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Veterans and Credit Utilization: Balancing the Scales of Debt and Limits

Welcome to Day 16 of our series, tailored specifically for our brave veterans navigating the realm of civilian credit. Today, we hone in on the topic of credit utilization, a pivotal element in credit scoring and one that can greatly influence financial health.

Credit Utilization Unpacked: Understanding the Ratio

Credit utilization is the ratio of your current credit card balances compared to your credit card limits. Expressed as a percentage, it’s a significant factor, accounting for about 30% of your FICO score. A lower percentage indicates responsible credit management, signaling less risk to lenders.

The Significance of Credit Utilization for Veterans

Just as discipline and balance are essential on the battlefield, they’re crucial in financial matters too. Veterans transitioning to civilian life might encounter various financial responsibilities, making it vital to manage credit utilization prudently.

Effective Strategies to Optimize Credit Utilization

• Monitor Balances Regularly: Regularly check your credit card balances to ensure you’re not inching close to your limit.

• Increase Credit Limits: If possible, request a credit limit increase on your cards. This can lower your utilization without reducing debt.

• Multiple Payments: Consider making multiple smaller payments throughout the month to keep balances low.

• Keep Zero-Balance Accounts Open: Even if you’ve paid off a credit card, consider keeping it open. The available credit helps lower your overall utilization.

Veteran-Centric Insights on Credit Utilization

• Financial Re-adjustments Post-Deployment: After deployments, there might be significant expenses. Prioritize paying down high credit balances to keep utilization low.

• Veteran Aid and Financial Counseling: Some veteran associations offer financial counseling. Leverage these resources to get personalized advice on managing credit utilization.

• Benefit from Military APR Benefits: The SCRA offers reduced interest rates for active-duty military members. By capitalizing on this, veterans can potentially lower their card balances faster.

Challenges in Maintaining Optimal Credit Utilization

• Unexpected Expenditures: Life can throw curveballs, leading to unforeseen expenses. Having an emergency fund can mitigate resorting to maxing out credit cards.

• Misunderstanding Utilization: Some might believe it’s beneficial to use up their entire credit limit and pay it off monthly. However, high utilization, even if paid off every month, can affect your score.

• Over-relying on a Single Card: Spreading expenses across cards (without accumulating excessive debt) can help manage utilization on any single card.

Broadening the Horizon: Utilization in the Financial Mosaic

While credit utilization is a significant metric, it’s essential to see it as part of a broader financial narrative. Effective credit management encompasses punctual payments, diversified credit mix, and a keen understanding of one’s financial needs and capabilities.

Concluding Day 16: Balancing the Financial Scales with Precision

The art of managing credit utilization is akin to balancing scales. On one side, we have the credit we use, and on the other, the limits set by lenders. For our veterans, this balance is an integral aspect of their post-service financial journey, demanding the same precision and strategy they’ve exemplified in their service.

As we draw the curtains on today’s insights, our mission remains unchanged: to empower our veterans with the knowledge and tools to navigate the financial waters with confidence and clarity.

Join us for Day 17, as we delve deeper into the tapestry of credit, ensuring that our nation’s heroes are well-equipped for every financial challenge and opportunity that lies ahead.

Veterans and New Credit Inquiries: Navigating Fresh Financial Opportunities

Greetings and welcome to Day 14 of our meticulously curated series, designed especially for our nation’s veterans. As they venture into the multifaceted domain of civilian credit, today we’ll explore the concept of new credit inquiries and its implications on credit health.

New Credit Inquiries Unveiled: What’s Behind the Hard Pull?

When you apply for a credit product, lenders usually perform a credit check to assess your creditworthiness. This is often termed as a “hard inquiry” or “hard pull”. New credit inquiries, which constitute these hard pulls, account for approximately 10% of your FICO score.

Why Veterans Should Be Informed about New Credit Inquiries

Each hard inquiry can slightly decrease your credit score. While a single inquiry might reduce your score by a few points, multiple inquiries in a short time frame can be more detrimental. This is vital for veterans, especially those freshly exploring diverse financial products in civilian life.

