LOVE this dress

On teen pregnancies and medical records... or lack thereof

After the announcement that Sarah Palin's17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is pregnant, at the RNC, I've been extremely interested in that "developement."

Growing up in the second most conservative city in the US that strongly believes in abstinence only eduction, as well as having friends strong involved in advocacy of comprehensive sex education, I wondered what it meant for the future of America, especially if McCain/Palin won the election.

In late October, a great article ("Red Sex, Blue Sex") was published in the New Yorker about sexual activities in teenagers from conservative vs liberal ideaologies/backgrounds/etc...

Since then, about once a week, I'll google "Bristol Palin" and see the most recent articles about her , maybe to see pictures about how her pregnancy is progressing and overall just to see what actually happens.  There are obviously less and less articles appearing, but today I ran across an extremely interesting one from the BayouBuzz.  About the "released" medical records, which SP keeps insisting the mainstream media needs to look at to prove the "goofy" issue of Trig's paternity.

Really? If its so "goofy" and ridiculous, why not just release his birth certificate?  Or SP's medical records?

Regardless, I went into this whole, so-called "Sarah Deception" just interested in what will happen to Bristol with this pregnancy.  Now, I don't even believe she was 5 months along at the time... maybe 3 or 4.  Regardless, I'm curious how the birth will go, if Bristol and Levi will actually get married, etc.

And don't even get me started on the medical records... invoking the right to medical privacy when you're trying to overturn the most famous case that is based on that right?  Pick a side and stay there.  I, for one, think Sarah Palin is full or more inconsistencies and idiocies than G.W., but that is not an argument for this post.  This is about medical records.  Which I now want to see.  Desperately. 

But now that I've looked into it... is Sarah actually Trig's mother?  Or is Bristol?  

A word from President-Elect Barack Obama

I found this quote on a blog by 7 year old Stanislaw Gunkle.  Read it.  On election day, the post by the young political blogger was a letter from (now president-elect) Barack Obama.  He wrote:

"I leave you with three bits of advice that will make your life more fulfilling: Look out for other people, even when it does not directly benefit you; strive to make a difference everywhere you go; and get back up every time you are knocked down."

$$$

It's almost 2 a.m. and I'm awake writing a blog post.  I know I should be sleeping, since I have to be at work at 5:45 a.m. for opening shift, but right now I really don't care.  

I can't remember exactly when, or the reasons why, I became so interested in personal finance.  All I know is that at some point I became extremely interested in finding out information on budgeting, retirment accounts, various methods of saving, reducing spending, etc.   It was hard to make sure everything was running smoothly while I didn't have a full time job between graduation and now.  Today, I do have a full time job but its not a career job and its NOT making me the big bucks... in fact, I'm pretty sure I'm sitting in a really low income bracket if you translate my money to USD.

But thats not the point.  The point is that having a relatively steady monthy paycheck really helps out my budgeting.  Budgeting is something I've always been fascinated with, but in practice have never really grasped.  But I'm trying to make it work...  I've been using PearBudget's online application and finally subscribed now that my free month is up.  So far its been not bad.  I had to figure out how to allot my monthly paychecks and I figure once I get the rest of November down I will figure out a better way to adjust my spending/saving habits.  My biggest problem on this go (all 1.5 months of it) has been what currency I budget in.  Since most of my accounts (all of my savings, student loan, credit cards and BoA checking) are all in USD, I figure that should be my main currency.  However, living and working in Vancouver means that my paycheck, daily expenditures and RBC checking account are all in CAD.  

I've figured the best solution to this problem is to budget in USD... this way, when I say I've spent $40 CAD on my phone bill this month, which, if charged to my credit card, would show up at only $37 USD, I would have $3 extra dollars at the end of the month in my banking account which would immediately be whisked over to savings.  Right now I think this works reasonably well since it is, in a sense, overinflating my costs a bit while forcing me to spend less money, since my budget can't tell the difference.  

In addition to my budget, I opened up a Vanguard Roth IRA last December (which as of today has lost almost 50% in the tanking US economy), created a 6 month living expense emergency fund and opened several other small superflous savings accounts such as car, home and travel which I deposit very small amounts into every month.   In regards to the little savings accounts, I already have almost 200 in one and almost $100 in the other two from depositing a measly $10-20 dollars a month.  It reminds me that even the smallest bit DOES make a difference... I am almost $400 richer this year (disregarding the IRA) than I was last year because of putting aside $50 a month.   If I had put away $100 a month instead, I would now be looking at an extra $800.  I am hoping that the $100 in my "Home" account will grow into a down payment by the time I am ready to buy property.  Clearly I will need to deposit more than $10 a month, but that is a story for another post.

Today I opened up my first CD.  Call it a trial run, but this is my opportunity to check it out before I incorporate CDs into my everyday portfolio. For this CD I mearly took $150 out of my travel fund and rolled it into a 9-month, 3.75% CD.  I will make exactly $4.18 off the CD, which is under $1 more than I would be in my 2.75% savings account (again, darn the tanking US economy!) but, as I mentioned, its a good chance for me to check out how this thing works... how I'm feeling about having my money tied up/losing the liquidity, how I feel when I get it back, experimenting w/ the possibility of dropping/rising interest rates, etc.

I know its a bit early for me to be making any goals for 2009, but I've decided to get a head start on the new year.  Fow now, I only have 4, and some are pretty abstract:

1) Increase my emergency fund back up to 6 months of living expenses

2) Max out my Roth IRA contribution

3) Increase my monthly student loan repayments

4) Increase my net worth

5) Learn patience!

