It's Just Not Right

I have a home health care worker who comes out to help with my Dad.  Recently she lost physical custody of her 9 year old son because she did not have a house of her own.  She rented a room but that was not considered enough.  Now she has been ordered to pay $300+ per month child support.  The problem is she does not make enough money to cover that expense. We are her only client and she only works 10 hours a week. She often cannot make it to her job because she has no gas.  I have given her gas money and begged her employer to find her additional work.  Apparently many people won't let a nice black girl into their home.  I understand not allowing "Hoodrats." but you need to give a person a chance before making a judgement. So here she is doing everything she can to do the right thing.  Her attorney was not her advocate or it would have never turned out the way it did.  Her "ex" ridicules her when she can't afford a birthday gift for her son.  She is in tears many times but she still does her job.  When she has no fuel she has someone drop her off.  She, like many others just can't get a break. 

Yes there are some out there who use and abuse the system.  Others however are trying their best and still falling further behind economically and emotionally.  How long before good people just give up? Programs out there to help people need to do a better job screening people's needs.  It may not be politically correct but why throw money and assistance at people who have no intention of getting out of the system? There are people who just need a little bit of help and they could get on firm ground and take it from there. The milionaires who won the Power Ball Lottery should set up an organization that help people like this; people who don't qualify for existing programs and are trying their best to get ahead and just need a break.

Don't Believe Everything

I have been watching television lately trying to get some Christmas shopping done. I noticed many shows have now decided to oversell, actually come close to committing fraud and I wanted to talk about it because I fear the general public is being taken. Several years ago I tuned into jewelry television or JTV and they were selling pearls. Apparently they've run out of the perfectly round pearls now and are selling globs of nacre and calling them Baroque Of course these are the most make magnificent things in the most desired among celebrities and rich people so all the poor people need to run now and grab these globs of nacre so that they can be as cool as the rich people.  Jewelry should be purchased based on if you like it on the sales pitch which claims it is valuable or rare. Remember when Tanzanite came out. The blue/purple color was GEM quality. Now they say lighter color is "gemmy" to have you think it is as good. Most recently I have seen blue/green tanzanite marketed as rare and valuable. Not really but if you like it buy it, just look for the best deal. Don't get caught up in the hype. Have you noticed when the hosts on television are trying to get you to buy something they tell you that this is what you'd see on Rodeo Drive. This is what you see on the red carpet. This is what all of them really it people are wearing or buying so you know you want to be like them. You know you just have to be considered rich and well-to-do and classy so you'll buy anything that somebody else bought just so you can be part of that club. Just us stupid do they think we are? It really disturbs me that several years ago you would watch these sales pitches on television for different gemstones or gemstone jewelry and they would talk about the clarity of stone now that they're having difficulty finding clear stones a has become fashionable to have defects basically in the stone because it gives it character. It's more natural that way and all that truly does is make you believe it's more valuable than it actually is they're making you pay a higher price for lesser quality goods. Now that gold has become such a high priced item they've taken to calling sterling silver the noble metal . I'd like to just give you some advice when it comes to shopping on television. First of all appraised value is determined by figuring you need to go to a jeweler and custom order that particular piece of jewelry. In other words you'd be paying top dollar for that particular stone the size that cut the caller the setting you wouldn't be picking it out of a stock showcase so an appraised value should be 2 1/2 to 3 times more than what you pay for it on television. Also remember to consider the shipping as part of the cost of the item if you look at the price they charge you plus the shipping and handling that gives you a true cost of the item. Some of the shows offer payment plans and that's helpful but you are paying for it one way or another and carefully look at the retail value versus what you're paying before you get fooled into believing you're getting a huge value.