Navigating New Credit Inquiries: Best Practices

• Limit Applications: While it’s tempting to apply for various credit offers, it’s wise to limit applications to avoid multiple hard inquiries.

• Research Before Applying: Understand the credit product’s requirements. Applying for credit products you’re more likely to get approved for can minimize unnecessary inquiries.

• Rate Shopping: If you’re loan shopping (e.g., auto or mortgage loans), do so within a short window (typically 14-45 days, depending on the scoring model). Multiple inquiries during this period can count as a single inquiry.

Special Considerations for Veterans

• Post-Deployment Financial Overhaul: After coming back from deployments, some veterans might feel the urge to revamp their financial portfolios. While this is commendable, it’s essential to space out new credit applications.

• Utilizing Veteran-Specific Offers: Many institutions have special credit offers for veterans. Before diving in, understand if a hard inquiry will be initiated and its terms.

• Credit Education for Veterans: Take advantage of veteran-focused financial literacy programs that provide insights into managing and understanding new credit inquiries.

Potential Pitfalls in Managing New Inquiries

• Being Lured by In-Store Offers: Often, retail stores entice customers with immediate discounts on sign-up for their credit card. While the offer might seem lucrative, remember it comes with a hard inquiry.

• Ignoring Soft Inquiries: Not all credit checks are hard inquiries. Checking your credit score or getting pre-qualified offers are “soft pulls” that don’t affect your score. Knowing the difference is crucial.

• Overlooking the Long-Term: Hard inquiries remain on your report for two years, though their impact diminishes over time. Still, be mindful of their long-term presence on your credit report.

The Broader Canvas: Inquiries in the Grand Scheme of Credit

While new credit inquiries play a role in your credit score, they’re just one part of a larger picture. Payment history, credit utilization, and credit mix also have notable impacts. Veterans, known for their strategic planning and foresight, can approach credit inquiries as just one tactic in the broader strategy of credit management.

Closing Day 14: Paving the Path to Informed Financial Decisions

Every hard inquiry, every credit application, is a step on the journey of financial self-discovery. For our brave veterans, this journey is intertwined with their unique experiences and aspirations.

As we wrap up today’s chapter, our mission remains crystal clear: to equip our nation’s heroes with the knowledge and tools they need to confidently stride down the path of financial freedom.

Tune in for Day 15, as we delve deeper into the nuances of credit, ensuring our veterans stand tall and informed in the face of every financial crossroad.

Veterans and Credit Mix: Diversifying Your Financial Portfolio

Welcome to Day 13 of our comprehensive series committed to guiding our nation’s veterans through the vast ocean of credit intricacies. Today, we set our sights on the concept of credit mix. As our heroes make their way into civilian financial landscapes, recognizing the significance and management of diverse credit types can be pivotal for a wholesome credit profile.

Deciphering Credit Mix: Beyond Just Credit Cards

Your credit mix, or the variety of credit accounts you possess, makes up about 10% of your FICO score. This encompasses credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans, mortgage loans, and more. It reflects your ability to manage different types of credit responsibly.

Why Veterans Should Pay Attention to Credit Mix

A diverse credit mix can indicate to lenders that you’re adept at handling various forms of debt. While it’s not necessary to have one of each type of credit, showing experience across multiple types can be beneficial. For veterans transitioning into civilian financial ecosystems, understanding this facet can add another feather to their credit-building cap.

Building a Healthy Credit Mix: Tips and Strategies

• Start with What You Need: While diversifying is good, it’s essential to only take on credit you genuinely need and can manage. Don’t rush into various credit types just for the sake of variety.

• Consider Different Types of Loans: If you’re in a position to manage them, think about personal loans, auto loans, or a mortgage. These add depth to your credit mix.

• Retail Accounts and Their Role: Retail accounts, like those from department stores, can be part of your credit mix. But beware of high interest rates and always read the fine print.

Veterans and Their Unique Credit Mix Situations

• Service-Related Absences: Prolonged absences due to deployments or active duty can mean gaps in credit activity. On return, diversifying credit can help in enhancing your credit profile.

