Metrics

There are many decisions made in this world that are based on very subjective points of views and opinions. 

The decision to attend college, or what to 'do when you grow up' should not be based on pure feeling and luck.  Your opinion matters but its not going to get you to the best place in life.

Many career paths are muttled with failure and wrong turns.  If you happen to be on a career path to a passionate dream and you are willing to work at all costs, that dream can become a reality.

If you're like most of us, a career is something you do, and made a limited choice to attempt to do while in college, not something you are.  Now that veers to another blog in another category of what one is and how to define that? But for this time and this place of wasted internet space, the choice is the ultimate answer.

I do have aspirations to create an entire life expense book but my 'passion', out of strong hatred is student loans.

Now, while racking up more student loans I received my MBA from a small Pennsylvanian school most likely not known outside of the tri-state.  There was a certain professor, who like all influential teachers one meets throughout their educational journey, made an impression, an impression that I should have understood and recieved prior to my secondary educational experience.  As I had not recieved this type of tutelage, I learned of a decision making process using solely metrics, and making that gut feeling, guess of a decision, one with numeric value, supporting the side chosen or not.

Using statistical evidence, and a linear regresion program, I believe it would be possible to map out an educated guide to life with specific emphasis on the 'Student Loan Decision'.

Locating, and expensing, the statistical program may be difficult but I, as well as openly recommending, plan on reading the school book I failed to open, Smart Data by James Rodgers.

Statistical evidence is the only basis one can know a more informed decision was made.  And when it comes to life, and student loans, we cant afford to be wrong.

Excuses

I was having a real tough time coming up with something to write about, and usually my topic for forced writing around those times is motivation. Motivation because of my lack of at those times.  Well this time it may be based on the hangover or the head cold or the lack of sleep.

There in lays the problem, the problem with student loans, the problem with amounting debt, the problem with our, American society.  We base our lives off excuses, excuses derived from entitlement.

And there are many who recognize this obvious epidemic.  You see it in the news daily, media sources push the sense of entitlement to a new level with each passing day as many minorities and majorities protest against injustices.  While these injustices do exist, and awareness is key, what happened to going into the system and trying to change it from the ground up, through education and job growth, and then empowerment through the position to be able to make choices to change things for the better.

But no, it is deemed acceptable to sit around and bitch.  Hell, as im doing now.  I'm not the vocal minority, even though I most certainly should be with 100k plus in student loans. 

Real change doesn't come from temporary fixes brought about in response to the vocal.  But change is brought about by action.  And most of the times this must be done on the personal level, for to change society and the way of the world is much more difficult, and I can find innumerable excuses to fight that internal urge, and external work that would need to be put into such a change.

But we will continue to rely on excuses, and blogs.

An Ignorance fueled by Entitlement.

I've heard a couple good quotes regarding excuses, and more so life and what occurs.  They both have the same meaning but using different verbiage.

The first is from one of the more successful persons from my graduating class who owns and operates several establishments, and in your early 30s that is quite an accomplishment. Im sure its an adaptation of a quote but quality and true, true to the excuse bearer:

Life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we react.

Bad grammar if you ask me, but like I said, I'm the bitcher using words and shes the worker establishing herself and her business.

The other is from one of Joe Paterno's biographies, the last notable one after his passing.  It was taken by him from Bear Bryant, both highly successful and both who did not make many excuses.  It was a poem by Heartsill Wilson that the Bear used in a public appearance:

This is the beginning of a new day
God has given me this to use as I will
I can waste it or use it for good
What I do today is very important because I am
Exchanging a day of my life for it
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever
Leaving something in its place I have traded for it
I want it to be a gain,  not loss - good, not evil
Success, not failure, in order that I
Shall not forget the price I paid for it.

More Choices

There are many more choices in life other than to college or not.

But when college is the option then the choice is what to study.  Sure, where, how, and other questions also arise but what is the most important of those choices.

Talking with a 16 year old cousin, I find myself preaching on the words I write here. To not college.  And if I could go back I wouldnt change my decision, but I would hopefully do it better. Think about it more and realize there are many more years after college. Years that the decisions made before, through, and after are affected.

So the choice of what to study and ultimately Be is one that shouldn't be made lightly, but one that any young person does not know because they've barely experienced to know what is.  But nonetheless we give them that life defining choice and let them run into whatever life they choose, which the direction is chosen in some instances but paths and obstacles arise that were not necessarily by choice.

He, my cousin, wants to be an aerospace engineer, which to me sounds like a child saying I want to be an astronaut.  To say that you will start into this career path is one thing but getting through is a whole different, long and brutal story.  Ive known many an engineering student move elsewhere,  which are those unseen and unchosen paths and obstacles.  So I heeded him that warning along with a warning to chose a field like that, he also said mechanical engineering which seems a bit more obtainable but also a grueling effort is needed to succeed while in school.

