it needs to give huge wins back in forms of scholarships, grants, programs, or they get taxed at the higher rate. Come on, it is SO not fair that Amazon pays no federal income tax. They make billions and I pay more tax than they do. What. The. F.  When rich people get their stimulus money they just deposit in their money market account, which does nothing for the economy. In Colorado, millions will be cashing that bad boy and using it in the closest dispensary and heading to the liquor store. Fact. Dispensaries saw a HUGE influx in cash/customers with the last 2 stimulus checks. Hey if they are locked up at home, at least they are happy, relaxed and enjoying their Disney+.

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WandaVision … what can I say? I liked it. I loved it. I can’t wait for season 2. And if you weren’t aware, there are TWO secret scenes after the credits. Seriously. Those sneaky bastards. Naked & Afraid new season starts Sunday, with a marathon on the Discovery channel all day.

 

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The Texas Reality Show

How y’all doing? Evidently losing power and freezing to death wasn’t enough for the big state of T. I guess it is only a matter of time before all out rooting tooting fighting was going to break out. So rather than keeping the residents prisoner, it is more of a go it at your own risk policy. I’m not for or against what they are doing in Texas. I did travel to Vegas and I didn’t catch COVID. Would I travel to Texas and not wear a mask? That would be a big negative ghost rider. Texas has been big for spring break, especially the South Padre Islands.

 

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President Biden says that everyone should be able to have the vaccine by the end of May. The only problem is there are millions of people who don’t want the vaccine. Yes, there are millions of people who do not give mumps, measles or chicken pox shots to their kids. Many times, people think they know better or best and ignore the warnings. People die every day from dumb, stupid decision making skills. 3 months is not a long time. Just hang out for 3 more months. Finish your autobiography. Write that family cookbook of secret recipes. Organize your closet — by season and color. Time goes by really fast when you are busy, distracted and productive. I have this one day goal of cleaning out and organizing my garage. And then there are other days that I just want to relax and take a nap.

 

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I was asked if i was going to take the vaccine when I am eligible. Of course I am. Hook me up with a flu shot while they are at it.  Better safe than sorry. In Colorado if you have 2 or more conditions, you are now eligible. So, obese and diabetic, … you’re in. I know of a couple of people that fall into that category. Obese is considered BMI of 30+. If you work in a grocery store, you are also now eligible.

 

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United States of Welfare

Wouldn’t you like to know what the government’s bank account looks like? I mean seriously, every time you get paid, they get paid. Every time someone wins the lottery they get paid. Every time someone DIES from COVID, they keep all those years of paying into social security. Sure they are trillions of dollars in debt, but to what extent? They always seem to have plenty of money, yet no one seems too concerned that they are spending now that will have detrimental effects on the future generations to come.

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To make things even GREATER for our wonderful nation, there are over TEN million immigrants marching towards to the United States of Welfare. I say that because they are all going to be accepted and welcomed. I know, right? What. The. Heck. It isn’t like there aren’t 60+ million people suffering or unemployed now, but now our system is going to be under more pressure. What do you want to bet that many of them are probably infected with the virus. Hello!? We can’t travel to foreign countries but we are going to let all these strangers into ours? Shouldn’t the American citizens get vaccines and safety first? Half a million are dead. Now they are adding over 10 million. Where are they going to live? Who is going to give them healthcare? Food? I think there is already a huge homeless problem.

 

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Now if we were to play devil’s advocate, we could point out that Biden is secretly stacking the deck for the next election. What? What do you mean? Well, think about it, he is adding ten million+ new voters to the path of citizenship, and who wouldn’t vote for the guy that gave them freedom, a life, a future for their children? Biden won by 8 million popular votes. Surely he will win by even more when this baloney under the rug backdoor immigration policy goes through. The country had/has an immigration VISA policy now. Why does one man think he has the power or better decision making to change the entire economic policy? Well Trump did it, so why can’t he? Trump banned multiple countries from even entering, and ICE enforcement was at an all time high.

 

Whether you like it or not, it is happening. We still do not know the overall impact of the virus and even when it will be safe to venture out again. But I do know that there will always be open positions for low level entry jobs that many Americans feel is beneath them. Even the kids today don’t want to work in fast food or retail. So who is going to pick the beans? Clean the hotel rooms? Wash the dishes? Clean your homes? Yep, these immigrants will do it, and they will even smile and be nice to you. Sometimes people don’t have a choice. But you do. You have the choice to be nice. You have the choice to not be judgmental and condemning. Everyone has challenges and are having a hard time with something. Be that better person and give someone a break.