• VA Loans – A Unique Asset: VA home loans are a valuable asset for veterans, not just for their favorable terms, but also as a key component of their credit mix.

• Leveraging Military Lending Programs: Some financial institutions offer credit-building products tailored for military members and veterans, which can be a strategic addition to your credit mix.

Avoiding Pitfalls in Credit Mix Management

• Over-diversification: While a diverse credit mix is beneficial, overextending yourself with too many accounts can become unmanageable.

• Ignoring Account Maintenance: Diversity isn’t just about opening accounts; it’s about maintaining them. Ensure regular check-ins and timely payments across all accounts.

• Falling for Predatory Lenders: Especially for those eager to diversify their credit, it’s crucial to avoid lenders or offers that seem too good to be true.

The Bigger Picture: Harmonizing Variety with Responsibility

A harmonious credit mix isn’t just about accumulating different credit types. It’s about strategically integrating them into your financial narrative and ensuring each plays its part responsibly. For veterans, this means weaving in their unique financial experiences and leveraging the discipline and dedication they’ve embodied in service.

Concluding Day 13: Charting a Symphony of Financial Instruments

In the world of credit, variety is both an art and a science. It’s about crafting a symphony where each financial instrument plays its part, contributing to a melodious credit score.

As we conclude today’s insights, we reiterate our unwavering commitment to our veterans, ensuring that every nuance of credit, every strategy, and every opportunity is made accessible and understandable.

Join us for Day 14 as we continue our deep dive, helping our nation’s heroes craft their unique, empowered, and informed financial narratives.

Veterans and Credit History Length: The Long Game of Building Trust

Welcome to Day 11 of our series dedicated to assisting our nation’s veterans in understanding the intricate fabric of credit. Today, we unravel the role and importance of credit history length. As veterans transition and adapt to civilian financial systems, realizing how the duration of credit history influences their credit scores can be instrumental.

Understanding Credit History Length: A Timeline of Trust

Credit history length refers to the duration you’ve had open credit accounts. This includes both the age of your oldest account and the average age of all your accounts. Representing roughly 15% of your FICO score, it acts as a testament to your long-term reliability as a borrower.

Why is Length of Credit History Vital for Veterans?

Length of credit history provides lenders a more extended window into your borrowing habits. For veterans, especially those who might’ve had limited opportunities to build credit during service, understanding its implications becomes essential as they navigate civilian financial systems.

Strategies to Bolster Credit History Length

• Think Twice Before Closing Old Accounts: While it might seem logical to close unused or seldom-used accounts, doing so can reduce the average age of your accounts, potentially impacting your score.

• Be Cautious with New Accounts: Regularly opening new credit accounts can decrease the average age of your credit history.

• Become an Authorized User: If a trusted family member or friend has a long-standing credit card account with a positive history, consider asking to be added as an authorized user. This can sometimes help boost the length of your credit history.

Special Considerations for Veterans

• Military Campaigns and Credit: Extended deployments can sometimes mean limited credit activity. However, some credit scoring models might view military service favorably, considering the length of active duty as a positive credit behavior.

• Post-Service Financial Rebuilding: Some veterans might only begin earnestly building their credit post-service. In such cases, focusing on other aspects of credit, such as payment history or credit utilization, can help offset a shorter credit history length.

• Leveraging VA Benefits: VA loans, or other veteran-centric financial products, might have more accommodating criteria, understanding the unique financial trajectories of service members.

Navigating Potential Pitfalls

• Avoiding Credit Altogether: While it’s prudent to avoid unnecessary debt, shying away from all forms of credit can leave you with a nonexistent or very short credit history.

• Frequent Account Churning: Regularly opening and closing accounts, often lured by short-term bonuses or offers, can harm the length of your credit history.

• Ignoring Old Accounts: Even if you don’t use an old account frequently, ensure it’s in good standing. An old delinquent account can harm more than just your credit history length.

Embracing the Marathon, Not the Sprint

Building a robust credit history length is akin to a marathon, not a sprint. It’s about the consistent and strategic nurturing of credit accounts over time. Veterans, accustomed to the long-haul dedication and commitment of service, can resonate with this approach in the financial realm.