I, as an accounting major, took a job for jobs sake and still believe in the accounting major as an adequate opportunity with a heed of warning that you, unlike I, must put in the work to find a position in the field.  But many come out with 'business' or 'management' or 'communication' or 'miscellaneous' degrees and look for miscellaneous jobs, not unlike myself.  So I ask what then is the point of those degrees.  And the point of educational institutions that give 'knowledge' but actually give nothing of real value, physical or future, such as guarantee of a position.  A guarentee of a grade is giving and even when that is sufficient, a job is still not given.

Maybe im being a child of my generation.

Entitled.

Maybe im just bitching. As always.

But read and know that the choice of 'what' is a fine point as to know to college or not to college.

The Choice

100k plus is a choice, one that I was not aware of the implications and thus I sit here trying to find a forum to educate future generations, but it was still a choice to make.

As a 'lower' middle class teenager, college was most certainly an option, especially for someone like myself who excelled in that environment, but there were other choices, many of which I see my peers having made and doing much better than myself at this point.

Well, I guess there wasnt many choices, college, mooch, or work, as my simple mind can put together.  I chose college as did many of my equals, intellectually (ha that's a stretch for myself to deem myself intellectual but we'll run with it) not all economically, in high school.  Others who did not see the benefit of more schooling chose work.  I wont go into option b, but I assume there is a choice to do nothing and allow those, society and family, around you to cover the tab.

Work presented many benefits that college did not. Money.

I started working at age 15 and made a couple thousand each yeah but no more than 8k until I start my professional career.  Maybe that was a lack of motivation to be something more while being an academic but either way I did not make an above poverty level wage until 23 while those who chose work made a full time workers salary, whether that be even minimum wage, still add in up to around 15k a year.  Others took it further and work allowed them to make much more than that, thus receive the benefits of financial freedom prior to college graduates.

Work seems like a much more viable option, but the ceiling is much lower, or the potential ceiling I must say is much lower. But that's all obvious.

But that's also all a choice.

A necessary choice by a mind much to young and inexperienced to understand the life long implocations or either choice.

But that's another argument for another blog.

The choice I chose was 100k plus, one I assumed and hope would lead to an accounting position, a career path I was told in high school was booming.

I never made it to that career path, and thus I sit here and bitch, or preach, or try to pen words to show others(ha like who? I must ask) to make a more informed choice.

A New York Time article(today's for some reference other than my babbling) called 'Falling wages at factories squeeze the middle class' make the choice of Work seem much less viable, and the choice in general much more complex.  It basically sums up that manufacturing positions, which I saw some 'friends' pursue, do not simply pay as well as they once did.  Also obvious,  at least in my eyes, with that field being one sent to foreign (The Elephant and the Dragon, a economic commentary on the rise of both nations worth a read) labor markets that present a much cheaper landscape.  But is that what we must accept.

The article also goes on to explain and show the government's hand in the overall industry, as evidently seen in the auto manufacturing industry, while wages still have succumbed to a decreasing trend. 

One which may seem to be a contradiction in a democratic nation.

For the people?

For the industry.

For the company.

So how is work versus schooling going to win the debate?

I myself have seen wages by a manufacturing company in my community which was taken over by an Indian company, slashed.  A position that was somewhat well paying and held by one of my peers as I went off to college and saw him be able to support himself with the company but the company has been reduced to minimum or close to minimum wage positions for jobs that are above the duties of many workers at that same wage.

This trend is not a welcome in the battle of work versus school but that is what also must be understood, trends at the time of The Choice.

The Choice is not easily formulated, even with my hopeful Life Equation, but its a necessary and inevitable choice.

Book Title

Its becoming more apparent to me that this is the forum to attempt to launch a book, whether read or words in a forest that fall and no one hears.

Nonetheless writing can take place with pen and paper and be much faster or typing can take place and be a little less faster but more concrete, at least more visible.

Im not sure visibility is the most important factor, but importance is the most important factor. Importance, and relevance.  Where can I as an opinionated and educationally desired individual add any value to educate others through my self education and experience.

Thus, I blog.

Blogging, and talking, and notching about debt is one thing; the question here lies what can I add to the conversation,  especially that I could include in my dream, of a book and of financial freedom, as they, the proverbial they, deem it.  But a debt adverse lifestyle would be ideal. 

One can either divest and throw away future potential or the lucky ones can invest in a future that provides that which they are working for, whether that be fulfillment, happiness, other's happiness,  but not for yesterday and yesterdays problems and financial burdens.  But that is the system banking and financial instruments have allowed.  One where the few with available financial freedoms allow the many with many financial obligations and lack of finances to secure debts so aggregious that their lives are owed to that debt.