 

And in case if you missed it, the CW has launched a new television series, “Superman & Lois”. You can catch it on the app if you missed it. This is a different take on the same story, as this time, Clark has 2 young teenage boys. Kyle from Teen Wolf and Elizabeth from Grimm star in this rebooted comic book hero. I caught the pilot and I was not disappointed. And on the big screen, Milla Jobavich stars in Monster Killer, now showing in theaters, and also at home digital rental. I loved her in The Fifth Element and she was awesome in the Resident Evil series. I checked it out and I actually really enjoyed it. Just remember “Suspension of the disbelief.” It means, the story line is actually somewhat believable and you can enjoy it for that reason alone.
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Game Stop? Game Start.

Did you hear about the whole Game Stop drama/bullshit that happened? Yeah, pretty crazy. If you didn’t, the retail gaming second hand trading store, was super under-valued as a stock. So some of the big Wall Street guys were going to try and cheat them, is the short version. I’m not really a stock guy, other than my Best Buy stock that I won. But you all know you should buy stock low and sell it at a high price.

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Game Stop made all their money in the used game market. So I buy a game brand new for $60. I beat it in a month and I no longer want it. So I sell it to Game Stop for $30 credit toward a new game. They get the game and sell it again, for … $50. This process goes on indefinitely, making Game Stop new revenue over and over again. So can you see how a company like this actually is pretty profitable? So why did Wall Street think that Game Stop was going to be a shitty company to invest in and drive the price down, in a sense devaluing the company? Because they are assholes. So, the real reason why the gaming industry is NOT dying, is that you have some big players (literally) that are crushing the market. First off, Sony PS5 is basically a pipe dream for millions. And the Nintendo Switch is just a legend that one day you might find.

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Billions of people are still in need of entertainment, and what better method/vehicle than one that you can literally be/do anything a computer programmer can imagine. Now the thing that has changed how people play games is the fact you no longer have to go to the store to buy a physical game and you can download a digital version. How cool is that? No more lost games, scratched unplayable games, and it is better for the environment. This is the theory that Wall Street bankers were using when they thought Game Stop was going to eventually fail and die out. WRONG. Millions of gamers collect those physical games and actually have some pretty elaborate “man caves” or gaming rooms where they display them proudly. Other gamers do not want to be 100% reliant upon the internet to play their games. Oh. Darn. Wall Street assholes aren’t actual players.

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Skyward Sword Joy-con Controllers

Nintendo has been hard at work releasing their own games, and every day there are deals in the eStore. The other day there was an announcement that Nintendo will be re-creating the legendary Zelda – Skyward Sword for the Switch. This was originally released on the Wii and used the two game pieces, one as a shield and the other as a sword. It was pretty awesome if you ask me. They are also releasing a special edition new handheld joy-con pieces, which are already sold out. Skyward releases on my birthday, July 16th. Like millions of Zelda & Link fans, I will be adventuring in the land of Hyrule. Gamers are still in the dark when it comes to the next release of Breath of the Wild 2.

 

 

If you were not aware, this is a special 35 anniversary year for Mario and a new Super Mario game was released this month. I have not downloaded it yet, but it is a 4 player type game in 3D. Pretty crazy. If you are an original Super Mario fan, where it was 2D moving from left to right on the screen, then you will really like this one. When I was in Vegas they had Mario Kart in the video game areas, and each racer had their own machine. It was pretty cool.

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So if you are a Marvel fan like me, then you might still be sad that Tony Stark, aka Iron Man died. Fans all over the internet have speculated how he could make a come back. They bring dead people back in movies and television all the time. Flashbacks, memories, stories, … prequels. OR they can bring them back, or their voice in a new animated cartoon series on Disney+ called “What If?” In addition there is going to be an Ironman type of movie that shows what happens when bad people get Stark Technology. Loki will come to Disney+, which will be a weekly series like WandaVision. They are doing a lot of sequels, and some of the lesser cool characters, like Natasha and Clint will get their spin off movie. A new movie, The Eternals adds Angelina Jolie to the MCU and I saw Michelle Pfieffer in the line up as well. Black Panther 2 is in the works, but I guess it will be a twist with their king now dead. Do we see a possible sister taking the lead? Maybe.