The message is clear: While immediate financial decisions are crucial, it’s equally essential to have a vision for the future, ensuring decisions made today pave the way for a robust credit profile tomorrow.

Concluding Day 11: The Legacy of Financial Trust

Every financial transaction, every credit decision, leaves a mark, contributing to the legacy of one’s credit history. For our nation’s heroes, understanding this legacy becomes part and parcel of their post-service journey.

As we wrap up our insights for today, our dedication to guiding veterans through this journey remains unwavering. With every piece of knowledge shared, we aim to illuminate the path towards financial empowerment.

Join us on Day 12 as we delve deeper, ensuring that every veteran, every hero, is equipped to chart their financial course with confidence and clarity.

Veterans and the Importance of Diverse Credit: The Multi-Faceted Approach to a Robust Credit Profile

Welcome to Day 5 of our dedicated series on credit for U.S. military veterans. As we journey together, today’s focus shifts to an often under-emphasized yet critical aspect of building a robust credit profile: the importance of diverse credit types. For veterans transitioning into civilian life, understanding the value of a well-rounded credit portfolio can be a game-changer.

Diverse Credit: More Than Just Credit Cards

When we talk about credit, the immediate image that often comes to mind is credit cards. However, credit diversity encompasses more than just those plastic cards. It refers to having a mix of different credit types in your credit history. The major credit types include:

• Revolving Credit: This includes credit cards and home equity lines of credit. With these, you have a limit, and you can borrow as much or as little as you want up to that limit.

• Installment Credit: Loans with fixed terms and regular payments, like mortgages, auto loans, and student loans.

• Open Credit: The most common example is a charge card which you need to pay off in full every month.

Why Diverse Credit Matters for Veterans

Credit mix constitutes about 10% of your FICO credit score. While it may seem like a minor percentage, for someone teetering between a “good” and “excellent” score, this 10% can make all the difference.

For veterans, understanding and implementing credit diversity can:

• Show Lenders Versatility: A diverse credit portfolio illustrates to lenders that you’re adept at managing different types of credit responsibilities.

• Provide Safety Nets: Different credit types can offer varied advantages in financial emergencies.

• Optimize Credit Score: As mentioned, a healthy credit mix can give your credit score that extra push.

Achieving a Balanced Credit Mix: Steps for Veterans

• Start with What You Need: Don’t rush to diversify your credit just for the sake of it. Start with what you genuinely need. If you’re considering buying a car, an auto loan would be a natural addition.

• Consider Retail Accounts: Store cards or retail accounts can be easier to qualify for and can add another layer to your credit mix. Just be wary of high-interest rates and always pay off the balance in full, if possible.

• Explore Personal Loans: If you have a significant purchase or expense, consider a personal loan instead of maxing out a credit card. This introduces installment credit into your mix.

• Stay Current on All Payments: The importance of diverse credit doesn’t mean neglecting the basics. Always ensure you’re up-to-date with payments on all accounts.

• Regularly Review Your Credit Report: As you diversify, regularly check your credit report to ensure all your accounts are correctly reported and to catch any discrepancies.

The Potential Pitfalls: What Veterans Should Avoid

While diversifying credit has its advantages, it’s not without potential pitfalls:

• Overborrowing: Just because you have access to diverse credit doesn’t mean you should max out all available options. Always borrow responsibly.

• Opening Too Many Accounts Too Quickly: This can be a red flag for lenders and might temporarily lower your credit score due to hard inquiries.

• Neglecting Older Accounts: Older accounts bolster your credit age, which is another factor in your credit score. Ensure you keep and occasionally use your oldest credit cards even as you diversify.

Looking Beyond the Horizon: The Long-Term Perspective

Diverse credit is not a short-term tactic but a long-term strategy. For veterans, the journey from military service to civilian life is filled with significant decisions. While building a diverse credit portfolio, always align it with your long-term financial goals. Whether it’s homeownership, entrepreneurial aspirations, or securing your child’s education, let your credit decisions reflect your broader life goals.