I talk in philosophies but they are truths that many live with and any sense of worth outside of our earthly existence is diminished by our earthly existence.  Living contradictions for the life not lived.

Still we must look past finances, even 100k plus finances, and live to fight and educate and evolve another day.  So that future generations are burdened by the things worth burdening over, our reason for existence, our search for knowledge, our search for meaning, our search for other intangibles that finances could never bring.

Again, way too existential.

But when you're 100k plus that's where the mind goes, to philosophical reasoning as to the necessity of the 100k plus.

I hope none of this on anybody and am slowly, very dramatically slowly, to know that no one else will be in this position ever, whether that's just through meaningless words on a meaningless space of the internet, or hopeful action in the world I reside in.

Dear Obama....seriously

Dear Obama,

There is a crisis in America.  Many news articles and popular opinions have polarized on what to do with this crisis but it is most known.  So for me to sit here and elaborate on the student debt crisis would be futile.

I will, for my own sake and worth, make my situation known to you.  I went to college for more than 4 years, 4 and a half.  So my debt, and my failure, have led to the problem of my personal student loan crisis.  I received over 100k in private student loan debt, which is not the most talked about secondary educational means. And while I have in my own situation attempted to blame my father as I was just a signer to the loans, not the distributor and financial advisor, who was him. 

Is that right, or even lawful?  Without the initial education and advising, financial burdens like this should not be made available.  I was going to elaborate but allowing private companies the ability to issue such debt is irresponsible.  The housing industry, which was an obvious bubble, and proved itself to be just that, made light of this unnecessary financial obligations that were placed on consumers that were well under qualified.

If those individuals, who couldn't meet their housing payments with working careers and more than one income reached the point where a large majority of the consumers failed to meet the terms of the loans that were given to them by irresponsible for-profit corporations, how can students with no established income or credit history be given such burdens?

Student loans are a necessity in a society that has allowed its secondary educational system be turned into what the medical industry is now turning into, private corporations.  These student loans should be regulated and allow for consolidation, interest rate reduction, and, most importantly, income based payments, for private and public student debt.  These, however, are only necessary actions after the fact.  Before, education and advising is necessary and up to regulation and an established infrastructure that should be created by the governmental system in which they reside.

And that governmental system is you, the president. The lawmakers, the politicians, the ones whom the corporations have provided lobbyists in order to sway opinion when public opinion is such little real value.  The opinion and circumstance of the consumer has been devolved in an economy based on consumer need versus consumer focus.  And consumer need is really the result of solely a bottom line profit, allowing for rising prices of those consumer needs.

There is no overarching solution, but there are places to start. 

An honest response is the only place to start that I request of you.

Dear Obama....Student Loan Debt Consolidation

ehhmm.....Private Student Loan Debt Consolidation.

On my main source of news, Yahoo, there was just an article on is debt consolidation and if it is a scam.

I'm sure there are many scams out there, in fact, there have now been articles lately of student loan consolidation programs that are now scams.  Obviously it is a good racket to get into with desperate debtors with little to no options.

What are the options....default?  Well, no, except in the most forgone financial position, in which I have not educated myself with.  But I'm assuming its just about as easy to default on student loan debt as it is to get elected to the presidency, to which I'm trying to write to, but revert back to blogging on.

In a letter, in fact, I would want to address that there are very little options for private student loans offenders, in which, who is in fact the offender.  The consumer or the provider of the product that is only available to furnish the acquisition of a paper?  I'm framing myself, and all private student loan consumers, the offenders since this is a financial means to an end that should not be utilized in any circumstance.  As with any financial debt, there should be a  product of collateral such as a house or an item, but this is solely the futures of all cosigners and debtors as this debt is un-expellable. 

I, at this moment, 7 years into my loans, have paid around $70,000 on the 100k that I owe, while that balance has only decreased by around $10,000.  I have not missed a payment, I have not paid less than the minimum amount, which is, in fact, more than would be of a mortgage.  The rate isn't sky high but it is an average of 7 1/2 percent variable, which is subject to sky rocket upon good interest rates.  I don't know if I foresee that, with a poor economic landscape currently in America, but I, personally, was always used to a bad personal economy.  

I have attempted to consolidate this debt, with a consignor, which was unsuccessful as one requirement was that I make the amount of debt that I owe in a year.  And if that were the case, I wouldn't be sitting here wasting my time on what is a dream of a letter but more of a blog, and even more a journal of feelings instead of cold hard facts.