 

And if things in Texas weren’t already miserable, residents have no clean water and are told to boil their water so they don’t drink any parasites. So needless to say there are millions of bottled water being flown into Texas. I actually find it hard to believe THAT many people are drinking tap water. We all know they drink sugary drinks, lots of beer, … I know of some people who never drink water. I know, how weird is that? Texans also have a variable or fixed energy rate. And if they picked variable, they can expect an electric bill in the thousands. In Colorado we have something similar, so in the summertime if you use more electricity you get bumped up to the next tier level and you pay even higher rates. Same is true for water. So a lot of people don’t water their lawns. If you choose the fixed rate option, your rates are initially higher than the variable rates but you don’t have to worry about spikes in your monthly bill.

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And they lied. WandaVision was NOT a full hour. I was left with even more questions, and had to watch the YouTube Easter egg video to see all the hidden clues. How many times do you see a “hex” symbol in the show? If you haven’t watched it, now you will start seeing them everywhere! I was right about Agnes. I love the funny “Bad Mom’s” actress. She IS from another part of the Marvel Universe!

 

 

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Colorado Election 2020

Welcome to the twenty twenty shit show! As if things in life aren’t already frustrating, confusing and full of wonder, we also have to deal with things on a huge economic scale, and for a majority of the general population, have no clue on what impact they have on the overall general health of the economy. Wait, what? Yes, you read that right. Let me back up to the last election, and remind everyone what devastating effects of “not giving a shit” and basically letting the old minded generations take over the United States government with the idol they elected. Yes, we are talking about ALL of the elected officials, not just the one allegedly running the country.

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People are quick to point fingers and place blame, but the one thing they they selectively forget, is it is those same people who didn’t vote, that are now causing the shit show. Wow, bet you never thought of it that way. When that “Karen” is being a bitch in line, and you stand there and allow that hourly retail cashier or worse, the hourly manager to take that abuse, YOU are allowing and in one way or another endorsing that type of behavior. Wouldn’t it be cool if you could actually see a visual warning of those people who didn’t vote/give a shit? Now those same people act like their actions didn’t have repercussions.

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If you are a registered Colorado voter, there are some “things” that you need to know. First of all, if you are not registered as a republican or a democrat you REALLY need to pay attention. You have been mailed TWO ballots. Yes, that is correct. One is for a republican and one is for a democrat, and since you don’t fall into one of those boxes, you get to choose ONE ballot that you can submit as your official vote. Do NOT think you can outsmart the system and vote twice, or even three times. Newsflash Einstein, you have to sign your ballot, and it goes into a computer system to verify your official signature on file, usually from the DMV. An actual person looks at both signatures, and if it is flagged as possible non-match, the ballot may get thrown out all together. Those are all barcoded, and when your second ballot comes in, the first ballot is flagged and cancelled. Ouch. If voting polls were open, then you could try and vote in person, for a third time. Guess what happens when your government issued id bar code is scanned into the system. Yep, not good, as you are detained. If you didn’t know, Colorado has been described as a model voting system for other states. So, yeah, we have this voting thing down. It is a federal offense to forge someone’s signature on a ballot. So don’t even think of stealing someone’s ballot if you somehow have access to an open mailbox. The signature HAS to match.

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And if you didn’t already know that we are one of the most progressive states in the nation, with Jared Polis, the first openly gay governor, paving the way for other states. Cannabis, insulin regulation are just a couple of things that we are known for lately. Our former governor John W. Hickenlooper is running for a senate seat, basically taking Polis’s previous elected position, as he was senator when John was governor. Currently Cory Gardner, a republican holds the senate seat. Hickenlooper has my vote and should have yours also. Residents voted for him for governor — at least the majority of the state did.

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So let us take a look at some of the Colorado ballot issues, and let me provide some guidance. If you already voted, or feel you are highly qualified in all these issues, then just keep scrolling. However, there are thousands of my readers who are not experts, and many of them do not even have a high school diploma or a college degree. So who do you know who has a masters degree in business who is freely sharing those thoughts to the general public? I would really like to know. So … just me. And if you are like me, you want fresh new content, that is not riddled with argumentative opinions and advertisements.