Wrapping Up Day 5: The Symphony of Diverse Credit

Think of diverse credit as an orchestra. Each instrument (or credit type) has its unique sound, but when played together, they create a harmonious symphony. For veterans, understanding this symphony and playing each instrument with care can lead to a financially stable and prosperous civilian life.

As we conclude today’s exploration into the world of diverse credit, we remain committed to our mission: ensuring that our veterans, the heroes of our nation, are equipped with the knowledge they need for a bright financial future. Join us tomorrow as we delve further into the intricacies of credit, always aiming to empower and enlighten.

Strengthening Your Financial Foundation

For many U.S. military veterans transitioning back to civilian life, the complexities of the financial world can seem daunting. Navigating the maze of credit scores, reports, and the implications of each decision on one’s financial health can be overwhelming. As we delve into Day 2 of our month-long series on credit repair for veterans, we’re focusing on credit basics – the fundamental knowledge every veteran should have about credit to lay a solid foundation for financial stability.

Understanding the Cornerstone: What is Credit?

In simple terms, credit is the trust which allows one party to provide money or resources to another party wherein the second party will repay the first party at a later date. In the modern financial landscape, credit usually comes with the understanding that there will be interest or additional charges involved.

For veterans, understanding credit is especially important. As you reintegrate into civilian life, credit will play a pivotal role in determining everything from the kind of house you can afford to the type of car loans you’ll qualify for.

The All-Important Credit Score

At the heart of the credit system lies the credit score, a numerical expression based on the analysis of a person’s credit files. This score, typically ranging from 300 to 850, is an indicator of your creditworthiness. Here’s what the numbers generally mean:

• 300 – 579: Poor

• 580 – 669: Fair

• 670 – 739: Good

• 740 – 799: Very Good

• 800 – 850: Excellent

The higher the score, the more financially trustworthy you appear to lenders. A higher score can translate into better interest rates, higher loan amounts, and more favorable financial opportunities. For veterans, a solid credit score can simplify the home-buying process, make car loans more affordable, and even play a role in job applications in certain sectors.

Diving Deeper: The Credit Report

Supporting this score is your credit report – a detailed record of your credit history. The report includes:

• Personal Information: Your name, address, social security number, and possibly employment information.

• Credit History: This encompasses credit cards, mortgages, student loans, and other borrowing activities.

• Public Records: This can include bankruptcies, tax liens, and civil judgments.

• Inquiries: A list of companies or entities that recently checked your credit report.

For veterans, it’s vital to check this report annually. The transition from military to civilian life can sometimes come with financial challenges, and it’s essential to ensure that all information on your report is accurate and reflects your financial habits.

Factors Affecting Your Credit Score

Several elements determine your credit score, including:

• Payment History (35%): The record of your on-time payments. Late payments can significantly harm your score.

• Credit Utilization (30%): How much of your available credit you’re using. It’s generally advised to keep this ratio below 30%.

• Length of Credit History (15%): The age of your oldest credit account, the age of your newest credit account, and an average age of all your accounts.

• Types of Credit in Use (10%): A mix of credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans, mortgage loans, etc.

• New Credit (10%): How often you’ve applied for and opened new credit accounts.

Understanding these factors is crucial for veterans. As you make financial decisions post-service, knowing what affects your score can help you make informed choices that bolster your financial health.

Empowering Veterans with Credit Knowledge

Knowledge is power. For veterans transitioning back into civilian life, understanding the ins and outs of credit can be an invaluable tool. This knowledge not only helps in immediate decisions, such as buying a car or home, but also long-term financial health, ensuring that the sacrifices and services rendered to the nation are met with financial stability and prosperity in civilian life.

As we journey through this month-long exploration into credit repair for veterans, our aim is clear: to equip our heroes with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive in the financial landscape. Today’s dive into credit basics sets the stage for more in-depth discussions, strategies, and insights, all tailored to help veterans shine in the world of credit.

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Phone rings: “Hello, this is the home of the next president, Jill speaking.”

Hello, Mrs. Vice President, It is George Stephanapoulos. I hope all is well. May I please speak to the president?”