I am sure these will change and become more concrete over the next month and a half until 2009, but I think it gives me a pretty good head start.  By increasing my student loan repayments, I can cut 5 years off my loan, saving myself THOUSANDS of dollars!  And my student loans aren't even that high!  Its amazing what your money (even not making much) can do with a little persistence and patience! My debt won't disappear and my net worth won't increase overnight... its something I'm going to have to keep working at for years and years.  One of my favorite personal finance blogs, Get Rich Slowly, had a great article up on Oct. 16 that gave 10 unconventional money saving tips.  #10 is to "Focus on getting over the $100,000 hump."  That is what 2009 will be about.  Obviously, I won't be reaching that hump, but it'll be my focus.  

I guess my primary focus should be paying off my debts, because as low as the student loan is, it is still more than my current savings interest rates are...  However, maxing out my IRA contribution should (and will be) paramount.  

wtf america?

I think Nov 4 was an interesting day.  Not necessarily in terms of a change in the presidency, Senate and House, but in the dichotomy the US is now facing.  Three states banned same sex marriages--including one of the most liberal states, California, which began allowing the marriages in June after a court decision ruled the Calif. constitution didn't restrict marriage to a union between a man and a woman--while two other states (Massachusetts and Connecticut) still allow them.  

On the same ballot as Proposition 8 in California, Prop 4 (which would have required parental notification for girls under 18 seeking an abortion and mandated a 48-hour waiting period before the procedure) was rejected 52% to 48%.  In South Dakota, Measure 11 was rejected by 56% of voters although it wasn't an outright abortion ban and had a number of exceptions.  By 3 votes to 1, Colorado's Amendment 48 (which would have defined a "person" from the point of egg fertilization) was defeated... even a number of prominent pro-life activists felt the definition went too far.

Nebraska and Colorado banned affirmative action, although Nebraska's result is currently being challenged in court due to shady signature collecting.  Arizona, Florida, California and Arkansas further reduced rights for gay and lesbian couples. Michigan is allowing medicinal marijuana (too much influence from our northern neighbours eh??) and Massachussetts decriminizlied marijuana.  Massachussetts also decided to keep their state income tax (and by two-thirds!), while Missouri made English the official state language.  And finally, the State of Washington legalized physician assisted suicide for terminally ill patients (Oregon already passed a similar law).

I feel like these propositions best show, for the most part, which direction America's moral compass is facing.  So far the federal government hasn't had to step in on any of these issues, but by taking a look as these ballot initiatives I think you can see what might happen if they did.  I believe we'd uphold Roe v. Wade... all 3 anti-abortion initiatives were struck down, including in South Dakota which already has the strictes abortion laws in the nation!  But on the flip side of that, gay marriage is still, and for the most part will remain, illegal... because all though two states allow it, at least 14 more have rejected the idea.

The rest I point out for interest since I know not many people followed every states ballot initiatives (myself included until I heard about Colorado's Amendment 48)... its interesting to see each state march to its own drum while maintaining some semblance of unity.

Game. Set. Match!

Its Obama!  FiveThirtyEight called it at exactly 8:27 pm ET after he won Ohio:

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/11/barack-obama-wins-ohio.html

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/11/obama-to-become-next-president.html

Hopefully some of the damage of the past 8 years can be repaired and we can give the world something good to think about... living abroad has really shown me a lot of international opinions of the US, and a majority of them not good.  I am ready for a CHANGE!

Happy election Day!!

Itsssssssssss election day!  I have been reading articles and blogs all day long in between grocery runs and errands.  In about 20 mins I'll be heading to yoga to take my mind off of the stressfulness of today... and I am hoping that by the time I get back we will have a new-president elect who can do some good in the world!

The 2 resources I am heavily utlizing tonight are the wonderful blog FiveThirtyEight (http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/) and the NY Times presidental voting spread (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/votes.html).  FiveThirtyEight explains the entire process AND breaks down the numbers for you, which is great.  And the Times voting spread is just the best version of this I've found.  

So if there is good news at the end of the next several hours, maybe I will be back to comment on it.  But as of right now, I am taking a time out to breathe!

I hope everyone who didn't early vote or vote in absentee took time to vote today, despite the long lines and crowds, its one of the most important elections ever (especially in my lifetime) and its time for a CHANGE!

Happy November!

Here I am at 7 am the morning after Halloween awake and blogging because I can't sleep... I only got about 3 or 4 hours because I just couldn't sleep, so weird.

Last night was Halloween (obviously) and despite my early efforts to altogether avoid the holiday, I ended up getting in the spirit and dressing up.  I also carved a pumpkin!  One of my co-workers decided to have a contest for the employees, so I had to make one after all.  I had plans to carve it last night with one of the other boys from work, but instead I ended up closing so I carved mine while he baked pumpkin seeds and served soup.  I did Oogie Boogie from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and he did end up quite frightening.  Originally I was going to do Boo from Mario Bros., but I didn't have a good enough knife or saw for the detail work... so Oogie Boogie it was.  

Last night after I finally put my costume together (having a roommate that works in a lab definitely has it perks!), I ran by the coffee shop to grab a drink and see other's costumes.  We had a doctor, a vampire and a German boy (although he's always German, only this time he was in full costume).  I was, as you can see from the photo to the left, a mad scientist.  It was fun getting ready, teasing my hair to craziness and putting an "explosion" on my face.  The drink in the beaker was a lot of fun... definitely had everyone interested in what was in it.

Right now the sun is finally coming up... its 7:40.  Sadly, the nights are still going to be getting longer for at least another month and a half.  Its amazing how little daylight there is... I can't imagine going farter north to where there is extremely little.  But I do want to go to Alaska.  So bad.

On another note, I am really enjoying working at the coffee shop.  I have met some really interesting and fun people and am looking forward to the next several months with them... although it won't be all of them.  Some are moving on and supposedly there are some "big changes" happening in the next few weeks, but there is still so much to look forward to!