 

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So first glance, like all past ballots, it is full of long winded, run on sentences that make you just want to scream. And you can say that you are “Today year’s old” when you learned that ALL CAPS means that it involves some sort of a tax/debt issue that is going to somehow cost you money. Yes the government is yelling at you to pay attention. So for Amendment B (to the state constitution) wants to change the assessment rate for property taxes. I say NO. It ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 29% property tax assessment rate seems high.  Amendment C – asks if bingo halls can hire managers. WTF? Why can’t they is the real question. So I say YES. Here is the big one that is going to have people in tantrums. Amendment 76 changes voters to be required to be a US citizen to vote. Remember, there are 800,000+ DACA babies that are in our system as well as millions of others who are voters. Hmmm. So based on how it is worded, I am assuming you currently do NOT have to be a citizen to vote in Colorado. Dude, … what the heck? I think it is fine the way it is, and vote NO/AGAINST. Amendment 77 – Changes the CRS to allow casinos to add new games. Sure, I vote YES/FOR.

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Proposition EE – This is a new smokers tax on vape products. This appears to be just on nicotine vape products of a 22% increase. I don’t smoke nicotine products so this really doesn’t affect me. HOWEVER, the overall economic long-term repercussions could hurt an already down unemployed economy. Why punish the smokers? Don’t they pay enough with losing their health already? So, I vote NO.

Proposition 113 – Do we give our electoral votes to the popular vote? I say yes. It should be WE the people, not the fucking elected official who has the power. Proposition 114 – Releasing gray wolves into the wild. You know I saw a video about how releasing natural predators into the wild had positive effects. I don’t remember all of the details, but I am going to go with YES on this one. Proposition 115 – Abortion issue. If the baby is 21 weeks the the abortion is illegal. Yeah, so I don’t have an ovary or uterus, so I don’t really think I should be voting on this. So I’ll say against, and leave it the way it is. Proposition 116 – lowers the state tax rate to 4.55% Sure, why not. I’ll vote yes. Proposition 117- change the CRS to make an entity tax exempt. Uh, no on that one also. Prop 118 – creating family medical leave. This forces an employer into giving this “benefit” to employees. Hey, as a business owner, I might not want that or can afford it. Government should mind their own business, unless they are going to pay for it. So I vote no. As far as the judges go, let me ask you this question. When you had ANY interaction with a judge, which btw, is a glorified bullied attorney who got promoted, did you get a nice little slap on the wrist? Did you get off with a warning and some community service? Or did they throw the book at you? Make you an example? Stress you out emotionally and financially? Hmm, yeah me too. So I say vote that judge out and put in some new fresh blood. Guess what? Your vote DOES matter. And that nasty judge who sat all high and mighty can go get a job somewhere else.

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Alrighty kids, if mom and dad haven’t sat down with you and gone over these important ballot issues for Colorado, and for the nation, then hopefully this gave you some insight. Of course you can vote for whomever you choose, but remember that what do today will have an impact on generations to come. Millions of newly registered voters since the last election are ready to cast their first vote.

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Credit Cards

So after watching a ludicrous but somewhat thought-provoking video from Jake Paul, I thought I would elaborate on his idea. He says that formal school sucks, and that kids need a better education on real life “stuff”. That is the short version, however, he nor any of his “peers” are qualified to educate his millions of followers. One of the things he discusses (sort of as he throws money from a balcony) is the concept of credit. Which is ironic, since he so young it is unlikely he secured any on his own merit. Do people need an education in credit management/debt management? Absolutely. Do they need a full semester in learning all about how to borrow money and pay it back on time? No. I think maybe a mini-workshop within a conference for young new small business owners would maybe be a better venue.

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In this day and age, it is not so easy for a young person to get a credit card, store credit card, or a charge card. From what I gather from small business owners it is also not very easy for them either. So a class in credit, how to get it, how to keep it, what is the credit score and why you need to pay attention to it. What the heck is a credit inquiry? Who are the players and how do you win in the losing game of interest rates? Damn, all those things could make for a really good book, seminar, or Youtube video.