“Joe, the phone is for you; it’s George; he wants to talk about the next debate.”

“Hello, George, how is Martha?” “Pardon me, Mr. President, it’s George Stephanapoulos, not George Washington.” “I’m sorry, George. I just woke from my nap.”

“Mr. President, it’s only 10 a.m.” “Yes, I realize that. My naps are very important.”

“My first question, sir, is: “How do you plan to help the economy?”

“Depends,” “Can you elaborate a bit more?”

“Depends,” “Okay, then, Mr. President, how will you help the immigration problem?”

“Depends,” “is this the way your answers will go during the debate?”

“Depends,” “one final question that the whole country wants to know: boxers or briefs?”

“Depends.”

He who drinks a fifth on the fourth, may not be able to go forth on the fifth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG62qH86q8Y

How to frighten the new generation. Put them in a room with a rotary phone, an analog watch and a television without a remote control and leave the directions in cursive.

How to frighten the old generation, put them in front of a computer, ask them to up-load a picture, down-load a file, create a PDF then share to a social media, while CCing all contacts with the letter z in their names.

My son got so mad when he called me and I didn’t answer. He keep asking, “where are you?” And I said, “I’m here, you just can’t see me.” I identify with, “Transparent, and my pronouns are who and where.”

I can across a company called “United Wholesale Mortgage.” Has anyone heard of them?

Two women talking: “How did you meet your husband?” The other woman replies, “When I was working in the pharmacy, he came and asked for condoms, size XXXXXX. I didn’t realize until we were married that he stuttered.”

• This discussion was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by  Gustan Cho.

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Is the bird flu really here, or is it COVID-19 in disguise? The strain is HSN1, another flu strain, and each year they are getting worse, or are they really? In 2013, 900 people contracted the bird flu, and more than half died. Is this enough to be a pandemic?

Farmer workers and ranchers are at the highest risk of coming down with HSN1. I was unable to find where the 900 people got sick. I’m almost certain they worked on farms and ranches that lacked regular monitoring. Mostly found in meat and dairy, bird flu arrives and, voila, the price of eggs goes up, which has happened in the past few years.

I was amazed at the death statistics for flu deaths during COVID; there weren’t as many as previous years. I think all the flu stats were compiled together with COVID to make COVID worse. Thousands of people die of the flu each year, but not during COVID years. It was once called Trump’s flu.

With the election this November what will this flu be called, will CDC call it a pandemic? Or will it be a political stratagem? Biden Bird Flu, Biden Goodbye Flu, Trump’s Flu II. Both parties will cause chaos and come to the rescue, too bad the public will suffer.

It’s time to stock up on toilet paper and common sense.

I write many posts and I am beginning to realize that AI lacks a sense of humor. I know someone will answer me with an AI response explaining what AI is, I am ready. Can AI tell me a joke to make me laugh, or just explain what a joke is?

Have you seen the commercials for HIMs and HERS? I must be missing something; I thought we were sensitive to the non-binary society? When pronouns are used like XIR or MX, I’m in a fog. Is it a certain code that only non-binary people get? Everyone wants to be identified as something. We wear T-shirts that have a message: we want to be labeled as someone unique. Why? Aren’t we happy being what God intended? How is it that today, when a child is born, the parents can name them non-brinary? Is this predestined?

I know I can rant and rave about genders; my question would be, “What does the non-binary person, {I can use person, right, I’m not offending anyone, am I?}

What happens if a HIMS takes a HERS? Or a HERS takes a HIMS? Hair growth, stronger sexual desire?

Will there be a THEMS or an ITS? Please help!

I grew up in a concrete jungle, with buildings everywhere and playgrounds of cement. There are always rules regarding playgrounds: no jumping from slides or see-saws, etc. Beyond those rules, there are street, unspoken rules that must be followed. The inner city game is basketball. I’ve played on many teams and coached my son through elementary school and into high school. We had park rules and home court rules. I was never that good a basketball player; I had white man’s disease; and I can’t jump. On a good day, I could touch the rim. The first rule was that whoever was on the court first had to play in every game until they lost. I’d get there early to call “home court,” hoping the guys that should be up were good and I could continue my possession of the court. Even if you played in the South Bronx or Harlem, these rules were adhered to.