Consolidation should be available for that very fact, that I am a responsible consumer in that I have not expelled or not paid the debt I have, unknowingly, taken.  I say unknowingly as I was a child of 18 who signed papers that I was neither privy, nor cared, to understand what the consequences of the debt entailed.  But I was an ignorant consumer as is what should be prevented in the future, to not allow this ignorance to keep taking place but order mandatory education, provided at the expense of the loan providers.  This should be enacted, and I'm not aware of the history of the proposal or enactment of such laws.  Which is where this blog lacks.  But, experience, it does not.

So, as I should be allowed to consolidate student loans, I must consolidate this banter.

Dear Obama....Finances and Race

Dear Obama,

I have a hard time not veering this conversation to race but I would most certainly like to refrain from that.  And I am most certainly not referring to your race, to abstain from the offensive.  I'm referring to race in America in general.  But the fact of the matter is it all comes down to economics.  If I, or anyone of any race, had no issues with their local and governmental economy then there would not be a question of race and differences.  But economic differences, more so divides, have been created since the dawn of the necessity for wealth, and thus I assume power, which again could delve into a racial, or more so geographical conversation.

But, again, I want to abstain from that conversation because that is not something I can, or have the authority and knowledge to discuss.

I do have the first hand authority to discuss the adverse financial conditions of the country you deem to run.  Or more so, were elected to run.  I'm assuming the majority are those that make the decisions and law.  That is, the congressional(men(and women) voted to make the decisions) majority. 

But it seems in this country, there is an overarching, media, and popular majority.  Or if not those who are the loudest.  And, while I am that in everyday life, to be that in a global, or at least domestic, capacity, I can, and have not mastered.  But here I am, writing on a blog, and hopefully, one day, a comprised letter from one of those struggling in an America that has, and will continue, to drown its poor and struggling.  The financial poor, in the sense of those with no, or little, income, do have somewhat of a social safety net, which can be even considered my safety net as it is available to all in a certain income bracket, far less than mine.  So, should I be here discussing my negative financial position when there are a large mass with a worse financial position.

That was a comment more than a question, as this is a blog more than the letter I was intending.

My financial situation is well over 100k in student loan debt, but the problem being the private, for profit(similar to the system that is now secondary education), in which these are very difficult to dispose of, or even consolidate and lower interest rates.  This fact seems very contradictory as we as an economic body supporting the economics needs of the region in which we operate would want the debts settled.  Which provides more questions? Is this the goal of the financial institutions that support the lending, without consolidating, of financials deemed for the use of education, which are more often than not with all borrowed, and given, money, abused.

Obama, and me, may one day, and more days than we(both, I assume) care to admit, contemplate these and more questions surrounding education and economy. 

But, hopefully, without the conversation being diverted to race. 

Let's just stick to the numbers.

Dear Obama

I have been wanting to write Obama for some time.  Before I thought it was just to let out frustrations because in reality all the words and all the time spent writing would never result in any action.  The best thing I could ever attempt to receive is the learning and knowledge from the words I could pen. 

Now that is all a little too wordy but all I'm really attempting to say is that it would be a waste of time.  Well, in fact, my wife's aunt decided to write Obama and there was a response.  And, surprisingly, an action.  Whether that action was just a result of already revolving circumstances or due to the letter to Obama, they attempted, and actually, did submit a letter to Obama, which I was under the impression, must be answered, at least by his administration. 

I, actually, was just going through old collected junk, getting ready for a child(as a child, a 30 year old one), and ran across a response I received from Bill Clinton.

I wrote him, in what I can remember is most likely 4-6th grade, which would be around 1996, I'd approximately say(I'm not good with exacts, which is most likely why a blog, and more so a book by myself would not be beneficial for anyone but me.  Then its just a journal of feelings.  I hope not, but I digress).

I wrote Bill Clinton regarding abortion, and as a child was a one thought Christian, and while my ignorance was admirable as I was more of a believer than my current self, in the church beliefs.  But my beliefs or religion are not what I'm currently try to elaborate on.  He responded to my, what I assume to be heartfelt letter, with an impassioned, as well, and, what felt like, personal response.  It was, in fact, someone else, one of his secretaries/advisories/interns(;p), but it was a response and it felt personal.

Now, if Obama, and I assume he will, would provide that, would I feel any better?

Maybe? Doubtfully.

I need to, however, write him to show him a personal story of student loan debt oppression.  We all have financial difficulties, but is one, that was chosen without full knowledge and educated devising, that should cause a lifetime of financial responsibility for nothing more than a piece of paper and limited knowledge.

I assume there will be more facts in a letter to Obama, but I just have to get over the wonder, and time availability to sit and do it, and commit to it.  When it may, in fact, mean nothing.