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Because of Covid19, no one is going to go to any seminar, workshop anytime soon.  So for the sake of today’s lesson, I will pretend that you are my 18 year old nephew who just graduated from high school and knows absolutely nothing about credit. Cool? First off, let me ask you some questions. Why do you want credit? Answer: I don’t have the amount of money required to purchase ______ and due to my current financial situation ($ ____ per month/week/hour) I can afford to allocate ____% of that toward my goal of ______. This “should” be the main answer when asked why they want to borrow the money they don’t have. Other reasons, which come up are things like renting a car, hotel room, buying a plane ticket, or maybe it is simply earning rewards points or getting things like extended warranty. All these things come up and are credit card/bank based.
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In order for an entity like a bank to loan you money, you have to prove that you are going to pay it back, on time – every month, until it is paid off in full, plus interest, the additional money the bank is making by loaning the money to you. There has to be something in it for them. How they determine if you are a risk is based on you payment history. We call this a credit score, a complicated report of numbers, accounts, dates, and historical record of YOU paying back an entity. Understanding how this report/credit number is generated is not what this article is about — you can go read about it from another expert. But in a nutshell, you as a consumer, need to pay back any money you borrow on time, every month. That’s it. You would think that was pretty simple, but guess what? Life happens, and some bills don’t get paid on time because there isn’t enough money. We call that being overextended, and that is a reason why banks want to know what your discretionary income is each month.

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A long, LONG time ago, credit card companies all charged an annual fee, just for the privilege of having/using the card. I think my first Chase Manhattan Bank card, billed me $19 a year! Credit cards today are mostly free, and if you get one from your local bank or credit union, there should be no fee. Prestige cards, such as the American Express charge card (green, gold, platinum) offer premium benefits and as such, charge fees to cover those benefits.
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So how did I get my first credit card, you might ask? Well, back in the 80’s I wanted a credit card and my mom understood the power of credit said okay. I was only 15 and at that time you had to be at least 18 to apply for any type of credit. Mom knew that one day I would want to buy a car and I would need to finance it, so starting a credit file of my own was going to be monumental. So mom “co-signed” a department store card, Herbergers, which went out of business prior to the coronavirus pandemic. What this actually means, is that my mom told Herbergers that if I failed to make a payment, that she would be responsible, and if she didn’t it would be bad for her credit report. The account was approved and they gave me a $5,000 credit line, which was all based on my mom’s credit file. THAT was not going to happen, as mom could easily see me going crazy and she called the bank and lowered the credit limit to $100. Yes, seriously. Why? Well, if I maxed out $100, she knew my hourly paycheck job, at $3.35 per hour would cover it. Very smart lady. NEVER give a minor a big credit line. Why? It is super easy to max out a grand, or two, and then not even have enough to make the minimum payment.
Eventually my credit limit got raised due to my excellent payment history. After doing this for almost 2 years, it was enough for me to get a car loan on my own merit. It usually takes about six months to establish a credit file, and then another year to start a payment history. An established payment history of making payments consistently on time, more than the minimum is important when granting someone a line of credit. Think about it, if you loaned a friend $20 and he paid you back the next day, you would be more likely to loan him money the next time he asked. If another friend never paid you back, would you loan him money the next time he asked? Doubtful.

 

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Now that is how “I” did it back in the 80’s, but in 2020, credit cards don’t really work that way. Instead what you can do, is simply add your child to your account as an authorized user. This “does” technically start a credit file for the child, however, most bank officers are aware of this alternative move and take than into consideration before loaning a minor tens of thousands of dollars. As Dave Ramsey says, credit lines are demonstrations of how you borrow money. If you are debt free, you don’t need to borrow or have a credit score. I am totally with Dave on this one. I use the American Express card as it grants a lot of benefits, such as extended warranty, and it has to be paid in full every month. So it is unlikely you will go crazy knowing how much your monthly income is, and where is has to go. I always encourage people to have a monthly budget. Know how much is coming in from work and other sources, and know where it is going — bills, rent, groceries, and so on. When I was younger I used a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to budget wisely. If you are going to go gamble $100, it has to come from somewhere … less gas, groceries, entertainment or something.

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Apply for an American Express Card with this link. We can both get rewarded if you’re approved. http://refer.amex.us/AaRONSPFre?xl=cp33 It is in the form of membership rewards points, which you can literally cash in for gift cards, prizes, credit statements or even as currency on Amazon.

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