Greenwich Village has a main subway stop: West 4th Street. The cross street is 6th Avenue.

One block south is West 3rd Street, where there is a basketball court. Guys, professional players would travel downtown to play ball. I remember Dick Barnet of the Knicks, and Kareem Abdul Jabar was a local boy named Lew Alcindor. He went to Power Memorial Academy High School.

I tried my strategy early one Saturday morning on the West 3rd Street courts. Everything went fine the first few games; our team won the first two games, and that was it. When the big boys arrived, we were wiped off the court. To this day, the Saturday basketball games are a tourist attraction. They have also formed a league, “West 3rd Street Basketball League.” Teams have sponsors: Nike and Pepsi. I would have to wake up pretty early to play in that league.

A tree grows not just in Brooklyn but also in New Jersey. I’m nothing special, just a 60-year-old apple tree in Northern New Jersey, yes, the Garden State. The owner of the house planted me in memory of his dad, who was an apple farmer. My Golden Delicious apples are wonderful! Local folks know of my history and travel each fall to pick my beautiful orbs of sunshine.

Cider, apple pie, you name it, I can make it. I came up from a seed, just like my parents and grandparents. My great-grandfather led the way back in the 1930s. He and his siblings had the only producing orchard during the Great Depression. They were generous with their fruit as they gave to anyone who was hungry, not like that Wizard of Oz apple tree, grumpy and cheap. They fed everyone! I was planted as a reminder of when times were difficult.

Back in those days, the highlight of the week’s work was topped off by a fresh apple pie for Sunday dinner. When I was a lad, a seedling, too young to produce a crop, I was the playground for the kids in the neighborhood. As I aged, they would climb me, tie old rubber tires from my branches and make swings. I was loved and cherished. I can’t begin to tell you the satisfaction I had watching these kids grow up. Youth was innocent. Although dirt-poor, the joys of a simple existence may be gone in today’s culture. The anticipation all week of a hot fresh apple pie gave hope on Sunday as much as going to church.

At one time, the owner’s dad had a huge orchard, but as years went on during the Depression, he lost much of it. Bank foreclosures, unable to hire workers or till the land himself, his farm shrunk, and worries of feeding his family grew overwhelmingly. When the owner’s son planted me was no longer a farmer, he became a builder, swearing never to farm for a living after seeing what his dad experienced. However, I was planted as a symbol as to not to forget.

As the years ticked away, and I was a sapling nearing the juvenile stage of my life, I gave shade for summer picnics. I also gave shelter from the storms and allowed all birds to nest in my branches and give birth to new life. My roots never faltered, and I stored water when It rained.

My crop increased every year, and soon I was producing more apples than any other apple tree. I was a great landlord, never evicting anyone. They could come and go as they pleased. Sooner or later, most would return with their families and tell of my wonderful living conditions.

Soon after my sapling period, I’m not sure when though, kids started carving their names on my trunk. I hated this, destroying my beautiful bark with crude initials. The owner’s five-year-old daughter was the first to etch into me with her initials, DM. She was barely a sapling herself when she borrowed her older brother’s pocket knife. Boy, did she get a whooping! Her DM was carved so low on my trunk that it was hardly one foot above the ground. At first, I despised this, but in time I grew fond of the daughter and felt almost honored for her to “tag” me.

I aged quite nicely during my adult years, and each year my harvest increased, and suddenly I saw an increase in carved initials. DM’s etching led the way for many other kids. DM was now three feet above the ground, and below her were her four siblings and neighboring children.

My adult years were very fruitful, but old age is rapidly approaching. I turned 50 last spring, and I am showing signs of decline. I am considered an elderly tree. My apple crop, although tasty, is less and less each year. DM’s initials are now twelve feet above the ground, and she is nearing 50 years old. The owner who planted me passed away last summer, and I am beginning to feel useless. DM’s youngest brother is 35; PA tagged me when he was 10. He is a builder just like his dad. He now owns the house that has been passed on through the generations. I am now in the autumn of my years and reaching the snag phase of a tree; I’m near death.

He wants to replant the orchard! Wow! I didn’t see that coming, but he wants to chop me down! I do not understand why? The day has come, and I am being razed. It doesn’t seem to hurt. The owner chops me down, but my roots are saved. My root bulbs will be planted throughout the new orchard; I will live longer and prosper once again.

When they cut me down, they were extremely careful not to disturb the first 12 feet of bark. The bark was gently removed, planed, and sanded down. The 20 or so initials carved into my bark created a bench. Every child’s initials since 1950 can be seen on the backing off the bench.

An engraved metal plaque also reads, “You were there when we needed you, and your roots are now our future.”

Google suggests using a non-toxic glue to make cheese stick to pizza. That’s SLOP, the new SPAM. Yesterday’s article in the New York Times by Benjamin Hoffman writes how SLOB appears out of no where and looks legit. Tech companies are looking for new AI search engines. When you start a search the AI will give you, what it thinks you want. Overall its being represented as a bug that inverts what you are searching. You don’t know what’s real or not, they appear in emails and messages. Be careful of SLOP, you never know when it happens, is this post SLOP?

The two days out of the year when suddenly NO ONE is confused about what a man and woman is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPBuOtUdm30

Kamala Harris, is it racism?

Who is Kamala Harris? A vice president who hasn’t achieved much. She is a heartbeat away from being president. If Biden doesn’t run in November, she may be running in his stead. Every time I look up information on her, all I find is the following: The first female African American to hold the office of vice president That’s her claim to fame, and I take issue with that claim. Also, what is she? Her mother, Kamil, is from India, which makes her Asian; her father, Donald, is, get this, Afro-Jamaican with Irish ancestry. I will assume she is a woman. Why isn’t she the first Irish-Jamaican-Asian? You list the adjective first: I’m Italian American. An American by birth, a Native American is what I am. Granted, she was born in Oakland, California, apparently of many different ancestors. Why does Africa come first? She’s barely African; has she been there? I’ve been to Italy many times. I don’t play it up; it’s obvious I’m Italian. My wife’s DNA states she is 2% Polynesian; she can’t relate to that; she’s Ukrainian and Slovak. Would my wife be Polish or Polynesian? My DNA says I’m 20% Greek. Southern Italians and Greeks have been screwing around with each other for a long time. Africa is just 30 miles from Sicily. I have black cousins! Are we Afro-Italianos? Everyone here is from elsewhere. The party plays the female race ticket; just give them a minority, and they will vote them into office.Kamala Harris, is it racism?

Who is Kamala Harris? A vice president who hasn’t achieved much. She is a heartbeat away from being president. If Biden doesn’t run in November, she may be running in his stead. Every time I look up information on her, all I find is the following: The first female African American to hold the office of vice president That’s her claim to fame, and I take issue with that claim. Also, what is she? Her mother, Kamil, is from India, which makes her Asian; her father, Donald, is, get this, Afro-Jamaican with Irish ancestry. I will assume she is a woman. Why isn’t she the first Irish-Jamaican-Asian? You list the adjective first: I’m Italian American. An American by birth, a Native American is what I am. Granted, she was born in Oakland, California, apparently of many different ancestors. Why does Africa come first? She’s barely African; has she been there? I’ve been to Italy many times. I don’t play it up; it’s obvious I’m Italian. My wife’s DNA states she is 2% Polynesian; she can’t relate to that; she’s Ukrainian and Slovak. Would my wife be Polish or Polynesian? My DNA says I’m 20% Greek. Southern Italians and Greeks have been screwing around with each other for a long time. Africa is just 30 miles from Sicily. I have black cousins! Are we Afro-Italianos? Everyone here is from elsewhere. The party plays the female race ticket; just give them a minority, and they will vote them into office.

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The weather in Florida has been 90 degrees everyday for the past two weeks. The good thing about it being so hot, that there is no one in the back seat of you car waiting to attack you.